Thugs.

Larry calls it right! No one will be held accountable for these assaults.

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 2:28am PDT - promote requested by dotdude.

It's almost too true to be sarcasm...

Gee... we could really do with a G. Bush speech quoting defending freedom and democracy 15 times round about now.>> ^hpqp:

Oh look, it's Syria.

We gave up our rights so the Government could protect us against an invisible enemy living among us.

Now, because we demand justice and fairness, we are the enemy. Who will protect us from the Government?

Lawrence O'Donnell is a bad actor.

The way this is framed it will only preach to the choir, which is a real shame since I think an injustice was done.

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2011/09/26-1

Different

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/09/26-8

So is this guy supposed to be the new Keith Olbermann?

The behaviour of the police has obviously crossed the line. However, I think the focus on the police is really distracting the public from the bigger problem. The one that these demonstrators are out to protest: corporate greed, the unequal concentration of wealth and money's marriage to political power.

I'm quite sure these police officers aren't receiving corporate kickbacks to the tune of six figures. I think the real story is the protest itself. In some countries, protesters are executed for their dissent so let's keep this in perspective.

Ugh, that poor woman..

I didn't need any more reasons to hate cops. They are nothing but militarized, above-the-law goons nowadays. They are under-trained, shoot/tase/spray-first, hyper-testosteroned thugs whose primary purpose is to raise revenue for the city/county/state they work for. Police forces everywhere are rife with power-trip blowhards who simply can't function without a daily dose of "yes sir", "no sir", "anything you say sir". People who desire to become cops are often the very people who shouldn't be allowed to become cops because their reasons have little to do with "public service", and more to do with desiring power and longing for the respect they couldn't earn as a civilian.

Remember when a college degree was required to become a cop? They'll take anybody nowadays, as long as they can write tickets. They are nothing but paid witnesses, and absolutely worthless when it comes to "protect and serve".

O'Donnell is spot on.

(good book, btw)

Some police forces now do extensive psychological profiling before hiring to eliminate exactly this kind of person. The problem is that almost everyone starts out normal, but after a few years on the job, they see the world differently. They become psychologically damaged by the job. They divide the world into "Police" and "others", and cease to see people as people, but as criminals. This division creates all sorts of hostility and misunderstanding, which combined with their incredible legal powers, results again and again in what you see here. If police could just admit that it's a severely traumatic job psychologically and accept help, the world would be a much better place.>> ^Fletch:

I didn't need any more reasons to hate cops. They are nothing but militarized, above-the-law goons nowadays. They are under-trained, shoot/tase/spray-first, hyper-testosteroned thugs whose primary purpose is to raise revenue for the city/county/state they work for. Police forces everywhere are rife with power-trip blowhards who simply can't function without a daily dose of "yes sir", "no sir", "anything you say sir". People who desire to become cops are often the very people who shouldn't be allowed to become cops because their reasons have little to do with "public service", and more to do with desiring power and longing for the respect they couldn't earn as a civilian.
Remember when a college degree was required to become a cop? They'll take anybody nowadays, as long as they can write tickets. They are nothing but paid witnesses, and absolutely worthless when it comes to "protect and serve".
O'Donnell is spot on.

(good book, btw)

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 3:32pm PDT - promote requested by lavoll.

Goldman Sachs rules the world!

>> ^Fletch:

I didn't need any more reasons to hate cops. They are nothing but militarized, above-the-law goons nowadays. They are under-trained, shoot/tase/spray-first, hyper-testosteroned thugs whose primary purpose is to raise revenue for the city/county/state they work for. Police forces everywhere are rife with power-trip blowhards who simply can't function without a daily dose of "yes sir", "no sir", "anything you say sir". People who desire to become cops are often the very people who shouldn't be allowed to become cops because their reasons have little to do with "public service", and more to do with desiring power and longing for the respect they couldn't earn as a civilian.
Remember when a college degree was required to become a cop? They'll take anybody nowadays, as long as they can write tickets. They are nothing but paid witnesses, and absolutely worthless when it comes to "protect and serve".
O'Donnell is spot on.

(good book, btw)



"If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

The police state exists because of Liberals would rather give up freedom for security. You get what you vote for. Now they turn on you.

Only through strict adherence to the constitution will this go away. Vote TEA PARTY. This country does not need liberals / Democrats or Rinos.

I smell serious riots in the pressure cooker. This pot's gonna blow!

>> ^bobknight33:

The police state exists because of Liberals would rather give up freedom for security. You get what you vote for. Now they turn on you.
Only through strict adherence to the constitution will this go away. Vote TEA PARTY. This country does not need liberals / Democrats or Rinos.


Wow, the sift is contributing a whole lot to my section of dumbest things ever said.

Let's not forget that comparing this situation to countries like Syria and Egypt excludes that fact that here, cops aren't killing the peaceful protesters. While there are similarities, don't trick yourself into thinking that many of these people would've still shown up on Wall Street if they thought they might lose their lives for it.

That said, it's always interesting that we complain about the police or the protesters first. Time and time again, the wealthy and privileged watch from the balcony while the lower classes expend their energy fighting each other.

Who is letting this country become a police state?

