March 17, 2011

Union thuggery against Althouse and Meade: "We will hang up wanted posters of you everywhere you like to go."

"We will picket on public property as close to your house as we can every day. We will harrass the ever loving shit out of you all the time. Campus is OCCUPIED. State street is OCCUPIED. The Square is OCCUPIED. Vilas, Schenk's Corners, Atwood, Willy Street – Occupied, Occupied, Occupied, Occupied. Did you really think it was all about the Capitol? Fuck the Capitol, we are the CITY... We have the numbers and we don't back down from anyone. We all know each other. We all know each other. We know each other from Service Industry Night at the Orpheum, because we're regulars at the same coffee shops, restaurants and bars, we know each other from the co-ops, we know each other because we've had a million jobs each (and we all worked at CapTel at least once), because we live in every shitty townie house in ever-changing groups of 2 – 7 people, because we are young and horny and screw each other incessantly, because we're all on facebook, and because we aren't anti-social, life-denying, world-sterilizing pieces of human garbage like the two of you. WE WILL FUCK YOU UP. We will throw our baseballs in your lawn, you cranky old pieces of shit, and then we will come get them back. What are you gonna do? Shoot us? Get Wausau Tea Patriots to form an ad hoc militia on your front lawn? That would be fucking HILAROUS to us. You could get to know the assholes on your side in real fucking life instead of sponging off the civil society we provide for you every single day you draw breath."

UPDATE: The document, which had been posted at scribd, was deleted soon after I posted, but not before I copied it. Here, then, is the full text:
Because of their extensive, lifelong, union freeloading (Althouse, the breadwinner of their pathetic, sexual-frustration driven “family” is an AAUP freeloader, a public sector secondary education freeloader, a University of Michigan freeloader, a University of Colorado freeloader and, most disgustingly to us, a University of Wisconsin Freeloader), their movement freeloading (they have greatly enhanced their reputation and social currency both within her nauseating Tory brotherhood they represent and across the  Op:countertroll Vs Althouse and Meade 3/18/11 11:41 AM currency both within her nauseating Tory brotherhood they represent and across the http://www.scribd.com/doc/50869881/Op-countertroll-Vs-Althouse-and-Meade Page 2 of 7 internet by wandering around Madison lying about all they see) their repeated lies and general commitment to irresponsible citizen-journalism (how dare they sneak around an ongoing citizen protest movement taking pictures of trash minutes before our volunteers clean it), their false claims to have infiltrated the movement despite the fact that as a decentralized, participatory and democratic movement #wiunion cannot be “infiltrated” and indeed welcomes the attention of hostile outside observers, their attempts to incite Tea Party Falangists to act on their sadistic and violent impulses against fourth grade teachers and their students, and their desecration of the statue of Hans Christian Heg Ann Althouse and Meade are hereby put on notice.

NOTICE – YOUR CITY OF MADISON PRIVILEGES HAVE BEEN REVOKED.

MADISON IS A #WIUNION CITY AND WE ARE MADISON.

Did you really think this could go on forever? That you could sit on the steps of our house, walk the streets of our city, lie about us to strangers, tell gun-toting rednecks from out of state and the Northwoods how depraved and deserving of punishment we are all while maintaining plausible deniability for any of the consequences that your actions might cause? Did you think you could fuck with HANS and get away with it?

This isn't a one way fight any more. We will take it from the internet right to [DELETED: My actual street address — parenthetical by Ann Althouse]. Do you have any idea where you live? Let us spell it out for you. We understand that you like to eat on the square. You like the Baked Potato at the Old Fashioned, do you? There were five of us in there last Tuesday. You like to eat at Fresco? We're in the Overture eating, serving, cooking, playing, and performing. At least twenty of us have worked for Food Fight. You like to fucking drink at FAIR TRADE do you? At FAIR TRADE? You are citizen-BANNED from Fair Trade. We will Walker you straight out of the place whenever you show up. We are at every coffee shop on State, open to close, all the time. We will hang up wanted posters of you everywhere you like to go. We will picket on public property as close to your house as we can every day. We will harrass the ever loving shit out of you all the time. Campus is OCCUPIED. State street is OCCUPIED. The Square is OCCUPIED. Vilas, Schenk's Corners, Atwood, Willy Street – Occupied, Occupied, Occupied, Occupied. Did you really think it was all about the Capitol? Fuck the Capitol, we are the CITY.

We are hard-drinking, weed-smoking, rude, obnoxious, auto-didactic, uppity fucking TOWNIES. We know you hate us. We know you hate us because we ruin your imaginary, Men's Magazine, UW Admission's Pamphlet, Madison Magazine, Isthmus Arts vision of our City. You think that our town should be on perpetual vigil just in case you needalittlepeaceandquiet. YouthinkweshouldgodownquietwhileWalker economically rapes us because you want to lead a fucking tour group? Sorry babe, not gonna happen. And because you couldn't even show a modicum of fairness, integrity, or neutrality and because you had the iron fucking stones to try to pull this here, on OUR campus, in OUR city, in OUR state in OUR country (and that is about the only reason we have any grudging respect for you), now YOU are a target.

And guess what – we aren't SDS. We aren't fucking TAA. We aren't Timmy “olive branch” Cullen, we aren't yogi, granola-eating types you see at Willy Street or whatever. We are NOT radically nonviolent. We comply with the laws of the City because it is our City and we love it, but OH MY GOD do we hope Meade tries to get all tough with us. WE LOVE IT. LOVE IT. Just last night we saw a Jimmy John's worker who we know beat the ever loving shit out of some idiot drunk asshole who wouldn't be civil and polite in his workplace. We have the numbers and we don't back down from anyone. We all know each other. We know each other from Service Industry Night at the Orpheum, because we're regulars at the same coffee shops, restaurants and bars, we know each other from the co-ops, we know each other because we've had a million jobs each (and we all worked at CapTel at least once), because we live in every shitty townie house in ever-changing groups of 2 – 7 people, because we are young and horny and screw each other incessantly, because we're all on facebook, and because we aren't anti-social, life-denying, world-sterilizing pieces of human garbage like the two of you. WE WILL FUCK YOU UP. We will throw our baseballs in your lawn, you cranky old pieces of shit, and then we will come get them back. What are you gonna do? Shoot us? Get Wausau Tea Patriots to form an ad hoc militia on your front lawn? That would be fucking HILAROUS to us. You could get to know the assholes on your side in real fucking life instead of sponging off the civil society we provide for you every single day you draw breath.

Pay your dues or action will be taken. The action will be legal, peaceful, and nonviolent (on our end anyway – if you want to do it the other way fine with us. Meade is a tough guy on LGM or whatever but he's a chickenshit IRL. We dare you buddy. Double dog dare you.) but it will also be swift, decisive, direct, personal and effective.

Our demands are as follows. Choose a package. 
Package 1: Pay your damn dues, you Union Freeloading pieces of shit 

You are getting fat on union money. You are getting fat on our tax money. You are getting fat on an undeserved bully pulpit that you got from credibility won from the hard struggles of public sector workers, university professors and unions throughout history, and that increased dramatically in scope due to OUR MOVEMENT. So PAY YOUR DUES. Wedemand:

1) Because you have taken the words from our mouth - A complete recantation of all lies about #wiunion (not lies in leagalese – lies in the commonsense moral Op:countertroll Vs Althouse and Meade 3/18/11 11:41 AM http://www.scribd.com/doc/50869881/Op-countertroll-Vs-Althouse-and-Meade Page 3 of 7 definition of the word. Choose an ethical system that you believe is fair, run it by us, and we will let you know which posts violate it) posted on your personal blog, in all comments sections of all other blogs, on your flickr account and your youtube account, spoken in podcasts or on bloggingheads, or said out loud anywhere in Madison. Take it all back. We don't trust you, so we will draft a statement for you.

2) Because you have taken the bread from our table – a 5,000 dollar donation (each) in your own names and made public to the Industrial Workers of the World general fund, the Bradley Manning Defense Fund, the Recall Alberta Darling effort, a group of our choosing that advocates for the pro-democracy movements in #libya, #algeria, #iran or in Pizza for the Protesters (we prefer Ian's, the Nickel or Roman Candle, but any friendly place will do – if you attempt to order us shitty pizza or pizza from an unfriendly restaurant we will eat it and consider are demands still unmet).

3) Because you have attempted to take our very safety and indeed our lives, because you have incited violence against us and above all because you have proven yourselves inadequate to the grave and solemn responsibilites of Citizen- Journalism – Your silence. You want to make everyone shut the fuck up? Be the change you seek. We demand ZERO more posts about us, ever. We demand the admin pw for all of your shit to be publicly posted on a movement friendly facebook group or 4chan. We demand to be allowed to vet everything you post before you post it and edit it for any and all lies related to #wiunion, #wewarewi, #union, #usuncut #opesr #wikileaks #solidarity and #allthatisgoodandholyonthisearth. We demand that you Delete Fucking Everything.

4) You will never, ever, ever, ever in your motherfucking life come within 20 feet of the statue of Hans Christian Heg. Althouse, you are a job-hopping carpetbagger from New England. Meade, you are an obnoxious right-to-work Zombie from southern Ohio who only lives here because its apparently the only place in the world you can get laid. Heg is OURS. We are WISCONSIN. You don't fucking touch Hans Christian. Ever. And that goes double for the Lady on the other side.

Package 2: Move the Fuck out of Our City 

Get out, and stay out. Far out. Meade - You ain't no man for this city. We're out on the streets every day, all day. The 77 square is not for y'all. You say we're from out of state? Bullshit. You're from fucking out of state. We'll show you just how fucking Madison we are. Althouse, we will ruin your goddamn career, your comfort, your pocketbook, your sense of safety and wellbeing, and your life.

