Infiltrating the Protests

I’m not entirely sure what makes some people tick. This little cretin Patrick Howley, assistant editor of the American Spectator, joins a sizable group of right wing rabid troublemakers who seem more concerned with slinging shit than with any notion of morality, practicality or even common sense.

Howley “infiltrated” the Occupy DC movement last weekend in order to act as a sort of self-styled agent provocateur. In his own words:

“I deserved to get a face full of high-grade pepper, and the guards who sprayed me acted with more courage than I saw from any of the protesters. If you’re looking for something to commend these days in America, start with those guards.”

Howley admits he was the first through the doors of the national Air and Space Museum, leading a charge inside past the security guards. His own actions provoked these same guards into spraying numerous activists and tourists, arguably an overreaction to citizens exercising their protected First Amendment rights to speak publicly.

The museum was hosting an homage to unmanned drones. This worship of push-button murder machines inspired the protest there this weekend.

Howley spent a whole day jotting down snippets to use against the movement. In typical right wing fanatical fashion his agenda is up front and center, the facts assembled around it in mocking fashion, something he prizes.

I like a couple of his twisted admissions, however, which merit some elaboration.

Howley:

” The fastest-running protesters charged up the steps of Washington’s National Air and Space Museum Saturday afternoon to infiltrate the building and hang banners on the ‘shameful’ exhibits promoting AmeriCan imperialism.”

Note: He takes the time to quote “shameful,” seeming to dispute this assessment. He does not place American imperialism in quotes however, an interesting oversight? Imperialism is now undisputed on the right? That’s good news. Now we can talk about it. It exists. It’s unchallenged. The American empire is a valid concept for us to discuss, as American citizens.

Howley does not do so, of course.

“Socialist indoctrination methods are surprisingly effective. It’s hard not to get swept up in the Movement when you’re among a hundred foot soldiers — most of them attractive 20-year old girls — marching down E Street toward Freedom Plaza chanting, ‘How do we end the deficit? End the war and tax the rich!'”

Translation: The protesters have a point that is pretty indisputable. They have momentum, and even fanatical fascistic pinheads can’t seem to counter the main message in any meaningful way, so they resort to the good old “socialist” smear to mock their opponents, whose logic is otherwiseunassailable.

Howley:

“Whenever the protesters would pass a group of tourists they’d implore them to join, and when a few smiling college kids would hesitantly jump in everyone would applAud wildly.”

Translation: The protests are popular and growing. The message is not off-putting, and the crowds are made up of regular people who have the guts to stand up and demand a change in governance. Such heroic acts inspire others.

“But just as the lefties couldn’t figure out how to run their assembly meeting (many process points, I’m afraid to report, were left un-twinkled), so too do they lack the nerve to confront authority.”

Translation: Most had enough sense not to bust into the Air and Space Museum like Howley did, and they avoided the pepper spraying, the probable beating and the arrests that awaited the foolhardy. Howley takes this restraint as an opportunity to mock their timidity, ignoring that the entire protest is itself a confrontation with authority, and those in attendance have plenty of “nerve” to do so.

“From estimates within the protest, only ten people were pepper-sprayed, and as far as I could tell I was the only one who got inside the museum.”

Translation and Correction: A peaceful constitutionally protected protest outside the museum garnered no overreaction from guards or police. Those that stormed their way in past the security guards, like Howley, were sprayed. Here, though, Howley tells a deMonstrable lie. He was not the only one inside, as a group of a few dozen went in and hung a banner.

“In the absence of ideological uniformity, these protesters have no political power.”

Translation: There are more issues than “No new taxes!!!” The fascists have made great strides with their strategy of coddling of the super-rich pay daddies at the expense of the rest of us. Their entrenched corruption has created so many dire crises that it is impossible to have a “uniform” response to their blitzkrieg against the working classes and environment. The common people have no one neat response to the thousand affronts and back door abominations currently derailing the world. So their best shot is to band together and shout: “Enough.”

A movement needs to gain power before it gets to decide on specific plans and policies.

“Their only chance, as I saw it, was to push the envelope and go bold. But, if today’s demonstration was any indicator, they don’t have what it takes to even do that.”

Translation: Howley, after a whole day’s immersion in the movement against mega-corruption sees no choice but to lead them into “bold” actions in the service of his column at a right wing magazine and hope for a violent crackdown by authorities. But, as he admits, most people have more common sensE than to follow idiots like himself, or other irrational troublemakers. Because they display such restraint and wisdom Howley finds it fitting to try and mock them for possessing the maturity he clearly lacks.

Joe Giambrone is a filmmaker and author of Hell of a Deal: A Supernatural Satire. He edits The Political Film Blog. He be reached at: polfilmblog at gmail.