Divided and Conquered America: How “Independent” Media Undermines Mass Movements For Meaningful Change |
 Email This
-  Print This
|
By David DeGraw, AmpedStatus Report
After much research you realize that there are very few people who know our current system of power well enough to critique it in a meaningful and effective way. There are very few people who are brave and courageous enough to boldly speak their hard-earned truth to power. Once you understand how the powerful function to divide and conquer us, you break free from the groupthink partisanship that is pivotal in preventing any meaningful mass movements for structural change. It is at this point that you learn to appreciate the all-too rare “truth-tellers.” It doesn’t matter what their individual political leanings are — most often they defy any pre-existing ideology. Ultimately, you respect the fact that they are exposing the deeper and more meaningful truths that are necessary for critical thinking and the evolution of your own perspective. In this regard, Chris Hedges is one of our leading truth-tellers. He courageously refuses to be pinned down into a partisan cage. He most often comes from a progressive perspective, but he has no hesitation in exposing the destructive role the Democratic party and “liberal establishment” play in our demise.
Here are two brief quotes from Hedges that I would like to call attention to:
“The longer we believe in the fiction that we are included in the corporate power structure, the more easily corporations pillage the country without the threat of rebellion. Those who know the truth are crushed. Those who do not are lied to. Those who consume and perpetuate the lies – including the liberal institutions of the press… and the Democratic Party – abet our disempowerment.” [full source]
“The liberal class… prefers comfort and privilege to justice, truth and confrontation. Its guiding ideological stance is determined by what is most expedient to the careers of its members. It refuses to challenge, in a meaningful way, the decaying structures of democracy or the ascendancy of the corporate state…. Those who expose this moral cowardice and collaboration with corporate power are always ruthlessly thrust aside. The liberal class is incapable of reforming itself. It does not hold within its ranks the rebels and iconoclasts who have the moral or physical courage to defy the corporate state and power elite.” [full source]
While Hedges correctly criticizes the “liberal class” and Democratic Party, which all-too effectively push aside our most important truth-tellers and movements for change, I would like to point out an aspect of Hedges’ critique that I believe is overlooked and discuss a more subtle method of suppression: the role of so-called “independent” media. This is where an important lesson is to be learned.
Whether they are aware of it or not, so-called “independent” liberal/progressive online news sites are pivotal divide and conquer pawns. The more established and well-funded progressive outlets are crucial players in suppressing mass movements for meaningful change.
Most people who read news on the internet are aware of the inherent corporate/political elite biases within the mainstream media, but the more insidious biases within some of the more popular online media sites are rarely questioned. I’m not talking about the obvious progressive viewpoints of sites like The Nation, Think Progress, AlterNet, Truth Out, Common Dreams, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Media Matters, etc., I’m talking about the divisive partisan rhetoric these sites use and the destructive influence their funding sources have upon their reporting.
Don’t get me wrong, I have respect for these sites. They do very important investigative reporting and help advance our understanding of many vital issues. However, we must also be aware that they are funded in large part based on their commitment to engaging in divisive partisanship. These organizations are heavily dependent on partisan foundations and political organizations that adhere to the tenets of the two-party system. Therefore, their editorial framing is most often “Republicans bad, Democrats good.” They are critical of the Democratic Party to a point, no question about that, but a large part of their reporting and rhetoric serves to support the two-party system in service of the Democratic Party by consistently focusing blame on the Republican Party.
They frequently run headlines and commentaries that are purposefully aimed at dividing people along partisan lines and limiting thoughts into groupthinking traps, for this they are rewarded with financial support. It is clearly understood within the “independent” media community that if you focus your attack on the symptoms of the system (Republicans, Koch brothers, Fox News, Tea Party, etc.), you will be funded with hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, if you effectively focus your attack on the root underlying system and go against both political parties, you will not be funded. That’s why these sites always default over to the Democratic Party, that’s where the money is. (The same can be said for libertarian/conservative sites who blame Democrats in favor of Republicans.)
Organizations that engage in these divide and conquer strategies are therefore playing a key role in suppressing a much needed evolution of understanding and unified mass movement.
As I wrote in The Two-Party Oligarchy Vs. The People:
“When Progressive news sites complain about Republicans, or Conservative sites complain about Democrats, I can’t help but think that they are insuring their own demise, and the rest of the country’s for that matter. By buying into the Democrat versus Republican charade they have become the most important cog in suppressing any organized resistance.”
For anyone who wants to make the tired old argument that there are no alternatives to the two parties, and wants to line up in the “vote for the lesser of two evils” crowd, you must acknowledge that it is your unwillingness to embrace alternatives, and give them a platform to grow their influence, which ensures the continued tyranny of the two-party system. On top of that, just look at where your unconditional support for your party has gotten us.
I’ve learned from experience that you can unite people across the political spectrum on the core issues that are at the root of the crisis we are in – those key issues being: campaign finance, lobbying, the revolving door, breaking up the banks and the concentration of media ownership. These are the key systemic issues that we must focus on and can rally around together. There are many other issues that are important, but until these core common ground issues are solved we will ultimately find our other efforts to be futile.
It is obviously not easy to unite people on these core systemic issues and break through all the partisan noise when so many popular “independent” media outlets are primarily focused on the Democrat Vs Republican sideshow distraction. But if you’re serious about changing the corrupted system that we toil in, if you are ready to roll up your sleeves, if you prefer justice and truth over short-term comfort and privilege, you have to stop fighting yesterday’s war and evolve. Don’t fall into the same short-sighted thinking that plagues the super-wealthy and current politicians. The inability to look at the longer-term ramifications, in favor of short-term profits and comfort, ensures our continued decline. If we (99.5% of the population) can’t unite against the top economic 0.5% who control both political parties, our standard of living will continue on its downward spiral.
Do Progressive Leaders Really Want Change?
As this Chris Hedges quote, which I just paraphrased above and featured in the introduction to this piece, states: “The liberal class… prefers comfort and privilege to justice, truth and confrontation. Its guiding ideological stance is determined by what is most expedient to the careers of its members.” This critique also extends into the leadership of the more popular progressive websites. Ironically, and to their credit, AlterNet recently ran a report entitled, “Are Well-Off Progressives Standing in the Way of a Real Movement for Economic Justice?” The fact that this is framed as a question is rather comical, but here is an important point made within the article:
“By and large, the people who work at progressive think tanks, media outlets and policy centers are well-compensated – some extravagantly so… they have solid health-care benefits and 401(k)s…”
This quote is central in understanding how the so-called “independent” media world functions. It is open to debate whether or not the executive directors and leaders of these organizations are genuinely interested in uniting people to create meaningful change. Most of them are making a very comfortable living off the existing system and are content with their place within the status quo. As the quote above states, many of them make large salaries, get 4-6 weeks paid vacation and have multiple homes. They are also well-aware of the boundaries in which they operate, as to how “radical” they can be before they cross a line that would jeopardize their hefty paycheck.
It seems to me that if they were truly interested in change, they would make every effort to unify people against the forces that control both political parties, instead of use the divisive rhetoric that they often engage in. Their dogmatic adherence to only featuring voices that are in complete agreement on a wide range of issues also demonstrates a closed-minded groupthink approach that further obstructs an effective and broader mass movement.
These progressive leaders have built up an incestuous core cadre of contributors. Many of them have been indoctrinated by think tanks that are not open to any voices that may deviate in the slightest from partisan opinion. Fortunately, there is now an entire movement of bloggers who disdain the two-party divide and conquer approach and seek to unite people across the political spectrum. They are growing in influence, yet most all of them are kept off of popular progressive sites, even when they champion progressive views. I understand that it is obviously up to their discretion as to who to feature on their sites, but it is nonetheless indicative of their closed-off divisive partisan nature and intentions, and demonstrates how they stifle mass movements. If they truly wanted the change they claim to stand for, they would be much more inclusive in their approach.
