Boss: I’d rather employ a paedo than a veteran

[Ed Anger]

Mumia Abu Jamal

I'm surprised that we've never had a thread wherein any Eurofruits have defended that piece of shit, actually. 

I had to put up with Antioch College slurping that murderer's cock every graduation. Thankfully, Antioch College is closed, because nobody wants to go to that fruit farm anymore. Goddamn fucking hippies.

Also:



I want that T-shirt.

[Barrister]

I just wanted to say that the whole setup seemed over the top.

If there's one cliche about the US that is completely true it is that they do a lot of things "over the top".

[The Larch]

As I told DGuller, I know that it's an extreme example of what I'm trying to say. 

Right, but what I am saying is that I don't even think it is an extreme example of what you are trying to say - it is an extreme example, but I doubt it has anything to do with "authority worship".

On the contrary, I think it is. There's other stuff as well. I was going to tell another anecdote in the same post but it'd be too much so I'll do it here. In NYC, when I was there, there was a big firefighter event one day on the Rockefeller Center. All the area was flooded with uniformed firemen, displaying all their equipment in some kind of showcase. There were lots of schoolbuses with children and their teachers attending. The fire commissioner of NYC gave a speech about fire prevention and administered the children an oath, with them being "honorary firefighters" and vowing to do their utmost to prevent fires and checking smoke detectors and stuff. I know that it's great to have kids taught about fire prevention, but the whole thing seems very over the top. I can't see something similar happening in Madrid, with firemen occupying a landmark for an event.

Another pet peeve of mine were the firefighter's uniforms. Why do they have such elaborate dress uniforms, complete with medals and everything? Is that something from NYC alone, or are other cities' firemen also dressed that way for ceremonial purposes? As I sad, they resembled military officers rather than firemen. Minsky explained it a bit to me, what with the historical background of it, but still it seemed quite exagerated.

And there are other things, maybe smaller, maybe more discreet, maybe things you're used to and don't see as special, but still there.

That example doesn't evidence "authority worship" anymore than the other one does though.

I bet you could not find anyone who attended such a rally who would agree that they thing they admire and respect about fireman is that they are authority figures. I don't even think fireman ARE authority figures, really.

I think you are projecting a rather nasty little bit of pseudo-fascism on the entire thing that simply does not exist.

While you may not find the respect given to those in public service palatable, you could at least have the basic courtesy of not casting it as something it is not so you can feed your own rather shallow misconceptions about Americans.

It
Has
Nothing
To
Do
With
Authority

Now you're the one that is projecting. I never said that it was pseudo-fascistic, or that it made me feel uneasy, that I found it unpalatable or anything. I only used that event as an anecdotical evidence of the level of resources, attention and support that NYC firemen could get to get their message across. I can't see Spanish firefighters doing something similar.

[The Brain]

Greasy peoples don't like firefighters or cops. Film at 11.

[Ed Anger]

I am going to defend my Spanish brother. He isn't Black Dragon 2.0, Isebrand 2.5 or Martim 3.1.

[The Larch]

I want that T-shirt.

IIRC, they sold it over at the joint. You can always make the trip to Philly, treat yourself to one of Geno's cheesteaks and buy yourself a T-shirt. 

[The Larch]

I am going to defend my Spanish brother. He isn't Black Dragon 2.0, Isebrand 2.5 or Martim 3.1.

[The Brain]

I am going to defend my Spanish brother. He isn't Black Dragon 2.0, Isebrand 2.5 or Martim 3.1.

gay

[The Minsky Moment]

Another pet peeve of mine were the firefighter's uniforms. Why do they have such elaborate dress uniforms, complete with medals and everything? Is that something from NYC alone, or are other cities' firemen also dressed that way for ceremonial purposes? As I sad, they resembled military officers rather than firemen. Minsky explained it a bit to me, what with the historical background of it, but still it seemed quite exagerated.

Yes historically many of the early NYC fire companies were private volunteer companies sponsored by Tammany (machine) politicians.  They were more like social clubs than serious fire fighting organizations.  They wore outlandish uniforms because the whole idea was to attract attention - kind of like the 19th century equivalent of a TV spot or a campaign bill board.  When the Civil War came, a number of these companies joined together to form their own regiment, which fought using French-Morrocan style "Zouave" uniforms.  Within NYC there was a trend towards professionalization after the Barnum Museum fire, but the volunteer brigades were never entirely phased out, and are still quite common as one heads upstate.  And the new professional force simply absorbed much of the personnel, equipment, and culture of the old volunteer fire clubs.

Comparatively speaking, things have toned down quite a bit since then.

[Ed Anger]

Now I want to watch Gangs of New York again, and watch union troops shoot the mob.

[Berkut]

Now you're the one that is projecting. I never said that it was pseudo-fascistic, or that it made me feel uneasy, that I found it unpalatable or anything. I only used that event as an anecdotical evidence of the level of resources, attention and support that NYC firemen could get to get their message across. I can't see Spanish firefighters doing something similar.

...I doubt it has anything to do with "authority worship".

On the contrary, I think it is. There's other stuff as well.

Perhaps that is not what you mean, but it is what you said.

Again - nothing to do with "authority". I mostly agree with you, except that every time you keep dragging out the "authority worship" thing, which is simply wrong, and is precisely why DG brought up the supposed paradox of people who claim to love freedom being a bit fascist in their support of authority for its own sake.

It is only a paradox if you assume that the thing they care about is the authority that is represented. That is wrong for 2 reasons:

1. Firefighters do not represent authority, and
2. Even when talking about police (who do), the thing being respected/venerated/whatever is not their authority, it is their service and sacrifice.

A little thinking would in fact make it clear that it cannot really be "authority worship" if for no other reason than the two primary examples provided (police and firefighters) do not even share that trait.

I think that the insistence that this is some kind of "authority worship" says more about the person leveling that claim than the people it is being leveled at.

[AnchorClanker]

Ah, The Sun.  As if The Daily Mail isn't bad enough. 

[Habbaku]

Our nutso would sell Franco wine. 

What would it take to get a bottle of that imported?  I imagine keeping that around as a conversation piece would be pretty amusing.

[grumbler]

I think this thread is telling us much more about the Larch than about anything else.  Firefighters doing extravagant things to try to make kids aware of the dangers of fire?  Zounds!  Call the newspapers and let's get the film ready for the 11 o'clock broadcast!

In Spain they might not do this, but then Spanish citizens cross the borders and murder French policemen, so maybe the kids learn from that.

[Jaron]

Our nutso would sell Franco wine. 

What would it take to get a bottle of that imported?  I imagine keeping that around as a conversation piece would be pretty amusing.

You know you just want to pour it over your naked body and revel in the fascism.