September 12, 2005
Those Rare Moments of Political Clarity
Filed under: Education Labor by Leo Casey @ 10:42 pm
Maybe it is my training as a political scientist, but I have a special appreciation for those rare moments of political clarity and transparency, when one doesn’t have to read the tea leaves because the message is out there in 72 point font headlines.
It is with a smile, therefore, that I read Michael Antonucci’s attack on Edwize. Antonucci has won his fifteen minutes of Internet fame by being a completely single-minded opponent of anything and everything connected to teacher unions, so one knew that this moment was coming, with the same sort of certainty that one knows Pat Robertson will stick his political foot in his mouth. The only question was when.
That is why it was so interesting to read Antonucci’s long litany of everything in Edwize he passed over, until he finally found something that so outraged him he just had to take note. What was this great moment of truth? An Edwize post contending that the Bush administration’s performance in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina demonstrated not just its implacable hostility toward the poor and working people, but the fact “that it is incompetent in minding the store.” Now, some might think that when the government of the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world lets substantial numbers of its own citizens die, for lack of the simplest medicine and health care or for want of a boat or a bus to take them to safety, incompetent is one of the milder terms one could use to describe it. Some might even think that the fact that President Bush had appointed to the top positions at FEMA, the federal agency in charge of responding to the devastation of Katrina, a whole bevy of political cronies who had zero background in the field, and a head whose main qualification was that he was a college chum of a top Bush campaign figure, meant that it was not simply neglect, but actual malfeasance, that led to the unnecessary loss of so many lives. There might even be those who noted that “the beast” of government which Bush administration figures spoke so proudly of “starving” was the very entity that should have been maintaining, let alone modernizing, the levees and other flood control devices that could have minimized the destruction, if only they had worked properly.
But don’t count Antonucci among that number. No, for him, it is the suggestion that the aftermath of Katrina was a colossal and unforgivable failure of the fundamental duty of American government to protect and preserve the lives of all its citizens that is the cause for comment. He has heard the clarion call from Washington that one must defend the Bush administration’s handling of Katrina, and he is reporting for duty. As far as he is concerned, it is such posts which show that all of the talk of diversity and dialogue on Edwize is just a sham.
That this political agenda of unquestioning support for the Bush administration and hard right conservatism is behind many of the attacks on teacher unions is not a cause for surprise. But it is still interesting to see those moments when the guard is let down, and it is made plain for all to see.
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What Mike Antonucci also objected to:
Leo Casey just left out a few things in his comment, like Antonucci referring to the ICEUFTblog as more widely read and ” may even be more pro-labor than UFT is.” (Why isn’t ICEUFTblog not among NYC listed blogs?) Though Antonucci has been a frequent anti-union critic, he often points to the inconsistencies in unions that restrict open debates as he does here.
Leo Casey’s “rare moments of political clarity” are rare indeed.
Norm Scott, Education Notes and ICE
Full text From EIA Communique:
3) You Can Change the Wrapping, But It’s Still the UFT Party Line. EIA remained silent upon the unveiling of EdWize, the daily blog produced by the United Federation of Teachers, New York City’s AFT local affiliate. There were several reasons: 1) EIA already visits hundreds of union web sites; what’s one more? 2) the more the merrier; 3) a lot of other reporters and bloggers were already writing about it and I didn’t feel I had anything unique to contribute.
That sense continued through the New York Post story about the site’s disclaimer, the back-and-forth between EdWize and Eduwonk over comments sections, et al. My feelings about the unremarkability of EdWize still haven’t changed, but I’m prompted to write by this story, posted on the official UFT web site.
It’s not even the shameless back-patting that irks, but the repeated references to EdWize as a “place where reasonable and informed discussion about education and labor could be conducted,” about how it “will ultimately strengthen the UFT’s democratic culture,” about how it is “already establishing credibility by its reasoned tone,” and how it is “a place where varying and reasoned opinions” are offered to readers.
