If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is there, does it make a sound? *UPDATED*
Bookworm on Aug 01 2008 at 11:59 am | Filed under: Congress, Democrats, Energy, Media matters, Republicans
You’ve all heard the question that is the title of my post, haven’t you? Is an audience necessary for a sound to have meaning or even existence? And what if, in our world, the intermediary to the audience bugs out? That’s today’s question, as Republicans vigorously debate the new drilling despite the fact that, Pelosi shut down the House, turned off the lights, and sent all her Democrats home. And with the lights and mikes off, the media has mostly gone home, except those who try to display it, not as an act of substantive importance, but one of conservative silliness.
It seems to me though, in the wonderful world of the internet, we have the perfect opportunity to defang the MSM once and for all. Go to the same Politico post to which I linked above, which describes what’s going on, and email it to your friends, and post it on your blogs, and talk about it to people. In this Brave New Internet World, the MSM doesn’t have to be there; we the American people can be there instead.
To get you started, here is some of the Politico coverage:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House and turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders opposed the motion to adjourn the House, arguing that Pelosi’s refusal to schedule a vote allowing offshore drilling is hurting the American economy. They have refused to leave the floor after the adjournment motion passed at 11:23 a.m. and are busy bashing Pelosi and her fellow Democrats for leaving town for the August recess.
At one point, the lights went off in the House and the microphones were turned off in the chamber, meaning Republicans were talking in the dark. But as Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz..) was speaking, the lights went back on, and the microphones were turned on shortly afterward.
But C-SPAN, which has no control over the cameras in the chamber, has stopped broadcasting the House floor, meaning no one is witnessing this except the assembled Republicans, their aides, and one Democrat, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who has now left.
Only about a half-dozen Republicans were on the floor when this began, but the crowd has grown to about 20 now, according to Patrick O’Connor.
“This is the people’s House,” Rep, Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) said. “This is not Pelosi’s politiburo.”
Democratic aides were furious at the GOP stunt, and reporters were kicked out of the Speaker’s Lobby, the space next to the House floor where they normally interview lawmakers.
“You’re not covering this, are you?” complaing one senior Democratic aide. Another called the Republicans “morons” for staying on the floor.
The Politico story is exciting, too, because in a series of updates it’s clear that the Republicans are becoming more energized and the Dems more angry. Keep in mind that the Dems and the Republicans know that the vast majority of Americans, tired of seeing their energy bills climb needlessly, are in favor of drilling.
UPDATE: Finally, some live (ish) video. Hat tip to the Anchoress, who is blogging about this here.
At long last, the Republicans are showing some mojo. Let’s give them our help by keeping this a talking-point.
Flopping Aces is blogging too (and has a great cartoon).
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6 Responses to “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is there, does it make a sound? *UPDATED*”
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Ok…suppose Bush calls Congress back into session. What happens? Can they refuse? Can the Repubs open it before the Dems come back? I understand they’d have to have a quorum before they could pass anything…so _are_ they being silly?
Bookworm,
This is incredible. Pelosi is becoming more and more authoritarian Pelosi gets, the more people seemed to cower on the Hill. It’s high time there was a revolt to pseudo-President-Secretary of State Pelosi. I kept wondering whether anyone is going to push back.
You know what Book? I hear it.
I know I’m not alone here. As John Adams said once in that musical 1776. There is a spirit out there that is sorely lacking in this Congress! (or something like that)
Suek,
No, I don’t think they are being silly. Whether a quorum is reached or not, whether anything is passed or not, this is important.
First one inch, then another. Then a foot, maybe two. The Republicans and other people speaking for the people keeps being censored, bullied, shouted and talked over into silence. One tirade to the next, it seemed like every speaker considering the welfare of the people are shouldered aside.
I don’t know if this is the way to do it, but I ask, how is it done? How did Cicero rail against the scheming powers of Rome? What measures did he take to prevent his beloved Republic from falling into the trappings of Empire and dictatorship?
There is a reason that Congress has fallen down into single-digit approvals from the American people. We feel, and quite rightly, that we are no longer represented by the men and women who promised to speak for us.
These actions by the Republicans matter. Other than Foxnews, the media isn’t covering the conservatives, and they are being censored out from the average mind of America. Silencing opposition is not freedom of speech, and it’s not American.
How can the flames of liberty be seen if it cannot be seen nor heard?
How can the flames of liberty be seen if it cannot be seen nor heard?
The same way America is crushing the insurgency in Iraq.
Y,
You and I both know that it is all for naught if we lose the war over on Capitol Hill. This is exactly what happened with Vietnam. We destroyed the entire North Vietnamese army and win the war, and Congress, through an abysmal failure in government public relations, pulled the plug on South Vietnam.
The same can happen here. We can win and win decisively in Iraq. But it will be all for nothing if we can’t win here. I believe to so, we have to have important voices in government that will speak on the matter. Censorship can be a devastating weapon.