I’ve made the mistake of reading hundreds of right-wing blogs over the past few days. They’re all abuzz/atwitter/whatever over my MSNBC appearance and, by extension, The Anti-American Manifesto. I have drawn three conclusions about right-wing blogs and their followers:
1. I would not at all be surprised to learn that many of them are astroturfed by major corporations and/or the GOP. I noticed that many of the posts are not only identical (though on different blogs). At first I thought they were just ripping each other off, cutting and pasting. Then I saw that they have identical post times. How could that be? Maybe there aren’t really that many right-wing bloggers. They’re just using codes to automatically circulate blogs on WordPress and Blogspot.
2. Right-wingers don’t think right. One common talking point is that, if a right-winger were to say this sort of thing, he would get into trouble. But they do. And they don’t. And anyway, they wouldn’t get into trouble from ME. So what’s their point? They also say that “us liberals” don’t like guns. Well, um, I do. Again, what are they talking about? Finally, they say that, in a fair fight, the Right will kick the Left’s asses because they’re more hostile and better-armed. Which brings me to…
3. The Right *are* better-armed and more hostile than the non-existent Left. Which I say in my book. In fact, it’s the central thesis: fascist assholes are poised to step in when the system collapses, and rather than allow that to happen, the Left had better get its act together. Which these guys would know, except for the fact that…
4. They’re commenting on a book they haven’t even read!
I can’t get much past 4.
If you haven’t read something, shut the fuck up about it. I just received my copy of Bush’s new book, and I’m going to actually read it, with an open mind, before I comment.
Only in American politics is it considered OK to mouth off about shit you don’t know anything about.
14 Comments.
Only in American politics is it considered OK to mouth off about shit you don’t know anything about.
No, it happens in Pakistani politics (and right wing journalism) as well.
Which brings me to my main point:
I covered you Ted! After so many years (somewhat) incisively commenting on Pakistan, I thought Pakistanis should know about a smart ‘merikan like you, who *somewhat* gets my country.
I like your work man, keep it up, and good luck with the revolution. *Snicker*
Thanks! Much appreciated.
So while you are going through the right wing blogs, did you find the blogs you claim say violence is exclusive to t he left? Are you a liar?
395, YOU made that claim right here just a few weeks ago.
@Ted, yes astroturfing takes many different forms and is far too cheep and effective to be ignored by those who use it. In the online world there are an astounding number of paid trolls in what is an incredibly subtle form of astroturfing. A particularly creepy related phenomena are the online salesmen. There are people paid to hang out on various popular blocks, foster a sense of credibility by posting on topic, making (virtual) friends and being a good forumite. Between these activities they work to subtly, but forcefully convince their forum friends to buy whatever it is that they are supposed to be hocking. When only a few individuals do this it isn’t hugely effective, but it is still cheap. However when a number of individuals do this on multiple blogs and it is done in conjunction with conventional advertising like TV ads, it is terrifyingly effective and very inexpensive relative to the effect achieved. Same is true for political view points. Remember, votes (at least those from the middle of the political spectrum) are bought in this country. Political parties are just another product.
The saddest thing about many of these online astroturfers is that they are dirt poor, making just enough to survive on from their job, and their job is to erode and destroy support for the very social safety network that keeps them alive.
In other news I think you should all buy a car.
Wingnuts are idiots. That’s well-established, so your experience is no suprise Ted. Something that most people don’t know about these idiot wingnuts is that they’re also cowards. Cowards right to the core. They always go on and on and on and on about how they’re armed, how they’re ready for revolution, and how they’ll “kick the lefts’ ass” – whatever the hell that means. But …. they never do. And …. they never will. Why? Simple. They’re cowards. Cowards right to the core. They’re always mouthing off but never do anything. Tough talk, that’s it.
If any sort of revolution DID happen (and it won’t), these wingnuts would be wiped out so fast – what remained of their heads would spin. A bunch of unorganized, ignorant, fat-slob-beer-belly, drunked rednecks with a few guns don’t scare me, nor should they scare anyone else.
As an aside Ted, I am glad someone out there actually buys the books and reads them before criticizing. However, might I recommend the public library, or waiting about two weeks and buying a used copy on-line? Money goes a long way for support, and so I usually try (and recommend to others) means of legally obtaining things for free that would support people whom I do not wish to. Admittedly you will have to wait another week or two, but it saves you some cash that would otherwise end up in George’s pocket.
In the cases where I find something would have been worth paying for, I then look for a way to compensate by buying a copy for a friend or myself if I just checked it out of the library, ect…
@exkiodexian: You delusional moron. Keep telling yourself that you nitwit. You will be among the first to go down if you idiots ever muster up enough gonagds to actually try anything…. which I doubt because you cant get out of mommie’s basement. Oh and Teddy boy… same for you… just a big ol leftwing pussy.
Although I’ve known about Ted’s work for years, I heard about the Anti-American Manifesto on a firearms site, where some right-wingers were freaking out about it.
American gun culture is conservative to right wing, so if leftists are going to arm up, might as well avail ourselves of the training opportunities our opponents provide at various training schools around the country. Remember owning a gun doesn’t make you capable of self defense any more than owning a sax makes you Chet Baker.
This is a way to gain skills, meet folks you wouldn’t normally meet, some will be good folks, some will be potential enemies.
Conflicts during the Spanish civil war demonstrate that firearms are really kind of boring. They can’t take out buildings, they cause long standoffs, you have to aim them. The real accomplishments involved bombs. But you would have had to read about Spain and have basic critical thinking abilities to consider whether Spanish Civil war era conflict i analogous to what would unfold here.
That’s right. Dumb, no-aim required explosives. Some chemistry and electronics might come in handy, but you don’t need to join a club, and have a whole culture devoted to firearms in order to make a point. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news to any militant, right-wing gun nuts.
Full disclosure. I own these:
M1A1 ( Airborne edition with collapsing stock!)
M1911 standard
Walther PPKs (with unextruded clip)
Winchester 60 (with scope)
an assortment of unremarkable shotguns.
Let’s think a bit about what ‘Revolution’ means. It’s not about running around with bombs and guns, committing violence. If you study actual revolutions, one trait they all have is that the revolutionary people start setting up ‘dual power’. Things get so bad, and the ‘mainstream’ is so discredited, that mass movements of people start up new forms of self-government alongside the old ones. At one point, either the new forms over come the old ones, or the new forms of self-government are destroyed by violence from the old regime. John Adams said something to the effect that the colonial congresses and committees of correspondence had accomplished the actual American revolution, and set up a new government long before the war for independence began.
The French neighborhood assemblies during the French Revolution, the Soviets (meaning ‘councils’) during the Russian revolution are other examples of dual power. In the US South, during the civil rights movement, a form of dual power existed with the mass meetings in local churches which ran the anti-segregation campaigns, contesting for power with the White Citizens’ Councils and bigots in local government.
If we need a revolutionary response to today’s crisis, and I believe we do, our job has to be setting up independent self-governing committees in neighborhoods and work places, where ever people can organize space to support each other and try to figure out new ways to engage in independent protest, and self-government at the grass roots.
None of this is about threatening violence, it is about deploying the power of the people to work, march, strike, build new economies and disrupt destructive action from the old regime.
However, the establishment has developed it’s own ‘independent’ mass action – called fascism. That’s when armed gangs are allowed to attack peaceful revolutionaries with impunity. That cannot be tolerated. History shows that fascist violence can be countered through a combination of non-violent and armed resistance. Malcom X put it well when he said:
“If you want to communicate with someone, you should show them the respect of speaking their language. If you want to talk to French people, you have to speak French. If you want to talk to Germans, you have to speak German. If someone’s language is the shotgun, get a shotgun. If their language is the rope, get a rope.”
Well, I think The Zionists proved otherwise.
Not only did a well planted bomb help make the Zionist revolution a success, the leader of the terrorist wing of that movement ended up as Israel’s first prime minister.
There is some messiness here, of course, because the Zionist revolution may have been a coup. Still, it was the Chomsky Zionists which never would have planted a bomb, and all they could do when the bad Zionists took over was “cry” about it.
Nes, btw, looking back, its seems like i was being rude. I did not mean to be rude to you (if it seemed like I was) I was more responding to all the conservatives who are like “hey, we got the guns. bring it on!!” And I was speaking more about the chaos that will always accompany revolution, than the scenario yo are talking about.