Which Protests Matter to the Left?
Rallying against war and Republicans: good. Rallying against socialized medicine and Democrats: bad.
It’s hard to believe that the hip author of the bestselling Freakonomics in a New York Times blog post, “How Much Do Protests Matter?,” would miss the gun-toting, swastika-bearing “mobs” at town hall meetings and tea parties. His was supposed to be a book about trends, but does Stephen Dubner not know about this latest trend, of “misinformed” middle-aged “extremists” and addled senior citizens who will not sit quietly for the White House’s reality check on health care “reform”? Does he not know about them challenging the expert opinion of congressmen who, after all, have held the office for nearly thirty years?
Instead, Dubner asked several people “who have thought a lot about this topic” to weigh in.
Sophisticates “have thought a lot about this topic” — from the safety of their penthouse suites or academic offices — since the 1950s and 1960s. The hip novelist Thomas Pynchon, in 1966, the year after the Watts riots, mused in the New York Times Magazine about the “balletic quality” of the event. He pondered that within the milieu of Watts, violence is “an attempt to communicate, or to be who you really are.” For writer Norman Mailer, too, violence towards the weaker was a sign of black men’s “authenticity” — something white men should emulate. He said this in his 1957 pamphlet, “The White Negro.”
Indeed, many of those Dubner called on to comment are people who have “thought” a lot about the topic. Among these is a professor emeritus in the political science department at Boston University, Howard Zinn. His reference to protests on behalf of labor, rent control, and New Deal programs are predictable given that his widely taught A People’s History of the United States could just as easily be called The Proletariat’s History of the United States. Two other thinkers, Chester Crocker and Juan E. Mendez, focus on protests in other countries.
But as an expert thinker on domestic “protest,” Dubner brings in Bernardine Dohrn, co-founder, with now-husband Bill Ayers, of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) splinter group Weatherman. Dohrn and Ayers are still under investigation for the 1970 murder of San Francisco police officer Brian V. McDonnell. The police union will not let it go away.
Weatherman infiltrator and FBI informant Larry Grathwohl in his book about the period, Bringing Down America, describes the young Dohrn at a council meeting. Dressed in a short miniskirt and see-through blouse, she “stood erect, like a high priestess waiting for her followers to quiet down.” She “radiated confidence and displayed a poise that can be acquired only from countless public appearances.”
But once the crowd quieted down, “her words belied her feminine appearance. At one point she praised Charles Manson, the freaked-out cultist who killed movie actress Sharon Tate and seven others. ‘Dig it,’ Bernardine said of the Manson attack. ‘First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them. Then they even shoved a fork into one’s stomach. Wild.’”
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Mary Grabar earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia and teaches in the Atlanta area. She is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and published fiction writer. Visit her website and get on her mailing list at MaryGrabar.com. Mary blogs at the TheLiterateCitizen.com.
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23 Comments
1. Libertyship46:It’s the same old song. Liberals can tolerate anything EXCEPT people who disagree with them. It is incredibly ironic that liberals like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid call people who show up at these town hall meetings “Nazis” or “Tea Baggers,” or that they are either “Un-American” or part of a paid group of professional protesters, such as the ones you’d find supplied by major labor unions like SEIU or the AFL-CIO. The left in this country has had to manufacture fake rage for so many years now that they can’t recognize genuine rage when they see it! They are so tone deaf to what the bulk of the American people really want that they treat anybody who disagrees with them as either part of the “lunatic fringe” or as professional hacks. Shame on them all and they will see just how “fake” this outrage is next year during the midterm elections.
Also, if there is anyone out there over 50, I’d be rather scared right now about the pending Obama-Care legislation. If this healthcare measure is passed, the rationing that’s coming your way will be phenomenal. There may not be any “Death Boards” created, but you will have an un-elected board of bureaucrats determining who will get what type of health care, how much a person is worth when getting medical treatment, and when public funds will stop being given to the terminally ill. In reality, the Federal Government will make all these decisions and elderly Americans will just have to do without, unless they have the good taste to simply die so that more money and benefits can be given to younger people who will be able to stick around longer so that they can pay more taxes into this system. If this is what you want America, sit back and do nothing.
