The Italian word for “secret” is segreto. Remember that.
About 38 years ago, when Watergate was making a splash across the news media, one Bob Woodward was directed to California, by one of the plea-bargaining culprits and told to speak with an ex-JAG lawyer named Donald Segretti.
Segretti was a college chum of Dwight Chapin and something of an accomplished practical joker. Chapin worked in the Nixon White House. Segretti was recruited, based on his funny-haha reputation for trick-playing as the official Dirty Trickster for he Committee to Re-Elect the President, the aptly nicknamed “CREEP.”
Segretti, using CREEP funds and other things, accomplished a great deal during his tenure as the Head Evil Jester at the court of King Dick. The object of the exercise was to provide the Republican party with the weakest possible Democratic contender for 1972. Segretti’s merry men, amongst whom there numbered a couple of college kids named Karl Rove and Lee Atwater, managed to bring Edmund Muskie to tears in defence of a slander perpetrated against his wife, and they also managed to start a whisper campaign that Scoop Jackson of Washington had fathered an illegitimate child with a teenage girl.
But that’s not all they did. Segretti told Woodward that various young Republican operatives went “undercover” and infiltrated Leftwing student protest groups and actually incited and provoked violence. The object was to present these groups in an even more pejorative light than ordinary viewers perceived them to be. They were of the Left, a young Left which was coming of age and becoming involved politically, and, therefore, they would be perceived to be part and parcel of, if not associated with, the Democratic Party.
Such species of dirty tricks, Segretti called “ratfucking,” and especially that term has come to mean any person of one political persuasion (usually from the Right) who infiltrates, in order to sabotage, another political party (usually the Left) in order to undermine.
Arianna Huffington, I would say, has ratfucking down to an art.
Fast forward to October 2011. Last weekend, when anti-war demonstrators forced their way into the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, one of the assistant editors ofThe American Spectator
was found in their midst. Patrick Howley was there deliberately and for a purpose, as he explained, himself in an article in his journal:-
[A]s far as anyone knew I was part of this cause—a cause that I had infiltrated the day before in order to mock and undermine in the pages of The American Spectator —and I wasn’t giving up before I had my story. Under a cloud of pepper spray I forced myself into the doors and sprinted blindly across the floor of the Air and Space Museum…
Of course, the article was later removed from The American Spectator website. Well, it would be, wouldn’t it? I mean, a self-respecting ratfucker can’t go around outing himself, can he? That defeats the purpose of ratfucking.
Now this past weekend saw some spectacular riots in Rome, allegedly stemming from OWS’s global protests. Cars were burned and private businesses demolished by sledghammer-wielding, petrol-bomb-throwing, masked youths. But as The Timesreports, the police didn’t break their backs, at first, trying to stem this. The underlying suspicion is that, in addition to the usual anarchist suspects, ranks of the violent were enhanced by paid Rightwing thugs, doing what they do best in the service of Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister and criminal, who’d just squeaked by a no-confidence vote.
Result? Everybody’s talking about the violence (and blaming the Left), and no one’s whingeing that Berlusconi is still in power. After all, Berlusconi would smile and shrug, if the Italians didn’t have him in power, look what would run rampant from the Left.
Ratfuckery, meet scare tactics.
Recently, this person was captured on film and in photo, slithering around the OWS crowd in New York City:-
In case you don’t recognise him, this is James O’Keefe – Mr Acorn-Pimp-Bug-Mary-Landrieu’s-Office-Breitbart-Boy, himself. Ne’mind the fact that he seems to have violated his probation in attending the demonstration. One thing for certain: where O’Keefe is, you can be sure he’s there at the bidding of Andrew Breitbart, and he’s there at this demonstration, really, for one reason only: ratfuckery.
Make no mistake: yes, there is an anarchist element at work within the OWS organisation. It’s they who are pushing the “voting-isn’t-worth-it-we-can-take-control-by-other-means” meme; but they are being aided and abetted, perversely, by ratfuckers, paid for and financed by various GOP-supporting conservative organisations – probably even the Koch brothers. And you can be sure that the current Crown Prince of Ratfuckers was there checking out how his ruse was going.
Please tell me this: How is it that, in forty years, the Left has learned nothing?
And please note … “Segretti” is the Italian word for “little secrets.” No shit.
Really , there is no reason for the seasoned to not recognize the fact that the OWS will be and has been infiltrated.
