April 10, 2011

"We Will NOT Roll Over!"

We went down to State Street yesterday, and not much was going on, so we stopped into Fair Trade for some coffee and coffee cake. When we stepped back onto the street...



... we collided with a small protest march that had some interesting characters in it. A photographer standing on the sidewalk got a "This is what democracy looks like" cheer going. Look for the accordion girl — standing behind the trumpeter with the blue beard — at 0:40. A very skinny man in white with a white mask on the back of his head appears at 0:50. He's got style of walk-dancing all his own. At 1:00, you see normal life on the street, lolling about with pizza and observing the parade... as if it's a Madison tourist attraction... and it kinda is.

At 1:45, you get a good look at the pedi-bar. At 2:00, the march heads toward the Capitol, and we join a rally in progress. A woman is talking about the plan to restructure the University of Wisconsin. She's very opposed to the plan. Because of Halliburton. Halliburton is evil. You can tell because if you Google "Halliburton," the stuff that comes up on the first page is really awful. At 3:08, you can see Meade's entrancing smile. 3:55: "Halliburton serves contaminated water to troops." 4:23: "Do not let Wisconsin become Karl Rove's laboratory for PLUTOCRACY."

At 4:23, a man in a "Walker's a stealer not a Packer" T-shirt walks up to me and takes my photograph. At 4:53, we see the next speaker, Secretary of State Doug La Follette, and he speaks very clearly, explaining why Michael Moore was right and we are not broke. The problem is we have some very rich people who should be paying a lot more taxes. At 6:07, the Stealer-not-a-Packer guy makes a big show of taking Meade's picture.

At 7:33, we see the marchers as they come around to the State Street side of the square. There's no relationship between the marchers and the rally. Both are making noise. It's cacophony. At 7:58, there's a woman with a "We are a Gentle Angry People" sign.

At 8:11, we encounter a man with a flag depicting an angry badger and the slogan "Nemo Visconsinia Impune Lacessit," which he tells me means "No one screws with Wisconsin and gets away with it."

At 9:35, we see the Ragin' Grannies waiting for their turn on the stage. At 10:04, we hear La Follette pleading for support as Governor Walker and others threaten to reduce or abolish the office of Secretary of State.

10:34-10:40: The Stealer-not-a-Packer guy gives me the finger.

11:52: The Ragin' Grannies take the stage and sing "We Shall Not Be Moved," with lines like "We'll keep this rally rolling/We shall not be moved/Although we could be bowling/We shall all be moved."

13:43: Meade asks me if I've seen enough, and as we walk away we see a poodle. The poodle is wearing a sign that says "We Will NOT Roll Over!"

76 comments:

Chip S. said...

"We Will NOT Roll Over!"

They only stand up and beg.

JohnJ said...

Thanks for the screwball update.

Any idea when it might be safe to visit Madison again?

Trooper York said...

But they will sniff your butt.

DADvocate said...

Haven't heard the Halliburton meme in a while. That Karl Rove makes Dr. Evil look tame.

I wonder when they'll start protesting Obama's close ties to GE and Goldman Sachs.

mesquito said...

Rove? Halliburton?

Hell, did any of the signage denounce McNamara and Rusk?

The problem with any largish college town is that it supports a population of 10,000 flakey losers. That's one of the reasons I have not returned to Austin in the twenty-something years since graduation.

Lincolntf said...

Wisconsin, what have you done to yourselves? These people attract massive numbers of votes and supporters with drivel like "Halliburton serves contaminated water to troops".
Good Lord, people, take a look at yourselves. You've gone from being a punchline to being an absolute disgrace. Get some fucking brains or shut the fuck up. For your own good.

Unknown said...

These people are so ... Aughties.

HALLIBURTON???

Whoever invented paranoia had them in mind.

Anonymous said...

Apparently, the one thing that democracy doesn't look like is accepting the results of elections.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trooper York said...

This must be the same poodle because she really gets around.

Mary Beth said...

The Koch brothers are supposed to pay WI taxes? If there are, as he says, a few wealthy people who should be paying more taxes, would that be enough to make up the amount that they want paid out to government employees?

I thought the protests were about state debts but the Sec. of State seems to just be talking about federal taxes.

SGT Ted said...

What is with this hatred of democracy and the vote the unions are engaging in?

Phil 314 said...

We are gentle angry people

I was surprised to see that the rag-tag band/parade was not a part of the capitol steps rally.

should I assume La Follette was elected based on name recognition and not on speaking ability?

Have any "core democrats" asked their party:

"Is the traditional coalition of labor and minorities no longer working? Especially with labor is now representing middle class and above and because we claimed minority status for so many (i.e. latino, women, GLT, etc. that we've essentially become the majority."

If this is indication of the future of the Democratic party, its sad.

-The end of the video was (?unintentionally) poignant as the old ladies singing the old union song faded into the distance and were drowned out by the wind.

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind

Phil 314 said...

PS and I would encourage Mr. LaFollete and anyone else to read this WSJ piece regarding the perils of relying on the "tax the rich" strategy.

California IS the canary in the mine.

Anonymous said...

The raging bit is hard to understand.

Whenever I speak to leftists, they'll interrupt me to say: "You sound so angry."

But, raging is a good thing when leftists do it?

Irene said...

Standard Poodles: stuff white people like.

dix said...

That guy's the secretary of state? I thought it was Wavy Gravy

Dr Weevil said...

The only way Nemo Visconsinia Impune Lacessit is grammatical Latin is if Visconsinia (=Wisconsin) is taken as neuter plural. Is that really the message the sign-holder wants to send? "We're all a bunch of neuters!"

Unknown said...

Mesquito, I am happy to denounce both Rusk and McNamara. I know that McNamara got rid of the two-door
Thunderbird, which is a heinous crime in and of itself. I forget, what did Rusk do?

jeff said...

Who's university is it? Our University! = intelligent political statement.

Who's money is it? My money! = selfish, fascist, anti-democratic statement.

Go it.

Once written, twice... said...

Thank you for buying local at Fair Trade. The owners of Michelangelo's and Fair Trade are great activist progressives!

glenn said...

All these pics/videos prove is that the American Psychiatric Assn may have been a little light in the pot when they said 20% of us were Nutso.

Fen said...

Wow. No wonder MadisonMan thinks he's a moderate.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Aren't you sick of this by now?

Crimso said...

It's not going to look like real democracy until the practice of ostracism is revived.

Anonymous said...

"10:34-10:40: The Stealer-not-a-Packer guy gives me the finger."

Shankman has a brother?

Hagar said...

Dean Rusk and somebody established the DMZ in Korea.

Milwaukee said...

This is what self-gratification looks like. By the way, the University of Wisconsin System is bloated, in terms of campuses, faculty, and students admitted who either don't graduate or graduate to work jobs that previously don't require a college education. Anybody notice how many graduate degrees from UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee go to people who are not Wisconsin residents? How do y'all feel about subsidizing that?

GE doesn't pay taxes because their CEO is BFF with Prez BHO. Wal-Mart pays in the mid-30%. BP was a leading donor to Prez BHO.

Raise taxes on the rich, and the rich will put time and energy into dodging those taxes, instead of growing their businesses. This is what happens with estate taxes: money that could be used to further the business is spent buying life insurance. Warren Buffet has made piles of money with his life insurance companies. The other thing Buffet has done is buy company businesses which are facing the IRS demand for cash payment for estate tax, one year after the death. So Warren buys the company on the cheap.

Unknown said...

Trooper York said...

This must be the same poodle because she really gets around.

You need to tell the groomer not to clip her so close in front. She must have a lot of chest colds.

Phil 3:14 said...

We are gentle angry people

That's what they said about San Francisco, right before they shouted LBJ down and drove him from the hall.

