[lbo-talk] Stop Flogging the Dead Donkey and Own the Power of aSpoiler

[Michael Dawson]

>So, you and Doug, perhaps alone among all leftists of any stripe in 
the world, sat out all protests against the doings of the George W. 
Bush administration for Bush's first term, because Bush won't listen 
anyhow, and waited for a Democrat's victory, and now that the 
wretched Kerry lost, you two will again sit out all protests against 
the Bush Team's policy in his second term, because protesting won't 
change the policy, and wait until 2008 when you can vote for a 
Democrat whom you want to protest?

That still doesn't make sense.
-- 
Yoshie

Well, no.  I will sit out the protest of the inauguration because it's a
waste of energy, confused, way too indirect, and makes the left look like a
pack of idiotic babies.

Generally speaking, I think it's not legitimate to protest against somebody
who merely beat you in an election.  You can say Bush stole Ohio, but I
don't believe that's true, and he still won the popular vote.  (Side note:
I oppose the Electoral College's existence, and will not spend my principle
and energy doing anything that legitimizes it.)

I attended lots of anti-war rallies and "movement" meetings.  (Thanks to
everybody having to tiptoe around Israel, the latter things were dens of
confusion.)  I will undoubtedly attend many more in the future.

I oppose Bush and I oppose the Iraq and Afghan Wars.  Nonetheless, Bush beat
Kerry, and we ought to be sane and strategic enough to avoid wasting
precious energy and opportunity to communicate on a "protest" of democracy.