Gypsy Silverleaf ([info]morrigain) wrote,
@ 2004-11-03 15:03:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Current mood: questioning

Please, to my non-American friends, stop bashing our country.

Our system is strong and powerful. It can screw the minority sometimes, but overall it works and is highly accomplished. I wish you'd stop saying so high and mightily, "I'm glad I'm not American!" or something of the sort.

Please, to my American friends, stop saying you're going to leave the country. Stop saying you give up, or that your voice didn't matter.

I have said flippantly too that our American system of government is skewed and that I want to move somewhere else, but I stress the flippantly part. Leaving the country won't solve anything. Giving up won't help either.

Liberals and progressives suffered an enormous loss today, and it hurts. Bush stands to take our society and mold it into a regressive, isolationist state, and damn it if he's not going to try to do that as soon as he can. But what you must realize is that to say you give up means nothing will ever be solved. We have to fight. We have to keep fighting to get rid of this conservative, fear-driven, anti-progressive, anti-civil rights campaign that is sweeping the country like mad.

To fight means staying here and staying active. Don't give up. Giving up on democracy, the Democratic party, liberalism, or activism is far worse than Bush being re-elected.


(Post a new comment)


[info]innerslytherin
2004-11-03 11:30 pm UTC (link)
I know I'm one of your Conservative friends, but I'd like to weigh in on this: AMEN. Amen to everything. If the liberals all leave, there is no give and take in this nation, and that is what America is all about.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 04:04 am UTC (link)
Well, if all the liberals leave, the reactionary right-wingers would make their own party and the 'moderate' Republicans would become the left. Now THAT would be funny. ;D

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]alchemia
2004-11-03 11:33 pm UTC (link)
leaving doesn't = giving up. I think if I was overseas, i'd actually feel safer about being involved, which is really sad for the so called land of the free.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 12:04 am UTC (link)
Actually I kind of separated and combined the two (leaving and giving up). But I agree: I think I'd feel less involved and by default more secure in that I don't have to deal with the US's politics directly.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]crabnebula78
2004-11-03 11:37 pm UTC (link)
THANK YOU FOR THAT! ::glomps you::

Well said, well said.

I'm glad you have the maturity to say that (yes, I know you are older than I am! ^_^) I know a couple of middle aged teachers that responded with sooooo much less respect than that. (as in, it was nonexistant)

UNITED States of America ::points:: UNITED.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 03:55 am UTC (link)
My political science teacher here at my university expressed the majority of the class' thoughts in a word: "Fuck!" But we all laughed, so I suppose that's a good thing. :D

I'm honestly upset, but I have to deal with this like the rest of my fellow liberals and work harder. I have a great deal of [disgruntled] respect for the Republican party's ability to have centralized platforms and positions on issues, to make money and raise funds, and to generate support, and that's what my party needs to do to get where we need to be.

[sorry about the double post; that's called posting while logged into the wrong journal!]

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]flipflopfanatic
2004-11-03 11:54 pm UTC (link)
YES! THANK YOU!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 04:05 am UTC (link)
Go Washington.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]salmakia
2004-11-03 11:54 pm UTC (link)
Good post. It makes no difference where you live, whoever is President of the United States it affects the whole world.

Hang in there honey ::hugs::

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 04:15 am UTC (link)
It's definitely important to the whole world, and I'm offended by some of the international community's leaders that have been congratulating Bush. It's obviously politically motivated and strategic, but it's still frustrating. Italy's PM sent congratulations and talked about Bush's win as helping strengthening ties, and I just laughed because the US government is pissed about Italy's withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Of course Putin's happy, though. I was impressed, though, by Blair's comments earlier about the US needing to strengthen its ties and alliances with the international community - it's a message that echoes Kerry's words to Bush when he conceded: the US cannot isolate itself or gnash its teeth and lash out when other countries or the United Nations object to US policies. It's vital to our survival as a world power, as well as our roles and accountability globally. Cheney Bush and his crew need to be chastised and restrained.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]salmakia
2004-11-04 11:24 am UTC (link)
I agree with you. But at the same time I feel kind of sorry for our Prime Minister, he tries so hard, bless him. I'm not personally a Labour supporter and I don't buy into the idea that Britain can somehow restrain America. We maybe the only country that sticks by America through thick and thin but that's probably only because a lot of the British population are too xenophobic to get closer to Europe (I mean, heaven forbid, they actually speak different languages there you know!!).