The fact that they often include the opinions of a critic like Chris Hedges is important to note and a positive development. However, giving voice to critics like Hedges is very rare. It seems Hedges serves their interests as a token critic, as he has achieved a stature and level of popularity that they otherwise couldn’t ignore or silence. One could assume that they believe it is better to embrace him than be exposed as partisan hacks.
I must conclude, in agreement with Chris Hedges, that these “careerist” progressive leaders are unfortunately more interested in collecting a paycheck than creating change.
Leading By Example – My Personal Experience
After working in independent media for the past decade, I understand what needs to be done to be funded by partisan organizations. I realize how these institutions undermine serious mass movements for change. As time has gone by, I have become more effective at critiquing the system. My reporting and commentaries have received support from progressives, libertarians, conservatives, anarchists, from almost every political group outside of the economic top 0.01%. Due to the broad appeal my work has had and my ardent refusal to play into the two-party partisan trap, I am now considered to be “too radical” by partisan sites that have published my work in the past. One of them was honest enough to tell me that they will not publish my work anymore in fear of upsetting a major financial supporter. This is not to say that these sites don’t have other reasons for not publishing my work. Some of them now see our site as a competitor to theirs, so they fear losing readership by bringing attention to our work, despite the fact that we consistently link to them whenever they reveal important investigative information. Whatever the case may be, I have been marginalized by many of the people that I naively thought were partners in our fight.
To be clear, I am not denouncing most of the people who work for these groups. I know some of them personally and have great respect for their work, it is primarily their leadership and funding sources who keep them trapped within divisive groupthinking boxes that I take issue with. If anyone who runs these organizations would like to publicly debate these issues, I welcome it.
I will most likely be attacked for speaking out on this topic, but my primary motivation is to expose and break through the partisan divide that is holding back serious movements for structural change. This issue of how independent media organizations are funded is a pivotal impeding force in blocking this effort. I’ve already lost funding, been threatened with lawsuits, had my site repeatedly knocked offline, had computers hacked, been personally harassed and been pushed aside by these partisan groups that I thought we were in solidarity with, all for attempting to expose deep truths and unite people from across the political spectrum.
I could have easily played into this partisan trap and made a decent living off of it, but after realizing how these groups function to further divide a population that desperately needs to unite, I consciously choose to eliminate myself from partisan funding sources. I refuse to be part of the problem. This may ultimately lead to my exit from independent media and further personal financial hardship, but I rather be knocked out of independent media than be a part of the disease. I didn’t get involved in journalism to make a living and collect a paycheck. I got involved to create change. So I have no interest in bowing to all these partisan groups who have thus far managed to effectively muzzle and stifle meaningful dissent.
In summation, so-called “independent” media organizations that engage in partisanship are not interested in real change. They are the insidious servants of the status quo. They are divide and conquer pawns. They are a significant reason why, even at this late stage in our crisis, there is still no effective mass movement for desperately needed structural change. They are pivotal players in the downfall of America. This is a bold and blatant truth – a truth that we must urgently come to grasp and overcome if we are going to keep our society from continuing on its downward spiral.
Again, if the leaders of these groups want to publicly debate these issues, I’m ready. Time is of the essence in divided and conquered America.
- David[@]AmpedStatus.com
- – – – – – – -
We are fighting to remain 100% independent, completely free from partisan influence. If you respect our work, please donate to support our efforts: http://ampedstatus.com/donation.php
| Email This
- Print This
|
-------------------
Previous Comments:
Kent Welton said:
Excellent point, David –
that’s the classic ruling elite strategy – keep us from unified action against the corporate oligarchy that controls our country and our lives, via so many of the undemocratic, “independent” organizations like GATT/WTO and the “Fed.” There is much common ground for right and left to connect in fighting the fascism that has descended upon us.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Don said:
Yes. Keep pushing David. Too legit to quit
More power to you brother.
We need to break these partisan drones down.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Jackie said:
If these progressive “professional left” groups did not get funded for kowtowing to the democrats every one of them would turn against the two party system in a second.
This proves they are in it for the money.
Now we just have to get them to realize their hypocrisy.
Hedges is right, they are careerists who are NOT interested in change.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Kate said:
You want be attacked by progressive leaders for this. They will just ignore it and hope that it doesn’t become too popular. You’re 100% right and they have no defense for, as Jackie put it, their hypocrisy. IMO you can’t call enough attention to that.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Progressive Bee said:
As a progressive, I can tell you that a major reason for bowing to the Democrats is based on the desperate need to get funding for your work. You have to cut a balance between working on issues you care about, but doing it in a way that will attract democratic money. It is very difficult to pull off. To work incredibly hard for little money is not something even the most dedicated people can do for long.
The key point in this report is that it is the progressive leadership that soaks up most of the money, the rest of us are just desperate to keep food on the table, so very unfortunately, you do have to cater to the lesser of two evils. it’s a catch 22.
May 26th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Gray said:
I would love to see Markos Moulitsas debate David DeGraw on this very topic. Markos does some great work but he is such a demo wannabe.
Markos quote: “please, please, please mr obama, i know that you mean well, i’ll vote for you again, i promise, please please please, can i have campaign position for Obama 2012, please please please, i’m going to cry, please.”
May 26th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Gray said:
BTW, every time i try to post to facebook from this site it doesn’t work right. what’s up?
May 26th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Rick said:
Every time i read a headline that says something like “Ten Ways Republicans Destroy the Economy” I want to throw up. Republicans couldn’t have accomplished anything without the Democrats help. The fact that all these independent news sources still don’t get this is a sad sad joke. They get it, they just want the paycheck, as David so clearly points out.
May 26th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Lance said:
The Facebook comment section is not working.
Just want to give some love and respect to D and the Amped Team.
I’ve been driven into poverty by health problems. I couldn’t give much but still scrapped together $25 to donate.
You guys are the real deal, the boldest truth tellers in cyberspace.
KEEP FIGHTING!
May 26th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
annakis said:
I’ve sworn off the lesser of two evils. No compromise. None of my heroes did.
May 26th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Gregg said:
As usual David, you are on target. It is ALWAYS about the money! Money is the foundation of the capitalistic systems. The U.S. was supposed to be a place where people could live free and independent of the economy and the job market if they chose to. All they had to do was live off the land, but now, that is impossible even if you can put up the big bucks for land, you still need to pay rent to the government for your land for ever. There is no way out of the money trap. Make money, or perish! We have tied our political system into the same trap. Make it cost millions for anyone to run for a serious government position, and you instantly eliminate 95% of the population from participating in big government unless they become indebted to the wealthy and that begins the system of government corruption. Businesses are the same way. Do we make good products that are environmentally friendly or do we make trash that is thrown away and pollutes. What makes more money? We do not make decisions for what is best for humanity, we make decisions for what is best to make a buck despite any consequences. How do we turn around an entire human species that has been trained to live and die for money over all else? Our advancements are eating up the Earth, but so long as it makes money, no one seems to care. Humanity does not seem to know how to respond as a whole until disaster strikes. We have plenty of individuals who can see the truth and the destruction we are causing, but our species continues on the same path. Other than disaster, the only other thing that I can see that can change the direction of humanity is education, but unfortunately, that costs…. MONEY! The ultimate catch 22!
I am still behind you David. If you ever can pull together a meeting of the minds to brainstorm a game plan, I would love to attend! We need to bring groups together who truly understand and are willing and able to work to force change for what is right, and not for the money!
May 26th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
John said:
If writers actually want to be read they might actually try to print this stuff and witness the nuisance readers must suffer to render a readable copy.
That said, I take this as an admission that all writers are propagandists (no one excluded) and a caveat that, no matter what the issue, we must always work to think for ourselves. I love Hedges writing but the Chicken Little sky-is-falling hyperbole is getting VERY tiresome. VERY tiresome.