>> ^luxury_pie:

>> ^bobknight33:
The police state exists because of Liberals would rather give up freedom for security. You get what you vote for. Now they turn on you.
Only through strict adherence to the constitution will this go away. Vote TEA PARTY. This country does not need liberals / Democrats or Rinos.

Wow, the sift is contributing a whole lot to my section of dumbest things ever said.

FUCK THE POLICE!

Pepper spray police officers personnel information.

Anthony Bologna D0x
NYPD Deputy Inspector
Patrol Boro Manhattan South - 212-477-6181

-Possible phone number: (518) 989-9051

Aditional Information
Anonymous divulges pepper spray police officers personnel information.

>> ^bobknight33:

Who is letting this country become a police state?
>> ^luxury_pie:
>> ^bobknight33:
The police state exists because of Liberals would rather give up freedom for security. You get what you vote for. Now they turn on you.
Only through strict adherence to the constitution will this go away. Vote TEA PARTY. This country does not need liberals / Democrats or Rinos.

Wow, the sift is contributing a whole lot to my section of dumbest things ever said.


Hmm, there is a bunch of people... let's start with myself.

Looks like the protest events are finally trickling into the mainstream media.

Oh look I got a powerpoint!

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 5:22am PDT - promote requested by notarobot.

No really this statism thing is working out great.

I'm no fan of unnecessary violence. For shame.

But these dummies at the protests need to dial it back, and stop doing things in such a way as to make a police presence necessary. If they would conduct a peaceful prostest that didn't interfere with business and daily traffic then cops wouldn't be needed. If cops weren't needed, then no one would get pepper-sprayed. Takes two to tango, and if protestors don't want cops giving them a hard time then maybe protestors should not be doing crap that gets police called to the scene. Use common sense. Just because you're protesting doesn't mean you need to be a dingus that requires cops around to keep you in line.

And these NYC bozos are tools. Cornel West, and a bunch of other marxist radicals are there and they aren't there to peacefully protest Wall Street excess. They are there to stir people up. These dumb kids going there need to wake up and realize they are being used as someone else's 'useful idiot'. I'm sure this chick didn't go there thinking she was going to end up in a scene where pepper spray got used.

19 more comments have been lost in the ether at this killed duplicate.

Submissive to authority? - check
Aggressive on behalf of authority? - check
Possessing moderate to little education? - check (an assumption)
Trusting of untrustworthy authorities? - check
Narrow-minded? - check
Intolerant? - check
Dogmatic? - check
Uncritical toward chosen authority? - check
Inconsistent and contradictory? - check
Highly self-righteous? - check
Politically and economically conservative/Republican? - check

At least you're not a fan of violence. Well... unless it's necessary, which means you should be condemning these cops, as this was definitely a peaceful protest. But I doubt you will, because it's acceptable to assault "dumb kids", right? Especially if they don't think the way you do. If the cops assaulted them, it must be the fault of the protesters, right? Marxist radicals? Really? Really? Do you even read the dross on your screen before you hit the submit button? Your comment seems to be nothing but stream-of-consciousness prattle infected with Foxisms, ditto-head mantra, and the voices in your Cheerios.

EDIT: Why no pretty quote box?


>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:< br />I'm no fan of unnecessary violence. For shame.
But these dummies at the protests need to dial it back, and stop doing things in such a way as to make a police presence necessary. If they would conduct a peaceful prostest that didn't interfere with business and daily traffic then cops wouldn't be needed. If cops weren't needed, then no one would get pepper-sprayed. Takes two to tango, and if protestors don't want cops giving them a hard time then maybe protestors should not be doing crap that gets police called to the scene. Use common sense. Just because you're protesting doesn't mean you need to be a dingus that requires cops around to keep you in line.
And these NYC bozos are tools. Cornel West, and a bunch of other marxist radicals are there and they aren't there to peacefully protest Wall Street excess. They are there to stir people up. These dumb kids going there need to wake up and realize they are being used as someone else's 'useful idiot'. I'm sure this chick didn't go there thinking she was going to end up in a scene where pepper spray got used.

Whoa. Angryface.jpg at the end...

This isn't in the spirit of the comments but could that chick keep her shit together and stop screaming? 4:46 for the love of god

Can we get this pinned to the front page for a couple weeks?

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

It'll probably appear in the "top Sift of the Week" panel.>> ^jmd:

Can we get this pinned to the front page for a couple weeks?

*doublepromote

Double-Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 5:34pm PDT - doublepromote requested by NicoleBee.

>> ^acidSpine:

This isn't in the spirit of the comments but could that chick keep her shit together and stop screaming? 4:46 for the love of god


One of those chicks is deaf.
She probably didn't know how her screams of pain would annoy you.

I've seen the vids. The protests is a knut of very old radicals reliving their 'nam glory days, and a bunch of kids just there to feel like they've got a purpose. You've got Cornel, Fonda, Saranden, and other bozos getting people to chant anti-American revolution dogma. You've got these yahoos blocking traffic and sidewalks. It's called "Day of Rage".

