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Comments
Re: Mere Protest is for Wimps; Revolutionaries Are Into ...
I have to agree wholeheartedly with both Webster Tarpley and Michel Chossudovsky when they question the lack of focus in these protests. I agree with the principle of occupying the centres of financial power that have wreaked havoc on this world, but only if those carrying out the occupation are aware of what has gone on and are capable of formulating concrete demands.
The consensus method of decision-making mentioned in this peice might seem all warm, fuzzy and people-friendly to those who have not been subjected to it before, but in practise it is a surefire method of rendering any movement directionless and ineffective. I've witnessed this technique in use, and can testify that it turns making even the simplest of decisions into a time-consuming and soul-destroying ordeal.
As Dr Tarpley points out, those who are representing this movement are wasting what little media exposure they are given.
The fact that the shyster Soros is lending his support to this directionless movement is very telling indeed.
Re: Mere Protest is for Wimps; Revolutionaries Are Into ...
I disagree with this video.
Tarpley says the demonstrators are hostile to making specific demands. In this he does the media’s bidding.
If Tarpley would go to one of these demonstrations, or view some of their online videos, he would see that they are clearly demanding that we end the wars, end the supremacy of the banks and the Pentagon, end the bailouts, end foreclosures, end student loan debt, nationalize the Fed, tax the speculators, re-institute regulations such as Glass-Steagall, and so on.
Naturally the corporate media doesn’t want these ideas to spread. Hence the media avoids mentioning any of these demands. Hence Tarpley (aged 65) sits at home, whining that the protesters resist making any demands.
He is confusing these demonstrations with the demonstrations against the proposed Keystone oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The latter demonstrations are clearly pro-Obama, and are therefore useless.
Many people agree with the protesters, but denounce them because of impatience or selfishness. The impatient ones are understandably cynical. They see the demonstrators as silly, because that’s how the media portrays them. They also complain that the media gives no coverage to protests, and when the media does, it means the media is “behind” it. Well, that’s not necessarily true. The world is in such a mess that even some people in the media are pissed off.
The selfish ones just want attention for themselves. “The Illuminati are behind the protesters! Am I not brilliant? Notice me!”
Tarpley himself is not as sharp as he thinks he is. He insists that Israel had nothing to do with 9-11. Instead, it was a “rogue network” of military and intelligence agencies. And, like many others, he imagines that shadowy negative powers are “behind” today’s protesters, or have “infiltrated” them, because Warren Buffet and Ben Bernanke said something benign about the protests.
The truth is that most revolutions have begun with demonstrations like those we are seeing today, although some revolutions have been accomplished via coups d'état.
In any case, this is only the beginning. Demonstrations will continue to spread as the global depression and global theft continues to worsen. As the plutocracy cracks down, demonstrations will morph into riots, which will become so powerful that governments will be forced to launch another world war to control them.
This is not the “Tea Party,” which consisted of fat middle-aged White racists who were easily co-opted by the plutocracy. Today’s protesters are unemployed people of all stripes and ages who universally say, “I am the 99 percent.”
As for Michel Chossudovsky, I like him (even though he’s a Jew), but he sits in Montreal Canada and says the protesters do have demands, but the demands are conflicting.
The way I see it, all the protesters agree that they want justice and equality. “Justice” is not as vague as it seems. Western governments and financial economies are based on FRAUD. Western imperialist wars are based on LIES. This is destroying society.
“Equality” means that bankers and investors should pay taxes and eat their losses like the rest of us.
It’s possible that there is some dissention in the ranks as Chossudovsky claims. I have not been to the demonstrations, so I don’t know. But again, all nascent revolutions are characterized by internecine strife, and by individuals who seek to use a revolution for their own selfish ends. This is routine.
I don’t think the protesters are as stupid as Chossudovsky seems to think they are. For example, he says they are working at “cross purposes.” Some oppose Wall Street, while others oppose the Fed, when both entities are one and the same.
Well of course they are! Who denies that? Many protesters focus on the banking system. Hasn’t Chossudovsky seen their signs, or read their online comments? All of them know that the Federal Reserve is privately owned.
Clearly the present system must be changed by any means necessary, but we must be patient, since we are up against massive forces, including mass stupidity.