Ok, well your threshold for what is 'debunked' and what isn't, may be far different than mine, or anyone else.
Ok, I look forward to it...Have a good day at work.
?
j-mac
Ok. Crazy work this week, sorry it took so long.
Im gonna try to hit both points.
Part of the OWS effort was to come together and decide what exactly they believe is wrong and then decide what they think ought to be done about it.
That's what the whole finger waving, peoples mic, general assembly thing is all about. Its a consensus process, there's a wiki if you're interested in how it works.
There was also a conscious effort to NOT come out with anything concrete. For two reasons.
One, it denies the spin machinery an anchor.
Two, it causes people to speculate. And when they speculate they talk about the subject of their speculation.
No one in this country TALKS to each other about what's important anymore. We bitch about the other side to people on our side or we yell talking points back and forth at each other over the fence.
I had hoped the OWS phenomenon would lead to a reasonable discussion about issues many grown up intelligent people are seriously concerned about. Looks like that's not going to happen.
In a nutshell, they are concerned about the unhealthy relationship between our govt and big money.
Capitalisms only a couple of centuries old.
Our particular form less than that, iirc.
OWS feels its time for patches and upgrades.
As far as debunked, somebody posted a list and reminded me of a couple I forgot.
First on this ACORN thing, Grim posted a video as proof that said no such thing. The interviewee did indeed say she thought Nycc was paying people to protest. However, she was saying that NYCC was paying people to DISRUPT the protests. And she clearly states no one told her they were paid by NYCC. She actually uses the term "provocateur".
Much hay has been made about "antisemitism" at OWS. The "official" video from a jewish group showed two guys. The same black guy photographed from multiple angles. The raw video is posted on the board here. Including protesters actively denouncing him as not part of the protest. At least one article claims he has been there with the same kind of sign since earlier this summer. The second guy is "lotion man", worth looking up. Complete jackass, local knucklehead. The video also had two signs, one with a comment on the Israeli "occupation" and some picture of netanyahu with a knife or something in his head(?).
A photo of a sign saying "**** the Troops" and a picture of a guy ****ting on the flag (with the same sign in the background) was identified by Mattilac as coming from an anti war protest several years ago.
An article was posted claiming one of the protests lost its permit for public masturbation. The article mentions complaints from a local business that such had been seen, but the permit was pulled for some compliance issue.
A HUGE homeless presence has descended on OWS protests all over the country, including multiple reports of cops and shelters sending homeless people to Occupations. Some claiming cops have actually brought troublemakers to the sites (haven't seen proof of this).
Knowing this is the case, reports of criminal activity and god knows what else should be questioned as to whether they represent actual actions of protesters or just homeless alcoholics and drug addicts, and probably sex offenders, knowing how many are homeless.
There's at least one claim of "sexual assault of a minor" that involves a fourteen year old who admitted she told the guy she was 19.
I'm sure there's more that I forgot. The point is that, all the violence and vandalism in Oakland and elsewhere aside, too many of the "reports" on the Occupations are questionable, outright falsehoods, or ridiculous spin.
And that sucks, because this country is in bad shape, and our elected officials and their sponsors are NOT going to do anything to upset their gravy train.
I think we may have missed an opportunity to come together and fix what's broken.
Leaving us farther apart as a people, at a time when we can't afford to keep playing partisan games.
And that's just sad and depressing.