Occupy

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fucking insanity. I am really  glad that the protestors are refraining from fighting back, because this is making the America Machine™ look like shit.

Over at Capitol Grilling, the conservatards are making Helen Thomas bukkake jokes about the above granny pic.

So it ain't just The Machine™.

[Freeky]

Fucking insanity. I am really  glad that the protestors are refraining from fighting back, because this is making the America Machine™ look like shit.

Over at Capitol Grilling, the conservatards are making Helen Thomas bukkake jokes about the above granny pic.

So it ain't just The Machine™.

:vomilulz:

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Fucking insanity. I am really  glad that the protestors are refraining from fighting back, because this is making the America Machine™ look like shit.

Over at Capitol Grilling, the conservatards are making Helen Thomas bukkake jokes about the above granny pic.

So it ain't just The Machine™.

Those "people" have no shame.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fucking insanity. I am really  glad that the protestors are refraining from fighting back, because this is making the America Machine™ look like shit.

Over at Capitol Grilling, the conservatards are making Helen Thomas bukkake jokes about the above granny pic.

So it ain't just The Machine™.

Those "people" have no shame.

What they DO have, as I pointed out over there, is a deep and abiding love of The State.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Fucking insanity. I am really  glad that the protestors are refraining from fighting back, because this is making the America Machine™ look like shit.

Over at Capitol Grilling, the conservatards are making Helen Thomas bukkake jokes about the above granny pic.

So it ain't just The Machine™.

Those "people" have no shame.

What they DO have, as I pointed out over there, is a deep and abiding love of The State.

[Kai]

Yeah, because the last thing you'd want to do is look like someone who's economically downtrodden at a protest for the economically downtrodden.

So, basically, fucked if you do, fucked if you don't?

Either you're a filthy hippie and can be ignored, or you're looking too professional so you have a job and what's your problem then?

BTW I'm not putting these words in your mouth, Kai Don't worry But it's an interesting catch-22 kind of thing with regards to public opinion.

[not really a catch-22 but I can't come up with the proper simile]

Newt on Occupy

"They take over a public park they didn't pay for, to go nearby to use bathrooms they didn't pay for, to beg for food from places they they don't want to pay for... Go get a job, right after you take a bath."

Krugman on Occupy

Right now, the campaign against OWS basically tries to get working Americans to turn on the movement, even though most people support the movement's goals, by trying to make it seem as if the protestors are people not like you — whereas the plutocrats are. Hey, this has worked many times in the past; that's the whole point of "What's the matter with Kansas." And it can operate in many directions: OWS should be shunned because they're dirty hippies, Elizabeth Warren is not-like-you because, horrors, she's a Harvard professor.

So what to do? Within limits, one should try to allay unnecessary social dissonance. If you're going to have a demonstration on behalf of working Americans, can the drumming circles. The class warriors on the right want to convince people it's really a culture war, and you don't want to make their job easier.

That's a good point. Though it's a bit problematic to enforce. You can't throw hippies out of a protest!?

This is part of the reason why I go with a more polished look when I participate in protests. Dress shoes, pea coat, neatly trimmed facial hair, calm professional demeanor....

Yeah, because the last thing you'd want to do is look like someone who's economically downtrodden at a protest for the economically downtrodden.

Ah, so only the economically downtrodden can protest for the economically downtrodden? Or if you're not economically downtrodden, you should pretend to be?

Sheer bollocks.

I am so fucking tired of people mocking the occupy protesters using the old "smelly dirty hippies" line. As if they should all dress up in suits and look pretty for the camera instead of just getting fucking pissed and making it clear. Getting pretty for the camera is what the Tea Party protests are all about. Sure, if you want to dress up in a suit, great. That doesn't make you a better person, and when you make comments like the above you look like a douche. YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND CLEAN IN YOUR PROTESTS, THEN WHEN YOU GET MACED AT LEAST YOU LOOK PRETTY!!1 I bet you think the minutemen were clean and polished as well.


In other news, I had a talk with my mother yesterday about the destruction of the OWS library, and how fucking stupid it was. You know what? The cops can go fuck themselves. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Libraries. Museums. Archives. I have no respect for people who fuck with these.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I don't give a fuck what people dress like, as long as they show up.

[Elder Iptuous]

...
YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND CLEAN IN YOUR PROTESTS, THEN WHEN YOU GET MACED AT LEAST YOU LOOK PRETTY!!1 I bet you think the minutemen were clean and polished as well.
...

dunno why, but it tickled me...

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

...
YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND CLEAN IN YOUR PROTESTS, THEN WHEN YOU GET MACED AT LEAST YOU LOOK PRETTY!!1 I bet you think the minutemen were clean and polished as well.
...

dunno why, but it tickled me...

That's pretty good.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Newt on Occupy

"They take over a public park they didn't pay for, to go nearby to use bathrooms they didn't pay for, to beg for food from places they they don't want to pay for... Go get a job, right after you take a bath."

