"It was a small island of old norms within a national emergency. There were a small number of scowling dudes bullhorning loudly about their love of communism, as the First Amendment entitles them to do. But most of the other Chicagoans exercised their right to amble on by in, for example, inflatable corn costumes, without so much as a nod in the dudes’ direction. This humorous form of protest, known as tactical frivolity, shows the absurdity of the charge that all the protesters are armed militants...."
Writes Gary Shteyngart — one of my favorite novelists — in "The Rise of the Inflatable Chicken Resistance" (NYT)(free-access link, because of all the humorous details).
"Toward the end of the protest, around 2 p.m., I met two Jesus impersonators. 'He’s more classical, and I’m the more modern Jesus,' one of the Sons of God told me. He was wearing a crown of barbed wire instead of thorns, which is what made him more modern.... I left the parade full of the pleasure of being a part of a vast humanity. It’s a feeling that may soon be extinguished if we do not exercise our power of free assembly and free speech.... We must harness our best creative, humorous and frivolous selves in order to keep it from falling."
"Toward the end of the protest, around 2 p.m., I met two Jesus impersonators. 'He’s more classical, and I’m the more modern Jesus,' one of the Sons of God told me. He was wearing a crown of barbed wire instead of thorns, which is what made him more modern.... I left the parade full of the pleasure of being a part of a vast humanity. It’s a feeling that may soon be extinguished if we do not exercise our power of free assembly and free speech.... We must harness our best creative, humorous and frivolous selves in order to keep it from falling."
I'm reminded of Saul Alinsky's 6th rule in "Rules for Radicals": "A good tactic is one that your people enjoy. If your people are not having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic."
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69 comments:
How is Gary's shteynar?
: )
I think that's the only rule operating here.
Your sympathies with leftist protesters was established already. It is an odd enthusiasm for somebody who is "for boring" elected leaders to have such an appreciation for the sturm and drang of agitators. But whatever drives you to post is also what makes it worth coming here to read. I'm just personally tired of rallies protests and mobs in general.
’A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.’
All the protesters I saw were enjoying themselves. Lots of smiles and waving at the passing vehicles. After I finished my errands I sat on a bench and watched for about ten minutes. It was all very pleasant, and a gorgeous Fall morning.
Was anybody dressed as Spartacus?
Nanking
No Kings in defense of invasion... migration with murder and rape
The king orders citizens to take a knee
The queen brays off with her head
Suspicious
#HateLovesAbortion
Of note: we had our mayoral election in late August and it ended in a tie; both candidates garnering 1,521 votes. In the runoff three weeks ago the Republican candidate won by more than 800 votes. Protests are fun, but elections count.
shows the absurdity of the charge that all the protesters are armed militants
Was anyone dressed up as a strawman?
Never ending tantrums. In all of their various forms.
Strawman. Nobody has charged "that all the protesters are armed militants." A large number of the protesters are just fellow travelers or useful idiots. A non-trivial number, the ones who have been committing violent acts at their so-called "peaceful protests," are indeed armed militants, however.
The tactic is specifically designed to create a scenario where the police crack down hard on harmless looking protestors. However, No Kings has a fatal flaw- all of the police are controlled by the Democrats themselves, not the Republicans and Trump- even in the Red State cities. Absent that crackdown, the costumes only serve to demonstrate how toothless No Kings actually is.
For an example of a protest that was cracked down hard upon and that served to support the cause of the protestors as a result, look no further than January 6th 2021.
Remember when everyone agreed that the Charlottesville protest was harmless because of the tiki torches? Of course you do.
Straw clowns or jesters to amuse the court is a gender abstract fetus... feature and a technical term of art to socially distance royalty from lower strata Diversity blocs.
January 6th... from the carnage arose a Phoenix illuminated in orange-colored flames
For No Kings to work it will have to take its protest into venues where the police are controlled by Republicans and threaten the property and lives of other Republicans- these are specifically not cities above 50,000 population. They needed the 100,000 NYC protestors, for example, to all go to towns in upstate New York. The January 6th protestors carried out their protest and fight right into the figurative jaws of their opposition.
