There is a real class war going on in this country, and the Occupy Movement doesn’t seem to realize that they are on the wrong side of it. No, it’s not the wealth-hating, broad brush 99% vs. 1% class war that the Occupiers chant about. That so-called “war” is a merely a distraction from the real class split in America. Nope, the real deal pits American citizens on one side and on the other, safely ensconced inside the Beltway, are the Political Class.
The Political Class live in a world of wealth and power, and they don’t play by the same rules that you and I do. The Political Class operates above the law – literally, above it and lording over it. Since they make the laws, they can rewrite them to suit themselves. They pull the strings on the mainstream press establishment by playing games with information and power. As a result, the Political Class has been able to line its own pockets while much of the economy has gone to shambles.
If this all sounds a bit dramatic and dystopian, you haven’t read Throw Them All Out by Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer or seen the recent 60 Minutes segment that was based on the book’s research but independently verified and reported by CBS and Steve Kroft.
The book and TV segment ripped the mask off of Washington D.C. and showed how politicians use their resources — power and access to information — to make money. The books methodically lays out how politicians have been able to enrich themselves and keep this political brand of insider trading legal. On 60 Minutes, they went into detail about how Republicans like Spencer Bachus and Democrats like leader Nancy Pelosi have been able to rake in hundreds of thousands or even (in Pelosi’s case) millions by having access to information that citizens do not.
This looked bad; Pelosi needed some media help right away, and the institutional left was more than happy to oblige her. First came Media Matters for America before the story even came out, calling the 60 Minutes piece a smear by a discredited Breitbart blogger.
Here’s a drinking game you can play at home; wait for the next time someone associated with Andrew Breitbart breaks a major news story. Then in a few hours when the Media Matters response appears, drink a shot every time the words “smear” or “discredited” are used. Don’t drive afterwards.
After the 60 Minutes piece aired, there was an official response from Pelosi’s camp, who shockingly called it… a smear by a discredited conservative writer. They didn’t even try to get creative; they just presented a warmed-over version of the Media Matters propaganda.
You’d think the Occupy movement and those who claim to support it on the left would be up in arms. After all, this is exactly the sort of toxic political and financial mix that they seem to have been willing to make a stand for.
Instead, the Occupy protesters are mute on the subject of the political insider revelations. Part of that might be timing, as officials in cities all across the country have starting shutting down Occupy camps from New York to Oakland. But beyond just being busy with evictions, the Occupy movement has already cast itself in the role of pawn in the Political Class’s game.
If the Occupiers took notice, they’d see a very interesting trend in the media’s reporting; in order to protect their Political Class keepers, sites like Politico and The Huffington Post have circled the wagons and are boosting the Pelosi/Media Matters “discredited smear” line. Despite HuffPo cheerleading the Occupy movement daily for nearly two straight years, at the end of the day their loyalty is with the political status quo.
The people making a stand at Occupy are being exploited by the likes of Nancy Pelosi, despite their best efforts. It isn’t that the protesters of Occupy much care for Pelosi, Obama or any mainstream candidate or policy position; they don’t, but that doesn’t matter.
When Nancy Pelosi comes out and gushes about how she supports the Occupy movement, as she did a few weeks ago, her audience isn’t the Occupiers. Nope, Pelosi is pandering to the balcony. She’s playing to status quo establishment Democratic voter base who romanticizes radicals from Che to the Black Panthers, new and old.
The purpose Occupy serves for mainstream Democrats is symbolic and old pro politicos like Pelosi are keenly aware of that, To the NPR soothed, green tea sipping liberal living a comfortable existence, the Occupy movement conjures up everything from the ghost of Tom Joad to an off-Broadway production of Hair. That collection of misfits, criminals and victims in Zuccotti Park is actually made up of the struggling masses. They are the little guy fighting the system.
These are the heartstrings that Pelosi and sites like HuffPost need to keep pulling in order to trigger the donation response for the 2012 campaign cycle.
At the end of the day, the people who have put their lives at risk have done so for the likes of Nancy Pelosi. It’s one thing to be a useful idiot and canon fodder for an ideology; it’s another thing entirely to play the pawn of some wealthy, connected political insider like Pelosi can pocket millions in ill gotten gains with impunity.