And don't try to pull up at another one of our cities either. Don't like your AAUP card? Turn it in. If you want to carry water for Koch and the Chamber, they can foot the fucking bill for it. Get a job on the Tea speaking circuit or with AEI or some other garbage think-tank in DC or Claremont or whatevs. We have friends everywhere. All land-grant University towns are occupied. All major cities are occupied. Everywhere with a critical mass of smart, uppity people is Occupied. If you want to advocate for national internetless, right-to-work rural fortress state hell with no transit in or out, you can live in it. If you want to defend Falangist Michigan, move to Pontiac. If you want to make us all work for Olive Garden you can fucking eat there. Why don't YOU go shop at Wal-Mart. Because the shit you wear looks like it comes from places like Jazzman and Bop and we work there too and we aren't having it any more. No more free rides, baby.

If you have not acceded to our demands within a week, it is ON LIKE DONKEY KONG. WE AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE. EVER. WE LIVE HERE 100% OF THE FUCKING TIME. YOU CAN'T BAN MADISON FROM LIVING IN MADISON, BUT WE CAN SURE AS SHIT BAN YOU. WHO ARE YOU GONNA CALL? COPS FOR LABOR? THE CHICKENSHIT TEA ASSWIPES WHO ARE SCARED SHITLESS OF THE TEAMSTERS TRUCKS? THE NATIONAL GUARD? SCOTT WALKER? NO ONE IS GOING TO COME AND CRACK DOWN ON US FOR YOU. THERE IS NO CAVALRY. ITS US VS YOU ON THE STREETS OF THE CITY GOING AS FAR AS IT HAS TO GO UNTIL A) WE WIN OR B) DOOMSDAY.

618 comments:

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Anonymous said...

is there no recourse available to you in light of this clearly rage filled and totally inappropriate threat give to you? I want you to know you should fee free to contact your supporters to help you. I personally would be glad to help you if you put forward a plan of how to bring people who make menacing threats like this to justice in some form or another. At the very least you could hire people to track down the people who authored this document and make their names public. so everyone can know how is trying to affect normal political struggling so that it turns personal, illegal and implies a very real threat of violence either to your person, property, or job. I think that this is simply atrocious

SarahW said...

This photo of Shankman and pal Anna is about what you'd expect.

http://twitpic.com/4agxp8

Kevin said...

I think it's very interesting that simply posting a series of videos that just show the leftwing protesters behaving as they do at these protests has angered them so much. I mean isn't that basically all Althouse/Meade did? Point a video camera at them and post what they saw? And that so infuriates these people that they resort to these kinds of threats?

The left relies heavily on the mainstream media to edit out the parts of demonstrations that don't reflect well on the left. (For example, the New York Times' selection of pictures from the demonstrations in Madison.) Actually filming what is going on, without editing it to fit The Narrative that the left wishes to present, is very threatening (and with good reason).

Unknown said...

It's kind of precious that Shankman appears to be a Madison hanger-on with mommy and daddy issues.

wv: suplabor

Freeman Hunt said...

This photo of Shankman and pal Anna is about what you'd expect.

Heh.

Nevermind about the 9mm. All you need for home defense is a flyswatter, I think.

RuyDiaz said...

This is hilarious....Althouse and Meade really, seriously got under their skin. Which is funny because the Althouse criticism of the left is really so mild in the bigger scheme of things.

One time, Ann frowned at a protester while asking her to explain herself. Another time, she tapped her right foot in exasperation when an answer was particularly incoherent. The witch!

Freeman Hunt said...

Is he holding a tea kettle in that picture?

Simon said...

vbspurs said...
"John wrote: 'Am I the only one who sees shades of Fight Club in this manifesto?' With a touch of V for Vendetta thrown in? Yes."

I see more than a little "V" the TV series. While no protester has Morena Baccarin's profile, many of them are superficially attractive. But scratch them and underneath, all of these activists who rush to man the barricades---any barricade will do---are vicious cold lizards trying to take over the world and eat a few throats out while they're at it. This is what activism looks like. The ones who are actually reasonable prove it by not being protesters, the mere act of which is telling. Which brings me to this:

Lukedog said...
"The majority of the hundreds of thousands of protesters at the capitol for the last month have been peaceful and non-threatening."

Nonsense. Their entire purpose has been the intimidation and obstruction of the Republican members of the legislature. It may not have resorted to physical violence, but the goal was plainly to hang the incipient threat of violence over proceedings. If it was simply about conveying your concerns, you'd have protested for a day and gone home. The rest speaks for itself.

Shanna said...

That picture is hilarious! Is that girl sporting some herpes?

On like donkey kong and the threat of throwing balls in your yard has me laughing, but I guess you have to take these crazy people a little bit seriously. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes between idiot crazy and dangerous crazy.

vnjagvet said...

Or some Flit bugspray, Freeman

I'm a Shaaaaark said...

Operation: CounterDouche. That's my new campaign.

RuyDiaz said...

That picture is hilarious![..]

Shanna, it is almost always the unserious people you should take seriously. Lee Harvey Oswald was a chronic loser with delusions of grandeur. Don't let their foolishness distract you.

I'm a Shaaaaark said...

Wow. So that is what democracy looks like: a stoned trust-fund metrosexual and his herpes-infected hyphenated girlfriend.

The Dude said...

Dude looks seriously stoned. Don't tase my bong, bro!

WV: alint - alint and his douche bunny.

Sprezzatura said...

So, is it possible that the Althouse headline needs a rewrite?

I know that Althouse is a stickler for headline accuracy. Or, at least she is for other people's headlines.

"Union thuggery"

Unknown said...

Thuggery of any sort is to be condemned by every one. I hope that you and Meade realize that this is not typical of Liberal thought. It comes from a sick mind that needs help.

Kathy Antley said...

jimspice: Well of course this is over the line, but I do think it is very clear by your actions these past several weeks which side you butter your bread, so I can understand why you'd become the target of their ire. I'd love to hear a response to the the freeloader observations.

Anybody else stunned that a Leftie is JUSTIFYING violence?

Dick said...

Ann, I'd volunteer to help, but you voted for Obama.

Patm said...

Thugs and bullies are always the first to join the social hoards.they're cowards who need the pack. They also will be the first to learn the obama goose step.

Anonymous said...

Which part sounds like The Klan? The part about throwing baseballs in their yard? The part about picketing on public property as close to your house as we can?

Again, this letter is awful, however comparing it to The Klan is ridiculous.


I think the commenter is referring to the KKK in terms of intimidation, not any racial aspect of the KKK. In that sense, the comparison is appropriate, as would be comparisons to the Mafia.

RuyDiaz said...

@ Simon:

Thanks for the 'V' reference (had to google it). Have never watched the show, but seems like something I might enjoy.

Best;

The Dude said...

Nice one, Patrick. Sure, leftist violence is an isolated thing.

What color is the sky on your planet?

Lukedog said...

mRed,

I have been at the Capitol most every day since this protest began. I am a public employee.

I have NEVER been a party to any aggressive or threatening behavior. I have often been with friends/family who also wouldn't tolerate aggressive behavior. Not only are we decent people, but also we know that aggression wouldn't really help our movement.

You really shouldn't comment on things that you, admittedly, don't know anything about.

I won't tolerate generalizations or meaningless comments like "every public sector worker acts this way..." or the like.

I would NEVER say "every tea party member or every republican does this or that". It's juvenile.

Again, the letter is rotten. I believe even Ms. Althouse would say, though, that the protests have been mostly peaceful.

Peano said...

Everyone assumes that this anonymous tirade was written by a union goon.

If I were writing a fake, anonymous tirade to discredit the left, I would write it in approximately this overblown style.

Lukedog said...

Simon,

I just have to know if you've been at the Capitol during any of the protests?

Would that be the "incipient threat of violence" from the kid carrying the "I love my teacher" sign or from the dude in a kilt with bagpipes? I could go on...

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Lukedog said...

I would NEVER say "every tea party member or every republican does this or that". It's juvenile.

Good. Again, decent liberals are appreciated here.

Again, the letter is rotten. I believe even Ms. Althouse would say, though, that the protests have been mostly peaceful.

"Would say"? Have you read all her posts on this? She has shown what they saw, good or bad; and for the most part, she has absolutely swelled with Wisconsin pride for how peaceful and orderly and neat the protests has been. She even chewed out Rush Limbaugh for commenting on trash at the protests, and she told the world that it just wasn't anywhere to be seen after the first day or so.

She hasn't agreed with the protesters; but until they broke the court order, she was a strong supporter of their right to protest. She all but screamed: "Hey, world! This is how we protest in Wisconsin! Follow our lead!"

But that makes the uncivil incidents like this all the more glaring. This threat is both personal and a disappointment. This threat is the opposite of what made her so proud of Madison for so long.

Milwaukee said...

Ann: I am so sorry that you and Meade would bear the brunt of a lunatic's raving. I am heartened to know you take this seriously. A good sized dog would be a good idea. They are vigilant and protective. Cowards of this ilk will strike from the dark, from behind, and when you are vulnerable. The left is most definitely violent. I have former teacher colleagues who post things on Facebook with menacing tones. Unfortunately this may be a battle neither side can afford to lose. I would hope the Fleabag 14 would renounce such violence. Will the head of the police unions, who sent the shake-down letter to businesses renounce this violence? The police are members of a union. They won't stop an attack until you get the upper hand on your assailant, so don't mess around. I'll remember you in my prayers.

Simon said...

Ruy, the 80s original is much better, but the remake isn't all bad. Morena Baccarin, Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, and Christopher Shyer are making the most of a sometimes dicey script, meandering plot (the curse of season-oriented plotted television, alas), and unfortunate visuals.

Peter V. Bella said...

Very good Meade. Very good. Though this sounds like a lone nut locked in mommy's basement, it should be taken seriously.

From a professional standpoint, I would not have publicized the LE reporting. The rest of your plan is sound.