A peaceful protest is one where you confine your demonstration to a place where you are not interfering with innocent citizens. The Wall Street yahoos are blocking both foot and road traffic, causing a disturbance, and being a public nuisance. When that happens - boom - the cops show up. When the cops show up in that situation, stuff like this happens. Duh. Protesting is fine - but don't be stupid about it.

And I'm not a Republican. I'm a fiscally conservative, socially libertarian constitutional constructionist. Or - as I like to call it - a FiSCCaL. These protestors are angry at the wrong target. The Wall Street problems (and they are a problem) are merely a symptom of the greater issue. The problem is government which creates an environment of corruption and cronyism. Wall Street couldn't have done squat if government hadn't served up a bunch of exemptions, loopholes, and other shenanigans. Did companies WANT those things? Sure - but they can't HAVE them without a corrupt government. The solution is not to whine about Wall Street. The solution is to slap down government hard, reduce their power, and have simple tax reform like Cain's 9/9/9 plan (moving to a Fair Tax), and eliminate all the pork projects and government 'subsidies' of industry. Limit government and root out federal corruption and you create a system where Wall Street abuses can no longer exist because there is no 'system' for them to abuse.

It's true that we need to keep things in perspective, but we ALSO need to stop it before it reaches a point where we are the same as those nations.
>> ^alcom:

The behaviour of the police has obviously crossed the line. However, I think the focus on the police is really distracting the public from the bigger problem. The one that these demonstrators are out to protest: corporate greed, the unequal concentration of wealth and money's marriage to political power.
I'm quite sure these police officers aren't receiving corporate kickbacks to the tune of six figures. I think the real story is the protest itself. In some countries, protesters are executed for their dissent so let's keep this in perspective.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:
A peaceful protest is one where you confine your demonstration to a place where you are not interfering with innocent citizens.


In other words, the only kind of protest you're OK with is a protest that achieves nothing. Status quo for life?

Martin Luther King managed to create protests and a movement that DIDN'T get in people's faces or disrupting the business of innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with what you're protesting. He did it with a positive, uplifting, inspirational message that people of good sense could not help but agree with. These yahoos are doing the exact opposite. They couldn't be driving people AWAY from their cause any better if they were trying.

Did he? He created the movement single-handedly, and he alone was the voice that changed everything? Nobody got in anyone's face, broke any laws, sat in seats on buses reserved for "innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with what you're protesting?"

You need to go back and reread that chapter in your history book.

Winstonfield, what you're saying about MLK's tactics is simply wrong. Read MLK's biography by Eric Dyson. MLK wanted to use non-violent "industrial sabotage" to clog up industries and highways in Washington DC, to bring things to a halt until democratic socialist reforms were put into place. He wanted to do this by clogging places up with people so that even "innocent bystanders," as you put it, would have no choice but take notice.

Also I believe MLK supported "sit ins" where black people came in and sat in white-only restaurants, filling them up with black customers. This drove away white customers from stores, and I'm sure owners were annoyed that they were losing so much business to this tactic. Plus, at the time, I'm pretty sure white owners had the legal right to only serve white customers, thus the private property rights of white owners were being violated by MLK's black supporters.

If you disagree with the Occupy Wall Street end goal, OK that's fine. But don't criticize the tactics in the belief that MLK Jr. was not a supporter of the tactics here, because he used them himself.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

Martin Luther King managed to create protests and a movement that DIDN'T get in people's faces or disrupting the business of innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with what you're protesting. He did it with a positive, uplifting, inspirational message that people of good sense could not help but agree with. These yahoos are doing the exact opposite. They couldn't be driving people AWAY from their cause any better if they were trying.


wrong wrong WRONG!
martin luther king jr knew full well the only way a peaceful protest would be effective was by interfering with business.
any protest that was even moderately successful interfered with business and the everyday machinery of government.
now we have "free speech zones"(see:RNC 2008 st paul MN) which are many times far distances from the very thing being protested.....how convenient.
this is where the protesters can be marginalized and ignored but get in the way of everyday business and NOW you will get noticed.
and the government will send its goons in to strong arm and intimidate because the business class scream bloody murder.
there will be arrests.
there will be macings.
there will be violence and yes,even sometimes murders.
all of which can now be clandestinely videotaped from a phone exposing the strong arm tactics of the government all in the name of "keeping the peace".

this aint rocket science.it is effective and it works.
your obedient slave solution just leaves the protester flaccid and ineffective.
you have the RIGHT of redress.
you have the RIGHT to assemble.
and the police are within their powers to cite or detain you for civil disobedience.
they are NOT within their powers to:maim,torture,brutalize and disregard the laws in which they were sworn to uphold.
this is about challenging power and authority and the only way to do that properly is to disrupt the machinations of power and authority.

You heard it here first, people, George W. was a liberal.
>> ^bobknight33:

The police state exists because of Liberals would rather give up freedom for security. You get what you vote for. Now they turn on you.
Only through strict adherence to the constitution will this go away. Vote TEA PARTY. This country does not need liberals / Democrats or Rinos.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

I'm not a Republican. I'm a fiscally conservative, socially libertarian constitutional constructionist.


You're a fucking idiot.

(Sorry that's all I can manage after reading this shit.)

*dead

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