Those on the front lines need to beware of these devils in disguise. Beware of those pushing and pushing for violence. They are not their friends or brothers.
As for HP…I gave it up for awhile. I despise the pro GOP big business spin on everything and the lack of support of our President.
I tend to ignore the Trolls ( unless I want to waste my breath).
What I do like is the chance to see the new ones who come on that think they are in a liberal website. The input, ideas and spirit of the newly vocal liberals coming on just perks me up.
There is joy in coming here where everyone seems to be in harmony in most of their ideas and thoughts and can freely discuss the same.
Over there you can discuss or encourage others without preaching to the choir…………..as long as the moderators are not on your tail.
So, let us kick some rat-fucker ass………stand them under microscopes and point at them………..show the world………the
GOP/TP sucks!!!
MARION or anyone with any Marion Insights
YOU WROTE:
“Arianna Huffington, I would say, has ratfucking down to an art.”
MY REPLY:
You will need to explain your comment. You provide illustrations/examples RF behavior for the others you point a finger at but for Arianna? Don’t see it.
Read other article where Arainna equals Drudge and find your argument unconvincing.
Your profile tells me nothing.
Murph, I disagree with the author in this and on almost all of her posts, but she is right about Huffington. And you should forgive her for not providing proof for her assertion about this, because she HAS proven it repeatedly over many, many posts.
I understand that you have no way of knowing this, as you are new here. She should have probably at least provided links to her previous posts so that people who don’t read PlanetPOV often or who are new can see her backup.
Here are some of the many posts about Arianna. After reading them, maybe you’ll change your mind?
http://planetpov.com/2009/10/26/arianna_huffington_responds/
http://planetpov.com/2011/03/07/ariannas-marie-antoinette-moment/
http://twitpic.com/3sjf4r
http://planetpov.com/2010/08/26/the-white-wings-of-icarus-fall-silent/
http://planetpov.com/2010/08/27/some-of-us-on-the-left-are-being-royally-ratfcked/
http://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/arianna-huffington-pulls-off-an-ingenious-scam/
I have no interest in Huffington, as I consider that she does not make sense. I consider that, most of the time, she is illogical.
I have now read each of these. I cannot say I have come to a conclusion yet. There is a strong case being argued. I have not come to my own conclusion.
Meant to say “thank you for the insight the articles provide.”
Hi Murph! I can understand why you thought that Marion was not justified in making her comments about AH. We, here at PPOV, have pretty much crossed Ms. Huff off our lists. Over time, she has proven herself to be a gross opportunist, judging the winds, and posting some pretty crappy headlines and articles blasting the President. Sometimes, it’s not what she says, but how she says it. Her TV appearances have also shown that she is no supporter of the Democrats or this President, taking every opportunity to tear him and his agenda down.
Remember the old reporter’s question, “When did you decide to stop beating your wife?” This is what I’m talking about. Ms. Huff will always find a slant on the stories there that puts the President and the Left into the worst possible light. The site seems to delight when poll numbers show the President slipping, resulting in 60 point headlines, for instance.
Sorry I don’t have links to provide for you, but I believe others here will be able to. Also, I’m sure if you check the archives over at HP, you will be able to see the leanings of HP over time. They are no friends of the President or the Democrats.
Perhaps it is a little unfair to Ms. Huff to blame her for all this, but she is, after all, responsible for what appears on the pages of her “liberal” site. The buck stops with her, IMO.
I hope you don’t mind my throwing in my two cents worth! I personally don’t go to Huffington Post anymore. I quickly tired of their attacks on PBO and their allowing some very ignorant trolls to completely take over the site. I much prefer the tone of the conversations here at PPOV that show intelligent people with fact, reason and thought behind their comments. 🙂
I have read each of the comments here several times.
There is more than a little truth to the narrative you present.
What underlies it is something I am not certain of.
I am taking all of this under advisement and thank you for your contribution to my thinking.
Murph, thanks for your reply to my comment. Adlib has laid out the same narrative.
What underlies it? Follow the money, my friend! Drama and negative stories = clicks! Clicks = advertising bucks!
Sad, isnt’ it!
It is sad
Murph, I think it’s safe to say that there are a preponderance of people here and at most Prag/Prog type sites that don’t hold Arianna or HP in high regard.
At the same time, we have members that are also regulars at HP and some who support her. Like all other topics, all members and their POVs are respected, there is no group think and no cliques though naturally, there is often a consensus among people on one side or another of a topic.