Best wishes, take care, and watch your six.

Lukedog said...

Martin L. Shoemaker,

Not would say, did say, yes she did say. Thanks for that.

It is a disappointment.

JohnJ said...

Well, God dammit, I just wasted 20 mins of my life reading through Mr. Shankman's self-absorbed gibberish.

Nothing to see here except some child-like grandiosity. He's either a kid, in which case he'll eventually grow up (one hopes), or he's an adult and never will (As a colleague of mine likes to say, “35 is the new 18”).

I do have some favorites:

“I defend the City of Madison, the State of Wisconsin, the United States of America, the Constitutions and legitimate laws thereof, and the inalienable right of labor to bargain collectively.”

*legitimate* laws, get it?

Love that part.

JSF said...

Hmmmmmm....

Six hours after the threat is published an no Garage, Jeremy or especially quiet is Alpha Liberal.

Where they are in proximity to this threat is a question worth asking.

Simon said...

Lukedog said...
"Would that be the "incipient threat of violence" from the kid carrying the 'I love my teacher' sign or from the dude in a kilt with bagpipes? I could go on..."

No, it would be from the people laying siege to and occupying the capitol, from the people invading and disrupting committee rooms and even the House floor. The very act of being there is about intimidation, and it does you no good to cite the presence of children. The children are simply props; they aren't there because they chose to be (they aren't capable of making an informed choice), they're there as window dressing for the adult protesters.

Simon said...

And you, Luke, I suppose did attend the protests. Which is quite telling. It means that you either do not understand what they are doing wrong (that is not what democracy looks like) or that you understand and approve.

Anonymous said...

Beth's description was ridiculously prescient.

bagoh20 said...

Hey losers,

You've got your whole life ahead of you. In other words, you've got a lot to lose. It would be a shame to spend the best years of your life, broke from paying lawyers, or sharing a cell with people who walk the walk with their threats.

Stupid move, stoners.

BEK477 said...

Ann,
Conceal and Carry, Babe it is the meme of today's world. A Springfield 1911 xpd 0.45 or a 10mm Glock semi-automatic, a S&W 0.38, one Mossberg 500 pump in either 12 or 20 guage and a semi-auto 5.54 mm rifle -say a Ruger 14 or M-4 copy will provide your family with the firepower you need. Let these Yahoos know that your are ready, able and willing to use your 2nd ammendment rights.

Oh, and please get down to the range with Mead. Practice at least once a week. Take the NRA sponsored gun ownership and training courses. I am sure they have some running in your area.
Also, please make a formal complaint to the law enforcement folks. This may be a juiced college guy shooting off his yap. But jerks like this do do bad things. Congressman Giffords is a good example of how low lifes can come from anywhere. The Columbine shooters where similar in style to these Yahoos. Please take care.

bagoh20 said...

This is getting a lot like a screen play at this point. We're getting to the place where something tragic happens, but for who?

Lukedog said...

Simon,

It sounds like you haven't been there.

For that reason, I don't think your opinion on the protests is particularly relevant.

However, I can't resist. "laying siege"? Come on, really? cool it with the drama, will ya?

virgil xenophon said...

Just got in--tail-end charlie here. Took awhile to read/SAVOR the entire thread. What a tool! Ah well, the perp having been identified things will be all down-hill for the twerp now.. In light of it all may I suggest that Ann & Meade treat themselves to a change of pace and go out an purchase some of Haiti's finest "Rhum"--Barbancourt 5-Star. It's double-distilled in copper pots like cognac and is out of this world. Suggest neat like cognac or on the rocks--though may be mixed. You'll be at once both doing your bit for the revival of the Haitian economy and also sipping/enjoying the veritable "nectar of the Gods."

Treat yourselves to one of the finer "libations" extant in the civilized world--ENJOY!--You both deserve it!

Tibore said...

"1. We have excellent security devices on our home. Anyone who steps onto our property will be identified. We also have several good neighbors who look out for us as we look out for them.

2. This person's threat has been reported to the city police, the county sheriff, and the FBI.

3. Over the next week, I will stop in every business establishment mentioned and visit with each proprietor. I'll hand each one a copy of the threat and ask them to take a position. If they refuse to condemn this person's threats - tainted food, intimidation, etc., we will report."


Good! Excellent! Shove the threat back in the bastard's face.

I'm telling you all, Shankman's words are the words of a weak-ass pussy, and he'll melt in the face of real resistence. He's just another internet loudmouth, and he should be shown what he gets for being stupid.

Anonymous said...

Luke -- What I think you are missing is how stupidly anti-American it is for 14 senators to run away to another state after an election to prevent a quorum, and for protesters to swarm the capitol building after the obvious results of an election are implemented.

virgil xenophon said...

PS: FWIW Barbancourt is a fave of parrot-head Jimmy Buffet, I've found out--if that's any recommendation. (But I got there first--a looong time ago!))

JohnJ said...

Well, God dammit, I just wasted 20 mins of my life reading through Mr. Shankman's self-absorbed gibberish.

Nothing to see here except some child-like grandiosity. He's either a kid, in which case he'll eventually grow up (one hopes), or he's an adult and never will (As a colleague of mine likes to say, “35 is the new 18”).

I do have some favorites:

“I defend the City of Madison, the State of Wisconsin, the United States of America, the Constitutions and legitimate laws thereof, and the inalienable right of labor to bargain collectively.”

*legitimate* laws, get it?

Love that part.

dfooter said...

The only thing missing is the: "Sieg heil!"

Dan Kauffman said...

Punks talk a big game and brave on the web face to face by someone who has been around the block would be interesting

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Hank Rearden_WI, that's way over the line. I recommend you delete that post immediately.

The difference between you and Shankman? He was an asshole first. Other than that, not much.

cold pizza said...

Well deserved mockery in progress! Woot Woot! What a maroon, when everyone knows the number one rule of threatening behavior is to never get involved in a landwar in SouthEast Asia.

Wait..., um..., never make a bet with a Scicilian when death is on the line?

Ah! Never write the bank robbery note on the back of your credit card bill!

Maroon.
-CP

wv: hinch: combo of "hint" and "pinch" as in, more than a hinch of stoopidity.

Anonymous said...

That picture of Shankman and his gal pal now has <a href="http://theundergroundconservative.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/what-a-cheap-two-bit-thug-looks-like/a wider audience</a>.

JohnJ said...

Ease up just a bit here, folks. He looks to be an idiot, not a lefty terrorist.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

... we we live in every shittytownie house in ever-changing groups of 2 – 7 people, because we are young and hornyand screw each other incessantly ...

Boy, it must be a bitch to track all those STDs ...

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Ladies and gentlemen - this is what corruption looks like. Pure rotten corruption.

Alec Rawls said...

I like their demand for $5000. You can tell they are actually optimistic that their extortion demand might be paid because they are so immersed in the details of the different ways they will accept the payment. It is also exposes their sense of entitlement. These peon functionaries of gold-plated government feel like kings because up until now they have been treated like kings, and Ann had better compensate them for this recent hickup in that treatment. They claim that they ARE the state, while showing what tyrants they are. Can they really believe that America is ready to turn its back on its own history and succumb, not just to tyranny, but the pettiest tyrants imaginable? Good luck with that.

Mazeman said...

Hilarious!!! The opposition seems to consist of pathetic cretins.

And the funniest part is... if this was actually serious... if they weren't such feeble cowards.... it would be STILL laughable.

Bring it!

LOL!!!!

Simon said...

Lukedog said...
"It sounds like you haven't been there. For that reason, I don't think your opinion on the protests is particularly relevant."

You'd have a point if this was 1950. Nowadays we have these things called television cameras and youtube; they allow us to see events happening at a distance. For instance, when the protesters invaded the house floor, we could see it from Indiana. When you invaded the capitol, we could see that too.


"However, I can't resist. 'laying siege'? Come on, really? cool it with the drama, will ya?"

I described it, but they're the ones who did it, so who's really bringing the drama here? Incidentally, "however" doesn't belong at the start of a sentence. What a splendid advertisement for public education.

MadisonMan said...

There hasn't been a 400+ comment thread for a while.

Jane said...

Jim Shankman's friends don't write much. I usually get several thumbs up or likes from my friends.

He must not be very popular. Overly political people usually get 'hidden' on facebook. At least they do on mine.

MadisonMan said...

Simon says However does not belong at the start of a sentence. However you write a sentence that gets the point across is the right way to write a sentence.

Diagramming is Worthless would have fun with that one.

Stogie said...

The coward who wrote the threat is probably a chicken-heart who is too busy sucking his thumb to actually carry it out.

Nevertheless, do consider buying a gun, Ann, if you don't already have one.

Anonymous said...

Lock and load, Meadhouse.

DADvocate said...

I hope that you and Meade realize that this is not typical of Liberal thought. It comes from a sick mind that needs help.

I'm not so sure any more, Patrick. I'm seeing too many "sick" minds.

Mike said...

From his facebook:

"Because of a right-blogosphere campaign to silence me, I have been forced to commit Identity Suicide. I have never supported or advocated violence for any purpose other than self-defense against terror attacks by the armed wing of the American Right...."

Anonymous said...

I won't tolerate generalizations or meaningless comments like "every public sector worker acts this way..." or the like.

And where were you when the protesters were carrying "WALKER = HITLER" signs?

Talk is cheap, Lukedog. Sure, you say you think "the letter is rotten" ... but you say that here. So what?

Jim claims to be speaking for you, for the unions, for the public sector employees, for Madison, for The Masses. Have you told him that he doesn't speak for you? Have you told him that he's dragging the reputation of your people through the mud? Have you told him that he's doing a pretty good imitation of Jared Lee Loughner, before Jared hit the big time?

Come on, I'll bet you know this guy. He's one of yours, he's been at the demonstrations, you know what he looks like.

