I posted this idea several months ago, and the thread died tragically. One person responded, and pissed all over the idea.
But who cares what happened then...
In the last two or three days I've seen many similar calls for a people's opposition government, and this just confirms my belief that a populist uprising is perhaps our only remaining resort. If we lose the filibuster, I FEAR for our country.
Here's the old thread (which seems a bit prophetic now). No one listened then.
To reflect the deepening dangers we face just three short months after this thread first opened, I've edited and updated the text. It's a smoother read.
Will anyone listen now?
FIRST POSTED IN FEB 2005:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1583634&mesg_id=1583634"A Radical Election Idea" by demwing
Lately, I realized that we've been watching events--certain to be of future historic significance--unfold before our eyes. In turn, I'm wondering how the people of that frightening future will view our era.
Will they look back with pride and see the foundation of their brave new neoconservative, theo-corporate sponsored world? In other words, will the future be populated by happy, fascist, Bush-bots?
Or will future parents weep, rid of Bush an his kind, but not quickly enough to have been able to undo his deeds and save all that we have today that is still worth saving? Will they wonder how the hell the people of our time ever we let shit get so very out of hand, asking
"Why didn't they do anything to stop that asshole Bush?"
Well, the deck is stacked against us. So what can we do?
The press has been corrupted.
The vote has been rigged.
We can't even impeach the bastards that run the show, because--after all--they run the damn show!
Now we may lose the filibuster, and with it the heart of a democratic senate. Are we seeing the death of our form of government?
Excuse me, but the three branches are not meant to have been a support group for any one ideology, or rubber stamp mechanisms for the executive office.
The three branches exist for ONE reason - to SEPARATE the powers of government, not to consolidate them. But no one is saying this. The Senate is on its death bed, and no one (save for a few blogers) gives a shit.
It seems that the only path left before us is one of revolution.
But before we grab our rifles and head for the hills, we might first consider another method, though it would be radical.
(deep breath)
I suggest that we hold an opposition election. Elect a peoples government.
We can use the Internet to organize the event, and work out the details of how something like this should evolve.
Yes, I'm saying that we should create a shadow government, or rather, a people's government, as the current bunch of bastards is obviously not interested in protecting and supporting the people of this country, nor our constitution.
They seem only interested in maintaining their own positions of power.
We should up with a proper name for the new government, and a new name for the old government. Names that symbolize the old and the new.
The trust lost and the trust restored.
Then, through these new bearers of the public trust, we should bring impeachment hearings against the members of the old executive office, congress, and the Supreme Court.
If you feel frightened by such an idea, imagine how the men who signed the Declaration of Independence must have felt. Each signature was a self-imposed death sentence. Benjamin Franklin said that they must all hang together, else they all hang separately.
But, if outright rebellion is not your idea of logic, then consider doing the above as an act of symbolism. The effect of having such a body of citizens hold public impeachment hearing against the president would be an excellent opportunity to state a mock-though legitimate-case against Bush, and try that case in the court of public opinion.
Its a media gambit, but one with
teeth. The opportunities are endless. We could ignite the fire of curiosity in people's minds, anger some, and create pure hostility in others.
Thats quite OK. As long as what is being said by the people's government is being discussed around the office water cooler, then the initial goal has been met.
I'm sure there are 1000 things wrong with this idea, and I want to hear them.
But there is something right about this idea as well, and that is the fact that established methods of dealing with abuses of power are not working, and are not suddenly going to begin working.
Freedom has a new kind of enemy now, and we need to try new things to protect our old freedoms. We have the Internet--a new form of media that is pure populism. We need to use it or lose it.
What do you say? Shall we improvise and televise a revolution, or should we wait till our desperation turns to hopelessness?
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