I suppose that, as a political blogger, I should be more engaged these days. Mid-term elections are on. The right wing is eager to force women into pregnancy. Republicans are dealing with internal battles their innate racism and free-trade ideology. The ice caps are melting away. And Bush is, well, still in power, which is bad news for the world.

I suppose that we all burn out at some point. Frankly, I find it hard to engage with the so-called liberal blogozoid these days. It's getting to be like the right-wing echosphere, colored by party-first dogmatists and regressive apologists with world views defined by growing up under Reagan and political styles more reminiscent of Tammany Hall than city hall. Manufacturing consent is a phrase that resonates with me now.

I suppose it's to be expected, what with elections this year and all that.

But really, it's disgusting. The real agents of change in this country are cultural and technological. Politically, we're lost in a political atmosphere reminiscent of the 1850s. 1850 is where the Republicans want to take this country, and the Democrats play along by accommodating, appeasing and recruiting bigoted, misogynist and xenophobic twits and goons who are right along with the minus-150-years agenda.

Call me jaded, but I don't believe one whit that jackasses and fucktards who were attacking pro-choice progressives as "single-issue voters" now suddenly have gotten religion and actually back gender equality and reproductive rights. I don't believe that anyone who endorsed Casey or Kaine or any of the plethora of forced-pregnancy advocates is truly a friend of women's autonomy. They say it's "the big tent."

I say "pro-choice" already is the big tent. It's the forced-pregnancy advocates who have the litmus tests.

I believe the majority of people in this country are basically progressive at heart. They want to do good by people. They believe everyone should get a fair shake. They believe that equality is part of what this country was founded on.

Progressive is more than a word, and if people are going to invoke it, they should walk the talk. That's called "integrity." I hear tell that people like that sort of thing.

That's all.

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