Have you told Jim to apologize to Ann and to the union?

Mike said...

His Tumblr: http://pomos4logocentrism.tumblr.com/

Anonymous said...

Revolutionaries long for two things:

1. To be silenced and oppressed, so that they can fight it; and

2. To gloriously, violently, and forcibly implement their vision of a just society.

There are a million of these idiots. Pol Pot and Mao and Lenin were just very persistent and hit the jackpot in terms of political circumstances.

Anonymous said...

"Because of a right-blogosphere campaign to silence me, I have been forced to commit Identity Suicide. I have never supported or advocated violence for any purpose other than self-defense against terror attacks by the armed wing of the American Right...."

"Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"

Skyler said...

Wow. This writer may not be very articulate, but the language used indicates a die hard communist of the old school. Who uses words like "falangist" outside of talking about the Spanish Civil War?

I think these threats should be taken very seriously.

Jane said...

The letter writer's mother is the Dean of the College at Benedictine College.

That's gotta be embarrassing.

Shanna said...

Because of a right-blogosphere campaign to silence me, I have been forced to commit Identity Suicide. I have never supported or advocated violence for any purpose other than self-defense against terror attacks by the armed wing of the American Right...."

This is what crazy looks like.

Tibore said...

"theundergroundconservative said...
That picture of Shankman and his gal pal now has <a href="http://theundergroundconservative.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/what-a-cheap-two-bit-thug-looks-like/a wider audience</a>."


Your URL got malformed. Here is it:
http://theundergroundconservative.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/what-a-cheap-two-bit-thug-looks-like

-----

And I take back what I said earlier. That's his picture? That's doesn't look like a "howling mad chihuahua". It looks more like something that's 100% pussy. His status says that he "never supported or advocated violence...". Like I said, he'll wilt when confronted. We're seeing it already.

Anonymous said...

never supported or advocated violence

We will harrass the ever loving shit out of you all the time

Campus is OCCUPIED. State street is OCCUPIED. The Square is OCCUPIED. Vilas, Schenk's Corners, Atwood, Willy Street – Occupied, Occupied, Occupied, Occupied.

WE WILL FUCK YOU UP.

Jane said...

His uncle (mom's sister) likes Mark Levin. Ho ho.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Any of you on the left who want an example of how to respond unequivocally to a jerk like Shankman, here goes...

Hank Rearden_WI, did you miss the part where Meadhouse requested no threats or intimidation toward Mr. Shankman? You're over the line. Pull down those posts, asshole. Let Meadhouse and the authorities deal with this. You're making matters worse, and you're embarrassing yourself.

Paddy O said...

Jim Shankman, actor and writer in a few films and much regional theater now apparently living in NYC, has got to be pissed this jerk from Madison is dragging his name in ranking down and through the mud.

When you incite internet wars, you don't only hurt yourself, you're hurting everyone who shares your name.

DADvocate said...

murgatroyd666 - You beat me to it. I just saw that on his Facebook page. The guy is seriously delusional or making one of the poorest, juvenile attempts at being a left wing martyr.

Hilarious!!! LOL!!!

Interestingly, he admits he advocates violence. I still think the guy is a whacko that needs to be watched.

Looking at this picture, he looks like a powerless, impotent wimp trying to be tough from a very safe distance. I'll be 60 next month, but I'm 100% sure I could kick his ass with one hand tied behind my back. Seriously. Now he's a scared little rat running back to his hole to hide.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Martin. Hank: you are using the same undercurrent of violence. Implicit in your post is that if somebody fucks with "our people," we'll fuck with "their people."

That's thuggery, plain and simple. And as good as it feels to do it, it's wrong. You should be embarrassed at your shrill and shortsighted actions. Remove the posts. Man up, dude.

Hank Rearden_WI said...

Shoemaker @ 7:21

"Hank Rearden_WI, that's way over the line. I recommend you delete that post immediately.

The difference between you and Shankman? He was an asshole first. Other than that, not much."

Cute.
This is public information - I'm sorry that you don't know where to look.

The expletive is a nice touch. You fight your way, I'll bring mine.

Andrew_M_Garland said...

Union Thug writes: "You could get to know the assholes [us] on your side in real fucking life instead of sponging off the civil society we provide for you every single day you draw breath."

The attitude of this Union Thug public employee is that he provides an essential service, so the public owes him everyting. He might as well say that he protects us, so he owns us.

Bob: You put out the fire. I can't thank you enough.
Official: Hand over the keys. We own that house now. It would have burned to the ground without us.
Bob: But, I already paid taxes for your help.
Official: I apologize. You have a point. Instead, pay us in tax half of what you produce. That is for our effort in providing all of our vital services.

Your Dog Owns Your House

Even if someone protects you, you don't owe them everything. You can usually arrange a better deal.

Anonymous said...

Hank -- You are being the exact same kind of stupid classless prick that this Jim Shankman is being.

You are not helping any cause. You are making my side look violent and stupid.

Anonymous said...

I have absolutely no problem with printing the personal contact information of these thugs. They have made it a point to target families and children of elected officials, private homes of the elected officials and even private citizens simply for the exercise of political free speech. They've been carrying out a Kristallnacht 2.0 campaign of intimidation against homes and businesses.

It's time to turn the tables on them. I'd love to see a Tea Party protest with 1,000 people outside their 60s style hippie commune. You can almost smell the patchouli, body odor and wacky weed from here.

DADvocate said...

The letter writer's mother is the Dean of the College at Benedictine College.

That's gotta be embarrassing.


Hope so. It's hard to believe a mother would be proud of his actions, especially a mother tied so closely to the Catholic church.

I wonder if he's a rebellious child who's really protesting against mommy and daddy. I didn't see anything about religion on his Facebook page and I looked back for about a month.

This doesn't mean his any less dangerous. Again, this guy seems obsessed enough and delusional enough to not have a firm grasp on reality. It's the powerless, impotent ones who tend to explode. The rest of us walk in quiet confidence.

Tibore said...

I'm adding my voice to Martin's and Seven's here. There's pointing out the guy is a wuss, and there's hinting towards thuggery. Doing the latter is wrong.

The other side rejects principle. Doing the same only reduces you to that level.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Hank Shankman,

You're helping the liberals. Asshole.

Toad Trend said...

@DADvocate

"I have destroyed all ID cards, mutilated my fingerprints, and now wear a mask whenever I appear publicly. I will live only through my organizational ties until the right recognizes that it is the power of us together, not me alone, that shape my life." - Jim Shankman

Clearly, this guy is a few fries short of a happy meal. An attention bug.

Enjoy your anal exam courtesy of the feds, Jim!

wv - annuniz

Ann's line of clothing

DADvocate said...

I'm adding my voice to Martin's and Seven's here. There's pointing out the guy is a wuss, and there's hinting towards thuggery. Doing the latter is wrong.

Same here.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

theundergroundconservative said...

I have absolutely no problem with printing the personal contact information of these thugs.

A decent human being would know that two wrongs don't make a right.

A smart conservative would know that you're inciting violence, and just giving ammo to the liberals.

You and Hank Shankman are neither decent nor smart, and I doubt conservative.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

I'm sorry I don't agree posting Shankamn's info is bad...
1) Shankman has no problem stalking Meadehouse.
2) He posts a THREAT with his name.
3) So now there's "push-back", too bad.
4) Conclusion:
A) Don't threaten people or
B) Be more circumspect.

Shanna said...

wv - annuniz

The best kind of unionista!

"pulitzer and hurst they think they got us, do they got us (no),
even thought we ain't got hats or badges we're a union just by saying so. And the world will know!"

I might root for the wisconsin union folks if they went all newsies on us.

Hank Rearden_WI said...

Shoemaker @ 8:07
"Any of you on the left who want an example of how to respond unequivocally to a jerk like Shankman, here goes...

Hank Rearden_WI, did you miss the part where Meadhouse requested no threats or intimidation toward Mr. Shankman? You're over the line. Pull down those posts, asshole. Let Meadhouse and the authorities deal with this. You're making matters worse, and you're embarrassing yourself."



You overvalue your opinion.

Again - ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION

MikeAdamson said...

I may have missed something in this long comment thread but why so much angst at the prospect of legal,peaceful and nonviolent action?

Anonymous said...

Posting Shankman's identity is one thing. The WEAC president is quite another. So, moreover, is posting anyone's address.

You'll feel pretty fucking stupid for googling that and posting it, just for example, if there is just one unhinged right winger with a gun who decides to take you up on what you imply.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
It's Public Information, people...IF you don't want to have your name and adress made PUBLIC don't threaten Meadehouse! It's easy, see?
My only qubbble is the posting of the taxes for the management co. and, the to me, the implication that the management co. had anything to do with Mr. Shankman.

The Dude said...

While I never mind hinting at violence, I wonder about the wisdom of selecting this hill to die on. Mt. Shankman is more of a molehill, not really worthy of much attention.

Ignore the twerp, his mommy will make sure he goes into rehab or wherever twisted little liberals go when they have overdosed on THC and other recreational chemicals, and he will fade from memory.

WV: canionse - leave the gun, take the canionse...

Lukedog said...

murgatroyd666,

Have you been to the protests in Madison?

There have been thousands and thousands of people in and around the couple for nearly a month.

The Walker=Hitler signs are stupid. That comparison is stupid. I saw a couple of those signs but I didn't know anyone that was carrying one. People promoting that kind of hate speech were in the minority. Some people made me feel embarrassed for being there, the vast majority did not.

Again, Walker=Hitler sign is totally ridiculous. Also, the occasional Mubarak comparison was cringe-worthy.

Listen,
I don't know this crazy dude. This letter is horrible, straight up.

Anonymous said...

why so much angst at the prospect of legal,peaceful and nonviolent action?

