The Day the Right Wing Lost Its Last Shred of Moral Standing

Did you need proof that the Right Wing is stocked with nefarious morons? And I'm not sure which word to emphasize, nefarious or moron. Both, I guess.

About a year ago today was the Republican National Convention, and at that time (and prior, during, and after) numerous arrests were made under Patriot-Act spawn laws of people who did little more than attempt vigorous protest, plan vigorous protest, or in some cases, randomly blunder into town at the wrong moment.

Most charges were dropped (but not all ... we hopefully await that event in about a month) and law suits that have great promise have advanced. And now, owing to some excellent reporting based on recently obtained materials, we now know the following:

The Saint Paul Police and their allies in law enforcement are pigs. And, they are stupid pigs. And I'll throw the mayor of Saint Paul in that category as well, at least until he publicly and formally apologizes for what happened. And then there are the judges that let this travesty happen.

Hey, listen. I've pointed you to a lot of posts on Quiche Moraine. This time, I mean it. I really really want you to read "The Day the Right Wing Lost Its Last Shred of Moral Standing." This is important to me. Please do it.

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The Saint Paul Police and their allies in law enforcement are pigs. And, they are stupid pigs.

You are starting to sound like your recently deposed hero Van Jones.

What next, a post about Mumia or what really took down WTC 7?

It will be interesting to see how John Choi handles this as he runs for Ramsey County Attorney. He was the City of St. Paul attorney that ended up handling, then dismissing many of the cases involved.

numerous arrests were made under Patriot-Act spawn laws of people who did little more than attempt vigorous protest, plan vigorous protest, or in some cases, randomly blunder into town at the wrong moment.

And in some cases these darling little ruffians conspired to blow things (and people) up, so you can save the self serving grandstanding and shove it.

Ooh... ooh! Who did it, Mike H? Who brought down WTC7? *pant-pant*

Was it the Kenyan in the White House?

Mike H. Go to the post. Watch the first video shown in the post. Then read about what the police did based on that video. Then come back here and tell me with a straight face that they are not pigs, and tell me that they are not stupid.

It hurt me to write that, you know. Some of my best friends are cops. And they are not stupid pigs. But there are limits to what can be tolerated.

As a matter of fact, I have to say, Mike, that you actually are just beyond the limit yourself.

And in some cases these darling little ruffians conspired to blow things (and people) up, so you can save the self serving grandstanding and shove it.

Actually, no. And no.

You are starting to sound like your recently deposed hero Van Jones.

You mean the environmental activist Van Jones that most people had never heard of until this week that Obama had appointed to the nefarious White House Council on Environmental Quality?

A Texas woman faces trial this month in Austin on charges she threatened to kill a government informant who infiltrated an Austin-based group that planned to bomb the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., last fall.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/24/082…

Peace, love and gasoline ... right?

Some of my best friends are cops.

Yeah right ... juts like some of your "best friends" are black. Spare me.

As a matter of fact, I have to say, Mike, that you actually are just beyond the limit yourself.

Well thanks Mr Laden ... I didnt think you cared.

You cite the Darby case? You really are a moron, Mike.

And no, I don't care.

But I do appreciate the comments.

The rightwingnuts had some moral standing? I thought they were all for raping and murdering people just as their god tells them to do. It's convenient for politicians to accuse Cuba of doing this stuff and saying that's what happens when you've got commies running the place, but it happens all the time in the USA where for the most part a politician's own personal gains matter more than society. The police serve the politicians who control their wages, not the people who pay the taxes which pay for the politicians and police. The politicians in turn serve lobbyists and corporate donors who promise them all sorts of gifts. These people pat themselves on the back and tell themselves that they deserve something good for the non-existent service they claim to have rendered to the nation. It's a scene straight out of Animal Farm.

By MadScientist (not verified) on 09 Sep 2009 #permalink

Mike H. I just want you to understand that there are reasons why I allow you to continue to comment on this site. I won't tell you what they are, but I certainly am enjoying this.

I won't tell you what they are, but I certainly am enjoying this.

Oh pretty please tell me Greg?

I am just dying to know why a backwater, washed up academic honors me with the privilege of posting on his blog.

