Americans don't give a damn. Since 2002 there has been a steady stream of credible insiders exposing the Bush Adminstration's destructive economic and foreign policy and Americans continue to vote (with their wallets and their ballots) in favor of the status quo.

Nice thoughts, Mr. Gainza. Unfortunately, most Americans are content with things as they are. Otherwise they would have responded to the situation created by Bush far earlier than now. Ideals are just things one talks about in classrooms. The soul of this country was lost long ago, in 1968, maybe earlier. The "common good" is something politicians talk about as they line their pockets. I see no evidence of any collective action taking place, not in this century, not in my lifetime. Yes, people must reclaim power. But they won't.

90% of the Vets I know who served when I did (67-71) are pro-war and pro-bush.They did not learn the same lesson I learner. They feel the American people fucked them over no the govermnent,maybe its just me but I have always felt the opposite. Shows how effective 30 yrs of propaganda works. Here we are neck deep in the big muddy again and all my ol buddys are still hollering CHARGE.

They Must Reclaim Power.
Oh?
Did they ever have any?
Will they do anything now that they have been told what they must do?

I doubt it.

The "power" we must reclaim is not just from those people who like the war path too well. The "power" of America has drifted out of the hands of citizens and into the hands of incorporated entities, and against the latter is where the struggle meets definition.

Yes, there is the MIC. There are also problems with banks, insurers, news media, textbook publishers, gun makers and dealers, fast food purveyors, securities traders, drug companies, hospital chains, video game makers, cable monopolies, talk radio, and pornographers-----to name just a few.

Fortunately, you can take them all on with a single effort.
Defeat Republicans and Elect Democrats. Yes, your little contribution to a retake of "power" really is that simple on dozens of fronts.
But, nooooo, the over-complicating PROGRESSIVES below will argue all day for Nader or McKinney (or whatever other impossible and ineffective strategy they can dream up.) Betcha.

Quality Time, Andersdl, Charlie, & Podhertz: Such negativity! Please. I'm sorry to pick on you four, but there is such a tone of cynical, know-it-all defeatism in far too many of the posts on CD. Too much knee-jerk shooting down of thoughtful, intelligent commentaries with variations of, Don't be naive. This won't work. The American people just don't care. Oh? Then how did Bush & Co. get one of the lowest public approval ratings ever on record? I think a great many do care, but they aren't politicized, and they don't know what to do (other than vote) to express their disapproval. And clearly, voting hasn't worked that well so far. As I see it, our job is to figure out some effective, creative ways to marshal and focus that discontent. (Emphasis on EFFECTIVE, not just symbolic, feel-good stuff.) So how about giving that some thought? What have you yourselves actually done about all this recently? What have your friends tried? It didn't work? Yeah, that happens. But what was learned? What might be more successful next time? Don't just kvetch, ya'll--organize. Seriously, we are in deeply serious times, and it's the responsibility of all of us to think harder and try harder to do whatever we can to turn things around. Negativity is a luxury and indulgence we can't afford. So please...let's put our heads together, and work together, and share some good ideas on how we can make some positive change.

The framers of the US Constitution put all sorts of obstacles in the way of pure democracy, because they feared the volatility of unrestrained majorities. Anyone who thinks their fear was unjustified or merely "elitist"
should spend a little time with videotapes of the Hutu genocide in Rwanda, where power to the people turned into death to the cockroaches.

Wow,

Sure seems democracy is very scary to people. Or anything but democrats. Democracy has never been tried in America save for a few small communities who have written citizen based ordinances that strip corporations of personhood and declare the right of the people to self govern. No heads rolled, no mob scenes, not even any elected officials praised, just a statement of the right of the people to decide. This movement preceeds any involvement with the current two party system, of which neither party advocates for true democracy. Vote for ME !!
This movement is non cynical, extremely open and requires deep organizing for success - all good things. It simply returns power to the people. To Jacob Freeze, it's only disempowered people and communities who turn to mindless violence.The democracy movement id happening community by community. Check out www.celdf.org

More fine thoughts from one who's as hopeful as he is blind to the reality on the ground.

