Living Liberally Blog

Outrage Outage

Justin Krebs — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:02:06 -0400

Are Republicans too weary from witch hunts,
from turning Benghazi from sorrow to scandal
and the IRS affair from insensible to impeachable,
to be outraged at the news from the NSA?

Are conservative columnists too consumed
slandering Snowden as seditious & selfish
to save any shock for the domestic spying
that has turned citizens into suspects?

Did liberals expend so much of their anger --
first at Bush's illegal warrantless wiretapping,
then at the Congressional cave-in to make it legal
-- that they're less fired up at Big Brother Barack?

The government shouldn't, but it is,
the Prez said he wouldn't, then he did
& the public's so overwhelmed by insult & injury
that we don't even know where to direct our outcry.

For a bunch of people who often seem enraged,
this time there seems to be an outrage outage.

Let's power-up that outrage again
and send a powerful message to the NSA
-- after all, we know they'll be listening.

Outraged or out-of-touch, either way come on out
where we're never out of topics & you're no outsider
at your progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

If You Can Hear Us Now, Then Why Won't You Listen?

Justin Krebs — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:54:21 -0400

The Obama NSA has been secretly collecting
millions of phone records of American citizens.
For all this intelligence-gathering, they haven't found
the intelligence to realize how wrong this is.

Turkish authorities have heard the rumbles
of uprisings across Europe and the Mid East,
but haven't listened to their own people's concerns,
nor learned how to peacefully quell a protest.

A Senator who listened to the challenges faced
by New Jersey & the nation has passed away.
A Governor who can only hear the drumbeat of ambition
has chosen an illogical expensive way to replace him.

With governmental leaders these days,
you don't have to ask, "Can you hear me now?"
But when it comes to responding to their citizens,
the real question is, "Why the heck won't you listen?"

If you want to be heard, listened to & engaged,
start a convo with the welcoming cohort
at your local progressive social club

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

Our Ten-Year vs Their Tenure

Justin Krebs — Thu, 30 May 2013 06:47:11 -0400

In the past ten years, Republicans have revolted
against their own cap-and-trade & healthcare plans,
against science, common sense & decency,
purging the few moderates from their ranks.

In that decade, Democrats took the White,
took the Senate, took & gave back the House,
but never took the opportunity for lasting change
on economic justice, civil liberties or human rights.

Since 2003, Drinking Liberally has grown
from one dive bar to a far-reaching constellation,
from sharing a drink to shaping how we think,
becoming the bartender of the progressive movement.

Maybe we haven't created the revolution yet,
but we also didn't create the sequester,
debt ceiling crisis, drones, deep water drilling,
indefinite detention or the GMO racket either.

Compare our ten-year to our politicians' tenure
and you'll mark our anniversary with the cheers:
"Ten more years…and a few more beers."

Drinking Liberally: established May 29th, 2003.

Toast ten years of liberal comrades & conversation
by lifting a liberal libation with like-minded lefties
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

When A Tornado Isn't The Only Destructive Force

Justin Krebs — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:09:38 -0400

We grieve for those lost in Oklahoma's tragedy,
as we did for victims of recent hurricanes and tornadoes,
but denial of science keeps us from addressing
climate change's role in these unnatural disasters.

We commit to helping Oklahoma rebuild
but politicians play games with disaster relief,
allow a sequester that weakens our infrastructure
& try to starve our ability to rebuild at all.

We mourn loss of life, families, opportunities
while we permit drone killings of Americans,
let Head Start wither & with it hope for so many
& threaten immigrant families of same-sex parents.

We know a tornado is a destructive force.
There's no reason that our policies and politics
should be destructive as well.

Send relief to Oklahoma and find your own relief
in like-minded company & left-leaning conversation
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

IRS Irate, Benghazi Bait and the Real Obamagate

Justin Krebs — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:59:05 -0400

Is Obama's fatal scandal whether the President
called Benghazi an "act of terror" or "terrorist act"
or are Republicans reaching for any reason
to deploy weapons of mass distraction?

Is the new Watergate whether the IRS
scrutinized political groups seeking tax breaks,
unfairly denying none of them tax-free status?
We're irritated & irate -- but not quite IRS-gate.

Or is the biggest scandal of this administration
drone attacks or whistle-blower-crackdowns,
record deportations or the Keystone Pipeline?
Where are those Congressional hearings?

While the right-wing rustles up an Obamagate,
the real scandal's that he never got out of the gate
on climate change bills or stronger gun laws,
reversing the sequester or closing Guantanamo.

