Okay, so I'm watching fantasy TV last night - MSNBC, Chris "up my leg" Matthews and I catch a segment with some guy from Freedomworks and a guy from AFLCIO. Chris is "interviewing them" about the whole notion of astro-turf vs. true grassroots protests (you know, like those true grassroots protests filled with uniformed ACORN-T-shirt-wearing independent citizens holding their pre-printed banners and waving their professionally-manufactured, pre-printed signs and singing /chanting spontaneous songs with 3 verses as they exit the chartered bus before they pick up their protester paychecks.)
I'll spare you the details of the hard-ball "interview" but Chris' general conclusion is: if you don't open the NEWSPAPER in the morning, see there's a town hall meeting that night, and decide to go, alone, then you're just a part of that orchestrated, right-wing-billionaire-funded fringe mob displaying manufactured anger.
Don't get your meeting announcement on the internet. Don't seek out like-minded neighbors to support. Don't dare read Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" if you oppose whatever the government is doing this year. Don't get organized so you can desperately attempt to get the attention of YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. Hmf.
MEDIA INCOMPETENCE -
DISDAIN OF DISSENTING CITIZEN OPINIONS BY THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
Suddenly the "news" media is concerned only by whether you spontaneously and individually found out about an event and showed up. It's perfectly legitimate for two dozen code pinkers to all dress like waitresses, parade around on stilts and hand out pre-printed "tabs" on how much the war is costing. But regular schmoes taking time out of their day, or time off work, coming to a protest, rally or town hall (NO, there are NO town halls scheduled in Nevada for August - yet) is completely "manufactured" and therefore must be ridiculed or ignored.
THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT! Don't be fooled.