At this point, most here who have an issue with HP and Arianna have expressed it and moved on, aside from the occasional comment about something recent at that site.
For example, yesterday I noted that HP ran two bogus anti-Obama stories yesterday as their top stories. One was questioning if Hispanics would desert Obama for the GOP (because I suppose they may want their relatives electrocuted on fences and their children denied an education and left to die outside emergency rooms) and blaming Obama for the housing mess which of course, the President can independently solve.
At this moment, the top story at HP is:
“BANKING ON THE TAXPAYER
New Obama Foreclosure Plan Helps Banks At Taxpayers’ Expense:
Here’s how others headlined the same story:
The Daily Beast/WaPo: “Government announces new program to help ‘underwater’ homeowners”
The NY Times: “Administration Proposes Changes to Mortgage Program”
Drudge Report/Reuters: “Obama to announce actions on housing, student loans”
Even Fox News: “President Obama to Announce Major Revamp of Home Lending Program, HARP
What’s wrong with this picture? Out of all these, including Drudge and Fox News, only HP has an anti-Obama spin to this story.
This type of slanted, anti-Obama pattern is quite apparent at HP, even the comments from members there frequently include questioning of why it is so frequent (I saw such comments yesterday over there in response to the Hispanic article).
As for Arianna, once she sold HP to AOL, she famously announced that she has never been a Progressive and isn’t one and that HP isn’t a Progressive site. Setting aside the slap in the face that was to all those Progressive bloggers and readers who built that site into what it became, considering Arianna’s repeated political flips from rabid conservative to passionate Progressive to now claiming to be neither, she has hardly seemed convicted to any principles aside from those which most benefit her current goals and ambitions.
Personally, it annoys me when people seem to arbitrarily dislike someone, only hurling one-sided attacks without providing reasonably expressed objective justifications for their position.
In this case, I think those who find Arianna and HP objectionable have been very detailed in their explanations whereas it has proven elusive to find fair minded rationales from Arianna and HP for the aggressive anti-Obama stances they take.
Lastly, one can’t escape the reality that HP is now owned by a very conservative megacorp, AOL. It is difficult to imagine that a $3 billion dollar conservative corporation would be comfortable in one of its holdings promoting political parties and politicians who if elected, would bring about the taxing of that megacorp at higher rates and at a loss of tens of millions of dollars.
Not only might shareholders be able to successfully sue them for doing so and sabotaging their own earnings, supporting the reverse, a party and politicians that offer to lower taxes would make more sense for most wealthy corporations.
Again, this is just this member’s opinion. Disagreements and different POVs on HP and Arianna at The Planet affirm the respect for Freedom of Expression and other people’s right to their own views.
I thank you for this. Much to consider.
Cheers Murph!
I posted this in OT a few minutes ago, but perhaps it fits better here. Perhaps the “ratfucker” in this movement may be a moot point as long as the movement does not allow a single person to take over here. Perhaps the left has learned something after all and are able to hamstring the media and prevent something of this nature not to take hold? Who are they going to blame for a group of anarchists or ratfuckers? The enitre movement?
I happened to be watching CNN this morning during the Howard Kurtz show and I heard something that for some reason made Occupy totally clear to me. The mantra has been ongoing for some time by all news organizations about the movement not having a leader. I am not sure what made me really think about that question this morning, but I think the answer is that Occupy is not going to allow a single leader to take the brunt of their criticism. Occupy is not going to allow them to have a person to blame. Occupy is not going to give the FBI a reason to persecute one single or even a small group of people in order to discredit the movement. Occupy is not going to let the media co-opt their movement at all.
So while the media look for someone or a small group of someone’s to blame, Occupy will go on with their protest. By not electing a leader, they all take responsibility for the movement, and quite honestly drive the media wild. It would be so easy for the media to concentrate on a small group of people in the movement but having to deal with the movement as a whole has hamstrung them in a sense. And it seems it is driving them to distraction not to be able to point the finger at an agitator. Perhaps that is the basis of the recent claims of anti-semitism? In order to discredit the movement, they dreamed up a major issue from a couple of signs that were in no way attached to the movement? Perhaps not, but it seems pretty clear to me. Am I reading something into their mantra that is not there?
The media seems to want a clear and simple image for them to focus upon; mainly because the media does not like the uncertainty/murkiness of a ‘lack of leadership’. The media wants things to come down to sound bites and pictures. It makes easier for them.
