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Coffee Party Wakes Up US Radicals
Just when the Tea Party movement appeared to be spreading across the US, a radically different vision of America has emerged, courtesy of Facebook
Its title might not be imaginative, but the Coffee Party USA is making waves. In just a month its Facebook page has acquired more than 50,000 fans; and supporters of this left-of-centre alternative were logging their interest at a rate of a thousand an hour today.
(photo by flickr user raymaclean) On the face of it, the rivals share features beyond their beverage titles: offspring of social networking websites; self-consciously harnessing energy unleashed by populist frustrations with the political establishment; and strong views on the nature and role of government.
There the similarity ends. The Coffee Party crowd believe government is not an enemy of the people but the voice of the people. Annabel Park, a documentary filmmaker who started up the Facebook page from Silver Spring, Maryland, said: "We want to see people representing us moving towards solutions to problems rather than strategically obstructing any form of progress." In a video on www.coffeepartyusa.org (motto: wake up and stand up) she says she decided to act after "listening to news coverage that made it seem the Tea Party was representative of America. I completely disagree with this."
Though she wants the phenomenon to be seen as a bottom-up movement, it is clearly adopting a pro-Obama stance in contrast to relentless and often virulent opposition extended to the president by the opposition. Park herself has campaigned with Asians for Obama and on behalf of the Democratic senator Jim Webb.
The Coffee Party is yet another example of the democratising potential of the internet. Over the past two years it has allowed the political energy to swing wildly between opposite ends of the spectrum to a degree and at a speed unthinkable in pre-digital times. At first Barack Obama appeared to have a dominant grip over theweb, using social networking to attract enormous financial and organisational support.
Barely had he been sworn into office, however, but the Tea Party activists grabbed the initiative and applied it to their own purposes. Now the Coffee Party is attempting to seize it back.
Like the Tea Party groups, it is using Facebook and Twitter to spread the word and to encourage individuals to form local outposts. Already some 45 Coffee Party chapters in at least 30 states have been set up, and meetings are being staged in several cities from Martinsville in Virginia, to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Angeles.
The coffee metaphor helps: "It's unfortunate that Tea is no longer soothing," posts one supporter on Twitter. "It now makes me tense."
198 Comments so far
Show All-she wants the phenomenon to be seen as a bottom-up movement, it is clearly adopting a pro-Obama stance
-Park herself has campaigned with Asians for Obama and on behalf of the Democratic senator Jim Webb.
Well, I don't know, this certainly looks like an authentic grass roots phenomenon to me...What do you all think of these "radicals"??????
If an Obama staffer can start a facebook page, maybe the Democrats aren't that bad after all????
The coffee party appears to be extending efforts made last summer to get groups of Obamabots in the spotlight to promote Obamacare, Obama's jumbo corporate welfare program disguised as health care reform.
Perhaps coffee party members can wear hats shaped like nuclear power plant cooling towers, and wear T-shirts with Goldman Sachs logo on the front and Ben Bernanke's face on the back, while dragging an effigy of the battered US taxpayer who will be paying for all of Obama's "hope and change".
Oh, God, that is so good. LOL !!!
That says it all. Thanks for posting this.
Yes Ray,
You're hired. Better standup I've never heard.
TJ
Perfect. Coffee party is astroturf faux grassroots for the Dims in the same way Palin, Beck and "Freedom Works" is astroturf for Repigliocons. Neither Greens like ourselves nor Libertarians should allow ourselves to be co-opted.
I have to say I *really* start to wonder about CD when they push stuff like this, or being pro "green" CIA/NED destabilization in Iran, or pro schools spying on students over web cams. 99% of the time the comments are better than the articles here, exception for Chris Hedges
stereohead - Various CD readers complain occasionally, as you have, about an article or two or three that present viewpoints that they cannot support. However, I don't think that's what CD is all about.
I am glad to know about the Coffee Party, who started it, and the positions they hold.
When I read that the Coffee Party is supportive of Obama, I said, "Uh, oh, not for me." But I'm glad to know about it. And that's what I think the purpose of CD is ... to keep its readership informed.
