The Phony War

Get your hanky ready — no, wait… better make it a whole box of Kleenex. Because Buck Sexton has written a real tear-jerker. Here’s the lede:

Occupy Wall Street is becoming mired in an ideological civil war just as it seeks to reestablish itself as a dominant force in American political discourse and openly pushes for a crippling general strike on May 1st. [Emphasis added; mostly for comic effect. Read it like it includes a slide whistle.]

Let’s stipulate for the moment that OWS was ever any kind of “dominant force.” Why did it lose such vaunted status? That’s an easy one. OWS was designed — from the top down — to “change the narrative” in order to help Democrats win reelection this fall. But when the public soured on OWS, those Democrats turned against against it, too.

And, of course, the idea of a “general strike” consisting mostly of unemployed and unemployable hippies makes me giggle so hard I could almost spill my martini.

Here’s a little more:

What’s behind the various Occupy Wall Street (OWS) factions engaging in online squabbles and tweet battles? Believe it or not, Barack Obama. Within the movement, there are those who believe the established Left is trying to co-opt OWS to get President Barack Obama reelected. And it’s causing quite the stir.

In fact, Adbusters — a prominent force in the movement — is calling it a “Battle for the Soul of Occupy.” It is railing against groups like Moveon.org for seeking to piggyback on the enthusiasm and digital organization of the Occupiers to ensure the status quo in the federal government continues for four more years.

Again, let us stipulate for the moment that OWS was never actually about getting Obama reelected. This “schism” you’re reading about is just drama for the rubes. It’s all for show. “OWS isn’t for The Man, man — look, we’ve got schisms and show trials and everything!”

One more graf:

If Obama partisans have been on a stealth mission of Occupy Wall Street co-option, this is wholly unsurprising. That the institutional left (unions, community organizers, liberal media) would disingenuously promote the regime in power while pretending to stand apart from the process is as logical as it is deeply cynical. Even anarchists should know it’s easier to get what you want when you control the levers of power.

Sigh. My Stipulator is all worn out. Sexton is either one of the rubes, or thinks his readers are.

UPDATE: I’m getting so many happy tears from this story, I’ve decided to make it my Trifecta topic for this week. I don’t think Bill and Scott have any idea what they’re in for.