Same gentility as the VC.

vnjagvet said...

Things are sure winding down in Madison. It is now down to 100 ancient diehard lefties. Even the union signs are gone. Couldn't they even get Peter Yarrow to come?

ricpic said...

Aren't you sick of this by now?

What, relinquish even a bit of the fading national limelight and return to being, as mesquito puts it, a "largish college town?" The horror, the horror.

Meade said...

"Thank you for buying local at Fair Trade. The owners of Michelangelo's and Fair Trade are great activist progressives!"

Why are you thanking us for "buying local?" Are you also going to thank us for "thinking global?"

We like Sam and Lori and they like having our business. We don't care what their politics are and they don't care what our politics are. They serve good coffee at a good price and Lori makes a killer blueberry coffee cake.

By the way, I googled Halliburton + contaminated water. What a crock of contaminated brain ravings. I wonder what other lies and BS were in that lady's speech about UW - you know, stuff she's googled and read on the internet.

Anonymous said...

Are you aware that Madison, WI has a "Homeless Cooperative Newspaper"? The young man at 1:38 is holding a copy of "Street Pulse".

"The Street Pulse newspaper serves to raise awareness about homelessness and as an outlet for Madison’s marginalized residents. We employ homeless people to sell the newspaper on the streets of Madison. 75 cents of every dollar earned goes to the vendor."

Here's their website:http://madisonstreetpulse.org/

Big Mike said...

He's not giving you the finger -- he's merely trying to say that Wisconsin will be #1 in the Big Ten this fall.

vnjagvet said...

Meadhouse has done yeoman work memorializing the birth and death of a movement. Those boycott threats sure worked.

Meade said...

Irene said...
"Standard Poodles: stuff white people like."

Power to the Poodles, right on!

The Poodles, united, will never be dis-treated!

Who's house? Poodles house!

This is what Poodlocracy looks like!

What's digusting? Poodle-busting!

Sal said...

It's hard to watch. I feel embarrassed by others' behavior. I hate when that happens.

dick said...

Funny how everything will be unicorns and flowers and peace and love and all sorts of beautiful things if we just tax the rich people enough. Yet if you ask what is the right tax for the rich people that will satisfy them you cannot get a concrete answer. Then ask how about taxing people who currently pay no taxes and you get a shocked look. Do they not realize that if you had no rich people you would have no jobs? Getting sick of these stupid people and their games with tax the rich and the other class wars.

Winding down said...

F..ing misfits. Any taxpayers about???

Elections have consequences..

Maybe mother earth will dump all of us --rest for awhile --and start over...

Phil 314 said...

Mr. Meade;
We like Sam and Lori and they like having our business. We don't care what their politics are and they don't care what our politics are. They serve good coffee at a good price and Lori makes a killer blueberry coffee cake.

That sound so....

rationale

ricpic said...

Meade needs a rationale to visit Sam and Lori? It's that bad?!

Anonymous said...

They just don't get it. Taxes have become destructive, driving out business, making it unprofitable to be a small businessman, property taxes at levels that preclude any person in the new global economy from buying a home, at any price.

Government and it's employees have become the monster that has swallowed everything. Peak oil, and the end of cheap energy, has sealed our fate. It is the end of the line for the American Empire, a spectacle to behold, a once in a lifetime event. It ends in tears and mass untimely deaths - but it is fascinating to watch and be a part of.

The Dude said...

vnjagvet wrote... "

Couldn't they even get Peter Yarrow to come? "

Cue yet another bad joke at a lame folk singer's expense. Does he deserve such abuse in a public forum? Why yes he does.

Wince said...

Althouse missed the first speaker, in two minutes.

But even as we grasp at victory, there is a cancer, an evil tumor, growing, spreading in our midst. Shout. Shout! SHOUT OUT HIS NAME!

gregwithtwogs said...

