G20 Protests

Originally Posted by simesb

What a fatuous argument. Don't protest because there is somebody worse off than yourself? But presumably don't do it as a crowd because, as you say, protest never changes anything?

What's fatuous about it?

The way I see it is the protesters haven't garnered a bit of support from anyone in a postion of power or influence, in fact quite the opposite has happened. Their protest turned violent when certain members attacked banks and caused damage to private and public property. That is what will be remembered - I couldn't even tell you what the protest was initially about, because the later events overshadowed it and what sticks in my mind is the disgraceful way that the protesters behaved, not the fact that one or two got shoved about by coppers because they wouldn't do as they were told by someone they should have more respect for.

Like I said before, there are millions of armchair socialists who are quite happy to spout their left wing views while sitting down in front of their expensive laptops in their own homes with luxuries around them that third world families can only dream of. You want to make a change, go help those you profess to care about, but don't spoil my sunday stroll down Oxford Street while you're at it.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

What's fatuous about it?

The suggestion that the protest was pointless because they weren't campaigning for the most deprived group in the world. (don't change anything here until all of Africa is prosperous and fed was the jist of it)

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Their protest turned violent when certain members attacked banks and caused damage to private and public property. That is what will be remembered - I couldn't even tell you what the protest was initially about, because the later events overshadowed it and what sticks in my mind is the disgraceful way that the protesters behaved, not the fact that one or two got shoved about by coppers because they wouldn't do as they were told by someone they should have more respect for.

Most of the press is actually about the indiscriminate beating handed out by the police, probably resulting in the death of one bystander. Kinda depends on your point of view that one.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Like I said before, there are millions of armchair socialists who are quite happy to spout their left wing views while sitting down in front of their expensive laptops in their own homes with luxuries around them that third world families can only dream of. You want to make a change, go help those you profess to care about, but don't spoil my sunday stroll down Oxford Street while you're at it.

Not in my backyard eh? You probably think I'm one with the left wing views - they certainly seem to be to the left of yours.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

What's fatuous about it?

The way I see it is the protesters haven't garnered a bit of support from anyone in a postion of power or influence, in fact quite the opposite has happened. Their protest turned violent when certain members attacked banks and caused damage to private and public property. That is what will be remembered - I couldn't even tell you what the protest was initially about, because the later events overshadowed it and what sticks in my mind is the disgraceful way that the protesters behaved, not the fact that one or two got shoved about by coppers because they wouldn't do as they were told by someone they should have more respect for.

Like I said before, there are millions of armchair socialists who are quite happy to spout their left wing views while sitting down in front of their expensive laptops in their own homes with luxuries around them that third world families can only dream of. You want to make a change, go help those you profess to care about, but don't spoil my sunday stroll down Oxford Street while you're at it.

I can see where you come from with your argument Lozzo, but I don't think you can dismiss the protests solely on the fact the government hasn't publicly addressed anything significant yet.

Britain has always been a nation of protesters and rioters, and the reason the method is used, is that it is effective. This thread has shown enough turmoil to prove that yes, those riots have our attention.

Whether their individual messages have got through, we will see in time. But we do know that it has riled a lot of people, and made them much more likely to fight for what they believe. Every political movement has to start somewhere, and we're already 12 pages in discussing it ...

Originally Posted by simesb

Not in my backyard eh? You probably think I'm one with the left wing views - they certainly seem to be to the left of yours.

Maybe because I couldn't care less what happens to African peasants. For me charity begins at home, which is why I won't donate to Comic Relief or other projects that distribute money in third world countries whose leaders are going to leach it away. I feel there are far more deserving cases in this country that get overlooked ecause of the big fuss and publicity Africa gets. You'll never end the poverty, not until you break down the tribal barriers, and with white supremacy now out of the picture in many African countries, tribal leadership is taking a stronger hold than it ever has done before.

You can shout and march all you like, people like Robert Mugabe will be rubbing their hands if you ever do make a difference, because you'll be inadvertantly feathering their nests.

If you hadn't already guessed, my politics are slightly to the right of Attilla the Hun's

If people were marching on Downing Street to get that one-eyed Jock d1ckhead's head on a pole on London Bridge alongside Tony Blair's, then I'd be at the head of the queue, but don't waste your time protesting about Africa, it's a lost cause and would surely benefit from the careful deployment of a handful of well made nukes.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Maybe because I couldn't care less what happens to African peasants. For me charity begins at home, which is why I won't donate to Comic Relief or other projects that distribute money in third world countries whose leaders are going to leach it away. I feel there are far more deserving cases in this country that get overlooked ecause of the big fuss and publicity Africa gets. You'll never end the poverty, not until you break down the tribal barriers, and with white supremacy now out of the picture in many African countries, tribal leadership is taking a stronger hold than it ever has done before.

You can shout and march all you like, people like Robert Mugabe will be rubbing their hands if you ever do make a difference, because you'll be inadvertantly feathering their nests.

If you hadn't already guessed, my politics are slightly to the right of Attilla the Hun's

If people were marching on Downing Street to get that one-eyed Jock d1ckhead's head on a pole on London Bridge alongside Tony Blair's, then I'd be at the head of the queue, but don't waste your time protesting about Africa, it's a lost cause and would surely benefit from the careful deployment of a handful of well made nukes.

As far as Africa goes; the G20 protests weren't about giving financial aid to Africa. It was about freeing up unfair trade restrictions and acting against the despot leaders such as Mugabe. About letting the people at the bottom earn their way by selling their products, without being out-priced by partisan trade 'agreements' made by the west, and EU subsidies that leave the Africans without any hope of being competitive.

Autocrats gain power when countries are so unstable that the man with the most outlandish and violent methods can take control without fear of being reprieved. This is only assisted by our old-empire methods of abusing nations so vulnerable to such leaders as Mugabe. The tyrants who can show the West - honestly - as a collective who will take what they can get, with no respect for the people they're abusing.

Feel free to send your money to whatever charity you want. But when people are trying to make a difference that couldn't be further from their own interests; I suggest commenting that they should be beaten for expressing their opinions, will more than likely provoke a response you won't like.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

When you've grown up a bit you'll understand a bit better, but as you're still a snot-nosed kid you've a long way to go.

When I grow up I hope I'm as vicious as you.

Well if G2D is representative of "the youth" then I think we have nothing to fear of the future, intelligent argument, not rising to insult tossing, making clear and concise points. Thankfully, I know that Lozzo is not representative of "the old".

No man is an island Lozzo.

[Ch00]

Originally Posted by northwind

Oh, nobody's mentioned that the officer in question has hidden his numbers. I'll mention it then

He has not covered them up. Public order supervisors have different colour numbers so they can stand out.

Ch00