“Deeper and more meaningful truths” Ugh. Give me a break. Opinions, opinions, opinions! Intelligent or stupid, eloquent or crude, unless we are sheep deserving of a fleecing we should ask every pundit, “Exactly HOW do you know what you claim to know?” What do your ‘facts’ MEAN? Instead we simply seek and suck-up-to whatever eloquence suits and supports our prejudice.
E.g. Cornell West has recently delighted in savaging Obama (courtesy of Chris Hedges). With ‘friends’ and ‘brothers’ like West, Obama needs no enemies. Does West have the slightest compassion for what Obama is up against? No. Like an infant he wants what he wants. Did he REALLY think Obama could dump Gietner and Lawrence et. al. in favor of Krugman and Stiglitz and not be lynched? Have another glass of Kool-aid professor!
So, WHEN should we have listened to West’s ‘deeper and more meaningful truths’? Then when he passed out the Kool-aid or now that he’s discovered it was laced with tainted self-delusion? Then, when he was a courtier? Or now, when he is a rebuffed lover?
This is precisely why (take your pick: left or right) I presume all such writers are out to hustle. Fairness? Balance? If any writer at Truthdig (just as one example) actually challenged and attacked the ‘wisdom’ of that publication they would be marginalized just as quickly the mainstream marginalize them and they thereby take part in precisely that same censorship and propagandizing they accuse others of.
For instance: Is Chomsky right about ‘manufacturing consent’? Of course he is. But does this make him right as to his opinions against Israel? Does Norman Finkelstein have something valuable to offer re: From Time Immemorial? Of course he does. But does that cure his being a shrill crackpot who falsely slandered Alan Dershowitz? Why on earth should Chris Hedges be amazed at being censored at his Rockford College commencement address and thereby loose his job? Hey, it was freakin Rockford (Al Capone’s home town) what can you expect? Especially when you can expect college grads to be so dumbed down! Telling the poorly educated semi-literate unemployable jingo college ‘graduates’ they are stupid sheep being led to a fleecing can hardly endear them. Right message. Wrong arena. Don’t complain when the NYT slams you for partisanship at a time when it’s busy defending itself from the same accusation. Now THAT was dumb!
And self-destructive. Do not cry ‘victim’ or take refuge in a China shop after waving a red flag in a bull’s face.
Can you really insult people’s cherished beliefs and prejudices and not expect blowback of your own? David Edwards writes with stunning perception on some issues but when the opines that “Atheism is a religion [because] atheists must ‘believe’ there is no God” he proves he is in incapable of following an original idea any farther than a civic center pigeon can fly.
It’s a tightrope walk and you must keep a certain balance or you will be knocked out of the game. Will you be right? Perhaps. But being RIGHT and 35 cents won’t get you in a city bus. Unfortunately some people are more interested in being RIGHT than they are in being effective. This defines the term ‘self-righteous asshole.’
Your criticism of false debate is spot on. Unfortunately the public is so dumbed down that a thimble full of facts makes every numbskull an expert. Some eloquent nincompoop knows a few examples of kind Christians or Muslims and those facts render falsehood truth that transcends all questions.
As Diderot put it, “There is not a Musselman alive who would not imagine that he was performing an action pleasing to God and his Holy Prophet by exterminating every Christian on earth, while the Christians are scarcely more tolerant on their side.” Given the state of ‘fundamental’ civil rights in America not much has changed.
In in America “To be avoided at all costs is the solace of opinion without the pain of thought.” (Rev. William Sloane Coffin.)
Them? The Tea Party? Them the gutless liberals? Let’s talk about WE. We are a confederacy of dunces who can not think for ourselves, who are incapable of vetting opinion (all we care about is whether it squares with our prejudices) and would not have a clue where or how to find verifiable answers. Half of us don’t have library cards and the other half don’t know how to use them. As I think you (unwittingly?) point out both sides know all this and so they play the exact same game: how do you herd sheep?
I am sure there are exceptions (you can’t herd cats or foxes) but the exceptions are not what matters. What matters is that you have a herd of rather dumb and/or uneducated sheep (called ‘voters’) who only care about their fleece when they should really fear being made into mutton. Now then, by what method shall they be herded? Like it or not, until sheep can be made as smart as cats or foxes, they are still frightened sheep – unless pumped up with booze at a football game. So which propagandist shepherd shall they follow?
The minority with control of the medium also control the message and can herd the majority. It clearly takes only 1%. It is that small minority that must be splintered.
Now then, where is there a Robespierre when you need one? Exactly where did they put that guillotine?
Get over it. The battle is lost. The corporations won. Capitalism and corporatism are rotten to the core. They are ‘persons’ at law but they are not citizens who vote and each can buy a get-out-of-jail-free card . They are multi-national and they have no fealty to any government. They own ALL governments. All that remains to be seen is how far the 1% can push before they are forced to give some blowback chump-change back to the sheep they fleece.
May 26th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
John said:
David:
Slow persistence. Slow persistence. Or you will be crushed beneath the wheel.
First, you overrate your colleagues who all swim in a sea of churning hyperbole. What is ‘readership’? It surely has little do with how many email subscribers one has. And the journalistic quality and integrity of some of the sites you talk about are rather a joke. I stopped getting AlterNet a long time ago because it’s sophomoric screeds should be an embarrassment to a small town community college. There might be some good stuff in the mix but who, with a LIFE, as time to slog through all the rubbish?
Half the time I was asking, “WHERE do they find these writers?” Most of what Common Dreams has to offer comes from other web sites and the editors can’t get half the links to sources right. What they do write is almost never worth reading. WHO writes this stuff? Indeed, who even READS it? It’s just too tiring. Half the writers could not reason their way out of a paper bag.
Debate you? Why should they take that bait to give you publicity?
Do NOT complain! Frankly, if I saw your work at their web sites it would damage your credibility as it enhanced theirs.
Every day I get some email petition linking me to my congressional representatives asking me to raise my voice. Sometimes I do but never with any delusion elected officials REALLY give one hoot about what I think.
AS A PRACTICAL MATTER THERE ARE ONLY TWO QUESTIONS IN LIFE: WHAT DO YOU WANT” and HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT?
The 0.5% you rail against do not just own America. John is right. They own the world. They have no national fealty. They own all governments and play one against the other.
It’s a world in which too many are bred and whom no planet could feed. This is war and the only way to win a war is to dis-empower the enemy or decapitate it.
As we see the streets of the rest of the world break to riot (almost never reported in the US media) as demonstrators are shot down and Internet access denied, only the most naive could believe our government would not to exactly the same things if their ass was on the line.
If the majority wants change the very first thing it must agree on is to take the power (the means the money) away from the 1%. That means revolution for power yields nothing willingly. Revolution? Please. We don’t even have dissent.
So, with all due respect young man, if you don’t lower your expectations and develop the requisite ruthlessness necessary to survive, the world will chew you up and spit you out.
Hope the inevitable will not happen? Hope alternative energy sources will be found in time to save the plant? Hope is irresponsible. “What is hope?” asked Lord Byron. “The paint on the face of existence. Just a touch of truth rubs it off and then we see what a hollow cheeked harlot we’ve got hold of.” When you understand that the situation truly is hopeless (there is simply no way humanity can change fast enough before the planet is sucked dry) life will not be easier but it may be better. All you see is the ruling class attempting to mitigate the inevitable damages it has caused.
Yes, you should demand more of others, but I fear you demand too much of yourself. Slow persistence. Slow persistence. You rightly criticize those so-called ‘progressives’ who peddle a different kind of propaganda played by the same rules but what they know, and what you must learn, is to only tell the truth with one foot in the stirrup and, from what I can tell, you do not have a foot in the stirrup.
