"As a general rule for understanding public policies, I insist that there are no persistent "failed" policies. Policies that do not achieve their desired outcomes for the actual powers-that-be are quickly changed." - Robert Higgs
I think this is a fantastic lens through which to begin interpreting policy. For example, take the War on Drugs. If the purpose of the War on Drugs is to stop the importation, sale, and use of illicit drugs then the War on Drugs has been an abject failure for decades.
Higgs however suggests to us that if the policy where indeed failing then it would have long since been changed. Since it hasn't been changed then we must conclude that the purpose of the War on Drugs must be something else which is indeed succeeding as the policy could be rightfully described as "persistent".
Gary Webb exposed how the CIA was selling drugs to LA gangs in order to use the profits to fund a guerrilla army in Latin America. For his trouble his career and life were destroyed and then he "committed suicide" via two gunshots to the head. That's called being suicided.
The Taliban in Afghanistan had nearly eradicated poppy production by 2001 before the US invaded. After the US invaded production has skyrocketed. Then low and behold by 2016 Heroine use in the US reaches 20 year highs. Pretty sure we have seen this play before. Selling drugs is one of the ways the alphabet soup agencies in the US have funded their black budget projects for decades.
So whenever you see what appears to be a longstanding "failed" policy the question you should ask yourself is not, "Why is this failed policy still in effect?" but rather, "What is the actual purpose of this "failed" policy?"
Friday, November 18, 2016
Joe Biden, 2016 DNC
"Because, folks, when the middle class does well, when the middle class does well, the rich do very well and the poor have hope." - Joe Biden, 2016 DNC Speech
How lucky for the poor. Apparently watching the rich live it up being rich, and watching the middle class get by, magically causes the poor to have hope.
Derrick Jensen, radical environmentalist, describes hope as "a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency. It means you are essentially powerless."
Hence why that Biden quote sounds just a bit too honest.
So the poor get a desire for something they have next to no control of achieving personally, especially in regards to becoming the mega-elite. How lucky for them.
How lucky for the poor. Apparently watching the rich live it up being rich, and watching the middle class get by, magically causes the poor to have hope.
Derrick Jensen, radical environmentalist, describes hope as "a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency. It means you are essentially powerless."
Hence why that Biden quote sounds just a bit too honest.
So the poor get a desire for something they have next to no control of achieving personally, especially in regards to becoming the mega-elite. How lucky for them.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Attributes of the Rightwing Hero (RWH)
In retrospect, the two things that probably threw me off the most in expecting a Hillary victory where not understanding the attributes of the RWH and the role the media played. In this post I will touch on the media but there is a lot more to be mined there, so I have a feeling I will end up writing a post that focuses specifically on the media.
A recent article showed this graphic of household median income by state from 2000-2015.
The red and yellow are the ones who actually lost median income. Notice key states that Republicans often have a hard time winning are in the red, and Trump won most of those including Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Indiana. The article argues that much of the median income gain has to do with the shale and gas boom but that money really only helped bring up the median without helping lots of households. So while Pennsylvania is green on this graphic I think Trump won Pennsylvania because most people there are still experiencing economic hardship and do not sense any sort of recovery.
When it comes to manipulating our emotions the Establishment largely understand the American public better than it understands itself. It has a myriad of online metrics it can use through mainstream media and social media. It has access to our email, calls, and texts. It should be of little surprise that they can push different groups of us in directions of their choosing. The Establishment very clearly understood that if you turn the entire media apparatus on the RWH it would further elevate the candidate toward RWH status. If they wanted Trump buried they would have ignored him (like they did with Ron Paul) instead of giving him unlimited free advertising. It was a feature to the 2016 Trump campaign that the media coverage was overwhelmingly negative because that was designed as a signal to the rightwing that Trump was the RWH.
What threw so many of us off about Trumps popularity is the behavior we saw was crude, racist, or misogynist, and that would naturally disqualify him from victory. Hell Howard Dean's 2004 primary campaign was supposedly derailed by an awkward yell. How long could Trump last? Much of that behavior however was just proving to the rightwing that Trump was their hero but not for the reasons one might initially think.
Its fair to say that there are more overt strands of racism throughout the rightwing. I personally believe we all have some level of institutionalized racism in us but its fair to say that the left does a better job of trying to address that within ourselves in a positive way. Misogyny is harder for me to get a feel for in the right/left dynamic. I would guess its fairly pervasive generally. There is no question some Trump supporters where primarily drawn to him for those whistles he blew. However almost the entire Republican field blows those whistles during the primaries. One could argue Trump blew it better than the rest, and that's probably true, but I don't think that explains what set him so drastically apart from the other candidates to the rightwing.
The primary draw is that Trump was seen by the rightwing as an "outsider" which is something he has in common with 2008 Obama. The right is anti-government so getting a candidate who has never even been in government is truly a special thing for them. The left got their "community organizer grassroots" outsider and the right got their "successful businessman entrepreneur" outsider.
The rightwing distrusts the mainstream media. They think its all a liberal agenda selling disinformation and poor values. The more the media attacked Trump the stronger the conviction of his supporters that he was indeed the RWH. For left leaning folks like me it just seemed like a hopeless parade of fail by Trump but to the rightwing it didn't really matter much what he was saying or what he was doing. The fact that the media shit on Trump all year was about as glowing a seal of authenticity as you are going to get for the rightwing. Even Fox news was thought to be tepid on Trump and he had battles with Fox personalities like with Megyn Kelly. That's some serious outsider RWH cred. As the right hates the media it makes sense that the RWH would battle the media and win.
2008 Obama was the polar opposite. He was loved by the media. MSNBC couldn't fawn over him enough. His 2008 campaign won advertising awards. The same way the media's revulsion of Trump made the leftwing dislike him more, the media's embrace of 2008 Obama likely made the rightwing more antagonistic.
Another aspect of the rightwing's anti-government ideology that Trump got millage from was his battles with his own Republican party. The left wants their LWH to heal the divide and bring both parties together. Obama sold that in 2008 and once in office it rarely seemed to matter to his supporters that he would "compromise" everything he campaigned on to get legislation passed. Obamacare was publicly acknowledged to be patterned after Romney Care from his time as governor of Massachusetts. Obama supporters vigorously defended the fight for Obamacare even as Obama stripped away core promised, populist features such as the Public Option and the deal Obama cut with big Pharma to leave them largely unaffected and free of risk that the US government would begin negotiating for better prices. The left was content to watch their LWH successfully work with the opposition to reach bipartisan consensus, even if that meant having critical promises left out of the legislation.
The right however wants confrontation. They want Trump to challenge Establishment forces, fight them, and force them to comply. The right is not interested in compromise which they often see as a sign of weakness, not savvy. Trump delivered this aspect during his campaign through the myriad of conflicts he had with this own party. The media portrayed the Republican Party as generally against him during the primaries. Trump had multiple battles with Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House, both during the primaries and even right up to the election.
He had battles with former presidential candidate John McCain. Remember in 2008 McCain was not all that popular with the rightwing. It was Sarah Palin that brought all the energy to that campaign. McCain put out a statement that served as a whistle to the righwing that Trump was indeed their hero. If longtime establishment insider they didn't really like said Trump didnt represent them, then the rightwing thought it even more likely that Trump actually did.
These are orchestrated feuds of the election psyop. The fact that Trump will not only quickly bury what seemed to be feuds filled with such vitriol and animosity, as was the case with his pivot away from going after Hillary once he won, he is taking that a step further by literally appointing a previous antagonist to one of the most important positions in his administration. However the right has been fully convinced this is the RWH through this successful election psyop so they will defend even such obvious contradictions. Americans have been conditioned to be masters of cognitive dissonance.