I don't who said it but there is a saying: "truly effective protest is an art of the utmost seduction." Maybe it was de Tocqueville, but I can't be sure. Any way my point is the makers of the video kind of left themselves open for attack by the establishment by not making stronger creative choices and maybe pushing the envelope of the medium as well as that of the hypocrisy of white bread morality and fair play only for those who can afford it.

I would love to see an updated version specially addressed to the teabaggers, Rush Limbaugh and the other mumbling Americans who still think Barack Obama was born on Mars.

But this time make it too big to be so easily crushed.

Tom K

Oh yes... do keep the little turd Mike H around! He provides so much unintentional humor! Dense little man, but fun!

And in some cases these darling little ruffians conspired to blow things (and people) up

Assuming that any actual bad people were caught as a result of that video (doubtful IMO), just how much liberty are you willing to give up for security, Mike H.?

By Rich Wilson (not verified) on 09 Sep 2009 #permalink

Yes, how much?

Let's do a risk+cost/benefit analysis here, shall we?

1: # American civilians killed by terrorists: ~5000 (total)
killed by vehicles: ~45000/yr
lives destroyed by excessive police action: ~1,000,000 (in prison now for harmless victimless 'crimes')

2: Doubling security expenditures would affect these how?
Terrorism: not at all
vehicles: not at all
police action: doubled to 2,000,000 imprisoned for harmless victimless 'crimes'

So, which way would you go then?

For me, it is quite clear. Get out of their country, their lives, their finances, and out of dependence on their oil. We win on every front, including freeing up the cost of security forces for common goods.

Trouble is, when money is moving, there are fat cats sucking up the turbulence, and they hold the reins of power in this sad world, and use it to maintain their tasty status quo. I have no answer for fixing that.

By Gray Gaffer (not verified) on 09 Sep 2009 #permalink

@Rich Wilson: Well he's a silly little conservative, so the answer to your question would be "All of it."
Seriously, conservatives must be the most cowardly people on the planet. They spend their entire lives in a state of utter fucking panic. Even when they're not going batshit crazy over some imaginary cause to take away their privilege, they're worrying a black man is going to mug them. I'm glad I don't have to live like that.

By JThompson (not verified) on 10 Sep 2009 #permalink

Oh pretty please tell me Greg?

Mike: You are a termite choking on the splinters.

Everyone else: Mike is now required to be nice to everybody. The moment he's not he's deleted. So please report any violations by Mike to me.

In the mean time, you might consider heading over to his blog (he has one, you know) and telling him what you think over there because I'd rather not see it here. If you know what I mean. As it were.

his blog

HaHaHaHaHa!!!!!

I especially love the guy on the bike who gets pushed into the canyon by the irate bystanders. Can we push Mike H into the canyon?

Greg, I read the post and watched the video and thought it was funny. Then I read this about Black blocs and the video no longer looks funny. I now understand why the police took the precautions they did. I encourage you to read the page and then watch the video again.

Danimal, you always afraid of crowds, or just crowds that offer first aid to people hit by tear gas and that are targeted for harassment by police?

Why would you think that I'm unaware of the context? Why would YOU think that planning (if proven, which it was not) to break a window is a crime sufficiently bad to be sent to jail for the rest of your life? Ten windows even.

And, the bottom line: If there was really a serious crime, how come there are no serious convictions? The serious charges were all dropped last April when the DA finally backed off. They called those charges "distractions" and dropped them. How come 300,000 dollars of funding and thousands of hours of police work including weeks of surveillance before and after produced essentially nothing?

No, Daminal. The fact that you can get scared enough by a wikipedia page to assert that these kids should spend the rest of their lives in jail is outrageous. I think you need to rethink the way you think about these things. I mean, seriously, we can disagree on whether or not civil disobedience is OK or what is too much, but that is not what this is about at all.

@Greg Laden: I did not know you were aware of the context I just pointed it out in case you were not. I know that I was not aware of the context until after I read your post and saw the video. Have you followed the links provided on the bottom of the wikipedia page to other black bloc pages? Anyways my only statement is that I can see why the authorities became concerned after seeing the video. Unlike me, who until today did not know what a black bloc was, the authorities probably had the Seattle WTO protests fresh in their minds.