When protesters really care.

[Redtail]

Something I've noticed in my (to some) short time on this planet is that when people care about a cause they tend to do something about it. Not just complain on their computers or "convince friends and family" or carry signs and hand out leaflets every other weekend or (of course) make cut and paste films. They get get together, they go out and put themselves in a situation they may be uncomfortable or even in harms way and demand change.

I know I've harped on this for a while now but since the truthers/infowarriors/"_____for the truth" folk seem unable to do it I thought I bring up a new example. Sometimes the numbers are many. Sometimes the numbers are small. The smaller ones may have to go to greater extremes Thus tent City at UCONN.

http://geocities.com/tentsity/

I was in my last year of Grad school, 2003, when this started. The students involved decided to protest the War in Iraq by staying in these tents until the war was over. Now I don't know if this is doing anything to speed the troops home but there they are. Notice that white stuff on the ground. Yet they are still there. Granted the pics are from 2005 so I don't know if they are still out there. (perhaps I'll give them a call tomorrow) but they were there for two years. Even after communications got crossed up and their camp was trashed they stayed.

So truthers. Any plans like this in the works?

[WildCat]

Who says they're doing nothing? Clearly, they are growing at an exponential rate and convincing people with their rational and well thought out arguments.

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I AGREE

[Gravy]

The truther progression of suggested protests has been: revolution—>hunger strike—>camp outside the White House until something is done—>general strike—>5-minute mini-strikes (really).

[CHF]

Originally Posted by Redtail

So truthers. Any plans like this in the works?

Nope, just Saturdays at GZ if it doesn't rain.

Here in Toronto they're even bigger slackers than in NYC: they hand out pamphlets once a month, on the 11th.

So yeah, they don't really care.

[Redtail]

Oh I know things similar have been suggested. It's the actually doing it part that seems to be a sticking point.

(What in the name of hornswoggle is a "mini strike"?)

[WildCat]

Originally Posted by Redtail

(What in the name of hornswoggle is a "mini strike"?)

It's the best you can do when less than 5% of the people support you.

[Gravy]

Originally Posted by Redtail

Oh I know things similar have been suggested. It's the actually doing it part that seems to be a sticking point.

(What in the name of hornswoggle is a "mini strike"?)

It's what comes before abandoning a fantasy, moving out of the basement, and getting a life.

Seriously, in light of the failed general strike on 9/11, a truther on 911blogger suggested that they break the striking up into occasional 5-minute segments. Other people call that "grabbing a coffee," "using the restroom," or "smoking a butt."

[Redtail]

Originally Posted by Gravy

It's what comes before abandoning a fantasy, moving out of the basement, and getting a life.

Seriously, in light of the failed general strike on 9/11, a truther on 911blogger suggested that they break the striking up into occasional 5-minute segments. Other people call that "grabbing a coffee," "using the restroom," or "smoking a butt."

wow...

[CHF]

Originally Posted by Gravy

Seriously, in light of the failed general strike on 9/11, a truther on 911blogger suggested that they break the striking up into occasional 5-minute segments. Other people call that "grabbing a coffee," "using the restroom," or "smoking a butt."

You watch, soon it'll be a "sleep-in-on-a-Saturday-morning-for-9/11 truth" protest.

I'd join that one.

[Furi]

Although nowhere near as important or on the same scale, I protested against the mandatory teaching of RE (Religious edumacation, Church of England) at my secondary school for the first 3 years, I had luckily been brought up by Family that believed everyone can make a choice (most where Methodists), and as such was always taught to question,as I found God and Because unsatisfactory answers I was an agnostic tending to atheist from about the age of 6,

By time I reached secondary school (is that Junior high in the US (age 10-16)) I was a confirmed science nut, and did not want to waste any time rechewing the same old fat that I had already asked myself, and wanted more time in the Labs, managed to get myself Suspended from school for >30% of years 1 through 3 for refusing to attend RE, I became more incensed in the 2nd year when I found out that if you where of an alternative belief structure to Christianity that attendance was not mandatory, Atheism was not considered a belief just an opinion.

In the end (after many visits from educational psych peops) I got permission not to attend RE classes and the Local Education Authority also allowed further sudents to "Opt Out" of none Faith led schools RE even without parents permission. (I was then punished by being made to do more physics RESULT!) although I was still required to sit the 3rd year exam , I got an A for my Essay "Importance of Religion in Education" but only a C in basic Christianity type stuff and structure of the church. (I came 26/240ish overall) a small win for me that probably did my Edukayshun maw harm then gud, but it was something that I had conviction enough to do something about it.