But furthermore, America is so big, in terms of population, economy, landmass that Britain, while economically sound, in other terms really can't compete. It's like an ant trying to restrain a freight train. As far as I can see, Blair tends to have little effect, no matter how good the point he's making.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-07 08:22 am UTC (link)
Oi, wrong journal. Sorry.


Americans like Tony Blair. We don't know much about the turmoil going on over in good ol' Britain. Americans just know Britain and Tony are our friends.

I think if Britain's government seriously chastised the U.S. government, it would be seen as a significant event by the American people. We respect Britain and though you don't have a large population, you're our strongest fellow Anglo ally and we would have to ask ourselves who would support us if even Britain wouldn't.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]summeralatariel
2004-11-04 12:56 am UTC (link)
Thank-you, even though I too am somewhat conservative, I am happy to see that one of my liberal friends was very educated about both parties it seems. The only things that I ever heard from other liberal friends of mine was anti-bush propaganda, yet it was never pro-kerry, if they were more informed about their candidate I would have most likely sided with them. Instead I decided not to vote, which I know was a stupid thing to do. hopefully it'll be better next election. Barrack Obama in '08.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 03:56 am UTC (link)
Napoleon Dynamite icon. <33

I was pro-Kerry. I didn't talk about it at all on LiveJournal, but Kerry had a lot of things going for him, and unfortunately in many cases neither he nor the Democrats were very organized and didn't respond well to Bush's accusations of flipflops. Kerry didn't flipflop - he changed his mind justifiably on issues, but the Republicans were able to spin them and take Kerry's words out of context, and Kerry was never able to really defend himself. The news wasn't too great about making clear Bush's lies. And that's very disappointing to me.

If we want Obama or Hillary Clinton or Edwards or anyone in office in 2008, and not some Bush cronie, the Democratic National Party has to turn itself around and consolidate its positions. That's really hard, since the left wing of the country is spread out from vocal moderates to vocal radicals, whereas the RNC can pretty much consolidate themselves into a focused platform that pleases most everybody in the party. Obama is a great man, but he'll be a first-term senator and the Republicans will use that against him, saying he doesn't have enough experience. They'll throw up someone who's been a governor for a while (hey, why not JEB BUSH?) or a long-time senator/House member who's deeply aligned with the White House (KARL ROVE?) and has 'experience' in dealing with the government/bureaucracy. It's going to be tough for Democrats, and the Republican coattail elections in the Senate and House this time around are going to take years for the Democrats to recover.

It's a bad time for progressives right now.

[sorry for the double post; it's called being logged into the wrong journal!]

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]summeralatariel
2004-11-04 08:57 pm UTC (link)
lol, apology accepted. Actually we were talking about the problems of Obama running in 08 in my urban problems class and the issue of him being inexperienced came up. Therefore, you get a cookie.
Now I'm off to do a 5 page paper on Jane Adams for my chicago history class ::grumbles::. Actually I shouldn't be complaining, Jane Adams was hardcore.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-07 08:22 am UTC (link)
Oi, I did it again!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]siomonkey
2004-11-04 01:21 am UTC (link)
*grins sheepishly*

I know I was one of those saying Canada was looking mighty good (it does though! Canada ROCKS, man!) but I wasn't serious. For one thing, Canada is far too cold for me. ;) For another, I've always viewed leaving as giving up. It's not going to change anything. I think most of us are just saying that cause we're frustrated. I for one am totally going to be here in 2008 and plan to vote like a mofo.

