Author and liberal pundit Jim Hightower spoke to a packed house at Lane Community College on Thursday night as part of the third annual Peace, Justice and Media Conference, provoking raucous laughter and murmurs of agreement from the 700-strong crowd.
The cowboy hat-wearing Texan, on tour to promote his book, “Thieves in High Places,” let loose with biting criticism of everything from the Bush administration to Wal-Mart to media elitism.
“We are gathered here in open defiance of King George the W,” Hightower said to considerable applause. “We want the power to control the decisions that affect our lives.”
Hightower used his spotlight to criticize “Bushco, corporate kleptocrats and wobblycrats,” Democrats who Hightower said have “Jell-Oed” instead of aggressively attacking the right.
Hightower received an overwhelmingly positive response from the predominantly middle-aged crowd.
“It’s rare when you get someone with such humor and insight to get his point across,” said Eugene resident Alan Zelenka. “At the same time, he’s so optimistic.”
A former Texas agricultural commissioner, Hightower sought to inspire the audience with stories of successful grass roots movements. He specifically cited a drive in Glendale, Ariz., that Hightower said prevented Wal-Mart from building there.
Wal-Mart “sucks the economic life out of our communities,” Hightower said.
Hightower also attacked Wal-Mart’s treatment of women.
“When you reach that glass ceiling at Wal-Mart, they ask you to Windex it,” Hightower said.
The Bush administration’s tax policies also met Hightower’s acid tongue.
“The burden is on the workaday folks in this country,” Hightower said. “They get the gold mine, we get the shaft.”
Speaking with a Texas drawl, Hightower relentlessly criticized President Bush, faulting him for failing to launch a 10-year program for energy independence in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001.
Hightower said an aggressive drive for energy independence — replete with solar, geothermal and wind power — would lessen the United States’ dependence on the Middle East.
“We would never fight another oil war in this world again,” Hightower said.
A one-man media machine, Hightower urged audience members to circumvent the mainstream media to get their message out.
“It’s just another profit center,” Hightower said. “The media has become the elite.”
In addition to his books and radio appearances, Hightower spreads his message through Hightower Lowdown, his political newsletter. Hightower claims it is the biggest political newsletter in America with 100,000 readers.
Hightower, in the tradition of George Orwell, criticized the political left as well.
“We did not get (a progressive energy proposal) from the Democrats,” Hightower said.
Hightower’s event was the largest in the history of Lane Community College, according to LCC instructor Steve Candy.
The Peace, Justice and Media Conference, sponsored by the Eugene-based Justice Not War Coalition, will continue through Sunday.