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The Political Revolution Will Not Be Televised
[The Occupy Wall Street movement may not know it yet, but Ron Paul is their candidate. You would never guess this is so from the mainstream media's aloof, retrograde reportage of the campaign season. In the essay below, my wife, Marilyn, explains why the TV networks and the New York Times are missing a grassroots groundswell that will be seen as a Political Revolution by the time the 2012 rolls around. If this proves to be so, look for a shot across the bow when disaffected young people switch their affiliation to Republican so that they can get Rep. Paul nominated. RA]
No one questions that “something” is brewing, or rather simmering beneath the surface in America. The discontent, having finally reached the heretofore silently and sublimely disaffected youth who are occupying Wall Street and any other street in any other town you might mention, is a phenomenon that has every journalist and blogger on the planet analyzing their heads off. Is the OWS movement the left’s Tea Party? Will progressive politicians regret throwing in with the legions of urban campers? Do these people have a platform? Who is supporting them? (Well, we actually know that Soros and the unions are doing that, because they’ve pretty much told us)
These are the questions everyone is pondering, and yet the most obvious issue – one that hasn’t been much written about — is how, and, much more importantly, where will this whole revolution-in-the-making play out? Don’t bother reading the New York Times or tuning in to the nightly news, or even punching up talk radio on your way to work. By the time any of them is onto the latest “breaking story,” the social networkers have already tossed it into the rerun heap, having dissected it to death in the preceding three days. This revolution is happening online, and the average American doesn’t see it. Yeah, we know Obama was elected by “the connected.” But, that was an “early adopter” phenomenon, like the kids on American Bandstand who “voted” for this week’s best dance tune because it had a good beat and catchy lyrics. Obama’s “youth” revolution was merely a well-timed call-to-arms – a call to people who were just then learning how to answer. They liked the hope-y, change-y message because it had a good beat and catchy lyrics.
What is happening now? Well, for one, we have had two grassroots developments in the last two years, wherein people came together to fight “the man.” Sure, in the instance of the
Party it was a very well-defined MAN, and what was being attributed to said man was a level of spend-thriftiness that a portion of the American populace was no longer willing to tolerate. What can be said of the latest incarnation of American fed-up-ness, the Occupy Whatever brigade? Well, they are mad, too. However, they are slightly less informed and mostly less organized than their Tea-bagging brethren. They just want rich people to turn over their riches to them – pay their student loans, pay their mortgages, pay to rebuild their roads and bridges, bring their teachers back to the classroom and their firefighters back to…the fire?
Evening News Is Stale
I know this because I was fighting a bad case of the flu for about ten days earlier this month. Bedridden, I kept abreast of the news of OWS, Greece and the gathering Eurostorm, and other topics of the hour. In every case, the news that I imbibed didn’t even make it to TV for about three days. Seriously. All the YouTube diatribes by hopped up anti-Semites in NY, all the police brutality accusations, all the protests moving to the homes of B of A’s top brass — all of it made it to the evening news…three days after-the- fact. Doesn’t the mainstream media have “online” specialists – people who are supposed to be right on “the pulse” of the young, the hip, the at-the-ramparts people who are…making the news? Apparently not. The TV networks just trudged along, well after the fact, to weigh in on something that had lost most of its relevance in the intervening days.
What does this mean? At a basic level it means just what it illustrates: that mainstream media people are completely out of touch with the electorate. By the time ABC News reports that there might be evidence of anti-Semitism at Occupy Wall Street, the YouTube video of a clearly hopped-up young “protestor” yelling “Jew!” over and over and over again at an elderly man in a yarmulke – a man who evidently erred in thinking he could have a conversation or debate with his young co-protestor — had already made the rounds of every social networking site and was already a tiresome “rerun” put out by people who check their wall once a week and share everything with their 100 friends, who share with their 100 friends. You get the picture.
