Koch Rancho Mirage

Koch Rancho Mirage

According to this morning's edition of the Valley, a local newspaper, there were between 800 and 1000 protesters yesterday at a demonstration against the corporate takeover of American politics in Rancho Mirage.  The procession stretched back along this boulevard far into the line of palms, opposite the entrance to Rancho Las Palmas Resort where the Koch brothers' convention was held.

The demonstrators were met by about two dozen county sheriff's deputies dressed in riot gear, wielding billy clubs,

and three others perched atop the resort roof with rifles - according to the paper...plus this surveillance team.  Whether they were private security or public employees wasn't clear.

Down on the ground, the deputies appeared to be having a terrific afternoon cruising around in their jeeps.  The weather was gorgeous, sunny and mild with a light breeze.  Contrary to right-wing hopes the crowd was placid, even jubilant, and the police were probably getting paid overtime to patrol what was more of a festival than the angry confrontation falsely alleged by the paper.

Common Cause organized most of the bussed-in crowd around the notion "Uncloaking the Kochs" - and other groups joined in, including Code Pink and Ruckus Society, whose theme was to "Quarantine the Kochs".

Mike Roddy and I, in our Climate Zombie masks, tuxedo tee's and top hats, unfurled our Koch Kills banner and marched across the parking lot, stopping frequently as people requested pictures, when we were accosted by a woman who claimed to be representing Common Cause, and a man who was so agitated by our banner that the woman asked him to go away and let her handle it.

She said things like, "This is divisive - it isn't a free speech issue!  We're begging you to put this away.  People have complained," and finally repeated,  "I'm asking you as a favor - I have to live here."  After listening to her hostile objections, we had to demur.  I made it plain to her that whatever the objectives or strategy of Common Cause, Mike came from Seattle and I came from New Jersey, quite independently of their organization, and that we had every right and intention of exercising our right to free speech and assembly.  Koch DOES kill in myriad ways, and we don't believe mincing words is going to bring about the drastic changes required to save human civilization - not to mention the rest of the species on earth - from catastrophic climate change - the science of which is systematically denied by shamelessly greedy corporatists.  Raising the massacre in Tucson as though it in any way is comparable or relevant to reporting the devastation promulgated to our environment by the policies of non-regulation and thug tactics promoted by the Kochs was ridiculous and offensive and rather distressing.

Besides, we weren't the only ones - this congenial fellow came from Oregon with his own handpainted sign...evidence that great minds think alike!

And an enlargement of this photo reveals the banner from Code Pink stating:  "Koch Kills Democracy."  I don't know if there were objections to that sign as well, or if people think killing democracy with corporate money is more or less worthy of note than pollution killing people, causing cancer, emphysema, asthma and diabetes; or decimating trees and other plants, not to mention the wildlife dependent upon them for food and habitat.

The NYTimes online ran an article headlined "25 Arrested at Conservative California Meeting" with the usual nonsensical mainstream media distortions:

"The mostly peaceful demonstration had been arranged with authorities, but some protesters crossed the street to the entrance of the Ranchos Las Palmas Resort where they were met by deputies in riot gear...they were arrested without a struggle, booked at Indio jail, and released."

Mostly peaceful??  It was COMPLETELY peaceful!  This photo is the beginning of the advance across the road after the speeches and music in the lot.  Does this look like there is any impulse remotely resembling violence?  The media is full of distortions - one reporter pestered some retirees behind us, who watching from the lawn, lounging on their golf carts, repeatedly as to whether they weren't afraid of an attack from the crowd - and they just looked at her incredulously and laughed.

There was at least one other tuxedoed, top-hatted participant, as people are starting to make the obvious link between obscene corporate profits, the stratification of the economy, and the destruction of the ecosystem.

The Times reported SOME protesters crossed to the entrance but, as someone who was there, I can attest that virtually ALL crossed - there was almost no one left standing on the opposite side - and the police shut down Bob Hope to accommodate the crowd while the arrests took place.

Curious onlookers peered over the wall.

After everyone who wanted to be arrested had been, the police warned with bullhorns and flashing lights that the protest had to retreat, as the road would be re-opened.  There was an orderly withdrawal.  A bus took those that were arrested from the scene.

On the way out I offered an elderly woman the Koch Bucks flyer.   "Oh," she said fastidiously, eyeing our banner with a distinct lack of approbation,  "that's too rough for me...I don't want to become what we despise!"

How it is possible to equate Koch Industries killing of humans, through cancer, emphysema and other ailments, and the destruction of trees and all the species dependent upon them for habitat and food, with our sign, mystifies me.  Regardless of those two isolated incidents, our reception was almost universally encouraging, as we with some others added a touch of theatre to a boisterous and jolly event, which was hailed, surprisingly, with approval by raucaus honks and toots from cars passing by.

At the end a helicopter, which had been circling through the afternoon, swooped lower as though we were supposed to tremble from intimidation, and run away ignominiously.

It wasn't the dimensions of the Egypt uprising, of course, but we felt empowered nonetheless.  Some people wondered whether there was any point, or whether we could possibly have any influence on a country run by politicians who are nothing but puppets for ruthless, soulless people like the Kochs, who possess essentially limitless financial resources.  But I look at it this way.  I can't remember anything like this - a direct challenge to virtually omnipotent billionaires by ordinary people, some who traveled thousands of miles to confront them.  It's just the beginning.

While in my ClimateZombie persona, I was delighted to be recognized by Christine SoCal, who posts on Earth Boppin'.  It was so exciting to meet a Wit's End reader from across the continent, who gave me some excellent advice about comparative studies of trees, and what happens to specimens in the landscape from herbicides, and damage from mechanical equipment.

So getting back to the topic of Wit's End, here are some photos from my first days in California, around Del Mar, where the trees are succumbing to the effects of exposure to toxic greenhouse gases.

As soon as I publish this post, I'm heading out to the desert for more pictures, and will do a better job on the subject of trees.  A close look at this park, across from the beach, shows futile efforts to trim branches in the hopes of encouraging fresh, more vigorous growth.

Groundcover leaves exhibit the classic loss of chlorophyll indicative of damage from ozone.

I did find some lush hibiscus although there were almost no leaves...

This jade tree has more flowers than leaves, a troubling symptom.

The speckling is from damaged stomates, which absorb the ambient ozone and turn brown or rusty.

The leaves on this shrub should all be green, but they are losing chlorophyll...

and turn red in stages.  Sooner or later they will shrivel up and fall off, and the plant will be dead.

These leaves exhibit the marked, prominent veins as well as yellowing.

A glowing bird of paradise is a delight to see!

There are several varieties of coniferous trees, all losing needles.

There are still some pretty flowers to be found.

I was thrilled to greet the Pacific, dotted with surfers.

Many, many thanks to Mike Roddy, whose assistance has been invaluable on this trip, and to his friends, John Hines and Randy Godfrey, and Terry and Catherine Payne, for their gracious hospitality.

Here is my souvenir...I think, it's the skeleton of sea worms.

Update:  A Terrific Rap from Jasiri X in Wisconsin Against the Billionaires!