And to the person who commented above me... you rock. Go Obama!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 04:07 am UTC (link)
Haha, I didn't mean you specifically, m'dear. I've been hearing it on campus, reading it on AIM, blogs, and random livejournals, so I felt I needed to respond to that. I didn't have a clue you'd said anything. ;)

I think most of us are just saying that cause we're frustrated.

::nod:: Quite true.

I for one am totally going to be here in 2008 and plan to vote like a mofo.

Vote early, vote often!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]summeralatariel
2004-11-04 08:58 pm UTC (link)
Obama is Awesome. Then End.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]turquoise_sky
2004-11-04 02:34 am UTC (link)
I know I don't comment often but I totally agree. That is what I have been saying to people all day.
*hug*

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 03:58 am UTC (link)
::hugs:: Thanks, dear.

How's NY treating you?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]lupinlover
2004-11-04 04:15 am UTC (link)
Very well written... thanks for putting it into perspective, it seems I was unable to do so on my own :-P

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-04 04:23 am UTC (link)
Thanks, dear. :)

I laughed at the quote you posted: "Get rid of a bunch of those red states. Personally I'd like to talk to France about a refund on the Louisiana purchase. Anyone know where we put that receipt?" Haha. Very nice.

I'm proud of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., kills me. 90% went to Kerry, 9% to Bush.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]lupinlover
2004-11-04 04:33 am UTC (link)
Washington, D.C., kills me. 90% went to Kerry, 9% to Bush.

Wow. That's awesome.

I'm proud of Minnesota too. Go home town pride :D

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]chickadilly
2004-11-04 04:25 am UTC (link)
Thank You.

Earlier I read an extremely painful post by one of my UK friends that basically said "I hate the US and I hate all Americans today and fuck you all".

In my head I know she was just ranting and it wasn't aimed at me personally but my heart reacted to it just the same.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-07 08:23 am UTC (link)
::nod:: I understand that feeling completely.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]alasandalack
2004-11-04 08:13 am UTC (link)
well, i'm glad you still have hope.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]morrigain
2004-11-07 08:23 am UTC (link)
I do, though I fluxuate on my 'hope' all through the day.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]sympathetic_ink
2004-11-09 08:57 am UTC (link)
Well, from a Non-American Australia who hasn't been bashing up America (because we have our own share of political hijinks like the re-election of the most boring man on the planet who is going to set us back 20 years [rolls eyes]) to an American who stands up for what she believes in (go girl!)...

Did you want a Christmas Card this year? [smirks]

I didn't do them last year because I'm very slack, but I'm doing them this year, and I've discovered I actually have your address (I think). So, did you want one?

Is PO BOX 861 still correct for you? [waves fingers]

(Reply to this)


[info]sweetkiwi456
2004-11-11 09:04 pm UTC (link)
Ok, I just came to say that I friended you, and to say hi, but while I'm here.....

I have to say, as an English person, that I am guilty of ranting an ickle bit about Bush the 'morning after'. And I hate dislike Blair. Full stop.

I think it's really commendable that in all the chaos that followed, you kept your head and posted this ;)

oh, and It's Emma - Em #4

(Reply to this)


[info]generalmanda
2004-11-12 04:24 pm UTC (link)
While I agree with your post's message... the thing that makes deocracy great is its system of checks and balances that doesn't allow any one branch of the governemnt more power than the other. That in four years we will have another election and those who remember that they live in a free society and take their opportunity to voice a say in their governemnt will vote and things will change once again, and fours years after that...

I'm rather offended on your view below, but we're coming from very different perspectives. I don't agree with everything this admisistration would like to do, but those things I know are the things that won't get past the floor of congress or are subjects people will always fight to improve or change. I think it's un-fair to lump conservitives or republicians into some group you have to fight. We believe in things that will improve our country based on life experiences and things we've seen just the same as liberals, different as they maybe.

>regressive, isolationist state, and damn it if he's not going to try to do that as soon as he can...We have to keep fighting to get rid of this conservative, fear-driven, anti-progressive, anti-civil rights campaign that is sweeping the country like mad.<

(Reply to this)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…