Wednesday, November 28, 2007

THE MOTHER OF ALL INSURRECTIONS ...


OK, so its been a month! I just love sabbaticals, don't you?...


It happens to me often. After a few weeks or months of posting ad naseum, I get ants in my pants and have to vent in other ways rather than the almighty pen, ... or keyboard. Sorry, its in my nature to want variety of blow-hardness. This time it was not ants that got to me, this time it was my desire to do something tangible, something real,.... meaningful. So I did two things that I've never considered in the past. One, I started a "MySpace" page. What is normally a social-mingling virtual cafe, I've decided to use as a base of operations. Its really a grass-roots (on my end) venture to connect with local like-minded independent-fiscal conservative-libertarians. Yes local. I want to build a local-only net-roots of political mass inertia. The second thing?... I am looking for a race to get into. A real race, a seat in the local school board, a seat in the local redevelopment agency, a voice in the PTA, a volunteer in the local whatever ,... anything ANYTHING to get me wired into the real machinations of LOCAL government. After all the belly-aching I do about my shitty Government, I decided that I am a hypocrite-ass who is happy to be on the sidelines barking at the moon. Enough, I thought. Do something or shut your trap AND and your pen. Why did I do those two things? Why the emphasis on local?....


It happened during one of the early debates, I believe it was the first YouTube debate of a few months ago. I found myself thinking, "My God, I know the names of most of the Federal Executive Branch, but can't tell you who the hell the Mayor of my town is.." I can name 30 Federal Agencies, yet can't name 3 local ones. I can name details of the Federal budget but have no idea what is the budget of my city. Seriously. It is a microcosm of my prism. I am obsessed with national politics, the soap operish nature of the election cycles,... I am glued to talk radio and the cable talking heads,... and yet I found myself embarrassed at my inexplicably low knowledge of local and state politics. What the f**k is that all about?... Why am I, -and the nation for that matter-, so fixated on the at-large motions of politics. Tip O'Neill had it right. All politics, he said, is local. No shit.


So I'm local-inizing myself (pardon the Bush-ism).


I've been pounding the keyboard for more than a year, and while it has and will continue to be fun, cathartic, amusing, and challenging; I want to balance it with really doing something that I can sink my teeth into. See, I think in some way, we have become enamored with the macro. And while its entertaining and back-patting as all hell to be bantering with my fellow blogger-brethren across the land, the truth is, my little town is still knee deep in the problems that I've been bull-horning all along. So why not turn my bull-horn to myself, to my town? .... yes, I've been making noise, but in the wrong direction.!... Am I really changing anything?...


I want to make a change right here, in little Gilroy, California. I've begun the mother of all subversive plans and if it takes me 10 years,so help me hades I am going to make a difference. National politics will always be there to piss on,... but if all politics are local, and if the preponderance of the electorate begins to fix their own backyards,... then the Feds will have to take notice, ... and if they don't, then we are really up shit creek.


Memo to the red, purple and blue counties across America,... look at that map people, look at it! Fly-over country should not cede the the power of the future of America just because a few mega-populous states control a third of the house of representatives. Subversion is the key, your very own underground movement against your unsuspecting local government. Subversion, will no longer be a lexicon monopolized and identified with terrorists. It should be ours. Government should fear us,... always. My call to all, is simply this. Join your school PTA, run for office, be a citizen politician, dare to get your hands dirty, dare to do something else than sit right there where you are sitting. Somewhere, maybe in your town, ... while you are watching Hannity and Colmes, or Keith Olbermann and nodding in agreement, there are people all around you pounding the pavement and making real change...... sometimes change that does not necessarily dovetail with you idea of America,... or the world for that matter. This is not a soapbox moment, I am really talking to myself... , you can join me in my self-flogging at your peril.... or blessing.


The days of politicians and the media controlling the message and content are really over. The Internet, YouTube, the bloggers,... all have made it possible that a little guy like me, with a laptop, a few editing programs, -and most of all- an idea,... a message, can make the proverbial ripple in the water. This is a magical moment where for the first time in history everybody can take the power back from the professional politicians who have fleeced us for 200 years. I will be God-dammed if I am going to look my daughter in the eyes and say that all I did during these years was bark at the moon.


I will continue to be here and post my musings as often as I can, and as time permits. Keeping my grass roots page has had me up for weeks,... the project has been daunting. But once I get it rolling, I may,....repeat, may, link it here just to get your feedback. In the meantime keep your sonar ears on, will ya?...


..... Down periscope, batten down the hatches, set condition one-alpha... rig for silent running....


18 comments:

Ottavio (Otto) Marasco said...

Great introspection here...

Good luck with your newbie micro (local) perspective.

I find it good to keep a balance; the fact that I am locally (Melbourne, Australia) very active in conservative politics does not diminish my desire to engage the macro issues of world affairs in terms of your great nation’s interests, hence my blog.

The good thing about focusing on local issues is that you can begin quantifying your success (or failure, as the case may be) because you are part of the machinations, either way, a good feeling.

However, I do understand where you are coming from when you wrote “tangible” and “real”. I felt great last Saturday night after spending 11 hours talking to electoral members and the voting public for our general election, pity though, that conservative politics took a massive hit on the day. Still I did my bit and more. Let us hope the same does not happen in the U.S. come November 2008.

I wish you all the best as a local, “fiscally conservative libertarian”.

Finally, I think everything we do is, “real and meaningful” if we are sincere, and I mean real, heartfelt sincerity.

And don’t forget to surface occasionally, if only to breathe….

Anonymous said...