Just remember one simple lesson. In George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm,” the animals on the farm rebelled against the farmer and set up a socialist (or some would say, communist) society. On this farm there was a strong plow horse named “Boxer.” Boxer served the collective group of animals for many years pulling heavy loads and doing most of the hard work on the farm. But once Boxer got old, once he slowed down and was unable to do the heavy lifting, the evil pigs that ran the farm sold Boxer to the glue factory, and there was nothing the other animals on the farm could do to stop it. Absolutely nothing, because the power-hungry pigs had assumed absolute power over the other animals.
Sound familiar, any of you out there who are over 50?
Aug 31, 2009 - 4:31 am 2. Tony R:Genius. So instead of chucking Ayers and Dohrn into prison to rot away like the scumbags that they are they are allowed enter academia and become professors?
File that decision away under “What the hell were you guys thinking?” You reap what you sow. Giving terrorists influence over developing young minds was always going to produce generations of the type of morons you now have propping up a very naive Government.
Aug 31, 2009 - 4:50 am 3. Now and Then:Is this supposed to be some indictment against the left? Come on, you gotta make a real effort. Let me show you why:
Rallying against war and Republicans: bad. Rallying against socialized medicine and Democrats: good.
Your turn.
Aug 31, 2009 - 7:14 am 4. Moho:Protests against the war in Iraq–which left our country destitute and Iraq in flames, just as every expert said it would–numbered in the millions. The teabagging protests are lucky if they break a thousand in most cases. There is no parallel whatsoever.
As for this, complete idiocy. I don’t know who you blew to get a Phd, but you certainly must be a constant source of embarrassment to that institution.:
The left would have found something to protest about the Bush administration even without the war, because he represents everything they hate: patriotism, American exceptionalism, and belief in God. (Bush’s talk about his faith sent leftists over the edge.)
Aug 31, 2009 - 7:57 am 5. OK, I'll Byte:The left isn’t against war. They’ve murdered millions through the past 50 years. They’re against freedom. Nothing more, nothing less.
Aug 31, 2009 - 8:08 am 6. Libertyship46:Whoever is monitoring this blog, please note the comments of Moho. This is what you get from liberal trolls. You get name calling and disgusting references, not to mention the fact that they are always factually incorrect (some tea parties, such as the ones in Sacramento, California, or San Antonio, Texas, had thousands of people attending). Jerks like these would be very happy drinking the Kool Aid from Air America or MSNBC. I don’t normally answer posts like Moho’s, but the time to simply ignore this nonsense is over. Moho proves that the only thing the liberal left has on their side now is name calling and lies. Way to go, Moho, in proving this point. You did, however, just prove my point that the comments made by the liberal left are a waste of time.
Aug 31, 2009 - 8:15 am 7. jimpres:If Dohrn and Ayers are guilty then they should be tried and convected. I hope the SF Police continue to pursue this case.
Aug 31, 2009 - 8:48 am 8. Jeff Weimer:I would have to agree with 5 the left does not want freedom just wealth distribution and continue to kill millions.
2. Tony R:
Genius. So instead of chucking Ayers and Dohrn into prison to rot away like the scumbags that they are they are allowed enter academia and become professors?
File that decision away under “What the hell were you guys thinking?” You reap what you sow. Giving terrorists influence over developing young minds was always going to produce generations of the type of morons you now have propping up a very naive Government.
You can thank W. Mark Felt for that. Yes, deep throat himself. He authorized the FBI to perform illegal acts in their investigation of the SDS. It hink Ayer’s words after his acquittal were “Guilty as sin, free as a bird!”
Aug 31, 2009 - 9:51 am 9. deguello:LIBERTYSHIP46 RE:MOHO:Moho:if you think opposition to Obama/Mengele care is weak,just check the polls(the same polls that only a few weeks ago you libtards droolingly, quoted, because they seemed to support the O’hole).Iraq didn’t leave this country destitute; It was the infrastucture of welfare dependency created by Liberalism: Social Security,Medicare,Pork barrel spending,and so on. Not content with that,Liberals then destroyed the banking system by handing out “welfare mortages” to buy the votes of the feckless, the irresponsible, and the inane. TARP(created to save banks run by democrat contributors),and Obama “care”,created to kill off elderly whites to benefit illegal aliens(potential democrats),are the capstones to the Liberal dependency infrastructure. The American people will never tolerate this incipient Stalinism;Obama will be a one-term president.I wouldn’t accuse others of using oral sex to advance themselves,If I were you.Would you like me to tell the PJM audience about your obsession with taxpayer funded recreational enemas?Eh Mojon?
