From Seattle Indy Media, an announcement of nationwide plans to sabotage newspaper machines on May 9.
"Freeze the Media Day" is when people all around the country drop superglue and toothpicks into the money slots of slimy corperate media newspaper dispensers. This is a statement to figures who like to put themselves in places of power that the power still remains with the people and that we can still tear down any institutions we feel the need to because the were built over the labor on our backs. This is also a message to them that we won't tolerate the bullshit spins they put out to keep us in a constants state of fear and obediance. This is a nationwide event, and we're looking for solidarity everywhere to help spread this empowering message.
I think it would be more empowering to.....start a blog.
Hat tips to Michelle Malkin, Indy Media Watch, and Sound Politics reader Sue Gill Rose.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at April 28, 2005 12:30 PM | Email ThisDon't worry.. it'll never happen. These idiots will probably spend more time sniffing the glue than using it.
Though it does sound like the group has gone through a lot of the glue already. Which probably helped avoid any contemplation of the fact that they are publishing their call to action on the internet and how that simple act is more threatening to MSM than any bit of childish vandalism.
Posted by: iconoclast on April 28, 2005 12:38 PM2) I believe those newspaper dispensers are private property of said newspapers. THIS is how they want to make a statement? By violating private property? Too typical of these types
Posted by: Michele on April 28, 2005 12:56 PMBut it is good to see you all defending the mainstream media.
Posted by: JDB on April 28, 2005 01:18 PMIf they do it, it'll all be blamed on fundamentalist Christians. We are responsible for pretty much everything the msm deems unpleasant, as far as I can tell.
Posted by: Julie on April 28, 2005 01:36 PMWhy treat this story as a legitimate political message, Matt?
The same message appears on the Portland Indymedia board. These boards are essentially blogs on which anyone can start a topic:
'At the heart of Indymedia is the principle of "Open Publishing", which allows anyone to self-publish their work on the IMC web sites. The IMC Newswire encourages people to become the media by posting their articles, analysis, videos, audio clips and artwork directly to the web site using the "Publish" form.
Indymedia relies on the people who post to present their information in a thorough, honest, accurate manner, but has no control over what people post. After an article has been posted, it can be removed from the Newswire and placed in the compost bin. The current Portland IMC editorial guidelines appear here.
Indymedia also encourages community dialogue through the "add your own comments" link at the bottom of each post. This link goes to a publish page where a person can add further information, refute stated information and/or discuss the post. The comments are then added in chronological order to the orignal post, sometimes making for lively discussion.'
Sure, enforse the fashist speling rules of the corprit edukashun sistem and keep us down! ;)
Headless,
And advertisers don't pay unless circulation is up. And people don't buy unless the news is worth reading... See, advertisers pay to get in front of people, not to support newspapers. If the newspaper doesn't keep its readership up, then the advertisers leave, or start paying less.
Funny how capitalism works like that!
Posted by: Edmonds Dan on April 28, 2005 02:30 PMDorks.
Posted by: Jason on April 28, 2005 02:31 PMQuick JDB...get the talking points out. There must be some incredibly strained comparison to make here. Demonstrate you have neither any shame or intellectual honesty.
Posted by: iconoclast on April 28, 2005 02:36 PMLet's see, just off the top of my head, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, stating that it is understanable that people act violently against judges on the senate floor. Obviously the Rapist that killed the judge in Atlanta was terribly upset over Roe v. Wade. Tom Delay stating that those who ruled against him on the Schivo case will be made to pay.
Air America, while in bad taste, was obviously a joke. Much like your comment.
Posted by: JDB on April 28, 2005 02:48 PMI don't know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. Certainly nothing new, but we seem to have run through a spate of courthouse violence recently that's been on the news and I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in - engage in violence. Certainly without any justification but a concern that I have that I wanted to share
Were you able to read the phrase "without any justification" with understanding? Very good.
As for Delay's comments, that is a matter of constitutional powers and as such is a legal and legitimate response to the refusal of a Federal judge to follow a constitutionally appropriate congressional directive.
Both comments are, of course, legal and appropriate. You can disagree with them, but to lump them into moonbat's incitement to attack newspaper private property is both intellectually dishonest and shameful. As I expected.
While the machines may be owned by the media companies, some poor joe stocks the machines with papers that poor joe buys and then resells to the public.
While the machines are out-of-service, poor joe goes without income.
I really hope someone rethinks the planned protest...
Posted by: Timothy Lee on April 28, 2005 03:26 PMI think you're right that Cornyn's and Delay's comments don't sink to the level of inciting violence or vandalism, but I wouldn't say they're "appropriate" in the circumstances.
Cornyn made his comments while he was blasting a Supreme Court ruling. He also said: "It causes a lot of people, including me, great distress to see judges use the authority that they have been given to make raw political or ideological decisions." Then he speculates, I think irresponsibly, on whether the violence out there has political motivations. Why bring up the violence issue at all if not to try to bolster his point that judges are somehow out of hand? And who decides what are "raw political or ideological decisions" and what are judgements based on reasoning and conscience? Hopefully not him or Delay.
