Digby must have 10 posts up in the last few days covering perpetual victim/ Freeper Joshua Sparling's "spit" exchange with peace marchers this last last weekend. (The latest.)As much as I love Digby and share the disgust at Sparling's act I have to say that I can't help but feel that on this issue he/ she is missing the bigger picture. To whit: what the hell was Jane Fonda doing in front of a microphone at this peace rally?
The problem, as Digby and Duncan regularly point out, is that Democrats and progressives win on the issues but lose on the larger media narrative. Even though a solid majority of Americans now oppose the war in Iraq the media continues to protray those against the war as "Damn, dirty hippies." The media has already shown a predisposition to frame this issue via forty year old outlines.
The last thing the anti-war movement is to have "Hanoi Jane" associated with them because, with all do respect to Ms. Fonda, probably the biggest obstacle to the anti-war movement is breaking the media frame and all here presence does is reinforce it. Why not just have her pose with an IED while they're at it.
Fonda's involvement made it too easy for the lazy Washington press corps. The "protesters spitting on soldiers" bit practically wrote itself.
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5 comments:
I don't think anybody who cares is really listening to that Jane Fonda stuff for good or ill
Don't let Jane Fonda speaking at an anti-war rally change the fact that Joshua Sparling is a BIG FAT LIAR.
Wikipedia has a chronology of his bulls**t antics here.
Here is the deal with anti-war rallies. Lots of people think that war is a generally bad idea and should be avoided. When a dumb one one starts, lots of normal people like you and me want to express our displeasure and these rallies are the only act in town.
Unfortunately, these rallies are generally organized and promoted by fringe groups like International ANSWER and others who hijack the event for their own agenda (socialism, anarchism, extreme anti-industrialism etc.). The right-wing owned media magnifies these aspects of the situation along with their own operatives like Mr. Sparling who generate their own rumor mill amplified by the echo chamber.
In the end, people wind up focusing on "Hanoi Jane", which is another story which is 90% BS and 10% fact, instead of the actual reality, which is that we are in a terribly non-strategic war that is weighing heavily on all aspects of our nation.
Besides, one viewing of the orgasmic organ scene in Barbarella is enough for me to forgive Jane for any minor past transgressions.
At least she didn't shoot anyone in the face.
Don't let Jane Fonda speaking at an anti-war rally change the fact that Joshua Sparling is a BIG FAT LIAR.
Oh, I agree. He's a scumbag.
Unfortunately, these rallies are generally organized and promoted by fringe groups like International ANSWER and others who hijack the event for their own agenda (socialism, anarchism, extreme anti-industrialism etc.). The right-wing owned media magnifies these aspects of the situation along with their own operatives like Mr. Sparling who generate their own rumor mill amplified by the echo chamber.
I guess what I was trying to say was that the media had a pre-written storyline. Jane Fonda speaking at this thing played into that storyline with little benefit as far as I can discern.
It's almost as if the reporters had a checklist. Jane Fonda speaking? Check. Soldier got spit on? Check.
I get your point as to the planners of these events having other agendas but really they need to be shunted aside. It's not fair to the hundreds of thousands of people who showed up whose only agenda is to get us the heck out of Iraq to have this sort of stupidity go on.
Maybe I'm being naive but the peace movement needs to get democratic.
Understand- I have nothing against Fonda. Her stupid mistake during Vietnam has long past transmorphed into an excuse for self-righteous anger by political partisans.
Besides, one viewing of the orgasmic organ scene in Barbarella is enough for me to forgive Jane for any minor past transgressions.
Boy howdy is that true!
Well, I gotta hand it to you, Barbarella is one funny pseudo-fetishistic sci-fi sex show!
But if Jane Fonda wants to speak, I say let her; It's kind of like blaming Queers for losing the last election (if they hadn't tried for Gay Marriage, we could have won!).
There's never a "good" time to try and push forward a socially progressive agenda...remember the black kids being integrated in 60's?
At least this time around, most gay and anti-war activists don't have to worry about getting bombed or lynched.
Just character assasination in the media.
Thanks Hypatia.
It's not the agenda I have a problem with.
It's the character assasination you mention.
If we know it's going to happen why hand them a gun?
That's all I'm saying.
That and agreeing Fonda was pretty darn hot in the 60's. Not to mention the 70's and 80's.
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