Is This What Democrats Stand For?

Cross-posted at Daily Kos http://www.dailykos.com/story/…  OpenLeft, and FDL.

Back in the 1960s, Time and Life had many subscribers.  These magazines dropped plenty of photos about the reality of war onto tens of millions of living room coffee tables across the country, every damn week.

And, Walter Cronkite made sure that Mr. and Mrs. America had a close-up view during the dinner hour.

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We don’t see that anymore.

Let’s take a look back.

And if any of these historic and recent photos are upsetting at all, it proves you are normal and that there is nothing wrong with you.

Democratic Presidents, Then,

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and Now

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Presidents doing some business with corrupt foreign leaders, Then

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(Psst! Does anyone have some good comic-type captions for this one?)

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and Now

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Presidents cheered and urged on by War Advocates, Then

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and Now

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More! War! Cheerleaders! include John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman, along with William Kristol, Sarah Palin, Karl Rove and a whole battalion of chickenhawk neo-cons.

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Presidents, with Four Star Generals with a Can-Do Attitude who want MORE and MORE troops, Then,

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and Now

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War, Then

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and Now

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Then,

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and Now

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Disabled Veterans

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Then,

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and Now

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Then,

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and Now

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Then,

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and Now

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Then,

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and Now

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Then,

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and Now

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Is it getting difficult to tell these wars apart, yet?  Do they both smell and taste like a SHIT SANDWICH?

I know, I know, some wiseacre is going to say, ” But….but….but…..they’re NOT the same!”

I agree!  One’s a shit sandwich on rye, and the other’s a shit sandwich on whole wheat.

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Is this what Democrats stand for?  Is this what Democrats want done in America’s name?  do Democrats really want to align themselves with Sarah Palin, Karl Rove, John McCain, and William Kristol who push for more war?  Is this what supposedly progressive Democrats like Dick Durbin want in Afghanistan?  Sure looks like it to me, and they’re going to keep getting more of what they’ve bought and paid for.

Constant endless war?

More life-altering injuries?

More civilian deaths?

Hundreds of billion$ spent to export WAR to one one the poorest places on Earth, while we’re in the middle of a massive economic downturn, and children right here are not getting adequate nutrition?

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Or do you NOT want more of this done in your name!

The troops won’t be coming home without the populace tangibly expressing their will for it to happen.  

The only things we have to accomplish this are our freedoms of Speech, Press, and Assembly.  

An envelope and a stamp, a phone, an internet connection, and a visit to your favorite congress critter’s office are all anyone needs to put these freedoms into action.



Push back HARD
on your congress critters and on the White House.

Tell them to stop creating these –

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receiving the casket flag

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Ask them, Are more flag-draped coffins at Dover what Democrats stand for?

Tell them, Continued funding for constant, endless war makes WAR America’s greatest export.

Tell them, Continued war funding does NOT support our troops, but only buys more boards and nails to crucify them.

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Send the mail, make the phone calls, and pound on their doors and desks in person for re-deployment.  You can go to their local offices with an appointment, or without one.  They are public places, and you pay for them.

Then do it again, and again, and….

As Meteor Blades says,

Don’t tell me what you believe.  Tell me what you do, and I will tell you what you believe.

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Update: This has been another live blog from the front porch at Sen. Dick Durbin’s office in Springfield, Illinois, in the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.  It’s a beautiful little park full of historic Lincoln-era homes, owned by the Dept. of the Interior, and managed by the National Park Service.  Sen. Durbin has rented office space in the George Shutt House since Sen. Durbin was a member of the House of Representatives.  As is shown on the bottom of his Senate web site home page, the address is 525 S. 8th St, Springfield IL 62703. Thanks! to Sen. Durbin’s Springfield office staff who have always been gracious.

27 comments

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  1. The then and now motif in this photo essay is exceptionally powerful.

    I’ve have for many years tried to find effective ways to convey the big picture, meaning a long term view, that often reveals a deeper or more glaring truth. You’ve done that here.

    Seeing the Vietnam photos juxtaposed to the recent ones provides a contextual grasp of the absurdity of American foreign policy and our cavalier taste for bloodshed.

  2. about what Meteor Blades sez?  

    Unless he is the one who said Iraq is Arabic for Viet Nam. 🙂

    This is thought provoking – in a good way.    

  3. I just came over from that other place, where I rec’d it.

    It’s appalling the number of Americans who accept the premise, perhaps without thinking, that our country will be in a state of perpetual war.

  4. I grew tired..

    A great essay though, in any color.

  5. offerred a caption for the photo with LBJ and Nguyen Cao Ky.

    well, HMPHH!  ; – )

    How about this?

    Oh, and I agree with you, Mr. President!  Jane Fonda has much lovlier gams than Madame Thieu!

    Did I spell lovlier correctly?

  6. and the beginning of Afghanistan/Iraq, it leaves you wondering. Two major wars after Korea (and that was only a couple of years after WW2). If the Defense Industry takes any more of our federal budget, there literally won’t be a nickel left. We’ll be paying on our debt and making guns, and that’s about it. And the morality of it all; that won’t even come into play, as the violence in our movies, television programs and computer games begin to numb the psyche for images of slaughter, but continue to exploit the human body for profit.  

  7. Very heavy essay.

    Thank you

  8. GREAT POST! You have said it ALL, so very well!

    Our TRILLION DOLLAR PER YEAR boondoggle for ENDLESS WAR is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

  9. are a few fence sitters out there that may think more clearly now.  

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