I'd put the comment alongside Gregoire's innuendo that talk radio was out of hand. She never precisely said that there was a death threat on the radio--she just said that the WSP was monitoring it. Yes it was certainly legal, but a bit dirty and underhanded.
Posted by: ChrisW on April 28, 2005 03:29 PMIf Terri Schiavo had been born with four legs, the liberal left might have rallied to protect her from judicial execution effected by starvation and dehydration. Since she wasn't a canine or convicted psychokiller, the left let her starve, but their newspapers told us her slow death was "euphoric."
Posted by: sandalista on April 28, 2005 03:40 PMSo many of them wear their pants down around their butts, they'd trip and fall in a serious march.
Posted by: DakotaRed on April 28, 2005 04:00 PM"Readers don't decide newspaper content. Advertisers do."
By your rationale, thank God for those QFC flyers or else I'd NEVER know what's going on.
pssst,
ietquay on the Eslay Abschway irestay ads. (You, rubber, oil, Halliburton, your padded room ...)
Is this linked to Michael Moore,or whoever else you hate this weeks website?
Look how easy it is for you to get riled up over a post. No wonder this Nationalism is so easy to work on you folk.
If you want to critique the center column stories, feel free. But to critique the "open-publishing wire" that's just silly. There's a lot of Indymedia volunteers that have done the same... and every Indymedia has it's own editorial policy. But hey you go right on complaining like it means something.
Posted by: Gentry on April 28, 2005 04:49 PMOf course, destruction of private property can't be condoned, but since these sorts of whackos are out there and are likely to destroy SOMETHING because that is their way, they may as well destroy something that is corrupt, like the newspapers in Seattle.
Posted by: DeadManVoting (aka Iguana) on April 28, 2005 05:43 PMI also agree with Timothy Lee that people hurt most by this sort of idiocy is the Joe lunchpail guy who has to clean up after these democrats.
I do find this thread interesting in what is missing from the leftists commentary - outrage. With posts ranging from rationalizing it away to deflecting away from likely personal behavior to some perceived indiscretion by their political opponent.
Pathetic.
Is there not one leftist with a shred of self-respect?
Posted by: alphabet soup on April 28, 2005 06:31 PMThen the rest of you jump on board. Who is the (un)Sound journalist here?
It is funny that you guys find some wacko out there who espouses leftist(if that's what they were) and think it is all of us. Our difference is when we complain about your guys...It is normally the elected leaders of your party.
Nowhere on this String do you see one of us self-respecting leftist condone this behaivor. As a matter of fact it is the righties who agree with it, as long as it goes after the PI. Make sure we shut down dissent, now there is a moral value to be proud of.
Posted by: danw on April 28, 2005 07:07 PMI mean, really, raping and pillaging takes some time. The print media needs to start doing its part...even if they do print crap.
Posted by: Danny on April 28, 2005 07:49 PMindymedia does censor the self-publishing portion. So what is left up there meets some sort of minimal approval.
However, I heartily agree with you that anyone who thinks this is ok as long as they target PI/Times is either making a horribly bad joke or is as guilty as the worst of the left in excusing illegal/immoral means because it helps their chosen ends. I hope it is the former.
Posted by: iconoclast on April 28, 2005 08:07 PMIf any one heard Dori Monson today on KIRO, during the 2 pm hour, I was on with him for about 10 minutes. I called them, they called me back.
He read the post on the air. That is why I called.
And check the website - this post violated our editorial policy. And I pulled it. We DO exercise some reasonable control - read our policy online at :
http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/en/static/policy.shtml
I stand by that policy. Many people thought, discussed and argued to craft it. Our problem. if you can call it that, is that we are a volunteer organization. I work for a living. So we don't always catch everything.
We make no apology for being left of center - nor should we. Are we not entitled to our views as much as anyone of any position? And do we not have the same rights to advocate for our position as anyone? Isn't that Republicans do here?
Lets face it, Indy media and Sound Politics are 2 almost identical webistes, in that they are signing to the choir in most cases. Different choirs, but you get the idea.
Rick Harrison
Posted by: rick on April 28, 2005 09:12 PMI'm just wondering which Media they are referring to? We all know the media in Western Washington went left of liberal long ago!
Posted by: Deborah on April 28, 2005 09:48 PMWhen the Republicans here on SP start calling for vandalism against the MSM, I will say "G-bye!".
The difference is .. slashed tires, stolen computers, broken windows, battery acid, burning lawns and the people who do that cross a line. People at Sound Politics wouldn't ever endorse or propose that type of "protest".
Sure, Neo-nuts are on both sides of the fence.. but you are judged by who your friends are.