I mentioned in the opening thesis the example of what the left and the right want of their hero in regards to the rest of the worlds opinion of them. Obama went so far as to give a major campaign speech in Germany which is very odd for a US politician on the campaign trail. However it fit perfectly with the narrative of the ascending LWH. There was even some minor conflict with Chancellor Angela Merkel over the location of that speech but eventually it was all smoothed over and Obama gave his speech to massive, cheering crowds in the location Merkel had questioned. That's what the LWH does. He can work with world leaders to get what America wants and inspire even the people of their country.
The right is much more nationalistic. They want America first which Trump is always careful to point out. Even in his victory speech he said, "I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America's interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone." So the fact that the world largely hated and feared Trump was another whistle to the rightwing that Trump was the RWH. The left sees this and thinks, "Why would anyone elect this troll? He wont be able to get anything done with the rest of the world." The right on the other hand generally feels that if the rest of the world doesn't get on board then screw them.
Interestingly the only time I think Trump gave any real political comments abroad during the election cycle was when he was in Scotland promoting two of his golf courses. This was on the heels of the Brexit vote. That seems so orchestrated. Trump, a nationalist candidate who is largely hated by the world, happens to be in one of the very few situations abroad at the very moment when the sentiment has just climaxed to a very nationalist, anti-establishment vibe, so he would actually be well received.
To end this post I want to circle back around to where it started, the topic of what I will for simplicity's sake call Trumps' "crude" behavior. The left reacted with revulsion to the crude language while the right was excited by it. The left wants their LWH to be PC while the right has no interest in that. They want a "straight talker" who "tells it like it is". It didn't matter to the right what ridiculous things Trump would say, it only mattered that he was willing to say them. I bet it didn't even matter if they agreed with what he said. That he would say relatively taboo things, at least from the PC perspective, was further proof that their RWH had arrived.
As a left leaning person that distinction didn't register with me during the campaign. I was focused on what he was saying like the rest of the left without considering why the right was so excited by it. It was easy to listen to the media and dismiss his supporters as a bunch of racists and misogynists. Trump however won a large electoral victory and likely many people who voted for Obama in 2008 switched to Trump in 2016. Where those people not racists then and magically became racists by 2016? What makes more sense is that economic improvement these people were promised in 2008 never materialized. In fact for many things got worse.
The right however wants confrontation. They want Trump to challenge Establishment forces, fight them, and force them to comply. The right is not interested in compromise which they often see as a sign of weakness, not savvy. Trump delivered this aspect during his campaign through the myriad of conflicts he had with this own party. The media portrayed the Republican Party as generally against him during the primaries. Trump had multiple battles with Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House, both during the primaries and even right up to the election.
He had battles with former presidential candidate John McCain. Remember in 2008 McCain was not all that popular with the rightwing. It was Sarah Palin that brought all the energy to that campaign. McCain put out a statement that served as a whistle to the righwing that Trump was indeed their hero. If longtime establishment insider they didn't really like said Trump didnt represent them, then the rightwing thought it even more likely that Trump actually did.
"I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates....""Arizona is watching. It is time for Donald Trump to set the example for our country and the future of the Republican Party. While our Party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us." - John McCainTrump even battled the RNC chairmen Reince Priebus during the primaries claiming Priebus was running a scam and should be ashamed of himself. This is the same Reince Priebus Trump has just named to be his Chief of Staff. But just as Obama railed against Wallstreet only to pack his cabinet full of Wallstreet insiders while his supporters made up every excuse imaginable to defend him, so will be the case with Trump supporters, even though less than a year ago Trump spoke as if Priebus was a terrible, dishonorable, Republican Party Establishment shill out to sabotage him.
These are orchestrated feuds of the election psyop. The fact that Trump will not only quickly bury what seemed to be feuds filled with such vitriol and animosity, as was the case with his pivot away from going after Hillary once he won, he is taking that a step further by literally appointing a previous antagonist to one of the most important positions in his administration. However the right has been fully convinced this is the RWH through this successful election psyop so they will defend even such obvious contradictions. Americans have been conditioned to be masters of cognitive dissonance.
I mentioned in the opening thesis the example of what the left and the right want of their hero in regards to the rest of the worlds opinion of them. Obama went so far as to give a major campaign speech in Germany which is very odd for a US politician on the campaign trail. However it fit perfectly with the narrative of the ascending LWH. There was even some minor conflict with Chancellor Angela Merkel over the location of that speech but eventually it was all smoothed over and Obama gave his speech to massive, cheering crowds in the location Merkel had questioned. That's what the LWH does. He can work with world leaders to get what America wants and inspire even the people of their country.
The right is much more nationalistic. They want America first which Trump is always careful to point out. Even in his victory speech he said, "I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America's interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone." So the fact that the world largely hated and feared Trump was another whistle to the rightwing that Trump was the RWH. The left sees this and thinks, "Why would anyone elect this troll? He wont be able to get anything done with the rest of the world." The right on the other hand generally feels that if the rest of the world doesn't get on board then screw them.
Interestingly the only time I think Trump gave any real political comments abroad during the election cycle was when he was in Scotland promoting two of his golf courses. This was on the heels of the Brexit vote. That seems so orchestrated. Trump, a nationalist candidate who is largely hated by the world, happens to be in one of the very few situations abroad at the very moment when the sentiment has just climaxed to a very nationalist, anti-establishment vibe, so he would actually be well received.
To end this post I want to circle back around to where it started, the topic of what I will for simplicity's sake call Trumps' "crude" behavior. The left reacted with revulsion to the crude language while the right was excited by it. The left wants their LWH to be PC while the right has no interest in that. They want a "straight talker" who "tells it like it is". It didn't matter to the right what ridiculous things Trump would say, it only mattered that he was willing to say them. I bet it didn't even matter if they agreed with what he said. That he would say relatively taboo things, at least from the PC perspective, was further proof that their RWH had arrived.
As a left leaning person that distinction didn't register with me during the campaign. I was focused on what he was saying like the rest of the left without considering why the right was so excited by it. It was easy to listen to the media and dismiss his supporters as a bunch of racists and misogynists. Trump however won a large electoral victory and likely many people who voted for Obama in 2008 switched to Trump in 2016. Where those people not racists then and magically became racists by 2016? What makes more sense is that economic improvement these people were promised in 2008 never materialized. In fact for many things got worse.
A recent article showed this graphic of household median income by state from 2000-2015.
The red and yellow are the ones who actually lost median income. Notice key states that Republicans often have a hard time winning are in the red, and Trump won most of those including Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Indiana. The article argues that much of the median income gain has to do with the shale and gas boom but that money really only helped bring up the median without helping lots of households. So while Pennsylvania is green on this graphic I think Trump won Pennsylvania because most people there are still experiencing economic hardship and do not sense any sort of recovery.
When it comes to manipulating our emotions the Establishment largely understand the American public better than it understands itself. It has a myriad of online metrics it can use through mainstream media and social media. It has access to our email, calls, and texts. It should be of little surprise that they can push different groups of us in directions of their choosing. The Establishment very clearly understood that if you turn the entire media apparatus on the RWH it would further elevate the candidate toward RWH status. If they wanted Trump buried they would have ignored him (like they did with Ron Paul) instead of giving him unlimited free advertising. It was a feature to the 2016 Trump campaign that the media coverage was overwhelmingly negative because that was designed as a signal to the rightwing that Trump was the RWH.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Election Psyop Thesis
I contend that the US presidential elections of 2008 and 2016 are the exact same play from the Establishment playbook. The primary difference, and what makes it on the surface so hard to notice, is that in 2008 the psyop was custom tailored to deliver euphoria to the left while enraging the right. However in 2016 the psyop was tailored to deliver euphoria to the right while enraging the left.
Both elections revolve around the notion that the Establishment is always trying to sell us heros. Much of our entertainment media is focused on it and in the last 10 years there has been an explosion of movies literally about heros (super-hero genre). 2008 Barack Obama was the perfect Leftwing Hero (LWH). 2016 Trump in the perfect Rightwing Hero (RWH).
