Comments on: On leaving the left, compromise, and dialogue http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/ ...politics, pictures, pugs and all that jazz Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Osborne Ink » David Sirota Misses the Point http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-54723 Osborne Ink » David Sirota Misses the Point Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:02:29 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-54723 [...] is the man (Sirota) who openly referred to the President’s supporters as comparable to the KKK. Here is a man who dripped venom and condescension, laced with subtly racist remarks when Professor [...] [...] is the man (Sirota) who openly referred to the President’s supporters as comparable to the KKK. Here is a man who dripped venom and condescension, laced with subtly racist remarks when Professor [...]

]]> By: Surprise, Surprise! David Sirota Misses the Point Entirely about Ron Paul – Politics Anonymous http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-54722 Surprise, Surprise! David Sirota Misses the Point Entirely about Ron Paul – Politics Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:26:28 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-54722 [...] is the man (Sirota) who openly referred to the President’s supporters as comparable to the KKK. Here is a man who dripped venom and condescension, laced with subtly racist remarks when Professor [...] [...] is the man (Sirota) who openly referred to the President’s supporters as comparable to the KKK. Here is a man who dripped venom and condescension, laced with subtly racist remarks when Professor [...]

]]> By: Read this: Melissa Harris Perry on the liberal racial double standard : The Reid Report http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-54517 Read this: Melissa Harris Perry on the liberal racial double standard : The Reid Report Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:13:44 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-54517 [...] if Perry will now call those black people racist too. (Sirota once likened Obama supporters to the KKK, but he has also called conservative opposition to the president akin to a “racist lynch [...] [...] if Perry will now call those black people racist too. (Sirota once likened Obama supporters to the KKK, but he has also called conservative opposition to the president akin to a “racist lynch [...]

]]> By: Left-right Racism, Continued http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-54194 Left-right Racism, Continued Tue, 17 May 2011 22:45:44 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-54194 [...] words are destructive. Don’t believe me? Go read this post, written in 2009, before Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts and the tea party rage rolled [...] [...] words are destructive. Don’t believe me? Go read this post, written in 2009, before Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts and the tea party rage rolled [...]

]]> By: Karoli http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51642 Karoli Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:29:37 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51642 I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so. I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so.

]]> By: Karoli http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51269 Karoli Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:29:37 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51269 I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so. I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so.

]]> By: Karoli http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51260 Karoli Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:29:37 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51260 I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so. I want to frame your comment and etch it with gold. You are so on the money with all of it. Thank you for saying so.

]]> By: Ruth Ann Genne http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51255 Ruth Ann Genne Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:20:09 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51255 I was told that when I got older I would become more conservative. Well, I am older now (older than dirt) and I have not become more conservative. I have , however, become more pragmatic. A lot of this pragmatism stems from the realization that while we lefties sit and argue about the purity of our politics a lot of real people are being affected a lot by what we see as incremental change. I have seen this happen time and time again in my previous life as a social worker. I totally agree with everything you are saying up there. We need to do what works- because that is more important than any ideology. <br> I am a former third party voter ( hey, I used to live in San Francisco where liberal was considered too wishy washy) who realized that I was throwing away more than my vote- I was totally screwing people who lives were being affected very much by what I saw as too little moving leftward. We need to keep the conversation to the left but we need to get behind what may seem, to us like very little changes in the right( or rather left) direction. It is how we have gotten this far over the past hundred years. The revolution is not about to happen-not now, not in any foreseeable future. We need to work for the folks whose lives would be negatively impacted by the right being in control. And believe me,many people hurt when they are in control.<br>Be patient folks. Change happens slowly. We can't ignore those to whom small changes will have a lot of impact. To drop out of the game to protect some sort of ideological correctness is incredibly elitist. I was told that when I got older I would become more conservative. Well, I am older now (older than dirt) and I have not become more conservative. I have , however, become more pragmatic. A lot of this pragmatism stems from the realization that while we lefties sit and argue about the purity of our politics a lot of real people are being affected a lot by what we see as incremental change. I have seen this happen time and time again in my previous life as a social worker. I totally agree with everything you are saying up there. We need to do what works- because that is more important than any ideology.
I am a former third party voter ( hey, I used to live in San Francisco where liberal was considered too wishy washy) who realized that I was throwing away more than my vote- I was totally screwing people who lives were being affected very much by what I saw as too little moving leftward. We need to keep the conversation to the left but we need to get behind what may seem, to us like very little changes in the right( or rather left) direction. It is how we have gotten this far over the past hundred years. The revolution is not about to happen-not now, not in any foreseeable future. We need to work for the folks whose lives would be negatively impacted by the right being in control. And believe me,many people hurt when they are in control.
Be patient folks. Change happens slowly. We can't ignore those to whom small changes will have a lot of impact. To drop out of the game to protect some sort of ideological correctness is incredibly elitist.

]]> By: devans00 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51254 devans00 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:19:55 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51254 From what I can tell @Karoli, in politics, the details are never all the way out. Except maybe a generation later after most of the major players have passed on or long retired.<br><br>If we, the American citizens always waited for the dust to completely settle, we'd never get the chance to influence policy while it's being written. Without thousands of progressive people hammering their Congresspeople over the past year, the Republicans and other health care lackeys would have swept the reform discussion under the rug. People spoke up and let our representatives know that business as usual wasn't acceptable. <br><br>I agree that they way people show they are dissatisfied, ex. "Obama is a Republican in Democrats' clothing", is extreme at times. Maybe I'm naive but when people see the results of all the hard, ugly decisions, they'll rethink their harsh judgments. From what I can tell @Karoli, in politics, the details are never all the way out. Except maybe a generation later after most of the major players have passed on or long retired.

If we, the American citizens always waited for the dust to completely settle, we'd never get the chance to influence policy while it's being written. Without thousands of progressive people hammering their Congresspeople over the past year, the Republicans and other health care lackeys would have swept the reform discussion under the rug. People spoke up and let our representatives know that business as usual wasn't acceptable.

I agree that they way people show they are dissatisfied, ex. “Obama is a Republican in Democrats' clothing”, is extreme at times. Maybe I'm naive but when people see the results of all the hard, ugly decisions, they'll rethink their harsh judgments.

]]> By: Karoli http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-51253 Karoli Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:19:45 +0000 http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/2009/12/09/on-leaving-the-left-compromise-and-dialogue/#comment-51253 My issue isn't with raising issues and pushing for them. It is the judgment that drives me nuts. Before details are out, it's "Reid sold out younger for older" (open salvo in generational wars), "Obama is a Republican in Democrats' clothing", etc. Those judgments do real harm with no benefit. My issue isn't with raising issues and pushing for them. It is the judgment that drives me nuts. Before details are out, it's “Reid sold out younger for older” (open salvo in generational wars), “Obama is a Republican in Democrats' clothing”, etc. Those judgments do real harm with no benefit.

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