Do any of you get discouraged at the state of our democracy in America? I do.

The Obama as Satan issue

The Obama as Satan issue brings up the mixing of politics and religion theme. Fundalmentalism is more likely to be found on the right than the left. Belonging to a church puts one into a situation where there is more organization. I see more organizing among right wingers than the left. Those on the left tend to be more individualist. I can only speak from personal experience but thats what I see. Also when over 90% of talk radio is conservative there is more opportuntity by the hosts to whip up the listeners to do something even if its misdirected in intent. This all a result I believe, of 20 of the last 30 years living with a conservative president and attitude.

at least the wobblies arent

at least the wobblies arent being killed by woodrow wilsons goons like in wa state in the 20s

why do democrats always cite seantor mccarthy when democrat woodrow wilson actually locked up about 70000, just for their gooddamn beleifs?/!!

but i voted for kerry and why the hell did i?

Keep in mind that the right

Keep in mind that the right doesn't have any real grass roots movement. The Teabagging movement, for example, is what is called an Astroturf movement. A well funded, top-down PR campaign designed to look like a grass roots movement. Trust me, no media outlet would cover an actual grass roots movement.

FoxMulder: wrong, we are a democratic republic (on paper, anyway). It isn't an either/or proposition.

Both sides are guilty. It all

Both sides are guilty. It all depends on what you learned from history. McCarthy was just more visible than Wilson because he made more noise. He was more of a ego maniac and wanted the attention.

Do you think, possibly, one

Do you think, possibly, one problem may be that many of us confuse democracy, which is a system of government, with laissez-faire capitalism, an economic system?  Unfortunately, our corporate-owned media don't bother to make the distinction and tend to equate democracy and capitalism, as being inseparable.  On the contrary, as Thom has pointed out, capitalism works just fine within totalitarian governmental systems.  What we want, given that democracy and laissez-faire capitalism are incompatible, is a mixed economy, with a strongly regulated private sector, a strong public educational system, a free press, and you know the rest—government of by and for the people.  Too bad the Democrats, with few exceptions, fail to educate the public on these things; is that because they too profit within our corrupt system, where the public must remain as ignorant serfs?

obama as

obama as satan                                                                                         the antichrist is already here in and greed is his tool for his reign so does it matter who he is that he will embody one person or many evil is legion i seem to think the embodyment will come in the form of a republican

Thom, First of all, Shirley

Thom,

First of all, Shirley Sherrod is right to point out the ugly racism that was always lurking and surfaced during the Healthcare battle. There is nothing wrong with identifying racism or are we interested in ignoring the jokes, comments, and discrimination and remaining ignorant, immature, racial Neanderthals. From confronting the worst in ourselves, we maintain growth. (By the way, there is no such thing as reverse racism/discrimination as though racism is always White on Black; it is just as ignorant as the superfluous “White slavery” reference as though “conventional” or “regular” slavery must be of Black people by White people.)

Your first guest on 29.07.2010 said he and his family had "...a really bad civil rights experience there for standing up for civil rights...": his father losing his business BECAUSE he was standing up for Black people by hiring and putting them in charge of White people, instead of pointing out that he lost his business not BECAUSE he hired Black people etc. but because of the racists' anger that put him out of business.  If he is scrutinizing the--correct, by the way--use of the word lynch, why isn't someone seeing that what he really did was blame the victims, again! The Black employees and Shirley Sherrod are re-victimized.  I can imagine him growing up in a house with the recriminations of those "Blacks they helped" ruining their lives! That defined him and made him what he is. I think it is imperative that everyone needs to study racial identity development.

Here's what I don't like

Here's what I don't like about democracy, its mob rule and the side that isn't in the majority always has to throw as much of a fit as they can usually to make a useless attempt to garner attention.  Lets review recent history...

Republicans controlled Presidency, House, Senate, and arguably the Supreme Court from 2005-2007.  The Democrats cried about a lack of Democracy and the Republicans complained about obstructionism from the Democrats.

Democrats have controlled the Presidency, House, Senate, and arguably the Supreme Court since 2009.  The Republicans have been crying about a lack of Democracy and the Democrats have complained about obstructionism from the Republicans.

Same story, different timeframes.  It ain't benevolent democracy, its a two-headed one party system.  Once the people get tired of one side the majority goes to the other, then they get tired of that other side so they go back to the original side, rise, repeat, so on, and so forth.

I don't get discouraged, nor

I don't get discouraged, nor depressed, I get ANGRY.  I focus this anger at the parties responsible as well as trying to get the public aroused as best I can.   Better for the government to be afraid of the people than the people to be afraid of the government and while we're at it better to have corporations afraid of the people than have the people afraid of corporations (to paraphrase from "V for Vendetta").