Open Sesame 08/08/15

Once upon a time my daughter was transformed into a hurricane.

Rude and abusive things were then said about her.

Such as: "despite becoming a monster [a monster?!], she will not pose any danger to land."

Of course not. She’s always been a good girl.

As a hurricane, my daughter blew with winds of about 125 mph. Seems a fair breeze.

Because I live in the age of Science Men, I know that wind is a "meteorological phenomenon." The flow of gases on a large scale. Movement of air in bulk. Generated by pressure differentials. Deflected by the Coriolis effect. Etc.

I know that wind no longer has anything to do with bumptious folk like Boreas, or Njord, or Fujin—this last the venerable Japanese deity who let the winds out of his magic bag, in order to clear the primordial world of mist.

I know that Stribog may be the Slavic grandfather "of the winds of the eight directions." But I also know the guy was placed in a Home, long ago, and no one really pays attention to him anymore.

These days it's all about specific heat, equations of motion, anemometers, and the Magnus effect.

But, you know: why not both? Why can't a hurricane be both an area of low atmospheric pressure, driven by the release of large amounts of latent heat of condensation, and also a pissed-off dude with a hundred hands and fifty heads, whipped into the world from the stormy pit of Tartaros?

Or my daughter, turning over in her sleep, in dreams venting spleen, at the hoary-handed robber barons of Kaiser Permanente?

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS4t-a-w8ug]

In his novel Jack of Shadows, Roger Zelazny propounds a world that does not turn.

Like the Moon, this alternative—or once or future—Earth has one face forever turned towards the sun, while the other lies eternally in darkness. On the sunward side the people are ruled by science; the darksiders are governed by magic.

The title character is a sport: though born a darksider, he draws his power not from a fixed site, as do other darkside creatures. But instead from shadow. Which requires both darkness and light.

A second sport is Morningstar, a Luciferian (lightbringing) creature who once saw things too clearly. And so, by jealous gods, he was transported to a mountaintop, his lower body turned to stone, fated to forever face east, against a dawn that never comes; only by the never-rising sunrise, can this winged creature be freed.

The people of the sun, and the darksiders—writ, wisely, Zelazny—experience the same things; they just perceive, and explain them, in different ways.

Says, at one point, Jack:

"I have heard daysiders say that the core of the world is a molten demon, that the temperature increases as one descends toward it, that if the crust of the world be pierced then fires leap forth and melted minerals build volcanoes. Yet I know that volcanoes are the doings of fire elementals who, if disturbed, melt the ground about them and hurl it upward. They exist in small pockets. One may descend far past them without the temperature increasing. Traveling far enough, one comes to the center of the world, which is not molten—but contains the Machine, with great springs, as in a clock, and gears and pulleys and counterbalances. I know this to be true, for I have journeyed that way and been near to the Machine itself. Still, the daysiders have ways of demonstrating that their view is the correct one. I was almost convinced by the way one man explained it, though I knew better. How can this be?"

"You were both correct," said Morningstar. "It is the same thing that you both describe, although neither of you sees it as it really is. Each of you colors reality in keeping with your means of controlling it. For if it is uncontrollable, you fear it. Sometimes, then, you color it incomprehensible. In your case, a machine; in theirs, a demon."

"The stars I know to be the houses of spirits and deities—some friendly, some unfriendly and many not caring. All are near at hand and can be reached. They will respond when properly invoked. Yet the daysiders say that they are vast distances away and that there is no intelligence there. Again . . . ?"

"It is again but two ways of regarding reality, both of them correct."

"If there can be two ways, may there not be a third? Or a fourth? Or as many as there are people, for that matter?"

"Yes," said Morningstar.

For reasons required by the plot, Jack eventually travels to the center of the earth, there to smash the great Machine, which maintains the world as still; he thereby sets the world to turning.

"Because of my actions, the world is beginning to rotate," says Jack, not at all sure he's done the Right Thing. "There will no longer be a darkside and a lightside. Rather, there will be both darkness and light in succession in all portions of the world. The darkness, I feel, will always hold in some form the things we have held, and science will doubtless prevail in the light."

This, today, is this world.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0sd8lML-S8]

In his final novel, A Farce To Be Reckoned With, Zelazny reveals that the world's winds are generated up in the far north, by an allegorical machine, manipulated by a couple of working stiffs—sadsack, timid, retired, gods.

He came at last to the very northernmost point of north and found a tall, narrow mountain of ice. On the top of that mountain was a tower, so old that it might have been put there before anything else existed and the only place was here.

The tower was topped by a platform, and on it stood a gigantic naked man with tangled hair and an expression most uncanny. He was working a large leather bellows. As he drove it up and down, the wind blew from its mouth. It was the origin of all the wind in the world.

The wind emerged from the bellows in a steady stream, and blew into and though the tubes of a peculiar-looking machine.

