Occupy Detroit

[gnome]

Oh yeah, and JimAz is just like you. Intolerant of others.

[Jimaz]

Oh yeah, and JimAz is just like you. Intolerant of others.

LOL! I can tolerate that.

[epiphany]

The longer you cling to that indefensible position, the sillier you appear. Those people could not have harmed you or your daughter in any way, if not for the simple fact that the CoD provided 24/7 police protection for the last 6 weeks. In fact, I would lay a C note on the fact that GCP has just experienced it's lowest crime rate in 30 years.

That said, you are certainly allowed to harbor any opinion you desire, but I will say that you need some better material.

Come on, you can do better, just believe in yourself ...

Precisely. Complaining about not being able to walk your daughter through the park just makes you look like a prick. There was actually plenty of activities planned for families [[you know, with children) and you easily could have taken part in one of the crafting sessions or something like that =).

[Bham1982]

Precisely. Complaining about not being able to walk your daughter through the park just makes you look like a prick.

I'm still trying to understand why anyone would think this statement makes sense.

GCP is a public park, for the enjoyment of all. OWS illegally occupied the park, thus preventing the public from enjoying the park.

Why is someone a "prick" if they want to spend time with their child, and is annoyed that a group of largely out-of-town anarchists are illegally preventing park access for weeks and weeks?

[Detroitnerd]

I'm still trying to understand why anyone would think this statement makes sense.

GCP is a public park, for the enjoyment of all. OWS illegally occupied the park, thus preventing the public from enjoying the park.

Fact check: Not illegally. They were permitted and honored the permit.

[noggin]

Did anybody notice that as black Friday approaches that tents are now being erected in front of stores at the same time they disappear from GCP?

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111...ankles-workers

[antongast]

a group of largely out-of-town anarchists

Since you apparently have access to some data on the demographic makeup of Occupy Detroit, maybe you can tell me this: what percentage of the occupiers live further out of town than Birmingham? While you're at it, maybe you can break out a dictionary and refresh us on whatever obscure alternate definition of "anarchist" you were referring to in that post.

[bartock]

Did anybody notice that as black Friday approaches that tents are now being erected in front of stores at the same time they disappear from GCP?

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111...ankles-workers

Great observation! The irony is interesting.

[Bham1982]

Fact check: Not illegally. They were permitted and honored the permit.

Not true, they were always there illegally, then they retroactively got a 30-day camping permit for the purpose of their eviction.

It's illegal to camp out in GCP. It's also illegal to cook, to store your crap, and to sleep.

[Detroitnerd]

Ah, but those sorts of tents are "good" -- because the residents of those tents are behaving like good lemmings and going into hock to fuel the credit bubble again.

[Bham1982]

Since you apparently have access to some data on the demographic makeup of Occupy Detroit, maybe you can tell me this: what percentage of the occupiers live further out of town than Birmingham?

I have no more access to data than you. What's your point?

Folks can't make observations without conducting rigorous PhD-level data collection?

It's quite obvious that OWS is primarily composed of privileged white liberal arts majors in their 20's. Any cursory glance at the [[thankfully former) occupants of Zuccotti Park will reveal this fact. That doesn't sound very representative of Detroit, or Metro Detroit, for that matter.

While you're at it, maybe you can break out a dictionary and refresh us on whatever obscure alternate definition of "anarchist" you were referring to in that post.

Adbusters, the founders of OWS, are proudly post-anarchist. The most prominent Zuccotti Park squatters were primarily anarchist.

Anarchism promotes non-hierarchical associations and opposition to authority and rule of law. This is a reasonable description of many, or most, of the OWS protestors.

[Detroitnerd]

Not true, they were always there illegally, then they retroactively got a 30-day camping permit for the purpose of their eviction.

It's illegal to camp out in GCP. It's also illegal to cook, to store your crap, and to sleep.

So then it was permitted. I don't see you whining about the robo-signing law, which is about to retroactively forgive all the criminal bankers [[limit liability) for their trespasses against this country. And they've done more damage to the United States than 10 terrorists with an atom bomb each. But, nooooo, you whine about a tent-in ... whatevs, little man.

