Environmental advocate and civil rights activist Van Jones will be visiting us at 11 am on Thursday, October 27. Jones is a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy, as well as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the American Progress Action Fund. He holds a joint appointment at Princeton University as a distinguished visiting fellow in both the Center for African American Studies and the Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. TIME magazine called him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2009. He is also the best-selling author of the definitive book on clean energy jobs, The Green Collar Economy. Check out the Facebook event here.
Jones would like to offer Occupy Boston a few words of encouragement and support, and we are honored to have him join us. Here’s a video of him speaking at Occupy Wall Street:
20 Responses to “Van Jones at Occupy Boston This Thursday”
I think its cool if Jones wants to show solidarity – but I think his real aim is to co-opt the movement into a re-election campaign for Obama.
I agree. The carbon markets are too important to the 1% .
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/24/20-trillion-for-urgent-climate-change-action/
There was a time when the rich could pay the church to have their for sins absolved. This time they have figured a way how to do just that and make money on it ala enron.
Dan, i will let you in on a secret. this is Van Jone’s movement. He started it, got useful idiots to march, now he is taking it back. You should talk to who isin charge on the ground, they will be the ones with the brown noses when Vann gets there
Here’s a true progressive who is intimately connected with the 1%. I’ve listened to other speeches he’s given on YouTube and he’s as charismatic as he is deceptive and divisive. This FOX bashing among Occupy is naive… few seem to understand that CNN and NPR are also very selective in their reportage. Also, the description of Jones leaves out (purposefully?) his connection as Green Job Czar in the Obama administration, an administration that has appointed over 70 such Czars who have no Congressional oversight (another example of where this administration is bypassing the constitution). He’s been an apologist for Obama for years now and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear him start laying down the groundwork for his re-election…
Should be interesting.
Since Occupy Boston started I have been surprised and delighted to find that many of the young people of the cultural Left just aren’t buying this green energy fraud anymore. I don’t think he will co-opt anything.
Van was forced out of the Obama administration by the character assassination of the extreme right. He began his work way before Obama came on the scene. Read his book, examine his record–or at least post verifiable “facts” that make him a “fraud.” And these allegedly over 70 so-called czars? Just who are they? As to Obama “bypassing the Constitution”–no, what he’s bypassing is the do-nothing Republicans whose chief goal, clearly announced by Mitch McConnell right after his election, is to see Obama defeated in 2012–never mind the country suffers as he and his ilk “Just say no.” I am not that happy with Obama’s record, BTW, especially of late re the environment. That is why I support Occupy Boston, Wall Street, etc.–it is time he and the rest of our so-called leaders get the message loud and clear about what needs to change in this country. The rule of “corporatocracy” stopped and the people heard.
Oops, my earlier post should have had a colon after “…what needs to change in this country: the rule of corporatocracy” stopped and the people heard.”
no, Vann jones has stated publicly that 9/11 was a neo con attack, non muslim. No character assignatyion need to support the hatred of Van jones
You still think 9/11 wasn’t a neo con job? Open your eyes and your mind. Van jones isn’t the only one who knows that. Most of the damn country knows it was an inside job. Clearly you are just getting your opinions from the media. How about looking at some of the facts. Like perhaps building 7. The evidence for a demolition is compelling. Obama says it was Arabs. Do you agree with him on that then?
You can’t argue with stupid. This is what the good people think of the occupiers. Can you imagine having this much hate in your heart? Someday you will grow up and look back on your younger days with shameful regret. My god.
Seamus it isn’t hate in our hearts, it’s humanity. Where do you get that good people think occupiers are stupid? That’s just in your head. Have you seen any of the polls? That isn’t what they say. You need to look beyond fox for your information. Seriously. And about that growing up. I’m pretty sure I’m your senior. In a lot of ways. You didn’t answer my question. Ever been outside the US?
