Random Zen Droppings from MineralMan

[MineralMan]

I just finished reading the entire thread that grew to over 1200 posts, based on Skinner's concerns about DU and its future. Lots of words. Lots of posts. The funniest thing to me was to see how few posts actually were to the point of Skinner's concerns and offered actual suggestions about how to improve DU that weren't on the order of "Kill this forum" or "Get rid of this group."

I'm pretty sure that's not what Skinner had in mind when he composed his OP. I don't know, but that doesn't seem to be his style, based on his other threads about DU.

What I seemed to read in his OP was that he was hoping that we'd try to get along a little better, stop calling each other names, and get on with the business of getting even more Democrats elected in November. That is, after all, a stated function of DU, clearly spelled out in the site's mission statement. We seem to have strayed from that a bit. Suddenly Democrats are not seen as the path to progress, but a stumbling block in the way of progress.

It has always seemed to me, in over 40 years of working on campaigns and engaging in one form or activism or another, that it has been the Republicans who were the stumbling blocks in the way of progress, not the Democrats. Certainly progress hasn't been as fast as I'd hoped when I was younger, and I probably won't live to see some things I desperately want for this country come to pass in my lifetime.

I will be very disappointed, though, if we lose control once again of the government of the U.S. If we allow it to fall back into the hands of the Republicans, who seem bent on taking the country back to a time I hate to remember, we will have lost something that we could have had...something we could have built into decades of progress. I hope that doesn't happen, and I'm working in my small way in my own area to help keep it from happening.

I truly hope that DUers can do the same thing in every state, county, and precinct. I certainly can't force the issue. All I can do is hope.

(Edited to change "the" to "a" in the third paragraph, on the suggestion of a poster.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I did the same and the other BIG undercurrent

is well, lack of bread man...

[MineralMan]

3. Yes, that was clear. Lots of people simply couldn't donate.

I donated a couple of months ago when there was some extra money in my checking account. Right now, I can't. The only contribution I can make at the moment is words.

[marmar]

2. Wow....I rec'ed this and it remained at +2.....Sometimes the un-rec'ing puzzles me.

nt

[MineralMan]

5. I gave up worrying about recs and unrecs a long time ago.

It's replies that interest me. Sometimes I post and there are only a few. Sometimes a lot. That's the only real measure of a post. All the rest can be manipulated by people who don't even bother to post in the thread. So, I simply ignore all of that.

[Hekate]

6. I gave what I thought would be Rec 5 and it turned into Rec 3. Whut?

[REP]

4. Democrats have a long history of pulling defeat from the jaws of victory

Democrats have long been a bigger enemy to Democrats than Republicans. This has happened before and will happen again.

[MineralMan]

9. Well, I hope we can break that cycle. We sure need to.

The right is getting uglier and uglier by the month. If we fail to hold our majorities, it will not go well, I'm afraid. I think we desperately need to pull together or we're likely to lose the whole thing. That would be tragic.

[MrScorpio]

7. Dude, I want you to be my Marc Antony some day nt

[MineralMan]

11. LOL!

[BootinUp]

8. I tried to stay on the topic, but then became

fascinated with the insanity displayed. lol.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Well said.

I think the bottom of the issue is agreeing on what we DO all believe.

We can't proceed together if we're all heading off in different directions, based on different understandings of what it means to be a Democrat today.

Now, given that it's often been said that getting Dems to move in one direction is like herding cats, that might actually provide a big challenge.

But I think if we dig a bit deeper, we'd find that we share many common values. So the trick is to find them, agree to them, and then stop treating one another as the enemy.

We're going to disagree. We'll disagree on priorities. We'll disagree on strategy. We'll disagree on personalities. And that's what makes us useful and healthy - as opposed to the GOP. New ideas don't grow in the dead soil of lockstep agreement.

But perhaps our aim should be to disagree, where we do disagree, constructively.

[MineralMan]

14. I think we all have pretty much the same goals, but different

priorities for them. Here's what I want, in an ideal situation:

1. Absolute equality in all things for every person in this country. And I mean EVERY person, regardless of any characteristic.
2. Full employment without exploitation.
3. An end to hunger in this country and a growing fullness of belly in all others.
4. Complete health care from cradle to grave for every person in this country, supplied by the federal government and paid for through taxation.
5. A truly progressive tax system.
6. A government-funded education system that educates each person to his or her maximum capabilities and to any desired level.
7. An end to warfare and a return to a military that has only defensive and humanitarian functions.
8. A fully participating electorate voting in elections with campaigns completely funded publicly.

There's more, but you get the idea. Sadly, I'm also aware that I will not live to see most of these things. I will continue to work on getting them on their way, as long as I am able, though.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. I'd have no problem agreeing with your goals

and your priorities, too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. You are talking there off

Voter Universes.

Some are the same, where they meet, the circles. Some are not. And that is the nature, more pronounced mind you among the Democrats, in American parties. American parties are run more like cadres activated for the campaigns, and that go to sleep the minute the polls close. In fact, what you have are a universe of races every two years, where the parties have to build the base almost from the start.

Sorry, been reading way too much poli sci in the very recent past.

[Hissyspit]

12. "Getting even more Democrats elected in November. That is, after all, the stated function of DU"

That is A stated function of DU, not THE stated function.

[MineralMan]

15. You are correct. I will edit my post. Please forgive my

error.

[Hissyspit]

16. I don't mean to be a nit-picker, but that's actually an important distinction.

:hi: :thumbsup:

[MineralMan]

17. Not a problem at all. Thanks for the correction. You're right.

Since I've made my living as a writer, I'm really, really used to editors and changes. :rofl:

[Hekate]

13. Skinner's a good egg and I know DU is his baby. It's hard when "kids" have teen tantrums, though

As a parent you do your best with them, and then when they get to be about 14 they hate you and threaten to run away from home, and generally make your life hell. The screaming, the screaming -- I think one of my ears has tinnitus to this day, and I get that little tic in my left eyelid.

Where was I? Did I stray from the topic?

Not really.

Hopefully DU-the-entity will take this opportunity to mature. It still has a lot of untapped potential.

Hekate

[Scurrilous]

18. K & R

:thumbsup:

[MineralMan]

19. As much as I hate to, I have to call it an evening and take care of

family stuff. Please carry on as you choose with the thread.

Thanks for reading.

[Cha]

21. That's very focused

of you to read all 1200 posts, MM..good job~:P

I didn't post in the thread but this was my favorite part..

"I think it might not be a bad thing that we're not going to reach our goal this fund drive. Perhaps it will provide us with justification to experiment with some really radical changes to this place. The Admins have discussed a lot of ideas, but we honestly don't know what's going to work, or what you all will be willing to accept. I think, to start, we're probably going to post some kind of member survey next week to better understand your attitudes, and get feedback on a bunch of different ideas. I'll be curious to learn if you are willing to try any of them."

I want to be part of the energy that gets good leaders elected in the 2010 Midterms.

[lamp_shade]

23. Morning kick.

[lumberjack_jeff]

24. It sounded to me like a request for suggestions.

He got 2000+ including one immediate, easy to implement one to recover me as a donor.

My suggestion is unique only inasmuch as it doesn't involve banning anyone.

[NJmaverick]

25. K&R