Financial fuckery thread

[Cain]

LMNO, well, yeah.

The first image that came to my mind was the weenies at Goldman Sachs, clutching their man-bags and then touching their covert firearms for reassurance, only in the Chase bank in LA.

Still hilarious though.  "Are you a terrorist?"  "Yes, yes I am.  I expect this picture to inspire fear and despair in the heart of the hated Banksters everywhere.  Viva la revolucion!"

[Cramulus]

Do you think everybody who the LAPD questions gets a followup interview from a pair of plainclothes detectives?

[Cramulus]

don't get me wrong, I hear what you're saying LMNO and agree that it's likely the case. But I can't figure out how I'd distinguish between unobjectional SOP and the cops trying to discourage people from expressing populist rage towards banks.

If Chase Bank were painting a picture of me on fire, I'd hope some plainclothes detectives followed up on it.  

[Adios]

don't get me wrong, I hear what you're saying LMNO and agree that it's likely the case. But I can't figure out how I'd distinguish between unobjectional SOP and the cops trying to discourage people from expressing populist rage towards banks.

If Chase Bank were painting a picture of me on fire, I'd hope some plainclothes detectives followed up on it.  

They painted a picture of you homeless and standing in a soup line. No one investigated.

[Disco Pickle]

I had a reply typed up to each of the places you quoted and replied Cram but I lost it to electrons somehow.  Basically, what LMNO said.  

I know we're all "the police are always the bad guys" here in Discordia but if it's called in by another citizen, it's their job to check it out.  If it throws up certain flags, it's their job to forward it on for a follow up.

[Eater of Clowns]

In other news, Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy was visited by the LAPD today after one of their detectives read his 2005 novel The Road.

The Road depicts a cataclysmic post-United States North America wherein a young boy and his father attempt to survive.

Police arrived at the reclusive author's southwest residence to ask whether he intended to produce a cataclysmic event or other terrorist activities.  The author calmly explained that a world where a fucking painting of a building is alarming is probably too alarmist, and whoever didn't laugh the call off entirely needs to seriously re-evaluate their ability to make a solid judgment.

Detectives following up with Mr. McCarthy promptly shot him for his radical views.

[LMNO]

I just wanted to make it clear that I do not support this kind of mindless bureaucracy; it's plainly obvious that this man was no threat, and a follow up was not needed.  Understanding why the did what they did is not the same as agreeing with it.

The beat cops should have talked to the guy, chuckled, and then arrested the accuser for harassment.

[Adios]

In other news, Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy was visited by the LAPD today after one of their detectives read his 2005 novel The Road.

The Road depicts a cataclysmic post-United States North America wherein a young boy and his father attempt to survive.

Police arrived at the reclusive author's southwest residence to ask whether he intended to produce a cataclysmic event or other terrorist activities.  The author calmly explained that a world where a fucking painting of a building is alarming is probably too alarmist, and whoever didn't laugh the call off entirely needs to seriously re-evaluate their ability to make a solid judgment.

Detectives following up with Mr. McCarthy promptly shot him for his radical views.

[Cramulus]

I had a reply typed up to each of the places you quoted and replied Cram but I lost it to electrons somehow.  Basically, what LMNO said. 

I know we're all "the police are always the bad guys" here in Discordia but if it's called in by another citizen, it's their job to check it out.  If it throws up certain flags, it's their job to forward it on for a follow up.

uhh I am definitely not in the "police are always the bad guys" camp.

One of my best friends is a cop. That's part of what makes me sensitive to shit like this. ((A few months ago he pulled over a guy "because it was my birthday and he had a really nice car and I was like what the fuck, I drive a piece of shit, whats his deal?"))

If you're protesting something, a lot of cops don't really care what the issue is... they've already put you in the same mental category as those annoying college kids they love throwing on the pavement.

I think we need law, I'm glad it's there, but I also think we have to be extra sensitive to the chilling effect it can have on free speech and democracy. I mean, in lots of countries they prevent real protests by having a bunch of cops show at the up first. The cops don't need to beat anybody or anything. People show up and they know what side everybody's on.

[Adios]

I had a reply typed up to each of the places you quoted and replied Cram but I lost it to electrons somehow.  Basically, what LMNO said. 

