You’re Doing It Wrong
Demonstrating why we haven’t been fans of Occupy Wall Street, ThinkProgress chose this morning to highlight a statement from Occupy Portland (attn. Brent Musburger: “Orygun”) after the Rose City cops provided them some valuable baton-wielding publicity:
By camping outside the city hall, we gave you a choice to decide to stand with us and with working class Americans. Instead, you made the choice to protect unjust social and economic policies that are leading our nation into a state of financial ruin and institutionalized oppression.
Well, not quite. Portland decided to create havoc restore order in the most awkward way possible. And if you’re going to be civil-disobedient squatters, you have to accept that as part of the game — in fact, you have to embrace it. Wrapping yourselves in the flag of the Oppressed is self-aggrandizing, and creates enemies where none existed.
Pro tip: Don’t call Portland police agents of the regime. Forgive them. They know not their sins.
Actually, they do, but pretend otherwise. You’ll get more mileage that way.
Occupy Portland Addresses Nation-Wide Crackdowns: ‘Our Fight Is Not With You, But Rather With Banks’ [ThinkProgress]
. . . and then the cops cast lots for the garments of the Occupiers.
Must remember to look solemn. I will not smirk, I will not smirk.
They def will be awarded fuckability points.
Every time I see this picture, I think to myself, in an imperious voice, “You there! The pretty one! Out in front where the TV cameras can see you!” Unspoken commentary: “The rest of you fugly hippie-wannabe’s: stay the fuck back!”
@IanJ: Leonard Zelig’s in back of her.
Okay — I totally do not get all the Old-Hippie animus toward OWS. First of all, most of the Old Hippies traded in their Birks for striped ties, suits and jobs on Wall St. (hello, hypocrisy!). Secondly, all the footage I’ve seen of Old Hippies Back in the Day, well, they weren’t exactly a brain trust when they were younger. Furthermore, my memories of Old Hippies at Penn included a lot of weed and Stevie Nicks wannabes spinning in circles in the park on 40th Street.
I’m starting to think Old Hippies need to guide rather than criticize if they’re really interested in changing anything. Otherwise, they need to shut the fuck up and let the kids do their thing.
@redmanlaw: For a professed non-Christian you certianly know a lot about the bible.
@Tommmcatt Be Fat, And That Be That: ?
Though I speak with the tongues of men and not angels and have not charity
I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal
And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.
I Corinthians 13
I was 14 years old when I memorized this. And now I’m a 45-year-old atheist. Just because one is not a Christian doesn’t mean one hasn’t been exposed to it or forgets what they’ve learned
Plus, I thought RML attended mass on occasion.
@JNOV will never finish this fucking sweater!: What old-hippie animus? Most OWS-haters are pretty predictable in their politics. I’m an outlier, near as I can tell.
(And if you mean me, I’ve never been a hippie, and you’ll pry my Birks from my cold, dead, stockinged feet.)
@nojo: Dude. Stockings?
Do I mean you? I’m not sure. You’re too young to be a hippie, and I think the alt-text speaks more to your problems with these folks than your posts.
But around these parts (read: blog), there’s a helluvalotof mocking, and I still don’t really get it. Is it that they’re protesting wrong? That they’re kids of privilege? Well, the Hippies of Old (not you), were children of privilege, and I don’t really see what the problem is.
Is it because we don’t have astronomical casualties (US, natch — never mind Hajis) from these wars like we did in Vietnam because our medical care and materiel have improved dramatically?
Is it because they realize the the American Dream is a big fucking lie, and they’re protesting that? It’s high time someone did.
Maybe I blank out when you explain your beef, and I’m sorry if I’m suffering from some sort of comprehension issue, but I really don’t get it. And I don’t get the Amen Corner’s assent.
Okay, you’re an outlier — but what pushed you off the line?
What should these people be doing differently?
My edits aren’t taking. :-( All better now. :-)
@nojo: K. You know who’s really in danger? Syrians. And the danger for Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood.
But yes. The thing is, the people I know who attend these things aren’t accurately depicted in your previous post. These people work hard and continue to be royally fucked. The student loan issue is huge. There’s a 99% event in Atlantic City tomorrow, and they’ve joined with OWS. I wonder who will turn up?
Sure, it’s silly for them to think that Wall Street can change a SCOTUS opinion, or is it? Those justices do not live in a vacuum. I’m not talking bribery but friendships, affiliations, and investments.
So, yeah. I know how incoherence and moral preening get your dander up, but in the midst of the noise are some people who do make sense. They need to be handed the mic.
@JNOV will never finish this fucking sweater!: Amazon’s fucking up pageloads, and thus the edit window. (It’s a Javascript thing.) If the Bezos Cloud is still failing at Left Coast bedtime, I’ll unplug it.
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NOJO • Hanging by a Thread @JNOV: Haven’t touched a thing — checked it the other day, worked from here. But that’s my…
JNOV • Hanging by a Thread Oh! My edits worked! Praise nojo!
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