interesting bit of muckraking
Pam Martens is a lefty muckraker who does articles for Counterpunch, Alternet, Z… the usual suspects. Having done a bit of this with the Tillman case (I & II), I can appreciate how much time and work it takes to dig up facts that people don’t particularly want to se dug up. Kudos. The content of this piece, however, has another element: The ideological soundbytes of the libertarian shock troops in this political gambit she describes over New Hampshire way (right-wingers always seem to find the prettiest places they can to fuck up). Because readers here may feel the tug of approval at some of those libertarian-esque soundbytes, the dislike of public schools, for my own example (I have concluded to my own satisfaction that public education – as the main expression of “education” – is damaging our children). So there are a couple of good threads hiding in this one. The thread that intrigues me is, of course, is the muckraking, since I love a good who-dun-it. A real conspiracy, at the managerial level where real conspiracies are possible and practiced, with names and addresses, designed for the most vulgar and cynical kind of manipulation – including the big-boyz/gurlz’ disgusting manipulation of this variety-pak of “libertarian” emigrants, some who may even be deranged (mentally ill, if you like medicalese) people.
It’s the stuff of good noir. Wait’ll you meet Zack Bass, who puts the creep back into character. For this Jesus freak, it’s also a good example of the Spirit of Malevolence in it’s best role – the con-artist. Caveat emptor.
“Anarcho Capitalists” Backed by $25 Billion Corporate Giant
The Far Right’s Plot to Capture New HampshireBy PAM MARTENS
One of the most audacious and cynical corporate-backed social experiments in living memory, the Free State Project in New Hampshire, has now shifted into damage control mode. Free State operatives learned this past week of my article that appears in the current subscription edition of CounterPunch, taking the first in-depth look at their plan to entice 20,000 out-of-state ultra libertarians and anarchists to move to New Hampshire and implant an extremist brand of free market capitalism: a brand the corporate backers hope will lead to a gutting of business regulations, environmental laws, and return the state to the right wing of the Republican fold. (Currently, all three branches in New Hampshire, known for its pivotal first primary status, are controlled by Democrats.)
An effort at damage control is playing out in the Free Staters’ internet pummeling of this author and a reporter at the Keene Sentinel newspaper in southern New Hampshire, Phillip Bantz, who made reference to the revelations in the …
Sean:
Stan, my parents live in central NH and both are active in the Republican Party. They helped campaign for Dubya in NH in 2000 and 2004. When Martens’ article came up back in April, I forwarded it to them. They said that the article overstates the influence seen on the ground in NH.
Whether that says more about my parents naivete, than it does about Martens’ accurate divining of influence? Don’t know. Just relaying what some locals have told me.
31 August 2009, 11:27 amStan:
I don’t doubt is may be overstated. Any of us is capable of being a wee bit too breathless at times, but I have no idea really. That they’d do it doesn’t mean it will work. The plots of power I’ve watched for the last few years have been kind of a grim Keystone Kops… except for the collateral damage. Weilding influence means weilding influence for good or ill. A lot of influence can create a lot of mischief.
31 August 2009, 2:10 pmSean:
I agree completely. I should add that the whackos Martens reported on, they’re not the types of folks my parents would be hanging around with, so it’s possible the influence is there, but flying over, under or past my parents. My parents care a bit more about national politics than local, so it’s possible that Martens’ subject whackos are not doing things my parents would notice. The only local politics my parents are involved in are the politics of their tiny town, which has something like 400 residents.
31 August 2009, 10:45 pmMichael Anderson:
Good article—it makes me wonder if something like this will happen out here in the Pacific Northwest.
There is the “Ecotopia” movement, which has long been simmering here, more as a lark than anything else, based on a book that came out in the 70′s, but there are also very entrenched timber and mining interests here, too—-and a lot of blue-collar people (translated—the fear crowd) in places like Oakridge and Coos Bay (OR) who got the shaft when big lumber pulled out in the early 80′s—it’s still here, just not with the big names up front—lower wages, no bennies.
Oregon is nominally a “blue” state, in the urban areas, but there are large rural areas that are extremely reactionary-conservative, and Libertarian candidates generally get a small share of the vote—more so than Green and Independent party votes. There is a convicted business felon who always champions the no-tax initiatives for the ballot on behalf of various front committees. The AstroTurf “teabaggers” are having their 15 minutes of fame right now. Good ol’ American cranks, maybe, but I’m watching.