May 27th, 2011 at 3:06 am
Cordley Garmany Coit said:
First of all you are correct in the premise, that done with let us look not at the choiceless choice rather look at the machine behind the cardboard characters. It is one machine weather Daily or Koch. I was born in Chicago I know a historyless actor working for the man when I see him or her. And the Seven repug Dwarfs are made of the same ticky tacky, cardboard all comes out of the same mill. The Congress is a whorehouse I watched LBJ drive those bitches over the cliff and a pretty good country never recovered.
We need heavy changes fast before they start fitting us all with chains.
May 27th, 2011 at 5:34 am
ectoendomezo said:
IN FACT…ITS EVEN WORSE..AS YOU..YES..ALMOST ALL..OF YOU..INCLUDING MR. HEDGES (PERHAPS EVEN MORE OF A HYPOCRITE THEN ANY OF YOU WISH TO ACCEPT)..ARE COWARDS.
FOR THIS SIMPLE..AND DIRECT..REASON:
YOU…ARE NOW SO IN DENIAL OF ONE “CHARACTERISTIC”..IN FACT..”THE”..CHARACTERISTIC..THAT LITERALLY..RISES ABOVE..”ALL OTHER AVENUES OF PROTEST”..
NAMELY:
TAKING…..RESPONSIBILITY……FOR:
“HOW”…”WHERE”..FOR “WHAT”..AND BY “WHOM”…”YOUR……..Y-O-U-R…….. MONEY……….M-O-N-E-Y……….IS SPENT!”
IN THAT IRREFUTABLE REALITY..LAY THE TRUTH ABOUT ..FOR EXAMPLE…THIS ARTICLE..AND..MR. HEDGES..AND IN ESSENCE..THE ENTIRE ‘LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE” COWARDICE AND TOTAL..NOW..YES..TOTAL…LACK..OF RESPONSIBILITY AND THUS “POSSIBILITY”..FOR “CHANGE”..LET ALONE..”VICTORY”..THE FOLLOWING QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE ABOVE..SUMS IT UP QUITE NICELY:
“There are very few people who are brave and courageous enough to boldly speak their hard-earned truth to power.”
“SPEAK”?
OH…RIGHT…NO! ITS NOT ABOUT “MONEY”.
NAWWW…COULDN’T EVER BE ABOUT “MONEY”..NOW COULD IT?
NO..ITS ABOUT “SPEAKING”…ITS ABOUT “MARCHING”.
NO!
IT IS ABOUT..ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY AT THIS POINT:
MONEY!
“LET THEM MARCH ALL THEY WANT..AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE PAYING TAXES”-ALEXANDER HAIG.
“MERE SMOKE OF OPINION”..HENRY DAVID THOREAU.
YOU PEOPLE..MAKE ME SICK.
I’M A PROGRESSIVE.
A REAL ONE.
NOT A CUBICLE DWELLING “CLICKTIVISM” PROPAGANDIST.
I DO NOT…PAY..THE SALARIES..OF:
DRONE PILOTS..POLICE..CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
I DO NOT..PAY..FOR ILLEGAL WARS F AGGRESSION NOW SO OVERT..SO EGREGIOUS…SO HORRIFIC AND SURREALISTICALLY UN-CONSTITUTIONAL THAT THEY ARE ALMOST…LAUGHABLE.
I DO NOT PAY THE SALARIES OF “ENHANCED INTERROGATION TEAMS”.
I DO NOT PAY FOR THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF “SOUND CANNONS” TO BE USED AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS ENGAGED IN REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES AS IS OUR RIGHT.
NOPE!
BUT YOU DO!
YO PAY FOR EVERY BULLET..DUG..FROM THE CORPSES OF INNOCENT………INNOCENT…WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
YOU PAY FOR THE MASS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS AND THE ROVING WIRETAPS.
YOU..ARE THE ONES DIRECTLY…LITERALLY..”DIRECTLY” …RESPONSIBLE..FOR THE MURDER OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
YOU..ARE THE ONES PAYING FOR THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF YOUR OWN..LIBERTY.
YOU ARE THE ONES IN ALMOST..NOW..TOTAL..AND PATHOLOGICAL..DENIAL.
YOU!
YOU ARE THE ONES PAYING!
DO YOU ACTUALLY..NOT SEE..THAT “PAYMENT IS APPROVAL”?
NO..THIS IS IRREFUTABLE.
IT CANNOT BE “REBUTTED”..ONLY DENIED..AND RATIONALIZED.. IGNORED AND..AS IS NOW THE CASE ON THE “LIBERAL MEDIA”…IN FACT……CENSORED.
TRY MENTIONING “TAX PROTEST” ON..’COMMON DREAMS’..’THINK PROGRESS’…’DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND’..’DEMOCRACY NOW’..’HUFFINGTON/AOL’..TRY IT.
THE TRAGIC FACT IS THE “LEFT”..IS NOW SO IN DENIAL ABOUT THEIR DIRECT..AND TOTAL..COMPLICITY IN EVERY ‘POLICY’ THEY CLAIM TO DESPISE…TO BE ‘AGAINST’..THAT THEY WILL ATTACK THE MESSENGER OF ANY “INCONVENIENT TRUTH”..WITH A RABID SHRILL SHRIEKING HYSTERIA THAT IS RIGHT OUT OF THE “PARABLE OF THE CAVE”.
A STRAIGHT UP “SOCRATIC DIALOGUE”.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:
YOU PAY? YOU PLAY!
IF YOU CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THE “PROGRAMS” AND “POLICIES” AND THE SALARIES OF THE UTTERLY..NOW INCONTROVERTIBLY CORRUPT AND CORPORATE “GOVERNMENT”..YOU ARE IN FACT…A “FINANCIAL PARTNER”..A “BACKER”..AND AN “ENABLER”..OF THEIR “POSITION”.
PERIOD!
AGAIN..YOU MAY DENY IT..YOU MAY RATIONALIZE IT…YOU MAY IGNORE IT…BUT IT CANNOT BE REBUTTED.
THIS IS AN IRREFUTABLE…TRUTH.
THE ‘REALITY OF THE SITUATION”.
YOU…ARE THE PAYMASTERS FOR YOUR OWN DESTRUCTION!
YOU!
YOU PAY THE SALARIES OF THE ‘POLICE’ WHO WORK ILLEGALLY WITH THE FBI OR DHS OR JTTF OR? OR? OR? OR? TO CRUSH YOUR OWN RIGHT TO ‘SPEAK”.
STOP..”SPEAKING”..AND START..”ACTING”.
THERE ARE TWO (2) “THINGS” THEY..THE CORPORATE GOVERNMENT..WANTS FROM YOU. 2 AND ONLY 2:
1) MONEY
2) OBEDIENCE
THEY ARE INTERTWINED.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT IS THE ‘WEAKEST FASCIST IDEOLOGY IN THE HISTORY OF FASCISM’…AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND YOUR MONEY..AND:
“DENY THEM BOTH OF THEIR DEMANDS”.
BY “DISOBEDIENTLY REFUSING TO CONTINUE PAYING THEIR SALARIES!”
THIS..IS NOW..THE “PERFECT TACTIC”.
ITS RARE THAT WE ARE OFFERED A “PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR RESISTANCE”.
BUT TAX PROTEST..TAX STRIKE..IS NOW…AS WE ARE FACING THIS..PARTICULAR ENEMY; A FASCIST IDEOLOGY BASED SOLELY ON..”MONEY”..AND THUS INCREDIBLY WEAK…THIS IS A RARE MOMENT WHERE WE HAVE A PERFECT..COURSE OF ACTION THAT IS ALSO..SO INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE..IT COULD BE TECHNICALLY..”DEFINITIONALLY”…DEFINED AS:
“THE CITIZENS NUCLEAR OPTION”.
