Uncivil Disobedience

“You lie,” yelled the white South Carolina Congressman whose-name-really-isn’t-Joe in one of the more disgustingly racist moments in recent memory. Demonstrators in front of the White House chant “liar liar, pants on fire” culminating a summer of tea party fusillades railing against such absurdities as the claim that we have a socialist in the White House–despite Obama’s wavering over the tepid “public option.”

According to some pundits, the media loves conflict.  Of course it gives more attention to the tea party nutbags than the actual content of healthcare reform. 

But that’s nonsense, or at least half-nonsense.  When we antiwar activists massively demonstrated to protest the buildup of Iraq war, we were largely ignored by the media, if not by little old ladies driving by giving the finger.

Even the well-attended vigils against the ongoing Iraq war, part of the larger movement responsible for bringing Democrats to power in 2006 (rather than actually stopping the war), gained scant attention by a media supposedly “craving action.”  More likely the right-wing/corporate interests controlling the monopolized media, hostile to health care reform, find it convenient.  Only when our side acts “outrageous,” like Cindy Sheehan committing civil disobedience does it get noticed.  But only to discredit the movement, even though Cindy was willing to accept a penalty for her actions, unlike the more outrageous tea baggers.

And what does Obama do?  Accepts faux Joe’s fake apology warmly.  Perhaps they’ll have a beer together later? Some liberal pundits wonder, is he playing rope-a-dope, faking out the opposition by turning the other cheek?  Congressional Dems seem more pissed off, insisting that Joe apologize to them.  They shouldn’t hold their breath.  Republicans are used to being bullies and getting away with it.  Joe uses it to fundraise (even though his opposition is out-raising him). Why should they change?  Just look at what happened to Van Jones.  The raving Glenn Beck gets his wish and one of the smartest, most progressive people with administration is dumped unceremoniously (you can sign a petition supporting him here).  Soon after, yet another member of the admin was targeted (his name escapes me) by Beck and he was demoted.

As a child I was victimized by bullies because I couldn’t fight very well due to my physical handicap, a loss of motor control in my right side.  I learned a hard lesson: when you show fear, bullies come after you.  I never learned to fight, but I learned not to show fear.  I stopped getting picked on.  One wonders when Obama will learn this simple lesson.  Instead he rewards the bullies, throwing them metaphorical red meat.

Bill Maher, a mixed bag politically but frequently funny, had a good blog entry on the subject at the Huffington Post titled “New Rule: Float Like Obama, Sting Like Ali.“  As he put it crudely, “Crazy evil morons make up things for Obama to do, and he does it.”  My favorite line from his piece: “Muhammad Ali also had a way with words, but it helped enormously that he could also punch guys in the face.”  I think his analysis was basically correct, that Americans are having difficulty respecting Obama because he won’t stand up for himself.  Of course, he has the cultural, racist albatross–fear of being seen as an angry black male.  He’s the master at taking the high road, meeting hostility with the smooth tones of reason and civility, ready to compromise at the drop of a hat.  Public option?  What public option?  Is it any wonder that Americans are increasingly wondering, exactly what does he care about?  Can he really be a leader or will he continue to let the crazies dictate his actions?

Congressional Dems made ultra-sure that none of those pesky “illegals” get healthcare, even though it makes absolutely no sense.  I hate that word “illegal.”  These people are undocumented, something that isn’t even a felony.  And while some people are understandably concerned about the draining of local coffers, truth is that everybody would benefit from giving such people health care, even if they don’t agree it’s a human right.  Do they really want communicable diseases undetected?

But forget it.  Uncivil disobedience wins another round, splashed across the TV screen and treated as if it represented a broad movement rather than a small minority fed by corporate astroturf.  Or As Bill Maher put it, the “million moron march.”  Check out the photos on Alternet.