A strange creature sat in front of what looked like an organ keyboard, and his hands, with their many flexible fingers that almost appeared to be tentacles, played on the keys and shaped and formed the winds that passed through them. It was an allegorical machine, such as religions produce when they are trying to explain how things work. It directed the shaped and conditioned winds produced by the bellows pumper to the window, where they began their journey south to all points of the globe.

Azzie looked around, but he saw no one but the man working the bellows and the other one, the operator of the wind machine. He said to them both, "My dear sirs, you are screwing things up in the portion of Earth where I reside, and I cannot permit it. I intend to do something about it unless you cease and desist upon the instant."

The two creatures introduced themselves. They were incarnations of the god Baal. The one working the bellows was Baal-Hadad, the other was Baal-Quarnain, Canaanite deities who had been living quietly for some thousands of years, since the last of their worshipers had died. Zeus had enlisted them both into his service, saying there were none better for bringing up the sort of weather he was interested in, once the initial bag of breezes had been exhausted. Zeus himself was a weather god, but he was too busy nowadays for the tedious work of making weather.

The old Canaanite deities, despite their glossy black wavy hair, hooked noses, prominent eyes, and bold features, despite their swarthy skin and huge hands and feet, were timid deities. When Azzie told them he was angry, and ready to call down a lot of trouble on their heads, both were willing to desist.

"We can stop the wind," said Baal-Hadad, "but the rain isn't up to us. We have nothing to do with it. All we send out of here is pure wind."

"Do you know who’s sending the rain?" Azzie asked.

They both shrugged.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhSfZplNbN0]

I have always been fond of the title character in Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus. Not because he was a rock-'em-sock-'em freedom fighter. But because he bulled into his Rome-upending solely because he was trailing Eros. He yearned for a woman. And Rome would have taken her away.

And because, like me, he didn’t know shit. But wanted to. And because he died about 2000 years before arrived something resembling the sort of world he wanted to see. Which is what I figure will happen with me.

At one lovely point, while Spartacus is reviewing his ignorance, his lover offers an alternate view of the source of the wind.

Spartacus speaks first.

His lover, she speaks the wisdom.

"I'm free. And what do I know? I don’t even know how to read. I know nothing. Nothing. And I want to know. I want to . . . I want to know."

"Know what?"

"Everything. Why a star falls and a bird doesn't. Where the sun goes at night. Why the moon changes shape. I want to know where the wind comes from."

"The wind begins in a cave. Far to the north, a young god sleeps in that cave. He dreams of a girl, and he sighs. And the night wind stirs with his breath."

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DQnS18EeWM]

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Big Al's picture

7300! Seven thousand three hundred nuclear bombs. I wonder who decided that was the number the U.S. oligarchy
needed. Or who decided to stop at 7300. Or did they stop at 7300. The article was about Obama's plan to upgrade the
nuclear bomb arsenal over the next thirty years costing at least 1 trillion buckeroos. Does upgrading mean adding more?
Who knows.
And all this to do about Iran, which has never had a single nuke bomb, which has never tried to build or acquire (far as I know)
a nuke bomb. It's really an unbelievable thing. But the most unreal thing about all of it is that people believe this shit.
I saw a diary on Daily Kos, the Conservative Democratic Party blog, about Bernie Sanders statement on the "deal". He of course
goes along with the lies that Iran is a danger because it might, just might, develop one nuclear weapon which would make them
only 7,299 behind the U.S. Can't have that. Every single U.S. politician is falling behind the false narrative and lies about Iran.
Every single one. The comments on the Daily Kos Conservative Democratic Party blog diary about Bernie "I Accept the Lies about Iran" Sanders,
not a single one mentioned the fact that the deal was based on lies and a false narrative about Iran. Not a single one.

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mimi's picture

I think people don't buy into the Iran lies, they just don't know what to do to make those who sell the narrative and stockpile all those weapons stop lying about it. I think many people see the idiosyncracy of the status quo on nuclear weapons, delivery, production and storage. Yet they are completely out of ideas and wit of how to ever end that madness.

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Shahryar's picture

there is the "comforting" thought that if anyone uses a nuclear weapon that there can be survivors who are not instantly vaporized or who might be "outside the range" of the radiation. But 7300! Consider what that would mean if a country dropped 7300 on the U.S. Each of the largest cities would not be hit by an H-Bomb...but by 50 to 100 H-Bombs simultaneously.

I seem to remember that we *had* 20,000 so we now have enough to destroy the world many times over rather than many, many times over.

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smiley7's picture

Enjoyed the metaphors in your thread. The first hurricane I remember was Hazel, 1954. Uncle Graham and me listened to the trees falling and crashing from the farmhouse front porch; vivid memory to this day. The storm came up via the Cape Fear river. https://www.google.com/search?q=hurrine+hazel&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Hey Mollie, though you might want to archive this data.
The list of 18 CEO’s follows:
1) Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $1.9 billion tax refund.

Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? Over $1.3 trillion.

Amount of federal income taxes Bank of America would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.6 billion.
2) Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $278 million tax refund.

Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $824 billion.

Amount of federal income taxes Goldman Sachs would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.7 billion
3) JP Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon

Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $416 billion.

Amount of federal income taxes JP Morgan Chase would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.9 billion.
4) General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $3.3 billion tax refund.

Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve? $16 billion.

Jobs Shipped Overseas? At least 25,000 since 2001.
5) Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $705 million tax refund.

American Jobs Cut in 2010? In 2010, Verizon announced 13,000 job cuts, the third highest corporate layoff total that year.
6) Boeing CEO James McNerney, Jr.

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? None. $124 million tax refund.

American Jobs Shipped overseas? Over 57,000.

Amount of Corporate Welfare? At least $58 billion.
7) Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Amount of federal income taxes Microsoft would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $19.4 billion.
8, Honeywell International CEO David Cote

Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $34 million tax refund.
9) Corning CEO Wendell Weeks

Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $4 million tax refund.
10) Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $74 million tax refund.
11). Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $55 million tax refund.
12) Deere & Company CEO Samuel Allen

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $1 million tax refund.
13) Marsh & McLennan Companies CEO Brian Duperreault

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $90 million refund.
14) Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs

Amount of federal income taxes Qualcomm would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.7 billion.
15) Tenneco CEO Gregg Sherill

Amount of federal income taxes Tenneco would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $269 million.
16) Express Scripts CEO George Paz

Amount of federal income taxes Express Scripts would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $20 million.
17) Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman

Amount of federal income taxes Caesars Entertainment would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $9 million.
18). R.R. Donnelly & Sons CEO Thomas Quinlan III

Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $49 million tax refund.

http://www.trueactivist.com/18-ceos-called-out-by-bernie-sanders-for-tak...

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mimi's picture

the taxes to begin with?

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smiley7's picture

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mimi's picture

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Unabashed Liberal's picture

bookmarked for future reference.

As I've said several times, I'm fully expecting (some degree of) tax reform to be passed and enacted, soon--possibly as early as this Fall. IOW, before the 1 October fiscal year budget deadline.

Have a good one!

Mollie


"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."--Author Unknown

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

smiley7's picture

http://www.kirotv.com/s/news/live-event/

Bernie is keynote speaker, coming up...

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smiley7's picture

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mimi's picture

Is it true that Bernie finally went into the crowd because the protestors didn't leave the stage after the time was up they gave them to speak? 4 1/2 minutes?

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mimi's picture

that's what "The Hill" wrote about it:
August 08, 2015, 05:59 pm
Protesters shut down Bernie Sanders rally - By Elliot Smilowitz

After several moments of confusion and confrontation, an event organizer took the microphone and said the protesters would be allowed to speak before Sanders.
One protester, who identified herself as Marissa Johnson, began by saying, “I was going to tell Bernie how racist this city is — with all of its progressives — but you’ve already done that for me. Thank you.”
“Bernie says that he’s all about the people and about grassroots. The biggest grassroots movement in this country right now is Black Lives Matter,” she added.
Johnson requested four-and-a-half minutes of silence from the crowd, to honor the four-and-a-half hours Michael Brown allegedly laid dead in the street after being killed in Ferguson, Mo., last year.
...
After the four-and-a-half minutes, protesters did not relinquish the stage.
After the protesters and organizers continued the confrontation on stage, Sanders waved to the crowd and walked off the stage.
He entered the crowd to greet supporters, who chanted his name as he shook hands.

Did he finally got back and spoke?

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smiley7's picture

it was a pretty physical take over of the stage just as Senator Sanders took the stage, came very close to a physical assault on Bernie. I was afraid there for a few minutes. He needs SS protection now. Taking the mic, a BLM spokesperson greeted the crowd by calling them White Supremacist liberals.

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mimi's picture

is going to say something "critical" about it. Just saw OPOL's apology diary, which blew my mind. Well, I am even afraid to speak my mind here. WTF.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

lotlizard's picture

While Mao was still nominally in charge, starting in the late 1960s China went through this period when bands of teenage Red Guards were encouraged to storm any place at any time, surround an up-till-then respected figure, and demand they make a public self-criticism and apology.

"Here, OPOL, or Senator Sanders, or whoever you are — put on this dunce cap that says 'white privilege' while we parade you through the streets."

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they need to be arrested. This is ridiculous. Enough is enough.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

smiley7's picture

I would like to point out that before Bernie took the stage a BLM representative was allowed to address the crowd for 15 minutes as part of the organized event. He was not one of this militant group that stormed the stage later it appears and was nowhere to be seen when it happened nor did he attempt to help in diffusing the situation.

