Conservative Writer Admits ‘Infiltrating’ 99 Percent Movement To ‘Mock And Undermine’ It

[FrenchieCat]

By Ali Gharib

An assistant editor with a right-wing magazine admitted in a column Saturday evening to posing as part of the 99 Percent Movement in D.C. “in order to mock and undermine” it. Patrick Howley, an assistant editor for the American Spectator, was committed enough to his deception to be at the vanguard of a demonstration that saw police firing pepper spray and closing a downtown Washington museum.

In his column, Howley says he took part in the demonstration Saturday at the Smithsonian Institute’s Air and Space Museum reportedly directed at an exhibit about the unmanned drone aircraft used by the U.S. and others for spying and, increasingly, targeted killings in far-flung hotspots.

As between 100 and 200 anti-war demonstrators arrived at the steps of the museum — some of them affiliated with a group organizing the “Occupy DC” spinoff of the Wall Street protests — a few intrepid protesters made a rush for the door despite apparent warnings from security guards. One of them was Howley, who recounts that “as far as I could tell I was the only one who got inside the museum.”




http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/09/339788/conservative-infiltrate-99-percent-movement/

[WI_DEM]

1. now isn't that the grown up thing to do?

[krawhitham]

2. We do the same thing at tea bagging events

Search Youtube

[Beaverhausen]

6. why don't you search and show us the links?

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. We knew it would happen. They infiltrated the original TP movement as well.

Can K-Street involvement be far behind? :shrug:

[customerserviceguy]

4. This is why I keep issuing cautionary warnings here

The protesters at the OWS events across the country are targets for the reich-wing pukes who want to be the next Breitbart. They need to make sure that they are above reproach at all times, the assholes like Howley are always watching.

[FrenchieCat]

5. I will quote a view on this......

“The beauty of the “TAKE OVER WALL ST” protest is that it is a “LEADERLESS” movement. In other words, there is not one single person that is the face of it. In this way the propaganda machine has no one to focus its venom. Limbaugh, Hanity, and the rest of the pimps of propaganda are at a loss to get someone to target. In this way, the protest is pure patriotism. Conceptually, this is genius! Those people interviewed point to no one leader of this protest. Whoever came up with this is brilliant!”
http://www.democratsforprogress.com/2011/10/10/projecting-wishes-and-dreams-onto-the-occupy-wall-street-movement/

[customerserviceguy]

8. When no one is a leader

everyone is. The reich-wing media will gladly seize upon some half-baked individual who thinks this is the glorious part of the 1960's, and talks accordingly. And there will be no "leaders" to officially disavow what this person has said.

The most effective social movements have always had strong leaders. Can you point to one in history that did not?

[FrenchieCat]

9. It's just getting started.......

Sometimes a Knight on a White Horse isn't always required.

[customerserviceguy]

10. So, you didn't have an answer to my question?

Show me a time when that knight wasn't involved, and positive (or even negative) change happened.

[FrenchieCat]

11. Who was the Knight in Egypt?

[customerserviceguy]

12. Agreed

That's a reasonable example, but if you're selling the chaos of Egypt to the American people, you have a heckuva sales job to do.

Besides, we have no idea how that is going to turn out, if the result is a ruinous war with Israel, then it won't have worked out so very well for the Egyptian people, will it?

[FrenchieCat]

13. You moved the goalpost......

first your direct quote...."Show me a time when that knight wasn't involved, and positive (or even negative) change happened."...

Now that I have provided you with a time when a knight wasn't involved, you go into a "BUT...." and say "if you're selling the chaos of Egypt to the American people".....which of course, isn't what I was doing, so I'm not sure what that comment of yours is all about. :wtf:

I was answering your question, after you had stated that you felt that the only way a movement can be "effective (either good or bad)" it needs a leader.

Moving that goalpost tells me something about you, most being that you are not intellectually honest, you just play as though you are on the internets.

[customerserviceguy]

17. I did say that I agreed

But it remains to be seen if the Egyptian Spring is a permanent social change resulting from a movement. Indeed, it could be permanently negative.

In any case, 99% of Americans don't want the exact same thing happening in the US. Egypt didn't have the safety valve of regular elections. You can argue that our elections are unfair because corporations own both sides, but the average American still thinks that they are a possible way to affect the future, without the need for violent revolution.

[Meeker Morgan]

16. Yes we can not yes he can?

I wanna throw up. Whatever happened to "the buck stops here"?

Your slogan == He takes no responsibility.

Instead of trying to win people over, you blame them for not sucking it up. It's as if you don't expect to win, but already have the excuses lined up.

[JuniperLea]

15. that is precisely the reason...

they continually call for a leader and a unified message. There truly is no one person on which to focus the evil venom, and that is how it needs to remain.

[Vincardog]

7. I have been to protests at Halliburton. A$$hat$ like this show up. The best bet is to let them

start their shit and stand back and point at them so the police know who to arrest.

[JuniperLea]

14. Because debating it head on...

Would never work, so he resorts to dirty tricks.

That's the GOP way! When you got nothing, you make shit up!

[Name removed]

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