tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post8055328978129565291..comments2023-07-09T04:29:29.893-04:00Comments on The Radikal: Duque's Own, Wiggio ReviewsChristian Duquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442591895926766002noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-78731855855237558902008-12-15T19:53:00.000-05:002008-12-15T19:53:00.000-05:00I am pleased to welcome the Ghost of Fei Long to o...I am pleased to welcome the Ghost of Fei Long to our coalition. Grasshopper recruited him to join with us and bring his international experience into the mix, something that the FBK has sorely lacked for a number of years. We are in prime position to take over and control this election once the Orange and Blue party completely dissolves. We will be meeting in the attic of the Hippodrome and then moving to Liquid Ginger tomorrow night after the Ghost of Russell Semmel's evidence exam.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-1887043087650919372008-12-15T17:39:00.000-05:002008-12-15T17:39:00.000-05:00From: 6:28To: 1:29Again, I was personally there fo...From: 6:28<BR/>To: 1:29<BR/><BR/>Again, I was personally there for the hand scanner bill, and I found no fault with anything Dictor said in support of the bill. Maybe you want to latch onto to something Dictor said as justification for your previous remarks, but that is total crap. I recall Dictor saying something to the effect the "power of the purse" was radical, but Dictor and many other O&B senators stood up and said this was only to make sure the will of the student body was done, and that it had nothing to do with defunding Rec Sports, as that liar Fager said. The bill was killed before we ever got there Tuesday night, and nothing Dictor said could possibly have saved it. And frankly, he probably did a lot better job with those 3 minutes than anyone else would have.<BR/><BR/>To pretend this has anything to do with some off the cuff speech Dictor made in support of the hand scanner bill is ludicrous. I can't believe you are seriously suggesting that. In fact, I don't believe it, and must say again you are not serious about a real solution to this crisis.<BR/><BR/>I have wasted too much studying time worrying about this, and this is gonna be my last response for awhile. Please, for the love of whatever god you might believe in, take these next words seriously.<BR/><BR/>The Left is gonna side with Dictor no matter what. There are myriad reasons for this, but you must not deceive yourself on this point, 1:29 PM. Nothing you or anyone else says on this blog is gonna change that. There is no point in rhetorical posturing on this matter.<BR/><BR/>At this juncture, it may be impossible to reconcile. You must also trust me when I say that time is of the essence. You are going to have to make some serious effort, and soon, at reconciliation. And while you may not yourself be part of the smear campaign against Dictor, I'm sure you know just as well as I who is. These people need to be reigned in immediately. This has to stop, and I mean right now. The simple fact of the matter is no one wants to work with someone who has nothing but disdain for them, and for any hope of unity these people must be forced to stop what they're doing and apologize (and if you're reading this now, I hope you care enough about the future of the O&B to stop what you're doing and apologize, without having to be told to do so).<BR/><BR/>Someone anonymously has made a comment in another post to this same effect, but we know information that will be one hell of a "February Surprise." I don't really want this information used against the O&B. I'm not gonna say anything more on this matter. Those in the know reading this know what I am talking about, and that is all I am gonna say.<BR/><BR/>I'm asking you as a favor, 1:29, to make sure <B>the right thing</B> is done to reconcile the party. I can't stress enough how close things are to being completely unreconcilable at this point. You have to take my words seriously and make sure the cabal does as well. If they really care about not dividing the party (something I can't really tell at all at this point), then you will go through the necessary steps I outlined, or something very similar to them.<BR/><BR/>Please, please don't respond with more rhetoric. It is so far beyond that right now. You need to get on the phone and <B>make</B> everyone realize how dire the situation is, as I am desperately trying to get through to you with what (admittedly) little literary talent I have. I seriously hope you have the political wisdom and will to prevent this split, 1:29, and if you are who I think you are, it might just be possible. But I seriously don't believe anything less than what I previously outlined is going to fly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-37881625977135200752008-12-15T13:29:00.000-05:002008-12-15T13:29:00.000-05:00From: 10:15To: 6:28What I was alluding to with the...From: 10:15<BR/>To: 6:28<BR/><BR/>What I was alluding to with the hand scanner bill was when Gator Party Senator Jon Fager stood up and alleged that the hand scanner bill was radical as a means to scare people away from voting for it. This was during con debate. Immediately following that, Pro debate started and Dictor stood up, apologized to everyone else who wished to speak Pro because he was intending on taking all 3 minutes, and then immediately agreed with Fager that yes, in fact, the bill was radical. Game. Set. Match. Gator Party win.