While I obviously strongly disagree with everything that’s been proposed by Republicans controlling the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), I think this is exactly the wrong way to protest the actions of those Republicans.
As fellow lefty blogger Jay Bullock notes, the protests in Madison earlier this year were wrongly catagorized as “chaos” and used to justify the current semi-police state at the Capitol, but what’s going on in the JFC meeting right now sounds like actual chaos and isn’t going to do anything but make things worse.
I completely agree. The number one rule of protests is Never Be the Bigger Asshole.
You hit the nail on the head. Sacrificing the high ground is a stupid move.
I know folks are upset – hell, I’m upset – but at the same time they can’t let their emotions get in the way of their goals.
Yep: gotta agree. Lost that “not the bigger asshole” high ground. oops.
I think it’s a bit over the top and will be portrayed as “out of control” (it’s not). I think the better protest method is to be visible everywhere these people are, and rallying hard against this budget and for the recalls.
But that being said, given that the media is refusing to give these protests proper coverage and treatment (20,000 on the Capitol 2 weeks ago got nary a mention in the Journal-Sentinel, but any whine a GOP politican makes about them immediately is posted), maybe it takes some stunts to get people’s attention back on this. Because this budget is even more of a sellout than what Scotty originally presented, with some of the road builder and voucher school payoffs.
While I agree with not being the bigger asshole, being the nice guy may allow these b*stards to run us over, given their control of media and talk radio, and that would be the worst outcome of all. We need to be out and responding IN FORCE at every turn these next 40 days, and never let the liars control the agenda.
Aw lord. Que the backlash against the backlash against the backlash.
I fear this will be used to revise history as to how things went down in the capitol. It’s a shame this is happening.
Once again the thugs and terrorist who populate the unions in this state are showing the people of Wisconsin why Gov Walker is on the right track. They have no respect for the this state and only are concern about their own selfish greed. Keep it up unionistas you are only making waking up a sleeping giant.
HA HA HA OH WOW. Terrorists.
Nice to know you can compare people who are just being an asshole to the Tucson Arizona Shooting or the 9/11 Attacks. Bravo.
Notalib you’re just growing and more unhinged and hilarious as the days go by.
Given your own borderline psychopathic bloodlust, I’m beginning to think your tired “a noun, a verb, and thug” robo-comment routine is merely projection.
http://bloggingblue.com/2011/05/10/what-is-the-difference/
While I disagree with this, I dont think the republicans have the high ground here!
Even these more theatrical protesters have a loooooooooooong way to go before they’re even remotely in contention for biggest assholes in this whole mess.
The question isn’t who actually is the biggest asshole. The question is who appears to be the bigger asshole to a neutral observer who learns of the controversy in question for the first time because of the coverage of the protest.
Our side won the first round of the fight in part because, as large and as raucous as the protests were, they didn’t didn’t directly impede the legislative process. They just provoked the Republicans to overreact, both with draconian security measures and illegal legislative tactics. Here the Republicans didn’t overreact. Using security to remove disruptive protestors from a legislative committee is the appropriate reaction.
No, they definitely are. These are your folks, now own them. The Dems created this monster, now they are shocked when it shows up on their doorstep. All the while they chant “This is what democracy looks like.” Disrupting and trying to end a meeting of a duly elected body is democracy?! Since when? This is outright bad and illegal behavior and is just one more thing that they have been doing all along.
By “they” I mean the ones who didn’t follow rules during protests, were disruptive, etc. I do not mean the protestors who respectfully showed up to make their voices heard. If you want to scream “SHAME” at anyone, it should be these fools who think it’s cool to be carried out of a meeting. I doubt they even have reasons for protesting, other than it’s “cool” to say they did it.
I don’t think it was the wrong way to protest; there was no violence as far as I can tell. The republicans have been jamming stupid and unjust legislation and initiatives down our throat despite overwhelming popular outrage, and being nice and polite just encourages them. Like Jake says, this is about getting peoples’ attention back on our collective exploitation at the hands of the rich and powerful.
You want to talk unhinged?
From: Christopher M Branski [mailto:CBranski@matcmadison.edu]
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2011 12:35 PM
To: Sen.Darling
Subject: You are Revolting
Importance: High
Soon to be ex-Senator Darling:
Last night when you decided to cut the state EITC credits to working poor families in order to provide no-strings-attached tax breaks to corporations you showed your true colors: you’re not on our side and you have no heart.
Instead of cajoling you to change your mind, I’m just going to tell you what you are: you’re a useless fucking cunt that has no redeeming value. There are not enough words to describe how much I hate you and the rest of the fucking scum in the Wisconsin GOP. You’re parasites and you contribute nothing. Enjoy getting recalled you useless fucking dried up cunt.
Christopher Branski
I could easily come up with an email purporting to be from you making threats towards me, so unless you’ve got some additional information, I’m not really convinced.
What’s more, you’ve shown time and time again that you’re unhinged. You compared me to a thug and a terrorist, and in my book, that qualifies you as needing some serious help.
That is likely legit honestly, but this is a student who sent it from his email account at a local technical college in Dane county. I know a lot of people will come to an assumption that it’s a teacher due to the email address.
But of course this being a typical NotaLib, he’ll just keep doing the false equivalency, saying how all liberals are monsters, terrorists, and thugs but how all conservatives should be treated as individuals on a one to one basis. He won’t apologize for what he said.
Wow T while I believe most liberals are good and kind people who are just confused, you did describe the majority of them that hang out here….monsters, terrorists, and thugs.
I only repeated what you said.
I think you should realize why there is no conservatives or anyone else is jumping in to defend you. In fact, there is a reason why I think nobody here ever comes in to jump in and defend you when you say something completely out of line.
