• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Occupy Protesters Have Blocked Access to Three West-Coast Ports

TheDemSocialist

Gradualist
DP Veteran
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
34,951
Reaction score
16,311
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Socialist
Update (1:35 p.m. EST): The Port of Long Beach is back open, The Guardian reports, citing "Freelance journalist and Occupy LA protester Ruth Fowler," who is on the scene. It closed for about an hour this morning. But the Chronicle reports that the Port of Oakland remains closed as protesters' ranks there swell.Protesters who said they wanted to shut down ports along the West Coast Monday appear to be getting traction in Oakland, Portland, and Long Beach, where they've blocked access roads and stopped trucks from making deliveries. The Port of Oakland has reportedly closed, The Guardian reports in its live blog, while Long Beach protesters are facing down police as they refuse to move from an intersection, the Los Angeles Times reports. Portland, too, has protesters massing at the entrances to its port, where they blocked trucks from entering and apparently disrupted the port's operation for the day. On the East Coast, meanwhile, police have reportedly started arresting Occupy Wall Street protesters who targeted Goldman Sachs in what they're calling a "squidding" demonstration.



http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/12/occupy-protesters-have-blocked-access-three-west-coast-ports/46064/

T
his does not seem to be popular within the Longshore workers union. Does not seem to be very well organized or didnt really have a lot of steam behind it. I still support the move and cause however.

Thoughts?
Comments?
Response?
 
But OWS are for and represent the 99%. yea right. I don't understand how someone can support such a disorganized movement. Especially now that their actions are distrupting the 99% ability to work.
 
I think that the people who support the occupy movements need to slow down and be more thoughtful in their actions. And furthermore, I think they all need to study true non violence in the spirit of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. According to principled non-violence, the objective is never to "defeat" your opponent, but to convert them. Thus, your actions should always focus on a positive goal. The whole purpose of the action to shut down the ports is negative. The idea is either to hurt Goldman Sachs financially (who apparently have large holdings in some transportation firms that operate or operate in the ports), or to flex the muscle of the occupy movement in order to show the ability of the movement to create major and significant disruptions. Either way, the point is to intimidate or hurt the opponent, and that is not non-violent.

Furthermore, the occupy people should be working with the unions. The longshoreman's union did not condone today's action (though I think they did condone the previous one). Here are some quotes from a letter the president of the ILWU wrote a week ago regarding today's actions:

On October 5, 2011, I published a statement in support of “Occupy Wall Street.” In that statement, I thanked the organizers of the “Occupy Wall Street” protest in New York City for shining a light on some of the most pressing issues of our times – corporate influence on democracy, the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, and the failure of accountability for the financial crisis. These issues are linked to issues that concern the membership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), namely, the attack on Social Security and Medicare, the refusal to level the playing field by supporting workplace democracy and employee free choice, and the failure to implement any kind of meaningful change to an unjust tax system, and we find strength in the courage of the supporters of the Occupy movement.

<snip>

While there can be no doubt that the ILWU shares the Occupy movement’s concerns about the future of the middle class and corporate abuses, we must be clear that our struggle against EGT is just that – our struggle. The ILWU has a long history of democracy. Part of that historic democracy is the hard-won right to chart our own course to victory. As the Occupy movement, which began in September 2011, sweeps this country, there is a real danger that forces outside of the ILWU will attempt to adopt our struggle as their own. Support is one thing, organization from outside groups attempting to co-opt our struggle in order to advance a broader agenda is quite another and one that is destructive to our democratic process and jeopardizes our over two year struggle in Longview.

I think that the occupy movement needs to SLOW DOWN. Focus needs to remain on discussion, and education. We need to create and call for some real and creative solutions to the problems our nation faces. There are so many people that are involved in the occupy movement. Someone has to be able to think of a great, simple, and effective idea/action that can be put into motion. I was a big fan of the movement to move money out of big banks. That is a positive action in the sense that it moves money into locally owned banks and credit unions that are more likely to invest locally than national banks, and in the sense that it is a refusal to participate in a system that you feel is not serving your interests. Occupy needs to be talking more, brainstorming, and finding the solutions and actions that are the most inclusive, most intelligent, and most creative. You can't just tear down the current system. You have to learn EVERYTHING you can about the current one, figure out what you don't like about it, as well as what works, and create an alternative. This is going to take YEARS. I suggest anyone who is interested in occupy read as much about Gandhi and the theory of non violence as possible. Do that first.

