"Occupy" Protests

akamaisondufromage wrote: The T wrote: manofmystery wrote: There won't be.  Even if there were about the worst thing you could actually do to a cop is give them paid suspension.  That said, the occupiers need to go home and stop begging everyone else to pay for their student loans.  More importantly, the US military's occupiers need to be brought home from about 130 countries. I'm not too fond of the Occupiers. Not only do they (some at least) promote authoritarian measures ("no private property") but, in this case most of them, show their hate to the "1%" yet they accept the help and words of hollywwod actors with an agenda... Oh I guess these celebrities, eager to try to do their good-deed-of-the-day, are dirt poor and belong to the 99%... Oh yes and I guess, unlike the damned corporations and capitalists, this segment of the 1% create a lot of jobs and are not overpaid for doing absolutely nothing... Having said that, the little ego-troubled blue buffoons with a gun and badge are even worse. Now the abusers (the ones that decided to be explicit about their lust for abuse of course) are suspended... Poor guys, probably subjected to the horrible nightmare of a paid vacation...   Mr T I guess the difference (or a difference) would be that we (The 99%) are not paying for  the mistakes of the Actors (At least I'm not as I haven't been to see any of the Mission Impossible series) where as we are paying for the mistakes of the Bankers.  The film industry does pretty well for the States I would think?    A) "99%" is a just a catchy nonsense number.  Individuals can't be lumped into two groups. B) Actors, bankers, any other profession: we shouldn't be paying for anyone else's mistakes but our own. C) Governments give the film industry preferential treatment all the time.  Pittsburgh (using a local example) is willing to close down streets, bridges, and wave normal people rules all the time to attract Hollywood business. D) The film industry does bring some money to the area but it doesn't have near the positive impact eliminating government influence in the market would have.   As for No private Property being Authoritarian measures before the Europeans 'discovered' the USA no one owned land and I don't think that was because of Authority.   American Indians fought over tribal borders before Europeans arrived.  Mankind has been fighting over land since the beginning of recorded history.  Respecting private ownership of property is necessary to avoid constant violence.  The American government's history of disrespecting Indian lands is an example of the need to respect property rights, not shun them.

The T wrote: That is ridiculous. In today's world (not Akamaisondufromage's idyllic pre-Mayflower days) the only way to eliminate private property is through confiscation, forced-selling and plain expropiation, all measures that need force and that are typical of authoritarian governments (land reform anybody?). Eliminating private property is the most stupid thing I have read suggested in recent years, and yes, recent years have been quite full of idiocy. Private property is the basis of prosperity. People work and produce to maintain themselves and their families and to further do that they strie to acquire property, of every kind. The moment you let a group of geniuses decide who owns what and who can do what with what you kill society. And yes, you are creating a group far more powerful and less "equal" that those damned "1%" are today!

The thing is T, that the government already does seize property.  Drug busts often result in forfeiture of property.  There is also of course judicial confiscation of property for debts and speaking of authoritarianism, I've heard those on the right proposing the reintroduction of debtors' prisons.  Why should the 1% be the only group that is exempt from having their property confiscated.  Note, I am not for elimination of private property rights, but am in favor of taking back property from those who obtained it through improper means. 

Equality 7-2521 wrote: Blacksword wrote: Those 'pepper spraying' cops have been suspended, apparently. For what it's worth.. Paid vacation or unpaid vacation? In either case it's worth nothing. They should be in jail.

Indeed. They have committed asault. They attacked the protestors, and were not acting in self defence. They committed a crime. It may come as a shock to some people, but the police are not actually allowed to attack you for no reason. Not even in the US...

At last, not yet thy are not..

Blacksword wrote: Indeed. They have committed asault. They attacked the protestors, and were not acting in self defence. They committed a crime. It may come as a shock to some people, but the police are not actually allowed to attack you for no reason. Not even in the US... At last, not yet thy are not..

But they are. The very fact that these officers have gotten away with full-scale unprovoked assault with no legal repercussions and mere suspension rather than losing their jobs is a testament to this. There is a long history of police forces around the world, from all kinds of allegedly "civilised" countries, spectacularly failing to apply the same rules to themselves as they do to everyone else. Police officers quite literally get away with, if not murder then certainly manslaughter on an alarmingly regular basis.

topographicbroadways wrote: The Occupy movement is a complete embarrassment. Nobody knew what they were doing, or even what they were actually shouting about. But at least it got some hippies into the city for a few weeks. Absolute idiocy from all of them, and I couldn't give a sh*t that the police bashed their stupid heads in. And i'm not pro capitalist at all. But I am anti-moron.

Well you've swallowed the right wing media propaganda hook, line, and sinker.  Yeah there's some radicals and hippie dippie types and buffoons but they aren't the sum total of the movement.  There are also vets, little old ladies, people who can't find jobs, homeless people.  And to cheer on the brutalization of non-violent protestors exercising their first amendment rights is disgraceful.


Edited by Slartibartfast - November 21 2011 at 07:10

topographicbroadways wrote: The Occupy movement is a complete embarrassment. Nobody knew what they were doing, or even what they were actually shouting about. But at least it got some hippies into the city for a few weeks. Absolute idiocy from all of them, and I couldn't give a sh*t that the police bashed their stupid heads in. And i'm not pro capitalist at all. But I am anti-moron.

You are an idiot.

just like the Michael Jackson song Heal the World, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race, lalalalala

topographicbroadways wrote: The Occupy movement is a complete embarrassment. Partially.  Nobody knew what they were doing, or even what they were actually shouting about. A few probably did. I'm sure not everybody was totally clueless in there. A lot of smart and a lot of politically-minded people with goals in their heads  were there too. Also a lot of people with empty stomach and no jobs nor prospects.  But at least it got some hippies into the city for a few weeks. Not all of them are hippies. And hippies are preferable to warmongers at least ..   Absolute idiocy from all of them Wouldn't say so. Idiocy from many of them, true. , and I couldn't give a sh*t that the police bashed their stupid heads in.This is stupid. Absolute idiocy from your part.  And i'm not pro capitalist at all So what the f**k are you defending? Police bashing heads is ok? People who protest are idiots? Hippies? But you are anti-capitalist also? You want a centrally-planned economy? Damn you're a fascist.. But I am anti-moron.I've never heard that the best way to be anti-something is to be extremely-something....

Edited by The T - November 21 2011 at 11:03

Catcher10 wrote:   And the guy holding the American flag upside down with spray paint on it.......what a doosh! And I suppos he is wondering why he has no job. I am all for freedom of speech...but not that.   What a complete joke.

To be fair, can't really limit it. If you don't like it well, that's perfectly fine but hope you don't actually think something like that should be stopped.
I remember having this debate with several of European friends and was surprised at how "even if you don't like it, you can't stop someone from doing it (long as its not destroying others property or hurting anyone)" was such an unusual concept.
No offense intended just an observation.

So yeah, freedom of speech is freedom of speech no mater how enraging/stupid it may be.
And honestly, I understand the passion involved with the flag, but guess I just dont feel it as powerful a symbol as it may be...it's just that. A symbol. The flag is just a piece of cloth.


Semi related: I know any protest is viewed with hilarity but on FB I can't believe the levels of scorn these protests get.
Maybe I'm way off base here, but IMHO right to protest/assemble/FoS means acceptance of that.
When I see "Damn hippies, quit bitching and get a job!" it feels kind of like you're not really accepting their rights.
Also it's almost always come from more conservative minded folk on FB. I'm tempted to say "ya know, if I ever see you support anything now (like idk some sh*t about Christianity being kept down) I'm going to flood your wall with QUIT COMPLAINING WE DONT WANNA HEAR YOU EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT"