The revolution will not be pleasant

On facebook some supporters of the Green Party put up a meme image suggesting that only Jill Stein would end our militaristic foreign policy. Here’s the image:

I replied:

Aren’t Bernie and Rand much less hawkish than the others? Anyway, the Green Party hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of making much of a difference, much less winning. Bernie Sanders might actually win the Presidency! And the movement he created may reinvigorate democracy. Why is it that angry conservatives take over the GOP but angry progressives typically flee the Democratic Party (with their tails between their legs)?

With all its problems, the Democratic Party is still easier to reform than the country in general. In WA State especially (where I live), if the thousands of Bernie supporters who showed up at the caucuses showed up regularly to  Legislative District meetings we could make real progress and we can send the corporate Dems packing.

The leftist guy responded, “Existing Democratic Party people make it pretty unpleasant to show up to meetings, so they won’t.” That was a perfect opening for this:

I agree it’s unpleasant. But, sorry! The revolution will not be pleasant. If you can’t handle some unpleasant corporate Dems you might as well give up!

The Legislative District caucuses on Sunday were unpleasant: tedious and long. One caucus (the 27thLD) started at 1PM and finished at 12:45 AM in the parking lot,, after getting kicked out of the school! Perhaps the unpleasantness of Democratic Party meetings is a feature meant to discourage participation. But, seriously, politics is inherently unpleasant often.

Another gripe (while I’m on this rant):  leftists need to learn how to get along and cooperate! Too many leftists are allergic to any sort of hierarchy or cooperation that requires agreeing to majority rule. That’s one reason why the Occupy Movement wasn’t as successful as it could have been:  the Occupiers were all into mic checks and unanimity. Talk about unpleasant process!  (Another reason the Occupy Movement was less successful than it could have been is that the police ruthlessly suppressed it.)  The Tea Party on the right took over the GOP and seated scores of lawmakers in Congress.  Can leftists/progressives organize to take over the Democratic Party? Or are they too averse to unpleasant things like voting and debates and meetings and majority rule?

Millions of young, motivated progressives are participating in Democratic Party primaries, caucuses and meetings, thanks to the leadership of Bernie Sanders.  But many hard-core leftists (Socialists and Anarchists) still insist on fleeing from the Democratic Party. What are they afraid of?  Dealing with unpleasant corporate Democrats?  A little hierarchy?