Marching Orders

One thing that gets my goat about the liberal half of the blogosphere is the eagerness with which everybody tries to quarterback for the Democrats -- what they should be thinking about, what their strategy for the next four years ought to be, whether or not the party needs to redefine itself, and, if so, how...whatever.

And when the talk isn't about what the Democrats need to do, it's about what we need to do to help the Democrats. Send them money. Wear an "Any Dem 2008" button on your lapel. Wait until 2006 and then volunteer to man a phone bank.

This is a dangerous mindset. The more we look to the Democrats as our only hope, the more likely we are to sit on our asses and get nothing done for the next four years. The Democrats do need support from us -- for the time being they're all that stands between us and the oncoming Republican insanity -- but we mustn't be afraid to put them on the back burner for a while as we explore ways to take action independently of them. Finding the means to take action without looking to the government is now a necessity, and as such liberals need to start investing their time, money, and ideas in something else.

It's time to start thinking outside the cliche.

Pretend for a minute that you've got a loose army of approximately 55.5 million people, all of whom can be motivated to take at least a baby-step's worth of action for your cause (and many will do much more than that) if only they're given something to do. You're about to give them an order, but your order can't involve aiding a political party or even interacting with the government at all. You must take action immediately, and there's nothing less than your very way of life at stake.

So, what's your plan?