2. this is what you said, using the words "reach out":
>WOW, this list has gotten pretty elitist and paranoid of right-populism
>really fast over the last few days. So, the underlining assumptions are
>that the tea-parties are monolithic, ignorant, have completely different
>grievances then 'real people', and...should be what...sent to the
>gulags??? If there is going to be a rise of fascism out of this it will
>only be because the left is too elite and self-righteous to reach out and
>convince people with very real problems that this is not the way forward.
>Have fun.
<http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20100201/001793.html>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20100201/001793.html
I happen to think that "reaching out" to TPers to "convince" them "that this is not the way forward" is a waste of time.
I also happen to think that any "fascist rise" has pretty slim chances and, that if i'm wrong, this fascistic rise will hardly be because a tiny minority of people in this country - lefties -- failed to rise up and correct the TPers' consciousness, showing them the error of their ways. (I also don't think they are fascists).
As my subsequent discussion of the fact that I come from hearty right-wing stock, that I'm married to someone who a lot of people here call stupid or willfully ignorant because he used to listen to Rush Limbaugh, that I'm good friends with someone who currently DOES listen to Rush, Drudge, etc. -- these are good indications that, for me, my reasoning has zero to do with elitism or that i think they are stupid or even willfully ignorant.
I just happen to think they are insignificant. That it's a lot of media hype. The notion that they are "winning" makes me laugh. There are far more important things to do or even waste my time worrying about at lbo. like farmelant, i'm in a much bigger huff over peace activists who shout "god bless america" at the end of a peace rally, saying it and ralllying around like marines shout it and rally around huzzah!
much more important things to think about and worry about. For instance, right now, I'm working on a workers' justice center.
why don't you shake some of the dust off too brad and actually do something that will make workers lives a little better instead of worrying about correcting their misapprehensions. mmkay?
At 12:02 AM 4/11/2010, Ruthless Critic of All that Exists wrote:
>Brad,
>
>You said the email below to me. I think you meant to reply to
>shag-carpet-bomb.
>
>On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 8:00 PM, brad bauerly <bbauerly at gmail.com> wrote:
> > No. But I do know some old friends and family that would be fellow
> > travelers of the TP. However, this misses the whole point, I never
> > said we should reach out to them. I only wanted to see some real
> > discussion of what is the cause of this political event that is the
> > TP. I think it comes from economic changes that the left could have
> > and maybe still should capitalize on. As Chip Berlett said, if the
> > left doesn't lead people out of the mess in the US then it will be
> > ugly. So, should we just call every one ratfuckers and haters or
> > should we try and understand the material circumstances that lead to
> > ratfuck and hate behavior?
> >
> > Brad
> >
> > On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Ruthless Critic of All that Exists
> > <ok.president+nbsy at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 7:23 AM, brad bauerly <bbauerly at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> shag wrote:
> >>>>fuck you, twit.
> >>>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> So you didn't say that TPers were ratfuckers and haters?
> >>
> >> Here's what she said:
> >>
> >> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >> From: shag carpet bomb <shag at cleandraws.com>
> >> Date: Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 10:55 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Demographic composition of the Tea Party
> >> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> There's no fucking there, there. Give it the fuck up. Spend your
> >> energies on freakin people who matter. It's not these ratfuckers
> >> that's for sure.
> >>
> >> Do you, in Canada, hang around these people?
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Brad A. Bauerly
> > PhD Candidate
> > Political Science
> > York University
> > Toronto, Canada
> > 647-345-2072
> > bauerly at yorku.ca
> >
-- http://cleandraws.com Wear Clean Draws ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)