You're pissed. I'm pissed. But I take exception to the characterization of the civil rights for GLBT people as "the pony you wanted." Civil rights are not an extravagant gift to be bestowed by an over indulgent parent. They are fucking rights that should be afforded to all the people who are citizens of this country. Obama didn't promise to do anything to address marriage equality, but he did promise to end DADT. He took a metric fuckton of money and support from GLBT folks and then broke that promise. He showed repeatedly that he couldn't care less about them unless it was campaign time
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While I agree with you on almost all points in principle, the expectation that the most besieged president in recent history was going to change everything "with a stroke of the pen" (*) - or even that he would be able to do so - within the first two years of office was not realistic. If the economy had continued to fall at the rate it was in plummeting in 2009, if the Gulf oil spill had continued unchecked, if we were still shoveling lives and money into Iraq, nothing else would have mattered.
Politics is a tank, not a Masarati. Even for a skilled operator, it takes forever to maneuver the damn thing. While I find myself frustrated by certain choices and concessions Obama has made, I lived in Washington long enough to realize that you can't change the national momentum overnight. That so many of us dismiss the progressive actions this administration has taken just shows how out of touch we are with day-to-day political reality
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I'm not naiive. I didn't expect him to wave a magic wand and fix every thing. But he could have told the Justice Department not to appeal the DADT decision. He could have chosen not to continue Bush era invasion of privacy policies. He could have spent less PR time and energy telling his base they were stupid and more PR time and energy actually defending against the right wing reframing of progressive accomplishments as liabilities.
Yeah, I kind of lost hope last night when I was informed, everything (besides my vote for Murray) I voted for, went the other direction. My voting tactic this year was: this isn't working, let's see if Changing it might help....Guess that's just TOO radical.
" as long as there is no one fighting back against these fucktards, then we'll be in the same shit-boat forever.Yep. I don't think people "will" fight back (not enough of them to matter anyway) and I think this will end poorly for 99% of the population. I think we are in a transitory phase right now much like the industrial revolution. I have a feeling that despite people of conscience who would stand up to the shadowy corporate/political powers that be they will eventually over run us all and we will end up in some kind of dystopian nightmare from which there is no chance of us awakening. Some may fight it but I think the vast bulk of the human race has become so complacent, mentally lethargic and generally apathetic (even when faced with effective slavery) that those fighting it will eventually be overwhelmed. Bleak and cynical I know but I have little faith left in the majority the human race
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Politics is a tank, not a Masarati. Even for a skilled operator, it takes forever to maneuver the damn thing. While I find myself frustrated by certain choices and concessions Obama has made, I lived in Washington long enough to realize that you can't change the national momentum overnight. That so many of us dismiss the progressive actions this administration has taken just shows how out of touch we are with day-to-day political reality ( ... )
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It actually takes more time and skill to drive a Maserati to it's fullest potential than a modern main battle tank. Let's look at the numbers.
Maserati Gran Turismo S
curb weight: 4 144lbs
top speed: 183mph
braking distance: 60mph - 0 114ft.
turning circle: 35ft
M1A2 Abrams Tank:
Curb Weight: 139,080lbs
Top Speed: 42mph (governed)
braking distance: about 20ft
turning circle: inside diameter 3" outside diameter 28ft
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Fail.
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