I know we're all "the police are always the bad guys" here in Discordia but if it's called in by another citizen, it's their job to check it out.  If it throws up certain flags, it's their job to forward it on for a follow up.

uhh I am definitely not in the "police are always the bad guys" camp.

One of my best friends is a cop. That's part of what makes me sensitive to shit like this. ((A few months ago he pulled over a guy "because it was my birthday and he had a really nice car and I was like what the fuck, I drive a piece of shit, whats his deal?"))

If you're protesting something, a lot of cops don't really care what the issue is... they've already put you in the same mental category as those annoying college kids they love throwing on the pavement.

I think we need law, I'm glad it's there, but I also think we have to be extra sensitive to the chilling effect it can have on free speech and democracy. I mean, in lots of countries they prevent real protests by having a bunch of cops show at the up first. The cops don't need to beat anybody or anything. People show up and they know what side everybody's on.

Yeah, that was a pretty broad brush stroke. I'm not in that camp either.

[Disco Pickle]

Wasn't there a story recently about a guy who wrote a book about a murder, it made NY Times list, got the attention of someone who familiar with a cold case that resembled it and it turns out the guy was the murderer and the book explained it all?

Can't for the life of me remember who the guy was.

[Adios]

I think that was a movie on SyFy.

[Disco Pickle]

Yeah.  Unfair broad brush.

A healthy questioning of executive authority is actually great and necessary.  

[Triple Zero]

Personally, I'd be inclined to walk over and ask him what the hell he's thinking and that does he know that if he wasn't on the list before, he most certainly will be now. 

So essentially, you'd try to dissuade him from painting a picture by warning him that if you make too much noise, the jailers will hear him.

I'm trying to imagine this. I'm working in an office, and during my lunch break I see a guy with a painter's easel, painting my office building, except it's on fire.

I'd definitely be intrigued. I'd strike up a conversation, but not only out of interest, but definitely also to gauge how crazy this guy actually is and whether he's a threat. I mean, it's unlikely, but not unimaginable.

If, for some reason, I'd feel threatened, I don't think it's unreasonable to, like, ask him to make some sketches and perhaps finish off the burning part in his own studio at home. He'd be under no obligation to comply of course, due to free speech and all, but you can always ask, right?

It's just that, he'd basically just need to be good-natured and friendly about it, and I'd not feel threatened at all.

Not even if he'd be painting photorealistic imagery of everybody walking in and out of the building getting assraped by multi-dicked interdimensional tentacle demons.

And if it's called in and the cops don't check it out and run it down and be absolutely fucking SURE this guy is just a painter, when a bank comes down and it's found to be him (come on now, that's not too damn far fetched) then people will ask why the hell didn't the cops do their job and feel this guy out.

How do you confirm that somebody is "just a painter?" You run a background check? You ask to see his portfolio and count the bowls of fruit?

The guy isn't doing anything illegal. It may make some people that work at banks uncomfortable, but fuck, he's an artist, what is he supposed to do, write them a polite letter and ask them to stop?[/quote]

This is a good point. I hadn't really considered it before I read your post.

Basically the "God Hates Fags" people and numerous other idiots employ their right to free speech for much worse, much more threatening and ugly purposes.

Somebody painting banking office buildings hardly registers on that chart.

I still think it's reasonable to ask somebody to stop exercising their free speech if it really bothers you, and additionally for people to personally consider them dicks if they continue regardless or even amp up their efforts (compare to the "god hates fags" idiots).


That said, I also understand LMNO's reasoning, as well as share his not-being-in-support-of-this-kind-of-mindless-bureaucracy.

I know we're all "the police are always the bad guys" here in Discordia

Hey fuck you that is SUCH BULLSHIT.

Discordia is not anarchists, you know that very well.

I happen to really like my local police, because they do a pretty damn good job and are even more impressive at communicating with the neighbourhood (via Twitter and mailinglists and even Youtube, pretty awesome).

On the OTHER hand when I hear about the bullshit that caused the London Riots. Or whatever retarded story happened this week in the US, I think they're a bunch of cunts.

GUess what? Unlike YOU, I realize that they are not the same police, so your stupid drooling generalisation of "here in Discordia" that the police are "ALWAYS the bad guys" is the retarded and uninformed position, not mine ("here in Discordia").

[Disco Pickle]

I think that was a movie on SyFy.

No, this shit was RL.  I'll try and track it down in a bit.