Occupy Boston Facepalm

[Hyena Dandy]

I'm not in New York, so I can't speak on the subject of New York's Occupy X movement. However, an article in the Boston Globe (which I can't find, but wish I could) talked about how in the short time we've had it, Occupy Boston has cost the city of Boston (city being important to this post) $130,000.

I won't denounce the Occupy movement for this. I believe in the importance of expressing yourself, and costing the city money is a (pardon the pun) small price to pay for being heard. What does disappoint me, however, is the protester's response to being told this. I'm not saying, obviously, that the Occupiers should just drop everything at this. I'm not even saying that they should be bothered. But from the comments I read in the article, they don't actually seem to have understood that Boston is not the federal government. They responded to this talking about big banks and the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This really made me facepalm. BOSTON did not go to war with anyone. BOSTON did not bail out major financial institutions. Boston is a city, not the federal government. That money would have gone to police, education, social services, maintenance, and all the other things that a CITY spends money on.

I believe people should protest. I believe that strongly. Even though I don't support everything about the Occupiers, I do believe that they should be allowed to protest, no matter how much it costs the city they do it in. It frustrates me, though, that they didn't get the difference between the CITY and the FEDERAL governments.

[HYHYBT]

Is this it, possibly?
http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-1...ice-protesters

[NateSean]

I read a comment in the Boston Herald about the article in the Globe. (Proving that the Boston Herald is basically an expose paper and actually acknowledges it's betters when it needs to report real news, but I digress.

Incidentally, this discussion in CS.com got me to wondering how many of those people were fired from jobs they weren't working at to begin with.

Up front, I should say that I'm on the fence with these people. On the one hand I'm sick of all of the cop bashing that's going on when people are clearly in violation of the law and were given very clear instructions to follow in lieu of being arrested.

On the other hand, maybe these people actually will effect a change. Who knows.

[protege]

This really made me facepalm. BOSTON did not go to war with anyone. BOSTON did not bail out major financial institutions. Boston is a city, not the federal government. That money would have gone to police, education, social services, maintenance, and all the other things that a CITY spends money on.

They all think that all governments are the same...and then can't understand why nobody takes them seriously.

Take the G20 idiots who were here in Pittsburgh recently. They came here to protest pretty much the same causes--big corporations, governments, etc. Instead of actively targeting those entities...they broke windows at Mom and Pop restaurants and stores. Apparently, in their minds, any business = a corporation.

[Greenday]

On the other hand, maybe these people actually will effect a change. Who knows.

What change can they really affect? Going to make companies stop caring about making money? Going to change the fact that running a business is about making money?

The group itself doesn't seem to even know what they want.

[Gravekeeper]

The group itself doesn't seem to even know what they want.

Well, they seem to know what they don't want at least! ( Being peppersprayed for nothing, punched in the face for no reason, arrested for trying to close their bank accounts, etc ).

I'm sincerely impressed New York hasn't rioted yet.

[Rageaholic]

I support the protesters overall goal, but some of them sound like real idiots. "Ooh yeah! Let's protest!! It doesn't matter who we're protesting, let's just raise hell!". A real shame since this is a pretty big issue, but these few idiots are going to make the rest of the 99% look bad.

[Hyena Dandy]

I read a comment in the Boston Herald about the article in the Globe. (Proving that the Boston Herald is basically an expose paper and actually acknowledges it's betters when it needs to report real news, but I digress.

Herald used to be cool. Now its just stupid.

I once saw a guy in a hammer and sickle t-shirt reading the herald. That was the best thing that happened all week. ANd it was a pretty good week.

[Gravekeeper]

I support the protesters overall goal, but some of them sound like real idiots. "Ooh yeah! Let's protest!! It doesn't matter who we're protesting, let's just raise hell!". A real shame since this is a pretty big issue, but these few idiots are going to make the rest of the 99% look bad.

Those idiots are in every protest though. Hell, some of them freakin' fly in just to raise Hell and cause shit. Plus the media is picking and choosing only the fruitiest of loops to show on TV I've noticed. US news is half entertainment afterall, and those are the most entertaining.

I only seem to find interviews with rational, well spoken protesters on Youtube.

[Greenday]

arrested for trying to close their bank accounts

Here's the problem I have with this one. They weren't just patiently waiting in line, closing their bank accounts. They were causing a scene, being extremely disruptive. They got what they had coming to them.

[Rageaholic]

I only seem to find interviews with rational, well spoken protesters on Youtube.

Like this guy

I like his message to Hannity. Simple, yet gets the point across.

[lordlundar]

On the other hand, maybe these people actually will effect a change. Who knows.

Doubt it. Point of the matter is these protests do nothing but shout things. Meanwhile the lobbyists who are working for the businesses are still the ones calling the shots and they don't care.

Now if these people wanted to start something up to hurt the lobbyist's goals then you'd be onto something.

[HYHYBT]

they broke windows at Mom and Pop restaurants and stores. Apparently, in their minds, any business = a corporation.

Consider the existence of franchising, too: that the name on the sign belongs to a big corporation does not mean it's not a local small business owner having to cough up for the repairs.

[smileyeagle1021]

Consider the existence of franchising, too: that the name on the sign belongs to a big corporation does not mean it's not a local small business owner having to cough up for the repairs.

qft

I've had people tell me I'm serving the evil corporations by eating at Burger King.
Well, the only Burger King I ever go to is a local franchise that routinely donates tens of thousands of dollars a year to scholarships and school improvements, as I understand it the owners live fairly modestly for how much money they bring in.
Hell, hotels are an amazing example of this. Quite a few of these "chains" are franchised to families that live there and run it 24 hours a day.

[Panacea]

The point I think gets missed with the Occupy movement is they are simply trying to get Wall Street and the Government to hear their anger. They're angry about a lot of things that aren't being addressed in government bailouts or stimulus efforts: the little guy who's borne the brunt of the pain over the past 4 years.

They're doing a good job at making that anger be heard, but because they don't have a specific agenda, they're making it difficult for critics to challenge their views . . . so they challenge the protest itself, which is a fundamental American right and a time honored method of getting ones point across non-violently.

Yes, they incur expenses. That's the price we pay for our liberties; we have to pay the financial costs that protests incur. I'm happy to pay the tab, whether it's Occupy Greensboro or the Tea Party, or anyone else for that matter.