Van Jones is not one of you, Ger. And he is coming to present the same agenda he came to DC to implement. The same agenda he would have implemented if you lot hadn’t derailed his career. This is about the nation’s energy problems, about the environment, and about jobs in the hood. It is not about you, so back off. You’ve caused damage enough already.
Ilived in Germany for 2 years, been all over the middle east, born in Killarney, I kayak in Chile, Ecquador, Canada. was on the boarder on Nicaragua in 1987,I was in Egypt on Sanai peace keeping force in 1988, Saudi Arabia and Iraq 1990-1991. yes, have been around the globe, But to call 9/11 an inside job is hateful. the thought process with this conspiracy theory is filled with hate. No evidence and when the theory is proven false, a new theory is formed. Of all the political speech, the conspiracypeople cause deep pain in the victims and I can’t understand where that hate comes from. For the most cases I understand dissent on topics such as Gun contol, abortion, school choice, taxes, gay rights etc.. I love listening to different points of views and from time to time I change my opinions such as; gay marriage. When you tell people who lost love ones in 9/11 that the government did it is pure hate. Van Jones is one of these people. I didn’t know anybody killed in 9/11 but hearing people say these things causes pain me pain.
Oh, keeeerist. Van Jones carelessly signed his name to a petition he didn’t read carefully enough, and lost his job over it. Shit happens.
Maybe the movement is a bit more clever than that. The first sign that this is an obama reelection campaign will be the end. I think anyone with sense can see that. It’s funny how they so hate Obama. I wonder what it is?
Van Jones is just plain clueless. Occupy Boston is officially dead. To me at least.
What y’all fail to understand is that the Movement (as in people actively involved in the movement) will account for just a tiny bit of the vote. It’s the vast majority of people who support the movement from the outside… that’s who they will be appealing to. Every 4 years or so populism makes a run for the White House and this time around the populist moment will be with the Occupy Movement… and the president will be right there along with the rest of the lap dogs who have shown their true colors for years and sometimes decades…
Ger, you mentioned, “Why do they so hate Obama?” Who hates him? It’s probably because he’s black (I know that’s why I hate him… NOT). If that’s what you’re thinking, please don’t. It’s been difficult to even criticize Obama until recently. I live in Cambridge, so save your indignation for other things (if that’s what it is)…
Van Jones is a hero to any group of conscientious objectors. He has a long history of standing up for human rights. As for the trollers out there, the ones who don’t even know who Van Jones is, and somehow think that he would campaign for Obama – why? To all of you who are reading these posts and thinking they are actually written by Occupy Boston occupiers, they aren’t necessarily. Anyone can post here. There are people who are purposely subversive and trying to bring this movement down. Don’t trust what you read here.
I don’t know anyone who has heard Van Jones speak and not been inspired to make radical changes in this country. He was targeted by Koch Brothers via Glenn Beck for this exact reason: he is a perceived threat to those who would like to maintain the status quote (the 1%). He is not a “dangerous revolutionary” or whatever boogeyman trigger words the think tanks have been throwing up on your plate. It’s his ideas that are dangerous. Koch and friends are doing everything they can to de-legitimize the movement for justice that has been building and accelerating for decades. Van Jones is one man, but his words resonate with many of us. Those who would like to nullify these memes have a bag full of reasons to support the idiocy being rattled around the echo chambers and reverberating onto this comment board.
If people can’t get down with Van Jones, if they are so offended that they don’t want to be part of this movement, then thank you, in advance, Mr. Jones for shaking out the sleepwalkers. But I’m quite confident that the broad majority of the active and productive members of this Occupy Boston community will be tossing up twinkle fingers when they hear him speak later today.
Like any other day, there will undoubtedly be some trollz showing up in the morning to try and spoil our fun (we’ll even feed them! ) In fact, I invite them all down. I’m always happy to have a nonviolent, rational and intelligent discussion. But if anyone tries to get rowdy or disrespectful in word or action, you can count on me to unleash an endless torrent of love all over them. Warm, sticky rainbow love. mmmmmm…
Just Love And Peace. Keep Pushing!!