And we, as the readership, represent a fairly broad spectrum of opinion as Greens, Progressives, more traditional democrats, true Lefties, some Libertarians, and who we consider the trolls who obviously are coming from the Republican middle and right and occasionally the far right.
So, personally, I think CD is doing its job, and is not "pushing" something like the Coffee Party. We just have been informed about it, and that is helpful to know.
Maybe you might want to found a group representing your views, and the many others who hold similar opinions to yours. Obviously, Facebook and Twitter are effective.
[At this time I am limited with an eldering MAC and a very slow phone line and a lack of funds to take advantage of all that is possible with a newer model computer and hi-speed. Hopefully, I will be able to upgrade sooner rather than later. Just have to sell all my diamonds, I guess. ; - )
In short, stereohead, rather than complain, go for it!
peace, cm
Open minds and diversity of views are productive only when they reinforce our ability to serve our better interests.
I for one am glad CD ran this story--knowledge is power--and we also got some good chuckles too.
They didn't just run it though they promoted it as a headline as though allowing the left to be co-opted by Obama supporters is a good idea.
LMAO!!!
I thought this was great until I realized it was Pro-Obama. I guess I'll have to start the "Marijuana Party" for all the Far Left folks that are STILL not represented. Anyone interested?
I'm in! Just don't bogart that joint! ;)
· Yr Obd't Servant
Son of a bitch! I was interested after reading the first article about the Coffee Party published here. Now, to find out it's Obamabots? Crap!!
I love Cheech and Chong, but a pot party? Dave's not here, man!
LOL!
Naturally well said!
don't know that we'd agree on everything, but you're already way ahead of most, in my book...
Go Coffee Party!!! Right on!
Uh yeah, what exactly has Obama done to make the country a better place even compared to hideous war monger civil liberties denier Bush? Be specific.
Agree. Most of these members will probably also have membership with Moveon.org, another pro-Democratic party organization. Nevertheless, MSM will take the bite and report on this as though it is a radically new group because it is the next new shiny coin.
Indeed more marketing. And how do honest grass roots people break through after the "Citizens United" SCOTUS decision which will allow for even more corporate advertising disguised as "grassroots" or whatever the latest fad is.
How do we break through? The old-style way: beat feet in the street.
Exactly!
Indeed more marketing. And how do honest grass roots people break through after the "Citizens United" SCOTUS decision which will allow for even more corporate advertising disguised as "grassroots" or whatever the latest fad is.
Double post please delete one!
Now that I realize this is nothing more than an "Organizing for America" Obama tool organization I won't have anything to do with it.
Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.
I still kinda like "The All Night Party".
OFA indeed--that's what this group appears to be--an Obamabot radical group--LOL.
NO THANKS!
Keep your coffee and the "change" too!
Go coffee!!
Ok this is the situation we have in congress. Try to follow this simply but poignant analogy. Let’s say you have a toilet bowl that has not been cleaned for 30 years. Finally in 2008 you’ve had enough and are able to find some soap, which is a rare commodity because the MSM has convinced everyone shit is good and soap is bad. Then after scrubbing awhile the 30 years of caked on shit does not come off. And the shit if coming in greater quantities than ever. Loombaugh, beck, palin, fox, are shitting faster than ever, it seems hopeless and there is no soap to be found. So we start using mud (weak dems, like many in the senate) so the toilet might smell a little better but it looks the same and now with the mud drying with the shit it is forming bricks that are mostly shit and harder to remove.
Then when all appears hopeless the answer finally comes. Nuke the toilet. Sound drastic not really when we remember this is a country of the people by the people and for the people, nowhere is shit mentioned.
or a sewer-side bomber?
vdb - Belly laugh on that one!
/cm
This isn't nuking the toilet it's putting lipstick on a pig. Oh dear did I say something un p.c.?
A Facebook party? That's nice. And that's nowhere until they get out in the street against the TPers, until they start walking the halls of Congress and buttonholing Senators and Representatives, until they start making the corporate executives and boards of directors feel heat over their actions. A Facebook Party is like a Facebook friend: valueless. Put two thousand people knocking on Congressional office doors on a given day talking clearly and forcefully on the issues and then you've got something.
"The Coffee Party crowd believe government is not an enemy of the people but the voice of the people."
