Occupy Theme Fail

[level_head]

I have been torn between being wryly amused and disappointed by the “occupy” movement. It contains many people who fantasize about killing people like me and destroying the free enterprise system and rule of law that made the United States so great. At the same time, they are utterly blind to actual crony capitalism if it’s on the Left: they like

Comments

[jordan179]

But I am a poet and songwriter, among other things, and thus I was interested in the song recently produced as a theme song for this movement. Unsurprisingly, it is full of references to killing people to get what they want: “Freedom is our canvas, your blood our paint” he sings, and he’s going to “string up” people that have achieved success.

The funny thing about the Occupy movement is how it is incompetently violent. The Occupiers fantasize about their overwhelming numbers and irresistible will, but in fact they demonstrated an inability to competently supply forces of mere thousands, and the only violent deaths so far have been, from their perspective, blue-on-blue, sucide or accident. And, of course, they're not exactly well-armed or skilled with weapons.

By contrast, the Tea Party isn't particlarly violent, but have demonstrated superior organizational skills, superior political skills, and -- because of their composition and beliefs -- doubtless include far larger numbers of ex-soldiers, hunters and target shooters who do

[rowyn]

A lot of training for violence -- martial arts or shooting or what have you -- also includes respect for the form. So people taught the practice of violence are somewhat less likely to be casual about threats, at least in my experience.

[myndcryme]

Excellent point.

- V -

[haikujaguar]

Agreed... this is an excellent point, as myndcryme mentions.

[deckardcanine]

I'm sad to see how many people in my life support OWS. They may not be examples of the uncivilized type, but they dismiss those as insignificant to the greater cause.

Better change "town" to "torn."

[level_head]

Everybody who's anybody supports OWS. The Communist Party, socialists, anti-capitalists, Nazis, KKK, anarchists, union leaders (who generally fit into the previous categories) ... what's not to like?

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[level_head]

Aha! Here is a list of supporters -- with many more unverified in the comments.

What can we take from this? Certainly nothing from a single group or person who decides to support a movement. But the "occupy" folks have managed to unite people representing all of America's enemies, opponents, and obstacles - and it is not a pretty sight.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[rowyn]

It's not that I like income inequality* or the crappy state of the economy. It's just that I don't see how the #occupy movement is going to improve anything. :/

* on the one hand, it really seems like major publicly-traded companies are not getting very good value for what they pay their CEOs. On the other, every 'cure' I've heard for this sounds like it will cause considerably more harm than the disease. :/

[level_head]

I actually like income inequality, at least the type created by the operation of free enterprise systems.

I'd agree, by the way, that much top CEO salary seems overblown, like that of entertainers and sports figures. But this is a problem that outside observers don't need to solve for them. The market will do that, and it harms no one.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[rowyn]

Well, I like the idea of income inequality inasmuch as I like the idea of rewarding people based on the value of their work. The free market seems to do a better job overall of valuing things than any other system yet attempted. That's not the same as saying it's doing a really /great/ job of it, though.

It's not so much that I am confident that the market will someday work out it can hire CEOs and superstars for a lot less money that will generally do work just as well, as that I believe having outside observers do price-fixing will do a great deal of harm in the form of unintended consequence.

[level_head]

I agree on both points.

It occurs to me that "let people work out their own idea of value" is a sort of "non-system" system. Anything else puts a system on top of it - a system, ultimately, of control.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[babydoc3]

I grabbed this from the video that as of midnight is still the artist’s official version.

Am I the only one that skimmed over this part and wondered why the video wouldn't play?
I'll let every one else make fun of the video fail. I am making myself stand in the corner for my own fail.

[level_head]

That was my fault. I should have grabbed enough of the screen to make it clear that this was a screen capture, not a linked video.

I was hesitant to link to the artist at all, but finally decided to do so in order to allow people to check my interpretation of their lyrics.

But a picture of a user interface that is not actually a user interface is poor practice. I should have avoided that.

As you probably saw, the link after that point goes to the page with the video.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[polaris93]

Charles Manson would love it.

[level_head]

The people that do express support for this movement are often troubling - or troubled.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[polaris93]

Or both. Yes.