I tuned in live two speakers before Bernie, so I missed this. I've also asked the poster to validate this.

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mimi's picture

didn't show how they didn't want to leave the stage. So, it's not a real raw video, I think. What a shame. Nobody filmed the whole thing to the finish line? Yack.

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smiley7's picture

BLM's Seattle on Facebook:

Black Lives Matter Seattle
17 mins ·

To the people of Seattle and ‪#‎BernieSanders‬ I am so sorry for what happened today in Seattle. I am a volunteer who just runs this page and I am only just starting to get into the movement. I was unaware of what happened and now that I've seen the video I would like to say again that I am sorry. That is not what Black Lives Matter stands for and that is not what we're about. Do not let your faith in the movement be shaken by voices of two people. Please do not question our legitimacy as a movement. Again I would like to apologize to the people of Seattle and I will be trying to reach out to Mr. Sanders.
Tags

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Big Al's picture

isn't surprising, it's a pretty rough tactic.
I'm not sure I blame them though. I think they're targeting not just Bernie, but the Bernie supporters. Maybe
moreso the Bernie supporters. I can relate to that.
For instance, relative to antiwar/anti-imperialism. I tend to rail more on the liberals, progressives, lefties on their
foreign policy views than I do the right, that's because the right is no use to me. The left might be. And many on the
left can be viewed as even more hurtful than those on the right because of the hypocrisy, sheep in wolf's clothing thing.
Hell, people call Hillary Clinton a liberal, as well as Obama.
There's no use in them protesting the republican debates or republican speakers. They already know they're useless to
them. But the hypocrites on the left, and there are a lot of them, might be their target.
And I'm not calling anyone here at this blog a hypocrite, I'm referring to the type found at Daily Kos, and there are
a lot of them.

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Shahryar's picture

(I'm planning on going to the rally in Portland tomorrow. )

An action like this does nothing to advance the cause. "Hypocrites on the left" are not going to get any message from it.

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Big Al's picture

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mimi's picture

Please record the whole event without interruption, if you can.

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mimi's picture

I wonder if the ladies on the stage did this for the same reasons you do.

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Big Al's picture

but I don't know. This is interesting because it's obviously touched a nerve with a lot of Bernie supporters,
some of whom are wondering if the Hillary camp is behind it, and it gets personal, like politics can.
Especially when taking our places in the divided camps the ruling class prepares for us.
It really sucks, hard to stay out of it. I was just thinking about that and how I probably should
find a way now, appears to be a good time.

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When the debates finally happen, the first question Sanders will hear is, "Why do you think you have a problem with the black community?"
After that it doesn't matter what Sanders says. The meme that Sanders has a problem with the black community will become "fact".

His campaign is already over. That's why Sanders supporters are pissed. They just nominated Hillary.

And personally, I really don't care what BLM does from here on in. They've done the most damage that they could to their cause and they've shown no ability to learn, or even acknowledge, mistakes.
Their movement will dissolve right after Sanders drops out.

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They destroyed Bernie. Without BLM disappearing, there is no visual that can come out of this that works in Bernie's favor. I believe it was orchestrated by the party establishment, and BLM knew full well what it was doing. BLM will never get any support from me. The fact that they had to be not the biggest but the sole victim of police abuse at a time when they're turning the whole country into a militarized police state spoke volumes to me.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Shahryar's picture

this is ducky. From the Portland Facebook page:

Erik Heckman: People on the Bernie sanders pages for the PDX rally are saying that wasn't the "officially sanctioned" #blacklivesmatter group in Seattle. Care to share a thought?
Like · Reply · 2 hrs

Black Lives Matter Portland: They were in fact the founders of the official BLM Seattle chapter. We shared the official page in the post below. The page making the apology is not affiliated with BLM Seattle and is run by a high school student.

and...

Black Lives Matter Portland: He chose to leave without responding. Just as he did at Netroots Nation.

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smiley7's picture

it gets more confusing

Which is in stark opposition to the "official" statement made here: https://www.facebook.com/BLMSeattle/posts/716844418437393

The first page has been around for awhile.

I am guessing the two women that got onto the stage were Marissa Johnson and Mara Willaford and it seems their fb "organization" page, the second linked with the long statement, was created yesterday. Hell, the ONLY post there is a "press release" with their "media contacts" at the top and two pictures forming the page. It seems as though the page itself was solely created for this occurence.

EDIT: Per the update above, BLM-WA (Unofficial page) has issued an apologetic statement even though the protest wan't sanctioned or an official BLM protest. As someone below has pointed out, of course, CNN has already pinned it on BLM. You can correct Dan Merica here: https://twitter.com/danmericacnn

EDIT 1: It now appears that both the original, but unofficial, fb Seattle BLM page and the BLM-WA Twitter have unfortunately scrubbed their statements on the issue.