There are a myriad of similarities between their campaigns but often these similarities or connections are because their attributes are perfectly diametrically opposed. For example Obama was loved and fawned over by the rest of the world while Trump was hated and feared. What makes it similar is how farcically extreme each candidates experience was. The left wants their hero loved by the rest of the world hence why Obama, the LWH, was shown to be loved by the world to a silly degree to his supporters. Trump was hated and feared by the rest of the world and his supporters where made sure to know it, because the right is intensely nationalist so the world disliking their hero is a sign to them that Trump is indeed the RWH.
Normal people, bitten by an irradiated campaign victory for President, are transformed into the most powerful person in the world, with a benevolent heart, who will serve and sacrifice for the American people. Through this fantasy the Establishment manufactures consent of the left and the right.
These election psyops reinforce the false notion that our electoral system is a vehicle for governmental policy change. Another feature of the psyops is the classic "divide and conquer" as it pits citizen verse citizen through manufactured issues, driven expertly by the Establishment media. The election of each hero gives the Establishment room to pass obviously establishment favoring policies, as each hero earns a lot of leeway from their supporters because they are the RW or LW Hero. Paradoxically the LWH gives the Establishment more room to pass pro-establishment right wing policies and the RWH will give them more room to pass pro-establishment leftwing policies that their respective party supporters would normally resist. For example I wouldn't be surprised if Trump where the one to pass gun control laws that a Democrat would never get passed.
I had assumed like most everyone else that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 presidential election. Either way though I felt assured that whoever won, it would be who the Establishment wanted. If they cant manufacture their result and rig something they have had so much control over for decades they wouldn't be the Establishment. So when Trump won it was clear to me he was the one the Establishment wanted all along and so began the process of trying to understand why.
I watched a mainstream site on youtube on mute to watch the electoral map on election night while I listened to a libertarian/rightwing'esq group of alternative media personalities commenting live on an audio stream. There were a couple who I know just the day before would have argued that the Establishment will get whoever they want. Everyone assumed the Establishment wanted Hillary so it was an easy thing for the libertarian/rightwing'esq alternative media pundit to argue. But as it became clear that Trump was going to win euphoria took them over and that same pundit exclaimed that the election of Trump was a huge middle finger to the Establishment. If you believe the Establishment gets whoever they want, the previous statement is nonsensical. They middle fingered themselves? What?
And that's when it hit me. I was experiencing the 2008 Obama campaign and election all over again but just of the rightwing flavor. I was the type of person they would customize the LWH for and I fell for Obama hook, line, and sinker in 2008. I experienced that euphoria. I only recently started listening to more rightwing alternative media in order to get more perspectives and information. It was that exposure that helped me understand that many of the qualities I was naturally turned off by of Trumps were actually not flaws in his campaign but rather features that signaled to the right wing that their RWH had arrived.
The day after the election a foreign family member of mine messaged her American family asking what the heck was going on over here in the US. I gave a very bare-bones version of this thesis and based off the 2008 playbook I made some predictions. While both Obama and Trump were sold as "outsiders", like Obama, Trump will pack his administration with Washington insiders. Now some of his possible folks had leaked before the election and I knew about that. But it will be on the level of the absurd. Since the election we already hear names like Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Jaimi Dimon. But as Trump is the RWH his supporters will not only give him a pass, but defend him as happened with Obama.
I predicted that just as Obama talked a big game about all the Bush crimes like torture or rendition, Trump will also find some form of "look forward, not backward" in regards to Hillary. I didn't hear Trumps victory speech until after I wrote that prediction (of course I cannot prove that), but early on in that speech was the beginning pivot away from going after Hillary.
From 2008 to 2010 Obama had filibuster proof majorities in both Houses. However he was often "blocked" or "forced to compromise" during those first two years by blue dog democrats. The Democrats had filibuster proof majorities so the Republicans couldn't stop him. In 2016 Trump has majorities in both Houses, but not filibuster proof majorities. However the Democrats haven't seemed to use the filibuster strategy as aggressively as the Republicans have so I am guessing Trumps more radical agenda items will be "blocked" or "forced into compromise" by his own party, just like for Obama. If I had to guess who the narrative has set up for Trumps blockers to be I would guess the old guard Republicans like Lindsey Graham or John McCain. Trumps walls, or Muslim visa bans, or mass deportations will be blocked or extremely watered down.
My final prediction right now as I look at the 2008 playbook is that I think we will get another financial crash before Trump officially takes office. The fact that the 2008 crash was well underway before Obama took office meant that he bore little culpability for the crush to the public. Even the rightwing didn't blame Obama for the 2008 crash as he had only recently even become a Senator. With no culpability and an election psyop engineered "mandate of the people" Obama was free to pass any pro-establishment policies the elite wanted with next to no opposition. In fact every time Obama would manage to pass something gutted of everything populist that it may have started with (The 2008 Obama campaign was extremely populist in rhetoric) the leftwing would joyfully bask in another core quality they look for in their LWH: someone who brings both parties together, heals the divide, to pass legislation.
The stage is set to use Trump in exactly the same fashion. Where 2008 Obama was trusted by the leftwing for his populist rhetoric, the right will accept whatever Trump offers as a solution because it will be a mixture of Trumps "blunt talk" and his supporters deference to his business acumen. I am not here to argue whether or not Trump has actually been a successful businessman. I just claim that largely that's what the right think of Trump as that is a core quality of the RWH.
My plan for now is to explore the different aspects of this play from their election psyop playbook. I am curious to see if the thesis holds up under greater scrutiny and if so, if it could allow us to better read elections going forward. But you know, meandering. So we'll see.
Both elections revolve around the notion that the Establishment is always trying to sell us heros. Much of our entertainment media is focused on it and in the last 10 years there has been an explosion of movies literally about heros (super-hero genre). 2008 Barack Obama was the perfect Leftwing Hero (LWH). 2016 Trump in the perfect Rightwing Hero (RWH).
There are a myriad of similarities between their campaigns but often these similarities or connections are because their attributes are perfectly diametrically opposed. For example Obama was loved and fawned over by the rest of the world while Trump was hated and feared. What makes it similar is how farcically extreme each candidates experience was. The left wants their hero loved by the rest of the world hence why Obama, the LWH, was shown to be loved by the world to a silly degree to his supporters. Trump was hated and feared by the rest of the world and his supporters where made sure to know it, because the right is intensely nationalist so the world disliking their hero is a sign to them that Trump is indeed the RWH.
Normal people, bitten by an irradiated campaign victory for President, are transformed into the most powerful person in the world, with a benevolent heart, who will serve and sacrifice for the American people. Through this fantasy the Establishment manufactures consent of the left and the right.
These election psyops reinforce the false notion that our electoral system is a vehicle for governmental policy change. Another feature of the psyops is the classic "divide and conquer" as it pits citizen verse citizen through manufactured issues, driven expertly by the Establishment media. The election of each hero gives the Establishment room to pass obviously establishment favoring policies, as each hero earns a lot of leeway from their supporters because they are the RW or LW Hero. Paradoxically the LWH gives the Establishment more room to pass pro-establishment right wing policies and the RWH will give them more room to pass pro-establishment leftwing policies that their respective party supporters would normally resist. For example I wouldn't be surprised if Trump where the one to pass gun control laws that a Democrat would never get passed.
I had assumed like most everyone else that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 presidential election. Either way though I felt assured that whoever won, it would be who the Establishment wanted. If they cant manufacture their result and rig something they have had so much control over for decades they wouldn't be the Establishment. So when Trump won it was clear to me he was the one the Establishment wanted all along and so began the process of trying to understand why.