IMHO that is the way things SHOULD be but are NOT. Changing that reality is not going to be easy.
How about bypassing *both* big business and big government with food co-ops, CSAs, community gardens, and more localism? Like Kirpatrick Sale I am suspicious of both government and private industry biggism especially since they seem to be mutually reinforcing in the crony state capitalism we see in the U.S.
Gosh! You mean not just protesting and complaining but actually getting our hands dirty building the society we 'want'?
I don't think the Facebook crowd will go for that.
I live my life by observing the world around me and adjusting my view by what I see. Over the last few years my views of .gov have changed quite a bit. I was always suspicious of big business, but now I add suspicion of big government to my list of things to be wary of. I agree the two now are reinforcing factors of the crony fascism that now runs this county.
If it were easy, we wouldn't have to do it.
That needs to be stamped on the synapses of everybody who claims to be a leftie/progressive!
If change were easy, we wouldn't have to do it.
Well spotted.
Grassroots my A--!!!
The Coffee Party suffers from de-caffienation - Its just an OBushma try to coopt the voters as he did in the election.
All the party will do is draw up a list that Obushma will be sure NOT to do as it would offend his oligarchic, MIC masters.
I'd rather be running on hemp tea.
vdb,Would that be the Pot Tea party or ,potty party?Hemp tea might not be as popular.
How about the Pot party?Promise free dope like Abbie Hoffman?Just what we need ,reduce productivity for full employment!
no weed no peace !
But with all his escalating BushCompany Co-fees, I, for one just can't swallow any more Obamocha frapuccino!
If the coffee party is truly pro-Obama, then they are not a true grass roots party and not worth the time of day. Have they been living under a rock this last year as Obama has betrayed every campaign promise, fought against the public option, and shoveled money to the banksters? At least the tea baggers have the guts to oppose the republican party. Coffee partiers are just deluded fools, like their idol Obama.
Some teabaggers oppose the Republicans, and the Palin, Beck "Freedom Works" faction? Not so much...
What a misleading title -- it isn't reviving radicals, just neutered liberals whose facebook presence far exceeds their organizational power. Otherwise they wouldn't maintain their delusions about Obama and would be even angrier than the tea partiers.
All of this talk about coffee and tea is making me hungry. Crispy Cremes anyone?
Corporate Republican dirty tricksters might buy Democrat politicians on health care for 300 million, bus "protesters" in to Florida to stop an election count, give Dick Armey and Sarah Palin lots of money to take over a populist tea party movement, or post on progressive blogs like CD that they would never again vote for a Democrat because of blablablabl...
They seem to have a pretty good success rate judging by the number of otherwise smart people that post here who have been convinced that they will abandon Progressive Democrats, defect to a losing third party and give the government back to the fascists because "things can't get much worse".
Its interesting to watch us self-destruct.
"Democrat politicians..."
You must cover your tracks a little better...
As far as deceit and corruption go, Democrats are amateurs, Republicans are professionals.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Rahm Emanuel is very professional at deceit and corruption. He's so much like a senior Chicago mob enforcer at a meeting of capos from the Al Capone era (when Chicago was a "fixed" town) it's enough to make Elliott Ness spin in his grave.
-"Corporate Republican dirty tricksters ...post on progressive blogs like CD that they would never again vote for a Democrat because of blablablabl..."
-"defect to a losing third party and give the government back to the fascists because "things can't get much worse". "
ezeflyer, I can see that you are well versed in the straw man form of argumentation. You should try a little harder to disguise it, however.
Yeah, you are right, people are disapointed in the Democrats because of "blablablabl"?...there you have it in a nutshell.
Yes and Americans will rue the day they give government back to the fascists, because the government in charge now, Obama, is so very different from your fascists across that cozy aisle in congress? Please, bi-partisanship means never having to turn down lobbyist money.
ezeflyer, you know better than this. It is not that things can't get worse, ...things are getting worse, under the Democrats, ...that is the whole point.
"..things are getting worse, under the Democrats,"
or
"blablablabl"
"blablablabl"????
Are you channeling Glenn Beck now? ezeflyer, you have been around this site a while now. Please tell me there is a real human being in there?