What do you think civil disobedience is anyway? Laws, laws, laws. Perhaps Rosa Parks should have given her seat to a white man? That was the law. Perhaps Ghandi should have been content to be a second-class citizen? That was the law. Perhaps owning another person is OK? That was the law.

On this issue, I hear a whole lot of whining from you, and not a whole lot of common sense. So, forgive us all if we neglect to take you too seriously on this issue.

[Bham1982]

So then it was permitted.

Yes, true, but it was also illegal. It's illegal to do all these things in the park.

A retroactive permit was given, so that folks would have reasonable time to get out without prosecution.

[Detroitnerd]

We get it:

For protesters against anti-democratic trends and income inequality: RULE OF LAW.

For the people who trashed the economy and were paid off with trillions: A gentle scolding.

There's your rule of law.

[noise]

Not true, they were always there illegally, then they retroactively got a 30-day camping permit for the purpose of their eviction.

It's illegal to camp out in GCP. It's also illegal to cook, to store your crap, and to sleep.

Who cares about legality when it comes to perceived revolution? American history, in and of itself, defends this notion.

[Scottathew]

Ah, but those sorts of tents are "good" -- because the residents of those tents are behaving like good lemmings and going into hock to fuel the credit bubble again.

Also, those are on private property. The store chooses to allow them because they're welcome guests with wallets.

[Lowell]

@48091... As for your daughter visitng GCP the east side was unoccupied while the west side had, as Gnome noted, total police protection. Not sure of your daughter's age but as you are an obviously very informed person this would seem to have been a good teaching opportunity. I know that as a child I would have been totally fascinated by a bunch of tents, with a meeting center, library and other activities appearing in my playscape. In turn I am sure your daughter would have totally charmed the occupers giving them a respite from all the hard politics.

[j to the jeremy]

I would still have been equally pissed that they were taking up space in our public space. The fact that these assholes have taken over one of the nicer green areas in the city, have used our city services, which they don't pay taxes for,

Yes....GOOD RIDDANCE!

I'm surprised how much the city-suburb conflict came into the debate during this "occupation". I know a lot of people who live in the city and also participated in the protest. But I guess that since there were too many college students there for everyone's liking, it proves that there's no real problem, and that you can't achieve anything by protesting. Oh, and public space is public. I personally think it's important to design public space to be accessible for protesting- there are people right now designing spaces which restrict freedoms and create new surveillance options for the government. In a world where almost everything can be bought and sold, and you even need to pay for a permit to gather in public, at least GCP still exists for this purpose. What would you have said to MLK when he marched 500,000 down Woodward through the park?

I live a few blocks away from GCP right now and thought Occupy made fine neighbors, at least better ones than Kid Rock concert or Lions crowds...

I guess we can go back to being really happy with our economy now. After all, Michigan is the beacon of free market capitalism, shining brightly for all to emulate. Maybe if those lazy "real" poor people had turned out, there would have been more support for their cause? I bet not. Probably just more union-bashing and self-loathing remarks about our struggling city.

I'm sure it was posted in the thread already, but anyone who thinks that there are too many rich white kids getting mad should get involved with Occupy the Hood.
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyTheHood
They're dealing with real problems affecting the working class of Detroit, and of America. Foreclosures, media biases, selective government cuts to the inner city, and more local issues- as well as increasing some consciousness in neighborhoods.

Planner, I'm not really arguing against you, I agree with some of your points but it's funny that this forum, which seems at first to be for the people, by the people, often ends up echoing Fox 2 and Glenn Beck by the end of a thread, and often from the unlikeliest of users.

[Danny]

Good riddance! I don't think so The 99 Percenters will be back. They will have their day.

[antongast]

I have no more access to data than you. What's your point?

Folks can't make observations without conducting rigorous PhD-level data collection?

It's quite obvious that OWS is primarily composed of privileged white liberal arts majors in their 20's. Any cursory glance at the [[thankfully former) occupants of Zuccotti Park will reveal this fact. That doesn't sound very representative of Detroit, or Metro Detroit, for that matter.

This thread is about Occupy Detroit, not Zuccotti Park. If you have evidence that everyone involved with Occupy Detroit is from "out of town," please post. "Some of the people in New York don't fit my stereotypes about Metro Detroiters" is not a very convincing argument here.

