Chris Hedges: The Election March of the Trolls

[marmar]

from truthdig:



The Election March of the Trolls

Posted on Aug 29, 2011
By Chris Hedges


We have begun the election march of the trolls. They have crawled out of the sewers of public relations firms, polling organizations, the commercial media, the two corporate political parties and elected office to fill the airwaves with inanities and absurdities until the final inanity—the 2012 presidential election. Journalists, whose role has been reduced to purveyors of court gossip, whether on Fox or MSNBC, descend in swarms to report pseudo-events such as the Ames straw poll, where it costs $30 to cast a ballot. And then, almost immediately, they blithely inform us that the Iowa poll is meaningless now that Rick Perry has entered the race. The liberal trolls, as they do in every election cycle, are beating their little chests about the perfidiousness of the Democratic Party and Barack Obama. It is a gesture performed not to effect change but to burnish their credentials as moralists. They know, as do we, that they will trot obediently into the voting booth in 2012 to do as they are told. And everywhere the pulse of the nation is being assiduously monitored through polls and focus groups, not because our opinions matter, but because our troll candidates understand that by parroting back to us our own viewpoints they can continue to spend their days lapping up corporate money with other trolls in the two houses of Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and television studios where they chat with troll celebrity journalists.

The only commodity the troll state offers is fear. The corporate trolls, such as the Koch brothers, terrify the birthers, creationists, militia lovers, tea party militants, right-to-life advocates, Christian fascists and God-fearing red-white-and-blue patriots by proclaiming that, unless they vote for Perry or Mitt Romney or Michele Bachmann or some other product of the lunatic fringe of our political establishment, the American family will be destroyed, our children will be corrupted and the country will turn socialist. Barack Obama, who they whisper is a closet Muslim, will take away their guns, raise their taxes and bring homosexual couples into kindergartens.

For those, usually liberals, still rooted in a reality-based world, one that believes in evolutionary science, the corporate trolls offer a more refined, fear-based message of impending doom. If you abandon the Democrats we will be governed by Bible-thumping idiots who will make us chant the Pledge of Allegiance in mass rallies and teach the account of Genesis as historical and biological fact in our nation’s schools.

And underneath it all runs the mantra chanted in unison by all the trolls—terror, terror, terror. The troll establishment spins us like windup dolls and laughs all the way to the bank. What idiots, they think. And every election cycle we prove them right. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_election_march_of_the_trolls_20110829/

[ixion]

1. Thank you, Mr. Hedges. This is spot on the nose.

and thanks for posting marmar.

[txlibdem]

2. Take the Liberal or Progressive vote for granted? At your own peril.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Progressive morality is not the problem, the problem is the DINO Corporate Whores who've infiltrated and perverted the Democratic Party platform.

Huge anti-Corporate Whore Un-Rec from this true Democrat.

[marmar]

3. So Chris Hedges is a corporate whore?

:rofl:


No offense, but I think you missed the point of the article by about 2 miles.

[txlibdem]

17. Has he infiltrated and perverted the Democratic Party Platform?

If not then :rofl:
If so then :rofl:

Reading Is FUNdamental.

[Doctor_J]

12. Not liberal morality

It's those whose are moral enough to recognize and identify the problems, but not moral enough to walk away from the slightly less corrupt major party

[txlibdem]

18. That's not what the quote said

From the OP:
"The liberal trolls,
as they do in every election cycle,
are beating their little chests about the perfidiousness of the Democratic Party and Barack Obama.
It is a gesture performed not to effect change
but to burnish their credentials as moralists.
They know, as do we, that they will trot obediently
into the voting booth in 2012 to do as they are told."


Definition of "perfidiousness"
perfidious
adj
guilty, treacherous, or faithless; deceitful
perfidiously adv
perfidiousness n

No matter how you read it, this is taking the Progressive voters for granted, if not actively antagonistic toward Progressives and Liberal Dems. In the 2012 election that is not a very smart thing to do.

[adhd_what_huh]

4. Chris has been reading DU

"It is a gesture performed not to effect change but to burnish their credentials as moralists."



check...check

[kenny blankenship]

7. That comment was directed at critics of Obama & the D party who NEVERTHELESS plan to vote for them

If you've read his recent output, you should know Chris Hedges is all done voting for the Democrats, on the basis that they are 99% sold out and the 1% is kept around for show.