Kudos! Awesome blog and you are 100% right. Some of us sit here on our butts writing about what ticks us off, but don't think twice about calling or writing a senator. They love to complain but do nothing about it. Then you have people like me, that want to do something about it, but don't know where to start. Yes, I am constantly writing to my senators and congressmen, but does it really make a difference? I would certainly like to think so. I'm on the PTA and I actually enjoy that immensely! Doing the whole room mom thing, making crafts, planning parties, and yes even the dreaded fundraisers.

Your blog really got me to thinking though.....is it enough? In a state like Jersey it is extremely frustrating because it is completely liberal. From our small government to our governer. You can't get away from them.

I think what you are doing is awesome and wish you the best of luck. If anybody can do it, it is you!!

Robert said...

He can't hold public office...They expect him to show up regularly, not just when he feels like it...ROFL.

Very good post. I am going to come backand read it again later before I comment. I find myself in the same boat...I know my local mayor, but not the name of a single school board rep or city councilman.

I must introspect a bit...Share your Myspace with me and I will share mine!

Brooke said...

Great rant, and you are correct!

Dardin Soto said...

American Interests: (what a great name...)

Two of your comments really struck home. Balance and quantifying. I think balance is what I have lacked all these years. I live in California, the liberal capital of the world, and yet I find myself dumbfounded at the massive congressional body of Democrats representing California. If I have a better understanding of the people around me and why they think like they do, then maybe I can begin a counter-influence that -at the very least- can can pull the thinking somewhat towards the center of things. Its happened before during the Reagan years,... maybe it is not too late.

Sorry to hear that your party took a whalloping this time around. I think the beauty of politics is that it has a way of auto-correcting the masses when one side looms too large in power. Sometimes being in the minority re-lights a sense of urgency to all of us.

Lastly, I agree,... Bloggers ARE doing something "real and meaningfull". I meant no implication that just writing is not noble or enough. Heck, at least we are expressing our thoughts and caring enough to share the sentiments,... that alone puts us in rarified air.

Conservative Chic:

California makes New Jersey politics look centrist (lol!). Seriously, I know how frustrating it can be, hence my wanting to connect with others that are like-minded in my own community. Think about it,... there HAS to be more of you around,... but like you, they may think they are lonely voices in a forrest of Progressive thinking. Search them out. Organization is the greatest power next to freedom of speech :-)

Robert!

You're right....the first vote I miss because I am "bored" or something would be the end of my political career! Ha!

Ok, I promise you this. Give me a few weekds to fine tune the HTML and counters I have set up for commenters etc, and I will send you a link to your email,... deal?

Dardin Soto said...

Brooke!

Thanks for dropping in,... I'm on my way to your house right now :)

Frank Partisan said...

I'm obviously politically opposed to you. I do recognize that you have, that could make you successful in politics, particularly on the local level.

You are principled, but not an ideologue.

Dardin Soto said...

Ren,

Gaining respect or understanding from those opposite my thinking is gratifying and -to be honest-, what makes this a worthy thing to do. Thanks for your comments.

Terri@SteelMagnolia said...

SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK!!!!

YAY!

Dardin Soto said...

well, "Yay" back at cha' :-)

Obob said...

to quote Burt Reynolds, "I don't have skeletons in my closet, I have bodies."
Would get into politics one day? Yup, to irritate my wife.
But you are an ideal candidate, most people are your "type." The average person does dig the views of the Libertarians, but its the marketing of the party. The conventions look like a star trek/tron convention. And the press always goes for the loon to make y'all look bad. Need to hire better PR people.

Dardin Soto said...

Obob! that was hillarious! You're correct, the libertarians have the crapiest PR in the history of politics,... but screw-em'. I'm an independent voter with Libertarian tendencies, not the other way around so I would not run as one. But I agree with your opinion of the libertarian conventions. I've been to one and wondered "no freakin' wonder nobody takes us seriously"....

Ottavio (Otto) Marasco said...

Ok I'm curious, what is it about the Liber conventions? Do they dress like Klingons or something. Of so, not a bad thing; a warrior race who hold honor above life itself...Challenges to personal honor are normally settled by personal combat. Is that what you mean when you say 'screw-em'.

Perhaps therefore, to be taken seroiusly they should consider adopting the Vulcan thing, as they have developed a culture to mastering logic...imagine that?

I think the Libertarians and Vulcans have some things in common yea? The mental dicipline, the control and the learned techniques to suppress emotions...I'm outta here...

Brooke said...

Does that mean libertarians only get to do it every seven years? ;)

Dardin Soto said...

A.I / Brooke:

Are you guys piling on?... :-)Ha!

The Lib conventions are not the looney events Obob thinks they are. I think that in their efforts to make them different from the GOP or Dems, they tend to be very "out there" in both decorum and agenda. I really think everybody from both major parties should go to one and see for themselves. Again, I don't follow the party line up and down the platform, -and I am a registered independent-, but in general terms, my views tend to be in sync with the majority of the ethos and philosophies of the party.

The funny thing is that you unknowingly have mentioned one of my idols,.... Spock. I kid you knot, that TV figure has had more influence in my way of thinking than any other real entity. I quote his "Spock-ism's" all the time.

Obob said...

I was being a smartass on a global scale in regards to the geekiness.
To be honest, I wish the DNC & RNC took a cue on the true fiscal maturity of a Libertarian convention and not the narcissitic masturbation of the the two.

Robert said...

The one issue that keeps the libertarian party relegated to the wading pool is the legalization of drugs. Do away with that part of the platform, publicly recognize that there MUST be some enforcement of drug laws. Almost 80% of crime is atributed to illegal narcotics. Legalization won't change this; property crimes would remain the same for those addicted still won;t be able to work and would continue to steal to get their fix.

Other than that, the small government platform of the party appeals to me as an alternative to the GOP. I just can't get past the drug issue.

Obob said...

Merry Christmas and get back