"We will picket on public property as close to your house as we can every day. We will harrass the ever loving shit out of you all the time. Campus is OCCUPIED. State street is OCCUPIED. The Square is OCCUPIED. Vilas, Schenk's Corners, Atwood, Willy Street – Occupied, Occupied, Occupied, Occupied. Did you really think it was all about the Capitol? Fuck the Capitol, we are the CITY... We have the numbers and we don't back down from anyone. We all know each other. We all know each other. We know each other from Service Industry Night at the Orpheum, because we're regulars at the same coffee shops, restaurants and bars, we know each other from the co-ops, we know each other because we've had a million jobs each (and we all worked at CapTel at least once), because we live in every shitty townie house in ever-changing groups of 2 – 7 people, because we are young and horny and screw each other incessantly, because we're all on facebook, and because we aren't anti-social, life-denying, world-sterilizing pieces of human garbage like the two of you. WE WILL FUCK YOU UP. We will throw our baseballs in your lawn, you cranky old pieces of shit, and then we will come get them back. What are you gonna do? Shoot us? Get Wausau Tea Patriots to form an ad hoc militia on your front lawn? That would be fucking HILAROUS to us. You could get to know the assholes on your side in real fucking life instead of sponging off the civil society we provide for you every single day you draw breath."

See now?

JohnJ said...

"This is what crazy looks like."

No, this is the child-like grandiosity I referred to earlier.

We all know guys like this. Their radicalism is an affectation. My suspicion is that they don’t believe much of what they say, but often can immerse themselves into the romantic role of revolutionary. (Of course, one of the ironies of Wisconsin is that their role has been, in many ways, one of counter-revolutionary.)

Guys like this aren’t crazy. They’re self-absorbed, immature, clueless and all of the other perfectly good adjectives normal people use to characterize the feckless.

I’d be astounded if he were anything more.

ldm said...

Jim Shankman is on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=651447561

If this has already been posted, my apologies.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
Seven you're unhinged....so now someone is resposnible for an unhinged wacko...isn't that the point of the Gifford's Case...LAUGHNER, not the TEA Party is rsponsible.

IF, Yhwh Forbid, someone shoots Shankman or WEAC Pres. that's on them, how is it someone fault for publishing PUBLIC INFORMATION? Information the "unhinged wacko" could find him/herself?

Michael K said...

Forty years ago, I was operating on assholes like these, who got drunk and decided to take a piss in the middle of Pacific Coast Highway and other similarly intelligent decisions. In fact, these kids are the grandchildren of those dopes and they have not yet shown regression to the mean. They are still too stupid to realize that they survive because those of us who are productive have made the choice to save their sorry asses in hopes that they will eventually earn it.

Like Captain John Miller, who said "Earn this !"

They won't. And they will never understand why we hold them in such contempt.

Kevin said...

For someone committing "Identity Suicide", it's weird that his Twitter, Facebook, and Google Profiles are all still up, along with his threat letter.

From his most recent statement:

In it, I used foul language against, taunted, baited, expressed contempt for, denigrated, and threatened with legal forms of resistance the traitors Ann Althouse and Meade.

and

However to defend all of my innocent friends and family who do not care one way or the other about operation:countertroll and Ann Althouse I will personally cease all activity related to Operation:Countertroll. Althouse believes that it is illegal to organize against her, and she will enforce this imaginary law with threats against anyone who tries to do so. She will see that we live and die through the forces of ideas, not individuals. Operation:countertroll is out there. A lot of people feel the same. I didn’t write down a word that I hadn’t already heard in the streets. I am not Operation:Countertroll. And because Althouse has decided to make me prove it, I will.

Sounds like he is explicitly renewing his threat, merely claiming that someone else will carry it out. I'd watch my back.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

I see "Shankman" will have to become a term of derision for idiots on the right as well as the left.

Tibore said...

It isn't a matter of hiding the information, Joe! It's a matter of being the one pushing it out, thereby associating onesself with the notion that something should be done with it!

We're all fully aware that anyone can do anything with public information. That doesn't relieve any of us of the responsibility to practice discretion with what we say! Putting that up for no reason is basically saying "Hey, someone out there do what you will with this info". That is why it's wrong!

Unknown said...

This sounds like a Deb Frish person/situation. Take care.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

EXACTLY, "...practice discretion with what we say..."Object lesson for Shankman.

NOW Mr. "Countertroll" is seeing life from the OTHER SIDE, and not liking it....

Mayhap he'll learn. Whether he learns to be nicer, with those with whom he disagrees, or simply learns to be more ANONYMOUS, is an open question....

Tibore said...

"... I will personally cease all activity related to Operation:Countertroll. Althouse believes that it is illegal to organize against her, and she will enforce this imaginary law with threats against anyone who tries to do so..."

1. Wilt. Just like I said.
2. What a drama queen.
3. What part of his threats were "imaginary"? And: "Organize"? What sort of organization was he referring to when making allegations about stalking her? That's not organization, that's thuggery.
4. Extortion is against the law, nothing imaginary about it, and I specifically recall a demand for money to go to certain organizations. There was nothing that could remotely be considered a "solicitation" in that letter, it was all "do this or else".

100% puss. And self important to boot. Screeds like him should be disinfected with the light of day. Just like what happened.

Dad29 said...

Wisconsin does not allow concealed carry of guns

What? Someone's going to rummage through Althouse's handbag?

Carry a large bag, put the S&W in there, don't worry about it. Just make sure you're aware of your surroundings.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

I am not Operation:Countertroll. And because Althouse has decided to make me prove it, I will.

And he just. Digs. Deeper.

He's already in trouble for extortion and threats. Now he just added conspiracy.

My bet is he makes a plea deal and turns over a lot of other people. My other bet is he lasts maybe 10 minutes under questioning.

Toad Trend said...

@Sixty Grit

"While I never mind hinting at violence, I wonder about the wisdom of selecting this hill to die on. Mt. Shankman is more of a molehill, not really worthy of much attention."

Yes, same with Hank.

Implicit, is it that anyone's basic/personal information is theoretically 'available'. Hank will think about this tomorrow and hopefully realize his error. Easy to get sucked in to the emotional 'response'.

Its the retaliator that usually goes to the penalty box.

Palladian said...

"Guys like this aren’t crazy. They’re self-absorbed, immature, clueless and all of the other perfectly good adjectives normal people use to characterize the feckless.

I’d be astounded if he were anything more."

Me too. If you've ever gone to art school, you've met plenty of these kinds of people.

That he named one of his social network accounts "pomos4logocentrism" is all the evidence you need. These are generally people not talented enough to be artists, not smart enough to be intellectuals, who believe that decadence is somehow novel and akin to intelligence. These people have managed to twist their narcissism, nihilism, mediocrity and self-indulgence into a political and revolutionary pose, ignorant (or in denial) of the inevitable wreckage of their lives that will remain when they can no longer count on youth to be the last, feeble excuse for their behavior.

Unfortunately several generations of misguided or similarly mediocre academics have spawned scores of these people.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
And self important to boot. Screeds like him should be disinfected with the light of day. Just like what happened.


It wasn't Meadehouse publishing the screed you know...it was putting HIS NAME to it that was the disinfection!

bagoh20 said...

"These are generally people not talented enough to be artists, not smart enough to be intellectuals,"

Hey, hey! Watch it there. I still pay my taxes and I'm a dammed good lay. Use a smaller net if you just want to get the bottom feeders. Besides talent and intellect are inborn, and nobody should be too proud of getting lucky at birth.

Simon said...

MadisonMan said...
"Simon says However does not belong at the start of a sentence. However you write a sentence that gets the point across is the right way to write a sentence."

It's acceptable (although I think ungainly) when "however" means "in whatever way"; never when it means, roughly, "nevertheless," as The Elements of Style warns. I find that the most effective writing follows the expected conventions of writing (including word order) and lets the content do the work of surprising the audience. That's true of my own, too: From a few weeks' remove, I usually find that attempts to be deliberately stylized or clever or in form tend to be the least effective or satisfactory passages.

Anonymous said...

"..These are generally people not talented enough to be artists, not smart enough to be intellectuals, who believe that decadence is somehow novel and akin to intelligence. These people have managed to twist their narcissism, nihilism, mediocrity and self-indulgence into a political and revolutionary pose, ignorant (or in denial) of the inevitable wreckage of their lives that will remain when they can no longer count on youth to be the last, feeble excuse for their behavior..."

It took 500+ posts but we finally have a winner..Palladian. A keeper.

Helmut for Boskone said...

Oh, Gawd! Teenage Trots. 40 years later and they are JUST THE SAME!

Anonymous said...

Joe -- The moment a libertarian realizes that he is, in fact, his brother's keeper -- that's when he becomes sympathetic to conservatism. It's a very inward thing at first, and guilt-ridden. But slowly it overtakes you.

Anonymous said...

A decent human being would know that two wrongs don't make a right.

A smart conservative would know that you're inciting violence, and just giving ammo to the liberals.

You and Hank Shankman are neither decent nor smart, and I doubt conservative.


Let's leave the personal insults to their side.

It's about time to start fighting fire with fire. Our side has been playing by the Marquis de Queensbury rules for too long while theirs has been using the Marquis de Sade. It's about time to use some brass knuckles tactics against them, a little taste of their own medicine to see how they like it.

By the way, I guess Mark Belling isn't really smart or conservative, either. He made virtually the same point yesterday on his radio show. Implied he may use his powerful microphone to out some of these thugs and turn the tables on them.

Anonymous said...

"...instead of sponging off the civil society we provide for you every single day you draw breath."

Ah. I see that we now live in a world where the profane screeds of bitter, hateful guttersnipes are the epitome of a "civil society." This must be some new definition of civility that they slipped into the Oxford English Dictionary when I wasn't looking.

galdosiana said...

Operation:countertroll is out there. A lot of people feel the same. I didn’t write down a word that I hadn’t already heard in the streets. I am not Operation:Countertroll. And because Althouse has decided to make me prove it, I will.

