Abuse Begins at Home

Ah, I've been looking for something about the Democratic party pandering to Republican abuses as victim behavior, and here it is (in part) from Mathew Gross's site, written by a domestic violence professional: The Politics of Victimization.

They beat us because they are abusers. We can call it hate. We can call it fear. We can say it is unfair. But we are looped into the cycle of violence, and we need to start calling the dominating side what they are: abusive. And we need to recognize that we are the victims of verbal, mental, and even, in the case of Iraq, physical violence.

Listen to George Bush say that the will of God excuses his behavior. Listen, as he refuses to take responsibility, or express remorse, or even once, admit a mistake. Watch him strut, and tell us that he will only work with those who agree with him, and that each of us is only allowed one question (soon, it will be none at all; abusers hit hard when questioned; the press corps can tell you that). See him surround himself with only those who pledge oaths of allegiance. Hear him tell us that if we will only listen and do as he says and agree with his every utterance, all will go well for us (it won’t; we will never be worthy).

Have you ever been involved with an alcoholic or other addict? I have, several, and most were abusive in some way, at some time. George Bush (who has replaced alcohol with Jesus and is therefore still an addict) acts as those I knew.

...watch the Democratic Party leadership walk on eggshells, try to meet him, please him, wash the windows better, get out that spot, distance themselves from gays and civil rights. See them cry for the attention and affection and approval of the President and his followers. Watch us squirm. Watch us descend into a world of crazy-making, where logic does not work and the other side tells us we are nuts when we rely on facts. A world where, worst of all, we begin to believe we are crazy.

Just like any victim of abuse. Think of the torture tactics in Iraq and GTMO. Designed to break down defenses through mental and verbal abuse, making the victim dependent on the abuser. The same type of corporate Republican minds are using those tactics on Americans. They've hired Rush Limbaugh and his ilk to do their dirty work. The pundicrats are intentionally abusive - addicts - who transfer abuse of substances to abuse of people. Whatever it takes to get numb and feel important. And how many people in our society are codepedent enough to feed on this? Millions. And how many liberals are liberals because they came from abusive authoritarian conservative or Republican households? Millions. And how many liberals are acting out with these abusive, authoritarian figures and trying to please them now as they did their parents? Millions. How do we break the cycle?

First, you must admit you are a victim. Then, you must declare the state of affairs unacceptable. Next, you must promise to protect yourself and everyone around you that is being victimized. You don’t do this by responding to their demands, or becoming more like them, or engaging in logical conversation, or trying to persuade them that you are right. You also don’t do this by going catatonic and resigned, by closing up your ears and eyes and covering your head and submitting to the blows, figuring its over faster and hurts less is you don’t resist and fight back. Instead, you walk away.

And then what? DON"T MOVE TO THE RIGHT! Don't answer their catcalls - don't go on their radio or TV shows, don't buy their corporate products, don't laugh at their stupidity - don't acknowledge them, but stay on top of the issues and discuss them through your principled liberal views. Build your world tight and secure for you and your family and be active in the world of your values, not theirs, not ever.

Any battered woman in America, any oppressed person around the globe who has defied her oppressor will tell you this: There is nothing wrong with you...Sure, we can build a better grassroots campaign, cultivate and raise up better leaders, reform the election system to make it failproof, stick to our message, learn from the strategy of the other side. But we absolutely must dispense with the notion that we are weak, godless, cowardly, disorganized, crazy, too liberal, naive, amoral, “loose”, irrelevant, outmoded, stupid and soon to be extinct. We have the mandate of the world to back us, and the legacy of oppressed people throughout history.

Even if you do everything right, they’ll hit you anyway. Look at the poor souls who voted for this nonsense. They are working for six dollars an hour if they are working at all, their children are dying overseas and suffering from lack of health care and a depleted environment and a shoddy education. And they don’t even know they are being hit.

Throw the Bastards Out, 2006.