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Tag(s): Attention Whores; Florida; Kerry-John; Other; Police Brutality; Police State
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September 18, 2007 at 10:59:41

Harry Potter and the Taser

by Hans Meyer Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Monday evening I watched an interesting debate unfold in an on-line blog. The topic was the Tasering of a University of Florida student by the police at an open forum with Massachusetts US Senator John Kerry. The topic was so hot that the comments section easily swelled to over 500 posts in a matter of just a few hours.

The facts seem to be these: Kerry was speaking to a gathering at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, covering the Middle East, Iraq and other topics. After his formal comments were completed the floor was opened up for general questions from the audience. One student, Andrew Meyer, took the microphone and began to ask several questions. According to some preliminary reports I’ve read, Meyer began to ramble on about Kerry conceding the 2004 election too soon, asking the Senator if he had read a certain book, and then starting to ask Kerry about skull and bones. From the video shown on Tuesday morning’s Today Show it appeared that a single police woman approached Meyer to tell him that his time was up. It rapidly began to escalate, and at one point Kerry tried to calm the situation saying that he would “stay here as long as it takes to get the questions answered.” Finally, the police began to escort Meyer away from the now turned off microphone, and he struggled while yelling “what! are you going to taser me? are you going to arrest me?!” Sometime after that Meyer was, apparently, Tasered by the police, and he was arrested.

(Author’s note: I am not related to the Andrew Meyer in this story.)

Originally I was going to title this piece, “The (Un)usual suspects,” as the participants in the aforementioned debate took some interesting sides in this story.

On the right side of the aisle there were those who exclaimed “shock” at the supposed suppression of “free speech” by the police, especially with the use of a Taser. Most of these also accused Kerry of not rushing to the rescue of the speaker, asking (ordering?) that the police back off and let the questions be asked. This group was unusually quiet when I posted a dozen links to stories about hundreds of arrests at Bush rallies/speeches. The only “excuse” offered was “well, they weren’t Tasered!” Interesting how these wingers can be so upset at the treatment of this one student, yet so cavalier when it comes to evidence of hundreds of people arrested at Republican (read: Bush) events. Where’s their “shock” at the suppression of free speech by the police in all of those numerous cases? And if it were John McCain, and not John Kerry speaking, would they be applauding the actions of the Gainesville/University of Florida police instead of condemning them?

The next group of right-wingers are those who, while disdaining Kerry the politician, felt he did nothing wrong, and that, perhaps, Meyer got what was coming to him. This position is best summarized by this post: "...the dude (Kerry) was just giving a speech. Crowd control wasn't his job. Had he interfered and said something like, 'Let the brotha speak...', he'd be slammed for telling professional law enforcement how to do their jobs. What happened here isn't a reflection on Kerry." Indeed. And, in many respects, this is part of how I view this situation.

On the left side of the aisle are those who condemn the police for their over-reaction in both arresting Meyer and in Tasering him. To these people this is simply a “Dog Bites Man” story, something which has been seen since Chicago 1968, and even earlier. I tend to agree with this viewpoint.

Some of those on the left also expressed disgust with Kerry in that he didn’t do more (or even something) to help the student. Others, like the right-winger I quoted above, felt that this event is not a reflection on Senator Kerry.

Normally, that would be the end of this piece; an observation on how each side of the political aisle viewed the same story, and how the usual alignments were not so usual this time around. But the Today Show included some additional information which sheds some much-needed light on this story.

Seems that Andrew Meyer is known around campus as someone who will do outrageous things to garner attention. For example, when the last in the series of Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in July, Meyer made a poster with “Harry Potter Dies” written on it. He stood at the corner of a busy intersection in Gainesville with his sign and a copy of the book, taunting drivers by giving away the surprise ending. From the video shown few motorists found such a disclosure funny, and even the driver of a passing sheriff’s car yelled “shame” to this attention grabber.

So, when all is said-and-done, perhaps the police who arrested and Tasered Andrew Meyer on Monday were really just devoted, yet ticked off, Harry Potter fans.

www.FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net

Hans Meyer is the host of Situation Awareness, a Free World Radio Network program airing on BlogTalkRadio. A life-long resident of Florida, Hans has been active throughout the years in political, educational, professional and civic organizations. This includes serving as president and executive director of the Florida Young Democrats, serving as an officer in Phi Rho Pi, serving as chair for the Florida Jaycees Governmental Affairs Leadership Seminar, being a founding officer and president and executive director of the North Florida Association of Networking Professionals, and serving on the board of directors of the Network and Systems Professional Association. He has published articles on 49-Reasons and OpEdNews.com.

Hans' career in computers and computer networks spans over twenty-two years, from MS-DOS 3.x to Vista, from Novell to VINES to Server 2003. He is a certified (and certifiable) Webmaster, and a professionally-trained bartender.