[Redtail]

Originally Posted by Furi

Although nowhere near as important or on the same scale, I protested against the mandatory teaching of RE (Religious edumacation, Church of England) at my secondary school for the first 3 years, I had luckily been brought up by Family that believed everyone can make a choice (most where Methodists), and as such was always taught to question,as I found God and Because unsatisfactory answers I was an agnostic tending to atheist from about the age of 6,

By time I reached secondary school (is that Junior high in the US (age 10-16)) I was a confirmed science nut, and did not want to waste any time rechewing the same old fat that I had already asked myself, and wanted more time in the Labs, managed to get myself Suspended from school for >30% of years 1 through 3 for refusing to attend RE, I became more incensed in the 2nd year when I found out that if you where of an alternative belief structure to Christianity that attendance was not mandatory, Atheism was not considered a belief just an opinion.

In the end (after many visits from educational psych peops) I got permission not to attend RE classes and the Local Education Authority also allowed further sudents to "Opt Out" of none Faith led schools RE even without parents permission. (I was then punished by being made to do more physics RESULT!) although I was still required to sit the 3rd year exam , I got an A for my Essay "Importance of Religion in Education" but only a C in basic Christianity type stuff and structure of the church. (I came 26/240ish overall) a small win for me that probably did my Edukayshun maw harm then gud, but it was something that I had conviction enough to do something about it.

Really!?!?! And this was just you or were other students with you?

[Unfit4Command]

I've always felt this way also. It seems like if people actually believed that the government murdered 3,000 innocent people, they would be more outraged. Not just...making movies and posting on websites. But I suppose it's hard to find a place to start your "revolution."

[Furi]

Just me at first and about 7 or so of us in the 3rd year, we also got support from various teachers in our and other schools, and the local socialist movement (I was a young socialist as well) the school was understandably mightily peeved with me, as they first tried to show that by not attending school I would not be learning the Science that I cared so much about, and to prove it they gave me a test in the second year (11-12 yrold) to show what I was missing out on, they sneakily gave me the O-level (normally taken at 16) Math Chem phys and Bio papers from the previous year to sit, I Passed comfortably ( just because I was at home didn't mean I wasn't teaching myself), and was put forward to take them properly and put in for my A-levels early.

Whether it was a war of attrition on my part or the support of the teachers that swung it I dunno, however there was, and still is a system of collecting statistics from schools that directly affected funding from central gubmint (I currently work on school census collection) and apparantly pressure was being put on the LA to get me into school at all costs turn me into a model student pass my As early and be paraded as a showpiece for conservative Education policy. not easy to do given my political persuasion, and the school news letter had the photograph me being handed my results by Linda (nose rammed up Mrs Ts back passage she is breathing the same air) Chalker MP all long hair, a nice visible enamel red star pin on my blazer, the photo for some reason was not ran in the Local free paper.

Saying that my Mum also got in the national press at 13 as she wanted to do Metalwork, but only the boys could do metalwork, she managed to get in the Sun and Mirror for those shenanighans

What can I say must just come from a family of rabble rouses (socialist mayors founding the first co-op movements in the area, various shop stewards and union leaders) yup just your average Revolt now avoid the rush Fire in the Blood Pinko commie scum

[geni]

I suspect part of the problem is that the CTers are the wrong age and in the wrong place. They don't have much of a following amoung uni students which reduces the supply of people likely to protest and independent enough to do so any they don't have the geographical density to form decent campain groups.

[Redtail]

Originally Posted by Furi

Just me at first and about 7 or so of us in the 3rd year, we also got support from various teachers in our and other schools, and the local socialist movement (I was a young socialist as well) the school was understandably mightily peeved with me, as they first tried to show that by not attending school I would not be learning the Science that I cared so much about, and to prove it they gave me a test in the second year (11-12 yrold) to show what I was missing out on, they sneakily gave me the O-level (normally taken at 16) Math Chem phys and Bio papers from the previous year to sit, I Passed comfortably ( just because I was at home didn't mean I wasn't teaching myself), and was put forward to take them properly and put in for my A-levels early.

Whether it was a war of attrition on my part or the support of the teachers that swung it I dunno, however there was, and still is a system of collecting statistics from schools that directly affected funding from central gubmint (I currently work on school census collection) and apparantly pressure was being put on the LA to get me into school at all costs turn me into a model student pass my As early and be paraded as a showpiece for conservative Education policy. not easy to do given my political persuasion, and the school news letter had the photograph me being handed my results by Linda (nose rammed up Mrs Ts back passage she is breathing the same air) Chalker MP all long hair, a nice visible enamel red star pin on my blazer, the photo for some reason was not ran in the Local free paper.

Saying that my Mum also got in the national press at 13 as she wanted to do Metalwork, but only the boys could do metalwork, she managed to get in the Sun and Mirror for those shenanighans

What can I say must just come from a family of rabble rouses (socialist mayors founding the first co-op movements in the area, various shop stewards and union leaders) yup just your average Revolt now avoid the rush Fire in the Blood Pinko commie scum

Well that great see truthers? Se what you can do when you real.... Oh wait you're a commie...