Adbusters, the founders of OWS, are proudly post-anarchist. The most prominent Zuccotti Park squatters were primarily anarchist.

Anarchism promotes non-hierarchical associations and opposition to authority and rule of law. This is a reasonable description of many, or most, of the OWS protestors.

No, you've got it backwards. The people opposed to the rule of law are the ones who crashed the entire fucking economy and got off scot-free with truckloads of taxpayer money for their trouble. The ones who think the law should apply to well-connected white-collar criminals the same way it applies to regular folks are fighting for the rule of law, not against.

[Scottathew]

@48091... As for your daughter visitng GCP the east side was unoccupied while the west side had, as Gnome noted, total police protection. Not sure of your daughter's age but as you are an obviously very informed person this would seem to have been a good teaching opportunity. I know that as a child I would have been totally fascinated by a bunch of tents, with a meeting center, library and other activities appearing in my playscape. In turn I am sure your daughter would have totally charmed the occupers giving them a respite from all the hard politics.

She's a little too young to understand. We went down to the corner one day, but I kept our distance due to being abundantly cautious. If I was by myself I wouldn't be afraid to walk through there, but the wife would kill me if I took the kid!

My daughter got to experience Five Guys Burger and Fries today! Although she was disappointed we only let her have a couple fries!

[bopcity]

She's a little too young to understand. We went down to the corner one day, but I kept our distance due to being abundantly cautious. If I was by myself I wouldn't be afraid to walk through there, but the wife would kill me if I took the kid!

My daughter got to experience Five Guys Burger and Fries today! Although she was disappointed we only let her have a couple fries!

I'm sure you have a lovely daughter but I'm not sure how relevant any of this is to the thread topic. But feel free to start a new thread focused on her urban adventures, I'll be sure to check it out.

[Detroitnerd]

I'm sure you have a lovely daughter but I'm not sure how relevant any of this is to the thread topic. But feel free to start a new thread focused on her urban adventures, I'll be sure to check it out.

Can somebody please Photoshop the cover of "Pippi Longstocking in da Hood"?

[coracle]

Good riddance! I don't think so The 99 Percenters will be back. They will have their day.

Heard about this 1%er who dressed in some old clothes on his day off to go downtown and see what your OWS crowd was doing? Found $2,000,000 he'd forgotten about in his jeans back pocket.

[bopcity]

Before this thread fades into the sunset thought I'd share an eye-opening article from Naomi Wolf, a brilliant American writer, who explores a rather significant angle we've heard virtually nothing about and aptly describes OWS as "the first battle in a civil war". Here's a short blurb, note the complete Guardian piece has numerous supportive links.

I noticed that rightwing pundits and politicians on the TV shows on which I was appearing were all on-message against OWS. Journalist Chris Hayes reported on a leaked memo that revealed lobbyists vying for an $850,000 contract to smear Occupy...

The answer is straightforward: in recent years, members of Congress have started entering the system as members of the middle class [[or upper middle class) – but they are leaving DC privy to vast personal wealth, as we see from the "scandal" of presidential contender Newt Gingrich's having been paid $1.8m for a few hours' "consulting" to special interests. The inflated fees to lawmakers who turn lobbyists are common knowledge, but the notion that congressmen and women are legislating their own companies' profits is less widely known – and if the books were to be opened, they would surely reveal corruption on a Wall Street spectrum. Indeed, we do already know that congresspeople are massively profiting from trading on non-public information they have on companies about which they are legislating – a form of insider trading that sent Martha Stewart to jail...

Since Occupy is heavily surveilled and infiltrated, it is likely that the DHS and police informers are aware, before Occupy itself is, what its emerging agenda is going to look like. If legislating away lobbyists' privileges to earn boundless fees once they are close to the legislative process, reforming the banks so they can't suck money out of fake derivatives products, and, most critically, opening the books on a system that allowed members of Congress to profit personally – and immensely – from their own legislation, are two beats away from the grasp of an electorally organised Occupy movement … well, you will call out the troops on stopping that advance.

The shocking truth about the crackdown on Occupy: http://bit.ly/tE87Su