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295

On Good and Bad Tactics

Is the brief occupation of the U.S. Capitol “bad optics?” Certainly in the short term. But there is no reason to believe any right-wing political activity that accomplishes anything will ever be given a fair shake in the “optics” department.

Remember, the Tea Party movement was also condemned as a collection of “terrorists,” and the lawfully elected President Trump was dismissed as illegitimate even before he took office. Excessive concern for optics is a fool’s errand.

But this does not justify wasteful and costly efforts. One problem with recent events is that they are the right-wing equivalent of the “guerilla theater” that the Left has employed since the 1960s. The reason this is a good tactic for the Left and a bad one for the Right is that the Left finds institutional support from the media, big business, and other institutions of power. Theatrical political violence does not work unless it finds such support.

> **On Good and Bad Tactics** > Is the brief occupation of the U.S. Capitol “bad optics?” Certainly in the short term. But there is no reason to believe any right-wing political activity that accomplishes anything will ever be given a fair shake in the “optics” department. > Remember, the Tea Party movement was also condemned as a collection of “terrorists,” and the lawfully elected President Trump was dismissed as illegitimate even before he took office. Excessive concern for optics is a fool’s errand. > But this does not justify wasteful and costly efforts. One problem with recent events is that they are the right-wing equivalent of the “guerilla theater” that the Left has employed since the 1960s. The reason this is a good tactic for the Left and a bad one for the Right is that the Left finds institutional support from the media, big business, and other institutions of power. Theatrical political violence does not work unless it finds such support.

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Theater requires direction, scripting, and purpose. This wasn’t “theater” of the right. It was Candid Camera, and the true believers were the unwitting dupes in the scenario.

What we saw Tuesday was Allen Funt and his team opening the door and leading the unsuspecting group between the velvet ropes and into the setup then capturing their reactions for the world to see and laugh at.

If we had been prepared, if that had been our moment, we would have been ready to send a message. Instead the message was made for us.

Imagine if instead, the group took their seats on the floor of The House and a somber individual stepped forward and gaveled in a session of the Third Continental Congress as charges were calmly and soberly leveled against a government and a complicit media and corporatocracy no longer representative of the people, charges of the greatest crime in the land - treason. The body holds a simple guilty or not guilty vote to a unanimous decision. Guilty. The sentence is death.

The media and so-called left wouldn’t be preening, lampooning and shedding crocodile tears about fear and outrage while replaying the footage and splaying photographs for ratings and rehearsing their sketches for SNL this weekend. They’d be denying such an event took place, because it would chill their blood and fill them with genuine terror.

That’s theater. That’s what was missing.