The American flags dispersed throughout the crowd seem very out of place for a Left-wing protest. And if I had to guess, their presence is not happenstance but part of an organized effort by event organizers. Something similar happened in the UK where recently there was a Right-wing and Centrist protest in August called "Operation Raise the Colours." UK citizens proudly flew the Union Jack as well as St. George's Cross, in a display of national pride. It was wildly successful with millions of people participating. After that event Labour and the left suddenly started talking about how proud they were to be British and English, this after years of messaging saying how awful the Union Jack and particularly the English flag were. The American flags at these rallies have a similar vibe, as if organizers of the Left discovered that actually most Americans like their country and are proud of their country, so now they have to adopt a faux sense of patriotism and hope everyone forgets the years of the Left revealing their true thoughts that America is a foundationally racist, sexist, colonialist, and evil country.
Well they got the absurd and frivolous part right...
bagoh20 said...
Was anybody dressed as Spartacus?
--------------------------
I don't know about Spartacus but someone dress up as a penis.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) struggled to respond after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trolled him on Saturday with a photo of a demonstrator in a giant penis costume at a “No Kings” protest. “Breaking: Gavin Newsom has shown up to the riot!” the DHS account added as a caption to the photo.
Folks, take the win.
Nonviolent fun protests is exactly what MAGA has engaged in (along with the Tea Party). If our opposition is now following our example, that’s great. Alinsky shmalinsky. It looks like the circumstances of Charlie Kirk’s murder had an impact on the left as well. Peaceful protests may lead to peaceful dialogue. This is a huge win for our side. Old people are at the protests? What’s wrong with that? White people are at the protests? What’s wrong with that? And notice this wasn’t billed as anti Trump - probably because the organizers see that opinion has mellowed especially since the Israeli/Gaza peace process has begun. Now the issue isn’t Trump but Trump’s methods. That’s a huge step forward.
wendybar posted some video of kids bashing a Trump effigy. That’s a problem. A bigger problem were the adults standing by and cheering. That should be condemned. But singing patriotic songs and carrying flags - all good.
The protests were organized - yes they were. But even organizers look at polls. And the polling data must have shown that people are turned off by violence. That’s a good thing.
It’s morning in America.
Lot's of people enjoy violence, it is one of the chief attractions of the left.
"I'm reminded of Saul Alinsky's 6th rule in "Rules for Radicals": "A good tactic is one that your people enjoy. If your people are not having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic." "
The Portland Antifa crowds seem to having a high old time.
Raving looney party
There is no exclusionary principle that says an attendee who is dressed in a shark costume is therefore not armed.
Landshark
"Toward the end of the protest, around 2 p.m., I met two Jesus impersonators. 'He’s more classical, and I’m the more modern Jesus,' one of the Sons of God told me. He was wearing a crown of barbed wire instead of thorns, which is what made him more modern.... I left the parade full of the pleasure of being a part of a vast humanity..."
Mark Knopfler had this covered in '82:
Now, I go down to Speaker's Corner, I'm thunderstruck
They got free speech tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
There's a protest singer, he's singing a protest song
He says, "They wanna have a war, keep their factories
They wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
They wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease
They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
They wanna sap your energy, incarcerate your mind
Give ya "Rule Britannia", gassy beer, page three
Two weeks in España and Sunday striptease"
Meanwhile, the first Jesus says "I'll cure it soon
Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons"
The other one's out on hunger strike, he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets industrial disease?
The whole damned thing was gassy beer and page three.
"narciso said...
Landshark"
Could be a Candygram.
Two men say they're Jesus,
One of them must be wrong.
There's a protest singer
He's singing a protest song
"Toward the end of the protest, around 2 p.m., I met two Jesus impersonators."
As predicted by Dire Straits:
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong. There's a protest singer, he's singing a protest song.
