Motley Moose – Archive

Last night I spent some time skyping with the Egyptian Moose delegation. The current situation post-Mubarak remains in flux, concerns about abuse of power by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) are rising while the country seeks a democratic solution to governance.

Libya similarly is beginning a path that – at least in theory – would see democracy take hold in the country.

While there is understandable concern among all who care about the region – most importantly those who live in it – I remain optimistic that the series of fits-and-starts that should be expected will lead eventually to a positive outcome.

What do you think, Mooses?

I have been in the dumps for…way too long, but today versusplus sent me the following, and they always put me in a YouTubing mood:~D

Ah those clever folks at versusplus. Stop by and tell them you like them. If you do like them and want to share, tell ’em Holede sent you, cause I keep begging them for more songs, and if you all join the din, perhaps they will oblige.

This is one of my favorites, and not in a good way;~J

I quit my job today.

Welcome to the Wayback Machine, a sporadically recurring diary series for Motley Moose. The Wayback Machine revisits diaries of days gone by…a peek into our moosely past. The original diary will be linked to, and reposted in full, but, with a fresh comment thread. If you have requests for the Wayback Machine, use the ‘Contact the Moose’ link at the bottom of the page and let us know your ideas.

Today we turn the dial and tune into a vintage diary from fogiv. In September 2010 fog was in the mood for a rant, and rant he did. His ‘Real Change Takes Time: Lesson #6,743’ took to task those on the Left complaining about the pace at which Change™ was happening under Obama. It is a diary that offered up some free learnin’ for those threatening to take their ball and go home.

While the diary was spot on when written, it has also, sadly, proven itself to be prescient. The lessons contained within are just as applicable to the present political environment.  It seems that, in the case of some of Obama’s most strident detractors, the more things Change™…the more they remain the same.

As someone somewhere once said: “you can’t know where you are going without knowing first where you have been”

So, join us for a look back….

This is the second part of two posts analyzing and challenging the idea of a “permanent Democratic majority.” The previous part can be found here.

A “Permanent Democratic Majority”

The previous post argued that the “permanent Democratic majority” – the idea that growth in Democratic-voting Hispanics will lead to Democratic dominance – depends on two assumptions. It outlined critiques of each assumption, and potential counterarguments against these critiques.

Here is my personal view on what will happen with each assumption:

More below.

I’m looking forward to the outpouring of solidarity tomorrow, with some apprehension of what the police will be doing when I arrive downtown Oakland tomorrow.

In the meantime, I’m drifting around various thoughts and memories and motivations.

For some reason, which I’ve never fully understood, before I head out for a protest, this tune always goes through my head as emblematic of the kind of freedom I want for the world: