Protesting...

Iamfit4life

I'd like to keep this respectful...


But do you think that protesting accomplishes anything, or do you think there are more productive ways?

april_beth

i waver day to day depending upon my mood.

while it doesnt LOOK like it's accomplishing anything, it all trickles down. people notice and when enough people notice, things start to shift.

we just had an Occupy Providence and sadly, it made the news once. while i feel like it didnt make a difference here in RI, i have no idea what it did behind the scenes. it seems like it doesnt matter because we dont see any difference right now, but what i do believe is, its time for somebody to stand up and if enough somebodys stand up, a difference has to be made. it's a painfully slow process but i do believe it will get the work done...somehow.

VulcanLover

Protesting undoubtedly sends a message and is a harmless way to raise awareness. It is also a right.

daves160

I think it does sometimes. But it seems lately, people are "protesting" for no other reason than to just protest. I'm speaking of this occupy thing. Come up with a point or go home!

ilovedeadlifts

It accomplishes things sometimes.

But the most recent "protest" is absurd.
The Occupy Wallstreet people just make me laugh.

i_love_vinegar

I joined the protest club a couple semesters ago for like...3 days XD

It accomplished advocating marijuana on the rooftops of classrooms. It didn't advocate orgies though, so I left. XD

jetscreaminagain

Both. There are nicer more civilized ways that are more effective for some things.

And, sometimes you are more effective at establishing a movement with protest.

Look at how much the Tea Party has increased the power of ultra conservatives due to its protests. Helps to have all those oodles of corporate dollars to test craft and promulgate the message.

Will be interesting to see if Occupy, with a fraction of the funding almost none of it corporate, being grassroots and irritatingly consensus based could come up with a message that lasts as long and is as influential as the success the Tea Party had with their big money backing.

ilovedeadlifts

I think it does sometimes. But it seems lately, people are "protesting" for no other reason than to just protest. I'm speaking of this occupy thing. Come up with a point or go home!

agreed.
judging from all of the videos, it seems like they're more interested in getting the police to assault or arrest them, then post videos of that.

anytime you see these people interviewed, they can't really answer the questions being asked. They dance around everything.

mmuzzatti

Most of the protesters are professional protesters that all they do is try to taunt the police to file lawsuits later on. DC just gave a group a 4 month permit to sit in the park. That pissed them off more because now it's not everyday news. In NY they black block break out store windows to try to incite the crowds. Protesting by picketing a company or an event is fine but destroying property is not.

One other point, most of the protesters that get locked up are filthy rich kids who's parents pay for everything! I speak from first hand knowledge from locking them up.

GorillaNJ

As a person who walks through Zucatti Park (and NO ONE knew that name until a month ago... and is hardly a "park" so much as it is a concrete plaza with some benches where people escape their offices for lunch) I have had enough of these Occupy Wall Street protestors.

I am not even disagreeing with a lot of their points, I certainly have a libertarian bend, and had gone to a couple of the first tea party rallies in NJ. Talk about a totally different atmosphere and approach. Walking through everyday to and from work I can tell you there is an angry undertone to OWS... I believe it is going to turn violent eventually. The other morning, Friday it came very close... I watched a police officer on a scooter get attacked and thought it was game over. People were rushing down side streets around barricades and it was looking like things were going to turn bad. NYPD is doing an amazing job of showing restraint.

Is it effective.... I don't know. Normally I would measure effectiveness against a set of goals. In that measure I do not think OWS can succeed. BUT it has them on the news... everywhere and all the time. Today it was revealed that they have raised over $300k so is being effective in raising money and awareness... but to what end is the question

starwhisperer

I am pretty sure it has had results in the past. I do think that it is a right that sometimes gets overused... or just used incorrectly. Think about it this way though. The politicians (all shapes and groups this is not a political rant) are suppose to work for the people. When it starts to seem as though they might not be doing that at all what are our choices? Protesting is just a means to get out the word that the people are not being spoken for. So yeah I guess I do agree with protesting.

Iamfit4life

something that sticks with me is how hypocritical some attitudes are about protesting


For a lot of people it's "ok" if it goes with their way of thinking. However, if it goes opposite... not so much.


Thinking of all who called Bush protesters "un-american" and were just flocking to said Tea Party events..

ItsCasey

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

Iamfit4life

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

agreed 2000%

i_love_vinegar

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

Iamfit4life

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

If thats the case, they're idiots.

i_love_vinegar

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

If thats the case, they're idiots.

How are they idiots? A lot of people where I am from follow this lifestyle (myself included except I travel instead of living in tents etc). I think it is a great lifestyle because it takes the best of both the technological and natural world. ^^

Iamfit4life

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

If thats the case, they're idiots.

How are they idiots? A lot of people where I am from follow this lifestyle (myself included except I travel instead of living in tents etc). I think it is a great lifestyle because it takes the best of both the technological and natural world. ^^

If they love nature+technology they should go on a hike with their IPODS. Not protest the greed of big corporations to which they support with their dollars.

i_love_vinegar

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

If thats the case, they're idiots.

How are they idiots? A lot of people where I am from follow this lifestyle (myself included except I travel instead of living in tents etc). I think it is a great lifestyle because it takes the best of both the technological and natural world. ^^

If they love nature+technology they should go on a hike with their IPODS. Not protest the greed of big corporations to which they support with their dollars.

I see what you are saying. I think we are talking about different types of people~ xD I was thinking of those of us who "protest" the societal norms such as working 9-5 ^^

TheRoadDog

It's a waste of time. Our government is broken. It needs a major overhaul. We're on a collision course with disaster. Protesting and rebellion are for the young. I wish them luck in that they may achieve success, but, at the same time, I have invested too much of my life and worked to hard to get to this point in my life. I just want to receive the benefits of my hard work. I DO NOT want to give it all up.

Collapse will happen and from that maybe we can rebuild a better system in the future.

History doesn't support that, though.

I have about 30 years left, I hope. Collapse after that, please.

Iamfit4life

Protesting is effective if you know what you're protesting and why. Protesting capitalism while you sit around sipping Starbucks, sleeping in a Coleman tent, chatting on your Android, and listening to your iPod just makes you look like a moron. It gets even more ridiculous when Kanye West shows up sporting a $50,000 watch and $1000 jeans and gets worshipped by these useful idiots.

I dont think ppl are protesting capitalism by acting that way...it is just a way of enjoying life~the fun of technology + the beauty of nature

If thats the case, they're idiots.

How are they idiots? A lot of people where I am from follow this lifestyle (myself included except I travel instead of living in tents etc). I think it is a great lifestyle because it takes the best of both the technological and natural world. ^^

If they love nature+technology they should go on a hike with their IPODS. Not protest the greed of big corporations to which they support with their dollars.

I see what you are saying. I think we are talking about different types of people~ xD I was thinking of those of us who "protest" the societal norms such as working 9-5 ^^

lol people can protest those social norms all they want, heck when I was a teen I'm sure I said I'd never do it either.
But eventually they're going to have to join the norm, or forever enjoy sleeping in nature.

Mike

As a reminder folks, political topics are not allowed on the MFP forums. This topic has turned political so I am locking it. Please see the forum rules for more information:

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