Why to help the Democratic Party

But to the Democrats and by extension Democrat Liberals, make poor allies.  Our common enemies have convinced the liberals that we progressives and activists are the real problem, the real enemy.  When we say, "the Democrats do nothing for us, in power or out", they eagerly cast us as a bigger problem for them than Republicans, often without even arguing that we are technically wrong.

If you see hope, spend your energy there, that I can tell you.  I see no hope there.  Democrats will be a better type of Republican, and they know this, so they seek Republican voters.  I wish them luck, but there is no reason for me to wait around preparing then to finally defeat even this other sort of "Republican".  By all means "win" without my help, and we will agree that's fitting since you have no intention of moving my ideals forward, though you have plans to mention my ideals in speeches.  Win without my help so that I am not on record as supporting your twisted view of my ideals (that they are dangerous luxuries).  Win without my help so there is no confusion when I oppose your every step and decision in power.

Really, these disputes are not a matter of reason alone, they are also a matter of diplomacy, i.e. politics.  Democrat Liberals, you cannot ask me for help after insulting me... I see why in that situaton you try guilt, a favored old standby and last resort, but... haha, welcome to the 21'st century, I have discovered the difference between "doing the right thing" and "assuaging my guilt".

Please believe me that an extra argument about how I may deserve the insult in the first place will not help much. It's not that I'm not open to that complaint, it's not that I have not deserved an insult from time to time in my life, nor that I can't imagine that and be open to correcting myself after a deserved insult. It's just that I already considered it, it was not well deserved, and I am not the one in need of correction... you are you Iraq War Enabling Nuclear Compromise of 14 Making SCOTUS Showdown Not Having Democrat Liberals are the ones in need of correction.

It is Democrat Liberal that will not look at the world  practically... they look at a pragmatic situation and see nothing can be done and this is not working, and conclude, we need to dig harder then, because "digging is something".  Um, no.  What would be practical is to get candidates I can respect.  If you can't do that... you have no reason to expect me to support them.  Simple.  Let's not cry over the break up, you've been fucking the Republican Swing Voter our whole marriage, after all, so we shouldn't pretend we've been trying to mend this up.  You have been trying to secure my material loyalty while spiritually screwing me (not in the good way), and that isn't really a try at conciliation.

On the other end, I have insulted Democrats, so what can I expect?  Well, I cannot ask for help from Democrats for a different reason prior to that insult... it is because they will easily, quickly, and fluidly mouth that they  agree with my principles, but they will not come forth on the promises neither implied nor explicit.

So if Democrat Liberals say, "we will not help your progressive ideals because you have insulted me", that is unlike my own refusal. One the refusal is moot because I cannot expect help from them. I cannot rely on the explanations of a liar.  But also, the threat is incoherent when cast from Party toward progressives and activists.  The reason: if Democrats had these progressive views they would act on them because they had them, not because I do, not because of what I'm asking.  That is, I am not confident in the idea that a politician will act on a principle because I believe in the principle and say sweet things! I suspect they will only act from what they themselves believe... and regardless of what I say. My beliefs do not drive their actions, THEIRS do.  They may have to convince me to help them, so my help is predicated on how I'm treated, but I do not have to convince them to help me, I'm trying to choose people that want the same things so that they can act directly from those desires.  Clearly that's not Democrats.

So in contrast ultimately my refusal to help or care about their fate is based not on their insults but on the fact that they do not hold principles I want to support and empower... that their rhetorical positions appear somewhat similar to my real positions is not comforting, no more comforting than if a guillotine were to appear like a beautiful woman. "But don't you like beautiful women, pyrrho?", and "Don't you think it is illogical to refuse to date this woman when there is no other woman to date at the moment?"

Their role as proxy progressives only means they get to vote for the real progressives, and make those conservative votes.  They get the press to call them liberal while doing things like initiating and supporting an immoral war in Iraq.  That is, in addition to getting a conservative American result, we call that result "liberal", confusing conservatives and liberals alike, and clearing the progressive terrain with shock and awe techniques that decimate anyone entering.

