Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .
Quote of the Day:
“We are thus in the position of having to borrow from Europe to defend Europe, of having to borrow from China and Japan to defend Chinese and Japanese access to Gulf oil, and of having to borrow from Arab emirs, sultans and monarchs to make Iraq safe for democracy. We borrow from the nations we defend so that we may continue to defend them. To question this is an unpardonable heresy called ‘isolationism.'”
— Pat Buchanan
Subject: Courage is Contagious
If you don’t get the results you want at the ballot box, it may be because the environment isn’t right. And how could the environment possibly be right when . . .
- Government schools use your tax money to teach fraudulent history and economics that favors an all-powerful state?
- The Mainstream Media is populated by apologists for monopolistic government?
- Mainstream political candidates are funded by people who benefit from your tax dollars?
Those are three big megaphones that combine to drown-out your voice. Your beliefs, and any candidates who come along to promote your beliefs, are relegated to the fringe. Then, in a wicked twist, the resulting low vote totals those candidates receive are pointed to as confirmation that your ideas aren’t worth considering. It becomes a vicious cycle and a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The establishment drumbeat is constant: We ignore your candidates because they believe fringe things, and we know they believe fringe things because everyone ignores them.
But the result is a little bit different when you’re not playing this rigged game. While the “sports reporters” in the media talk about the latest odds for the latest batch of clones in the electoral horse race, you can be talking to real people about real issues, changing real minds, by real increments, in a real way.
People tend to listen just a little bit better when you aren’t making a direct challenge to their favorite sports team (political party) or performer (candidate). And just a few increments of improved listening is the crucial first step in starting to change the environment.
Change the environment, and you will have a chance to change the result. Allow the environment to remain what it is and the result will remain the same.
But to really change the environment we need to be able to match and exceed the volume of the big megaphones mentioned above. This will come from building a Downsize DC Army large enough to make the message seen and heard by everyone, everywhere, every day. We repeat this assertion constantly because repetition of the crucial points is what will bring the required change in the environment.
Consider the “I Am Not Afraid” campaign. The word is spreading. Courage is contagious . . .
Doug Bandow has caught the bug, here. And so have 19 other writers . . .
#2 http://adams.id.au/blog/2008/01/refuse-the-terror/
#3 http://drstephencw.blogspot.com/2008/01/downsize-dc.html
#4 http://blog.cocagne.com/i-am-not-afraid.htm
#5 http://snarkybytes.com/?p=192
#6 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2008/01/04/i-am-not-afraid/
#7 http://www.zachalexander.com/politics/2008/01/i-am-not-afraid/
#8 http://grahamglass.blogs.com/main/2008/01/downsize-dc-has.html
#9 http://agonist.org/bex/20071230/new_campaign_tell_washington_you_refuse_to_be_terrorized
#10 http://freedomb4safety.blogspot.com/2007/12/i-am-not-afraid-campaign.html
#11 http://bentwave.blogspot.com/2007/12/dont-be-scared-in-2008.html
#12 http://www.adoptioncurve.net/archives/2007/12/we-could-use-some-of-this.php
#13 http://theneutralist.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-links.html
#14 http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/refuse-to-be-te.html
#15 http://www.thechunk.com/blog/archive/fear-real-and-imagined/
#16 http://malechem.blogspot.com/2007/12/imperative-send-downsize-dc-message.html
#17 http://donoevil.propeller.com/story/2007/12/18/downsize-dcs-i-am-not-afraid-initiative
#18 http://www.itsmynet.info/GARKO.blog/?p=385
#19 http://national.teambio.org/2007/08/08/quote-of-the-day-2/
#20 http://mrgeddylee.livejournal.com/252104.html
If you visit the above links you will notice how many people wrote about “I am not afraid” because they heard about it from someone else. Yes, courage is contagious, and so can ideas be. The politicians have created an environment of unreasonable fear. It is up to us to create a new environment of reasonable courage.
The “I Am Not Afraid” idea is simple but powerful. Win the war on terror instantly, by not being afraid of terrorism. Send the following message to Congress . . .
“I am not afraid of terrorism, and I want you to stop being afraid on my behalf. Please start scaling back the official government war on terror. Please replace it with a smaller, more focused anti-terrorist police effort in keeping with the rule of law. Please stop overreacting. I understand that it will not be possible to stop all terrorist acts. I accept that. I am not afraid.”
And then ask your friends to do the same. You can send your message here.
Meanwhile, we raised $669 yesterday, including a number of new monthly pledges that are highly encouraging. But we still need to raise another $1,771 to win the matching pledge of $3,000 that will meet our budget for January. If you want to help you can contribute here.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.