I watched a mainstream site on youtube on mute to watch the electoral map on election night while I listened to a libertarian/rightwing'esq group of alternative media personalities commenting live on an audio stream. There were a couple who I know just the day before would have argued that the Establishment will get whoever they want. Everyone assumed the Establishment wanted Hillary so it was an easy thing for the libertarian/rightwing'esq alternative media pundit to argue. But as it became clear that Trump was going to win euphoria took them over and that same pundit exclaimed that the election of Trump was a huge middle finger to the Establishment. If you believe the Establishment gets whoever they want, the previous statement is nonsensical. They middle fingered themselves? What?
And that's when it hit me. I was experiencing the 2008 Obama campaign and election all over again but just of the rightwing flavor. I was the type of person they would customize the LWH for and I fell for Obama hook, line, and sinker in 2008. I experienced that euphoria. I only recently started listening to more rightwing alternative media in order to get more perspectives and information. It was that exposure that helped me understand that many of the qualities I was naturally turned off by of Trumps were actually not flaws in his campaign but rather features that signaled to the right wing that their RWH had arrived.
The day after the election a foreign family member of mine messaged her American family asking what the heck was going on over here in the US. I gave a very bare-bones version of this thesis and based off the 2008 playbook I made some predictions. While both Obama and Trump were sold as "outsiders", like Obama, Trump will pack his administration with Washington insiders. Now some of his possible folks had leaked before the election and I knew about that. But it will be on the level of the absurd. Since the election we already hear names like Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Jaimi Dimon. But as Trump is the RWH his supporters will not only give him a pass, but defend him as happened with Obama.
I predicted that just as Obama talked a big game about all the Bush crimes like torture or rendition, Trump will also find some form of "look forward, not backward" in regards to Hillary. I didn't hear Trumps victory speech until after I wrote that prediction (of course I cannot prove that), but early on in that speech was the beginning pivot away from going after Hillary.
"Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.
(APPLAUSE)
I mean that very sincerely"
From 2008 to 2010 Obama had filibuster proof majorities in both Houses. However he was often "blocked" or "forced to compromise" during those first two years by blue dog democrats. The Democrats had filibuster proof majorities so the Republicans couldn't stop him. In 2016 Trump has majorities in both Houses, but not filibuster proof majorities. However the Democrats haven't seemed to use the filibuster strategy as aggressively as the Republicans have so I am guessing Trumps more radical agenda items will be "blocked" or "forced into compromise" by his own party, just like for Obama. If I had to guess who the narrative has set up for Trumps blockers to be I would guess the old guard Republicans like Lindsey Graham or John McCain. Trumps walls, or Muslim visa bans, or mass deportations will be blocked or extremely watered down.
My final prediction right now as I look at the 2008 playbook is that I think we will get another financial crash before Trump officially takes office. The fact that the 2008 crash was well underway before Obama took office meant that he bore little culpability for the crush to the public. Even the rightwing didn't blame Obama for the 2008 crash as he had only recently even become a Senator. With no culpability and an election psyop engineered "mandate of the people" Obama was free to pass any pro-establishment policies the elite wanted with next to no opposition. In fact every time Obama would manage to pass something gutted of everything populist that it may have started with (The 2008 Obama campaign was extremely populist in rhetoric) the leftwing would joyfully bask in another core quality they look for in their LWH: someone who brings both parties together, heals the divide, to pass legislation.
The stage is set to use Trump in exactly the same fashion. Where 2008 Obama was trusted by the leftwing for his populist rhetoric, the right will accept whatever Trump offers as a solution because it will be a mixture of Trumps "blunt talk" and his supporters deference to his business acumen. I am not here to argue whether or not Trump has actually been a successful businessman. I just claim that largely that's what the right think of Trump as that is a core quality of the RWH.
My plan for now is to explore the different aspects of this play from their election psyop playbook. I am curious to see if the thesis holds up under greater scrutiny and if so, if it could allow us to better read elections going forward. But you know, meandering. So we'll see.
Backfire (9/25/10)
A contraption unbalanced, its purpose deceiver,
Pulley'd, Lever'd, Fulcrum tipped to fever,
Of hate and fear, the pressure rising,
Until shrill whistles scream from heat and metal colliding.
Commitments abandoned, faiths ignored,
A rage unfettered by friendships or gore.
A camp raped of peace and safety,
They are blinded to all but their self-enforced destiny.
If only the dark irony could pierce their hardened hearts,
That they become what they hate through these miss-thrown darts.
Rage becomes the master, and they its slaves,
Whether one or both die, no one is saved.
-Joonie Steamdrops
Gnomish Priestess of Tymora
Umberhulk (9/27/10)
A bug but a bear? Picking an axe not a pickaxe?
It's all in the look.
A crane, not a bird, fly's carts full of ore does it?
A friend, now a foe! Sorry about those arrows.
Oh dear, deer for dinner? No honey.
No sweets?! But its such a large inn sight.
You understand? You know?
Of course not, I yes. See, its all in the stare.
I checked the stairs and saw it in half.
Nothing there? I expected bugs.
Back to bugs? Bear with me.
Well now yer in serious trouble.
-Joonie Steamdrops
Gnomish Priestess of Tymora
(For the non-dungeons and dragons geek: Umberhulks are monsters that cause confusion in others with their eyes. There are also creatures in dnd called bugbears.)
It's all in the look.
A crane, not a bird, fly's carts full of ore does it?
A friend, now a foe! Sorry about those arrows.
Oh dear, deer for dinner? No honey.
No sweets?! But its such a large inn sight.
You understand? You know?
Of course not, I yes. See, its all in the stare.
I checked the stairs and saw it in half.
Nothing there? I expected bugs.
Back to bugs? Bear with me.
Well now yer in serious trouble.
-Joonie Steamdrops
Gnomish Priestess of Tymora
(For the non-dungeons and dragons geek: Umberhulks are monsters that cause confusion in others with their eyes. There are also creatures in dnd called bugbears.)
Stop living in the past man!
I chose to bring these old Occupy Raleigh blog posts here for a few reasons. At a basic level for a while I have wanted to move them to somewhere where I can resume some of the exploration that began during that time. It will be easier to reference them and use them from here.
One reason I thought starting this blog might be useful is to show others that my path to becoming more awake has indeed been a meandering one. I feel quite different now about many things than I did back then. When I read my reflections in those blogs I do find interesting nuggets and fond memories, but also naivety that surprises me just 4 years later.
Becoming more aware of the reality around ones self is an ongoing process. Countless times I have lifted rocks thinking I have uncovered some truth only to find in time it is yet another layer of control. And so I meander on.
One reason I thought starting this blog might be useful is to show others that my path to becoming more awake has indeed been a meandering one. I feel quite different now about many things than I did back then. When I read my reflections in those blogs I do find interesting nuggets and fond memories, but also naivety that surprises me just 4 years later.
Becoming more aware of the reality around ones self is an ongoing process. Countless times I have lifted rocks thinking I have uncovered some truth only to find in time it is yet another layer of control. And so I meander on.
Occupy Raleigh, NC (part 22) Home Defense Action (pub: 4/9/12)
When people are involved in civil disobedience or other direct actions its often hard to know what sort of effect one has had. Protests movements are the sum of countless actions. Occasionally, though, there are actions that in and of themselves can radically change peoples lives for the better. Home defenses are such actions.
When successful groups have literally saved a person or family’s home. That has a profound effect on peoples lives. It is a tangible success that reinforces the notion that people are more important than profit. It reinforces that the banks have taken many of our houses through rampant fraud and that we are no longer going to tolerate it. If our government won’t do its duty to protect its citizens from criminal banksters then home owners, neighbors, and fellow citizens are left little option but to rally together and defend themselves.
In support of the homeowners groups Mortgage Fraud in NC, Occupy Greensboro, Right to the City National Alliance, Pushback Network, Fund for Democratic Communities, Take Back The Land, Save our Homes, and Occupy Raleigh have begun just such a home defense in Raleigh, NC. The bank has movers scheduled to come and remove the homeowners belongings from the home on Monday April 9th. Brave citizens have entered the home, changed the locks, and plan to resist any attempts the banksters make to secure their illegally acquired property, which involved the use of a well known robo-signer.
