The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    MuddyPolitics's picture

    A liberal Mein Kampf?

    By MuddyPolitics on Sat, 11/05/2011 - 11:12pm |

    A wise man accused of drafting the liberal version of Mein Kampf once wrote:

    If I were organizing in an orthodox Jewish community, I would not walk in there eating a ham sandwich, unless I wanted to be rejected so I could have an excuse to cop out. My "thing," if I want to organize, is solid communication with the people in the community. Lacking communication I am in reality silent; throughout history silence has been regarded as assent – in this case assent to the system. As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be. That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be – it is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be. That means working in the system.

    Just sayin'.

     

    Comments

    Must confess bafflement here.  Can you provide some context?


    by Michael Maiello on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 12:11pm

    Context.  Does this meaninglessly provocative title require a stand alone post. Is it a ham sandwich? Or is this reference meant to belong to a thread somewhere?  Saul Alinsky would be baffled.


    by Saladin on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:24pm

    Know who else would be baffled? Hitler.


    by acanuck on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:32pm

    I'd add Glen Beck just to round out Muddy's references. 


    by Saladin on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:34pm

    I think the point is just: "Even Saul Alinsky thought it was necessary to work within the system."


    by Dan Kervick on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:56pm

    Yeah, Alinsky topped my list of suspects too. I just have no tolerance at this point for Mr. Muddy's coy games.


    by acanuck on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 6:18pm

    What happens when you Godwin the title, thus ending the thread?

    /hitler


    by Qnonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 6:09pm

    Maybe, as per the prediction, the thread ends. But no, you had to chime in, stirring the pot again. You know me, I assiduously avoid calling other commenters dicks, asshats, liars or concern trolls. But Mr. Muddy is a test of the will, isn't he?


    by acanuck on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 6:30pm

    What's up with the rudeness in the comments section? I'm seeing a pattern on certain people's posts. Not to sound like the mom here, but isn't there enough room on the playground for all of you?


    by Kudra on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 3:01pm

    Is it worse than you remember it?


    by Dan Kervick on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 3:14pm

    I haven't been around here long enough to 'remember' a different time, Dan, so I couldn't comment on that. Rudeness is rudeness at any time.


    by Kudra on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 3:27pm

    You mean it even extends to a rude blog title?


    by PeraclesPlease (not verified) on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 4:04pm

    kudra mom,

    Sounds almost like you might be acquainted with forums that don't have the rudeness feature bug. If so, I beg you, please share with those of us looking for same. smiley

    P.S. A lack of preponderance of Obama derangement syndrome (as in "obsessed with Obama, pro or con") would also be nice, but that is probably too much to hope for.


    by artappraiser on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 4:27pm

    Who?


    by PeraclesPlease (not verified) on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 4:45pm

    It was a reply to kudra's comment, which said  Not to sound like the mom here.... And I was trying to imply I don't see what's wrong with sounding like mom on the issue addressed.


    by artappraiser on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:03am

    Ah say, ah say, that's a joke, son...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwnwbG9YLE

    by PeraclesPlease (not verified) on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 1:32am

    So glad to see your PS, AA.  I'm much more interested, these days, in people's opinions in general than in their opinions of Obama, or even the Democrats in general.  I feel like we can all find a way to vote smart but to still engage with the big ideas.


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 9:27pm

    The same rants fer and agin Obama over and over and over for 3 years should be enough for most people to get a general idea of the range of opinion in the blogosphere on that topic, doncha think? cheeky


    by artappraiser on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 11:54pm

    The rants continue to evolve.   But anyway, I think it is a little bit presumptuous for someone who has just joined an online forum to begin passing judgments almost immediately on the quality of the comments section.

    Reading over the comments on this particular post, they don't seem particularly harsh - just some expressions of bafflement and mild snark.


    by Dan Kervick on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:11am

    Mr. Kervick,

    I must admit to feeling quite sheepish. I've read several pieces here at Dag and commented on a few of the more interesting ones (even one of yours). I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to do that yet. What's the usual time-frame for new readers to be able to "begin passing judgments"? Please do let me know when you think enough time has passed.

    Cheers.

    K


    by Kudra on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:28pm

    They're not the most welcoming bunch here at Dag. But you learn to love them. The probationary period lasts...well, I don't know. Some of us are still in it. 


    by MuddyPolitics on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 1:10pm

    It's never truly over. You just get used to it. wink

    Alternatively (and more accurately), it's never truly over, the terms of probation just become less onerous. It's a two-way street: we come to respect you more (or less) the more we get to know you, and you learn better how to follow (or break) the unwritten rules.


    by Verified Atheist on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 1:15pm

    Respect? Rules?


    by PeraclesPlease (not verified) on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 4:00pm

    I just wish all these bag dag bloggers would try to get along. I mean there is no top dog here, is there? Genghis is gone and specifically requested we not fight over our lunches. Can't we do that? Or is their some kind of dog heirarchy here I'm not aware of.  Or a vacuum. We all spend a lot of time here so we need to sort out our territories. I don't get it.  


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 5:45pm

    Speaking for myself, I do not want to get a bad report card when Genghis returns. I criticized Muddy and then felt badly about it. I hope Genghis didn't see it. I am already having enough trouble at home. Maybe there is a kind of dag therapy we could all attend.


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 5:51pm

    Oxy, you don't need therapy you need a killfile!  They have a calming effect, I just forget and turn mine off sometimes.


    by tmccarthy0 on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 6:19pm

    That's good advice. As I was trying to explain the other day, you have to kill what you thought at first was your best work.


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 6:28pm

    You dont need therapy Oxy, OTHER people do Sometimes I need what only others can provide: their absence.

    by Resistance on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 7:27pm

    Sniff.


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 6:01pm

    Obviously you are free to say whatever you want.  I just think that it's a little odd that after a couple of days you have been able to come up with well-considered judgments on patterns of rudeness.  Usually when I am new to a place it takes me a long time to understand the interpersonal dynamics and start offering suggestions about how the people who are already there should be behaving.


    by Dan Kervick on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 4:55pm

    bark, ...bark....I think you're o.k, danny boy.


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 6:03pm

    We have a special room for sheepish dogs. Come around and I'll try to explain it to you--that is, the various time limits and such. By the way, do you have a pedigree. Thanks for commenting on my work. I have the same high regard for it that you do.


    by Oxy Mora on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 5:58pm

    Why do you hate Obama?  

    But wait, only 3 years? How can you forget the primarys that started in 04. 


    by Saladin on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:20am

    Muddy has managed to push some buttons.  That can be a healthy thing for a forum like this.


    by Michael Maiello on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 9:30pm