[steve s]

When I was in college in the mid-80's, some students built a shantytown on the quad in front of the administration building to protest the university's investments in companies that did business with the apartheid regime in South Africa. For the first few nights students slept in the shacks, but they quickly got bored with it and stopped showing up. As soon as it was vacant, the university had it torn down.

The students howled in protest. They finally reached an agreement with the university whereby the shantytown was allowed to stand as long as it was occupied 24/7. The first night about 30 students slept there. The next night maybe a dozen showed up. By the third night, which was pretty chilly by then, only a few stayed there. After that, no one showed, the university tore down the shacks and nobody complained about it. End of protest.

Steve S.

[Furi]

Yeah, and if any of you truthers want to express your views when the Glorious New Socialist revolution comes, I'll round you up and send you to a Gulag on the Isle of Man, and I will torture you by exposing you to nothing but continuous loops of Carla Lane "Comedies" with subvocalised suggestion dubbed by His Highness Brian Blessed, I'll make the federation from Blakes' 7 seem like a libertarian paradise MWUHUHUHUHUHAHAHAH

*SUBvocalised by the Blessed just struck me as funny

[Redtail]

Originally Posted by Furi

Yeah, and if any of you truthers want to express your views when the Glorious New Socialist revolution comes, I'll round you up and send you to a Gulag on the Isle of Man, and I will torture you by exposing you to nothing but continuous loops of Carla Lane "Comedies" with subvocalised suggestion dubbed by His Highness Brian Blessed, I'll make the federation from Blakes' 7 seem like a libertarian paradise MWUHUHUHUHUHAHAHAH

*SUBvocalised by the Blessed just struck me as funny

You are a sick, twisted person Furi, welcome!

Steve S.

A similar thing happened to me in Undergrad. I went to NCA&T (an HBC/U for those who don't know) and one day signs started showing up "Join the underground railroad!" "Get ready for the under ground railroad!" 3 months later we find out it was a voter registration drive. 94% of the student who weren't registered, registered. Come election day 20% voted.

[leftysergeant]

Maybe part of the problem is that the twoofers all have leadership skills on a par with their reasoning skills.

One of the most effective elements of the anti-war movement during the Vietnam war was disenchanted veterans and, later, active-duty soldiers who had decided to take a stand.

What do the twoofers have? Slackers like Korey? It is to laugh.

Their scientists all have dubious credentials to address the subjects they take on.

Their gurus are loud-mouths with no real class or talent.

They also make a great deal of "evidence" which most people with a room-temp IQ dismiss out of hand.

They are palying solitaire and asking "Who dealt this mess?"

[Dog Town]

Originally Posted by leftysergeant

What do the twoofers have? Slackers like Korey?

That "they" spell with a "C"!

[Furi]

Makes me think that the Movers and groovers of this and many other CTs are nothing but Attention Whores, or even worse that they are merely doing it for money .

it would also bring a whole new meaning to Attention Deficit Disorder

It could also be that these twoof movements are the only movements they have (or more depressing the only ones they perceive as worthwhile) when I was a youngun we had Poll Tax, Mass industrial closures, Reagan/Thatcher/Breznev Cold War Posturing, IRA Terrorism, Mass unemployment, Privatisation of National systems, Apartheid, Middle East unrest (ok nothing changed there) all helping to rip apart the rich tapestry of communuty like a swarm of angry kittens.

Now it seems students might make a protest by shopping at Sainsburys instead of Tescos or installing Linux, maybe making a humerous Lolcat, secondary school kids seem more interested in criticism of Big Brother (the TV show) than any perceived Orwellian system (I still think the UK produces the best dystopic fiction, maybe it is because we have such a long history of state beaurocracy).

which is strange because this is the generation brought up by my generation, and most of the people my age where highly political and outspoken in their youth, although I know there are a lot of older truthers out there (hmm and they seem to be the vociferous ones)

*mind you we also had Punk Ska and um-bongo and dangermouse so some good things then

[Juustin]

Originally Posted by Gravy

It's what comes before abandoning a fantasy, moving out of the basement, and getting a life.

Seriously, in light of the failed general strike on 9/11, a truther on 911blogger suggested that they break the striking up into occasional 5-minute segments. Other people call that "grabbing a coffee," "using the restroom," or "smoking a butt."

Hah. Maybe they should invest in a billboard that says "Don't honk if you think 9/11 was an inside job..."

[CHF]

Originally Posted by Juustin

Hah. Maybe they should invest in a billboard that says "Don't honk if you think 9/11 was an inside job..."

Ah so that's where their "84%" support level comes from!