Who needs Hollywood or Broadway when the comedy is on East Capitol in Madison. If only someone would publish the dates and times of these shows so that those of us who don't live close by can plan our trip and buy tickets to these carnivals. It's humorous that these people think that their opinions are universal and relevant....people in costumes, custom made flags, protesting dogs. My gosh what entertainment!

It is important that you and Meade continue to post these videos for us all to see and to realize that no matter how funny these people are, they remain serious about forcing their agenda on the rest of us. It is this for which you two deserve a Pulitzer.

Alex said...

Raise taxes on the rich, and the rich will put time and energy into dodging those taxes, instead of growing their businesses.

No what you do is you arrest the wealthy motherfuckers one at a time for tax evasion until those motherfuckers start paying up. If they still don't after that, escalate to the next level Cloward-Piven style.

Right Ritmo?

SukieTawdry said...

You Wisconsinites sure are snappy dressers.

Mr. D said...

Lotta old band members still hanging around in Madison. I blame Mike Leckrone.

Silly, silly people.

MadisonMan said...

We Will NOT Roll Over!

That's good advice for a CD. You should investigate options before letting it roll over.

Once written, twice... said...

Meade, I am sure that Lori and Sam are happy to take your money. But I am positive that they find Ann and yours "loafer conservatism" to be phony baloney.

vnjagvet said...

So what, Jay? Meadehouse get their baked goods and Lori and Sam get their money. What's wrong with that?

Anonymous said...

Meade, I am sure that Lori and Sam are happy to take your money. But I am positive that they find Ann and yours "loafer conservatism" to be phony baloney.

Why don't you just settle for speaking for yourself, Jay?

The only thing you are really positive about is what you think. The rest is just conjecture.

You seem to have plenty of time on your hands, too.

Steve Pierson said...

Jay apparently thinks that everyone he does business with likes him and agrees with him. I'm sure that at least some of them are happy to take his money, all the while hoping he'll go away soon.

Nothing would get done if everybody only did business with people they agree with on politics.

Titus said...

Mary I was there at the same exact time as you. Wow!

I was at Cosi with mom and sis. I saw that rainbow flag dyke and I was outraged.

I believe it is animal cruelty to put any type of sign on your dog.

The biking bar was totally lame too. People were taking pics of it like they just saw the Statute of Liberty.

Titus said...

One thing is for sure the Madison businesses around the Square have done incredible sales. Practically every store has some stupid t shirt or sign for sale. I was at one store and these whores were making buttons about how evil Scott Walker is. At first I was dismayed but then I thought well...it is one way to make a buck.

Phil 314 said...

My previous comment re: Meade and coffee said:

rationale

when I meant
rational

One little "e" can change so much.

reader_iam said...

Meade, I am sure that Lori and Sam are happy to take your money. But I am positive that they find Ann and yours "loafer conservatism" to be phony baloney.

Ohmigosh. Let's look at that again:

Meade, I am sure that Lori and Sam are happy to take your money. But I am positive that they find Ann and yours "loafer conservatism" to be phony baloney.

And one more time:

Meade, I am sure that Lori and Sam are happy to take your money. But I am positive that they find Ann and yours "loafer conservatism" to be phony baloney.

So, J.R., what you've basically said is that your friends (and from the way you phrased your comment, you know them personally) are:

a) realist, unabashed, capitalists

and

b) have these grand theoretical ideals which, on account of their being practical small-business folk, they're willing to set aside in order to act upon the other ideals they have, those of pragmatic business-runners, in order to make a) work for them.

Have I got that right?

By the way, are they such polite people--or are you such an obnoxious sort of person--(or both?)--that they're sort of hamstrung from saying the obvious:

Jay Retread: [Dude!] Don't help us, please. [Oh, man.]

reader_iam said...

Jay Retread: You've described your friends, or at least what you've implied are allies, as sell-outs!

I mean, sunuvabitch, don't you get that?

Isn't that supposed to be among the Top 5, if not Top 3, sins, if not The Worst 1 of All?