The homeowner has spoken to neighbors about their efforts and has the support of many of them. There are also several more houses slated to foreclosure in the same neighborhood so this is just one instance of an epidemic that is hurting this particular neighborhood like so many across the country. Those involved with the home defense are calling for all courageous citizens wiling to come Monday to stand on their lawn to prevent the movers from carrying out the banksters continued fraud. Below is a copy of the press release involving this action:
When Nikki and her husband purchased their house in Raleigh in February of 2006, the future was bright. They looked forward to raising their 3 children and eventually growing old together in their home . Nikki has been a licensed in-home child care provider for the last 12 years. She and her husband both worked full time to provide for their children. In October of 2007, they were late on their mortgage payment. U.S. Bank National Association, who accepted $27 million in bailout money, asked that the family “catch up” on payments. In October of 2007, they paid $1156.00; in November of 2007, they paid $1300.00; and in December of 2007, they paid $1500.00.On December 13, 2007, Nikki’s husband was injured in a head-on collision. In January of 2008, Nikki advised ASC (the servicer of her loan) that her husband was still out of work due to injuries he sustained in the December car accident. ASC advised Nikki that her husband’s condition qualified her for a loan modification. From January to April of 2008, Nikki diligently called ASC monthly to check on the status of her loan modification. She never received any paperwork, but ASC assured her that her case was “under review.”In April of 2008, Nikki’s grandfather passed away. Nikki took the loss of her grandfather very hard. He had been the man who raised her, the most important figure in her childhood. While Nikki grieved for her grandfather, she received the first acceleration letter in the mail. By May 2, 2008, U.S. Bank National Association appointed a substitute trustee. That document was signed by a known robo-signer, Sean Nix. Nikki felt overwhelmed, but she knew she had to save her home for her family. She took the only option left to her and filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy; that filing automatically stopped foreclosure proceedings. She and her husband kept up with their structured payments for a full 14 months until Nikki’s husband lost his job. In October of 2009, the bankruptcy was dismissed because they could no longer keep up with the payments.On November 22, 2010, Nikki’s home was sold back to the bank at a foreclosure auction. On December 5, 2010, a Wells Fargo representative offered Nikki $3,000 in a “cash for keys” scam. Nikki refused the offer and stayed in her home with her family. Nikki was told she should consult a HUD approved housing counselor. With the assistance of Freedom Financial Services, Nikki filed a “motion to set aside judgment and cancel sale” on Dec. 20, 2010. Two days later, her motion was denied by the Wake County Clerk of Courts.The eviction date was set for April 24, 2011. Nikki did not want her children to witness a forcible eviction by the police. Instead, she and her family packed up their belongings into a “POD” that weekend and took shelter at a neighbor’s home.When Nikki left her home, she also lost her livelihood. She had been running a licensed day care out of her home. She dutifully followed every step the bank, servicers, and housing counselors told her would save her home. When all of those efforts failed, the prospect of no home for her family and no income to provide for her children was simply overwhelming. In July of 2011, she and her family sought refuge with relatives in Washington, D.C.Nikki and her family returned to Raleigh on Feb. 2, 2012. They have been staying at Nikki’s mother’s home. She received a notice from GMAC on March 15 stating “anything left within the premises after 4/8/2012 will be considered trash.”This notice did not close the book on Nikki’s struggle. Instead, with renewed determination, Nikki decided to fight to save her home. When Nikki’s family was evicted, her community lost more than a neighbor. Nikki provided a valuable child care service to her community. The property taxes and state and local taxes that create revenue were lost. Every time a house is foreclosed upon, the property value of the surrounding houses is reduced. Nikki and her family are not alone. There were 66 thousand foreclosures in the state of North Carolina in 2011. How many homes must be abandoned, how many neighborhoods torn apart, how many families must be displaced, before the public wakes up?? The time is now. SAVE OUR COMMUNITIES: FIGHT FORECLOSURE!
Please call US National Bank and tell them to back off on the foreclosure, allow Nikki and her family to stay in their home, and to not request the police to arrest the concerned citizens gathered there.
Occupy Raleigh, NC (part 21) Statewide GA (pub: 2/27/12)
Last weekend Occupy Raleigh hosted a statewide gathering of NC Occupations which included a General Assembly. A small group from Occupy Raleigh spent weeks planning and preparing for this gathering. They made contact with the various occupations. They got permits to use the State Capitol grounds for the main portions of the event on Saturday. They contacted local progressive groups with two general goals. The first was a meeting that happened on Friday evening where Occupies and other local activists groups gathered to connect and coordinate. There is a feeling that we all need to start making each others fights our own fights so we can grow an even larger coalition of resistance and change. Secondly the planners secured financial support to help pay for the meals during the Statewide GA weekend.
The planners figured out a schedule, set up the Occupied NCGA website, and tirelessly made sure throughout the weekend that everything ran smoothly. And smoothly it ran. Saturday was one of my favorite days since I started with the Occupy Movement. Lately at Occupy Raleigh we have been struggling with some conflicts which bred division, negativity, and pessimism. The Statewide GA was the exact opposite. It overflowed with enthusiasm and positive energy. People were excited to connect with one another, listen to each others concerns and experiences, and carry on a dialogue exploring possibilities.
Saturday for me started bright and early at 8am at the Occupation for a facilitation meeting to prepare for the General Assembly later that afternoon. Since as an Occupation the early morning has never been our strong suite, I told my girlfriend when I left that I bet that I would be the only one at the meeting. When I got to the Occupation people were already up preparing for the days events, but I had been correct, I was the only one there for the facilitation meeting.
I had already spent time leading up to the weekend thinking about how the schedule of the GA would look and what adaptations to process we might need to make to handle a group larger than we are used to so I spent part of the morning going over some of those ideas in my own mind. While I was doing that the morning breakfast arrived so I got some coffee and bagels and spent the next hour sitting around the fire pit talking with others.
Throughout the morning people began arriving from the various Occupations. The first part of the General Assembly later that day was to give 5 minutes to each Occupation to give a report back of whatever they wanted to rest of us to know. We had report backs from Asheville, Boone, Chapel-Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Occupy_Homeless, Hendersonville, Occupation-Nation, Occupy NC State University, Raleigh, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, and even one from outside the state from Gainesville FL. So lots of people were showing up throughout the morning with a count of 118 of us during the actual GA.
The first official events of the day were teach-ins. I know at least one on De-colonization occurred. There was also a workshop on Occupy the DNC in reference to the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in September. I think there was another on avoiding kettle-ling by the police. At 2:30pm we marched from the Occupation to the State Capitol. Earlier that day one of the event planners and myself spoke with the police in regards to our plans and schedule. The police let us know that they would arrest anyone who marched in the street. However, they also let us know that they planned to block traffic at the intersections we had to cross during the march to avoid any safety problems.
I am pretty sure you normally need some sort of parade or march permits for the police to do that. It felt to me that the Raleigh PD was trying its best to meet us half way. Before our march I spoke to the gathering describing what the police had said. I made clear that we are not telling anyone they can or cannot walk in the street. Each person can make their own choices. However I and some others felt like the police choosing to block traffic for us was a show of solidarity and that I planned to respond to that by staying on the sidewalk during this march. That approach seemed to get a very positive response.
Soon after the march began and it went perfectly. No one went in the street and yet we still stopped traffic because the police blocked off the intersections we needed to cross. Conceptually I have always understood that the police are part of the 99% but during the march was the first time I have felt it personally since the positive arrest experience I described in the first post of this diary. We chanted our way to the State Capitol and marched three times around the State Capitol grounds before gathering in the main area we had permitted for the rest of the gathering.