Don't agree with him unless you're planning to ditch Obama and the "Democratic" Party.

[Leftist Agitator]

5. This passage nails it:

"Rick Perry and John Boehner overtly make war on Social Security. Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi say they would like to save Social Security but are sadly powerless before the decisions of a congressional super committee they helped form. The result, of course, is the same. We get to choose the rhetoric and manner in which we are deceived and disempowered. Nothing more."

[bread_and_roses]

10. Exactly

Too late to R but at least I can give it a kick.

[swilton]

6. I have already concluded/

predicted that the 2012 election will not have legitimacy due to under representation of the electorate.

[Overseas]

8. K&R. Such a great writer and speaker.

I watched his Call to Rebels on Link TV this weekend. Very moving.

[Blue_Tires]

15. I'm sorry I missed that

will try to see it sometime

[Gregorian]

9. He's brilliant at identifying the problem. What is the solution?

Maybe one solution is that we stop beating up those on our side. Like Ralph Nader. The Pavlovian Nader syndrome. Listen, don't react. But then what? They hold the microphone. They control the horizontal. The vertical.

[Doctor_J]

14. You have to think way outside of your comfort zone

I've already done that part. Then you have to find enough people who are also willing to make that idea into something functional. that's the hard part.

[Doctor_J]

11. Well, he's got me pegged

The liberal trolls, as they do in every election cycle, are beating their little chests about the perfidiousness of the Democratic Party and Barack Obama. It is a gesture performed not to effect change but to burnish their credentials as moralists. They know, as do we, that they will trot obediently into the voting booth in 2012 to do as they are told.

Except for the fact that my chest is above-average sized, the rest could be written specifically about me.

K/R

[Doctor_J]

13. Check out this passge from p 2

They have put in place draconian state controls, including widespread internal surveillance, to silence our anemic left. They know how to direct the rage of the right wing toward the last pockets of the cultural, social and political establishment that cling to traditional liberal values, as well as toward the most vulnerable among us including Muslims, undocumented workers and homosexuals. They will make sure we consume ourselves.

An extremely observant man.

[bertman]

16. Too late to REC but here's a kick. Be in D.C. on October 6th if you want to help

cure the ills of our system.

[Doctor_J]

19. I plan to be there, but think it will accomplish nothing

Just like all of the other marches and protests over the last dozen years. Why do you think the event will "help cure the ills of our system?

[bertman]

21. Because there are more Americans who are FED UP with the status quo now than

at any time during my lifetime. Because there are so many people who just want to stand up and DO SOMETHING but they feel impotent (just like you do), so when hundreds of thousands of Americans actually DO make that statement with their presence, their energy, and their good will, I think it will have a very positive effect. Especially if some of the other urban centers can have similar protests for people to participate in who cannot make the journey to D.C. for one reason or another.

Today I was chatting with a group of liberal old guys--most in their 70's (I'm mid 60's)--who were just whining and whining about the state of the nation. So I just said "Be in D.C. on October 6th. You CAN do something, but not if you choose to sit here and bitch instead of becoming active." Some of them looked like they were shocked. They had no idea WHAT to do. Now, at least, they can go to october2011.org and see what the options are and why they're there.

I can no longer NOT do anything concrete. I thought that working my ass off for Barack Obama to get elected President would make a difference. It has been an abysmal disappointment so I'm going to try something new along with thousands of other motivated Americans. What will result from it I have no idea, but I'm hoping it's going to be positive. I don't believe in the revolt option so I'm going with my gut on this one.

Maybe you could be more positive in your attitude toward the event and influence some others to join you. There's power in numbers.

See you there!! I'll be the guy wearing the Vietnam Vets Against the War hat.



:hi:

[Doctor_J]

22. But how is it going to prevent this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=624402&mesg_id=624402

and this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x624417

It's more or less a feel-good exercise that will accomplish nothing - like all of the protests in WI leading up to the recalls.

[bertman]

23. Your mind is made up. Stay home if you like, but wish us luck. Please

[certainot]

20. citizens united means many more trolls. large whistleblower rewards need to be offered