TAX RESISTANCE IS:
-NON-VIOLENT (ON THE ‘CITIZEN END’)
-DENIES THE FORCES OF FASCISM THEIR ONE…CRITICAL..ABSOLUTELY..CRITICAL..RESOURCE; MONEY
-IS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE WITH A PERFECT..’PURPOSE’..TO DENY THE VERY INDIVIDUALS INTENT ON DESTROYING OUR FREEDOM..THEIR “OBJECTIVE” (AND LIVELIHOOD)
AND YET?
WHAT DO WE SEE FROM THE “LEFT”..(AND THE RIGHT..BUT THEY’VE BEEN DOWNRIGHT PSYCHOTIC FOR SOME TIME NOW..SO..WHATS THE POINT..OH..BUT THEY TOO..MIGHT UNIFY WITH A ‘LEFT’ TAX RESISTANCE MOVEMENT..HMMM?)..WE SEE FROM THE “LEFT”…NOW EVEN INCLUDING THIS “ARTICLE”..WE SEE AN EFFORT TO..COMPLETELY..AND TOTALLY..IGNORE..TO ACTUALLY..”DANCE AROUND”..THE REALITY:
MONEY!
THIS IS PARTICULARLY FASCINATING IN LIGHT OF ‘ARTICLES’ IN EVERY “LIBERAL” MAGAZINE AND JOURNAL FROM ‘THE NATION’ TO ‘MOJO’ TO IDIOT ‘ROLLING STONE’ (SOLE EXCEPTION MATT TAIBBI WHO IS IN FACT..FOCUSING..ON..THE MONEY..AND IS THUS..HYPER-EFFECTIVE)..ARTICLES ON “CITIZENS UNITED”.
THESE ARTICLES..AND PROBABLY..ALMOST CERTAINLY..YOUR OWN “OPINION”..REGARDING THE “POWER OF MONEY” AS IT RELATES TO “CITIZENS UNITED”…IS TRULY…A “PHENOMENA”.
THERE YOU ARE..THERE THEY ARE..THE “JOURNALISTS” AND “OPINION MAKERS”…AND YOU ARE ALL..CRYING AND MOANING ABOUT “CITIZENS UNITED”.
YET THE PHENOMENAL ASPECT..IS TRULY..FASCINATING:
YOU…NEVER… MAKE..THE…’LEAP’!
NO!
YOU DON’T!
I HAVE YET..TO SEE…ANYONE OF YOU..SAY..OR EVEN…”ACKNOWLEDGE”:
“WAIT..IF THE CORPORATE FASCISTS ARE GONNA USE MONEY..THEN..GOSH..MAYBE UMM..WE SHOULD TOO..HMM? NOW LETS SEE..’CITIZENS UNITED’..HMM..WHAT IF..WAIT..WOW..I’M HAVING AN EPIPHANY..WHAT IF WE WERE ACTUALLY…’CITIZENS’…..’UNITED’…IN SAY… TAX PROTEST? WHAT IF WE..SAID WE’RE NOT GONNA PAY UNLESS OUR DEMANDS ARE MET..JUST LIKE THE CORPIES AND THEIR ALLIES? WOW!”
NO!
YOU “STOP SHORT”.
AND THE AMAZING THING IS..AGAIN..THAT THIS IS NOW…AT A “100% OF THE TIME” LEVEL.
YOU…….LITERALLY…’NEVER’….ACKNOWLEDGE THIS REALITY..THAT IS IS MONEY AND THE “WE” CAN USE “MONEY”..IN FACT….EVEN EASIER THAN THEY CAN. BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE OF US..AND THEY ARE CRITICALLY DEPENDENT UPON OUR CONTINUED “PICKING UP OF THE CHECK”.
I KNOW WHY THIS IS TOO..
YEAH..I DO.
ITS GUILT ON YOUR PART.
YOU AND THE “PUNDITS” LIKE AMY GOODMAN AND CHRIS HEDGES…YER…”GUILTY”.
BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE “PERFECT TRUTH MOMENTS”.
THERE IS NO…”REBUTTAL” TO THE FACT..THAT:
“IF AMERICANS STOPPED PAYING..THE WHO THING….STOPS!”
CANNOT BE “REBUTTED”.
AND SECONDARILY…YOU ARE GUILTY…BECAUSE YOU KNOW…THAT YOUR REFUSAL..NOT “FAILURE”..NO..ITS NOW..”REFUSAL”…TO DO SOMETHING AS PERFECT..AND EFFECTIVE..AS ‘TAX STRIKE”..IS:
“RISKY ACTION”.
LIKE SITTING DOWN AT A SEGREGATED LUNCH COUNTER IN 1960 GAINSBORO….THAT KIND OF “RISKY”.
BUT NOT…FOR EXAMPLE..AS “RISKY” AS WHAT JULIAN ASSANGE IS DOING. AND YET JUST AS EFFECTIVE.
AND YET..YOU ARE COWARDS.
THIS IS THE “ROOT” OF THE NOW MASS DENIAL ON THE LEFT” OF THE REALITY OF “TAX STRIKE/PROTEST” AS A MASSIVELY EFFECTIVE AND….AND..’IMMEDIATE”…DRIVER OF ACTUAL “CHANGE”.
“THE STRIKE”.
YOU…WILL NOT….”STRIKE”.
BECAUSE YO ARE COWARDS.
THIS IS ALSO THE ROOT OF THE NEVER ENDING PROPAGANDA FROM ALL…”SOURCES” BUT PARTICULARLY THE “LEFT” REGARDING “CLICKTIVISM” OR THE “SOCIAL NETWORKS REVOLUTION”.
AGAIN..”CHOOSING” TO IGNORE REALITY BECAUSE THE REALITY IS TOO UGLY FOR YOU TO……….ADMIT:
THAT “SOCIAL NETWORKS” ARE IN FACT….KILLERS OF “CONSENSUS”.
THEYA RE SURVEILLANCE.
AND DO NOT WORK.
IN FACT..I CAN PROVE IT RIGHT NOW.
1) OBAMA AND THE ‘OBAMA FOR AMERICA WEBSITE’ THAT LITERALLY..”IGNORED” THE ‘LARGEST GROUP EVER” ON HIS OWN WEBSITE..DURING….THE ELECTION: THE “NO” ON RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY GROUP. IGNORED. 22,000 SIGNATORIES..LARGEST GROUP…LARGEST VOICE…IGNORED….”MORE”..THAN MERELY “COMPLETELY”..ACTUALLY IGNORED WITH ‘EXTREME PREJUDICE” AS OBAMA “ALSO” VOTED FOR ‘CLOTURE’. PROOF THAT SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE UTTERLY POINTLESS REGARDING “CHANGE”.
2) TEST: I DEFY YOU “BELIEVER” (ACTUALLY GUILTY KNOWLEDGE HYPOCRITES TOO COWARDLY TO ADMIT YOU ARE IGNORING REAL ‘ACTION’ IN FAVOR OF ‘FAKE ACTION’) I DEFY YOU..TO DO THE FOLLOWING TEST OF THE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ‘SOCIAL NETWORKS’ ON ANYTHING..ANY..”ISSUE”.
LETS USE ‘TORTURE’ AS AN EXAMPLE. AN EASY ONE. SHOULD BE EASY TO GET THE “NUMBERS” BEHIND THIS;
SO..HERE IS THE “CHALLENGE”/”TEST” OF THE:
TITLE: “REALITY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN INFLUENCING THE ‘DECISIONS’ OF ‘OUR’…’REPRESENTATIVES’!”:
USING “TORTURE” AS THE “QUESTION” ASK THE “SOCIAL NETWORKS” TO “EN MASS”….”DEMAND” THAT “TORTURE” BE MADE ILLEGAL AND STOPPED….NOW..IMMEDIATELY. DEMAND THAT OBAMA ISSUE A PRESIDENTIAL ‘DECREE’ OF THE KIND HE IS NOW ISSUING REGULARLY (LIBYA ANYONE?) TO STOP ALL..ALL..TORTURE.
AND Y’KNOW WHAT WILL “HAPPEN”?
NOTHING!