Aug 31, 2009 - 10:09 am 10. joecr:Thanks Mary, I wish we had some representatives who had the courage to speak out boldly. Instead they seem to be so career-minded that nothing else matters. They think that if they just hide out until the next election. Rome is burning. I’m convinced that Obama’s private civilian army has been funded and all they need is time to organized and train. It won’t take a year. Don’t give up!
Aug 31, 2009 - 11:28 am 11. bibio44:‘…gun-toting, swastika-bearing “mobs” at town hall meetings and tea parties…. “misinformed” middle-aged “extremists” and addled senior citizens ….’
That just about describes them, Mary. Good job! And don’t worry; no one’s ever going to mistake you for a sophisticate.
Aug 31, 2009 - 1:15 pm 12. Anneke:What the Left is missing about the Townhall and Tea Party protests is that these are ordinary people who would normally be “succumb[ing] to the social pressure to go along with homelessness, mass incarceration, and Katrina displacement at home” in front of their TVs as Bernardine succinctly notes. Ordinary people, not people who protest as a living, as a hobby, or for recreation. These folks don’t know what to do with themselves if they’re not protesting, agitating, or complaining about something. This time, however, its the ordinary schmoes who’ve gotten off their couches to make their views known. We aren’t the naive, silent sheep that we were in the 60s.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke.
Aug 31, 2009 - 2:24 pm 13. Wynne:This post recalls another — a few days ago — that describes the sorry state of things in academia, from ivied halls to community colleges. By all accounts K12 is not better, only less intense.
Aug 31, 2009 - 3:47 pm 14. McBride:Of all the alarming signs of moral, political and intellectual decay the state of education seems most discouraging, and it most attenuates optimism. Our schools are places where bad ideas metastasize, and given the sheer numbers of students “processed” through them, well, what?
Wynne,for some prime examples supporting your previous post,I give you;Bibio,Mojo,Now and Then and the rest of the intellectually challenged trolls here at PJM.Bibio,do you even know what the root word for sophisticate,i.e. sophism,means?I didn’t think so.
Aug 31, 2009 - 4:45 pm 15. bibio44:6. Libertyship46: “This is what you get from liberal trolls. You get name calling….”
I love it! This site is funnier than The Onion!
Aug 31, 2009 - 5:02 pm 16. deguello:BIBIOT 44:… And no one will ever mistake you for anything else than a pathetic,self-deluded libtard!
Aug 31, 2009 - 8:04 pm 17. bibio44:6. Libertyship46: “This is what you get from liberal trolls. You get name calling….”
16. deguello: “BIBIOT 44:… And no one will ever mistake you for anything else than a pathetic,self-deluded libtard!”
LOL!
Aug 31, 2009 - 10:36 pm 18. Anonymous:From my notes on my facebook page: I’d rather be waterboarding
“Ol Zubaydah, KSM, and any others who were waterboarded had better be glad (really, really glad) that ‘ol HonestJon wasn’t in charge of the waterboarding procedure! My waterboarding procedure is kindasorta different from the CIA’s. see instructions below
First, strap your jihadist down on his favorite board (some prefer a green HAMAS-colored board to feel more at home.)
Next, break out the towel and show it to the terrorist (again some may prefer different colors, but I prefer white for added dramatic effect.)
Third, out with the alcohol. In this instance, I personally prefer a nice American-style light lager, but any decent form of alcohol will suffice as long as there is enough quantity to get your “water” worked up real good.
Fourth, turn on some nice heavy metal music or even some good old fashioned rock and roll (I prefer “Waterfalls” by Jimi Hendrix), kick back and enjoy your preferred alcoholic beverages. Always laugh and smile sheepishly at your suspected terrorist while drinking. Make sure to consume enough for the towel which you will soon place over the jihadist’s head to be thoroughly soaked with “water.”
Next, burp a couple of times. A few beer farts is a nice addition if directed properly towards the nasal openings of the subject. Grunting and other Neanderthal-like actions are encouraged, including crack-scratching.
