Freedomain Radio

https://occupywallst.org/

Not sure if the free pizza bribe at the link above is a joke or not, but I can see how bribery would appeal to people who believe that using force against the state might accomplish something other thann broken bones.

More on the protest here

There is an "occupy chicago" also going on right outside of my window. It's the same group of folks involved with wall street. They are camped out in front of the Federal Reserve bank for some reason... I can't really figure out their perspective, what they hope to acheive or even their list of goals/demands.

Most of the protests are filled with socialist trip-trap and it doesn't represent any of our interests for a free and voluntary society.

It reminds me of the Marxist type student protests from University. People just wanting to express their anger at inequality, but with no actual sense of what they need to do themselves.

It comes out like someone playing victim in a codependent relationship. 

It's all very Howard Beale. Various groups claim various political and philosophical motives and demands, but mostly its just protesting for protesting's sake.  

It it too cynical to think that protesting has never done a whole lot, regardless of the cause?  The way I see it, you have some fun (or get your head kicked in by goons) for a little while, and then it's over and back to the daily grind.  Seems like whatever's going on before and after the big public hubbub is what actually affects the way life moves forward.  Hmmm.  This might just be an apathetic flaw in me, but I've yet to see a cause that made me think standing\walking\yelling outside in a large group was the way shit's gonna change for the better.

I don't think it's cynical at all, to honestly express a very clear observation.

These people are "angry" at subconsciously chosen targets of their psychological projections (mainly fear and rage at authority figures), and are acting out. To be sure, the cops and the politicians are acting out their parts as well, but all that means is this is just another episode of psychological trauma Kabuki Theater.

It's kind of depressing and sad.

Although I do agree, in general, with the sentiments in this thread:

How about the protests in the Middle East?

They seem to have accomplished something.

The substitution of one arbitrarily imposed violent heirarchy for another arbitarily imposed violent heirarchy is not actually accomplishing anything, except to change who's faces will show up on the front page of the New York Times, and Al Jezeera.

This guy is funny and I was happy to hear him make an argument Stef has made, at the end.

I loved this Amazing Atheist videlol.  I loved it so much.

GregG:

The substitution of one arbitrarily imposed violent heirarchy for another arbitarily imposed violent heirarchy is not actually accomplishing anything, except to change who's faces will show up on the front page of the New York Times, and Al Jezeera.

 

I understand that point and I agree that all arbitrarily imposed violent hierarchies are bad.

However, isn't there also a measure of degree?

If I have to be around a guy who hits me, I'd rather be around a guy who hits me once a day over a guy who hits me continuously day in and day out. Obviously not being around a guy who hits me at all is my ideal, but isn't there an incremental improvement in being hit once a day vs. over and over again?

As has been said many times before, none of us will ever live to see a free society in our lifetime, so choosing to only pursue perfection and eschewing incremental improvements seems kind of masochistic and counter-productive to me.

Maybe there's something else involved that I'm not understanding.

aelephant:

choosing to only pursue perfection and eschewing incremental improvements seems kind of masochistic and counter-productive to me.

You asked "Did the Arab protests accomplish something". 

I responded, "Only one thing: they substituted one violent minority with another."

You retort that I am insisting that you pursue perfection over incrementalism.... ???

Now I'm confused. 

GregG:

aelephant:

choosing to only pursue perfection and eschewing incremental improvements seems kind of masochistic and counter-productive to me.

You asked "Did the Arab protests accomplish something". 

I responded, "Only one thing: they substituted one violent minority with another."

You retort that I am insisting that you pursue perfection over incrementalism.... ???

Now I'm confused. 

 

Sorry for the confusion.

You haven't insisted that I do anything, as far as I can tell. Perhaps this "perfection vs. incrementalism" contradiction is a projection on my part. My interpretation of your post was basically that they had not accomplished anything since all violently imposed hierarchies are equal. My point is that I agree they are all bad but that they aren't necessarily all equal. So in that sense, maybe they have accomplished something, although it is still faaaar from the ideal goal.

Wow this guy is funny