<BR/><BR/>You are right that the administration gave their tools the signal to kill the bill and it was dying no matter what. That doesn't change the fact that Dictor helped along the Gator Party's line of reasoning/justification for the bill's death.<BR/><BR/>Senator Eric Wolf found himself in a similar situation months ago. He threw Dictor under the bus over the Aramark issue and found himself completely out of favor and depowered within the party. Dictor, in his agreeing with arguments intended to kill the very bill his fellow senators were advocating for, has now found himself in a similar situation.<BR/><BR/>The Aramark issue was going to die as well because the administration had issued an audible but nobody blinked an eye when Wolf wasn't allowed rise within the ranks of the party for going against what the party stood for.<BR/><BR/>I am Anon and you will have to take my word when I say that I did not partake in any smear campaign against Dictor. Did it happen? Smears happened. But to call it a campaign implies organization and coordination and neither of those are true. If you run into several friends at Krishna lunch and somebody came upon all of you eating together on the grass. Would it be fair for that person to allege that you had coordinated the effort, or would the truth be more akin to you all just had the same idea, that being to go eat Krisna lunch? I would argue the latter.<BR/><BR/>Are there some apologies in order? Probably. At the same time, this whole mess began because Dictor grossly overreacted to comments on a blog. His overblown reaction shows poor judgment and an inability to operate well under pressure, both are qualities not becoming of a leader. Leaders who make decisions with their emotions in full bloom usually don't make the right decision.<BR/><BR/>Here's a promise to everybody reading:<BR/>SRI will be pushed hard in the Spring.<BR/>Hand Scanner's will be made a big issue.<BR/>"The Left", its people and ideas, will still be greeted with a smile and open arms by the O&B Party just as they always have and many of their members and their ideas will make it onto the O&B slate and platform respectively.<BR/><BR/>What won't happen is this:<BR/>The entirety of the O&B Party will not capitulate to the demands and wishes of one individual or one interest group. Is "The Left" important to the success of O&B? Absolutely. Are they the sole reason for our success? Absolutely not. O&B is a movement bigger than any one person or any one individual and the sooner everybody can start agreeing on that point the sooner we can begin moving on.<BR/><BR/>If you want to play, then play. But you're done playing the second you threaten to take your ball and go home. That didn't fly with anybody on the playground in elementary school and it still doesn't fly now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-43282843765096042082008-12-15T12:05:00.000-05:002008-12-15T12:05:00.000-05:0010:15 AM (the only serious reply)Some of the thing...10:15 AM (the only serious reply)<BR/><BR/>Some of the things you write are clearly false, though I thank you for being somewhat serious. I say somewhat because you seem to be writing almost in a campaign-ish fashion, rather than trying to seek real solutions to this crisis.<BR/><BR/>Firstly, I was there when the hand scanner thing went down. I know exactly what Dictor was doing, and what the claims of a few possible swing voters in the Gator Party were. They said it wasn't clear enough for them, so Dictor was arguing that it should be amended to just make the bill clearer. I'm pretty sure he was arguing with Cavataro about this, but even when Cavataro got on stage he was clearly ok with the idea of amending the bill. The Gator Party killed the amendment attempt, and killed the bill. To blame it on Dictor makes me believe you either weren't there to witness what went down, or you're lying. If anything on our part killed the bill, it was the unwillingness of some O&B people to work with the Gator Party kids to get this through, though I personally believe it was dead no matter what. The administration called an audible, and the Gator Party changed their play accordingly...<BR/><BR/>Secondly, on claims of threats and extortions, you can take it however you want. I personally see it as advice from someone who deep down doesn't want to see this party split. I don't think I need to spell it out why a Dictor/McShera ticket should be seen as a compromise (and for that matter, it is one I'm honestly not entirely sure we could even force Dictor to agree to at this point), and simply publicly apologizing to Dictor and Schneider for the actions of a few of your most childish members and agreeing to renew your efforts to push SRI is not asking for much at all. I think it leaves you with everything you want, and gives us enough reassurance to continue supporting the O&B.