Now for the fun part! Go ahead and unbutton your fatigues (you are wearing fatigues, right?), drop your drawers, and show Mr. Mohammed or whomever your, um, “hose.” Place the towel (now you may understand why I prefer a white towel) over the subject’s head and begin the decanting. After decanting all of the “water” that you’ve worked up, and after said terrorist has choked and gagged on your “water,” pull the now-yellowed towel off of his head and show it to him. Allow him to recover fully so long as you don’t have any “water” left. A few beers later, repeat above steps with the exception that now you should probably put some good ‘ol AC/DC in the stereo (”Hell ain’t a bad place to be” is a jihadist favorite.) Repeat as needed as long as said jihadist is suspected to have any information that even might save the life of one American citizen.
So there you have it, folks! HonestJon’s “water”boarding procedure. Not only is it fun for the interrogator, but you get to have a nice drink at the same time and listen to some really good music, to boot! (Maybe it should be renamed to “advanced irrigation technique.”)
And that’s how I feel about it!”
regards
Aug 31, 2009 - 10:37 pm 19. HonestJon:From my notes on my facebook page: I’d rather be waterboarding
“Ol Zubaydah, KSM, and any others who were waterboarded had better be glad (really, really glad) that ‘ol HonestJon wasn’t in charge of the waterboarding procedure! My waterboarding procedure is kindasorta different from the CIA’s. see instructions below
First, strap your jihadist down on his favorite board (some prefer a green HAMAS-colored board to feel more at home.)
Next, break out the towel and show it to the terrorist (again some may prefer different colors, but I prefer white for added dramatic effect.)
Third, out with the alcohol. In this instance, I personally prefer a nice American-style light lager, but any decent form of alcohol will suffice as long as there is enough quantity to get your “water” worked up real good.
Fourth, turn on some nice heavy metal music or even some good old fashioned rock and roll (I prefer “Waterfalls” by Jimi Hendrix), kick back and enjoy your preferred alcoholic beverages. Always laugh and smile sheepishly at your suspected terrorist while drinking. Make sure to consume enough for the towel which you will soon place over the jihadist’s head to be thoroughly soaked with “water.”
Next, burp a couple of times. A few beer farts is a nice addition if directed properly towards the nasal openings of the subject. Grunting and other Neanderthal-like actions are encouraged, including crack-scratching.
Now for the fun part! Go ahead and unbutton your fatigues (you are wearing fatigues, right?), drop your drawers, and show Mr. Mohammed or whomever your, um, “hose.” Place the towel (now you may understand why I prefer a white towel) over the subject’s head and begin the decanting. After decanting all of the “water” that you’ve worked up, and after said terrorist has choked and gagged on your “water,” pull the now-yellowed towel off of his head and show it to him. Allow him to recover fully so long as you don’t have any “water” left. A few beers later, repeat above steps with the exception that now you should probably put some good ‘ol AC/DC in the stereo (”Hell ain’t a bad place to be” is a jihadist favorite.) Repeat as needed as long as said jihadist is suspected to have any information that even might save the life of one American citizen.
So there you have it, folks! HonestJon’s “water”boarding procedure. Not only is it fun for the interrogator, but you get to have a nice drink at the same time and listen to some really good music, to boot! (Maybe it should be renamed to “advanced irrigation technique.”)
And that’s how I feel about it!”
regards
Aug 31, 2009 - 10:37 pm 20. vivo:“Rallying against war and Republicans: good. Rallying against socialized medicine and Democrats: bad.”
There is a HUGE difference. The invasion was insane, illegal and wasteful, plus thousands of soldiers and other people lost their lives without a valid reason.
Socialized medicine? What is Medicare?
Sep 1, 2009 - 5:37 am 21. vivo:People love Medicare.
17. bibio44:
Add my LOL
Sep 1, 2009 - 5:46 am 22. deguello:VIVO/BIBIOT Keep laughing:While you laugh, the Obama presidency burns.Worse, Obama’s manifest incompetence,has made him an object of ridicule,and his presidency risible.He’s become, a Bush of the left,but with a teleprompter!
Sep 2, 2009 - 11:21 am 23. marc Kunkel:‘…gun-toting, swastika-bearing “mobs” at town hall meetings and tea parties…. “misinformed” middle-aged “extremists” and addled senior citizens ….’
That’s ME
Sep 3, 2009 - 6:48 amMy other banner is an M-14