Police Protesters Clash in Oakland

[level.eleven]

I'm reminded of the "conspiracy theory" everyone poo-pooed a year or so ago... the one where forces that wish to destroy America create a problem and provided a prepared solution. Bottom up, top down, inside out.

Do you own a chalkboard?

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

Innocents? Don't try to bull**** me.

All protesters are guilty by association right?

 

[Gabriel]

All protesters are guilty by association right?

Guilty of protesting? Yes.

 

[Constructionist]

Do you own a chalkboard?

No. Chalk dust makes me sneeze.

 

[Effingham]

Guilty of protesting? Yes.

The very real downside of this movement is that these brain-dead morons in the OWS (etc) movements are giving America a black eye internationally. It's giving our enemies something they can point to and say, "see, America is bad, too!" and "America is attacking citizens who only want change."

It's not so much a problem with Europe. The trouble is that this can be exploited for propaganda purposes (or just general bad PR) by other countries, whose populations don't have as much access to American-type media or who don't know what's really going on here.

I find myself dreaming of sedition and treason (misdemeanor) charges, but I know it could never happen.

I'm just royally pissed at every one of these "useful idiots."

 

[KLB]

It's not so much a problem with Europe. The trouble is that this can be exploited for propaganda purposes (or just general bad PR) by other countries, whose populations don't have as much access to American-type media or who don't know what's really going on here.

You think our media lets us know what is really going on?

 

[Hotdoger]

All protesters are guilty by association right?

When you lay down with the dogs you catch fleas.

 

[Effingham]

You think our media lets us know what is really going on?

We're better informed about it than people in Peshawar are.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

News this morning from Oakland says that another veteran was seriously injured by the OPD. Had to have his spleen removed. Both sides have a lot to answer for.

By your logic anyone who carries a gun to protect themself is really looking to shoot someone.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

The very real downside of this movement is that these brain-dead morons in the OWS (etc) movements are giving America a black eye internationally. It's giving our enemies something they can point to and say, "see, America is bad, too!" and "America is attacking citizens who only want change."

It's not so much a problem with Europe. The trouble is that this can be exploited for propaganda purposes (or just general bad PR) by other countries, whose populations don't have as much access to American-type media or who don't know what's really going on here.

I find myself dreaming of sedition and treason (misdemeanor) charges, but I know it could never happen.

I'm just royally pissed at every one of these "useful idiots."

Because the rest of the world had nothing else bad to say about us? Its not the aggressive foreign policy of sticking our noses where they dont belong thats giving the rest of the world a bad idea of who we are (or various other things) .... its these protesters .... really?

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

The very real downside of this movement is that these brain-dead morons in the OWS (etc) movements are giving America a black eye internationally. It's giving our enemies something they can point to and say, "see, America is bad, too!" and "America is attacking citizens who only want change."

It's not so much a problem with Europe. The trouble is that this can be exploited for propaganda purposes (or just general bad PR) by other countries, whose populations don't have as much access to American-type media or who don't know what's really going on here.

I find myself dreaming of sedition and treason (misdemeanor) charges, but I know it could never happen.

I'm just royally pissed at every one of these "useful idiots."

It could have been a shining example of the freedoms and liberties Americans are afforded by allowing them to protest without riot police beating protesters and firing canisters into crowds... The stage was set for a demonstration of the principles and liberties that make America great...

The sad part about it, is that the vast majority of the protests can be chalked up to just that... it only takes one series of bad decisions that can be held up by the media to paint it all in a different light. When considering this situation, sadly, the truth does not have to be bent to create a black eye... we did that ourselves.

Darn protesters, actually exercising rights... Don't they know that rights are not truly meant to be exercised, and to keep our public image up with foreign nations everyone is supposed to get in line and shut up...

 

[Effingham]

Because the rest of the world had nothing else bad to say about us? Its not the aggressive foreign policy of sticking our noses where they dont belong thats giving the rest of the world a bad idea of who we are (or various other things) .... its these protesters .... really?

It's not that they don't have things to say. NOW they have something concrete to point to and say "SEE?"

Did you see that news story about all those guys from Tunisia?

By EMAN EL-SHENAWI
AL ARABIYA

Tunisians launched an all-out assault on Barack Obama’s Facebook page this week, posting thousands of comments making fun of the U.S. president and supporting the “occupy” protests across America.

Among the comments, Tunisian Facebook users circulated “Arab Spring” jokes, such as: “Tunisia is the first country to recognize the American Transitional National Council,” referring the revolutionary upheaval in Libya and the global recognition of the Libyan transitional council.

The Facebook users described it as a “virtual surprise attack.” Many of the recent entries on his 2012 presidential campaign page were bombarded with as many as 20,000 comments each.

“Tunisian people are calling the U.S. authorities to respect freedom of expression and not to resort repression and assault on the rights of American citizens,” read one comment, which was reposted by several users.

Another comment read: “Tunisian people denounce violations against the American people by the security forces, which affect the freedom of expression.”

The Facebook assault was in part organized through Twitter, with the hashtag #TrollingObama helping spread the world, reported social network-inspired news site Storyful.com.

The horde of comments, which came after photos of police brutality against “Occupy Wall Street” protesters were released on social media sites.

“To overthrow any corrupt system in the world, please contact the Tunisian people,” one comment read.

Another comment mimicked Obama’s previous statements about the embattled Arab leaders: “Fouad Mbaza (the current Tunisian president) says that Obama should start the change immediately, or leave power.”

Members of the Occupy Wall Street movement, who are continuing to protest against social and economic inequality and corporate greed in the U.S., have even been offered advice from Arab Spring.

“All protesters take the same risks, from Tunisia to Egypt,” Ramy Raouf, communication officer at Front to Defend Egypt Protesters, told GlobalPost.

“When police react with violence, the protesters also need to understand the official laws of the region to understand what they can and cannot do. If they ever get arrested, they should always have a lawyer ready,” he advised.

“Protesters should always go to the streets carrying a bag. In that bag, they should carry a can of Pepsi, a bottle of water, and a bottle of vinegar. They should also carry plastic bags and extra clothes. If the police shoot tear gas during a protest and it gets in their eyes, they can immediately smell the vinegar. Then splash the water on their face. After that, add pepsi to wash out the eyes. It will reduce the effects of the gas,” Raouf added.