It's not just anti-war groups. Have you noticed the constant and immediate attack against any forum or group which advocates, or even is sympathetic to left wing ideals? It is not only political or economic arenas, it can be even something as innocuous as science BBs on the internet. Of course, it's not just left-wing ideas, but centrist ones too, and even conservative views which are not right wing enough. Nothing but the party line will be tolerated, even neutral thought and discussion about totally unpolitical topics is rejected as not promoting the faith sufficiently.

When there is controversey, the brownshirts always show up, usually in groups of twos or threes. When there is no controversy, they provoke one. After all, we can't let anyone get any rest or allow him or herself to think about anything else but "the struggle", can we. They monopolize all conversation and all thought, every issue is cast into political terms, and only one political perspective is allowed. And of course, the final result is to stifle all discussion, except what they find acceptable. And those who disagree with them are either traitors, fools or cowards.

When I first came on these boards, I was quite apolitical; sure I had my political convictions, but they took up very little of my intellectual activity. I have other hobbies, and frankly, they are much more interesting. But now that I've been here for a while I've noticed myself changing in response to this constant barrage of propaganda.

It's just not annoying anymore, I'm starting to feel personally endangered by it. The right in this country, or at least, what we loosely characterize as the "neocons", feel threatened by the events of the last few years, they see their time is slipping away and they are scared. They sense that their social and political ascendancy has stumbled, mostly due to their own greed and incompetence, and now they are desperate that the nation is swinging back to normalcy and the political center (yeah, they're really going to love that last comment!). They will not go quietly. That's why they are here and why they are so vocal and so ruthless. We have little choice but to listen, and they know we are not naturally contentious and argumentative by nature, so we let them get away with it and they abuse that privilege.

But my own political indifference has been shaken. I realize now you can't be aloof to politics, because it will not go away and leave you alone. They will seek you out and try to force you underground so they can operate with impunity and seize the communicative resources of a free society to spread their poison. I know now I cannot be quiet any longer and I thank them for my political reawakening. They have pissed me off and I plan to piss all over them.

I'm not going to make this my only arena. I plan to get involved in both national and community politics and union activity at work, as is my right as a free American. And of course, I have the resources of the internet at my fingertips, now that I know how to use it and I have seen how they seek to abuse it. I will be visiting other boards, under different names, and who knows, I may just start my own blog. You know my writing style, keep your eyes open, I'll be out there. I know how to write, and I will use what little talent I have to speak my mind and what I know is right.

I've even taken a lead from Woody Guthrie and made a little sign for my monitor which reads "This machine kills fascists".