Those “in the know” online have more influence on how this movement is developing than do the countless liberal sycophants like Michael Moore, or over-the-hill actresses like Susan Sarandon – or even OWS financier George Soros or perpetual foot-in-mouth VP Joe Biden. If you don’t believe me, look at how the protestors’ signs are mutating from “Pay my Loans” and “We are the 99%” to a more reasonable “End the Fed” and “Obama is bought by Wall Street too.” How did this happen? Easy, people who watch the videos online and see how desperately ill-educated the “protestors” are, go down there and try to knock some sense into these people. One person who is particularly adept at it is Adam Kokesh, the former Marine and Libertarian bellwether for countless Young-ish, recently converted Austrian economics students, who, in countless self-produced interviews with protestors, is able, usually in 8-10 minutes, to completely annihilate the faulty reasoning of his “Capitalism is evil!”-spouting victims. About a third of the time he gets them “thinking.” The other two-thirds simply get too frustrated at being made the dupe over and over again and simply storm off, with or without a snarky comment about Kokesh himself.
Backed by Soros
Kokesh has appeared on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show on Fox News. He has a huge following on the internet. But he’s just one of many people who have ventured to Occupy Wherevers around the country to try to get people to see that the problem isn’t capitalism, the GOP, the banks (in isolation) or greedy rich people. The problem is The Government — just as the Tea Party said it was two years ago, before they came up with a plan to get the bums out and replace them with nominally-more-tolerable bums. The OWS-ers, and their comrades in cities around the country (I don’t much care about Occupy Belgrade or Occupy Melbourne, to be honest), started this whole exercise with nothing more than time on their hands and a desire to live through something resembling the exciting sit-ins, stand-ins, sleep-ins and various other sex- and drug-fueled “ins” that their parents were so lucky to attend. They got their free food, their free signs, Wi-Fi access and, in some instances $600/week from the Soros-backed or union-backed goons trying to run the show and dictate the terms of the “debate” – as it is.
The people who are getting through to the hordes, people who at least say that they have gotten others to listen to reason, seem to have similar experiences with the protestors’ modus operandi: “These people just seem to like force.” “They just, I don’t know, they just think that the answer to everything is more government control; just more government in general.” “ Maybe it’s because they learned in school that only the government ‘protects’ us – maybe that is why they believe that government is the only solution.”
Winter Is Coming
How much they get through, and to how many, remains to be seen. With winter coming, the movement may well have to move indoors. Rumor has it that they (Soros and the unions) have secured the first floor of…gasp! – a bank building to house their electronics station when inclemency sets in. But, the longer they stay, the more likely someone will confront them with a solid and reasonable message – maybe just that they ought to be occupying the White House and Congress, for starters. Even now, the signs indicate that is already happening. Do they sense any irony in the fact that Obama’s cabinet is packed with people who, prior to coming on board with him, occupied offices in the very buildings standing above their encampments? One thing they do know: The interview they are doing right now will go viral by sundown. It will be picked and shredded like a Boston Butt days before Bill O’Reilly or Rush or Anderson or Rachel even get a whiff of it.
How will this play out in November of 2012? The election could prove to be the most interesting fallout from the seismic shift in American political discussion, from mainstream media to social media: namely, that what we are seeing on debates, in the recaps and in the seemingly endless parade of panel discussions about Perry’s N-word rock, Romney’s cult membership, Cain’s pizza-price tax plan or Gingrich’s grinching, is all but irrelevant when we ponder the question of what is actually about to happen. The presidential election will be decided by this social media crowd, and those who get their news from television and the New York Times will be the last to realize this.
Crossing Over to Nominate Paul
With the primaries coming, how will we know that this tectonic change is indeed happening if we don’t read about it in the Times? The first indicator will be the number of people who in just the past few months have changed their party affiliation from “X” to Republican just so they can make a difference in who the GOP runs against Obama. Who are they going to vote for: Ron Paul. Yes, the old man with the charming drawl and the dorky shoes has gained a level of online popularity that I haven’t seen since Tay Zonday’s “Chocolate Rain” sensation on YouTube a few years ago.
Ron Paul has touched a nerve in the collective psyche of the young for very simple reasons: He’s been right about practically everything AND he doesn’t take money from PACs – not a penny. Add to that a 30-year track record of principled ideology; a pro-life stand that is grounded unassailably in his experience as a physician; support from active military personnel that is unrivaled; and the ability to raise $2 million in just two days from college kids at $25 per, and you start to see the idea. The young are hungry… no, desperate for a leader who isn’t like the moral-relativist teachers they’ve had for 16 years. They know what integrity looks like, even though it’s been politically-corrected out of their lives. They like simple honesty. They’ll pay for it; they’ll vote for it. All while the news media blather on about Romney’s cult and Perry’s rock.
