I was thinking about that thing you said at the very beginning that went something like "they need demands & leaders so the politicians know whom to lie to and how; without the politicians knowing who to lie to and how, Occupy will go on complaining about being ignored"
This is what the anti-war and women’s rights movements learned from the Civil Rights movement,
Who in turn got it from the Prohibiitionists and the Sufferagettes. There are quite a few models to choose from. (and these older models were arguably more sucessful in getting all that they asked for than the latter day ones).
Also, what do you consider the dissident Right? The only faction that never gets what they want is someone with Ron Paul's views of foreign policy. The various other players get their tax cuts, get their de-regulation, get their privatization, get their judges, get their faith lauded in the public square, get their muscular (and willingness to be unilateral) foreign policy. Who was really left out in the cold in the Bush Adminstration?
There was also the various canal plans, conceived by Washington and his peers, to connect to the Ohio valley and make the fall line of the Potomac the location of both a world class city and the important one in North America (vice New York or Philly).
And you know, I might actually agree with a few elements of Mead's analysis. But he wraps it up in such a tendentiousness, turdly bow that I can't be bothered to read the whole thing.
I could say that Mead is completely ignoring the mirror image on the right, the variation factions of the right coalition that hate each other but want to increase govt spending and power on things like the military and social control (and ag subsidies), but that would be tu quoquish. I could also say that Mead is a key critic of Wilsonianism, though favored the Iraq War, the most Wilsonian project of the last fifty years, but that would be a non sequitor. I would say that a good chunk of bad stuff the government does, and most of the really bad stuff - the stuff that most notably increases the power and control of the government and the bureaucracy - is not a red or blue thing, but has broad bipartisan (and public) support, for instance entitlements and the war on drugs (and really, most other wars, as long as Americans aren't dying), and that would approaching a good point.
Instead I'll just say that the Democratic machine hasn't been in charge of the NYC Mayor's office in almost 20 years now. That's why his premise (for NYC) is patent nonsense.
I very much like Mead's model of the four strains of American foreign policy.
On domestic policy though, he's out of his element. The Blue State/Red State construction is a simplified representation (as all models are) that can be useful in some contexts, but Mead is stretching that model to, and beyond the breaking point.
(and anyway, New Yorkers view of themselves is "NEW YORK! FISH YEAH!" - and everyone else's view of New Yorkers are that they're that group of people who are always annoyingly going on about "NEW YORK! FISH YEAH!". *Nobody* in or out of New York associates it with being particularly enlightened or European. Mead is confusing NYC for Portland and San Francisco, respectively)
New Yorkers are getting an uncomfortable look at the ugly realities behind what we like to think of as the country’s bluest, most European and most enlightened city.
This is so massively egregiously wrong, it could cause a space time singularity if allowed to collapse on itself, and that's only in literallyjoebiden the first fishin sentence.
"Pragmatic socialism understands most societies collapse when a hardened core of dispossessed persons within that society rises up and overthrows it. We see this most recently in the Arab Spring movements."
This is wrong both generally (why most societies collapse) and specifically (the dynamics of the Arab Spring).
As Orwell explained, revolutions are led by the high middle that strive to switch places with the elite. Never the 'dispossessed' as i think you are using that term. (otoh, they are the 'dispossessed' in the sense they are leaders that the existing elite has not managed to assimilate, co-opt, or neutralize)
The Arab Spring is primarily motivated by economics - those same high middle (and young) people that are unemployed and underemployed due to massive structural inefficiencies in most Arab economies (and the outright corruption). But a system inheritted and still largely based on Nassar socialism - the original 'pragmatic socialism'.