Life is not that way.
Yes, Marion. There are always outside agitators in every movement, and Fifth Columns. There are always extreme elements too–those who attach themselves to a movement to press their own agendas even when those agendas are barely recognizable to those of the main goals of the movement. There will always be those who want to co-opt. There will be those who want to use the movement for their platform, and for their own publicity and egos. They take what the established movement has already done and use it, use the openness and generosity of the people who have built the movement, and they give nothing back. But people catch on pretty quickly, and they are–if not banned–seen for who and what they are.
The same is true for OWS. And the same is true for web sites. NO ONE is “being had.”
As always, you guys are doing great work and I’m glad this subject is being addressed, as it needs to be repeatedly in the coming weeks. Derailment is one of the biggest problems with any movement involving more than 2 people. The tragedy would be if there was no awareness of it and this time is where it’s different than say, even four years ago. Sometimes people are caught up in the spirit of a movement and forget there are forces desperately trying to disrupt and discredit. And I think enough people involved in OWS have been around the block enough times to be aware of the possibility. I know in Los Angeles it’s been talked about a lot and there is awareness of infiltrators and people seeking to derail the movement. There have been attempted acts of violence and they’ve been spotted, isolated and shunned by the majority. As it’s always been, the media is much more attracted to the violence than to the message. The recent situation in Italy is a classic case in point. Whereas in Madrid on the same day, 150-200,000 assembled and it was peaceful. And how much coverage did that get?
Media has been ignoring OWS except when it becomes violent and then it pays attention for all the wrong reasons.
What is different about this movement now as opposed to similar movements going back to 1964 is an increased awareness of the possibility of things going wrong and letting people know. By now everyone knows what Breitbart and O’Keefe look like – their faces are plastered over every site on the internet. There are enough people milling around with enough cameras so that anyone who looks suspicious can be identified within days if not hours. That’s the big difference between then and now and that’s the tipping point. And that’s the reason articles like this need to be written and published on a regular basis. The awareness needs to be universal and constant. From the get-go it was assumed there would be disruptions and attempted derailments by hired assassins and there has been a conscious need to counter it by not drifting off message.
People are getting involved who have never been involved in anything before in their lives. At the Solidarity March last week in Los Angeles, I ran into people who told me they had never been to a demonstration before, never showed up at a rally before, never done anything as political as this in their lives before.
It is very quickly becoming unstoppable, which is why the attempts at derailing it are becoming so desperate. They will be more desperate in the coming days/weeks ahead. There is a lot of hope being placed on a dwindling of support when Winter arrives. If OWS survives Winter it will have jumped a major hurdle. Spring will be memorable. I predict.
Excellent comments, Gordonskene–and welcome. I agree. Most people involved in OWS are very aware of what’s going on and the forces who attempt to derail it. I have been to Occupy Los Angeles three times now, and contrary to shallow reporting, it is comprised of many seasoned demonstrators; not at all primarily naive hippies. And I say that as someone who was there in the 1960’s too.
I find the “concern” from the author specious. One could say that this concern is another attempt to derail the movement too.
Thanks for the kind words, Gordon.
The brilliance of the OWS movement is that it’s leaderless nature provides a natural protection from individual actions by infiltrators and being hijacked.
When anyone has stepped in to try and be the voice of OWS, they have been eschewed.
Of course CNN would focus on the rioting in Italy on a day when hundreds of thousands or maybe more than a million people globally were protesting peacefully in a kind of unity. The image of a distasteful mob is the reality they want to win out and that they want the public to believe.
I’m reminded of Karl Rove’s statement during the Bush Admin:
This is the mentality of the 1%. The whole raison d’etre of OWS undermines that, how can they control the majority’s reality…if the majority takes back that control?
So yes, the efforts to sabotage and undermine this movement from the right will be unending and insidious. Meanwhile, as we’ve seen with the Firebaggers, there are those who claim to be on the Left who also act to undermine the interests of a majority of Americans for personal and agenda-driven reasons.
Indeed, I too witnessed the confidence and conviction of the Occupy LA protesters last weekend, it was very exciting and affirming. They seem aware that this is a long and difficult path and savvy about how others are out there seeking to smother them.
One observation I made in my post last week was that one of the first people I saw there was a Bagger with a poster with the Obama as Hitler image on it and nasty attacks on Obama, trying to provoke hostility. Instead, he was uncomfortably engaged in a firm but reasoned discussion with a few protesters. That’s hardly what he wanted (he had a fellow Bagger undercover there shooting video, hoping for something ugly to happen).