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Regardless of the politics involved with OWS (and it's getting more complex by the day as all kinds of forces try to take advantage of it), Ron Paul represents the only hope for real change in the current political lineup.
If he's not elected, brace yourself for a revolution.
If??? Are you kidding me? Ru Paul never had a chance in hell, and anybody with an ounce of sense knew that a dozen years ago when he started on his Failed Presidential Campaign Tour. All of this beligerant "revoultion" talk is coming from people who #Occupy their mommy and daddy's basement. Grow up.
Another completely uninformed, establishment protecting, fucking embarrassment.
I didn't read the article, but I find it interesting how OWS and Ron Paul both get zero air time. That says all I need to know.
The OWS or 99% are the same ones that support large entitlements that made sense when the unemployment rate was 4% and real wages were growth and outsourcing didn't exist. The only answer is wild EU and US deficits to support entitlements. Ron Paul's policies would start a depression ending in a World War killing millions, a real nightmare. IMO we are moving to a centralized world Government and banking system, just the opposite of OWS.
keep lapping up the neocon goverment tripe....pathetic
We are already in a depression, covered up by massive inflation by the Central Bank, accounting fraud of insolvent financial institutions and a government on its way to financial collapse. You must be watching the steady parade of liars on CNBC that draw 7 and 8 figure checks convincing you to keep your money in the stock market. The USG is spending an extra trillion and the percentage of the population employed keeps shrinking while the unemployment rate stays above 9%. We will need a depression to get back to normal. Otherwise we are going to see a sudden collapse. Keep going the way we are, and I don't know about 99%, but 50% or more won't make enough money to fill their gas tanks.
Everyone with eyes could see the absence of definitive platform in OWS.The author even think they are sway-able towards Ron Paul. The point is: these people feel hurt and disenfranchised. Socialism is always the first idea that hurt and disenfranchised people select -- it looks very appealing and the way it really works is hidden until you are in it up to your neck (and for those who don't know: it works on fear -- and when/if the fear ends, socialism dies. Capitalism works on hunger and greed which are also not ideal but I prefer hunger and greed to fear any time of the year). Only education and learning history can open people's eyes before it's too late and I bless everyone who tries to talk OWS out of socialism to better ideas.
As for Ron Paul's policies: they worked just fine until Fed was re-incarnated in 1913 for a pretext that not many people remember now: a bank run of 1907. For its time it was a big deal and the subsequent recession was considered VERY LONG: IT LASTED 14 MONTHS! -- Oh, my! Many unfortunate reasons had to come together to create such a terrible (in those times) slump.
The Great Depressions that happened deep (18 years) ON THE FED WATCH completely dwarfed any crisis that happened before it, including that little 1907 glitch (at our current scale). If not for the end of WWII who knows when would it end? Lots of fortunate things came together to pull us out of it (WWII mostly played against other countries was the one). Of course "Ron Paul's Policies" were never to be found to explain the Depression. It was all artificial unwarranted expansion of credit and mal-investment caused by it. At the same time, the drastic reduction of the government when the troops came home in 1945 is somewhat similar to the current Ron Paul's plan, so he properly brings it up as an example.
Thus, please stop repeating other people's stupidities and start learning for yourself, thinking with your own brain and judging for yourself.
Before we had a criminal government Treasury and Fed or Central Bank, depressions/recessions were often over in a year or two as bad investors took their lumps and good investors bought value
Once we had a Fed it took the Dow 25 years to recover from 1929 in nominal terms
This time may take longer unless Doctor Paul's Austrian policies are implemented
Yup, he's catchin' on.
I bridled against some of his notions, being an avid fan of Charles Dickens and leary towards the wicked industrialists
but what RP is on about is limited government. Then you cannot get the monstrous corporate-govt edifice staggering along the merry road to fascism. The first person to comment calls for the Guy Fawkes solution which is anarchy. I do not think he knows the suffering that true anarchy will wrought on hundreds of thousands of humans.