Krugman on Occupy

Right now, the campaign against OWS basically tries to get working Americans to turn on the movement, even though most people support the movement's goals, by trying to make it seem as if the protestors are people not like you — whereas the plutocrats are. Hey, this has worked many times in the past; that's the whole point of "What's the matter with Kansas." And it can operate in many directions: OWS should be shunned because they're dirty hippies, Elizabeth Warren is not-like-you because, horrors, she's a Harvard professor.

So what to do? Within limits, one should try to allay unnecessary social dissonance. If you're going to have a demonstration on behalf of working Americans, can the drumming circles. The class warriors on the right want to convince people it's really a culture war, and you don't want to make their job easier.

That's a good point. Though it's a bit problematic to enforce. You can't throw hippies out of a protest!?

This is part of the reason why I go with a more polished look when I participate in protests. Dress shoes, pea coat, neatly trimmed facial hair, calm professional demeanor....

Yeah, because the last thing you'd want to do is look like someone who's economically downtrodden at a protest for the economically downtrodden.

Ah, so only the economically downtrodden can protest for the economically downtrodden? Or if you're not economically downtrodden, you should pretend to be?

Sheer bollocks.

I am so fucking tired of people mocking the occupy protesters using the old "smelly dirty hippies" line. As if they should all dress up in suits and look pretty for the camera instead of just getting fucking pissed and making it clear. Getting pretty for the camera is what the Tea Party protests are all about. Sure, if you want to dress up in a suit, great. That doesn't make you a better person, and when you make comments like the above you look like a douche. YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND CLEAN IN YOUR PROTESTS, THEN WHEN YOU GET MACED AT LEAST YOU LOOK PRETTY!!1 I bet you think the minutemen were clean and polished as well.

Calling me a douche on the basis of what I like to wear to protests is retarded and hypocritical. I never made any judgment on how people like to present themselves, I agreed with the persuasive appeal angle. You read into my fairly vague statements like an asshole.

There was an experiment where a subject was asked whether two cards showing two different line lengths were the same. The subject was put in a situation full of what the subject thinks are other subjects, though they're actually in cahoots with the experimenter. They all agreed the lines were the same length. Most people in that situation conformed with the group's lie. All it took was one other person in the group to tell the truth before people would show a marked increase in breaking with the near consensus falsehood.

I'm appealing to the people who have to dress up for work, nonverbally. I'm saying, it's okay to tell the truth even if you're not suffering that greatly from this financial crisis. I'm one of the few dressed just like you yet I'm here in solidarity. People are more likely to be attracted to people sending similar social signals, and this operates on a largely unconscious and emotional process. I'm also priming Occupiers to break with their consensus that protesters shouldn't look like me, which I have directly observed on a number of occasions. I'm mining the long tail. Plus, it makes a good impression on the ladies.

It's a matter of persuasion for me.

[Phox]

Plus, it makes a good impression on the ladies.

Oops. You were doing okay, up until that line.

And besides, dressing up to go down to the protest isn't "telling the truth". Not even a very good metaphor. Show up in regular clothes. Whatever you were wearing that day. That is the truth. Anything else is putting up a front.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Plus, it makes a good impression on the ladies.

Oops. You were doing okay, up until that line.

And besides, dressing up to go down to the protest isn't "telling the truth". Not even a very good metaphor. Show up in regular clothes. Whatever you were wearing that day. That is the truth. Anything else is putting up a front.

It's not a front, it's just my more formal style. I like to dress that way whenever I fucking feel like it.

There are fence-sitters about Occupy and I'm a social proof that you don't need to look like the majority of the protesters to approach or join the group.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

The extremely informative "Inside Job" film can be watched in its entirety here.

XKCD: Money Chart is such a humongous infographic that you have navigate like it's Google Maps.

[Triple Zero]

Maybe you guys could stop telling Net or ANYBODY, for that matter, what is and what isn't okay to wear at a protest for whatever pre-approved reasoning, mmmh??

SERIOUSLY

I get your points but don't you think it's more productive to make them without the constant goddamn condescending and dismissive ATTITUDE

This is Discordia, not whine-club.

THX

[LMNO]

I'm not sure how Krugman's "stop with the drum circles already" turned into Project Runway: Protest Special. 

The point, to me, was that if you're going to stand up for 99% of the American people, you gain strength by having those people identify with you and your cause.  It's tribal identity politics.  It's perception psychology.

OWS, by the definition of its purposes, shouldn't even have the appearance of a radical, progressive, or minority protest.  It's supposed to be the biggest umbrella ever.  Technically, it's representing roughly 307,890,000 people; people who, for a large part, have negative perceptions of counterculture behaviors.  If OWS truly stands for the 99%, and wants the majority of Americans to get on their side, then they have to appeal to them.  They can't push away middle American values and culture, they have to include them.

YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND CLEAN IN YOUR PROTESTS, THEN WHEN YOU GET MACED AT LEAST YOU LOOK PRETTY!!

Actually, yes.  The majority of Americans would have a much different reaction seeing a dozen people in suits getting maced as opposed to a bunch of Burning Man types getting maced.  And that would be exactly the kind of reaction OWS would want: The perception that "it's US getting maced, not THEM".