Exxon has billions to throw around like candy, and there's plenty of Exxons out there. How many of our "leaders," when faced with the choice of being a multi-millionaire or doing the right thing will choose the latter? Based on the evidence at hand, the answer is, er, not enough to make a stitch of difference.

And the same goes for most of "We The People." How many of "us" wouldn't sell our souls for a few million?

As long as there are Sports on t.v., American Idol, Maury Povich, alcohol, and an acceptance of STUPID PEOPLE, nothing will change. We are no longer just a nation of sheep, we are a nation of mutton!

The Capitalist Prison is the subtlest of them all---Let us locate the foundation-stones, and figure out the bars. Most of all I hope we lose our fear of what's beyond the prison, because in fact the joke's on us...

stanwix said "Negativity is a luxury and indulgence we can't afford. So please…let's put our heads together, and work together, and share some good ideas on how we can make some positive change."

We're all ears.

Shame he never mentioned 15 May, IVAW on the Hill. They testified under oath in front of Congress, to quell all of the nay sayers re;Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan that said Oh sure they were not under oath, blah, blah. This time they were and I was there. It was on Cspan and PBS. Go to ivaw.org and choose Winter Soldier on the Hill. They have many Committees to still testify to, it will be a long haul but it seems to be of therapeutic value for the kids that were suicidal.
Matthis Chiroux held a press conference after at 3 pm refusing to be redeployed, this time he was ordered to go to Iraq. He said "No." Now Matthis is AWOL, but he said he will take whatever they throw at him because he refuses to fight in an unjustifiable Occupation.
Telling you it is F$$KED because I know we have VFP, VVAW, IVAW and nobody cooperates with each other. In my city we do we support each other in our endeavours, but damn it's like Congress. So ideas anyone??????

This is the key issue confronting us today.

We are treated to one article after another decrying the failure of the 'anti-war' movement. Yet to me, I'd say we've just seen the most successful anti-war movement in history. We've convinced some 70% or so of the American people that this war was wrong and a mistake, and similar numbers say that we should get out 'as soon as possible'. (The differences in polling data on the last point seem more like differences in the options presented to the pollee and also the differences of perception as to what's possible. But, staying long term in Iraq is a very minority opinion.)

Yet, the war continues.

The problem is that today we have a government that no longer reflects the will of the people. The fact that 70% of the people oppose the war and want us out is a mere inconvenience to the politicians. They are determined to continue the war because the money that backs them wants the war to continue. Thus, the politicians are forced into positions where they have to pretend to oppose the war even though they have done and will do nothing to end it.

If the political system was still responsive to the wishes of the people, this course would be political suicide. If we truly had a free and responsive political system, its likely that both the Democrats and the Republicans would be facing political disaster in the fall. The Republicans for starting and promoting this unpopular war for so long. The Democrats for failing to carry through their mandate to end the war.

Yet, instead we are presented with a)only two parties, and b)both parties vow to continue the war, albeit with very different rhetoric. In other words, the political system seems incapable of even giving the voters a choice that 705 of the voters have already said they favor.

All of which points to the problem pointed out in the title of this piece. The challenge that confronts us is simply to return to being a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Link to some excellent excerpts from Winter Soldier here. Listened to this as a podcast while working, very chilling:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/26/memorial_day_specialwinter_soldier_on_the

"Let us locate the foundation-stones, and figure out the bars"

I can give you one foundation stone. That is the corporate media. To me, one thing we have to do is to attack the credibility of the corporate media at all times. Long term, if we destroy that we've destroyed at least one of the foundation stones.

There are plenty of opportunities. The recent story revealing how the ex-generals that help to hawk every new war on TV were all given special briefings and talking points by the Pentagon is just the latest.

What we need to get to is the point where a vast number of people do not watch, read, listen or trust the corporate media. Given the subtle nature of the controls on people in the US, that's a key foundation stone.

