Giving Up is Easy

[lydamorehouse]

As I posted on Facebook, I am so bored by all you progressives who have given up on Obama. How trendy to be angry. How incredibly USELESS.

Okay, before anyone jumps down my throat, let me explain. I was listening to Cathy Hauser's AM950 "Radio Cafe" show on Saturday, and I actually heard some yahoo call in to say he's done with Obama, "good riddance" he said.

The problem, IMHO, is that I suspect that this caller isn't using his anger to do anything. I may be wrong, but I've seen a lot of progressives get frustrated and just quit. They drop out of the whole game. They allow themselves to be sidelined and disinfranchized. (I speak from personal experience. I gave up during the first Gulf War for many, many years.)

But here's the thing. It's like we see that we're losing, so we quit. Thing is there's always a chance of winning as long as you continue playing. The second you quit, you for sure lose.

Plus, if Obama isn't fighting the good fight, then you need to. I need to. We can't just go, "Oh well, that sucks," and quit.

I'm not saying I know what we can do, individually. I admit I totally get feelings of powerlessness against the system. But it's really irritating to me that everywhere I turn all I hear is how much everyone feels betrayed, but then offers no solutions other than just being mad about it.

Eh. I'm just mad too.

Mason just asked to watch some stupid cat videos on YouTube. Sounds like a great idea.

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

As I wrote on FB in the replies, People who stand by their word are boring, and I like boring people. I am angry that there is systemic corruption, to say that my anger is just trendy belittles some very justifiable rage.

I didn't support the mercenary contractor's war in Afghanistan, or Private health insurance as enshrined by government under GW Bush either. I supported the Employee Free Choice Act, I gave money to Obama because he said that he supported it too. That political position of Democratic Party changed in a hurry once the Democrats came to power.

I haven't changed my political position. They did LIE about what they were supporting, and I therefore regret ever supporting the lot of them. I was wrong and it's going to take me a minute to lick my wounds.

I feel betrayed, and justifiably so. I think this mass disillusionment is part of the process towards getting back on track to fighting whatever the good fight might be. Continuing to oppose the war, continuing to want universal health care, continuing to oppose the privatization of the whole world is the opposite of saying "Oh well, that sucks."

Saying that we shouldn't give up on someone who has betrayed many of the things that he campaigned on is more like what I think of as acquiescence.

If there's a "fighting the good fight" kiosk, please sign me up, otherwise I'm going to have to figure this out on my own.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I see that you added a few sentences at the end there. Silly cat videos are one of life's great pleasures. :)

It's really tough, I think. On November 4th of last year, I wrote:

"When I rode the city bus this morning, nearly everyone on the bus was playing the same game.

It was the one where we all wore the same prominently displayed sticker.

Even though one of us might not matter, a very overcrowded busload of people all want something for tomorrow ...and maybe we'd just like another bus added to the route."

I remember that the people on that extremely crowded bus seemed to be the proudest bunch of sardines I'd ever seen, and I was happy to get to be a sardine on that day.

I voted the way that I did because I'm sick of having no health care coverage, and I'm sick of being unemployed, and I feel dumb for going back to vo-tech at age 40... I regret the way that I voted because I should have known better, but I don't regret the wanting.

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Snarky Answer: What--you honestly expect that all our problems won't be fixed by the end of the episode, like in real life? :p

Honest Answer: I'm totally there with you. It's going to take time, and I like to say I'm cursed with a tremendous amount of patience, so I'm willing to wait. At least he's learning from his mistakes as well, which is more than I can say for a lot of other people.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I missed where he learned from his mistakes. What issue was that on?

Do you mean where he change his stance on DADT?

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

You are right; I have given up.

But I feel so utterly helpless.

[geekgirl33.livejournal.com]

I totaaly understand what you are saying Lydia. I have trouble with people giving up on Obama when he is doing better than really any other president could ave done given the hand he was dealt. Have people forgotten history so fast? Or forgotten how our government is supposed to work. 12 years ago we tried to get some heath care reform and it never made it to full debate. Now we have some thing real.
Did people really expect that we would pull out all troops on January 22nd? Don't you think we better do some repairs and support for the people first?
I agree people have spent 7 or 8 years feeding on anger and have given up because they gave up once he got into office and expected a miracle to happen. All my friends who worked so tirelessly to get him in office have not sent out emails or asked for me to write my senators or anything in over a year. I feel sorry for our president. In the same instant he became president he lost the fervor that he had gotten there with.

[(Anonymous)]

I spent eight years being horrified by pretty much everything that the last administration was doing.

Now, I'm annoyed that this administration isn't doing enough.

I consider that an improvement. Which is what democracy is all about, IMO. Slow improvement, each election an opportunity to drag the country a little bit forward. Not just the presidency, but school boards, county, city, state, legislature. Each time you push to elect the person you think can do the job best, then try to hold their feet to the fire. Evolution, not revolution.

It's not sexy, it's not fast, and it will never end. But if you don't do it, someone else will.

And they probably have a Palin/Bachman '12 sticker slapped on their bumper already.

Gary