For the next hour and a half we had more teach-ins. There were teach ins on the privatization of education through charter schools, on anarchists, and I think a couple of others. I spent my time at the charter school one so I may have missed others that occurred. The teach in on charter schools was excellent and very timely as that effort is picking up steam in NC. So far the efforts to promote charter schools have been winning the battle here even though they undermine our public school system and lead to a re-segregation of our schools based on income.
Shortly before 4pm I called an impromptu meeting of facilitation to get the agenda set for the GA. People from the various Occupations joined me and we began discussing how the GA would work. I mentioned that due to time constraints we would need to disallow direct responses, points of information, and clarifying questions. Instead everyone would just need to get on stack to speak. Everyone seemed fine with that so we moved on to the agenda.
We set aside 5 minutes for each report back which would be followed by proposals. At first there was a concern that we could only bring proposals that all the individual GA’s had already consensed on. Quickly we realized though that would mean we could not pass any proposals at this GA so we took a different approach. It was decided that this GA would only speak for the voices of those actually there participating, just like any normal Occupation GA does, and that proposals that were passed would be taken back to their individual GA’s for consideration.
We also had proposals from two different Occupations that had to do with ending corporate personhood so they talked for a little bit and settled on the language of one of them to use since we didn’t want to spend our very limited time during the GA hashing out two proposals that were so similar. In the end we had about 14 report backs and 8 proposals and about 2 and a half hours to get through it. It was going to be tight.
At some point during the meeting I was asked to facilitate the actual GA and the group consensed on that. Another from Occupy Raleigh co-facilitated which worked well because we have facilitated together often and we work very well together. Pappa Bear from Occupy Wilmington took stack while Rachel from Occupy Raleigh took minutes on a small recorder. Because of how tight we would be on time it was absolutely necessary to have a diligent person keeping time and Clark from Occupy Raleigh offered before it was even asked.
We convened the NC General Assembly and shortly after the report backs began. Occupations talked about the sorts of actions they had taken along with the different problems they had. During the report backs one gentleman approached facilitation and asked if he could report back on an effort he spearheaded called Occupy_Homeless. We were going alphabetically so when we got to “H” he was called up to speak. He had come with Occupy Winson-Salem but he commented that he didn’t really consider himself as having a “home” or “city” as the homeless are largely faceless and forgotten in our society. The report backs went well and after about an hour and a half we moved onto proposals.
Before we started a couple others from that impromptu facilitation meeting explained what we had decided about passing these proposals. This Statewide General Assembly was not here to speak for the other Occupations but rather just for itself. Also early on in the process I decided to not allow friendly amendments partly due to time constraints and also because some of the proposals under consideration where already passed by other Occupations and I did not feel comfortable changing the language.
The following proposals passed (though the following is not the exact language):
-A proposal that calls for an end to corporate personhood.
-A proposal to ease ballot restrictions in NC so that its easier for third parties to get on the ballot.
-A proposal to call on NC officials to establish a one year moratorium on foreclosures in the state to allow for proper investigations to occur into all the fraud.
-A proposal to encourage all NC Occupations to conduct and promote teach-ins on topics related to the Occupy Movement.
-A proposal to start a facilitated coordination conference call once or twice a month that anyone can join to improve communication between the various NC Occupations through a mechanism that did not require internet access.
There was a proposal to create a Occupy NC Spokes Council that would help spread a more focused message on things all the Occupations consensed on. This proposal was withdrawn by the proposer as it became clear it would be a difficult and long conversation which our time constraints would not allow.
The final proposal was one to use a facebook page with 5 admins from each Occupation to help with coordination and information sharing. This proposal did not achieve consensus once we called the question. My impression was that too many felt that we already had good mechanisms online for communication and coordination and we would be better off using the ones we had then creating another.
We only had about 10 minutes to spend on each proposal and each person that got on stack had up to 2 minutes to speak. Even with those restrictions it felt like everyone was heard and the vibe throughout the entire GA was very positive, even as the temperature dropped as it got into the evening. After all the proposals we had a few announcements and then called the first NC Statewide General Assembly to a successful close. One announcement I do want to mention is a gentlemen named Skylar who had taped much of the days events wanted us to recognize in general the efforts of so many who tape and document the Occupy Movement. There was lots of taping by many throughout the event and his announcement received a hearty applause. Its hard to understate how important those efforts are.
As the GA ended the pizza’s for dinner arrived. People broke into small groups chatting as they ate. Some left straight from there to go back to their home towns. Some returned to the Raleigh Occupation to spend more time socializing. Some went to an Occupy Colleges meeting that happened a little later that evening.
I returned to the Occupation and shortly afterward home. I would have stayed longer but my body was aching from a long day on my feet. It had been an amazing day. It reminded my why I fell in love so quickly with this movement. I had been surrounded with people hungry to connect with each other. People were eager to hear how others resisted and to tell their stories.
To me there was one constant theme that seemed to come up; People felt empowered by the act of participating. There was less concern about whether a given tactic had been effective, especially since its often impossible to know, and more focus on that it had been done. The gentlemen from Fayetteville commented that 5 of them were at the Statewide GA and that sadly that was half their number but they were still there in Fayetteville. At the DNC workshop it was unclear what could be done under such a heavy security presence but it was clear people would try.
That is what real hope looks like. You don’t know the effect. You can’t see a clear path forward. You don’t even know exactly what the obstacles will be. But you know you are going to fight anyway and that there are others who will fight along side you.
NC is Occupied. We are not going away. We are going to support each other and be the change we want to see.
We are Occupy NC.
Occupy Raleigh, NC (part 20) 99+1 Weekend (1/24/12)
This weekend we celebrated our 100th day of Occupation. Occupy Raleigh’s events were on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday there was a nationwide event to Occupy the Courts in recognition of the 2 year anniversary of Citizens United. Occupy Chapel-Hill spearheaded the organization of that in our area with the support of other local occupations.
Saturday was Occupy Raleigh’s “Drum out Citizens United” in front of the NC Supreme Court. Around 50 people gathered in the cold rain with a range of drums to improvised percussion to draw attention to the need to overturn Citizens United. People toughed it out in the nasty elements to bring attention to an issue they felt strongly about. Afterwards they held a eulogy for our rights which included a mock coffin and a short speech. I was sick over this weekend so I chose not to tough it out in the rain but this video gives a good representation of the action.
We gathered Sunday on the Capitol grounds for which we had a permit. It was again cold but at least this time we didn’t have to deal with rain. As we gave time for people to show up a variety of people took turns soap boxing. Some talked about why they Occupy. Some told the story of their life that led up to occupation. Some talked more generally about values associated with occupation. Eventually we headed out on our scheduled march with many signs describing why people occupied.
The march started on the sidewalk as we crossed the street that bordered the Capitol grounds with the chant “One Hundred Days. We’re not going away!”. Immediately after that though a small contingent moved into the street chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!”. Some, including myself, followed them into the street. Others remained on the sidewalk. Then the chant of those in the streets changed to, “Safety on the Sidewalk, Power in the streets!”. I joined in that chant realizing it was an attempt to convince people still on the sidewalk to join us in the street. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten people to stop the chant. It was basically calling people in our own occupation for their decision to remain on the sidewalk. Not much solidarity in an action like that and its basically like having a squabble in public. I have always argued each person must make their own, personal decision about the risks they are willing to take and I don’t see the point in calling allies out for making a different decision than you.
So we continued down the road, some in the street and some on the sidewalk, sometimes chanting the same chant, sometimes not. As the Raleigh PD had already been stationed near the Capitol grounds to watch over our event, very quickly there was a squad car in the lane next to us ordering people to leave the street and return to the sidewalk. I think most ignored the one officer. Within a couple of blocks though the rest of the Raleigh PD arrived and a confrontation ensued. Everyone got on the sidewalk but where none the less confronting the police verbally. Some were angry. Some where telling the cops that we were doing this for them too and that their pensions were not safe.