Industrial Disease
The really hilarious thing about the leftwing protests in the U.S. is that when they do turn violent they end up burning the homes and businesses of their own voters and supporters.
the absurdity of the charge that all the protesters are armed militants...."
It's unfortunate to see a successful writer use words to dishonestly frame an issue.
I'm reminded of Saul Alinsky's 6th rule in "Rules for Radicals": "A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.
True. Democrats hate Trump rallies not because they're hotbeds of hate, but because everyone's having so much fun.
Let me just add - it looks (to me) that the left is chasing after the voters who are leaving their party. (Look, we can be fun. Don’t go.)
Re: multiple Jesi*:
. . . What on EARTH possessed you to paint THREE REDEEMERS?!
It WORKS mate, it WORKS. The fat one balances out the two skinnies!
* Yes, it is the correct plural. Look it up.
The protesters couldn’t be honest about what they were protesting.
That is why they will fail
"National emergency..." he stated without evidence.
I don't care one way or the other about your silly protests, really. I just wish you'd quit mistaking them for elections.
NYeT has humped the Ass.
"...bullhorning loudly ...the First Amendment entitles them to do"
Wrong and not even wrong one sentence.
The protesters dialed it back in Portland under the threat of National Guard presence. Costumes and the AARP displaced Antifa long enough for a dipshit District Court Judge to drop a restraining order. The malevolence is shrouded in fake fur and gray hair - for now. DHS should withdraw from sanctuaries with fanfare. If the influx of fleeing illegals suffocates the cities, that is a local problem. Right, Judge?
Like Hombre, I would, if I were the Trump Administration, announce that all illegals who can make it to California, New York, Oregon, Washington State, and Illinois will not be arrested and deported.
Of course, the Democrats would immediately run to court and get a judge to order Trump to enforce the laws on all the states equally.
"Wearing a shark costume while quoting [Cory Booker] seemed sweet and suburban. Maybe that was the point of the silly costumes."
Sweet and suburban won’t last. Dumbocrats have fallen in love with anger and violence. Soon enough they’ll come up with some half-baked excuse to drop the “sweet and suburban” and get back to trying to kill people.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) struggled to respond after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trolled him on Saturday with a photo of a demonstrator in a giant penis costume at a “No Kings” protest. “Breaking: Gavin Newsom has shown up to the riot!” the DHS account added as a caption to the photo.
I read this to my husband and he commented, "So, we're telling the British Parliament, 'Hold my beer.'"
@Eva Marie @10:12 - I guess. After all, I myself have said in the past that people's motivations don't matter nearly as much as the results of their actions.
But it's still fun to watch them trying to "appear authentic."
Because of my knee surgery, I haven't been able to take my usual long walks, which means I'm way behind on my podcast listening - in order to concentrate on a podcast, I need to be doing nothing more mentally taxing than walking, and I don't like just sitting still and listening. I'm up to about 40 minutes now, so I'm starting to catch up on America This Week. The latest I've been listening to is the one where they're talking about that Hakim guy with the dog with the shock collar, and the subject of performing authenticity was decidedly on the docket.
" It looks like the circumstances of Charlie Kirk’s murder had an impact on the left as well."
Probably true, but not in the way you're suggesting. That would have no place in their worldview. They're simply afraid of being J6'd. Batshit Prog violence has put the rest of Batshit Progdom under heavy manners.
as in multiple posters alluding to the act, not to mention the ones copying the shooters garb,
libs of tiktok are all over this,
There is only one country in all of north, south and central America that has a King, Canada. King Chuck has such absolute powers that he would make Mao drool with envy. That he doesn't use them openly is only tradition and there is nothing to stop him.
When the Canadians protested over the kung flu jab a couple years ago they got fired at govt behest, had bank accounts frozen/confiscated, jailed, fined, beaten by police and more.
That is how protest under a king is treated.
Other than a couple of memes, there was no reaction at all from the federal govt. Nor should there have been. Strictly a state issue. If an issue at all.
Isn't it time Canada Chucked their king and became a republic or a democracy?
John Henry
I left the parade full of the pleasure of being a part of a vast humanity.