NOT…ONE..THING!
THE “MAJORITY” MON THE “SOCIAL NETWORKS”..WILL BE:
IGNORED!
PERIOD!
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS DONE AND LITERALLY..OVERNIGHT MAKE THE ENTIRE “ARGUMENT” OF ALL THOSE IN DENIAL..ALL THE “BELIEVERS” IN “HERE COMES EVERYONE”..THAT “SNS’S” ARE SOMEHOW “EFFECTIVE”..PROVEN UTTERLY WRONG OVERNIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE…A FIRST STEP TO “REAL” DIALOG AND “REAL” ACTION.
SIMPLY PUT THE MYTH TO BED. THE MYTH THAT “TWITTER” OR “FACEBOOK’ HAVE EVEN THE REMOTEST…TINIEST…”INFLUENCE” ON THE NOW OVERTLY CORPORATE GOVERNMENT!
BOTTOM LINE PEOPLE:
UNTIL YOU ACCEPT..ADMIT..ACKNOWLEDGE AND ‘ACT’ ON THE FACT….IRREFUTABLE..UNDENIABLE… INCONTROVERTIBLE……. UNEQUIVOCAL……………….. FACT………….. THAT YOU..ARE DIRECTLY FINANCING THE VERY PROGRAMS AND POLICIES YOU CLAIM TO DESPISE…ACTUALLY ENABLING AND LITERALLY..”MAKING POSSIBLE”..THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR OWN LIBERTY…UNTIL YOU WAKE UP TO THIS FACT AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR MONEY..AND HOW IT IS BEING SPENT…THERE WILL BE:
NO….POSITIVE CHANGE!
NONE!
IT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW MORE RESTRICTIVE AND UGLY UNTIL THE NOW “COLD” CIVIL WAR..BECOMES A REAL “SHOOTING WAR”.
AMAZINGLY..EVEN THEN I DO BELIEVE MANY OF YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DUTIFULLY “PAY”.
THIS IS A FREE MARKET PEOPLE.
THE CORPORATE GOVERNMENT (GOV-CORP) IS SELLING YOU A “PRODUCT” AND INSTEAD OF “REJECTING” THAT PRODUCT..INSTEAD OF SAYING “NO..WE WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE THIS DEFECTIVE..INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS PRODUCT!”… INSTEAD OF THAT…YOU ARE LINING UP TO BUY THEIR PRODUCT LIKE IT WAS THE NEWEST “APPLE” SELF SURVEILLANCE DEVICE.
YOU MAKE ME SICK.
LITERALLY..I AM NAUSEOUS AT YOUR WEAKNESS AND “CHOICE” OF PATHOLOGICAL DENIAL INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING REALITY.
YOUR COWARDS.
TOO AFRAID OF “REPRISAL” FROM “YOUR” “GOVERNMENT” TO DO SOMETHING AS PERFECT AND IN FACT..”DIRECT”….AND “HONEST” AS:
“SIMPLY STOP PAYING!”
YOU PAY? YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE!
THEIR ACTIONS CANNOT…CANNOT…C-A-N-N-O-T……..BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT YOUR DIRECT..FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
“WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DELIVER THIS FINE PRODUCT…WITHOUT THE CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF VIEWERS LIKE YOU!”
“VIEWERS”..YEAH..THAT’S ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT.
May 27th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
ectoendomezo said:
REPLY TO COMMENT # 11 FROM “GREGG”:
BROTHER..AGAIN..I AM SADDENED TO SEE..ANOTHER (PROBABLY) “PROGRESSIVE”..IN SUCH TOTAL DENIAL..THAT EVEN WHEN YOU ARE “CLOSE” AND REALIZE AND STATE THAT IT IS “MONEY” THAT IS THE “KEY”..YOU TOO..ARE IN SUCH TOTAL DENIAL OF YOUR OWN LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO ACTUALLY..”ACT”…OR TAKE ANY……ANY….A-N-Y……….”RISK”….THAT YOU “REFUSE”..LITERALLY..YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS…….”REFUSES”..TO ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THE “LEAP”:
“IT IS IN YOUR POWER TO DENY THESE FORCES THE SINGULAR CRITICAL RESOURCE..THE ‘ONE THING’..THEY MUST…HAVE..TO CONTINUE: MONEY!”
INSTEAD YOU…AND I’M SORRY..BUT I MUST SAY…. TOTALLY…. LAMELY….. LAME… LAME.. LAME….. ADVOCATE “EDUCATION”..AS THE “ANSWER”.
THIS IS THE FACE..THE “CAMOUFLAGE”…YOUR PARTICULAR DENIAL TAKES.
WITH THE REST OF THE ‘LEFT” THESE DAYS..ITS BECOME AN AMAZING PHENOMENA TO WITNESS…THE “MACHINATIONS” OF THE “COLLECTIVE MIND” AS IT DOES ANYTHING…INCLUDING NOW…A VERY REAL AND RABID…CENSORSHIP AGENDA…TO PREVENT..THE ONE REALITY FROM SURFACING:
“TAX STRIKE IS THE KEY..AND I AM TOO MUCH OF A COWARD TO STOP PAYING FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF MY OWN LIBERTY..AND THUS I WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THIS TRUTH IS NEVER EVEN HINTED AT LET ALONE OPENLY ADMITTED!”
YOU..ARE PAYING..FOR THE BULLETS DUG FROM THE CORPSES OF INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN!
YOU!
YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE “PROGRAMS” AND “POLICIES” THAT ENSLAVE YOU AND REMOVE YOUR OWN LIBERTY..NOW ON A LITERAL…TERRIFYING..DAILY SCHEDULE. (SUPREME COURT THIS WEEK ALONE HAS SO WEAKENED THE BILL OF RIGHTS ITS TRULY…SURREAL)
YOU…ARE PAYING THE NOW TOTALLY IMMUNE FROM EVEN BEING “IDENTIFIED” “DRONE PILOTS” WHO NOW ARE OPENLY ENGAGED IN TERRORISM AS THEY………..DAILY………..MURDER INNOCENTS WITH TOTAL IMPUNITY AND IMMUNITY FROM ANY….ANY…CRIMINAL CHARGES..OR EVEN….EVEN..”NEGATIVE OPINION”.
YOU…ARE PAYING FOR THE BAIL-OUTS.
YOU!
AND THE ‘LEFT” AS A WHOLE!
AND YET..CHRIS HEDGES…SHRIEKS ABOUT “RESPONSIBILITY”..WHILE… SURREALISTICALLY…… NEVER..EVER..EVEN MENTIONING..LET ALONE “ACKNOWLEDGING”..THAT “MONEY IS THE KEY”.
THIS MESSAGE..(IN “LOWER CASE” FOR YOU TRULY MINDLESS CENSORS AND DENIAL VICTIMS AND PETTY TYRANTS)…IS NOW CENSORED ON ALL..YES..ALL…”LIBERAL SITES”.
THE GUILTY KNOWLEDGE IS NOW SO..RABID..SO..RAMPANT..THAT TO EVEN ‘SUGGEST’..”TAX RESISTANCE/STRIKE”…IS TO INCUR THEIR WRATH.
NO MATTER HOW “POLITELY” THE CONCEPT IS PLACED..NO MATTER HOW “FEW WORDS” ARE USED..NO MATTER HOW ARTICULATELY…”TAX STRIKE”..IS TANTAMOUNT TO AN ‘ATTACK’.
THEY ARE CENSORING IT.
‘COMMON DREAMS’..’THINK PROGRESS’…’DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND’(THE MOST RABID..ACTUALLY..’REPORTED’ FOR DARING TO DEFY THEIR DENIAL AND CAREFULLY CRAFTED RATIONALIZATIONS)..HUFFINGTON POST..OOPS..SORRY..AOL IS ALSO AMONGST THE MOST RABID ABOUT “DELETING” ANY MENTION OF THE UGLY REALITY:
“LIBERAL COMPLICITY VIA DIRECT FINANCING!”