<BR/><BR/>But if you have your own ideas for a solution, I suggest you start calling the right people and negotiating now. This problem is not going away, and as far as I know, the cabal is acting like they don't have to do jack shit. I'm here to tell you that you're fatally mistaken on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-87503813287418233202008-12-15T10:15:00.000-05:002008-12-15T10:15:00.000-05:00Anon 6:28, you are perfect for the Gator Party. Th...Anon 6:28, you are perfect for the Gator Party. This is EXACTLY how they operate. An interest group, in your case (as you claim) "the Left", declares that they will be withholding support unless they are given concessions. In the Gator Party's case it's usually things like senate slate positions, cabinet positions, etc. So if you want to play a game of extortion you might want to go talk to Matt Goldberger or Jordan Johnson.<BR/><BR/>Also, to say that O&B doesn't support things like SRI is just insulting. O&B has done everything within its power to support SRI but at the end of the day O&B is an SG political party. SG doesn't invest any money, they spend it all, and they have no control on the operations of any other aspect of the University. You want more done about SRI? Call your local state representative, write your congressman.<BR/><BR/>Your comments clearly demonstrate that you are not very well versed in politics, only petulance.<BR/><BR/>Dictor and his supporters clamored for bylaws and for open elections of officers, etc. They were given both. Now they are crying over the results and outcome of what they clamored for.<BR/><BR/>Anon 6:28, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not TheBenDictor itself and also that you are a member of SDS. So I ask you this, why are you making this all about one man? Is this really what SDS stands for? Has it no principals or ideals to fight for? Doe it exist solely as a means to further Ben Dictor's political career through means of extortion and threats?<BR/><BR/>O&B has advocated for what it thought were SDS and the Left's causes, but somehow we missed Ben Dictor's name on that list. Your people end up on our slate because they are smart and qualified, your causes on our platform because they are worth fighting for. None of that is going to change.<BR/><BR/>Our party believes what you believe, we see how you see, and feel how you feel. We are a party of principles, causes, and ideals and these are the things we rally around.<BR/><BR/>One of O&B's core principles is merit; nobody is given anything for any other reason than their merit. And yet you come on this blog and demand Ben Dictor be made the SBP nominee for O&B based solely on the fact that he supports your causes. No discussion of any other reason.<BR/><BR/>You want to know why many people don't support Ben Dictor as the O&B nominee? Because he threw the hand scanner bill under the bus; the Gator Party attacked the bill and tried to tear it down and Ben Dictor stood up at the front of the room and concurred with their attacks. He cannot be trusted to advocate for what we believe in, too many times has he said too many nice things to his opposition of apologized for things that needn't be apologized for.<BR/><BR/>So there you have it; SDS wants Ben Dictor because they think he'll support the Left's causes unwaveringly but in actuality has been opposed because on issues as important as Hand Scanners he has floundered and even taken on Gator's positions on the matter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-39556488933475691132008-12-15T09:22:00.000-05:002008-12-15T09:22:00.000-05:005:39, you, despite your claim, are either Dictor o...5:39, you, despite your claim, are either Dictor or Schneider. Given the length, Dictor.<BR/><BR/>P.S. You really shouldn't use distinctive phrases (like "naked power play") that you have been heard screaming after meetings, when you're trying to claim you didn't write the comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-87284721484497493312008-12-15T09:11:00.000-05:002008-12-15T09:11:00.000-05:00To 5:39Minor concessions? Dictor and Schneider an...To 5:39<BR/><BR/>Minor concessions? Dictor and Schneider and even Tian have barely done anything towards these "goals" in senate Stephan Fitz has been useless all around. Don't blame the rest of O&B for them not leading the charge, The rest of us would have followed. But nooooooo, it's Mark's responsibility for not pushing this when he thought that's what Dictor and Tina and the other leftists would do?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-74368350715584633942008-12-15T09:05:00.000-05:002008-12-15T09:05:00.000-05:005:39I hope you have the balls to have your you and...5:39<BR/><BR/>I hope you have the balls to have your you and all your candidate's guts eviscerated in the spring.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-63408416267248294542008-12-15T05:39:00.000-05:002008-12-15T05:39:00.000-05:00I am 6:28, and I am not Dictor. I probably couldn&...I am 6:28, and I am not Dictor. I probably couldn't explain why without giving myself away to people in the know, so I won't bother. If you want to pretend Dictor would waste his time posting serious comments to this blog in support of himself, be my guest. It's obvious some of you will resort to the stupidest of lies to smear someone, so one more stupid lie you can spread won't change things.<BR/><BR/>But it's obvious a lot of the people posting here don't know a god thing that goes on in SDS to be able to say shit like Skeet deserves all the credit for SRI. He doesn't. He deserves all the credit for catastrophic failures like the Hunger Strike, but that is another matter.<BR/><BR/>And supporting the Democratic Party doesn't make you a Leftist. The Democratic Party is a party of imperialist mass murder. Most liberals are just different shades of right-wing, and college Democrats are often some of the most politically ignorant people I have ever met in my life.<BR/><BR/>But let me make myself perfectly clear. The SDS supported O&B and entered student government as a means to an end. It was a way to try and gather support for SRI, something the cabal of O&B have only half-heartedly supported. A McShera candidacy does not guarantee our political objectives will be pushed in a satisfactory way. This is both about lack of concern for our issues and for lack of political ability to get things done (after all, none of the rest of you can claim to have swung any Gator Party votes our way). I have personally witnessed McShera saying things like efforts to rename the buildings named after notorious homophobes and racists is akin to "political masturbation." McShera is not a candidate I trust at all to give a shit about our interests.<BR/><BR/>What has also made an impression on me is not so much that you hate Dictor and spew the most vicious slander towards him, it is the mindless red baiting that so many of you have let fly on this blog, and in personal conversations. This says to me you don't give a shit about your political allies.<BR/><BR/>You're gonna have to learn the hard way you don't have a political machine that has to do your bidding, like the Gator Party does. You don't get to tell us to get up at 7:00 AM and talk to hundreds of people, or else you'll haze us or make us lose pledge points. The O&B has real constituents with real political concerns. You don't get free work out of us and free votes. You have to earn them. And regardless of what you personally think of Dictor, you better realize smearing one of your Leftist party members in this way is an attack on all the constituents that were brought to the table by him on others on the Left like Steiger.<BR/><BR/>This naked power play that occurred solidified in my mind the need for a break with the O&B. I realize the potential consequences of this going into the Spring, but I believe we really can win CLAS seats and the executive ticket regardless. However, and if you can for a moment put away your childish personal attacks and think in real political terms, I have a serious suggestion to make that might satisfy both parties:<BR/><BR/>The first thing is that the attacks on Dictor and Schneider need to cease immediately, followed by a public apology on behalf of the party and a condemnation of those who engaged in this incredibly divisive shit (without having to out anyone, though we all know who they are anyway). The second is that the ticket needs to be Dictor as SBP and McShera as VP. Dictor wants Grasshopper badly as VP, but I personally don't think he is anymore trustworthy than McShera in fulfilling our goals. I'm sure I don't need to fully articulate why this should be seen as a great compromise. The third thing I want to see is a public guarantee from McShera that he will make SRI his overriding concern during his time in office.<BR/><BR/>If these three things are done, I definitely see unity being possible (and these three things are very, very minor concessions on your part). I really hope we can set aside our personal hatreds and come together to give the Gator Party it's greatest defeat in the Spring. I like Dictor and consider him a friend, but I am writing this post as someone who wants to see the goals of the Left carried out effectively. Dictor is a powerful personality in SG and is someone I know is also concerned with Leftist issues and is willing to work hard for them. However, I am more than willing to force Dictor to take a little "Iron Discipline" and ditch the idea of a Grasshopper VP and suck up his pride for the good of the party, and also to make him apologize to some of those he was less than 'cordial' to (I specifically have in mind Gary and Alan).<BR/><BR/>The question in my mind now is whether or not the O&B party is a suitable vehicle for our political goals, or if it was a huge mistake to have ever involved ourselves with you in the first place. I strongly advise that you stop thinking about this whole affair in terms of personalities and start thinking in terms of <B>realpolitik</B>. I also advise you to start thinking about serious efforts to avoid a split. While I am not completely sure we can do this without the O&B, I know for god damn sure you aren't gonna do a thing without us.<BR/><BR/>Otherwise, we have the financial resources to run our own campaign. We can immediately get a lot of O&B senators with us, we can fill a full slate of candidates, and we will have more than enough rank and file people to get out the vote, plus the entire progressive scene on campus behind us. You'll have a lot more than the Gator Party to worry about in the Spring.<BR/><BR/>Again, I hope you read over my words carefully, and take my advice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-73353006459434953752008-12-15T02:50:00.000-05:002008-12-15T02:50:00.000-05:00I am very disappointed to learn I am a failure at ...I am very disappointed to learn I am a failure at life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-66429484563536517312008-12-15T02:47:00.000-05:002008-12-15T02:47:00.000-05:00"There were people at the meeting who are consider..."There were people at the meeting who are considered swing members, and if all the members of the "Progs" would have been in attendance and argued their points, the swing members probably would have voted with them."