I don't believe that philanthropy and moneymaking go together either but it cannot be what is worse than is happening now. Economic Armageddon.
Thanks Rick and Marilyn for the article
I'd rather Ron Paul was leading a movement for Texas to secede from the union, the first in a whole series of secessions. Running for president of this moribund, defunct kleptocracy--what a waste of time and energy. It's a hopeless enterprise that will only grind the population down to dust as it shrivels away, sucked to death by vampires. Happy Halloween.
When the article says it isn't the banks, the corporations, the GOP, capitalism, or greedy rich people, it's the government?
Total Bullshit.
It is ALL OF THE ABOVE.
The system we have today, the one by which the economic collapse was engineered in the first place, has ALL of these components working in concert. It is the height of ignorance to say it is "the government" when th e wealthy are the ones who run the government. How many gas station attendants or sanitation engineers are running for office? NONE! Because they havent got the time or the money. Politics is about sweet taking money out of sponsors, sweet talking the electorate for their vote, and then screwing the electorate so you can satisfy those fat cats who backed your campaign. Politcs is the shadow cast by big business.
Which, of course, makes this whole Ron Paul discussion a waste of time. Great candidate? Sure. Only problem is that he's a candidate!
It's a broke machine--blow it up!
Ackerman has a bad habit of being patronizing and talking down to people. Is he a former teacher? I will leave it to othes to speculate on whether it has something to do with his ethnicity. As a democrat, I used to believe that government had to be strengthened so that it could match the power of the corporations. But I now see that if government is left under the control of the corporations and banks, as it now is, then government itself becomes a powerful and dangerous instrument of the private sector. So the "occupiers" are correct in attacking both the banks, in their crimes, and the government in its ineptitude and weakness. If Ron Paul wants to shrink the government under these circumstances, especially the pentagon, he has my full support. Uber-capitalist Soros personifies the distorting influence of money in what is supposed to be a constitutional democracy. He is successfully operating an alternate government without the consent of the governed.
There was a recent interview with ex-SC Justice Stevens on NPR. When asked, he refused to talk about any of the discussion surrounding the Supreme Courts ordering a halt to Florida's recount in 2000. None of the judges involved will talk about it, and now, with a ruling that allows unlimited corporate sponsor of candidiates--anonymously--one can only wonder who it is that is "operating" "without the consent of the governed".
Nonetheless, it is just the fact that the media can and does influence the public to secure such "consent" that there is a problem. And even when there is a popular movement that Congress can't ignore---like NO to the TARP bailout---they ignore us anyway. Other ideas that hold a popular majority are universal healthcare, marijuana legalization, and no GMO's in food. Still ignored.
Yeah but it was his wife that wrote the article.
"In the essay below, my wife, Marilyn, explains why the TV networks and the New York Times are missing a grassroots groundswell that will be seen as a Political Revolution by the time the 2012 rolls around."
Yeah sure, Ron Paul. The one who'd give any part of the public thing (res publica) to the "privates" (i.e. corporations) just because his extreme simplisitic ideology DICTATES that anything private is always better than public and the state.
You know, the problem with what you've said is that it is wrong.
If you know nothing about Ron Paul, why do you write shit about him.
Oh...I answered my own question. You know nothing about Ron Paul, so all you can do is write shit about him.
Maybe if you actually learned something about him before you look like an idiot.
I guess the ones who don't know about Ron Paul are those in denial of what many of his policies would lead to. Privatize/deregulate, check out how that has worked in other countries...
Comment some time when you actually have a clue.
Corporations are not "privates", individuals are. RP has said as much himself. You obviously haven't been paying attention.
Corporations are not privates... then I guess they're part of the public sector, right???? Eh? What??
Ever heard interviews with Ron Paul where he would destroy a lot of government sponsored programs, so that the "privates" can take up and create "competition" and stuff? What do you think that means? It means the US PRIVATE healthcare system of today. Imagine that becoming the education system. Imagine if your country's energy policy was directly decided by the energy companies without any form of elected representative having a say (like what Cheney did). That's Ron Paul too. That's what nobody wants to see about him. But hey...
