Wall Street protesters: We're in for the long haul

[The Brain]

Meh. Cheap champagne is pretty much indistinguishable from the better sparklers from other countries and good champagne is expensive enough that anyone buying it knows the difference (apart from Veuve lovers who have no taste buds whatsoever).

Anyway global warming will see the rise of English sparkling wine specifically in the south which has a similar soil to Champagne.

Champagne should've been the southern England.  You guys really botched it in 15th century.

What's wrong with marrying into a clinically insane French family?

[Sheilbh]

I went to the London site today.  I like these protestors a lot.  They don't have any of their 'general assemblies' or use the megaphone during St. Paul's services, or the five minutes after the hour (apparently the Cathedral's saying the Lord's Prayer at that point).  When I went they were asking for volunteers to help move the tents to comply with fire safety regulations

They've also got a wall of posters and newspaper clippings and things about why people are protesting.  As well as the standard anti-capitalist stuff you get the odd eccentric.  Someone had written some nonsense about ley-lines and Cathedrals.  As far as I can see he was there simply because St. Paul's is spiritual.  But what made me like them was that someone had written an anti-vaccine poster.  On that poster someone had written 'don't believe this.  It's just bullshit'.  That endears me to them a lot.

Plus there's a good atmosphere in the area. 

[crazy canuck]

But what made me like them was that someone had written an anti-vaccine poster.  On that poster someone had written 'don't believe this.  It's just bullshit'.  That endears me to them a lot.

Lets hope there are not enough vaccine free rider nutbars in one concentrated area to cause an outbreak.

[Razgovory]

You are weird Sheilbh.

[Neil]

You are weird Sheilbh.

Sort of, but it's the romance of the situation that appeals to him.  He doesn't see them as a bunch of filthy layabouts whining about the society that allows them to maintain an extremely comfortable lifestyle, but completely unwilling to make actual sacrifices.  He sees them as being the heirs to 1848, the intellectuals and poets who took to the streets and risking it all to attempt to create a new, liberal Europe.

[Razgovory]

Despite being a liberal, I think I may have the heart of a conservative.  I don't like radical change, or protests, or mobs and the like.  Hell, I tend to order the same thing to eat every time I go out.

[Syt]

I went to the London site today.  I like these protestors a lot.  They don't have any of their 'general assemblies' or use the megaphone during St. Paul's services, or the five minutes after the hour (apparently the Cathedral's saying the Lord's Prayer at that point).  When I went they were asking for volunteers to help move the tents to comply with fire safety regulations

They've also got a wall of posters and newspaper clippings and things about why people are protesting.  As well as the standard anti-capitalist stuff you get the odd eccentric.  Someone had written some nonsense about ley-lines and Cathedrals.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I went to the London site today.  I like these protestors a lot.  They don't have any of their 'general assemblies' or use the megaphone during St. Paul's services, or the five minutes after the hour (apparently the Cathedral's saying the Lord's Prayer at that point).  When I went they were asking for volunteers to help move the tents to comply with fire safety regulations

They've also got a wall of posters and newspaper clippings and things about why people are protesting.  As well as the standard anti-capitalist stuff you get the odd eccentric.  Someone had written some nonsense about ley-lines and Cathedrals.  As far as I can see he was there simply because St. Paul's is spiritual.  But what made me like them was that someone had written an anti-vaccine poster.  On that poster someone had written 'don't believe this.  It's just bullshit'.  That endears me to them a lot.

Plus there's a good atmosphere in the area.

Sounds like a well-run protest 

Too many protests have their message lost due to bad behaviour and self-indulgence. With the current crop of politicians the way they are I think we can expect many more protests, most will not be as benign as this group appears to be.

[Richard Hakluyt]

However, it appears that St. Paul's has been obliged to close, some elf'n-safety bs :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15406865

Time for the protestors to move on.

[Sheilbh]

Time for the protestors to move on.

Yep

Despite being a liberal, I think I may have the heart of a conservative.  I don't like radical change, or protests, or mobs and the like.  Hell, I tend to order the same thing to eat every time I go out.

Conservatism's a temperament as well as an ideology.  If anything the two don't really go well together.

I don't get your hostility to protests though

[derspiess]

I don't get your hostility to protests though

I share his hostility.  There are just too many things in life (like working, spending time with family, sports, etc.) more worthwhile than protesting.  Plus, protesters tend to be annoying, self-righteous, and often out of touch with the people they are trying to bring over to their way of thinking.

That's not to say that protesting is never worthwhile.  It just isn't in this case & many others.

[Sheilbh]

I share his hostility.  There are just too many things in life (like working, spending time with family, sports, etc.) more worthwhile than protesting.  Plus, protesters tend to be annoying, self-righteous, and often out of touch with the people they are trying to bring over to their way of thinking.

That's not to say that protesting is never worthwhile.  It just isn't in this case & many others.

Life'd be tedious if we just did what was worthwhile - though I agree with all of them.  A protest march is, very often, just fun. 

[Valmy]

I share his hostility.  There are just too many things in life (like working, spending time with family, sports, etc.) more worthwhile than protesting.  Plus, protesters tend to be annoying, self-righteous, and often out of touch with the people they are trying to bring over to their way of thinking.

That's not to say that protesting is never worthwhile.  It just isn't in this case & many others.

Putting some political cause above sports is not worthwhile?  I mean so long as everything is peaceful I do not get the hostility.

And the media generally goes out of its way to make protestors seem as nutty as possible since, you know, it is more entertaining and they want to attract viewers.

[Valmy]

Life'd be tedious if we just did what was worthwhile - though I agree with all of them.  A protest march is, very often, just fun. 

Well the ones in the 60s certainly had a very fun element I am not sure the Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street protests look like that much fun.

[Sheilbh]

Well the ones in the 60s certainly had a very fun element I am not sure the Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street protests look like that much fun.

The occupy London one had a very fun element and made me think of the 60s.  Especially some French slogans that were on the posters.

Similarly with the Tea Party.  I think they've got a real point they're trying to make, I think they dress up in 18th century costume because it's fun. 

A good protest is like a gig, or festival.  You're all there for roughly the same reason, there's a nice togetherness and often a good atmosphere.  In my experience you get a similar sort of feeling at the end of it and you've done something to do with an issue you care about.  It's better than the probably more worthwhile and effective letter-writing campaigns you have with Amnesty.