Of course, if you live in a union echo chamber, even stuff like these September 9 entries sound “varying and reasoned”: “[T]he Bush administration in Washington, D.C., is not just malevolent toward working people and the poor, it’s incompetent at even minding the store,” and “Ripping off working people during a national emergency comes from the same instinct that leads children to tear the wings off insects,” and “How much badly needed federal funds will this administration channel off to the for-profits as they privatize this disaster as they tried to privatize the Iraqi war with disastrous results?”
UFT is so committed to diverse opinions that its main opposition caucus has to have its own blog, which is a much better read and may even be more pro-labor than UFT is. Or you can read Norm Scott’s Education Notes, the bane of UFT’s “democratic culture” for years. Ask Norm about how welcome contrary opinions are at UFT.
Comment by Norm Scott EdNotes — September 12, 2005 @ 11:18 pm
Hey, Leo. I’m glad Norm posted what I actually wrote, so people can see the text right next to your amusing interpretation of what you think I meant.
But you keep on keeping on. Every time you guys open your mouths, you make my job easier.
By the way, at my site you don’t have to log in and provide an e-mail address in order to comment.
Comment by The Evil One — September 13, 2005 @ 1:38 am
Aw, c’mon. Can’t we all just get along? For tips on this and how to unite the educational community in common-sense and common cause, check out risaac.blogs.com
Comment by redhog — September 13, 2005 @ 2:08 am
My only thought is this: It’s a little difficult to see the links in EdWize posts. I had to hunt around. Have you considered highlighting the linked text in a color that stands out more? (Aging eyes, you know.) Thanks.
Comment by JennyD — September 13, 2005 @ 7:41 am
My colleague Sean Ahern posted the criticique below on ICE-mail on my use of the Antonucci comments and makes some very valid points about the anti public school “agenda”of the libertarian movement. My difference with Sean is that I do not look at motivations when Antonucci digs up certain contradictions in his “mining” the underbelly of union politics and his pointing out that Edwize is not all that it is made out to be is a point worth noting, though it is better to have Edwize than nothing at all and maybe one day Mike Antonucci might point to places where teachers without any union protection can comment openly at all.
And Ron Isaac, no we can’t all get along but I urge everyone to read his blog at risaac.blogs.com so I don’t have to talk him down from the roof.
Norm Scott
I am concerned by Norm’s readiness to hold up the EIA’s critique of EdWize as some sort of trophy with which to beat Casey with. Since when is Antonucci an authority on internal union business? Its like quoting the KKK to mediate a dispute in the Black community.
“The enemy of your enemy is not your friend.”
The EIA is a Tom Delay/Pombo right wing “libertarian” project whose mission is to fish in troubled waters and undermine teacher unions by posing as a critic of the union bureacracies.
Privatization of public education is the watchword of this crowd and their strongest opposition comes from the NEA and AFT. Privatization is a hard sell to teachers so they soft pedal that and pose instead as critics of undemocratic practices within the unions. EIA has also shown a white supremacist bent in their mocking and derisive characterization of the NEA’s discussion of reparations for the descendants of slaves. This may also play well among some teachers (Wouldn’t the enemies of teacher unionism just love to see a white supremacist split off from the NEA!) but it’s the kiss of death for a credible rank and file reform movement in the UFT. With “friends” like this , who needs enemies?
The lack of democracy is real in the AFT, but so is the EIA’s hidden agenda. They are on a fishing mission to establish anti union beach heads within the unions themselves. I hope that ICErs will not succumb to flattery.
We are critics of the UFT because it falls far short of what a union should be, the EIA is a critic because teacher unions exist. Unions are targets for the EIA. Unions and union contracts are our first line of defense, inadequate as they are. Three years without a contract, no right to strike, high stakes testing, corporate “reform”, underfunded, overcrowded schools and underpaid teachers in predominantly poor and working class districts? Ever read any “intelligence” reporting on that in the EIA? Ever see a positive proposal to correct the problem?
