Their attempt to pretend the Obama Administration and DHS weren’t behind the concerted nationwide crackdown on Occupy is silly at best. Their implied logic apparently is, only Republicans do that sort of thing so to say Democrats would do it too is just wrong. And besides, we must vote for them anyway.
The shocking truth about Naomi Wolf’s factless assertions.
Wolf dared to say that perhaps the Obama Administration is not all goodness and light and that they might be shredding Constitutional rights just like George Bush did. Which is exactly what Obama is doing isn’t it? But cheer up, a Democrat is doing it so that must make it a-okay.
Wolf’s hyperbole does harm to the OWS movement and those honest people out there conducting themselves peacefully and with clear intent, because she intentionally tried to stir the fires of anger and discontent and anti-government sentiment on an international level.
Crooks and Liars is now clearly allergic to that icky anger stuff (apparently there is nothing to be angry about) and is getting pissy about any crazy radical anti-government sentiment. Protest instead, they strongly imply, must only exist with the confined channels of the Democratic Party (where it of course will be castrated at the earlier possible opportunity.) Good luck with that. Â I’m sure this time will be different and the Democratic Party won’t punch them in the face again.
Incremental change within the Democratic Party is both a fool’s dream and even if it could happen, would take far too long. The economy is crumbling, the middle class is being plundered by the few while the government mostly does nothing. We don’t have the luxury of ten to twenty years to carry out change. It needs to happen far faster than that.
C&L does a disservice by saying anger and a desire for radical change is not honest. Those forces are precisely what fuel major change. To think otherwise ignores the reality, power, and inspiration of the Arab Spring which has accomplished much by not being docile to the existing system. Instead, they want to replace their systems with something better. So should we. This can not be done incrementally or by working within existing corrupt structures.
Many blogs that reported that the DHS was behind the police attacks on OWS demonstrations, have backed off their original assertions. The reason? The source for these stories, reporter Rick Ellis of examiner.com, has modified his own view. I guess this means Ellis, and quite a few blogs, are all shills for the Democrats. I posted the DHS/OWS story on my FB page. Turns out, the story may not be entirely true. If I say so, will I also be a shill? I am impressed, however, by your willingness to throw John Amato under the bus as proof of your own unshakable “integrity.”
I had no idea that Polizeros was so powerful that it could throw John under the bus nor was that my intention.
Where we differ is my belief that the Democratic Party is part of the problem, compromised, corrupt and that change can not happen by working within it. The change must come from outside existing structures like it did with the Arab Spring.
Hopeful movements in that direction here are OWS and the original Tea Party (market-ticker.org, founded solely in opposition to bailout of the big banks, not racist, has endorsed OWS). They are genuine grassroots movements which could portend the real change that we need.
And I had no idea that integrity was something to be mocked…
My take when I first saw the post wasn’t that you had thrown Amato under the bus but that by attacking one of the mainstream bloggers you had committed an act of “blogger suicide”. Or to be more accurate set yourself up for an act of “blogger homicide”. I see the fun has already begun – you’re the one being thrown under the bus.
When I transitioned from bulletin board moderation to blogging seven years ago I didn’t do it to make advertisement dollars or fatten my (non-existent) PayPal account. I did so to speak my piece. I’m always just a little bit leery of those blogs who claim to be “progressive” while posting ads for fracking, or Sarah Palin, and there are numerous blogs I used to visit regularly but no more. You just keep speaking your piece, Bob, and I’ll keep coming back.
Addendum – Naomi Wolf, while an articulate and thoughtful author, has always been a bit of an extremist.
Wolf’s article has spawned quite a controversy over precisely what I blogged about. Thanks for the support! I knew I’d take flames by posting it however the same sentiments are being expressed elsewhere too.(And after working at anti-war protests where LaRouchies or hard right loonies tried to jack it or cops got really thuggish, I’m just not real concerned by it either.)
Since none of them link to me now, it couldn’t be blogger suicide! Nor do I want to be in their circle grasping for evermore insider access while getting blander and more mainstream.
Karl Denninger, co-founder of the original Tea Party, gets huge hits and hasn’t compromised or toned it down even slightly. market-ticker.org