Forum Post: What is Chris Hedges' beef with Moveon.org?
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 20, 2011, 2:28 p.m. EST by provojoe
(7)
from San Jose, CA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I'd like to know. He mentioned they are a "reprehensible organization" on one of the recent videos of him. Why?
only a guess but i'm assuming he sees them as essentially a counter-revolutionary force, wedded to the democratic party establishment, only considering solutions within a broken system, and as a result a massive obstacle/distraction to real progressives, the faux-liberal side of the same elite coin - he details some of these thoughts much better than i have in his last article:
http://www.truth-out.org/movement-too-big-fail/1318858329
Moveon.org is a mainstream political organization helping Democrats get elected as far as I know. I got sick of them asking for money without any accounting for where the money was going. I asked but NEVER received a reply. They want to work within the system as it currently functions which obviously is totally ineffective and, at this point, a joke. Both parties have kowtowed to the RIch, especially corporate interests and are more interested in their careers and selfish interests than anything else. Too many pursue fame, materialism, sex, and really could care less about the common people. The Vast majority are totally out of touch. The fact that the congressional Dems can not work even with the White House reflects the extreme state of dysfunction within the Democratic Party. All of the major spokepersons for the Dems are an absolute embarrassment especially Pelosi and Harry Reid, the latter in particular who has no passion and no spine. The lack of passion itself is reflective of a absence of conviction about anything. It is like they are treading water, more interested in their own prestige and wealth than any real concern for the average American. They are a pathetic bunch and Moveon.org has not a fricken clue. They actually believe that by supporting Dems, things will really improve. Either they are monumentally naive or just plain stupid. I can't speak for Chris Hedges but suspect it would agree with this analysis.
The last thing the movenemt needs is to be co-opted by a Democratic party front group. The causes can be aligned, But as the last few years have shown, Demcrats, in the Federal political context, are not about addressing the needs of the people as a whole. Historically the Democratic party has been the party that co-opts progressive social movements, waters them down and offers lip-service to "try" to address the people's issues in the current political framework.
They are a willing partner in our current political duopoly aand will never, willingly, enact real, meaningful reform. Hedges knows this.
A good eye-opener is a movie called "Lifting the Veil" which details how movements get co-opted. Check it out.
http://vimeo.com/20355767
I've never been a supporter of the Democratic party personally and rarely vote as the whole system is a scam. The Dems are better than the Republicans in degrees but much of the party has been bought off increasingly by corporate America. I personally advocate a Boycott of Federal Elections (demanding a Voter's Bill of Rights to address the unfairness of how they are conducted and the fact that the system refuses to ban all funding of campaigns and advertisements. I propose a system of debates, interviews, etc. sponsored by govt. funding). I also advocate we build a movement calling ourselves, for example, the New American Progressive Movement and build a 1000 chapters across the country and then see if we can influence politics that way.
Pretty much every sing thing Hedges says about OWS is dead on balls accurate. He's incredibly smart and committed to social justice. He has a correct beef with organizations that are endeavoring to seize the OWS brand because it will attract followers/donor when in fact those organizations goals have historically been far from those of OWS and their tactics have been light years from OWS.
My ears stood up with that one, too. That's a strong word. MoveOn seems involved with issues that concern me. Please educate me, Mr. Hedges. What did I miss?
Dear jackiews: My ears stood up with that one, too. (I'm not plagiarizing you, I literally reacted the same way you did!) Thanks for answering the question I asked dogpile with the search-string"Chris Hedges on MoveOn" for which I got this hit: "What is Chris Hedges' beef with Moveon.org? | OccupyWallSt.org ... ", this webpage with your comment. So, I add my voice to yours, jackiews, "Please educate me, Mr. Hedges. What did I miss?" Chris, I admire you and have ever since about 1982 when I was in the first round of people organizing the sanctuary movement, but, Please educate me, Mr. Hedges. What did I miss? !!
MoveOn.org is a Democratic Party front group for co-opting liberals/progressives and left-wing Americans into supporting the Democratic Party.
Because they support Barack Obama even though he's betrayed his voting base and is continuing the war mongering era of the Bush administration.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_movement_too_big_to_fail_20111017/ Here is the piece Chris did on this topic in truthdig.
nice job - very good piece by chris
I don't care to believe Chris Hedge is in charge of anyone in a peoples movement where everyone is supposed to have a voice, but:
Moveon.org is in support of the democratic party, one could even say bought and paid off. I don't think it is too good an idea to ally a movement for the people to any political party especially a major controlling, power hungry, force.
Jeez, there's like a thousand videos all over the internet of people interviewing Chris Hedges and he has answered this question in thousands of wordings and descriptions. Why don't you just spend an hour watching some of these and then your question will be answered far more accurately than any third-party description of his views will ever explain.
The Democratic Party is corrupt and complicit in the treachery that has destroyed the country.
simply put, they suck up all positive change energy and it all goes into a black hole pit.
they are reprehensible and they are liars and con scam artists. if they had any intention of representing the public they would put up a wiki.
move on tried to co-opt ows and asked for donations with ows as their excuse.
they always do that with any hot subject.
they are evil con scamming fascists, believe me, i know, i signed on to get their emails just like i get newsmax emails.
basically those are the two sides of one coin- the email internet oligarchs con scam organizations.
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.followthemoney.org/?gclid=CMbY87bB-qsCFUPt7Qod9HE8mQ
http://maplight.org/us-congress/guide/data/money?9gtype=search&9gkw=list%20of%20campaign%20donations&9gad=6213192521.1&9gag=1786513361&gclid=CP61oYbB-qsCFQFZ7AodcTF0jw
http://www.opensecrets.org/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/our-new-wiki/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/non-violence-evolution-by-paradigm-shift/
I say use Moveon.org for its ability to deliver media to lots of people. But I, too, see it as a pro-Democrat organization -- and I definitely, positively do NOT see OWS as a pro-Democrat movement. So, use it but don't align with it. Hell, they're using OWS to increase their visibility, credibility, and traffic -- tit for tat.
Moveon.org is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. They have not really made a firm stand like the likes of OWS.
at the 4:30 mark of this video it makes it clear that he considers MoveOn.org as a reprehensible organization - not OWS.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/chris_hedges_in_times_square_20111017/
The Adbuster anarchists are upset about the success of OWS to have attracted so many. Now they are going to have to open their minds and consider new ideas. That's very upsetting to a narcissist like Hedges who generally wants to Pontificate.
The 3rd party, alternative Congress idea may get shelved by the huge uprising of the 99 who want to take back our established Congress.
Move On Sucks
Here's a better question: who elected Chris Hedge's the Leader of OWS and why is he on TV speaking for this movement? Chris Hedges does not speak for me!
He's not the leader. No one did. Adbusters started this, but don't own it at all.