Because only 3 people actually read what I wrote, here it is up front:
I disagree with this statement: "A poop factory is morally justified in dumping poop all over its community because it owns the poop." I'm surprised to find many Kossacks saying the poop factory can do whatever it likes because of its property rights.
Yes, this is a diary asking Kos to please reconsider his recent banning or at least to make a statement to us, his community, explaining his actions.
I question Kos' judgment in banning a member with no warning, based on a subjective and highly controversial call with no more than an "because I say so" justification. And I'm extremely troubled by kossacks defending his moral right to do so upon his property rights as the owner of Dkos.
But if we progressives believe in anything, it's that consumer, community, constituent and citizen rights mean something! And cannot be dismissed with a glib appeal to "property rights."
With no hyperbole, with ridiculously dramatic sincerity and beautifully silly righteous indignation I say: this goes to the very heart of our progressive values.
First, the necessary disclaimers:
- I adamantly support the CT ban. I believe most who question this banning also support the ban. But arguably, a majority of members do not believe the "offending" diary violated the ban unless the "rules" are subjectively stretched to a dangerous degree that threatens to stifle debate.
1.5 I support Kos' editorial role. He usually does it well. That Kos has an editorial staff is what separates DKOS from the loonie sites.
- The banned diarist was a jerk. Well, at least that's my opinion. I mean, he was a jerk to me on a few occasions. Unfortunately, now I find myself defending the jerk on principle. I ask you to stand with me.
What disturbs me, is that I'm seeing a "might makes right" or "property rights over community rights" kind of argument presented in favor of Kos' decision.
"His name is on the door."
"This is his house, he makes the rules."
"I disagree with it, but Kos can do whatever he likes here."
Being very active as a local land-use activist, I can tell you this is the exact same arguments made anytime an LLC or a conservative pro-lulu ("Locally undesirable land use") government does something despicable.
They think that because they own their poo, they can fling it anywhere they like! And since they own their land, they can put anything they like on it! And since we're all here at D "KOS," we're all targets for poo.
But WE PROGRESSIVES believe in community. And that solidarity can create a dialog with those who "have their names on the door." Or on the masthead. And one extension of that is two-way media, that media has an obligation to community! Hell, that's the whole basis of our bitching about media consolidation and "fairness doctrine!!!"
This may well be the most important moral foundation of all progressive battles against runaway power. Would WE ever find ourselves saying "well, those guys work for Rockefeller, if they don't like the rules, they can go somer's else!"
HELL NO! We'd say SOLIDARITY! ORGANIZE! STAND UP AND BE HEARD!
And when Bush asserts his "executive authority" do we just roll over? HELL NO!
We've been sitting down too much lately! I'm tired of being dismissed as "overreacting" or "dramatic!" I'm ready to show f-ers what "dramatic" means!
And I don't care how fucking rad Kos is, (and yeah, he's pretty F-in rad), we should Kos like we'd treat any other editor who made a mistake. But if we can't make this argument at dKos, how can we make it at Fox? We should stand up and show him where his power comes from. ANd then we're going to stand up to the rest of the media. And then we're going to take this all the way to the whitehouse and Obama's next!
Yeaeeaaaaarrrrrggghhh!
So I propose a weekend boycott of DKos.
To save DKOS!
To save ourselves--everyone's taking things WAY too seriously.
Unless Kos addresses this issue and proves that this a COMMUNITY instead of a top down political walmart, starting thursday, we should have a weekend boycott of Dkos. No log-ins. No diaries. No comments. And definitely no advertising clicks.
Don't just walk away from DKos! Make Markos listen!
Edited to add:
Markos: look who your defenders are here: Lots of name-calling and putting words in my mouth... Lots of progressives arguing that this community has no rights. That this is a business not a community. That strikes and organizing can't work.... is that what progressives believe?
And look at how wonderfully, beautifully, ridiculously serious everyone is!