Ever seen his interview with Jon Stewart, where he asks these same issues?
Ron Paul makes too much sense to be noticed, or elected, by our juvenile and narcissistic society.
When the character of a majority of the populace falls at age 17 whatever their physical age collapse is imminent.
IMHO, Paul has a good chance of being on some ticket. He could be a VP for either Romney, Perry or Cain. I think he would be the strongest Cain VP candidate if Cain gets the nod and he and Cain have both been ignored by the GOP powerful lobby and the MSM, which makes them ideological brothers in arms in a way.
I also believe there's a chance that both Cain and Paul will leave the party and form the 3rd party ticket if they continue to be snubbed. I would probably then see Cain as a 3rd party Presidential cadidate and Paul as his VP. This would have the strongest attraction among the OWS and the youth of this country. If this happens, then watch out! Obama could be trounced. and the Republicans would be gone as a party.
Cain is a Koch-brothers stooge; he will be Romney's VP selection, in an effort to hold the TP in line. Ron Paul will not be permitted on the Republicrat ticket: he's not with the program when it comes to the care and feeding of Israel, and that is decisive. There's a good chance he'll go 3rd Party, though, which should split the center-right vote sufficiently for Obama to win in the EC with not much more than 40% of the popular vote. First Tuesday in November. Then: 60 days to Civil War. And that's the only we are ever going to get rid of the Beltway Crowd.
Where did this Cain guy come from? Who trundled him out from behind the curtain? I get sick of the way they bring out these complete unknowns and all of a sudden we are supposed to take the Pepsi Coke taste test and choose between them. What a farce. These guys spring up like toadstools in the grass, or fruit flies around your wine glass. Basta!
Or write-in, but let's see how the Tampa delegates vote first after the first round
AS Marilyn points out, there is a groundswell of animated opposition against the usual party hack suspects
Sorry to break it to you guys, but Ron Paul is a monetarist.
Austrian AND Keynesian is bullshit.
Ron Paul is an economic fucktard, just like any Keynesian.
America needs an ANTI-MONETARIST candidate, and we don't have ANY.
Glass-Steagall, not monetary bullshit of ANY economic school of non-thought persuasion.
So if people want to vote for Ron Paul, then Ron Paul needs to switch HIS allegience. As long as Ron Paul believes in the Austrian school of monetary non-thought, then he is just as bad as any Keynesian. That's a fact.
What is going to change, when you look at ALL candidates for president that are running, and 0 are anti-monetarist. Monetarism is inherently anti-american, and against what our founding fathers want. Ron Paul loves to talk about our founding fathers, but forgets this. (and to be fair, so does everyone else running)
If Occupy Wall Street and/or America goes to Austrian Monetary policies, then guess what, there will be a NEW protest. The protests won't stop, until monetarism does.
What in the fuck are you talking about? Put the crack pipe down for a while and educate yourself.
Ron Paul wrote six books on Austrian Economics:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Austrian_School
You are truly misinformed or deliberately trying to do damage to the only real candidate for the American People and a better future through life, liberty, peace and prosperity rather than a growing police state predator empire
Ron Paul was the first political leader to call for a through audit of the Fed and its elimination as a private money monopoly cartel
Ron Paul was a partner in Camino Coin, sponsor of the 1975 legislation with Jack Kemp, Jim Blanchard and others to re-legalize gold species ownership
Ron Paul was business partner of Lew Rockwell and sponsor of Murray Rothbard and Justin Raimundo Seminars, additional Austrian Economists. MR went to school with debt fiat usury monetarist Alan Greenspan. He said AG should have stayed with the Clarinet at Julliard by day and Saxophone at night instead of economics.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Murray_Rothbard
MR despised what AG did to the economy, market, savers and thrift, especially after writing his 1966 essay for the Gold Standard in Ayn Rand's 1966 Objectivist Journal and in her 1967 Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal
http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/greenspan.html
Ron Paul speculated with his usual good humour that AG may one day again endorse a de facto gold standard
Perhaps wishful thinking, perhaps not
After 98 years of 98% dollar inflation from $20 an ounce of gold to $1923.70, maybe it is time to re-engage and renew our Constitution that declares only gold and silver species are legal tender in settlement of debt
To do that may first require a lot of creative destruction with debt derivative defaults, so much as perhaps to drive the value of the dollar up to the $50 and $1 face value of Gold and Silver American Eagles
AG already has endorsed a gold standard. No need for speculation.