EDIT 2: From BLM-WA Twiiter: BlackLivesMatter-WA ‏@blm_seattle 53s53 seconds ago This page will be deleted affective immediately. I also recant the apology for BLM Seattle. I am in no way affiliated with the chapter.

It seems that the original fb page that existed prior to Marissa Johnson and Mara Willaford creating the Seattle fb page wasn't official and neither was BLM-WA twitter. I am guessing the national chapter or Outside Agitators asked them to remove it; it is clear from the messages they were asked to do so.

The thread is here if you wish to wander through it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/comments/3gadni/seattle_aft...

What matters now is how the media will spin this, will they dig as we have been attempting to do for hours now on go sensational?

Again do see my short post below. Thanks.

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smiley7's picture

This statement is a balled-faced lie: Black Lives Matter Portland: He chose to leave without responding. Just as he did at Netroots Nation.

i encourage everyone to watch the whole video, when time allows.

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mimi's picture

the sound is working. Will go and search later.

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Big Al's picture

"hey man, that's Bernie, we hate you now".
Some of the comments at DK are pretty disgusting. I think people need to think outside the box on this one. I think
this was aimed directly at them, not Sanders.

"Call me a racist whatever. But I think its rude (0+ / 0-)

And yes I know the urgency of this racist fucking country but its not help as they are sabotaging Sanders. Fuck them! But I agree with the message. It just hey are rude.. Great message rude assholes."

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Big Al's picture

"This city is filled with white progressives, which is why Bernie Sanders’ camp was obviously expecting a friendly and consenting audience for today’s campaign visit. The problem with Sanders’, and with white Seattle progressives in general, is that they are utterly and totally useless (when not outright harmful) in terms of the fight for Black lives. While we are drowning in their liberal rhetoric, we have yet to see them support Black grassroots movements or take on any measure of risk and responsibility for ending the tyranny of white supremacy in our country and in our city. This willful passivity while claiming solidarity with the ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ movement in an effort to be relevant is over. White progressive Seattle and Bernie Sanders cannot call themselves liberals while they participate in the racist system that claims Black lives. Bernie Sanders will not continue to call himself a man of the people, while ignoring the plight of Black people. Presidential candidates will not win Black votes without putting out an explicit criminal justice reform package. As was said at the Netroots action, presidential candidates should expect to be shut down and confronted every step along the way of this presidential campaign. Black people are in a state of emergency. Lines have been drawn in the sand. You are either fighting continuously and measurably to protect Black life in America, or you are a part of the white supremacist system that we will tear down in the liberation of our people."

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smiley7's picture

assault, indeed the moderator was pushed several times by a woman. This is not the way to win people over to your cause. i respectfully disagree, Al. And I've posted an apology from BLM Seattle to Sen Sanders above.

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Big Al's picture

I am interested to see other commentary on this one though. That facebook post could be anything, could be just
one person. But we'll see where this takes us now.
I do think they were directing their ire at the white "liberal" crowd moreso than Sanders.

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smiley7's picture

BLM Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Lives-Matter-Seattle/52380405775815...

I'm beginning to get a picture of this being kind of a rouge protest.

We agree on most things most often and as you say, this is no sweat to us. The neoliberals deserve all the heat they can get.

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Big Al's picture

Right or wrong, maybe they're waking. This is where I think the older white people, of which I'm one,
need to chillax out a bit. We got some young people shutting down a political stump speech. Hey,
that's better than nothing, even if you're a Bernie fan. Granted, it would be better to see them do it to Clinton
but I imagine they'll get to that.
Shake it up!

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Shahryar's picture

I imagine they'll never get to Clinton. They have no interest in getting to Clinton.

The whole thing has been managed so badly that I have difficulty believing it's legitimate.

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smiley7's picture

the protesters, the two leading ones, Marissa Johnson and Mara Willaford, created a BLM facebook page yesterday.

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mimi's picture

by some fired-up ladies. I think it just shows how dangerous FB "conversations" are. What I see is that the "guilt" train is very well used to manipulate the readership. It spills over. Hopefully the "digtial outrage" doesn't translate into "real life outrage".

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on this than dailykos. Some progressive bloggers are also starting to dig into the BLM leadership and snipping out their quotes. Not so pretty or noble.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

What if other political movements made the same protest strategy choices as BLM?

For instance, what if the spokesman for Earth First! said, "We've decided to protest climate change and mountain-top removal by disrupting Greenpeace and Sierra Club events."

And animal rights activists started targeting PETA for protests in the name of stopping factory farming? "Sure PETA has been fighting for animal rights the last few decades, but what have they done lately?"

And radical feminists tried to shut down Family Planning Clinics?