This is the kind of stuff that sounds really ridiculous--in the "this can't be serious" way--to the average person, and yet the Arizona shooter was writing junk like this, too. In this day and age, you've got to take threats seriously, particularly when they come from delusional people with a lot of free time on their hands.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
Joe -- The moment a libertarian realizes that he is, in fact, his brother's keeper -- that's when he becomes sympathetic to conservatism. It's a very inward thing at first, and guilt-ridden. But slowly it overtakes you.



I'm sure it's painful, IF you're a libertarian...as I am not nor have I ever been one, it's less painful.

Yhwh never answers Cain, PEOPLE supply their own answer, but Yhwh didn't say that we WERE our brother's keeper, He merely asked Cain where was Abel...being Omniscient, Yhwh knew the answer, but was giving Cain the chance to "come clean."

I believe a tenet of libertarianism is the acceptance of the consequences of our actions...threaten someone, and foolishly attach your name to the threat, then there will be consequences.

You don't see me making threats do you? I'm not "J" or cedarford...I realize that almost anyone could find out who "Joe The Crypto Jew" is...I just don't feel the need to give them the desire, by being insulting or antiSemetic.

But were I to threaten Meadehouse, yes, I'd fully expect Trooper or Crack to poke around a bit and discover who "Joe" is....It's the risk I run with every post.

The Dude said...

Normally, UGCons, I would agree, but this insignificant little stoner is more to be pitied than elevated. He is battling up. Fighting out of his weight class. Delusional. Seriously demented, but then again, he is a liberal, so I repeat myself.

Over 500 comments and no garbage or fls or any of the usual red diaper crew. Where is that commie bitch clairv? This story is right in their wheelhouse. Come on, you Stalin-lovers - step up - this is your guy in action. Marx. Obama. Mao. Show us the love for your brethren, your little stoned Che clone. Surely you can't disavow threats of violence from the left - you guys killed 100 million in the 20th century - it's what you do. Be men, for a change. Own who you are.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

theundergroundconservative said...

Let's leave the personal insults to their side.

A few bad words: over the line.

Posting addresses on line: A-OK.

Got it, Shankman.

By the way, I guess Mark Belling isn't really smart or conservative, either. He made virtually the same point yesterday on his radio show. Implied he may use his powerful microphone to out some of these thugs and turn the tables on them.

I don't know Mr. Belling. Is he another Shankman? I'll bet his legal department advises him to stop short of that line.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
Be men,

SEXIST! You mean "Be Self-Actualized Persons"

Michael said...

Hank: "Again - ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION"

Actually not. Not the part about the long drive, not the part about the hard to get an emergency vehicle down,not the part about the landscaping.

What is clearly now public information is that you are a turd on stilts.

Unknown said...

For the blogger upthread who lamented the fact that Wisconsin doesn't allow concealed carry...

...No problem. Don't conceal it. Find a nice-looking shoulder holster and fill it with some heat.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
I'll bet his legal department advises him to stop short of that line.
Michelle Malkins didn't, when it came the Baltimore Family that was the Democratic Poster children for S-CHIP....

vbspurs said...

SarahW wrote:

See, I think Anna helped Jim write his letter.

https://sites.google.com/site/genstrikeu/classroom-news

They are certainly collaborating (colluding?) here and the writing style is familiar. Of course, they might simply be picking up on each other's style.

They certainly consider themselves a "group".


At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory (moi?), I TOLD YOU GUYS!!!!

This is a group writing effort, if you can count 2 as a group.

I am a writer. People's writing "voices" are very distinct, and actually harder to mask than people think.

The Guinness was plentiful and yummy, BTW.

Cheers,
Victoria

Palladian said...

And it's despicable to "fight fire with fire" and post people's addresses in this very public space. I don't care that "their" side (whichever side that is) does it, it's a despicable and, as someone said "not productive".

Shanna said...

Fighting out of his weight class.

Doesn't mean they shouldn't be cautious. A gun requires no special intelligence or thought.

Just hope this guy isn't serious and glad our hostess is having him checked out (since he so helpfully linked his threats and idiocy to his own name).

SarahW said...

Kevin said "Sounds like he is explicitly renewing his threat, merely claiming that someone else will carry it out. I'd watch my back."

That's exactly what he meant.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

Sixty Grit said...

Where is that commie bitch clairv?

I thought calvius narcisse came in with a comment at one point that was an admirably clear denunciation. I was pretty shocked.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
...it's a despicable and, as someone said "not productive".

I don't know Shankman suddenly seems to be opting out of his little crusade, doesn't he?

Anonymous said...

@Martin: You must not be from Wisconsin. Otherwise, you would know who Belling is. #1 radio show in SE Wisconsin, frequent guest host for El Rushbo.

Google is your friend. Try it.

I am done with you. Spare me your insight.

We will be posting whatever information we have on Shankman. I already have the address of the hippie commune he's associated with. Right now, it's in a comments thread but it will be elevated to a full post either later tonight or tomorrow. A nice Tea Party protest outside of there would be a thing of beauty.

Let's see how they like it when it happens to them.

Almost Ali said...

Interesting composition. Surprisingly well enunciated, unique, especially given the subject matter. A clever lesson in misdirection. I'd look in academia.

I also believe someone like Dr Helen could find a good forensic fingerprint.

The Dude said...

Well, M. Shoemaker, I missed that. But fuck that commie clinger clairv, regardless. He is a less literate version of Shankman.

WV: treoper - last name, Yeork.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

theundergroundconservative said...

Google is your friend. Try it.

Why would I want to Google some nobody radio announcer? The world is bigger than Wisconsin.

We will be posting whatever information we have on Shankman. I already have the address of the hippie commune he's associated with. Right now, it's in a comments thread but it will be elevated to a full post either later tonight or tomorrow. A nice Tea Party protest outside of there would be a thing of beauty.

Let's see how they like it when it happens to them.


Way to go, Shankman!

Pastafarian said...

I think some of us have gone over the line here with this guy's personal info. Now, if some nut takes him out, Althouse will be blamed.

I'd say he's not much of a threat at this point anyway, because I would imagine that he'll be going to federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison soon.

I mean, I'm not a lawyer (in fact, in many ways, I'm the polar opposite of a lawyer), but doesn't this qualify as extortion? Aren't these terroristic threats?

Right? Can one of you many lawyers correct me if I'm wrong?

Have fun in the rec yard, guy.

Ben Masel said...

"Shoemaker @ 7:21

"Hank Rearden_WI, that's way over the line. I recommend you delete that post immediately.

The difference between you and Shankman? He was an asshole first. Other than that, not much."

There's another difference. Hank had a chance to learn from Shankman's example. Doesn't make him more of an asshole, but it does suggest he may be even more foolish.

Anonymous said...

Have fun in the rec yard, guy.

I do not envy his prospects.

Even if he escapes prosecution, the Net has a long memory. Anyone who Googles his name will find this discussion of his threat. If you think he's unemployable now, just wait ...

1389 said...

Whatever this is, it isn't the work of a "right-wing moby." That is NOT the way we right-wing folks roll.

Martin L. Shoemaker said...

murgatroyd666 said...

Anyone who Googles his name will find this discussion of his threat. If you think he's unemployable now, just wait ...

He may find lots of NGO and union work. Or he can go into academia. This is not a career-ender for him.

Anonymous said...

I have destroyed all ID cards, mutilated my fingerprints, and now wear a mask whenever I appear publicly.

Well, this should make it easy to identify him! All Meade and Althouse have to do is be on the lookout for a masked derelict with bleeding fingers, wandering the streets and mumbling deranged anarcho-communist catchphrases! They'll know it's Jim -- how many others can there be, even in Madison?

(Most likely he'll have herpes sores on his lips and he'll be frantically scratching at his groin, too ...)

BJM said...

"... Better fork over the money, Althhouse."

SarahWW obviously does not know the meaning of the word "conspiracy".

Ann Althouse said...

Don't post addresses. I'm deleting it if I see that you do.

Unknown said...

Dick --

"Ann, I'd volunteer to help, but you voted for Obama."

I was a very intense commenter here on the Obama topic and condemned her rationale at length and I find your statement douche worthy.

Anonymous said...

Is anyone else having trouble with posting comments to Blogger? It seems to be eating any comment longer than a couple of sentences.

Mike said...

This fellow Jim Shankman appears to be one Fruit Loop shy of a bowl. But then so was Jared Loughner. I'd take itr seriously.

GeoffNewbury said...

"richard mcenroe said...

Nothing that can't be fixed with a good can of bear spray."

Remington 1100 or Taurus Judge 45/410.

Anonymous said...

If one hair is disturbed, it's game on.

Promise.

Resist.

AP

JohnJ said...

“It's about time to start fighting fire with fire.”

Perhaps. But my hunch is otherwise.

The activists, left and right, must play to the larger center, which abhors a brawl—no matter who started it. The most effective method for countering the nonsense of the left is simply to reveal it to the center.

This is the where “Althouse” really distinguishes itself. Substituting for an absent MSM, Althouse & Meade, with their investigative reporting and wonderfully provocative photos and video, have perfectly captured the almost clownish self-regard of the left. That’s worth at least a half-dozen bench-clearing brawls.

So, I say keep the lineup of washed up has-beens and assorted fools coming! (…although, I also gotta say that I’ve always thought Susan Sarandon was kinda’ hot.) And don’t forget those hopelessly tone-deaf slogans! With any luck, Althouse & Meade will capture it all.

It’s as though the attack ads are writing themselves.

GeoffNewbury said...

"Trooper York said...
Based on personal experience, your best bet is the 32 ounce Louieville slugger. I prefer the Reggie Jackson model but I bet Meade has a Vada Pinson one in with his stuff."

