Thursday, September 04, 2008

Community Activists Conservative?

From the an interchange between Tyler Cowen and Ezra Klien about Palin's speech:

Ezra Klien: I was actually surprised to hear her attack community activists. It's not that I don't see the utility of the blow, but I've always thought there's something fairly conservative about the vocation, which informally organizes citizens to demand better, fairer, and wiser treatment from detached government bureaucrats.

All the community activists I have known are 1) shake-down artists, looking to force governments and corporations to allocate funds to their friends or 2) aspiring politicians looking to build a base or bona fides. Further, they are totally unaccountable: unelected, no responsibilities, just criticism of the various injustices. I'm sure there are modest community activists, with no ambitions or ulterior motives, but what's their preponderance? 20%?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Distinguish: Community Activist from Community Organizer.

I don't think either deserve much praise, but I suspect one is far less cordial than the other.

Anonymous said...

What category would you put the activists/organizers in the Evangelical religious community in?
How about those pro-life organizer/activists?

I'm not willing to dismiss the majority of those people in the way you describe.

Anonymous said...

In truth, that was a very subtle slur to put Obama in the same category as Sharpton and Jackson. Eric, you took the bait.

Although, if the listeners would think critically, they would have realized they were slurring not just Obama/Sharpton/Jackson/Dobson/Falwell/Ralph Reed, but also anyone who cares enough to attend olitical convention.

Anonymous said...

drill, baby drill! yeee haaa!
i don't have a race in this horse but americans better go with OB if they want to still mean smth 10-20 years from now. it's still a long shot, personally don't think he can pull it off, but is better than the alternative.

Anonymous said...

I still don't understand what a community activist is or does, I don't think I've ever met one. (?)

Anonymous said...

Is this a NeoCon's blog?