Reminds me of the revelations Roddy Piper received in THEY LIVE. Politics and national boundaries are a farce. We are just THEIR livestock.

Right on the money. This change and unity mantra is one of the oldest tricks in the American political playbook, and I know that a whole lot of people are going to be incredibly disillusioned soon after their saint is installed in the White House.

Wow. I feel like you just strangled my puppy. But in a good way.

I wonder what would happen if you were to post that to, say, the Daily Kos?

well, the good hearted Brattleboro librarian is likely a dimwit who knows fuck-all about anything. God help us all if her silly wishes guide public policy.

haelig: I wish it would happen that way, but it's not bloody likely. Some people may be disillusioned, but they'll be in the minority. The majority of the faithful will rationalize every single thing their hero does, no matter how awful—just as they did with Clinton. Words like "realistic" and "achievable" will suddenly be on the lips of liberals everywhere. We've seen it before, and if a Democrat wins we'll surely see it again.

neolib says "si se puede"; does that top reagan's springsteen moment?

Well, Chris E., remember the cultists from the Rosemary's Baby movies? Imagine what happens when you threaten the antichrist.

Jon,

LOL!! coffee would be snorting out of my nose if I was drinking coffee reading this.

oh the yes we can video is a real hoot as well

America, put on the blinders to the carnage in iraq and just repeat after Obama "YES WE CAN"

Pure corporatist fatalist crap. Yes, Obama's administration will not (and cannot) give us all a pony, being answerable to the two other parts of government, which will for the foreseeable future contain Republicans. It will take actions that are despicable, it'll probably invade a country or two. But it'll also do things that improve the functioning of the US as a whole, just as Clinton's did. The alternative is one that will do the former, as well as much more besides, and neglect the latter. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME THING. I don't know why people don't get that. Chomsky does. A lot of people who've read his work don't seem to. It makes me wonder about their motives.

Don't you think criticism not couched in hyperbolic terms would have more effect, barring that of dissuading people from voting(*)?

I do understand the notion that the Dems only exist as a buffer to prevent the true desire of the people of REVOLUTION becoming reality. And it's a load of crap. There is no majority desire for a change of government except by conventional means. It's also a con, persuading people to underestimate and disregard the influence that is available.

(*) weakening the majority and thus giving Dems less room to manoeuvre and making the inevitable Republican comeback happen more quickly

"I wonder what would happen if you were to post that to, say, the Daily Kos?"
You'd get a load of greens and thinly disguised Republicans agreeing with you and saying "funny!", etc, a few frothing Obama-supporting loons who'll at like loons everywhere whoever they've latched onto and accuse you of whatever pops into their heads then insult you, a few people pointing out that you're not saying anything new and yet more people trying to take your post apart point by point. Mostly you'd be ignored. You may believe this is because the post is TOO CONTROVERSIAL. It's actually mostly because it's not very original.

"Well, Chris E., remember the cultists from the Rosemary's Baby movies? Imagine what happens when you threaten the antichrist."
The Great Orange Satan, you mean? Sheesh, way to live the cliche.

I don't know why people don't get that. Chomsky does. A lot of people who've read his work don't seem to. It makes me wonder about their motives.

It's almost like they aren't willing to have Chomsky do their thinking for them. How, oh, how, will the democrats AND progs ever become monolithic if they don't accept Chomsky wholecloth? Are they doomed to be forever fractiously cacophonous.

Um, probably, and for the better.

I'll venture to guess that their motives are probably self serving -- unwilling to submit to an ideology that doesn't suit their conscience.

Butbutbut...Obama means change! Change and Hope! That is, Hope for Change! You know? With Obama we can hope for spare change!

(Greens on DKo$? What kind of delusional pwoggie lackwit thinks there are Greens on DKo$? Oh.)

It will take actions that are despicable, it'll probably invade a country or two. But it'll also do things that improve the functioning of the US as a whole, just as Clinton's did.

Did Clinton improve the functioning of the US as a whole ? How ?
With the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act ? With the War on Drugs ? The SWAT's funding system, that pushes for its ever-extending use in ever-more ridiculous situations ? The end of the Posse Comitatus Act ? The possibility of using proofs obtained illegally during trials ? The Free-Trade Agreements ? Echelon and illegal spying ? The health-care reform maybe ?

How full of crap must you be to choose to look away from murder abroad, in the name of a better situation at home ?

It's actually mostly because it's not very original.

Right. Cause we're hearing all the time on them liberal websites about how Obama is a sell-out like the others. All the time. Actually I'm tired of reading it every day on Digby, DKos, etc.

Unoriginal is another version of the "not serious" adjective. The one attached to anyone who thinks war ain't a good thing and is certainly not an acceptable mean. Man, that person is not serious. You gotta be willing to accept compromise if you wanna look serious.

Change is very original too. I guess.

Well "me", i invite you to think about all the times Democrats were elected in the past, and think about how this has changed the state of affairs in America for the last 200 years, in terms of how much the US is racist, goes to war, bombs countries and such other shit. From what i see today, not much. Not much at all.

The alternative is one that will do the former, as well as much more besides, and neglect the latter. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

Ah yes, the comparativeness of politics. Both parties are wrong but one is worse in your view, so vote for democrats and keep the wrongness alive.

To Dorn: I netflixed "They Live" a month ago. Still as good as ever.

Otherwise:

As shitty as it was that Reagan's handlers misused "Born In THE USA" to push the Great Codger, it undoubtedly led to Springsteen's balls-to-the-wall cover of Edwin Starr's "War" on his live album. "In 1985 blind faith will get you killed..." In politics subtlety can be exploited.

Please, "me." The only hyperbolic person here is you. I compared a SUBSET of the DailyKos readers to cultists, which one can always do with such a large body of individuals. You protest too much. Your frothing insistence that we should acknowledge differences between Clinton and Obama that you merely assert exist is very similar to the crap we have to put up with from Republicans.

Fact of the matter is, Clinton's health care plan is better than Obama's for me. You can spew all the bullshit you want about how Obama's magical powers will make the world a better place, but the insurance company backing he's gotten is proof positive that he wion't even bother implementing the half-assed plan once in office, even less fixing its massive flaws. That's a solid position, unlike the pixie dust and moonbeams you've offered to convert us from one candidate to another.

Your dogmatic propagandisement (which, by itself, is no problem; propaganda can be good) combined with your insults are excellent support for my comparison.

And I compared the subset of Kos to cultists, not Satan. Are you being deliberately obtuse? Or do you just have delusions of grandeur?

And THEY LIVE is The Shit.

heh -- the perfect is the enemy of the good, and the good is the enemy of the preferable

-- wake me when we get to zero

"...(*) weakening the majority and thus giving Dems less room to manoeuvre and making the inevitable Republican comeback happen more quickly"

What the hell are you talking about? I mean really.