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 09:51 PMIf any one heard Dori Monson today on KIRO, during the 2 pm hour, I was on with him for about 10 minutes. I called them, they called me back.
He read the post on the air. That is why I called.
And check the website - this post violated our editorial policy. And I pulled it. We DO exercise some reasonable control - read our policy online at :
http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/en/static/policy.shtml
I stand by that policy. Many people thought, discussed and argued to craft it. Our problem. if you can call it that, is that we are a volunteer organization. I work for a living. So we don't always catch everything.
We make no apology for being left of center - nor should we. Are we not entitled to our views as much as anyone of any position? And do we not have the same rights to advocate for our position as anyone? Isn't that Republicans do here?
Lets face it, Indy media and Sound Politics are 2 almost identical webistes, in that they are signing to their choir in most cases. Different choirs, but you get the idea.
Rick Harrison
Posted by: rick on April 28, 2005 09:54 PMAnyway, Splatter, you are a symptom of a problem that I see on the left and the right.
That is the problem of NOT LISTENING TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY!! Yeah, that is shouting.
Indymedia NEVER advocates violence or illegal behaviour. But what people post is up to them - just like on Sound Politics. If the people who run the sight don't like the post, they have a policy to deal with it.
Did you read our editorial policy? I was going to compare it to this sites, but I could not find it. I may well have missed it, i just looked a minute on my tooo slloooow dial up kunecteun. (us leftys can't afford broadband!)
If you compare the 2 policies, I bet you will see that they are very similair. The difference is in the slant of the person doing the enforcement of that policy.
You say you are judged by who your friends are. So does that mean I should judge the republican party by some of ITS friends like Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols?
Of course, I don't believe that the Republicans endorse what they did. I know they are as pained by it as I am. But those 2 kooks were right wing kooks. Just like the left wing kooks that sometimes post on indymedia.
I am proud to be judged by the overall finished product. No, it is not everything I wish it to be. But I ask the folks who operate this website, is it everything that they want? Is not life a constant work in progress?
Rick Harrison
"Let us restore to social intercourse that HARMONY and AFFECTION without which liberty and even life are but dreary things"
Thomas Jefferson
"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called CONSCIENCE"
George Washington
"When a nation goes down, or a society perishes, one condition can always be found; they forgot where they came from. They lost sight of what had brought them along"
Carl Sandburg
Tres Arrow and Craig Rosebraugh are not members Sound politics.
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 10:21 PMI do know there is a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE between SP and Indy media.
Maybe mistakes get corrected here....
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 10:34 PMI would say this is encouraging some sort of activity....
whoa, what's wrong w/ them self censoring their leftwing cousins (that is the whacko's stopping the PI for a day).
Posted by Righton at April 28, 2005 03:17 PM
You going to nuke the wrong IP? Well, isn't that special!
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 10:48 PMhttp://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/01/40609.shtml
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 11:11 PMTitle:
Craig Rosebraugh speaks on the 'Legitimacy of Political Violence'
That nice little 'call for action' is it indexed on indymedia servers all over the world. And you don't think indymedia friends won't snap off some tooth picks in paper boxes? Get real!
I will take Righton over Craig Rosebraugh.
It's the people you associate with danw.
Say goodbye danw.
Posted by: Splatter on April 28, 2005 11:23 PMYou refuse to debate the issues openly and honestly. Instead, you say and do whatever you want to try and support your preconcieved notions.
You are as closed minded while leaning to the right as many liberals are closed minded while leaning to the left.
IMHO, that makes you brothers under the skin. And you are both worth rejecting.
Posted by: rick on April 29, 2005 08:02 AMRightons Comments were what you were looking for, Kinda like Delays and Cornyns threats veiled and invisible to you.
This is just from this thread, wouldn't be hard to find something coming out of Chardonnays mouth much worse. She wants to go after just about everyone who disagrees with her.
When the Republicans here on SP start calling for vandalism against the MSM, I will say "G-bye!". Splatter from this thread.
Now will you say Goodbye? or was that just another veiled threat to leave SP?
Posted by: danw on April 29, 2005 09:05 AMdan, that's the chick played by Sissy Spacek.
tedious having to explain each detail to a lefty.
It will be interesting when Michelle Malkin reports that. "Turns out that the liberals were not in favor of attacking newpaper boxes, but a bunch of right wing nuts at Sound Politics, when this hoax was posted, sure thought it was a good idea." Now that will be the day.
So, anyone want to take bets on how long until this article gets retracted? I say never, just because being conservative means never having to say you are sorry, or not telling the truth.
Posted by: JDB on April 29, 2005 09:29 AM(BTW: When was the last time your mama called you?)
Make a point, make a difference, or get off the pot....
Posted by: alphabet soup on April 29, 2005 12:02 PMThis entire thread is based upon a bogus post from an anoymous source.
Retract it, appoligise for it, and move on.
Posted by: JDB on April 29, 2005 01:46 PM