Peace,
Sean Ahern
Comment by Norm Scott EdNotes — September 13, 2005 @ 8:02 am
Michael - This is a blog and Leo linked to your original source, which is how blogs work. I’ve expanded the link to your post so it’s easier to see. On the question of user registration, it’s an effecient way to cut comment spam, and people impersonating other writers. Forcing registration is a standard practice for blogs that allow comments.
Comment by kombiz — September 13, 2005 @ 9:01 am
There is a level of extraordinary disingenuousness here, but I suppose that is to be expected, given the cast of characters.
Of course, since this is a blog, one does not reproduce the entire post one is referring to, one links to it. And there was a link, so anyone could go and read Antonucci in the original. By all means, read all of it. It is very informative.
It is also the case, as Norman Scott knows quite well, that labor law in NY State requires unions to make clear and unambiguous divisions between what is done officially by the union and what is done by union political parties, both those in office and the opposition. You will note that the UFT blog links to no political caucus in the union, in conformity with our understanding of the state law. This has been the union’s long-standing practice with respect to our official web-site as well.
And it is amusing to read long comments on how one is being censored in the very place that is supposedly doing the censoring. We should all be so censored.
Now it has to be a little embarrassing to be posing as the truly authentic radical left wing, and then have it pointed out that your friends promoting you are rabidly anti-union partisans of the far right, of the sort that take umbrage at calling Bush’s handling of the aftermath of Katrina “incompetent.” But, hey, why seek out those partnerships then?
Comment by Leo Casey — September 13, 2005 @ 10:39 am
I just followed Edwize’s link to Mike Antonucci’s EIA site, and, in his words, “Mike’s own writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, The American Enterprise, and many other periodicals …” My, what a fair and balanced group of publications. If he were a TV pundit, he’d be a natural for Fox. Leo, “disingenuousness” is a kind characterization.
Comment by institutional memory — September 13, 2005 @ 3:00 pm
His attacks on this blog notwithstanding, I’m personally quite encouraged that Mr. Antonucci is so sympathetic to the ICE caucus, and Mr. Scott. It’s great to see folks like Mr. Antonucci openly sharing their passion for fair pay and treatment for NYC teachers.
Comment by NYC Educator — September 13, 2005 @ 6:40 pm
When the lights and microphones are off, and there is nothing to be gained by carefully calculated proclamations of righteous “principle”, all politicians on every level, conservative and liberal, Republican and Democrat, are equal as they laugh to scorn, over their gins and tonics, the faith of their constituents. Give me truth serum or hypnosis anytime, and you will see that I share your feelings about Bush. But that cronyism and “old-boy” garbage was just as true under our friends the “progressives’ as our correctly despised and mortal, implacable foes, the damned reactionaries. By the well, Chancellor Joel Klein, was a fair-haired (???) chum of Bill Clinton.
Comment by redhog — September 13, 2005 @ 10:59 pm
Shorter evil one: The more you write the more of your words I can take stuff out of context. - I just read the peice Michael Antonucci referred to and part of what he’s complaining about is language as imagery that the author uses. No context from Antonucci’s cut out quotes, but what would one expect.
Redhog - Whatever you want to say about the big dog (Bill Clinton), at least Clinton hired Klein to be a prosecutor not to run the Department of Ed. Context is as important as the quote.
Comment by jesse — September 14, 2005 @ 12:29 am
Context, indeed. Folks should note that Antonucci doesn’t link to my post. If he had, readers would see the context. Likening Bush behavior to an instinct for torturing small creatures referred to Bush’s federal order to moot prevailing wage protections for workers involved in the Gulf Coast reconstruction. Gratuitous and cruel and ignoble it was. Have a better way to describe the president’s action, Mike, in ripping out a meager $9/hr wage floor ? Fiscally prudent, perhaps? Jesse Jackson used to say that "text without context is pretext." Sounds like he was reading your blog.
Comment by Michael Hirsch — September 14, 2005 @ 11:38 am