The fact that there is no political pluralism made the system brittle, and the fact that the security apparatchiks didn't go all Hungary Tienanmen allowed the revolutions to be successful (where they were). (As I have previously said, it will be interesting in the Chinese proverb sense the first time China's economy hits some rocky shoals)
But importantly, nobody so far among the Springers has had an election, and in Egypt (the largest and most successful of the 'revolutions') the military is <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/egypts-military-extends-detention-of-prominent-blogger/2011/11/13/gIQAjZPdHN_story.html">still in charge. And are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypts-military-guards-its-own-power/2011/11/10/gIQA7QVVFN_story.html">working to keep it that way</a>
When the Greeks (both elite and rank&file) start paying their taxes, I'll have more sympathy for the "Poor Ol' Sovereign Democractic Citizens vs the Big Bad Market". The Greeks could have also used their democracy to state a preference for not joining the Eurozone 10 years ago. (I'll blame the lying to get into the Euro on the elites, though)
The Greeks are perfectly free to go their own way. They are perfectly free to default and go cold turkey (so to speak), to get out of the cycle of debt and debt maintenance.
You are merely scratching the (earth's) surface with the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/exopolitics-in-seattle/mars-visitors-basiago-and-stillings-confirm-barack-obama-traveled-to-mars">CIA connection</a>
Anyone who would associate Bill Whittle's 'Tribes' essay with what you wrote (on either this or the previous post) completely missed your point with the speed of a superluminal neutrino.
On “Say Goodbye to the Occupation”
I was thinking about that thing you said at the very beginning that went something like "they need demands & leaders so the politicians know whom to lie to and how; without the politicians knowing who to lie to and how, Occupy will go on complaining about being ignored"
On “The Limits of Democracy and Populism”
Consider that stolen.
On “Say Goodbye to the Occupation”
"were considering supporting like-minded political candidates."
Somebody's finally following Jaybird's advice!
On “Colbertesque”
Though it's the other current front page article that really shows their lunacy.
On “OWS: Time to Grow Up”
especially since your preparation options are limited with 10K spoons and no knives.
"
"Bank Transfer Day took down Bank of America"
Maybe needs OWS could put up a banner that says "Mission Accomplished"
"
This is what the anti-war and women’s rights movements learned from the Civil Rights movement,
Who in turn got it from the Prohibiitionists and the Sufferagettes. There are quite a few models to choose from. (and these older models were arguably more sucessful in getting all that they asked for than the latter day ones).
On “What Should Occupy Wall Street Do Next?”
Also, what do you consider the dissident Right? The only faction that never gets what they want is someone with Ron Paul's views of foreign policy. The various other players get their tax cuts, get their de-regulation, get their privatization, get their judges, get their faith lauded in the public square, get their muscular (and willingness to be unilateral) foreign policy. Who was really left out in the cold in the Bush Adminstration?
"
They run on inertia,
This is true enough.
because Team Blue has won enough battles in the past to make government irreformable.
This is debatable, but I think not the primary structural impediement to reform any given policy
Therefore, if we wish to change these things, the first thing to do is get rid of Team Blue.
This is ridiculous.
On “Epidemiological Politics”
There was also the various canal plans, conceived by Washington and his peers, to connect to the Ohio valley and make the fall line of the Potomac the location of both a world class city and the important one in North America (vice New York or Philly).
On “What Should Occupy Wall Street Do Next?”
And you know, I might actually agree with a few elements of Mead's analysis. But he wraps it up in such a tendentiousness, turdly bow that I can't be bothered to read the whole thing.
"
I could say that Mead is completely ignoring the mirror image on the right, the variation factions of the right coalition that hate each other but want to increase govt spending and power on things like the military and social control (and ag subsidies), but that would be tu quoquish. I could also say that Mead is a key critic of Wilsonianism, though favored the Iraq War, the most Wilsonian project of the last fifty years, but that would be a non sequitor. I would say that a good chunk of bad stuff the government does, and most of the really bad stuff - the stuff that most notably increases the power and control of the government and the bureaucracy - is not a red or blue thing, but has broad bipartisan (and public) support, for instance entitlements and the war on drugs (and really, most other wars, as long as Americans aren't dying), and that would approaching a good point.
Instead I'll just say that the Democratic machine hasn't been in charge of the NYC Mayor's office in almost 20 years now. That's why his premise (for NYC) is patent nonsense.