I watched an officer tell an occupier named John that if he saw him go out into the street again he would arrest him. Eventually that officer got distracted by other occupiers and John marched ahead. John looked back and seeing the officer distracted started again marching in the street. I assume that officer saw him because shortly there after 3 or so cops were arresting him. A second person, Nick, told me he was ordered to remove a scarf he was wearing across his face. He told me he told the cops no, he was cold, and since when was wearing a bandanna illegal. They subsequently arrested Nick for wearing a mask as there are laws in NC that prohibit that. I have been told those laws come from trying to crackdown on the KKK but I don’t know that first hand.
After some more verbal confrontations with the Raleigh PD we continued our march. As we marched back toward the Capitol grounds some again took to the streets. This time we were walking the wrong way down a one-way street which I think made it more difficult for the cops to pull up next to us. We only saw one more cop car on our way at the final intersection we passed as we reached the Capitol grounds but this time they did not intervene.
Upon returning to the Capitol the scheduled teach-ins started. There was one about income inequality from a NCSU professor. There was another by a psychiatrist in regards to our healthcare system and how they see that associated with the changes the Occupy Movement is trying to make. At one point a person took the stage to report back that a local paper, The Independent, have given a special mention to the Occupation Movement when it was giving its Citizens of the Year awards a few days ago. They gave us a small tree to plant wherever the local occupations would like in remembrance.
After all the teach-ins finished it was close to 4pm where we were scheduled to go to a local bar called the Volcano Lounge to celebrate our 100th day. Many chose to go and people played music on acoustic guitars and socialized. Overall it was a fairly upbeat atmosphere. I didn’t end up participating much in that because once arriving there I realized that only a couple people were doing the legwork of helping sort out the arrests and possible bail issues. So I ended up helping them and before long we left to go to a bondsman office to sort things out. One of the occupiers arrested was released on their own recognizance which means no bail was necessary. The other, due to separate issues, was given a $1,500 bail which we eventually did raise. Here is a video showing the march.
Overall the weekend went fairly well. I think some had hoped for larger numbers on Sunday but the weather did not help us much. Some were upset by how some chose to take to the streets and risk arrest. Some didn’t care about the street taking as much as the chant I mentioned before which seemed so divisive. Some were upset that there were not more people at the jail to greet those arrested upon release as we have had in the past.
Internally Occupy Raleigh has plenty of conflict. I have been torn about how much of it to write about in this blog. Some feel airing our dirty laundry just hurts the movement. They could be right. I tend to think showing some of the conflicts and unflattering details is a sort of truth-telling that gives the movement credibility.
One of the reasons I haven’t written in quite some time is because I have not been sure what I want to write about or how I want to write about it. Combine that with the ebb and flow of feelings where one day you feel like things are going good and the next it feels like things are flying off the rails and I am often left with muddled opinions and thoughts that seem difficult to express in a coherent post.
https://youtu.be/yK_uLuYRaTk (video mentioned in post)
Occupy Raleigh, NC (part 19) Occupy Supply (pub: 12/29/11)
Occupy Raleigh Pic from Linda C.
As I mentioned before, we received a small starter pack of supplies from the Occupy Supply a couple weeks ago. Yesterday we received our first large shipment. It included hats, gloves, fleece jackets and pants, masks, scarves, and blankets. We were immediately impressed by the quality of the clothing. Along with all that, Occupy Supply also sent some money to our wonderful delivery person Linda to go buy a few additional supplies for the camp. As we took inventory of our new supplies we gave Linda a list of a few odds and ends and she went and picked up everything that she could. We really appreciate people like Linda, who does not even live in Raleigh, jumping at the chance to help and be involved.
Occupy Raleigh is thrilled to receive this support package from Occupy Supply. Today we will begin handing out the clothing as is needed. Those staying at the camp the most will have priority for the warmest supplies first, however everyone will be able to have something to help fill in whatever winter clothing niche is most lacking. This kind of support does wonders for morale. It gives a tangible reminder of how widespread this struggle is. Its reinforces the notion that many of us are banding together in this struggle. I often say that one of the great advantages of the 99% is that there are so many of us with different ideas, abilities, talents, resources, and knowledge. Not everyone can occupy but everyone can find some way to support the movement. Occupy Supply is a wonderful example and reminder of this.
From a couple others from Occupy Raleigh:
My hands, feet, and other body parts thank you! – Chris‘Thank you’ is not enough to express Occupy Raleigh’s gratitude for the warm gifts sent our way via Occupy Supply. The winter gear we’ve received has met a critical need, and lifted the spirits of those encamped. Many thanks to all involved! – Tayloe
Our resources and funding has its ups and downs. OccupySupply is a wonderful up.
We still have people occasionally dropping off food and other supplies. We have a few occupiers who are very generous in bringing us wood for the fire and helping us keep water jugs full. We still get some cash donations brought to us at the camp.
We still have people occasionally dropping off food and other supplies. We have a few occupiers who are very generous in bringing us wood for the fire and helping us keep water jugs full. We still get some cash donations brought to us at the camp.
There have been a few downsides however. One of those cash donations which was brought by a pastor was stolen by the person who he gave it to. That donation alone would have amounted to 20% of our reserves so it was a substantial loss. In a future entry I plan to go into a lot of detail on how we handle issues of theft and de-escalation because I think many will find it interesting and valuable but I don’t want to go into details now. The anonymous donor who was paying the rent for the land we are on has removed their financial support. When we asked our liaison to this donor if they gave a reason as to why our liaison said they did not. We have already raised the money for January through donations from a variety of occupiers but it is an issue we will have to address in a more sustainable fashion.
Most troubling has been the slowdown of online donations. We are working on different ways to try to increase our fund raising including tapping some of the musician contacts some occupiers have so we can put together a couple benefit style concerts. It feels like we are turning a corner as an occupation in regards to how much we trust each other and how well we communicate with one another. People who were less vocal early on are much more confident in voicing their thoughts which has been invaluable. We are able to confront sensitive and touchy issues with the discussions remaining productive and non-confrontational in which everyone can voice their opinions. Discussions we might have had in smaller groups before are now involving everyone at the occupation at the same time.
We have an increased amount of direct actions planned. We have an incredible group of people who hold down the occupation 24/7. We have dedicated people who support the camp as much as able, from doing laundry, to bringing supplies, to offering showers, to offering rides, or bringing meals. I know times are tough. I know there is a lot of uncertainty about everyone’s personal financial security. But if anyone is willing to help or spread the word to others who may be willing to, it would be greatly appreciated by everyone at Occupy Raleigh.
I said it before and I will say it again. The great strength of the 99% is we have many people with so many skills, talents, resources, ideas, and knowledge. When we get enough of the 99% pooling that power we become unstoppable. The 1% lived under the delusion that their wealth, political power, and resources made them untouchable. The Occupation Movement is proving them wrong each day we continue to resist and grow.
Thanks again to Firedoglake and to the Occupy Supply along with all those who support it!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Occupy Raleigh, NC (part 18) Walkupy Defiance and Arrests (pub: 12/19/11)
Saturday became the unofficial shift back toward resistance. We still have a myriad of issues to work out at the occupation site but those are no longer going to distract us from other activities. There were three activities planned for the day I was excited about so it promised to be a long, productive day.
