I rarely write diaries, and none of them go anywhere anyhow. But, like so many here, I really need to rant it up a bit after what I’ve seen over the past two years, and especially in the past few days. Before seeing the excellent diary by Fish out of Water, I had already said to Mrs. Lippy this AM that
they just plain hate him.
There will be no compromise in their attempt to bring down the president and his party. Damn the nation, damn the economy, damn the jobs, damn everything but plutocracy and theocracy.
The title, of course is from Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers. So what do we do? Stand, stunned and overwhelmed like Theodin, when he says in despair, "What can men do in the face of such reckless hate?"
Aragorn’s response? "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."
We’ve already seen them bait and switch on health care and everything else. "Sure. We’ll agree if you just concede point x, y, or z." Then – SLAM the door in your face.
There has not been such palpable hatred and rage since that which was directed at any and all leaders and supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. I remember it all too well.
The Big Three of domestic hatred, I’m starting to call it.
- The secession of the south over slavery and the resulting bloodbath of the Civil War.
- The segregationist movement violently opposing civil rights in voting, education, and access to public places.
- The hatred of the Barack Obama presidency.
If you’re going to get hated, it may as well be for riding out to meet them head on. Now is the time for all compromise and bipartisanship to be abandoned. Now is the time to confront and antagonize the right at every turn. They cannot hate you more than they do. They’re ready to destroy the country over it.
Ask them relentlessly, which part of health insurance reform do you want to eliminate first? The part that prevents insurers from throwing sick children and their families to the wolves? Which auto worker would you lay off first? Will you personally go to their houses and bring them the news that you’re effectively eliminating their entire industry from the country? You know, the industry that rapidly converted to producing what we needed to defeat the nazi’s in WWII? THAT auto industry? Which science will you eliminate? The part that follows the evolution of viruses to protect us from epidemics and pandemics? The part that makes global communications possible? Which oil companies will you take the most money from? The ones that have done the most visible damage to the environment and livelihoods of Americans, like BP and Exxon? Which public works programs will you eliminate first? You’ve already scrapped thousands upon thousands of jobs for tunnels and infrastructure. Hold all of them accountable for their reckless hate every day, all day, on every talk show, in every speech, in every moment of every debate on legislation. Throw them on the defensive, expose them for putting hatred above country. Shine the light on them without relent.
You get my drift. If you’re gonna be hated and obstructed, it may as well be for doing the right things. Bi-partisanship is dead. Hatred runs rampant. Confront it for what it is and lead from a position of strength. We, the People, will respond. You can’t lead from the center.
Thanks for letting me vent and exhort.