Like May Day in Red Square? Gary's parents took him out of the Soviet Union, but there's no taking the Soviet Union out of Gary. On the plus side, there was enough goofiness in the protest that maybe he didn't have to make up very much this time.
Not many black people at all in the pics I saw. Was the demo racist?
I mentioned this on BlueSky and got a reply about how protesting is a luxury reserved for the people on the upper 2-3 steps of Maslow's hierarchy. Since blacks, according to the commenter are all on the bottom step, just struggling to get air to breathe and food to eat, they don't have the luxury of protesting.
I told him he sounded very racist and have not heard back.
John Henry
"The American flags dispersed throughout the crowd seem very out of place for a Left-wing protest."
The left is still trying to find a way to make the delivery of their message palatable to normal people. It appears they're never going to figure out it's not the delivery- it's that the message sucks.
“There were a small number of scowling dudes bullhorning loudly about their love of communism, as the First Amendment entitles them to do.”
The First Amendment says nothing about bullhorns or blocking public streets and sidewalks. I will respect your right to speak only so long as you respect my right not to listen to you. We need stricter enforcement of noise and obstruction ordinances.
"I left the parade full of the pleasure of being a part of a vast humanity. It’s a feeling that may soon be extinguished if we do not exercise our power of free assembly and free speech.... "
What does this mean? What is the feeling that may soon be extinguished? The pleasure of being part of a vast humanity?
Jamie, I hope your long walks are on a treadmill.
People who walk in the wild while killing the audible portion of their situational awareness ...
Peaceful advocates of democracy, unless people vote the wrong way.
https://x.com/BalazsOrban_HU/status/1980279786850099612
A vast humanity: diversity of individuals, minority of one. #HateLovesAbortion
There is no exclusionary principle that says an attendee who is dressed in a shark costume is therefore not armed.
Armed to the teeth, one supposes.
“ If your people are not having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.”
At the ice protests the one thing people really enjoy doing is sticking their cell phones up everyone’s nose, look at me ma, I’m a journlisim!
I've been noticing Lefties performing some sleight of hand by saying that conservatives believe "all the protesters are armed militants."
I don't think that anyone on the Right has been going around asserting that at all, but the Lefty spin machine will be happy to have you believe that those wacky wingnuts are out there insisting that grandma is tossing Molotov cocktails.
That will help to keep you from noticing the violent activists who actually are running around with Molotov cocktails.
Gaslighting at its finest. Take note.
It's revealing the left is running around patting themselves on the back for having protests that weren't violent.
"It was a small island of old norms within a national emergency.
The national emergency is a contrived narrative foisted upon the rest of us by Leftists with full-blown TDS and neverTrump grifters. They throw in the "authoritarian" smear as frosting on their demented cake.
Showing them evidence or facts refuting their hysterical claims has all the staying power of a Joe Biden chat.
What’s the national emergency?
Novelists are very good at exploring individuals or small groups, especially families. Very few understand social movements or larger parts of society. They don’t understand institutions very well either or how individuals and small groups maneuver through them and shape them and undermine them.
There’s no National Emergency. And almost no novelist would be able to detect one.
Hes temu yakov smirnoff
Following up on Eva Marie's comment, which I endorse, is this the first thing the Ds have done to address the 'leavers'? A change in strategy has been called for since the election almost a year ago. And yet they've just double and triple downed on EVERYTHING.
Similarly, I forget where I read or heard this, I think Politico's attack on the young Republicans was not about the VA AG race but was instead to fire a shot into Turning Point USA's organization i.e. TP USA racist by association. Makes sense to me.
They hate the dissident so they lie about them
“Wearing a shark costume while quoting [Cory Booker] seemed sweet and suburban. Maybe that was the point of the silly costumes. It was a small island of old norms within a national emergency.”
So which is the “old norms”? Wearing a shark costume or quoting Cory Booker?
See Danny Mullens and Cookie Monster crashing Portland Antifa via ewetoob.
"Come to the Dark Side. We have inflatables."
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