The IRS & Benghazi business can't hold a candle
to losing its way: the real Obamagate scandal.

Vent, laugh and share, debate if you date
and have a drink while you say what you think
at your local progressive social club

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

In a Game of Monopoly Without All the Rules

Justin Krebs — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:12:07 -0400

Banks behind foreclosure fraud & the mortgage crisis
are failing to comply with the meager settlement,
underpaying homeowners, facing no real enforcement.
They continue to pass go and collect $200.

While Lauryn Hill serves time for tax evasion,
Enron's Jeffrey Skilling gets a reduced sentence
& Wall Street's criminals evade repercussions.
Some folks have a Get Out of Jail Free card.

Student debt has now surpassed credit card debt,
both of which are at an all-time high.
And since bankruptcy can't discharge that debt,
Americans are force to keep rolling the dice.

It can feel like 99% of us are on the losing side
of a big game of high-stakes Monopoly.
Yet in Monopoly, we all start with the same cash
& the same rules apply to everyone.

Maybe Monopoly is fairer than what we're seeing now.

Take a Chance on a night of pints & politics,
like a Community Chest for like-minded liberals
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

Mourning After Obama's Morning After

Justin Krebs — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:14:58 -0400

The President got in bed with Republicans
to help him pass gun control legislation,
but it was no love-match, they screwed him over
& the morning after has left us with no new laws.

He continues to court conservatives
on immigration reform & budget deals,
and he's willing to make big compromises
that the morning after look more like mistakes.

Now to do extend a hand to the Christian Right
to appeal to those who won't ever be appeased,
his administration is opposing access
for young women to the morning after pill.

Just because there's no pill to fix
the bad political mistakes Obama has made
doesn't mean he should deny Americans
a legal course out of a bad situation.

Whether a pill or some political will,
we could all use a way to make things right --
it's better than mourning after the morning after.

Join a night that you won't regret
with conversation, comrades, discussion & drinks
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

Boston Massacre: A Mass Scare Into Mass Care?

Justin Krebs — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:17:43 -0400

As we try to make sense of the Boston bombing,
some say it should make us fear Islam,
distrust immigrants & be suspicious of our neighbors.

Some set off alarms & say the rules don't apply
invoking WMDs, seeking military tribunals,
arguing against Miranda rights & defense attorneys.

We're scared so we consider desperate steps:
more surveillance, monitor Muslims,
cancel public events, limit individual rights.

But it's also a moment of extraordinary generosity,
as people open homes, hearts & wallets;
of communities pulling together in caring;
of respect for our public first responders.

And tempered voices call for patience,
speak against stereotypes & frenzied reactions
& affirm that a stronger civic space
will keep us all safer in the end.

The last Boston Massacre was part of a Revolution.
Maybe this one will be part of our Evolution
and the Massacre can turn Mass Scare into Mass Care.

We'll think of Boston as we share a drink together,
sharing public space & public space in a pub
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

America's Running A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Justin Krebs — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:04:26 -0400

We demand answers to Monday's horror,
but aside from consoling the injured
& showing support to the city of Boston,
there isn't a quick way to assign blame,
exact revenge or salve our grief.

We seek just action in response to Newtown
but foolish Senate "traditions" halt progress,
allowing the conservative mindset of a minority
to prevent a majority from passing gun laws.

For many immigrants, it's been a long road,
sometimes painful, frightening, exhausting,
yet it seems that there may be a finish line
if we all have the stamina to continue.

A Marathon is a democratic event:
the terrain is equal, it's free to watch,
the public is there every step of the way.
And it's long. Painful. Yet achievable.

In American democracy, right now
we're running a marathon, not a sprint.
Let's hope we have the training, focus,
courage, will-power & endurance
of those Marathon runners we all admire.

Our hearts are in Boston, Newton
& with all our fellow Americans.
Come share your thoughts with friends
as we share a drink & share the night
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

More Social. More Security.

Justin Krebs — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:09:25 -0400

More Social. More Security.

We can reform immigration in a way
that builds community with people & families
who are contributing to America --
or we can keep criminalizing our neighbors.

We can pass sensible gun regulations
to create a sense of trust, safety & relief
-- or we can succumb to the paranoia
calling for more guns, danger and distrust.

Our budget can strengthen our country,
invest in infrastructure, provide a safety net
-- or can cut successful social programs
that support the most vulnerable among us.

So why is Obama out to cut Social Security,
when on issue after issue, we need policies
that are More Social for More Security?

You can be secure in the social scene
where you share views, and sip some booze
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.