Despite the MSM depictions, OWS is comprised of smart and far from naive people. As you say, if things continue as I think they will, this spring could bring a real blossoming of this movement that makes its import and power undeniable…and hopefully, determines the course of this nation in the 2012 elections and onward.
Adlib
How funny, I came to this very same conclusion just this morning while watching Howard Kurtz on CNN. The media is looking for a leader to use as a scapegoat and it is not working so it is driving them insane. I am glad I wrote my thoughts here. The Mayor of Oakland marched with the protesters, then this week the city served them with an eviction notice which they promptly ignored. I wonder if the tents are symbols of the tent city set up across the Potomac for President Hoover to see during the depression. Pretty clever if they are.
Great minds think alike, my friend!
I wouldn’t say that this was premeditated as a way to protect the movement.
It is however the modern way of organizing, the social networking way, the flash mob way, the torrent way, leaderless decentralization is the model.
The MSM mousetrap isn’t built to catch a creature without a head. So all it can do is say, “You need to have a head…so we can trap and kill you.”
adlib
that would make sense, the media is always the last to catch up. Look at CNN’s sudden love for the Teapers, late to the party as usual. And they would have us believe they are not controlled by corporatespeak
It seems that the media wants drama. They think that this is a football game/soap opera.
Gordon, I wrote an article not long ago titled, “The Secret War Against The Counter-Culture.” It is basically a brief history of the covert FBI and CIA program COINTELPRO. Things have changed greatly since those days, but the uber rich are still in control and will not hesitate to use such tactics against OWS. They are using a few already, mainly the original media blackout at the beginning of the movement, and now the constant attempts to discredit and vilify the movement. Who knows what tactics will come in the future when the movement picks up more steam.
The oncoming winter will be a problem in the east and mid-west, but the movement in the western states can still muddle through. And those in the east can wait out the winter and go full tilt once again in the spring. I don’t see OWS dying off anytime soon. People are pissed, and rightly so.
Hi Gordon! Good comment! I agree with you. It was encouraging to me when Breitbart and O’Keefe were identified and photographed with the pix going viral very quickly.
I think the OWS folks have enough political savvy to guard their flanks. I made the comment yesterday that they have, no doubt, organized a committee of eagle-eyed watchers to look out for the
“enemy”. The entire structure of the OWS movement is pretty amazing.
I do have concerns about the coming winter. It’s going to get very cold in New York City as well as other spots. I am hoping that Occupy LA and other warm locations can keep it going through the times when weather drives the NYC people indoors. I lived in NYC for six years, and I can tell you that it is one very cold place to be in January!
I don’t want to see the OWS cede any territory. They have been afraid that if they give up Zuccotti Park, they will not be able to come back. I do hope that they have some folks who can brave the cold and snow…God bless them all!
The American Spring…I like that idea! 🙂
Hi Marion! Thanks for your piece! Good one…and a great point!
I had seen O’Keefe’s picture circulating last week, and I knew that he and Brietbart were up to their usual tricks. Brietbart has been eerily quiet lately. He can’t get his media fix so he’s gotta’ rear his very ugly head in some way. There was, in fact, an article yesterday about his mining emails for any subversive words from hundreds of thousands of emails from private individuals involved in the OWS movement, I guess in an attempt to smear the protesters as some kind of violent anarchists. This is, after all, his specialty! What a d-bag!!
Lots has been said about the OWS movement, lack of a “leader”, a lack of a list of demands, etc. But one thing this movement does NOT lack is political savvy! Just the fact that O’Keefe’s picture showed up is a good sign. Somebody had their eyes open, watching for the “ratfuckers”! I don’t doubt that they have formed a committee to assign eagle-eyed folks to watch their backs! Good going, OWS!
And therein lies the disgusting “beauty” of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. (Yes, Hillary Clinton really was right!) Over the decades, they’ve turned the sabotage of progressive movements via ratfuckery into an art form. That’s why I’m so irritated when I hear folks complain about OFA or MoveOn supposedly “hijacking” OWS… When they’re the same folks who don’t seem to mind the likes of James O’Keefe and Andrew Breitbart, as well as the usual Ron Paul fan club nuts, aid and abet the anarchist/ANSWER crowd in trying to turn OWS into another Nader 2000 fiasco.