I can't fault your targeting but there are 3 reasons you should NOT use a wooden baseball bat. 1) An aluminum bat hits harder. 2) You basically cannot break an aluminum bat and 3) most important, you can never get blood and DNA out of the pores of a wooden bat, while a quick rubdown with bleach will clean an aluminum bat to 'beyond CSI' levels. And you don't really want to burn or throw away a perfectly good bat, do you?

BJM said...

"I have destroyed all ID cards, mutilated my fingerprints, and now wear a mask whenever I appear publicly. I will live only through my organizational ties until the right recognizes that it is the power of us together, not me alone, that shape my life." - Jim Shankman

Heh.

paul a'barge said...

Here is Jim Shankman's google profile:
https://profiles.google.com/113215975465130012641#113215975465130012641/about

Anonymous said...

Heh.

Yeah, that's what happens when some poor freak overdoses on Melodramamine.

Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...

Cool it, Hank, we already have a resident Moby. You are coming in too late and on too strong.

MadisoMan, we have a bet running since 2008, when do we settle it? I believe I have won it many times over...

wv: tingio (Chris Matthews's old nickname)

JWM said...

I caught this incoherent ramble from a link at Vanderleun's site. This sounds like just the kind of creep who would fuel up on methamphetamine, get a firearm and go out to establish a little "social justice" Think Jered Loughner. Please watch out.

JWM

Anonymous said...

For the Madison residents here:

If you ever order a pizza from Ian's, the Nickel, or Roman Candle and the delivery boy is wearing a mask ... well, I wouldn't eat it if I were you. No telling where it's been.

Kevin said...

Don't post addresses. I'm deleting it if I see that you do.

It's your blog, but given that the unions have been posting the home addresses and phone numbers of Republican legislators in Wisconsin, publishing the home addresses and phone numbers of union officials seems merely tit for tat - there is a slight chance that it might make the unions realize where the road that they've started on leads. Same for people who try to engage in extortion for political purposes.

Rob said...

HAHAHAHA: I would have recognized them without the names- this (courtesy of Mr. Shankman) is such a perfect description: (yes, of course I am being sarcastic)

"Ann Althouse and Meade advocate torture, attack against nonviolent protesters, police-state crackdowns on citizens exercising their constitutional rights, class privilege, race privilege, and basically the full spectrum of assaults against American democracy advocated by the radical, revolutionary wing of the republican party. They are unkind, unChristian and anti-American."


Wow. I will say this: I would never recover from the laughter a Shankman v. Althouse debate would produce. Just imagining it is almost too much.

Kevin said...

I'll also note that lil' Jimmy previously tweeted the web page of the "Wisconsin Democracy Campaign", which helpfully lists all the contributors to the Walker campaign, complete with names, cities, zip codes and employers. It's obvious that that list is already being used to harass people.

Amartel said...

Well what a surprise: It's an insecure little trustafarian impersonating a tough union "townie." It's bad enough to be a sock puppet online but to carry it over into real life . . . .

linds said...

Looks like he's now whining that the "right wing" is after him. Um...dude. You threaten somebody IN WRITING, and now you're whining about the consequences? Pshaw! Typical whiny liberal brat.

Amartel said...

Well what a surprise: It's an insecure little trustafarian impersonating a tough union "townie." It's bad enough to be a sock puppet online but to carry it over into real life . . . .

ShadowFox said...

Sounds like a disgruntled student to me...

Gary Rosen said...

C-fudd, didja have an extra-good JO when your Pali buds slit the throat of that Jewish infant? Sure you did.

Unknown said...

The one who made the threats against Ann and Meade, Jim Shankman, just changed his facebook name to Karl Asoah. His Facebook profile ID remains the same, 651447561.

ShadowFox said...

The left relies heavily on the mainstream media to edit out the parts of demonstrations that don't reflect well on the left. (For example, the New York Times' selection of pictures from the demonstrations in Madison.) Actually filming what is going on, without editing it to fit The Narrative that the left wishes to present, is very threatening (and with good reason).

@Kevin--this is so bizarrely stupid, it's hard not to laugh. You do know that Fox News was covering at all the protests and even they could find NOTHING of your conspiracy theory. Oh, there was one incident where a FNC reporter claimed to have been assaulted... except his own video proved him a liar. OOPS!! No Big Bad Lefty Media Conspiracy! What's poor Kevin going to do now?

Seriously, though, it's pretty clear that thuggery is a bipartisan pastime. Still, last I checked, no one has been head-stomped in Madison yet.

More to the point, the letter seems to be an isolated incident. Yeah, sure, you should always take threats seriously, but only in the sense of not being caught off-guard. But it's just as likely to have come from a not-very-good provocateur as it is from an actual union supporter.

For one, it's comically over the top, filled with more grotesque metaphors than a doctored O'Keefe video. No one is that stupid (although having watched the The Donald Birther moment may make you think otherwise). The only truly disturbing part is that it's addressed to specific individuals--it's really the only thing that prevents me from calling it outright fraud.

Actually, I know a couple of Ann's old students who might have written something like this just for fun. Unfortunately, none of them have been around Madison for at least two years. But it's clearly someone literate and rational who's free-styling and puffering for effect.

In the end, it's all in the eye of the beholder. If you are already predisposed to see everyone you don't agree with as a thug, every line is proof positive that it's one of Them. If you think this is an attempt of perverse comedy, every line is further evidence of comic effect.

It really is like O'Keefe videos--if you think he's a journalistic genius, you're likely to believe the "evidence" as dispositive. But if you think he's a crackpot fraudster, well, that's self evident too. Of course, if you believe the former, you're delusional, but that's a small price to pay for clear conscience... or self-parody (or something like that).

fish said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ShadowFox said...

Congressman Giffords is a good example of how low lifes can come from anywhere.

@BEK477--It's funny how, when taken out of context, almost anything can sound like an irrational, appalling rant. Just remember that next time you listen to Glenn Beck cite some Communist goon--Which one is the low-life?

Anonymous said...

Don't post addresses. I'm deleting it if I see that you do.

Would never do that on your blog. I do have the location of the hippie commune and have it posted at my place. Some national blogs have picked it up. Also, got wind via e-mail about 30 minutes ago of a possible peaceful gathering at the commune in the future.

ShadowFox said...

Well, this is weird--either Ann or Google is playing tricks on me. I just had three posts disappear into the void.

Anonymous said...

@Martin: There are more of us than there are of you. We are sick of being pushed around by these bullies. We are going to use their tactics on them. Yes, it's come to that, thanks to their Messiah. We need to bring the gun to the gun fight.

Sorry, but I seriously doubt you are conservative. If you are, you are the type that gets pushed around by the lefties. I know a lot of them. "We must be better than they are." Holier than though. That's why our side always gets its butt kicked by the Left. We refuse or don't know how to play brass knuckle politics. Their side does, and they don't quit.

It's sad watching Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, etc., that are getting rolled by Dingy Harry and the Dems in Congress. Shut the damn government down. Period. They can't even de-fund the slush fund for ObamaCare.

Anonymous said...

That's why our side always gets its butt kicked by the Left.

You are hilarious, dude. Go over to Democratic Underground and have a stroll. You will see the same general sentiment, except they think Democrats are always getting pushed around.

I have had my own differences with Martin, but he's an insightful and unique thinker. You strike me as someone for whom politics is everything and who can't think outside the box, or even a wet paper bag.

Anonymous said...

take to get a pop pop permit and go around armed to the teeth.

ShadowFox said...

I'll try to re-fashion one of the disappeared comments.

BEK477 wrote:
But jerks like this do do bad things. Congressman Giffords is a good example of how low lifes can come from anywhere.

I initially tried to post that bad things can happen when out-of-context quotes are posted. That point is still valid, but it's not just out of context--it is very poorly written and is meant to imply the opposite of what it actually says. Consider how the meaning changes if you insert "What happened to" before "Congressman".

Now compare BEK477's statement to O'Keefe videos--one of which Ann made the subject of her slightly later post (actually, the subject was the NPR reaction to the video and the post is only later relative to the original post that spawned this comment thread).

Still, I've extracted BEK477's accurate statement. I made no false representation of it, but a plain reading clearly suggests that "Congressman Giffords" is a "low life", in BEK777's opinion. Based on this evidence, someone who thinks such comments appalling and destructive may well decide to summarily fire the individual hiding behind the BEK777 identity.

Are you with me, Ann? Do you understand why this would be wrong? This is not complicated--the views that O'Keefe's edited recording attributes to Schiller are actually views that Schiller attributes to someone else, and this is made plain in the full recording. Vivian Schiller is an idiot who deserves approbation--first for firing Juan Williams not what the many idiocies for which he deserved to be let go, but for the one statement that was not worthy of retribution, second for firing Ron Schiller for a misquoted statement. In the end, she was not fired for her self-defeating management style, but for the same reason she let go the other Schiller.

So the question then becomes, who at NPR, in his right mind, would try to defend either Schiller even with evidence of O'Keefe's malfeasance in hand, only to be demonized by the self-styled "conservatives"?

The lack of reaction you see is not the product of O'Keefe's accuracy, but instead the product of pervasive intimidation--some would say, thuggery. It's evidence of being cowed, not being wrong.

I may disagree with BEK477 on many issues, but even I don't believe that this person was actually identifying "Congressman Giffords" as "low life", even though the quoted statement incontrovertibly says so. And yet you're willing to believe a hatchet job of a documented fraudster because he happens to reflect your ideological position. I expected better (like, for example, you pulling your NPR post from today).

Unknown said...

Don't stress too much. These people are dickless cowards. They might break a piece of glass or spraypaint something, but they're too chickenshit to do anything beyond that.

It's such a shame we really don't a have a media to speak of. If we did the public could see left-wing principles on display.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John Lott said...