YOU PAY?
YOU’RE COMPLICIT!
PERIOD!
P-E-R-I-O-D!
IT IS NOT….”EDUCATION”.
IT IS DENIAL AND PATHOLOGICAL FEAR OF BEING EXPOSED AS THE COWARDS YOU ALMOST ALL….REALLY ARE.
AS HENRY DAVID THOREAU CHARACTERIZED IT…YOUR “WORDS” ARE:
“MERE SMOKE OF OPINION..”
YOU CAN ARGUE AND ARGUE AND ARGUE AND ARGUE AND ARGUE…….TO LITERALLY…’ZERO EFFECT”.
BUT YO CAN STOP PAYING EN MASS..AND I LITERALLY..WILL BET MY ACTUAL LIFE ON IT..NO..REALLY..YOU GET TOGETHER 1 MILLION TAX PROTESTERS…AND IF THAT DOES NOT CREATE AN IMMEDIATE AND MASSIVE “FREAK-OUT” IN THE CORPORATE GOVERNMENT..AND CAUSE REAL “MOVEMENT” AND ILLUSTRATES THEIR REAL…VISCERAL…..TERROR AT THE PROSPECT THAT “THE CITIZENS MIGHT WAKE UP AND START USING MONEY AS POWER THEMSELVES”..I’LL SIGN A CONTRACT TO ‘SELF IMMOLATE”.
NO JOKE!
I’LL DO IT!
YOU PEOPLE..ARE IN DENIAL!
ACCEPT IT.
THIS IS A FREE MARKET.
YOU ARE BUYING..LITERALLY…A MASSIVELY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT..A LETHALLY DANGEROUS PRODUCT..FROM THE CORPORATE GOVERNMENT.
LINING UP TO PAY FOR THIS!
FOR……………THIS!?!?!?!?!?
FOR A TRUE….NIGHTMARE!
PAYING!
AND IN TOTAL DENIAL ABOUT IT!
“EDUCATION”?
REALLY?
NO! SERIOUSLY!
REALLY?
AGAIN…..”REALLY?”
OR “MONEY”?
I ASK YOU TO BE HONEST..NO “RATIONALIZATIONS”..NO SMARMY “WELL..WE COULD EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE POWER OF MONEY..WHINE,..WHIMPER…SNIVEL.”
NO! I’M ASKING YOU..HERE AND NOW….WHICH..IS MORE CRITICAL AND WILL HALT..HAS A CHANCE OF HALTING THIS “TRANSITION” FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC TO CORPORATE FASCIST NIGHTMARE..IMMEDIATELY AND “ABSOLUTELY”?:
“EDUCATION”?
OR:
“IMPOSITION OF CITIZEN BASED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON GOV-CORP”?
I EXPECT YOU TO LIE!
AND I WISH I COULD FORGIVE YOU FOR IT…AFTER ALL…. YOUR IN DENIAL.. GENUINE.. “CLINICAL DENIAL”.
TO ADMIT THAT “MONEY IS THE KEY”..IS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ADMIT.. THAT YOU…. ARE IN FACT…….A FINANCIAL PARTNER..A “PRODUCER”..AN “ENABLER”…OF ALL OF IT.
IN A VERY…INCREDIBLY…”DIRECT WAY” TO BOOT.
SO..I WISH I COULD EMPATHIZE.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY GAP IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
YOU ARE DAILY…”PROGRAMMED” TO SEE “RESPONSIBILITY” AS “DANGEROUS”.
THE “NEWS” IS IN FACT ONE GIANT “EXCUSE” ALL DAY LONG AS TO ‘WHY SOMEONE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY..AND WHY THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY SHOULD DO..THE SMART THING…AVOID RESPONSIBILITY!”
I GET IT!
BUT..SORRY..
THIS TIME….THE ‘TRUTH”..IS UNEQUIVOCAL.
SIMPLE AND DIRECT AND..IRREFUTABLE:
MONEY….IS THE KEY!
WERE 10 MILLION AMERICANS TO CONDUCT A “UNION STYLE TAX STRIKE”..WITH A “LIST OF DEMANDS FOR MANAGEMENT”…THE “CHANGE”…WOULD BE PARADIGM SHIFTING.
THE “GOVERNMENT”..IS ON THE VERGE OF A “SHUT-DOWN”…RIGHT………….NOW!
ANY SMART…TACTICALLY AWARE…STREET SMART….. “CULTURE”…. “PEOPLE”…WOULD SEE THIS AND WOULD “USE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE”.
NOT “AMERICANS”.
NOPE!
THAT WOULD MEAN “TAKING RESPONSIBILITY” AND..”RISKY ACTION”.
NO!
SO MUCH EASIER TO WHINE ABOUT “EDUCATION” OR..AS THE ARTICLE ITSELF IS STATING..”SPEAKING OUT” OR CHRIS HEDGES QUOTING “KAFKA OR SOME OTHER HIGH-FALUTIN “LITERATURE” YET REFRAIN..AT ALL COSTS.. FROM EVER… EVER..EVER….” SITTING DOWN AT THAT SEGREGATED LUNCH COUNTER IN 1960 GAINSBORO”
THAT’S…”RISKY ACTION”.
DOESN’T MATTER THAT ITS THE “PERFECT ACTION”..OR THAT IT WOULD IN FACT CAUSE DIRECT..AND IMMEDIATE..AND TOTAL…”CHANGE”.
NAWWW..
EASIER TO CONTINUE ON PRETENDING THAT “TWITTER” OR “WORDS” OR EVEN “MARCHES” ARE SOMEHOW..”EFFECTIVE”.
CLEARLY…..THEY ARE NOT!
NOTHING….IS “BETTER”.
EVERYTHING….IS WORSE!
THIS IS THE REALITY!
YOU ARE IN DENIAL!
WTFU
AND:
STOP PAYING NOW!
OR..ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE IN FACT…A “SUPPORTER” OF ALL THEY DO!
THEY’RE DOING IT IN YOUR NAME!
THIS IS TH “PRODUCT” YOU PAID FOR!
YOU ARE GETTING…LITERALLY..”EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAID FOR!”
YOU….IN FACT ANY OF YOU STILL “PAYING”….ACTUALLY..”CONTRACTUALLY”……CANNOT COMPLAIN!
THAT’S THE FUNNIEST PART: THIS IS..”WHAT YOU WANT!”
YOUR PAYING FOR IT…YOU MUST WANT IT!
May 27th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Joseph said:
ectoendomezo spare us your infinite ignorance. We can all hope against hope that ectoendomezo is writing his or her psychotic screeds from inside the confines of a mental institution. Another Jerrrid Louger in the making? Let’s hope this nincompoop is just a high school sophomore who broke into his family liquor cabinet. If so it’s scary to even think America could produce a high school sophomore incapable of constructing a sentence at fifth grade level. Where is homeland security when you need it? Let’s ll hope s/he is on the no-fly list. Hey kid, please confine your unreadable screeds to the walls of public toilets where such stupid smut belongs. If you actually think anyone with an IQ above 85 is even going to try to slog through your incomprehensible gibberish you are even more nuts than I thought. Please go shit in somebody else’s space. You have the manners of a barnyard animal and the integrity of a garden slug. Got friends? What a pathetic little schmuck. As small as small can get.
In any event David wrote, “After much research you realize that there are very few people who know our current system of power well enough to critique it in a meaningful and effective way.”
One could argue this is the view of typical snob or elitist who disdains the ignorant mob so ripe for the picking by propagandists. Unfortunately it’s probably true. Having practiced law for a few decades I can testify that after decades of experience you realize that there are very few people who know even the most rudimentary principals of out constitutional legal system well enough even offer a credible opinion on matters such a basic civil rights. We are truly a confederacy of dunces.
