Bill Maher "almost agrees" with Gingrich on Occupy movement: "a bunch of douchebags"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

"As I watch them on the news now I find myself almost agreeing with Newt Gingrich. Like, you know what - get a job...Now it's just a bunch of douchebags who think throwing a chair through the Starbucks window is going to bring on the revolution"

[tex-wyo-dem]

1. What a shame...

I agree with 95% of what Bill has to say, but sometimes he says things that makes him as much of a douchebag as...well...Newt.

[limpyhobbler]

2. How does that show even exist? Not funny at all. Should have been canceled ages ago.

[Kurmudgeon]

3. Bill Maher, past his freshness date. The gift that keeps on giving to the GOP.

[madrchsod]

4. i watched him once....

i thought he was dumb....i guess i was sort`a right

[Cirque du So-What]

5. Speaking of douchebags...

Maher needs to take a good, long look in the mirror.

[DutchLiberal]

6. The point he was making was that the OWS movement has been hijacked...

... or 'infiltrated', if you will, by people who have no affinity at all with the ideas and ideals of the original OWS crowd. And that theory has been discussed at DU as well and got a lot of support; the theory that those people burning the American flag and wrecking Starbucks stores etc. were there to make OWS look bad.

That was the point Maher ultimately made, after agreeing with Wes who brought that theory up.

So people should hear Maher out before they start casting stones.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. Yep, and I agree with him.

Unfortunately, there will be those here who defend the anarchists regardless of what stupid shit they do.

One would think that they would disavow these tactics in order not to call such negative attention to what Occupy was once about, but they doubled down on it and the whole brand/idea/movement is in the toilet now.

[tex-wyo-dem]

13. Okay, I will agree that Occupy has...

In some places been victim to a small number of anarchists and provacatures (sp?) That have created a PR problem for the movement. These ppl don't adhere to nonviolence, which the overwhelming majority in the movement agree is the uncompromising strategy. OWS has identified this as a very real probability from the start and has taken actions to try to minimize the issue. But the reality is no large movement in history has been entirely non-violent, and expecting this from such a large and diverse group as OWS is unrealistic. But the fact remains that the vast bulk of the movements actions have been almost entirely non-violent.

My problem with Maher's quips is he paints the entire movement as a bunch of kids throwing chairs through Starbucks windows. This type of broad-brush critisism sounds exactly like a RWer.

Speaking of RWers, did you notice the source of the video? Newsbusters is a RW spear site. So thanks, Bill, for providing them that bit of gold :p

[Lars77]

17. Bill failed to understand that the "main stream occupy movement"

will come out again in the spring. Because they are presicely those kinds of people who have jobs and a normal life.

Of course its not easy to understand this if you are a millionaire living in LA, driving around all day in your airconditioned Prius thinking youre so smarter than everyone else.. Because youre a vegan and drive a car that uses the same amout of fuel as a diesel VW Golf, but pollutes many many times more during production.

I like his show, but he really dissapoints me sometimes.

[DutchLiberal]

21. To his credit, Maher has supported and defended OWS from the beginning...

I think he's just desillusioned by the fact that the movement seems to have thinned out so much and that they haven't really accomplished anything.

It's the way I feel about OWS Holland. The only thing left of that, is a pathetic 20 people in a tent in The Hague that absolutely nobody pays any attention to.

[pepperbear]

7. anyone who would throw a chair through a store window IS douche bag.

I can tell the difference between vandalism and civil disobedience, and I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so why can't anyone else? I think Maher is simply pointing out that there is a difference.

[Mosaic]

8. What if the 'douchebags'

Are agent provocateurs? Occupy is bigger than this asshole, bigger than any egotistical asshole that thinks he or she is above it all.

Occupy and 99% are the movements to take us to better future. No morons like the mayors, Obama, or any other 1% corrupt plutocrat will stop the vast, vast majority.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. No, they're are plenty of dumb nihilists involved with OWS to pull off the asshole stuff

Our local group was full of them - the type who just wanted to be seen as the most radical and shocking person in the room, and had little interest in organizing toward any kind of political goal.

[applegrove]

10. I thought it was a kick in the pants to OWS. As in "get your act together or you'll lose support".

I agree. OWS needs to learn from the last week. And somehow teach to all supporters that no form of violence will be tolerated. And then teach it again. I like the idea of people screaming "black block" and pointing at the culprit whenever somebody steps out of line. Then the organizers can ask them to leave.

[kenfrequed]

11. Bill doesn't get it

Movements are not little mini-vacations that you do for a short period of time and then stop before you actually inconvenience anyone or make a mess.

Real movements take time and merely getting out of the way due to a lack of absolute civility is absurd. It really is a pity as I agree with Bill rather more often than not.

[Fletch78]

14. Narrow minded

I'm from the Netherlands and I think it's funny a guy like mr. Maher is seen as a liberal. Here in the Netherlands we have right wingers who are more liberal than this out of touch jerk. He's part of, and profits from the incestious media/politics status quo. He refuses to see the bigger picture.

[ellisonz]

18. Welcome to DU!

[DutchLiberal]

22. As a fellow Dutchie, I'd like to hear about these right-wingers "who are more liberal" than Maher.

I can't think of any.

Name-calling is very juvenile. Try to come up with real arguments. Like, why do you think Maher is wrong? He simply points out that OWS seems (emphasis on "seems" to have been hijacked/infiltrated by trouble-makers. Tell me, what does wrecking Starbucks and burning the American flag have to do with the ideals of OWS?

[dembotoz]

15. no i think he makes some valid points

i would like to go to rallys and protests but i do not really want to live there.

the stay there forever sort of precludes my participation.

does it show a lack of dedication????

to them perhaps

the idea is good but the format need to be tweaked

[Lars77]

16. He never understood the occupy movement and neither did the Democrats

Maher is weird. He had some strange comments about occupy before as well, he said it wouldnt work, said they were naive, said they were hippies with drum circles etc.

He doesent just sound like Republicans, i bet Democrats are saying the same thing behind closed doors. Pelosi, Reid, maybe even Obama. Just like Bill they don´t get it because they are so disconnected from reality.

[RBInMaine]

20. OWS has shot ITSELF in the ass with this endless camping out and zero direction forward.

First, the parks are owned by ALL the people, and this endless camping out is pissing off all the folks who want to use those parks including THE POOR. They are violating local laws. That's no way to build public support. Next, OWS needed to become a real electoral and public awareness movement, and not an endless, pointless, camp-out "movement." These ALWAYS fizzle out and fail. They needed to organize politically with a goal to occupy the voting booths and kick out corporatist Republicans especially. OWS has only itself to blame. Missionless "movements" with no leadership and no real goals or organization become ultra fringe jokes after a while, and so it is with OWS. They made their point about income inequality and corporate greed, and that we all welcome and agree with. But enough of the unsanitary camping out and pissing off the neighbors. Get a clue and become a viable political organization, and pack up the dirty tents and go home.

[Lars77]

25. Hannity, is that you?

[DutchLiberal]

23. Actually, he defended and supported OWS many times on his show.

Yes, he made some jokes about the drums and the bare breasts, but that's because, you know, he's a comedian. You shouldn't be so sensitive about a few jokes.

Maher explicitly stated he does *not* think OWS consist of "hippies". He did this New Rules to counter the right-wingers who ARE saying that:

[WhoIsNumberNone]

19. I think the last 3 seconds says it all

http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Media_Research_Center

[JNelson6563]

24. Oooh, I sense much confusion!

Golden calf has committed the unthinkable!1!

Better dis Obama immediately, if you know what's good for you, mister!

Julie--who, for the record, supports what OWS is trying to do