The Occupy Movement Virus

On the surface it seems that many cities and states are finally facing down the ridiculous Occupy protestors, clearing their tents, their filth, and their generally uproductive and often destructive hindquarters off public spaces. Here in Nashville the Occupy rabble has made a circus/pig sty out of a recently renovated Legislative Plaza. The state legislature is finally putting forth a strict law specifying overnight camping is allowed only in designated areas on state property, so the Occupiers are supposedly clearing out.

Good riddance. But don't be so sure.

The whole Occupy thing had us all scratching our heads for a while. Was it a Woodstock thing? Was it the American ideals of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech at their best? Was it a bold statement against big business, Big Brother, and all things oppressive? Or was it just a bunch of do-nothings with time on their hands and nothing better to do than make a spectacle of themselves?

I wager that the Occupy movement fits into neither extreme, but is a much worse thing. And the tipoff is the praise - albeit furtive and restrained - that the movement has gotten from the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and a host of other left wing politicians.

In the short run, even though the Obama regime represents the establishment and has been calling the shots for over three years now, the Occupiers have served their populist, class warfare message well, providing a backdrop for their war on the most productive members of society, the so-called One Percenters.

But leftists tend to think in longer terms, actually, than most freedom loving people do. Think five-year plans, for example. And this Occupy movement was neither accidental nor spontaneous nor isolated.

Rather, it has served the longer term, community organizing goal of identifying the proletarian "masses" to whom they can turn to assemble more and more often in support of their income redistribution goals. If Obama stays in power, they will be called out to counterbalance Tea Party assemblies. If Obama loses power, they will be called out to riot in the streets a la the Greeks.

So don't think the Occupy Movement is dying out. Or that these people are perhaps getting jobs finally and going away. They are Obama's Army, and they're here to stay like a lingering, debilitating virus that can turn into a mortal illness at any time.

Phil Valentine's "An Inconsistent Truth"

I have been a fan of Phil Valentine for years and years. I believe I know his opinions on everything inside and out, including especially Al Gore and the debate over manmade global warming. So I wasn't expecting to learn much new from his movie, but I figured I'd spend a few bucks to support his audacious venture into movie making.



Boy was I pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect Phil Valentine to do anything less than an excellent job, but for both entertainment value and edification, "An Inconsistent Truth" is a top-drawer film worthy of someone who's spent his life in cinema rather than radio. It had laughs, great visuals, emotional impact, and a very well crafted presentation of argument. Michael Moore, move over.

And by the way, I didn't manage to get to the movie until week three in Nashville for a Saturday matinee. I'd guess there were at least a hundred folks at that performance. If it's still playing to crowds like that after a couple of weeks, then it must have some momentum of its own other than Phil's radio fan loyalty.

I've been no fan of Al Gore for, well, decades, but seeing this film provoked further thought about him than my usual summary of "here is a pompous ass". What affects me most now is considering that this con man, who has shamelessly pushed and profited handsomely from a complete and utter hoax, was vice president of the United States for eight years.

Al Gore has willingly, publicly, enthusiastically manipulated public opinion to his and his cronies' own benefit after office... What all else went on- think now about secrets spilled to China, the bungling of the hunt for bin Laden in time to prevent 9-11, and the myriad other financial scandals that occurred in those years - that we don't yet know about while he and Bill Clinton were in office?