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Swampfox10mm
Joined: 24 Mar 2011
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R. S. Refugee

Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Location: Shangra La, ROK
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:24 am Post subject: Re: Wisconsin union protestors disrupt Special Olympics |
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That video is produced by some group called MacIver "News" Service. I'd never heard of them before so I did a little googling.
Here's one of many such articles I found about them. Not trying to say that they're an anti-union hit squad, but . . .
Consider the Source: MacIver News Service
Submitted by Anne Landman on March 15, 2011 - 7:51am
The MacIver Institute, also known as the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, is a Wisconsin-based, free-market think tank formed in 2009 which also acts as a "news service," supplying videos and reports to media outlets, like newspapers and television broadcasters. But just who is the MacIver Institute?
Harry Bradley, a founding member of the John Birch Society
In the last three years, the MacIver Institute has gotten at least $300,000 in funding from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which advocates eliminating labor unions under the guise of "restoring worker rights" and "modernizing labor laws." Harry Bradley, after whom the Foundation is named, was one of the original charter members of the 1960s right-wing extremist group, the John Birch Society, along with another Birch Society board member, Fred Koch, the father of Koch Industries' billionaire brother-owners, Charles and David Koch.
MacIver's Ethically-Challenged Staff
The MacIver Institute's staff contains a number of notorious former Wisconsin state public officials who got into legal trouble for political campaign violations and violations of the public trust.
for more of the story . . . http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/03/10347/consider-source-maciver-news-service |
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Theme
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Cedar Rapids Iowa
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:35 am Post subject: "MacIver Institute" |
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Great catch
"From this roster of employees, it seems that 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations like the MacIver Institute are the next stop for convicted or disgraced -- but still ideologically driven -- right-wing political figures who still want to influence the public agenda.
That's the way it works in the U.S., and it's all fine and legal. But when considering whether to pay credence to "news" that emanates from the MacIver News Service, it would be prudent to be aware of the backgrounds of the people associated with this organization, and as always, to consider the source." |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Don't consider the source, in this case.
The action of the pro-union demonstrators, while perfectly legal and allowable as free speech, was just low class and disgusting. There is no need and they will gain no sympathy by such displays of thuggish behavior. There are plenty of other opportunities for protest. The special olympics participants deserve to have their day where the focus is on them and they can feel proud. Why hurt these innocents.
Equally disgusting are those who would use weddings, funerals, and other schools and events for young children as venues for free speech activities of this nature.
Sorry. The news service is irrelevant here.
The Union workers show why they have earned the disrespect of the public and their declining role in modern society. They have no heart, no interest but their own personal greed, and they will destroy anything to get what they want for themselves, no matter who they hurt along the way. |
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Theme
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Cedar Rapids Iowa
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:14 am Post subject: |
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ontheway wrote: |
Don't consider the source, in this case.
The action of the pro-union demonstrators, while perfectly legal and allowable as free speech, was just low class and disgusting. There is no need and they will gain no sympathy by such displays of thuggish behavior. There are plenty of other opportunities for protest. The special olympics participants deserve to have their day where the focus is on them and they can feel proud. Why hurt these innocents.
Equally disgusting are those who would use weddings, funerals, and other schools and events for young children as venues for free speech activities of this nature.
Sorry. The news service is irrelevant here.
The Union workers show why they have earned the disrespect of the public and their declining role in modern society. They have no heart, no interest but their own personal greed, and they will destroy anything to get what they want for themselves, no matter who they hurt along the way. |
Perhaps
How about this? Don't consider the topic and focus on the source for their actions in other matters.
Again. Thanks again for bringing this organization, which I have had my eyes on for years, to my attention.
It seems to me that when I lived in Menasha Wisconsin quite awhile back, that I saw the John Birch Society office somewhere near there, possible Appleton. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:26 am Post subject: |
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Theme wrote: |
How about this? Don't consider the topic and focus on the source for their actions in other matters.
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You could start two new threads: one for MacIver News Service and one for the John Birch Society and discuss each. |
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DIsbell
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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The protesters were student activists, not public union members. They were protesting the Walker-supported changes to voting (something regarding ID or location; makes voting more of a hassle for students). |
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R. S. Refugee

Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Location: Shangra La, ROK
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:13 am Post subject: |
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DIsbell wrote: |
The protesters were student activists, not public union members. They were protesting the Walker-supported changes to voting (something regarding ID or location; makes voting more of a hassle for students). |
This is the most interesting reply on this thread. Could you please tell us where you found that info? |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh
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R. S. Refugee

Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Location: Shangra La, ROK
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:10 am Post subject: |
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So, now even Fox News has acknowledged that those "Zombie protestors" standing between the governor's podium and the Special Olympics athletes were not union protesters, that they probably got their zombie makeup and t-shirts from an earlier rally that day by uni students protesting a new law they believed would make voting in this summer's recall elections more difficult for them, and that the student group sponsoring the earlier voter law protest in no way endorsed that "zombie protest" standing between the governor and the athletes either.
However, maybe there is some good to come out of this union hatefest that's been going on on rightwing blogs and websites all over the web incorrectly blaming union members for an action they didn't take part in (or at least there isn't even an inkling of evidence that any union member was involved). So, maybe this is a moment when some people can see how easy it is for their emotions and prejudices to be whipped up by talented propagandists. And truly, we're all faced with talented and determined propagandists everyday.
In fact, even in the video there was not reference to union members being involved at all though the title over the video says "Wis. Union Protesters Disrupt Special Olympics Ceremony." And it seems clear that the intent was to blame the "zombie march" on union members without any inkling of evidence of that.
Thanks for NathanRutledge for posting that article by Fox News. If you went to his link, you would have found out that those "zombie protesters" weren't union protesters and that no group supported that action and would take credit for it.
On the other hand, their were some folks standing silently with signs at the BACK of the crowd. One of the signs said "Walker if NOT a friend of law enforcement. RECALL." Perhaps they were union members and standing silently at the back of a crowd where Walker is speaking is totally appropriate at any public event where he is speaking. It's called democracy.
Hopefully, some folks would like to engage in a little more critical thinking about what the agenda is of the producers of a "news" story like that is and do a little digging before they join in the hatefest and start slinging the mud.
Even very conservative FOX News had to admit:
"The silent protest immediately brought to mind the ongoing fight over union rights that led to three weeks of rowdy demonstrations at the state Capitol in the spring that paralyzed Wisconsin's government as Senate Democrats fled to Illinois in an unsuccessful attempt to block a vote.
Yet the protest on Wednesday appeared to be unrelated."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/09/wisconsin-protesters-target-special-olympics-ceremony/#ixzz1P9YFUfvR
Thanks for thinking.
PS. Now that the evidence is in, perhaps the OP would consider changning the thread title to something more honest like, "Unknown protestors disrupt Special Olympics ceremony in Wis." |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 4:09 am Post subject: |
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The governor is very divisive right now. I imagine, from seeing the video, what happened was they asked all the people that stood in the front what they were doing and one or two of them said something about the unions. Considering it was a "silent protest," and there were other protesters there, I don't think it's fair one way or the other to label them as anything.
I DO think that the university line is crap. I was involved in student government in college. I focused on STUDENT issues and fought very hard against getting involved outside of the university. I was in the minority. My experience, the students started it, egged it on, then played dumb.
idiots. |
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DIsbell
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Earlier on in the whole Walker saga, during the huge protests, Fox showed clip of how supposed union members were conducting themselves.
In the background, there were palm trees. |
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