And just for the record, I do not suggest sticking strictly to non-violent principles just because it agrees best with my morals, but because I truly feel that it is the most effective way of enacting change
 
Somewhere, some time back, in one of these various threads, I stated that as far as I can tell, the “Occupy” vermin, in general are “takers”*who resent not being allowed to take as much as they perceive themselves to be entitled to, from the “makers”; and that ultimately, all honest, productive, working Americans are the intended targets of the “Occupy” movement. It's not the 99% against the 1%; it's the 47% against the 53%.

I think this latest stunt proves that I was right. The people most hurt by this stunt are not the mythical “1%”; they are productive, honest workers, just trying o make an honest living. They would be among the “99%” for whom the “Occupy” vermin claim to be fighting; yet the majority of them probably had a very negative view of the “Occupy” vermin even before they found their own livelihoods under direct attack by these vermin.
 
They're nothing but scum.
That's just my words for them
 
This does not seem to be popular within the Longshore workers union

Good! The Longshoremen have been disruptive enough on their own - let them be pissed with some OWS pukes and see what happens. I've got my bag o popcorn and I'm watching and waiting for Unions to go ape**** like they did before.

If they don't I think that means they've matured a bit and I'll be a bit proud of this new step.
 
I can't imagine this will be popular with anyone.
 
In the 80's that would have been the end of them - these days I don't think people care about malls as much.

Then again: I might be wrong.



you are wrong, this time a year my techs have to avoid certain highways and whatnot due to mall traffic.
 
many of the dock workers support these actions. Goldman Sachs owns the shipping company.



I'm sure you can back this up. Especially around christmas time when money is tight, I am sure they support snotty white kids blocking them going to thier jobs,
 
I'm sure you can back this up. Especially around christmas time when money is tight, I am sure they support snotty white kids blocking them going to thier jobs,

Depends I suppose. Are they getting paid anyway?
 
I guess the longshormen, stevadors, et al aren't part of that 99%? Lol.

Actually there's some truth to that. Many West Coast longshoremen benefit from six-figure union wages. Not that this excuses Occupy's stupidity, just something I'd like to point out.
 
Occupy protesters try to disrupt ports; police make arrests - CNN.com

The port protesters are focusing on terminals owned by SSA Marine, saying it is owed by the Goldman Sachs investment firm, which they argue exemplifies corporate greed and is anti-union.

The union "shares the Occupy movement's concerns about the future of the middle class and corporate abuses," ILWU President Robert McEllrath wrote to locals last week"
 
many of the dock workers support these actions. Goldman Sachs owns the shipping company.

really now...

from the OP:

The trucker's frustration seems to mirror that of the International Longshore Workers Union, which did not sanction Monday's port actions. The ILWU said the protests would do harm to its members, costing them a day's pay, according to the Chronicle. But The Guardian reports that protesters say they're acting in support of the ILWU.
 
Occupy protesters try to disrupt ports; police make arrests - CNN.com

The port protesters are focusing on terminals owned by SSA Marine, saying it is owed by the Goldman Sachs investment firm, which they argue exemplifies corporate greed and is anti-union.

The union "shares the Occupy movement's concerns about the future of the middle class and corporate abuses," ILWU President Robert McEllrath wrote to locals last week"

I certainly have less of a problem with this position if it is targeted as opposed to a general thing.
 
This is ridiculous..... I have never understood things like this. A bunch of flesh and blood people stopping trucks from getting into a port facility? Must be some damn big people to be able to stop a semi-truck from running their worthless asses over to make a delivery.
 
Back
Top Bottom