Media Always Has Last Word

Win Win Media

Not so much has changed. The pen remains mightier than the sword, and the Occupy movement doesn’t even have weapons.

The mainstream media is portraying the Iowa caucuses as a sign that the Occupy movement, which it has always opposed at least subliminally, has failed. The reason? The Iowa caucuses were held.

Did anyone think they would not be? It appears to be little more than a giant anti-climax. An eight-vote victory for the guy with the most money.

The real test of the Occupy movement is whether they can rein in some of the renegade selfish banks. They have scored a few victories.

Of course it can be said that they were non sequiturs. Just because banks dropped some plans to add new charges or increase existing ones does not mean it was because of the worldwide protests of greed.

That is why it is a win win argument. Writers can’t lose.

Ah for the days of Bertolt Brecht, a man who was described as never seeking to resolve conflict or achieve harmony. Rather he would put it on the stage and let the theater-goers decide what to do.

The same argument was used against Wikileaks despite an inherent contradiction. If they did not reveal anything really new then why were they a security threat?

Although there was a lot more noise about Vietnam War crimes, Lt. William Calley was pardoned after 3 years of house arrest in the My Lai massacre.

A trial begins today in a military courtroom in California for the killings of 24 civilians in Iraq in 2005. Don’t expect much. Seven have already had the charges dismissed or were acquitted.

So perhaps it is accurate to deem the Occupy protests ineffective. Will it change anything?

Cops Have Nothing On California Black Friday Shopper

It should be no surprise after so many television viewings, and online parodies, of police pepper spraying Occupy protestors.

A woman used pepper spray to get to the head of several lines at a San Fernando Wal-Mart.

And as one person commented on YouTube it should be even less a surprise that cities that had banned tents being set up by Occupiers allowed plenty of them in front of big box so they could be first into stores for Black Friday. And why the big deal. Fox News says pepper spray is  just food.

The Los Angeles Times said 20 people were injured. The woman, who has not been identified, fled before authorities arrived late Thursday.

"People started screaming, pulling and pushing each other, and then the whole area filled up with pepper spray," said Alejandra Seminario said. With X Boxes and other game consoles one of the main targets of shoppers next year there could be a Black Friday game.

No serious injuries were reported, but victims said they were painful.

"She was competitive shopping," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson.

The injured, including children, were hurt in the 10:10 p.m. incident. Shoppers complained of minor skin and eye irritation and sore throats, he said.

Joseph Poulose, one of those hit with the spray at the DVD and video games display, said Target had allowed to many people in the building to keep it under control. "Every aisle was full."

Police said store surveillance photos will be available soon and likely will go right on the Internet. Plus if the woman used a credit card she could be caught even faster.

First on http://technorati.com/blogging/article/cops-have-nothing-on-california-black/

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The Parapluies de Seattle

Back in the Cold War days when there was trouble in Moscow, Americans turned to the Western media to try to find out the truth. Now the Russian media, and others, say the U.S. media is trying to black out our problems.

Le Monde reports today about parapluies being banned in Seattle, not Cherbourg during the days of the Algerian war. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said Occupy Wall Street protestors were using them to hide. They have been designated structures and therefore may not stand in parks.

Russian Television’s Website devotes a column to events throughout the U.S.

“When not maced in the face or dragged around during police arrests, a peaceful tone prevails at the Occupy Wall Street protests,” RT reported.

Much of it is live streeting … while another large part is live streaming. Sort of like in Cairo during the April Spring, screens carry messages from the Big Apple to Hollywood.

Even now an embedded media pays little attention to the two wars that consume American blood and money. The fact that our main ally, Pakistan, supports insurgents who kill American troops, is ignored.

How did Osama die? The story was widely told in Europe that a Pakistani intelligence officer sold him out after years of being supported by Saudi money.

The crowds do get attention, though. Hard to ignore. More than 25 tents were set up in the rain and snow on Columbus Day across from the state capitol in Denver. Troopers took no action as at least one of the protesters was a member of the Legislature. A young man yelled at my son, as we drove by, "I'm 29 and I have never lived in a democracy."

“What we here is now over 250,000 people have signed a pledge of support for the occupiers saying we’re with you, we stand with you, we are united in the fight for real democracy and against corruption and for a government that’s truly accountable to the people and not corrupt elite,” campaigner Cambronero told RT.

Protesters keep busy with meetings and reading, not so much TV.

“99 percent of the country don’t have control of the wealth as they should _ it’s not evenly distributed. One percent of the country owns 42 percent of the wealth,” poet and hip hop artist Talib Kweli said.

The government seems at a stalemate. Is this the party of the late Republican President Ronald Reagan. He denounced the rich getting breaks on taxes.