So, Which Army Crashed The Gate With The Immigration Bill?

Alt Media did not achieve a victory as regards much needed immigration reform. What it did, and it is incredibly significant, was serve up defeat to business as usual in Washington. But new media is just beginning to prove itself capable of solving problems, even if averting potential disasters is also a good thing to achieve.

Glenn has a round up of links at Instapundit on Alt-Media and the now failed immigration bill. But there's actually more for alt, or new media to learn here, than there is for the political class ... if only enough of the many new voices in new media can grasp it.

While an Army of Davids addresses the greater frame work of new media, it's full power on display over the last few days, there is also something to be learned from the more practical efforts of the Crashing the Gate boys, specifically when it comes to influencing politicians.

It is all about show me the money for them in the end. And alt media does have the power to revolutionize politics in our lifetime if enough well-intentioned individuals can put aside partisanship and specific agendas which, in part, may be a bit too radical for the common good of our nation. America is a small C conservative nation, but that does not make it far-Right. It is a prudent, practical nation full of common sense to which new media is finally giving a voice. Yet that voice could easily be corrupted by today's political class on both the Left and Right and there are plenty of signs of that happening. What matters is, who is ultimately going to be calling the shots, us, or them - meaning the people, or the politicians? In my opinion, that remains an important open question.

For new media to change more than media, it will have to begin to see itself more as a tool of democracy, than of this or that political party. And it will have to figure out how to start putting forth positive ideas and driving them, as opposed to simply waiting for ideas it doesn't like and tearing them apart. PorkBusters may the best example of that very thing taking shape in today's Alt Media.

Imagine a responsible Alt Media Army of Davids Crashing the Gate of politics by generating and directing the flow of donated dollars to campaigns of whatever party based upon ideas that make sense and resonate with a majority of Americans. I suspect even the Republicans in office today will want to start thinking about full public funding in the form of tax dollars at that point. That, my friends, could change not only media and politics; it could change America and the world. And it already has a name.

It's called democracy, in case the political class in Washington has forgotten .... given the events of the last few days, I suspect they have.

The war has begun. Don't be surprised when even some Republican politicians begin flirting with notions like the Fairness Doctrine - Michelle has an issue watch post on that going here. When I left the Democrat Party of my parents I became an Independent and not a Republican for a reason, even if I do vote for Republicans nearly down the line. The side I am on is America's side and I mostly believe that conservative and libertarian ideas are right for our nation. I think a basic majority of Americans would tend to agree with that.

The question for Alt Media now is, what are we going to do about it? Because if we don't do things, what has become business as usual in Washington, DC for both parties during their long tenure will win out. For me, the most important portion of the phrase citizen journalist has always been the word citizen. If bloggers and other Alt Media voices can continue to become better journalists and pundits and remain more citizens, than ideologues given over to serving one political party, or another - we can take back America in a way they didn't have in mind when they got together at a Hilton in June.

It's truly a fascinating time to be a citizen in America. If we're lucky and work hard, it may well get even better. But for that to happen, perhaps even the most ideological among us is going to have to give some things up which don't undermine our core principles, yet allow us to start posing real solutions to difficult problems, and not simply continue to only oppose bad ideas we happen to notice and not like.

As for immigration reform, we very much need immigration ... just as we need genuinely secure borders. Now if we can identify sound ideas that truly address those two issues, give them voice by supporting candidates who generate, or embrace those ideas by raising money for them, we can make a difference, as opposed to simply just making a lot of noise. And that, not simply the election of another Republican, has been my best hope for new, or Alt Media since I became a part of it a few years ago.

Comments

[IslamoLlama]

"What is aggravating to see now is that we seem to be rapidly moving toward an Imperial Government (or, it already is, and has been so for years, and we are just now waking up to it) which is accountable to nobody but itself and the monied interests that keep it going: neither liberal nor conservative can be certain that thier elected representatives will faithfully represent their interests."

FDR was our Caeser. Bush 43 was our Nero.
But we've been under a federal heavy government for what feels like too long now. But, living in the south, the idea of a clusterfuck government that much closer to home with all the power doesn't make me feel any better. If we had more Mayor Bloombergs and fewer Governor Bushs (serious, two? Isn't that a bit excessive?) I might be more on board the small government train. As it is, I'll settle for competency at any level.

[seekeronos]

It really boils down to a matter of priorities.

There are the priorities of "Jorge Arbusto Bush and Cronies", and then there are the priorities of the American people.

Those two streams have diverged from one another markedly over the past few years, and will likely continue to do so until Jorge and Co. pack that last U-Haul on 20 Jan. 2009.

The Iraq War and *enforcing* the existing immigration laws are two very important parts to this:

- we need no further expansions on, or additions to, the immigration laws. We just need enforcement, and for scumbags like Johnny Sutton to stop putting law-abiding, law-enforcing border patrol agents like Mr. Ramos and Mr. Compean in jail for doing their jobs.

What is aggravating to see now is that we seem to be rapidly moving toward an Imperial Government (or, it already is, and has been so for years, and we are just now waking up to it) which is accountable to nobody but itself and the monied interests that keep it going: neither liberal nor conservative can be certain that thier elected representatives will faithfully represent their interests.

I'd like to hope that there is chance that conservatives will re-form the GOP, but I think that large, once mighty elephant is as ridden through bone and marrow with the cancers of elite interests and ignorance of the will of the people.

[Warren Bonesteel]

No, people. Dan gets it.

That was one of the more important articles that you'll ever read about this topic.

You have the chance to shape the future course of mankind's history. What will you do with it? Will you become the very thing you presently rail against? Imposing your own will upon others?

...or...

Will you do what is right and best and true and just for all of us?

Look down at your keyboard. That power is now in your hands.

What is your decision?

[Buzzy]

Yeah Dan we do need immigration and I'm of the opinion that we also need a properly designed and managed guest worker program also. Despite what Bush and his new best friends Kennedy and Reid say the defeat of the McCain Kennedy ShAmnesty bill had nothing to do with either. It was a battle against secret backroom big business dealings putting together a total POS bill and then trying to ram it down the people's throats. It also is all about national security and enforcing our laws and the fact that both Bush and the Democrats have failed to do a damned thing to secure our borders or enforcing our laws for the last 6 years. Hell, Clinton enforced immigration laws about 400 times better than Bush when he was in office, how's that for sad. It's also about Bush and the Democrats joining together to double fees for those people who want to legally immigrate to the US while leaving the borders open so their low cost, near slave labor workers can flood across the borders, all so corporate profits can get ever larger. This isn't anything about right or left anymore, or Democrat and Republican, it's globalist elite vs WE THE PEOPLE. Too many of us have learned that we can't trust our government anymore and like the characters in a George Orwell novel when I looked into the Senate today I couldn't tell who was which, human or animal, but I did take notice of those who are owned by business donations and have forgotten who they work for. Our demands are simple, secure the borders, enforce our laws and then put together a good bill that allows honest hard working people who want to be Americans into our country and a guest worker program that allows for our national security and fair wages and working conditions for the workers without Americans losing their jobs and we'll all get along just fine.

[tarpon]

Start with the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and the 1986 AMNESTY bill. Build from there. Once the border is proved secure, we can then move to regularize the illegals left in the US. No path to citizenship, grant work visas as long as the US laws are obeyed.

Yes we do need immigration, want immigration, just not invasion.