What would it take to expose just how rediculous this strategy has been?
I'm thinking about making this into a snark post on GOS. How do you think it would go over?

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http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2015/08/in-case-you-doubted-blacklivesmat...

It is deliberate sabotage. Not sure of the motives, but there isn't a doubt in my mind.

BLM attacks Bernie, and dailykos is awash in diaries criticizing Bernie and his supporters. Smells!

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Again, if you believe we at ROF are making this up, then read the following quotes posted today by Marissa Johnson and Mara Willaford, the co-founders of Black Lives Matter Seattle, and fully available at Seattle Says #BowDownBernie.

If you look around, it links to the Ohio BLM is this story, Anonymous is the New KKK, Say Black Lives Matter Leaders, giving it credibility.

I'm not sure who all of these players are. It may be just the Ohio group destroying everything for everyone.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Anonymous is the New KKK, Say Black Lives Matter Leaders

Update (August 6, 2015):

Representatives from Ohio Students Association have contacted me and have denied any association with the individuals behind the e-mails sent to Jim Anderson. As of right now, nobody has taken any responsibility for the statements made in the e-mails sent to Jim.

Original story:

A clear pattern of discrimination and exclusion has been emerging within the last few days regarding the organization Black Lives Matter. It started with the organization attempting to schedule an event at the same time and location as other organizations and immediately attempting to put in place rules limiting attendance, excluding members of Anonymous, members of Cop Block and members of Ohio Open Carry, all organizations which oppose police brutality and work hard to further liberty.

These actions and attempts to control the narrative and attendance to the one year anniversary demonstration of John Crawford’s shooting by Ohio police have stirred up quite a debate in various circles, prompting individuals that would otherwise work together to further the cause of liberty to take sides based on political views and other opinions. (more - including screen shots of emails)

I think BLM is hurting the cause and helping Hillary.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

gulfgal98's picture

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Big Al's picture

find it. Someone on DK said it came from BLM HQ wherever and whatever that might be. But it doesn't come
up on google except in the DK story and a couple others.

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I'm asking if it is true? Is the website that posted it credible? I would really like to know if it should be believed or not.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

smiley7's picture

“I am disappointed that two people disrupted a rally attended by thousands at which I was invited to speak about fighting to protect Social Security and Medicare. I was especially disappointed because on criminal justice reform and the need to fight racism there is no other candidate for president who will fight harder than me.” https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-on-seattle-pro...

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Why were they allowed to take over? Who decided to let them high jack the show instead of calling security? Did BLM condemn the protests, demand supporters stop, and be physically removed?

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Unabashed Liberal's picture

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

Big Al's picture

"All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad."

It's early in the election campaign, this isn't going to hurt Sanders. He can turn this into a win. So can BLM.
But I'm at the point that I have to applaud their efforts. A revolution isn't going to be pretty. Maybe they were
wrong, maybe they weren't. But they're out there with incredible passion. People said the same things about some
of the stuff the Occupiers did. Remember the sixties and early seventies.

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mimi's picture

Civil war? What do you foresee to be the goal of those who fight in that war?

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Big Al's picture

"is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period ..."
We're trained to believe a revolution involves fighting and bloodshed and at times that's been the case. But it doesn't have to
be. Some of the color revolutions in Latin America and Eastern Europe are examples of power structures changing quickly
although many of those involved violence and outside (U.S.) interference.
What we need to do is end Rule by the Rich. It's a class war, it has to be a class war and we have to overturn the power held
by the rich. Simple as that.
How is another story. So is doing it in a relatively short period of time.

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gulfgal98's picture

I have taken some heat for using the term revolution before because too many think that I am advocating a lot of bloodshed or war. Not so, a revolution does not even have to involve a change of government, it is a systemic change to how things are being done, such as the industrial revolution.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Big Al's picture

If people would take the time to look up the definition, "use the dictionary" as I told my kids,
they'd find out it's not exactly what they tell us on the TV.

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mimi's picture

I am not a historian, but such fundamental changes of organizational structures, which you can't accomplish by democratic means, usually come after a war.

The usage of the word "Industrial Revolution" and "Digital Revolution" are different, as they come slowly, even not recognized as a revolution when they happen, and are technology and economically driven, not by people who want a change in power and structural, constitutional and organizational changes to fight for more equality (though with time it will become that way)..

Gulfgal98 might have thought I believe that people calling for a revolution are supporting war and bloodshed. I am not. Violent civil unrest over racial discrimination and exploitation issues are nothing but the beginning of getting the ball rolling for structural changes by whoever will get into power after those in power have been thrown out by coups. Very seldom will those coup-like changes result in better organizational structures that guarantee less injustice, less inequality, more fairness and less class divide. It's rare if it is achieved, and it's mostly a time limited change to be undermined by new power hungry, corrupt people. You don't have to search far to find them.

