I doubt anyone from #BlackLivesMatter is about to be intimidated by Bill O’Reilly’s threat to put them “out of business.” Nevertheless, The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur urges the group to double down in response.
In the video below, TYT’s Uygur and Ana Kasparian blast Fox’s disingenuousness and hypocrisy by trying to blame #BlackLivesMatter for some recent police murders. TYT makes a point I’ve previously made: that nobody on Fox has any business accusing anyone else of causing a murder, especially given O’Reilly’s inflammatory rhetoric toward Dr. George Tiller, who was assassinated after years of O’Reilly calling him “Dr. Tiller the baby killer.”
Not mentioned are some of my other points, that Fox’s championing of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy’s armed insurrection against law enforcers should disqualify them from condemning some stray group of #BlackLivesMatter protesters chanting something hateful about cops. Especially given that one of Bundy’s actual supporters actually murdered two Las Vegas police officers. Nor the point that FoxNews.com regularly allows commenters to talk about murdering liberals and other people they don’t like.
But Uygur and Kasparian are spot on. Especially in the conclusion that protesting is “the most American thing” for #BlackLivesMatter to do. “If Fox doesn’t like it, they should do twice as many protests,” Uygur says.
I’ll add that I’d love to see them protest at Fox News. Considering their terror of angry black people, each protest would have twice the impact!
Meanwhile, watch Uygur and Kasparian below, Via The Young Turks.
That said, I largely disagree with Cenk that #BlackLivesMatter double-downing on going after Fox News is going to produce the desired results. GOP TV is master of manipulating news and framing narratives. Megyn Kelly last night. Eric Bolling today on faux biz show "Cashin’ In’ somehow linking this as the business topic of our times. “Fox And Friends,” Fox’s IMHO worst propaganda spew, kicking off the hate group charge. The list is endless but the meme is singular: Wrap conservatives in blue to smear #BlackLivesMatter as hating cops. GOP TV has also gained traction with their #AllLivesMatter campaign smearing #BlackLivesMatter as an anti-white supremist group. Yeah, it’s all ludicrous but don’t underestimate the older white middle-class’ fear and loathing of blacks with political power.
The black community has reached a tipping point regarding the injustice they’ve suffered for years. So #BlackLivesMatter is filled with passion. However, their messaging isn’t so good. I’m not sure I see a coherent plan either.
At their best, #BlackLivesMatter got the attention of the Democratic candidates. However, to some degree, they’ve squandered those opportunities by struggling to articulate an agenda they want those politicians to adopt and building walls between them and the Democrats.
O’Malley apologizes. Sanders runs off the stage a couple of times because starting a dialogue is impossible once they seize the mic (but don’t appear to know what to say into it). Hillary talks sense about policy in a forced encounter and they don’t get it; just argue to no end.
The good news it’s on the Democratic candidates’ agendas. Sanders, for example, cobbled together a platform. However, a recent tweet by #BlackLivesMatter basically is throwing spit wads at the Democratic party. Maybe, like the Tea Party, pretending to be independent feigns a moral high ground but pragmatically it’s ridiculous because you know which party is the natural ally and which is the naturally enemy.
#BlackLivesMatter has a new website up in ~10 days so we’ll see if they’ve got their act together. Cross your fingers!