Because what you did was socially unacceptable to compare us to mass murderers for just having a different opinion than you. And you comparing me to a terrorist when I have done nothing to support the troops and have my family in there in every generation? Is disgusting.
I will be blunt in this case:
Look over at what you said, comprehend it, and realize why the hell people are pissed off at being called terrorists especially if they had friends in the fucking 9/11 attack.
I still can’t believe you saw 9/11 and don’t comprehend what terrorism is. I can’t believe you lived to see what happened with the Tucson Arizona Shooting, and still don’t know what it is.
Violence in the pursuit of political aims. Comprehend that. Yes i will admit that there has been means of intimidation from a few on both sides (hello hearing about the Alberta Darling Recalls and someone trying to run over the people doing it. I suppose you didn’t hear that on Charlie Sykes, huh?) but there has not been any violence.
if you think having a different opinion than your own is going to kill people in an explosion, shoot them all down with a bunch of guns, or poison them all? I have news for you – you’re going to piss people off especially if they had lost something because of terrorism. You pissed me off. I don’t know how many more people you will piss off but I think you pissed off a ton of people and there are probably many conservatives here who are shocked at your words.
Apologize now for it, instead of dodging as usual.
“while I believe most liberals are good and kind people who are just confused,”
This from the same person who who called people in union thugs and terrorists and who said, “Liberalism is a mental disorder.” If you’re going to make comments like that, at least have the testicular fortitude to stand behind them once you’re confronted, because saying “liberalism is a mental disorder” and people who populate unions are thugs and terrorists isn’t congruent with saying, “I believe most liberals are good and kind people.”
Standard procedure for GOP tactics:
1. Wildly assert Democrats are doing/going to do/have done something awful.
2. Stomp around screaming that the media isn’t giving it the proper attention.
3. Do exactly what they claimed the Democrats were doing.
4. When called out, claim “They did it first!”
5. When they didn’t do it first, grasp for straws and say “They’re doing it too!”
It happens so regularly I just assume anything they claim others are doing is on their short list of things to do themselves.
whoops – meant that for higher in the thread, not here. T, you’re only a psychopath in the best possible sense! 😉
You wanna talk unhinged?
First T I don’t need anyone to jump in and help me, I am able to stand on my own. Next let me expalin to you and Zach the word terrorist
–noun
1.a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.
2.a person who terrorizes or frightens others.
Fits what they did in Madison and what they are doing now at the budget hearings quite accurately
We get it….you think anyone who dares voice an opinion different from yours and who dares to exercise their First Amendment rights are terrorists.
That’s why you’re unhinged and on the fringe.
Most liberals don’t belong to unions they are just regular people trying to survive like the rest of us, those are the ones I speak of.
And no Zach it is not about exercising their rights to be heard these people at the budget hearings are being disruptive, and that is not what the first amendemnet is about.
Ah, so anyone who does belong to a union (and who happens to support their union) is a thug and a terrorist? I’m just trying to clarify, because I know some firefighters and police officers who’d really resent being called thugs and terrorists.
Here’s what you said, just so we can reiterate what you think of police officers, firefighters, teachers, corrections officers, nurses, etc.:
“Once again the thugs and terrorist who populate the unions in this state”
I went out for “leftist cocktail party” last night. Heard that the JFC protesters are switching up their game a little – not interrupting the speaking and instead interrupting the vote. Also heard from 1 man that these people (and I believe we are talking Voces de la Frontera of Milwaukee) are the most emotional people he’s seen at the Capitol. Sobbing in some cases. And he’s been there for the occupation, he goes almost daily still…so he’s a pretty good judge. I think that I’d just like to pass along that while it’s acknowledged this recent band of JFC protesters has made miss-steps, they aren’t all jerks. The acts are driven by desperation and heart and they are learning as they go along how to improve their protest actions.
Voces de la Frontera is a group that supports criminals who break the laws of our country. Their support of illegals is criminal in intself. Illegals have no right to be in our education system, they have no right being give in state tution and Voces de la Frontera has no right to be disruptive at state budget hearings.
As to Zach no you can contiue to trwist what I am saying the aggitators who support the unions are not necessrly the union memebers themselves. I am sure there are some AFCSME and WEAC members who have been disruptive and have acted like the bozos at the budget hearings but that is not a all inclusive net that you want to make it
And America has no right to criminally overthrow democratically elected leaders in Central and South America, which we’ve been doing for decades, creating civil wars, so-called drug wars, and cultures of such extreme violence that a great many people south of the border come here to flee it and to send money home to their suffering and impoverished families.
Search your home for your humanity, Notalib. Maybe it’s in a closet somewhere. Haul it out, dust it off, iron out the wrinkles and try it on. Maybe it still fits.
I have no problem with immigration I thiink the process should be made simpler and less expensive for them to come to this country, but I do nto care what the reason is ILLEGAL is ILLEGAl it is not acceptable. Almost 60% of the illegals in this counrty are from Mexico, are WE responsible for the governemnet down there? Are we responsible for the corruption, no we are not. I am not a bleeding heart liberal I believe we should help those who need help but I do not thnk approving of illegals invading our country fits that category.
I’m not twisting anything; I’m just repeating what you wrote verbatim. You said, “Once again the thugs and terrorist who populate the unions in this state” without offering any exceptions or qualifications to that statement.
You stated unequivocally that thugs and terrorists populate the unions in this state, and once again when confronted by the fact that your statement was a sweeping generalization that could easily be applied to firefighters, police officers, etc., you’re now trying to backtrack. If you’re going to say that the state’s unions are populated by thugs and terrorists, at least have the backbone to stand behind what you said when you’re called out for how idiotic it was, instead of trying to offer some lame explanation for what you really meant.
Seems to me the most malicious disruptions of government proceedings in Wisconsin have been in the legislature by the majority leaders.