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/stunner-gold-standard-fully-supported-a...
Alan Greenspan, trust him at your own discretion. He would say he is in favor of currency backed by chocolate or plutonium if it would curry favor in the circles he covets.
I have watched and listened to Greenspan for years and have seen how his policies fucked up my country, the world and my finances.
I wouldn't let him be night watchman at an empty warehouse, somehow the building would be gone in the morning.
He was the one watching the gold vault in Egypt when Hosni Mubarak left with its contents.
The MSM will not let him win the nomination. He will unfortunately be an independent President and that will make the current gridlock look like it was smooth and easy sailing. Darn this democracy thing.
More voters than MSM
Regardless of whether street politics works or not, and regardless of the cause and purpose. It can lead to problems for all sides. For all those that encourage this sort of thing, I suggest that they should participate first and become the--- after the fact quarterback. I certainly admire the citizens that stand up in a productive and sensible manner against tyranny. AND, my fellow citizens, we do have a problem in that area.
The battle against corruption, criminality, tyranny, and loss of Freedom is ongoing through out the life of mankind. We only continue an age old battle. BUT, dearly beloved, keep your loved ones out of the cross fire fray. If you are old like me, we bear a larger share of the responsibility of this nightmare. It is us that need to be injured, go to jail, or be killed, not our precious children.
There is NO glory for children and our young men and women to be injured or killed in the streets of Oakland, Chicago, L.A. or N.Y. There are enough problems with all the wars in other countries to take care of injury and death.
Go to the street, vote, get involved, speak out, rant and rave about you and your CAR15, do what ever you think can preserve this Constitutional Nation------ but for Gods sakes save the kids from this as long as you can if you can.
BTW, that's my soapbox you're standing on. I am the de facto soapbox motherfucker on this site.
My hat is off to you. You're a good guy.
Seconded.
Maybe if the morons pull out the plugs for their TV they might kill The Matrix. The sheep enjoy being controlled by TV.
I would comment on your post but I have to go watch "Glee" and do my nails...
Rick Ackerman is part of the CCCP. No, I don't mean the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I mean the Conservative Corporate Controlled Press! He is a charter member spewing the same bullshit as Fox News. Ron Paul couldn't make it as a doctor so he became a congressman, sucking the public tit, just like his son has done. He could not get board certified so he starts his own board. It has one member - him. Another doctor who could not cut it.
This is just ignorant Trolling at its lowest
Delivered over 4000 babies, soemtimes for free charity, served as USAF Flight Surgeon, refused Medicare, Medicaid and Government pension
Read and weep at your own foolish nonsense if you dare:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Ron_Paul
Delivered couple thousand babies - think he did ok as a doc - doesn't accept medicare/medicaid, so much for the public tit - got anything else?
How about his record of standing up for individual freedom and liberty, and against tyranny at every turn? For his whole life?
I don't know who or what Rick Ackerman stands for, but what he posted makes sense. You, not so much.
Shows how little you know baldski
Known Rick since P Coast option market maker days when he blew the whistle on the guy tainting Contac and shorting SKL (now GSK):
http://www.businessinsider.com/our-interview-with-rick-ackerman-the-man-...
"Yes, the old man with the charming drawl"
You can attribute that to a Pittsburgh guy living in Texas.
If we could extricate DoGSoRoS & The Mobster Unions from OWS then the tea party could begin to educate these poor lost souls on how to save a nation.
NONE of the GOP frontrunners appeal to me. The ghost of the 111th Congress hovers.
Social media is an overly simplified tag. What you call "social media" is rather a convergence of new media for politics, finance and society. We are new media. And worse for MSM & Old Media, we don't get paid. I smell Buggy Whip Main STream Media rotting in hell.
NYT targeting 7.99 to 3:
http://stockcharts.com/freecharts/gallery.html?s=nyt
TD, why are green arrows not working?
they don't work when the post starts left aligned with a quote.