I guess what I’m saying is that where there are disenfranchised people who had a little and believe the scary-fairy tales they’re told, the seeds for this can be planted. Divide and conquer, OODA-loop, keep the lies simple & repeat often.
1 September 2009, 1:59 amSean:
One thing to remember about the “teabaggers” — no matter whether you agree with all of their sometimes bigoted, neo-paranoid views, a lot of what they complain about isn’t too far off the mark. Where they seem to miss the target is in their choice of blame. But their mistrust of big, corrupt government is quite sane, and in the present American era, it’s a good thing. Remember that the polarization in American politics yields unrealistic perspectives from either of the two dominant views/parties.
Liberal/progressive folks have chosen to turn a blind eye to the corruption of the Democrats and they completely ignore the fact that Obama’s Admin is delivering the 3d term of Bush/Cheney, they seem to ignore it because it’s too ugly and scary to accept.
Neocon/quasi-libertarian paranoids at the other end of a left-right spectrum are busy blaming immigrants and “marxists” (who don’t even exist in America) but their criticisms of the Fed Govt’s corruption and its illegitimate theft of taxpayer $$$ are valid.
As usual, in a partisan bickering situation you must find the truth that exists between the poles.
1 September 2009, 12:38 pmMichael Anderson:
Acknowledged, Sean, but don’t forget the Teabaggers are getting their money from conservative pockets. Sometimes I think the Corpos (to use the Sinclair Lewis term from “It Can’t Happen Here”) want a state like Somalia—no functioning central government, but the cell phone companies (and maybe those pirates, too) are doing quite well, thank you.
2 September 2009, 1:07 pmSean:
Michael — I am sure there are people from both major parties who enjoy the idea of an ignorant, powerless populace as in Somalia. They’ve almost got it already. As I look around me, I see a lot of people busy arguing that “their guys” are better than “the other guys.” I see a lot of tribalism. I see a lot of people calling themselves “conservatives” who are bashing the ones who call themselves “liberals” and “progressives.” And I see the “liberals” and “progressives” telling whomever will listen that the nation’s problems are the fault of “conservatives.”
Meanwhile, as the Eternal Super Bowl continues on with Mighty Donkeys taking on Powerful Elephants, a lot of people on both sides of the dividing line are getting very rich. Obama’s delivering the 3d term of Bush/Cheney.
I go back to my point – the arguments by “teabaggers” are not entirely misplaced. There are good reasons to criticize the Federal government’s bloat, and its corruption. The problem exists when someone imagines that the bloat and corruption are the fault of only one tribe, or the other.
3 September 2009, 12:03 amMichael Anderson:
True….I forget sometimes, when the Repugs are openly immoral and the Damns are openly amoral and obfuscation remains supreme…well, maybe they are both all of the above eh? (saturnine smile)
Before the election there was a great 5-part series on “Barack Obama, the Wizard of OZ”, by Evelyn Pringle on Scoop.nz. I think it’s still out there. It illustrates the workings of the Illinois/Chicago brand of “bipartisanship” very well.
Can you imagine Rod Blagojevich as the FIRST CHOICE for a Democratic Presidential candidate?? That was originally the plan! My God…
But, violence is still no way to solve it, and I believe the Teabaggers, as well as some of the other Astroturf movements, are violent at their core. So are the Dems…so is the system. I can’t do it that way.
Not to say there aren’t good people everywhere on both sides of this damn 2-party single party who are aware and trying to do it better. Thanks, Sean, for the reminder.
3 September 2009, 1:39 pmSean:
Any time, Michael. I agree with you that anyone looking to incite violence is prompting something else — I think that any insurrection that may brew up in America would likely have its roots in the same gang who foment discord in other nations. I think therefore that no matter which major party’s advocates may prompt people toward violence, the urgings and implorings will originate in the chambers of federal power. For pete’s sake, they’re already spying on us regularly and Rockefeller’s recent bill regarding control over the internet suggests that a certain segment of empowered Federal pols imagine themselves our masters anyway, and further imagine that we don’t deserve any say over our political future or our civil rights. What reason would suggest that Rockefeller’s bill is a good idea, other than to stop people from intelligent discussion and the spread of news? Block the internet and all you have left is the corporate owned “news” media, who are essentially the Pravda of the 21st century US Govt.
3 September 2009, 11:05 pm