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Big Al's picture

In Atlantis, then it sunk. It was a warning to future generations, "Do not try to live peacefully".

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gulfgal98's picture

that Occupy aimed its anger at the right people. My local Occupy aimed its anger at the Republican controlled state legislature. We certainly did not try to take down those whom we perceived to be sympathetic to our cause. Often if someone is sympathetic, they may also not understand completely, but by being sympathetic you have a chance to build an ally. Taking your anger out on sympathetic people is not going to go very far in promoting your cause. Right issues and righteous anger, but wrong audience. JMHO.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Big Al's picture

To some, Sanders, the Democratic party and the progressives who support it are part of the
"right people". And I think overall Occupy was aimed at both major political parties as enablers of
the 1%.

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Big Al's picture

Some reaction on Twitter (0+ / 0-)

While Sander's stepped up largely his fans have done nothing but harass and lecture anyone affiliated with #blacklivesmatter
— Rod TBGWT (@rodimusprime) August 8, 2015

Ironically it has been Sander's fans online that have brought this focus to his campaign. If you've listened to our show you'll witness it.
— Rod TBGWT (@rodimusprime) August 8, 2015

And it's not even about Bernie at this point. Crowd calling for them to be silenced and arrested. Not a good look.
— Rod TBGWT (@rodimusprime) August 8, 2015

even when exerting our blackness they need a white face on it to believe/accept it https://t.co/...
— Ruler of New Wakanda (@insanityreport) August 8, 2015

even when exerting our blackness they need a white face on it to believe/accept it https://t.co/...
— Ruler of New Wakanda (@insanityreport) August 8, 2015

A reporter on the scene said ppl were yelling to tase the BLM folks. I've lived here for 20ys. Not surprised. https://t.co/...
— Ra's Al Goolsbee (@blindmellojelly) August 8, 2015

I mainly have trouble understanding why y'all don't get this really ain't about Sanders. https://t.co/...
— Elon James White (@elonjames) August 8, 2015

You are a fucking idiot. https://t.co/...
— Elon James White (@elonjames) August 8, 2015

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Big Al's picture

It's beyond that because of the reaction after NN15 and now it will increase because of the reaction to this.
Some of Bernie's supporters aren't doing him any favors it would appear.

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BLM has decided that their cause is so righteous that tactics/strategy don't matter. Gaining allies don't matter.
All that matters is to rally people into believing what you believe, and they are going to do this by protesting people that are the most likely to support your cause.

Congrats BLM. You've discovered the first cause in history in which you don't need to be smart about who you protest and silence, the first cause that requires no allies, the first cause that requires no compromises of any sort because everyone who disagrees with your tactics is a racist.

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gulfgal98's picture

Bernie's supporters are not the ones at fault here. I gave BLM a pass at NN. I supported their action there because I saw it as an action to gain attention and not an action against the Sanders campaign. Tonight, that changed. Not because of the people who stormed the stage, but because of the Twitter tag. That was totally uncalled for. They ARE targeting the Sanders campaign and I believe that they are trying to deep six him in favor of Hillary. Sad. They hurt Sanders and they hurt themselves by targeting the one who has been strongest in the corner of civil rights. Let's see if any one from the other civil rights groups steps up. Somehow I doubt that will happen, so screw Bernie and screw us all. And yes I am angry over that Twitter tag.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

but it's not about Sanders?
Right. Bullsh*t.

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Big Al's picture

wrote which specifically railed against the white progressives in Seattle, and their statements at the
Bernie speech, as well as some of the Twitter responses like from Elon White, it appears some in the
BLM movement don't feel it's about Sanders specifically but the larger scope that includes his
supporters.
Some obviously feel Sanders is the one politician they can get on their side and doing something so
maybe that's where some of the motivation for the pressure is coming from. I saw those comments
on Twitter also, many calling in to question why the attack on Sanders when he's the most likely to
help.

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smiley7's picture

These live events and social media are fluid. Having watched the event live, I wanted to dispel the myths that would surely come.
Now, it appears that there are at least three BLM groups in Seattle and according to Sanders for President, they are arguing between themselves.
Not to worry...
Sanders was ahead of everything, tonight in Seattle he was introduced by his new National Campaign Press Secretary. She is a woman of color and gave an explosive intro!
Learn more about her here: https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders

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Unabashed Liberal's picture

jumping to the conclusion that 'Bernie's campaign is finished,' why not at least wait until enough facts have been ascertained? And then trust Bernie's campaign--remember, Tad Devine, no rookie by any means, is one of his Campaign Managers (the primary one, I think)--to handle the situation in such a manner that today's incident will not be detrimental to Bernie, or to his cause.

IIRC, I posted a photo of the MSM national campaign reporters standing/walking literally entwined in "rope" during the Fourth of July parade in NH that FSC marched in.