Day

reader_iam said...

Holy Shit.

L. M. A. O.

Anonymous said...

As AJ Lynch noted on an earlier thread about the whole crowd, that's a pretty white bunch of dudes marching in the parade. Is that what democracy looks like? Really? No people of color? I'll just bet they're racists.

reader_iam said...

I'm sick of the constant color comments, btw. Don't give a shit, anymore, who makes 'em. All old, all boring, nary a single one of 'em useful. Overused and cheap, the lot of'em, no matter from what side, perspective or "jee-ain't-this-interesting!" POV.

(No, no, it ain't! It's not interesting, it's too easy and its once-useful provenance has outlived its time and become a perversion which...everyone! cool! wants! to exploit!.)

To hell with all that utter bullshit: Pick a new crutch, the whole lot of you--left, right, center, whatever hybrid, or even reporting from freakin' Mars.

reader_iam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
reader_iam said...

Jesu Christ of Man's Desiring!

If you really want the playing of the race card to stop, stop playing it.

Yes, yes **of course** this is similar to: If you really want the discriminating on the basis of race to stop, stop discriminating on the basis of race.

Me, I've pretty much given up hope on all of that and more than pretty much given up on rhetorical people.

Next!

AllenS said...

... and as we walk away we see a poodle. The poodle is wearing a sign that says "I'm Still Shitting on Your Carpet!"

Toad Trend said...

@reader_jam

:Yes, yes **of course** this is similar to: If you really want the discriminating on the basis of race to stop, stop discriminating on the basis of race."

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=1131418n&tag=related;photovideo

Fen said...

I'm sick of the constant color comments, btw.

Too bad.

To hell with all that utter bullshit: Pick a new crutch, the whole lot of you--left, right, center, whatever hybrid, or even reporting from freakin' Mars.

Isn't it funny how pointing out the Left's hypocrisy re their use of the race card gets us renewed calls for civility?

Next they'll be asking we not Alinsky them: "the time for such bitter partisanship is over" or somesuch. How convenient.

No. We get to rub it in your face for at least another decade. Reap it.

johnny boy said...

If at a rally you find yourself surrounded by a freak show it may be time to reevaluate

johnny boy said...

When at a rally if you find yourself in the midst of a freak show, it may be time to reevaluate

Tibore said...

Are these protests still about protesting for or against political ideals? The way you're describing things, it seems to be more of a burst of narcissism than anything else.

BJM said...

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! This is still going on in Madison?!

I've been in Mexico for 3 weeks, blissfully unplugged and out of touch with current events stateside.

It appears Althouse nailed it; the protest has devolved into a circus parade.

Known Unknown said...

We Will NOT Roll Over!

These are Wisconsinites. All they need is a little push, and BANG — Violet Beauregarde!

Portia said...

Wisconsin, and Althouse for reporting it are quickly becoming a one trick pony.

Funny thing, is I usually like both: WI and Althouse. ;)

Sigivald said...

Do they realize how stupid this makes them look?

I'm sure there must be a better argument for Mandatory Union Dues Extraction than "Karl Rove Halliburton".

I'm not sure what it is, but even the lamest actual argument must be better than that tired hackery.

(And isn't it odd how Halliburton/KBR was never an issue when they were winning big Army contracts in the 90s?)

Sigivald said...

Mary Beth: That reminds me of people calling (in the US and in Canada) for politicians (Congress in the US, the PM and MPs in Canada) to cut their own pay or take nothing, "because important stuff is not being funded".

Problem is that in the US they can't just take no pay (27th Amendment), and that in both cases no matter what they did ... it'd make no real difference.

But symbolism is far more important to many people than actual effects.

Alena Harrison said...

I think we need to coin a term for this sort of never-ending protesting - PermaProtest maybe?

Patrick said...

My god, that was a pathetic rally. Is that the best they can do? I almost felt sorry for those losers.