They thus harm the reputation of liberality itself. But they cannot harm "progress", in my opinion, merely by not being part of it.

I have felt insulted by the Democratic Party my whole life, I have never known or thought of it as any sort of progressive force at all... yet I have many times helped anyway... from my own convictions, proving my point above about actual ideals motivating actual action, while rhetorical ideals motivate nothing. If you see or not, either way, in there is an explanation of why the Democrats will have to please me, and well, long before I give another damn about pleasing them.

I will add something which, while it may insult us all, really is a part of my thinking on this, and somewhat emotional in nature. Right now, when someone is supporting eagerly some political candidate from either of these American Oligarchic entities known as the Republic(an) and Democratic Parties. To me I cannot help but look down on them in the way one might reflexively look down on someone that worships a vapid pop star. I don't judge a person over all from such a taste,  because we all have some pedestrian tastes somewhere in our lives. However, if one does not even realize that taste is pedestrian, but elevates it, and puts the likes of Brittany Spears on a pedestal, but then, on that topic, it cannot increase my respect for them.  

Indeed, through the idolization of someone like Brittany a person places themselves voluntarily below her in their idea estimation of valuable achievement. It never fails that irrational praise follows, and blinds the follower.  In the case of entertainers... the situation is not dire, the consequences of indulging your taste are indirect at worst, and it is much worse in the case of a politician, in which undeserving people that have clawed their way up a corrupted ladder which time and again destroys the best who would attempt to climb it, are put of pedestals that by nature of their career they could. not. possibly. by. any. stretch. of. imagination. deserve.

It is this choice of placement on the part of the political-fan that lowers my respect for them. This happens much in the way that someone who is overly self-deprecating may on the one hand hear protests, "no you are not stupid!", but at the same time, will be slowly successful at convincing others that there may be something to the self-appraisal.  After all, who knows better than you if you are an idiot? Who knows better than you if, compared to you, some untrustworthy political operative really is a "higher sort of person".  If you think they are "good"... I question you and your definition of "good", prima facia, with prejudice and emotional abandon.  

If you tell me that Brittany looks like a stellar genius with special artistic mojo, and that her accomplishments prove this, and all your fellow fans have democratically outnumbered me and should be taken as authority over my individual evaluation... you have said something about your place in the world.  You have spoken about your own level of cognition and enlightenment, and not well.  You have identified a level you appreciate greatly that appears to me to demand only disrespect, and you say, "but to respect this is better than respecting nothing, for at least 'respect' is good".  But respecting a danger, a cancer, a failure? "To try and help those that are destroying us is better than not helping at all."  Why would that be true?  Because they destroy us "more slowly"?  

I'm saving enthusiasm for someone that may help build us up. If you would commit to improving American infrastructure, I'd vote for you regardless of the philosophy motivating that, just so long as America would actually be getting smarter and healthier.

Supporting any presidential candidate comes to me the same way.  It is tragic, I admit, and I am sympathetic with those so many lead by oppression and impotence to hang hopes on people like Ron Paul, just because they seem something like a crack in that oppression.  But Paul has no chance of winning, and that's a good thing. Candidates like him seem to exist to collect all the raw energy that would otherwise decay our corrupted system.

Each time we nuts are given some nut to hope for, to put our real emotional hopes into, Jerry Brown, Kucinich, choose your flavor of populism and they will give you some nut to blow your steam over but never shall a viable candidate represent your real views.

The entire purpose of the party sheltering these "dark horses" is to co-opt the energy.  It was not an accident that Dean collected anti-war energy into the Democratic party ultimately to funnel that energy into the attempt to elect one of the Iraq War's chief enablers in the very same party.

Democrat Liberals want to convince me that makes sense.  They want to convince me that supporting a peace candidate at one stage which inevitably leads to support of pro-war candidates makes grand sense, a really clever plan.  Compared to that idea my dislike for being insulted, mis-represented, and lied to are the irrational things.  This is the logical package they would like me to swallow, and, if need be, to cut it in small pieces so it can fit.

Good luck with that.