The Titanic has hit an iceberg . Judith Miller and her lawyers, in concocting this self-serving excercise in elision and obfuscation, and the editors of the New York Times , in delivering it to their readers, have sent a clear message to the broader public: find a life raft, quick. A newspaper has no higher obligation to its readers than the timely reporting of the truth. The New York Times just officially said goodbye to all that. Whether we look at Miller's hiding behing her notes, her hiding of her notes, her obfuscation of her sources even as she purported to reveal one, or that misspelled name... Valerie Flame ...written on a note pad, but, essentially, according to Miller, signifying nothing ...there could hardly be a more sordid or less satisfying outcome to the "paper of record" coming clean. If this is the best they have to offer, and indeed, that seems to be the case, their readers shouldn't be the only ones looking to the life boats. "the notes...
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Will the people be able to hold any Democrats with power to a human/humane agenda? If so, what is the carrot and what is the stick? If not, what is to be done in your opinion?
peace
That's so.....summer of '01.
9/11 changed everything.
Not trying to highjack, but spreading the word.
Maybe I should've been more precise. Try Democrats with a voice, or more power than two people on a blog.
So again, if the Dems are given more power, etc?
a) Democratic leadership that speaks to an idealistic vision, even as they speak to acountability. Leadership that speaks to equity and equality, justice and fairness for all citizens. (Obama, Edwards.)
b) Local Democratic candidates and "grass roots" Dems (ie. DFA, the blogs) pushing hard on local issues that dovetail with these ideals....and, at the same time, tying the local GOP to the national GOP's failures. Pragmatic district to district fights...and state house to state house.
c) renewed, grass roots movement politics. acting as the conscience...and the pressure valve / pressure cooker for justice struggle in this country.
ie. I think when the "left roots". (Which is not confined to the Democratic party by the way.) When the "left roots" speaks out in a positive, non-cynical manner.
When we push for our ideals, not simply cast a pox on both houses....it does put pressure on the Democratic leadership to live up to those ideals.
At any rate, I am most concerned with Democrats winning power...and with the "left roots" effectively making our case for deep change in the heart of this nation.
When we push for our ideals, not simply cast a pox on both houses....it does put pressure on the Democratic leadership to live up to those ideals.
Nice. How does this occur? I've heard Obama & Edwards, nice thoughts, well said, but how? What is the plan?
Again, k/o said: At any rate, I am most concerned with Democrats winning power...and with the "left roots" effectively making our case for deep change in the heart of this nation.
Where I live, NYC suburb, the Dems have plenty of power, yet the moneyed interests constantly win against the interests of the vast majority. What I'm saying is, are the people with the Dems (ideology included) or are dems in power because they're simply not Reps?
National single-payer Health Plans are what the vast majority of people would like as shown in poll after poll, yet we ain't even near getting it even when the Dems had more power. Why?
in the spirit of Nathan Rudy's Blue 7th linked on the right of the page. (which is targeting a GOP incumbant in NJ).
But make the blog about your Dem Congressperson. Publicize their votes...go to Progressive Punch and look up their voting records and scan for votes you disagree with...
That's the free press side of it.
On the other side. Join DFA, or form an action group like it. Folks from the DFA here ran and won seats in the local Democratic steering committees by showing up. They will help shape how Democratic politics works out of the East Bay...and they stick together...for true reform.
Those are two obvious things, if you're serious about it.
I'm already in over my head with this politics stuff, just not with the Dems in particular. Anyway thanks for the advice. Maybe some one else can use it.
Listen. Possibly I'm not being clear. From my pov(all politics is local) people are not satisfied, but they're not THAT dissatisfied. They are not willing to vote for "ideals" over bread(lots and lots of bread. I mean this is L.I.). So, again, what's the plan?...We already vote for Dems locally and nationally(I happen to live in the most liberal town in Western Suffolk Cnty), yet...yet it is never enough. People go with who is suppling the paycheck whether they like the "ideology" or not. Just the facts around here, and probably elsewhere as well.
peace