<BR/><BR/>Well it sounds like these "Progs" should have shown up then, doesn't it?<BR/><BR/>INFLUENCE FAILAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-69715008832249347192008-12-15T01:27:00.000-05:002008-12-15T01:27:00.000-05:00Why is everyone attacking everyone else??? Please...Why is everyone attacking everyone else??? Please people, if you are going to post crap about each other, at least debate the merits...franciscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13203127120358770468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-66507970699747051702008-12-15T01:17:00.000-05:002008-12-15T01:17:00.000-05:009:51 is Sam, and I claim whatever pounds remain. ...9:51 is Sam, and I claim whatever pounds remain. Drinks on me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-40662873329495296462008-12-14T23:17:00.000-05:002008-12-14T23:17:00.000-05:00"Not only is this shit completely undemocratic and..."Not only is this shit completely undemocratic and underhanded, you have ruthlessly smeared the best member of your party,"<BR/><BR/>Dictor, you are so full of shit, your eyes are brown...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-63977758472356037292008-12-14T22:59:00.001-05:002008-12-14T22:59:00.001-05:00These so called "leftists" have the impression tha...These so called "leftists" have the impression that all it takes to win campaigns is hopes, dreams, and rainbows.<BR/><BR/>You played in a campaign with all the odds stacked in your favor, welcome to SG bitches. SG elections take real men and women to win.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-88882076356667962412008-12-14T22:59:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:59:00.000-05:00Gary Benedix's brother was President of Gators For...Gary Benedix's brother was President of Gators For Israel and serves in the IDF. Maybe you should look into this DuqueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-64260057376942579512008-12-14T22:55:00.001-05:002008-12-14T22:55:00.001-05:00why do miorelli and dictor need to compromise?why do miorelli and dictor need to compromise?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-45380300948754009472008-12-14T22:55:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:55:00.000-05:00Dictor responds to "malicious smears" of him runni...Dictor responds to "malicious smears" of him running off and starting a 3rd party if he lost the primary by....<BR/><BR/>...<BR/>...<BR/>...<BR/><BR/>Running off and starting a 3rd party!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-38408960521293367592008-12-14T22:34:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:34:00.000-05:00Armando was there for Dictor and then switched to ...Armando was there for Dictor and then switched to McShera...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-67595748986407140512008-12-14T22:28:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:28:00.000-05:00Ben Dictor: please learn to write concisely. Your ...Ben Dictor: please learn to write concisely. Your post took too much reading for too little payoff.<BR/><BR/>To quote the great Sam Jackson: <B>English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?!</B>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-28406084375955549662008-12-14T22:22:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:22:00.000-05:009:38- I'm moppin' what you're spillin'9:38- I'm moppin' what you're spillin'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-343692973540744862008-12-14T22:14:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:14:00.000-05:00I respectfully request that 6:28 (Dictor) save the...I respectfully request that 6:28 (Dictor) save the drama for his mama.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-85553501303449860772008-12-14T22:13:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:13:00.000-05:00Christian, Why are you suppressing that Dictor fou...Christian, <BR/><BR/>Why are you suppressing that Dictor fought against the living wage for janitors platform plank? We wanted SRI and living wage but Dictor explained that SRI is a much more important issue. That was spoken like a true son of capitalism. Maybe he will grow up to be my personal CEO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-59558052756135193312008-12-14T22:01:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:01:00.000-05:00Ben Dictor: Quit claiming to speak for the left. Y...Ben Dictor: Quit claiming to speak for the left. You speak for the left as Michael Moore Speaks for the Democrats. <BR/><BR/>You are nothing but am egomaniacal bombthrower that can't even keep your lies straight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14998306.post-41348931690983602502008-12-14T21:58:00.000-05:002008-12-14T21:58:00.000-05:00Dictor believes this is a whole struggle of good v...Dictor believes this is a whole struggle of good vs evil, left vs right, labor vs the man. Ben Dictor is a charlatan and buys his own bullshit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com