And, I have another photo if anyone needs to see it (from another angle, that day), which clearly shows the massive Secret Service presence that typically surrounds FSC. And has for decades, now.

I doubt seriously that BLM activists, or anyone else, could get to her if they wanted to.

A couple more thoughts, but they'll have to wait until later, since we have an early morning.

BTW, I didn't like the degree of aggressiveness demonstrated, especially by the BLM protestor on the right side of the podium. However, IMHO, it would have been an unmitigated disaster to have had them arrested. (I can't imagine that they were armed, or intending to physically harm anyone there.)

As I posted a couple months ago, the AA Community turned out at a higher rate (percentage-wise) in 2012, than did the White Community. That's not my opinion, that's according to the WaPo piece and statistics that I posted.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a short blurb about how FSC "blew" her comment to black activists at a Missouri Church when she gave her "All Lives Matter" answer (in their eyes). And, as a result, they took to social media, and 'ripped her a new one.' (so to speak)

Wink

Well, apparently, since I'd never heard anything about this event until I inadvertently ran across the piece, I'd say that FSC and her Campaign did the smart thing--they kept quiet about the incident, therefore, not allowing the event to be blown up into a major sensation--online, or anywhere else.

IOW, in typical Clintonian fashion, they kept their heads down, and hoped no one would notice. And, of course, she immediately changed her rhetoric on the topic. [Bear in mind, this incident happened only weeks before the NN BLM incident with O'Malley and Sanders.]

I imagine that the Sanders Campaign will issue a statement--and move on. And hopefully, most of his supporters will trust him and his Campaign to manage the situation. Remember, most of the nation in August, is all about getting in their last weeks of summer fun, and won't even hear about this--or at least, if it's allowed to blow over.

(If anyone finds a video of the entire incident, I would appreciate it if they would consider posting it. I've looked, and so far, haven't found one.)

Oh, and Everyone attending the Portland rally, have a wonderful time! Would love to hear about it, if anyone cares to post a short blurb or comment.

Mollie


"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."--Author Unknown

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

smiley7's picture

and I have to say this, not much was made of the background of the leading mic person at the NN's BLM disturbance; too much for a cynic to accept, dots being dots.

I trusted the leadership vetting of the very good people at Sanders for President, after having directly asked for confirmation; we were taken in; thankfully for only less than an hour. No biggie.

But is there a pattern?

Sanders is just beginning and as I've written, for what, two months now, this meme that Sanders doesn't appeal to PoC is as gjohnsit said in this thread, a swift-boat attempt; beginning at Vox (or from Republican operatives earlier, more about that later if the need arises).

Karl Rove's been awfully quite lately, or has he?

I just can't stand by and allow a good man's character impugned; especially when this man is giving all, as he has historically done for us and not himself. Were I a magician and could open eyes, I would.

Jewish cat calls and more will come about Bernie. But, we know better.

The neoliberals control and they want more, but we are the c99 and the buck stops here, comes to mind.

Hey, did you see the note I left for you about the catfood data?

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Unabashed Liberal's picture

see the protests of the campaign appearances of the more liberal (Dem) candidates, not as an attempt to destroy those candidates, but the result of the activists believing (or hoping) that these candidates can be moved into their column on this issue--stopping an ever increasing militarized police force from mowing down black citizens in record numbers. IOW, they are targeting the candidates whom they believe they can enlist to help them fight this injustice. (But I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't say that I 'know' this, for sure.)

Now, regarding Kos, DKos Staff Writers, or Vox--you'll get no argument out of me! It's pretty plain that their agenda is to discredit Senator Sanders, in order to bolster FSC.

OTOH, BLM is a serious 'thorn in the side' of status quo civil rights groups. From much of the reading I've done, it's apparent to me that they often send in Al Sharpton, and other so-called Black Community Leaders, to attempt to co-opt this movement.

IOW, just like many of our unions, for the most part, the Black Misleadership Class has been co-opted, and long ago sold out to the Dem Party Machine, and the One Percent--over the rank-and-file Dem Party AA constituency.

Anyhoo, thanks for keeping us abreast of Bernie's speeches, appearances, etc. Hope you continue to do so.

A link is always helpful, 'cause there are times that I've attempted to follow the discussion (here) about comments or disagreements, but was unable to do so, because I couldn't find the corresponding DKos diary, link to a video, etc.

Have a good one!

Mollie


"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."--Author Unknown

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mimi's picture

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gulfgal98's picture

Flying Spaghetti Clinton according to Shahryar. LOL

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

mimi's picture

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Unabashed Liberal's picture

Thanks for jumping in with the definition, Nancy.

Gotta admit, Shah's definition is much catchier!

Clapping

Mollie


"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."--Author Unknown

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