This, of course, is that the Rev. J. Wright meant when he said, “If you want to control the People you have got to keep them ignorant.”
I find much of use at the web sites you mention (including this one) but only after I filter through much vapid rubbish. And who has the time? But I’ve always felt they are just preaching to the choir and feeding us what they think we want to hear (propaganda that appeals to the prejudices and opinions of their audience). You actually seem to agree. I think we’d agree that this little good and hardly changes hearts and minds.
So it was no surprise to me that Democracy Now reported that the internet is increasingly becoming an echo chamber in which websites tailor information according to the preferences they detect in each viewer. No one can call this education or debate.
The top 50 websites collect an average of 64 bits of personal information each time we visit—and then custom-design their sites to conform to our perceived preferences. What is this other than spoon feeding people exactly the pabulum they want to hear?
May 27th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Pitchman said:
Your sharp dissection of the underling disease has helped me clarify ideas and internal dichotomies, for years, I could not resolve, let alone form into a cogent argument.
The answer is deceptively simple and the obfuscations devilishly complex. The two party narrative is a 24 hour a day reality show thats packaged and sold to an dumbed-down, easily prejudiced, war like culture. The few who control the message and are the sole beneficiaries. And the constant din of ancillary conflict ensures the wrong wars are continually fought.
Free Market Capitalism and Democratic Republics work when “the rules” are observed. Unfortunately the rule of law has been hijacked and subverted for the benefit of a powerful few. No mater the system or it’s rhetoric; human evolution is marked by man’s struggle for sovereignty and self rule against the tyranny of power and control.
I keep waiting for the upper middle class or the rich entrepreneurs who actually contribute to the social fabric to rise up but… For reasons all their own many otherwise intelligent people, eyes glazed over and SUV’s fueled up, refuse to acknowledge the game is totally rigged and the seed corn is dwindling. As long a they’ve got theirs, the ship of state must make it’s own way; damn the economic and social consequences.
As a comment to a piece by williambanzai7 originally posted on zerohedge.
See: http://notionalvalue.blogspot.com/2011/05/williambanzai7-asks-are-you-conspiracy.html
I had this to say:
The great class war of our era is a one sided assault on a disabled or craven public.
As our neighbor looses his job or, another her home can we continue to look the other way? When the Powerful tell us lies should we look down at our shoes and think; this isn’t happening, what can I do?
Are we so neutered; we can do nothing? So lame; we lack the voice to point to the evildoer and say IT IS HIM.
Is it as though not acknowledging the glaring travesty before us we somehow insulate ourselves?
Are we so naive, as to think “there by the grace of God go I” and then go on our way? Is that not an illusion, a cop out, and the very foundation on which it will manifest itself?
It seems so!
And for it, I tell you this: when your time comes the viciousness of the assault will have become all the more heartless.
WAKE UP; YOUR NEXT!
David; Thank you for continuing to point out individual evildoers and their deceptions. Putting a face on a misdeed is the most effective method in getting through to the people. I also believe your posts on the economy would find a wide audience at zerohedge.com
Keep up your important work!
May 28th, 2011 at 2:19 am
Maureen said:
When I first voted in 1964 their was a Liberal Party, a Conservative Party, a Communist Party and a couple of others aside from the main two parties. MONEY has destroyed the system which allowed more than two parties. In those days, we in the Liberal Party rallied behind whatever party backed our demands (these were usually more grassroots – such as money for afterschool, civil rights etc). If we disagreed with both parties we votied on our line.
Going back to something more than we now have is very difficult. Look at Florida where Crist wh had confronted the powerful real estate money (assesssing house down to lower individual tax burdens). He left the Republican Party and ran as an independent. Of course a Democrat ran in this three way race. There was a two-way split between Democrats & Independents and a Conservative Republican won. Those home owners in foreclosure and drowning in taxes can just kiss their homes goodbye.
What we need is more pragmatism not more arguing about political philosophy. Politicians and pundents have become so word obsessed no one wants to listen. We need to return to issues such as – we need a road – ONE road – here – how much will it cost – who will build it not a bunch of wordiness.
Not “budget constrictions will undoubtedly lead to some teacher layoffs but this should have a minimal impact..” What we need is “we have money to pay 200 teachers and we have 400 teachers and we need 20 schools but have 15 schools and we have all the students packed in like sardines but we have no choice.” Try that last one with a bunch of parents and you might finally get a breaking light over their muddled domes.
May 28th, 2011 at 9:26 am
Pitchman said:
“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”- Voltaire
May 28th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Ice G said:
“Activism = self-expression; organizing = movement-building.” Weatherman Mark Rudd was far more radical than Degraw. Thomas Linzey offers us hope and more than a roadmap towards change. It’s all about deciding what you want your community to become and the doing things to make that happen.
Be The Change: How to Get What You Want in Your Community – Kindle eBook by Anneke Campbell and Thomas Linzey http://amzn.to/k7FGPH Check out How Activists Organize http://ow.ly/55iKZ for a collection of resources for affecting change and more here http://activism101.ning.com/ or Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/Activism101
To Regulate or Not to Regulate: That is the Question « Neo–Elitism http://ow.ly/4V2zH
May 29th, 2011 at 5:12 am
Some Much Needed Comic Relief from Lee Camp: Fu@k Apathy! Fight Back! | AmpedStatus said:
[...] Divided and Conquered America: How “Independent” Media Undermines Mass Movements For Meaningful … So-called "independent" media organizations that engage in partisanship are not interested in real change. They are the insidious servants of the status quo. They are divide and conquer pawns. [...]
June 7th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Video: Lee Camp: Fu@k Apathy! Fight Back! | Daily News Blog said:
[...] Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on occasion, but they spend way too much time playing the divide and conquer status quo supporting court jester role. Their multi-million dollar contracts have dulled their [...]
June 12th, 2011 at 4:17 am
Introducing the AmpedStatus Board of Trust – Cast Your Vote | AmpedStatus said:
[...] Introducing the AmpedStatus Board of Trust – Cast Your Vote July 26th, 2011 | Filed under Feature, Hot List . Follow comments through RSS 2.0 feed. Click here to comment, or trackback. stLight.options({publisher:'wp.95fc5009-5d03-4135-9e25-acdc15371536'});var st_type='wordpress3.0.4'; Email This – Print This We’ve been informally asking our readers to name their most trusted reporters. We are specifically looking for people who are independent and not trapped in partisan Democrat Vs Republican groupthinking boxes, i.e. funded by partisan organizations that serve as divide and conquer pawns. [...]
July 26th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Partisan Hackery Running Wild On Daily Kos | David DeGraw said:
[...] If you want to know how I really feel, read “Divided and Conquered America: How “Independent” Media Undermines Mass Movements For Meaningful ….” [...]
July 27th, 2011 at 12:39 am
Ina Ayliffe said:
Howard Dean tried to awaken us. He did that, but they found a way to smear him. When he was yelling to his followers, the networks blocked out the crowd noise, making it appear that Howard was screaming. He was just trying to be heard above the crowd. I trust Howard Dean, Bernie Sanders, Al Franken, Russ Feingold, Barbara Boxer and a few others., who fight for the people.
July 28th, 2011 at 5:26 am
Complete List of David DeGraw’s Reports | David DeGraw said:
[...] Divided and Conquered America: How “Independent” Media Undermines Mass Movements For Meaningful … [...]
September 27th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Archive of David DeGraw’s Reports | AmpedStatus said:
[...] Divided and Conquered America: How “Independent” Media Undermines Mass Movements For Meaningful … [...]
March 1st, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Trained said:
Independent thought is all too rare. I’m working on a divided and conquered checklist. – Believe the government (yours, mine) is looking out for your best interests? – Hate your fellow man? Rascism anyone? Classism anyone? Homophobia anyone? thanks for the brain food, peace
May 7th, 2012 at 2:23 am