The first was marching on the banks for some good old fashioned protesting and picketing. I had put an announcement up on the forums that any interested would meet at the occupation by 10am and we would then march up to Wells Fargo and then a little later to Bank of America as they are both open on Saturday mornings. I got a PM from one person concerned with if we had followed city procedures of notifying certain police officials of the march. If you have more than ten people that is required. I responded letting them know we had not informed them. While I realize some limits or rules surrounding the expression of free speech may have some merit, I don’t see that particular rule as being one of them. As we often say at the occupation, “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
Unsurprisingly (we are not a very early morning occupation) we got off to a little of a late start but by 10:30 or so we were in front of Wells Fargo with signs and a couple of guitars. There were 10 of us so we didn’t even violate the city ordinances. I was really glad the guitars where there. I’ll be honest I get a little tired of the chanting sometimes and the guitars allowed for a different style of picket. We engaged people interested as they walked by as well as called out for people to move their money to credit unions. I generally settled on:
Move your money to credit unions. They did not have to rob you through bailouts to stay in business. Credit unions invest in your own community. This bank just invests in its CEO.
After a short while we moved down to Bank of America and continued there. While we were there a policemen came and I believe counted us. The officer then hung out for a while in a eatery across the street watching us. At the second location there was much more pedestrian traffic and we were able to speak with more people. A couple men from Tennessee had their picture taken with us. Shortly after the banks closed at noon we headed back to the occupation.
A little while after returning I attended my first TRAC meeting, a new affinity group The Raleigh Action Collective, looking to help come up with and plan more actions. The basic goals of the meeting where to brainstorm ideas and pick one to do in the next couple of weeks. After looking through the list we generated we settled on one we would do before Christmas and another to plan for shortly afterward. Some of the faces we had seen less lately because they were more interested in the protest actions than the set up of the occupation came to the TRAC meeting which was a good sign.
An hour or so after the TRAC meeting ended those of us wishing to greet the Walkupy protesters headed to Mordecai Park where we were set to meet up. Walkupy are a group of people who are walking from NYC all the way to Atlanta, GA. They are visiting occupations along the way and hoping to bring more attention to the Occupation Movement. Raleigh is roughly their halfway point. As they pass through different areas people living in those areas help them with vehicle support to carry some of their supplies for them. They have taken to calling that impromptu support network their “road angels”.
Somewhere between 60-80 people gathered at the park awaiting their arrival. Again this was a chance to see some faces I had not see as much lately. It was nice to reconnect. The media was also there to capture the moment and interview the Walkupy’ers. When we saw them people started to cheer. As they reached us we could hear they were singing “This Land is Your Land.” We made way for them to walk down the sidewalk between us while many hugs were given as they passed through. A couple of them went and gave interviews to the media and before long most of who had come to meet them were all walking together. The plan was too walk to the State Capitol and walk across the grounds on our way to the occupation.
As the large group started walking I believe it was the Walkupy’ers who marched us out into the street. We consistently left one lane free for cars to pass us but otherwise we took over the other 1-2 lanes depending on where we were along the route. The lanes of traffic going the other direction where not effected at all. At first some of the people less inclined to break the rules walked along the sidewalk next us. Before long though everyone was in the street. We chanted the entire way to the Capitol Grounds, and while we used a variety of chants, the chant, “Whose streets? Our streets!” never felt more appropriate.
When we arrived at the Capitol Kid, one of the Walkupy’ers, asked us all to join in for a nice, loud yell, which we did. I was surprised how loud we were. People we feeling inspired and bold. We continued onto Hillsborough street which would lead us directly to the occupation. That area of Hillsborough has three lanes going each direction and we took the two far right lanes. After about a block was the first time we saw the police. One car drove next to us in the third lane and began using his speaker to order people onto the sidewalk. I could barely hear the officer over the chanting. I think a few complied but most continued their march down the street.
I guess the cop got frustrated at his lack of effect because he zoomed up ahead of us and turned 90 degrees in front of us turning his car into a small wall across the street. From what I could tell, no one missed a step. We just went around the car easily, as it could not block all three lanes, and kept walking and chanting. That was my favorite moment of the entire day. There is a difference between the symbol of authority and their ability to actually enforce that authority. It seemed like the natural reaction of the marchers was to completely ignore the symbol of authority. Its that sort of shift in mentality the 1% fears so much. We as a society are indoctrinated to “Obey”. But the reality is that our numbers are so large that if enough people break through that mentality it won’t matter how many guns they have, the 1% will lose control.
As we moved down the next two blocks it was easy to spot all the new cop cars that had shown up. When we got two blocks from the occupation three police cars formed a wall across the three lanes and others moved in along the third lane we had never blocked. Cops got out and started ordering everyone onto the sidewalk. At this point most people complied rather quickly. One of the Walkupy’ers, a tall women carrying an American flag, at first stepped onto the sidewalk but then quickly changed her mind and walked boldly back out into the street. The cops confronted her and ordered her to return to the sidewalk but she refused.
People start chanting, “The whole world is watching” as multiple cameras began focusing on the scene with the Walkupy’er in the street. The police ripped the flag from the pole as they violently jerked her arms behind her back and cuffed her. As the cuffs went on her she went limp and they literally dragged her toward one of the cop cars. The chant had shifted to “Shame!” followed by “Let her go!”. The police did not. As she was put in the car other Walkupy’ers started defiantly going into the street. They have walked hundreds of miles together. They have become like family. They were not going to let one of their own be arrested alone. I watched two go back into the street, refusing orders to leave until they were arrested. I watched two more lay down across a cross walk and link arms until they were arrested. There was a sixth arrested who I never saw.
These arrests where the most violent I have seen the Raleigh police be with occupy protesters. There was bruising from the cuffs as well as blood drawn from various actions either from dragging them or trying to separate them. The irony is the police disrupted traffic much longer by choosing to stop us so late into the march. We were literally two blocks away from the occupation when they finally got in position to stop us. If they had just let us continue within 2 minutes the march would have been over. By blocking the streets and taking the time to make arrests the streets were blocked for over 10 minutes at least.
Its important to always remember that these sort of police actions are not about keeping the peace. Its the same sort of absurdity that is revealed when they claim large groups of peaceful protesters are there to incite violence but its only when the police intervene that things become violent, because the police are violent. They confronted our march as an expression of power. When citizens march through the streets in an expression of their 1st Amendment Rights without asking permission it empowers them. If the police had managed to intervene sooner then perhaps citing issues of disrupting traffic or creating an unsafe situation might have had some merit. They were too late for that but it didn’t stop them because that was not why they intervened. They were willing to intervene two blocks from our destination to remind us what happens when you choose not to “Obey”. Another sign that this was soley a show of authority was how you can see in the video that we then finished our march down the street and the police allowed it to finish without further incident. I guess they felt they had made their point clearly enough.
In all six from Walkupy were arrested. Welcome to Raleigh. As part of your tour, enjoy these lovely jail facilities. I asked one of the Walkupy’ers afterward if they had done similar marches in other cities when they met up with local occupations. He explained that they had, and while the cops had tried to in a sense force the marches in certain directions, it wasn’t until Raleigh that they had been threatened with arrest. Police forces have choices in how to react. The Raleigh PD made a conscious decision to behave badly.
As has become custom most of us went outside the jail to await their release in solidarity. They were all charged with “Failure to Disperse” and given $500 bonds. We were told the police had actually considered giving them the more serious charge of “Attempting to incite a riot” but had settled on the lesser charge instead. Even so, on the paperwork for their charge it suggested that their behavior could incite a riot even though it was only the police intervention that escalated things. Also as has become custom the police had about 10 officers outside the jail guarding the entrance. They would only let us in two at a time if we wished to enter to speak with the magistrate or use the restrooms. At one point a couple of us approached the cops and I asked them what exactly they thought we might do that required a phalanx of police outside the jail. I was told they were they for our own protection. Orwell would be proud.
Within a few hours everyone was bailed out and we returned to the occupation site. Different people had offered access to showers at their homes for the Walkupy folks and in general their accommodations where sorted out. They must have been exhausted. In fact I know at least the women holding the flag was from reading her account. If you are interested in learning more about Walkup check out their site. (Walkupy site has since been taken down)
https://youtu.be/WE1Surqin9k
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)