NOM's plot to divide gays from blacks and hispanics

[Barefoot]

Not only that but they don't give a damn about anyone but their rich buddies. In fact they look down their noses at the common people. Us peons. Can you say oligarchy?

[Virge]

[MENTION=18508]East[/MENTION] you just did a thread about your dislike for LGBTHNKLFSTUMBVDSJKHFVJL and how much you hate the labeling... After giving it thought here for a few months it's not the labeling that annoys me. It's the suddividing into micro groups and the unescapable consequences of it.

And when you boil it all down gerrymandering is exactly the same friggin thing done for exactly the same purposes.

We are our weakest when we are divided to our smallest. That's no news. Sun Tsu wrote all about that in Art of War. Every politician every emperor, king, president, dictator since the beginning of time has known this and utilized it to reduce the power of all potential adversaries to their power. The make it so that we are so busy fighting with each other that we cannot fight them -- and they always have been and always are always the real enemy.

We are so divided amongst ourselves unable to unite on any cause, powerless to stop the corruption, the abuses, the excesses of the government that it's reached the point they have stopped trying to hide the corruption, the abuses, the excesses from us. They know we can't do anything about it. Every issue they create only further divides and alienates us from each other making us less and less able to unite to do anything to change the nation's direction.

I'm done fighting to win divisive battles over petty shit and from now on am concentrating on fight and winning the war. Building unity, screw divisions, screw political parties, and fuck politicians. I'd much rather put my efforts into things that will unite people together in common causes than divide them.

[East]

[MENTION=21084]Virge[/MENTION]...oddly enough..I have ended up with quite a lot of Republican friends. I do have a litmus test....I pick my battles carefully...

Must believe in equality under the law
Must not want to legislate what anyone does with their own body
Must have respect for the environment
Must recognize that the separation of church and state is fundamental and necessary....

I can hang with other differing opinions if those conditions are met...and it is easy for me to do so....

I usually have a problem with gay Republicans because DUDE...You are gay...have you read their platforms and what they say about gay people??????? ...and yes...their platform matters. I get that a lot of straight people can overlook some things they don't agree with...we shouldn't expect to get everything we want...but a gay person overlooking discrimination is like slapping me personally in the face....

One conversation I have had with all of them...we are all being pitted against each other. It is not an accident...it is very carefully crafted...pay attention and you will see for yourself.

That old divide and conquer strategy works like a charm...unfortunately....

In order to build unity and bridges...you have to understand what you are up against...it is important.

[Lexington]

So...of course I am happy when another Dem gets in....and I am not even a Dem...they are too conservative for me. I have to plug my nose most of the time and cast my vote against a candidate rather than for one...and I have accepted this as something I will probably do til I die.

And this is why they remain in power. So long as you cast your vote for the lesser of two evils, or cast your vote to negate somebody else's vote, you're in essence voting for the status quo.

I got sick to death of this. And back in 2004, I decided I had had enough. As much as I disliked George W Bush's policies, there was no way in hell I was voting for John Kerry. So I did what I think everybody should do...

I found an "opposite buddy".

I have a friend who probably would rather be struck by a truck than vote for a Democrat. But he disliked George W Bush as president. And if we had done things the traditional way, I would've voted for Kerry (to vote against Bush), and he would've voted for Bush (to vote against Kerry). So both these candidates would've gotten our votes anyway, and our votes would've cancelled out.

So I struck a deal with him. I said "Let's both vote for third-party candidates. That way, our votes will count more, and we'll subtract the vote total of the major candidates by one." We shook hands on it, and followed through on it. And it's something I've continued to do every time I'm confronted by an election where I feel I have to "vote against the other guy" - I find somebody who's on the other side of the fence, and strike a deal with him.

Lex