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There is a real class war going on in this country and the Occupy Movement doesn’t seem to realize that they are on the wrong side of it. No, it’s not the wealth hating, broad brush 99% vs. 1% class war that the Occupiers chant about. That so-called ‘war’ is a merely a distraction from the real class split in America. Nope, the real deal pits American citizens on one side and on the other, safely ensconced inside the Beltway, are the Political Class.
The Political Class live in a world of wealth and power and they don’t play by the same rules that you and I do. The Political Class operates above the law – literally, above it and lording over it. Since they make the laws, they can rewrite them to suit themselves. They pull the strings on the mainstream press establishment by playing games with information and power. As a result, the Political Class has been able to line it’s own pockets while much of the economy has gone to shambles.
If this all sounds a bit dramatic and dystopian, you haven’t read Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer or seen the recent 60 Minutes segment that was based on the book’s research but independently verified and reported by CBS and Steve Kroft.
The book and TV segment ripped the mask off of Washington D.C. and showed how politicians use their resources — power and access to information — to make money. The books methodically lays out how politicians have been able to enrich themselves and kept this political brand of insider trading legal. On 60 Minutes, they went into detail about how Republicans like Spencer Baucus and Democrats like leader Nancy Pelosi have been able to rake in hundreds of thousands or even (in Pelosi’s case) millions by having access to information that citizens do not.
This looks bad, Pelosi needed some media help right away and the institutional left was more than happy to oblige Pelosi. First came Media Matters for America before the story even came out, calling the 60 Minutes piece a smear by a discredited Breitbart blogger.
(Here’s a drinking game you can play at home — wait for the next time someone associated with Andrew Breitbart breaks a major news story. Then in a few hours when the Media Matters response appears, drink a shot every time the words ‘smear’ or ‘discredited’ are used. Don’t drive afterwards.)
After the 60 Minutes piece aired, there was an official response from Pelosi’s camp, who shockingly called it a smear by a discredited conservative writer. They didn’t even try to get creative; just a warmed over version of the Mardia Matters propaganda was fine.
You’d think the Occupy movement and those who claim to support it on the left would be up in arms. After all, this is exactly the sort of toxic political and financial mix that they seem to have been willing to make a stand for.
Instead, the Occupy protesters are mute on the subject of the political insider revelations. Part of that might be timing, as officials in cities all across the country have starting shutting down Occupy caamps from New York to Oakland. But beyond just being busy with evictions the Occupy movement has already cast itself in the role of pawn in the Political Class’s game.
If the Occupiers took notice, they’d see a very interesting trend in the media’s reporting — in order to protect their Political Class keepers, sites like Politico and The Huffington Post have circled the wagons and are boosting the Pelosi / Media Matters “discredited smear’ line. Despite HuffPo cheerleading the Occupy movement daily for nearly two straight years, at the end of the day their loyalty is with the political status quo.
The people making a stand at Occupy are being exploited by the likes of Nancy Pelosi despite their best efforts. It isn’t that the protesters of Occupy much care for Pelosi, Obama or any mainstream candidate or policy position; they don’t but that doesn’t matter.
When Nancy Pelosi comes out and gushes about how she supports the Occupy movement, as she did a few weeks ago, her audience isn’t the Occupiers. Nope, Pelosi is pandering to the balcony. She’s playing to status quo establishment Democratic voter base who romanticizes radicals from Che to the Black Panthers, new and old.
The purpose Occupy serves for mainstream Democrats is symbolic and old pro politicos like Pelosi are keenly aware of that, To the NPR soothed, green tea sipping liberal living a comfortable existence, the Occupy movement conjures up everything from the ghost of Tom Joad to an off Broadway production of Hair. That collection of misfits, criminals and victims in Zuccotti Park are actually the struggling masses. They are the little guy fighting the system.
These are the heartstrings that Pelosi and sites like HuffPost need to keep pulling in order to trigger the donation response for the 2012 campaign cycle.
At the end of the day, the people who have put their lives at risk have done so for the likes of Nancy Pelosi. It’s one thing to be an useful idiot and canon fodder for an ideology – it’s entirely another to play the role some wealthy, connected political insider like Pelosi can pocket millions in ill gotten gains with impunity.
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