The Pseudo-politics of Character Assassination and Disinformation Drones On at Niagara Times

Today over at Niagara Times blog, good ol’ Hobbes, blog administrator and editorialist extraordinaire, paid me the dubious honor of being the exclusive subject of his day’s labor. He begins by rationalizing why he censored me from his web site. Poor ol’ Hobbes, whomever he/she/it/that may be, seems a tad bit defensive. Hobbes’ claim that I was never able “to articulate [my] thoughts into a clear, concise manner” really means I refused to think in the very small box within which his mind moves. My words were “white noise” to him because he wasn’t capable of thinking through a single new political idea. He Hobbes detests authentic democratic discourse. It’s not good for business.

Then the most gross distortions, misrepresentations and misreadings begin. Well, actually they begin in the title of his post, “Castellani Compares Hobbes to Hitler, Christ.” I did no such thing. What I did do was draw two analogies. The first compared the NCCC Administration’s attempts to destroy the Faculty Association while dragging the integrity of the college down with it, to Hitler’s attempt to destroy the Jews despite its ill effects on his beloved Fatherland. The second suggested that Hobbes moralistic, pseudo-political diatribes present himself as the sinless savior of Niagara County while he portrays almost everyone else as traitors to the cause. He is light years from Jesus and obviously closer to Judas if not Hitler in his betrayal of public democratic dialogue not to mention the pursuit of truth.
If you are curious why Hobbes lists a slew of my sentences in his blog, wonder no further. It’s to make sure that you don’t read my piece entitled, “Niagara Times Politico and County Bureaucrats Assault Education at NCCC”[Thursday, July 15, 2010]. He loves to take arguments out of context and put them to his own use as they do on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and that ilk.

If Hobbes were serious about “reigning in exorbitant, taxpayer- subsidized salaries” he would spend a little time criticizing the exorbitant salaries of the Administrators at NCCC starting with Dr. Klyczek. He would also criticize the use of millions in tax monies to subsidize business in Niagara County. But for Hobbes it’s socialism for the capitalists and capitalism for the poor.

Hobbes doesn’t criticize those who support the politics of his social class. He only criticizes those who wish to restore equity to a Liberal Democracy in severe political, economic, social and ecological crisis. He criticizes anyone whose political ideas go beyond trying to win tax breaks for business and eliminate any regulation of the same.

What becomes clear to me now, however, is that Hobbes probably censored me for one of two reasons. Firstly, it could be that he just can’t stand critical, creative political thought or, secondly, he just can’t read. He misunderstood two of my analogies and totally distorted the context of my argument and the issues at hand. But maybe he doesn’t do that intentionally or self-consciously. Maybe he just doesn’t read well. And if he doesn’t read well, just what kind of thinking could one expect from the ol’ Republican hit man.

Whichever it is, it doesn’t bode well for Hobbes. He’s either an elitist, authoritarian party-politics power mongerer or he’s kind of illiterate.
So please read Hobbes’ character assassination piece on me but then, please, also read my article. Then let’s collect some tuition money and send Hobbes back to school.

If democracy stands any chance to establish an authentic discourse of the people in a legitimate public sphere, the demagogic witch hunting of the likes of Hobbes, the lunatic fringe right wing in this country and the Neo-conservative and even moderate Republican elitists can’t be permitted to go unchallenged.

Lastly, we need to note one tactic that the rich and powerful use repeatedly against the poor, public servants and unions. The tactic is to manipulate anyone who believes they deserve better than the capitalist types are willing to let them have, or have the opportunity to achieve, into comparing themselves with the poorest. The psychological intent is to make you feel guilty and ashamed that you believe you deserve better. It’s pseudo-Christian elevation of the humble and self-sacrificing to which he tries to get you to emulate and thus accept whatever the “bosses” want to give you, usually the crumbs off their table.

Such moralism doesn’t work, at least not with me. Hobbes’ type of demagoguery wants to dumb you down, humiliate you and impoverish the will to self-determination. Hobbes is a Stalinist at heart. He’s dangerous and a light should be kept on his efforts to turn the public sphere into a realm of political violence, obstruction and obscuration.