Dear Ann:
I am sorry that you are having to deal with this. It is scary that they know where you live. Please take precautions and stay safe. I have found your posts valuable and I have linked to them on my website from time to time. Please know that others feel the same. Thank you.

jr565 said...

Also crack in regards to your link pointing to the Maharishi, The Beatles realized he was full of crap bakc in the 60's. John Lennon wrote Sexy Sadie about him (though you'll note John Lennon then went on to write Instant Karma and Mind Games. I guess he wasn't really over his brain washing after all).
But even if he is a crock it doesn't mean that meditation is completely bunk. You could actually use any words, not the words provided by the Maharishi, or even no words and go into a meditative state which for many people might be extremely relaxing, and thus provides them benefits. Now, are they truly enlightened? Perhaps not, but if they have the benefit of meditation, and it centers them or removes stress, then is it absolutely wrong per se?
I might say that the Maharishi might be bogus, but it doesn't mean that therefore meditation is bogus simply because he practices it. Or, you might try it and find it bogus. It will really depend on the individual. And not saying that the things that the maharishi will produce the benefits he says, but it doesn't mean that it won't provide benefits.

jr565 said...

Finally Crack I think in many cases your denouncing of new age philosophies could similarly be used to denounce old age philosophies too, in fact any and all belief systems and philosophic systems. If you think about it, considering that the world came about by accident, then isn't it silly to think there would be some overriding philsophic system that would actually make sense and wouldn't be a brainwashng technique?
I would say anyone who is an atheist who studies philosophy looking for moral answers is an utter fool since their own belief system would refute ever finding such answers, or alternatively, by finding said answers they might cease to be non believers thus refuting their atheism.

Anonymous said...

Somebody ate the brown acid...

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

theundergroundconservative wrote:
Sorry, but I seriously doubt you are conservative. If you are, you are the type that gets pushed around by the lefties. I know a lot of them. "We must be better than they are." Holier than though. That's why our side always gets its butt kicked by the Left. We refuse or don't know how to play brass knuckle politics. Their side does, and they don't quit.

No reason why conservatives can't use Alinsky like tactics to target their enemies. Make them live by their own rules.

vbspurs said...

No reason why conservatives can't use Alinsky like tactics to target their enemies. Make them live by their own rules.

No serious conservative thinks like this. We are the ANTI-Alinsky crowd, remember?

galdosiana said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
martin.musculus said...

Well, it sounds like quarternary (i.e. end stage) treponema pallidum... Will the constant sexual component, admitted to in the screed, it seems the most likely.
Of course there is no need to mention the humorous mental pic *that* statement of theirs produces! When I us young, the "Powers That Be" put saltpeter in the coffee to reduce desire to a level that Command found manageable... Saltpeter is still quite cheap...

Pablo said...

Looks like Shankman has begun to recognize his own goal.

http://tinyurl.com/6ybcyol

I HEREBY COMMIT IDENTITY SUICIDE UNTIL THE RIGHT BLOGOSPHERE RECANTS ITS THREATS AGAINST MY IDENTITY. I deny them this target. I have destroyed all ID cards, mutilated my fingerprints, and now wear a mask whenever I appear publicly. I will live only through my organizational ties until the right recognizes that it is the power of us together, not me alone, that shape my life.

You know what this boy needs? Boot camp.

dave in boca said...

This Shankman dude might be working out of his "metaphorical' mom's basement, so it'll be hard to track him down on the street.

Simon said...

jr565 said...
"No reason why conservatives can't use Alinsky like tactics to target their enemies. Make them live by their own rules."

Actually, at least two spring to mind. It concedes the validity of those tactics, and it makes conservatives look as bad as the lefties who use them make the left look bad. Alinsky's book was called "Rules for Radicals"; it has the same incompatability with conservatism as Ron Paul's book "The Revolution": As a matter of temperament, Conservatives should not be (or should be exceedingly hesitant to act in the manner of) radicals or revolutionaries.

Largo said...

(I tried to leave this comment at scribe. Given the weird interface there, I don't know if I succeeded.)

---

From Hong Kong... From nearly halfway about the world. From one who is not American. Who has no skin in the games being played in Wisconsin. Who openly confesses to not being deeply schooled in the issues (who could expect him to be?) but who reads the surface of things. Who constitutes no dataset, but one datapoint of the world looking in, at least, and who asks:

"Sir, have you no shame?"

Unknown said...

Ann,
If you need a hard drinkin', weed smoking 6'4" 300 lbs escort with lots of firepower to watch your back, let me know. There's nothing I take more pleasure from that stomping a mudhole in a Union goon/socialist/communist/school yard bully's face.

raunchydog said...

Get a grip, Ann. If you dish shit, expect to get shit. Start calling out the corporate thieves and their enabling Republican friends who let them steal from the poor and you won't have to worry about the unions pissing on your lawn.

The Dude said...

Ah, Raunchydog, yet another Shankman/Kaczynski alias I imagine. Nicely done, but you are more of a lacky and a stooge than a dog. Dogs are loyal and serve a useful purpose. You are nothing more than a useful idiot.

jr565 said...

vbspurs wrote:
No serious conservative thinks like this. We are the ANTI-Alinsky crowd, remember?

I'm anti Alinsky because he was a communist. However, if he is effective in organization and/or villifying opponents there's no reason we can't not adopt tactics or elements of tactics.
We can be more truthful about it of course, and we don't have to adopt ALL tactics, but what's wrong with making the left live by their own rules (one of the tactics of Alinksy). We do that naturally by the way anyway, even if we don't think of it as an Alinsky tactic. What about callin Gore out on his hpocricy for living in a huge mansion while endorsing lving with a small carbon footprint for the rest of us. Calling him out on his hypocricy is making him live by his rules.
I don't see why merely because Alinsky put that down in words, that we should ignore such a tactic. IF you want to call it something other than making people live by their own rules so as to not credit alinsky, I don't mind there either (and it's not as if he was the first person to use said tactic anyway). But lets be effective and efficient with dealing with our opponents.

jr565 said...

Simon wrote:

Actually, at least two spring to mind. It concedes the validity of those tactics, and it makes conservatives look as bad as the lefties who use them make the left look bad. Alinsky's book was called "Rules for Radicals"; it has the same incompatability with conservatism as Ron Paul's book "The Revolution": As a matter of temperament, Conservatives should not be (or should be exceedingly hesitant to act in the manner of) radicals or revolutionaries.

Just because HE wrote rules for radicals doesn't mean that others can't copy some of those rules and use against radicals, especially if they are effective. SImilar to how Sun Tzu's the Art of War was written with war in mind, but can be applied to business, or relationships or what have you.

jr565 said...

or to put it another way, the facists were known for getting their trains to run on time. Whatever their flaws as facists, their train running was a model of efficiency and not a flaw.I wouldn't not want to have an efficient train system simply because the fascists were efficiency experts and we don't want to emulate fascists. I don't want to emulate fascists for their fascism, not because of their efficiency.

jr565 said...

Here for example are the first 5 rules for radicals as stipulated by Alinksy. At the very least conservatives should know them so they know when they are Alinskyized, but more importantly I don't see why these should only be used by liberals against conservatives:

"Rule 1: Power is not only what you have, but what an opponent thinks you have. If your organization is small, hide your numbers in the dark and raise a din that will make everyone think you have many more people than you do."

I don't see how this is only applicable to libs, and would strike me as common sense.

"Rule 2: Never go outside the experience of your people.
The result is confusion, fear, and retreat."


ISn't this kind of the complaint from the tea partiers towards the status quo republicans or politicians in general? That they are elitist, that they don't speak for the common man. So, if we weren't to adopt the rules for radicals and use them we'd have to go outside the experience of our people?


"Rule 3: Whenever possible, go outside the experience of an opponent. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat."

THis one's easy as most libs don't know much about the economy or defense. So why not go outside the experience of your opponent to plead your case? What, the libs should be able to frame the debate?

"Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.”
Why should libs make republicans live by their rules then call them hypocrites for not doing so, and yet conservatives can't play the same game? Since they no no more obey their rules than environmental movment can live up to environmentalism. If conservatives don't want to use this rule against libs then expect a lot of one sided victories.
And by the way, instapundit uses this rule everytime he posts one o f his "They told me when I voted for Mccain snarks". Which are brilliantly effective by the way.

"Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage."
Are you suggesting that conservatives can't ridicule their opponents? Considering the amount of ridicule directed against Obama by people on this board, I doubt most people wouldn't agree that this was a rule that should be ignored. My argument is Obama should be ridiculed. Long and hard. Especially considering how effective it was against Bush. We had eight years of jokes about bush unable to say nuclear and Bushisms, as well as character assassination and charges that he was a warmonger and a liar and what have you. I think the majority of the slanders were outrageous, but they certainly were effective in galvanizing libs to continue to attack Bush. Why couldn't that same principle be used to attack Obama? Hes somehow about ridicule? Conservatives are too morally pure to get in the mud?
So that's five rules for radicals right there I would say conservatives should adopt (and have done so already without calling it rules for radicals) not because we want to become radicals ourselves, but beause they are effective principles of organizatin and attack.

vbspurs said...

600. There. Round numbers are best.

wv: agnou (Spiro's French cousin)

blake said...

Yeah, but then, you know some asshole's gonna come along and ruin your perfect round number.

Er...

Unknown said...

Great read at American Thinker from a Berkeley therapist who left the Orwellian cult of the left a couple years ago: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/letter_of_amends_from_a_recove.html

The final straw for me was when a close friend flew into a rage at me when she learned I wasn't supporting Obama. The political became personal when she began impugning my character. Worse yet, she tried to intimidate me into changing my mind by threatening to dump me.

Suddenly a light went on. The peace and love and flower power of the old left was dead and gone (if it even existed to begin with except in my imagination). The Democrats had morphed into a power hungry Thought Police, and I was done with them. My new motto in life: don't PC on me.

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