As just one example, think of the election cycle. If we are able to spread wide-spread distrust of the corporate media, then it follows that the candidates they push would also always be widely distrusted. Think of the world we'd have where support from the corporate media was the 'kiss of death' to any political campaign because people don't trust the corporate media. Also, a typical feature in any election involving any candidate left of Attila the Hun these days is the last minute smear job by the corporate media. If you are not the corporate-favored candidate, you can expect some last minute smear in the corporate media when its too late to counter this lie by any other means. But, if we spread a widespread distrust of the corporate media, we've defended ourselves against this before it happens. What we want is a world such that when this occurs it actually boosts our candidates campaigns because everyone can see that its just the corporate media trying to tilt an election in favor of the corporate candidates.

Which goes back to one theme I keep trying to push. Never support a candidate that appears often on TV.

Do this one person at a time. Do it one conversation at a time. But, slowly, lets teach as many as our fellow citizens as we can not to trust or even consume the corporate media. That will remove one key foundation stone from the system of control.

SAMSON: Excellent posts, and great strategy.

Samson I tell Everyone I can about commondreams, counterpunch.org, Democracy Now, slashdot.org, This American Life, and antiwar.com. One thing you can tell people is that Democracy Now and This American Life are available as a podcasts so you can listen to it on an ipod while working or commuting whatever.

"A top lawyer for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign said telecommunications companies should be forced to explain their role in the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program as a condition for legal immunity for past wiretapping..."

Sounds like the Politicians and the Corporations will hug and go back to screwing We-The-People. I'm beginning to think Mao was right...

Now that we know that the reasons given for invading Iraq were lies, how must we respond? Now that we know! Now that we know! Many of us have always known that the reasons given for invading Iraq were lies. All of the American People are not quite as stupid as you think. We have attended rallies. We have marched on Washington, and in cities across nation. Many of us have been writing to Congress on a regular basis for the past eight years. There are millions of people who have been actively apposing this war, and the criminal government of George Bush all along.

The problem is that we all have been made invisible by the corporate media. Most people are not aware of the massive opposition to the government. When television shows a Peace March, they have a tricky way of making a hundred thousand concerned citizens look like a hand full of trouble makers. The newspapers are just wonderful for wrapping fish.

The above peace made a good suggestion. Don't believe what the corporate media tells you. I think better yet, turn off the tub, and spend your leisure in a more relaxing, and enjoyable way. Have more social activities with other people, read a good book, and when you want news and current information, go to the Internet.

After turning the TV set off, we should all continue doing what we have been, only do it better. If we are persistent, we will take back our country, end the war, and lock up the criminals. I think that is going to happen. People are getting smarter every day, in spite of the media's refusal to provide us news, or worthwhile information.

Local activism is like trying to make a movie out of snapshots.

Isn't it surprising that nobody ever assembled the 200,000 frames in a typical movie out of snapshots?

"But we elected a dogcatcher in Vermont and a mayor in Santa Cruz."

Congratulations! Catch those dogs! Ban trans-fat in Santa Cruz! Show us your snapshot of Aunt Betty!

But don't pretend you're trying to make a movie, stop a war, or save the planet.

I like the term Winter Citizen. Vermont is small enough and united enough to take the Lead. Just do it, Secede. Reclaim the people's power.

I agree with Samson. We are responsible for our country, our democracy, and we must spread the word, one person and one conversation at a time. I'd also read somewhere that some activists were handing out information they'd downloaded from sites like Common Dreams, etc., which is a great idea. Just hand it out! People will read it, become exposed to the truth and the word will spread - it has to. We have to. Our country is our responsibility.

MaryMag,

I second you on Samson and what you have said. Wise words, Mary. Thanks

I couldn't have said it better than this man. It is up to us to realize the power we all contain within us. Until we do that, these horrible atrocities will continue in our names.

http://www.ryanhartman.wordpress.com

It's too late

It's good to see that Americans are making a stand against the crimes of the Bush regime. stanwix is right. People need to be possitive and unite to share ideas and find a way to move forward. We in the rest of the world are depending on you Americans to right the wrongs that the Neo Cons have inflicted on the Middle East for personal profit.

Interesting article.