"
I very much like Mead's model of the four strains of American foreign policy.
On domestic policy though, he's out of his element. The Blue State/Red State construction is a simplified representation (as all models are) that can be useful in some contexts, but Mead is stretching that model to, and beyond the breaking point.
(and anyway, New Yorkers view of themselves is "NEW YORK! FISH YEAH!" - and everyone else's view of New Yorkers are that they're that group of people who are always annoyingly going on about "NEW YORK! FISH YEAH!". *Nobody* in or out of New York associates it with being particularly enlightened or European. Mead is confusing NYC for Portland and San Francisco, respectively)
"
New Yorkers are getting an uncomfortable look at the ugly realities behind what we like to think of as the country’s bluest, most European and most enlightened city.
This is so massively egregiously wrong, it could cause a space time singularity if allowed to collapse on itself, and that's only in literallyjoebiden the first fishin sentence.
"
Now I know you all are kidding.
On “A Response to ‘Democracy, Coercion, and Liberty’”
For the most part. Pete Townshend and the boys also summarized it over about four chords.
"
And of course 'collapse' is normally a different thing than 'revolution'.
"
"Pragmatic socialism understands most societies collapse when a hardened core of dispossessed persons within that society rises up and overthrows it. We see this most recently in the Arab Spring movements."
This is wrong both generally (why most societies collapse) and specifically (the dynamics of the Arab Spring).
As Orwell explained, revolutions are led by the high middle that strive to switch places with the elite. Never the 'dispossessed' as i think you are using that term. (otoh, they are the 'dispossessed' in the sense they are leaders that the existing elite has not managed to assimilate, co-opt, or neutralize)
The Arab Spring is primarily motivated by economics - those same high middle (and young) people that are unemployed and underemployed due to massive structural inefficiencies in most Arab economies (and the outright corruption). But a system inheritted and still largely based on Nassar socialism - the original 'pragmatic socialism'.
The fact that there is no political pluralism made the system brittle, and the fact that the security apparatchiks didn't go all Hungary Tienanmen allowed the revolutions to be successful (where they were). (As I have previously said, it will be interesting in the Chinese proverb sense the first time China's economy hits some rocky shoals)
But importantly, nobody so far among the Springers has had an election, and in Egypt (the largest and most successful of the 'revolutions') the military is <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/egypts-military-extends-detention-of-prominent-blogger/2011/11/13/gIQAjZPdHN_story.html">still in charge. And are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egypts-military-guards-its-own-power/2011/11/10/gIQA7QVVFN_story.html">working to keep it that way</a>
On “Democracy, technocrats, and the EU”
When the Greeks (both elite and rank&file) start paying their taxes, I'll have more sympathy for the "Poor Ol' Sovereign Democractic Citizens vs the Big Bad Market". The Greeks could have also used their democracy to state a preference for not joining the Eurozone 10 years ago. (I'll blame the lying to get into the Euro on the elites, though)
The Greeks are perfectly free to go their own way. They are perfectly free to default and go cold turkey (so to speak), to get out of the cycle of debt and debt maintenance.
On “Crushing Our Better Angels: How Tribalism & Self-Identity Force Us to Support Penn State, Herman Cain and Rick Perry”
link
(can we get a preview button for Hannakwanzamas?)
"
You are merely scratching the (earth's) surface with the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/exopolitics-in-seattle/mars-visitors-basiago-and-stillings-confirm-barack-obama-traveled-to-mars">CIA connection</a>
On “Crushing our Better Angels – Epilogue”
Anyone who would associate Bill Whittle's 'Tribes' essay with what you wrote (on either this or the previous post) completely missed your point with the speed of a superluminal neutrino.
"
A cute reply to an obtuse mistake, right?
On “A Previous College Football Scandal”
Sorry, not feeling the outrage on this one.
On “Is Mitt Romney the luckiest guy in the country?”
That was brilliant!
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.