Hans' Blog: Situation Awareness blog

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16 comments

A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

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Mark SashineA writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

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As we all know the name: Andrew Meyer

I hereby repeat the statement I have made commenting on Frank Ranelli diaary entry on the issue:

1. We here on opednews should openly proclaim our support for that young man, our disgust with Sen. Kerry and police and also our compassion towards all oeople tasered because it is inflictiing the bodily harm. The police more and more uses those devices out of cowardice because obviously it is much easier to use them than to be proficient in the professional occupation.

3. I personally ( and this is only me) am through with Kerry and others in Demparty and will never ever support them, vote for them, promote them and/or listen to anything they say. I most likely will not vote in the upcoming election unless we have a candidate from the unified Popular Front. I also will encourage all the people I know to do the same thing.

4. We here on the opednews should address all the students in all universities proposing to boycott ALL politicos and their speeches. Just do not attend those. It is useless. Instead we should propose that students in all uiniversities should address the constituents of the US Congressmembers asking them to recall them ALL.

5. Last but not least. As we know the name of that young man we here on Opednews should put a statement of compassion to him and his family, ask him to formulate his questions he wanted to ask and POST THOSE QUESTIONS HERE, BIGTIME!

*****************************************
I am very much surprised with the a) 'discussions' on the issue and also such light tone about a person being tasered. The fact that many others have been tasered just makes it worse. The fact that Andrew Meyer had something to do with Harry Potter is irrelevant. What we all saw was an abomination and we all should react that way. There is nothing to discuss.

by Mark Sashine (51 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3465 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 12:51:36 PM

The Reverend Damien Darko is just a regular long-haired, liberal hippy who wants what's best for the world. He's the host of The Dark Side, a programme on The Free World Radio Network, and the author of The Dark Side blog.
He's a bit mouthy, a bit crazy, and a lot random, but he does have the unique ability to see the world for what it is, rather than what they tell him it is.
Rev. Damien DarkoThe Reverend Damien Darko is just a regular long-haired, liberal hippy who wants what's best for the world. He's the host of The Dark Side, a programme on The Free World Radio Network, and the author of The Dark Side blog.
He's a bit mouthy, a bit crazy, and a lot random, but he does have the unique ability to see the world for what it is, rather than what they tell him it is.

Yes, the police were out of line. That's not the point.

No one is agruing that the police didn't go overboard with tasering Meyer (okay, I suppose some people are, but I'm not and I don't think Hans is, either), but what needs to be realized is that Andrew Meyer seems to have a bit of a predeliction for seeking attention.

Does that justify being zapped? Heck, no! But it does show that Andrew Meyer was presumably bound and determined to be removed from the forum involutarily.

Now, unless he was starting to get violent, the police were WAY out of line, but, from what I've read (I'll have to check the video later), they did need to remove him.

by Rev. Damien Darko (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 1:19:39 PM

Former Lawyer, current Business Consultant,history buff, Christian, father of 2 sons and a supporter of democratic government.
ArchieFormer Lawyer, current Business Consultant,history buff, Christian, father of 2 sons and a supporter of democratic government.

Taser

The difference between this situation and the standard Bush situation is that the public expects people to be roughed up, tasered and arrested wherever Bush appears but they do NOT expect that at a Democratic meeting. It is unfortunate that the U.S. has become so sociopathic that police officers think they can get way with anything. That little episode would have ruined whatever value anyone might have gained from being there that night. Whatever happended to just letting things slide unless a real problem arises? This didn't look like a problem to me especially if the key speaker was not upset by the questions. Those police officers should be fired and go back to something they know how to do like naked mud wrestling.

by Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1144 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 1:02:03 PM

Politically, I lean Libertarian. When discussing issues, I will slam Dems and/or Republicans.

Now, when it comes to really irritating me, just make an unfounded charge; I will call out whomever makes the charge if there are no facts to back it up! Another version of this is when I see something that is just plainly silly/ridiculous.

An example could be something stated which could be very easily disproved. Another example, and I see this frequently: Rather tha...

to see more of bio, click on member name
steve scheetzPolitically, I lean Libertarian. When discussing issues, I will slam Dems and/or Republicans.

Now, when it comes to really irritating me, just make an unfounded charge; I will call out whomever makes the charge if there are no facts to back it up! Another version of this is when I see something that is just plainly silly/ridiculous.

An example could be something stated which could be very easily disproved. Another example, and I see this frequently: Rather tha...

to see more of bio, click on member name

they don't expect this at a Democrat event?

I find that one a bit off the mark...

first of all, Kerry is a politician... Democrat or republican, people caught asking questions that may be embarassing to a Democrat or a Republican will be roughed up, hauled off, and tossed in jail.

there were candidates for the office of President who were ARRESTED while attempting to go into a debate between the republican and Democrat Candidate, AS A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE, EVEN WITH A TICKET IN HAND!

I EXPECT anyone who is not a political "elite" to be treated this way, in this day and age... It will be this way until we change it.

Ciao, CZ

by steve scheetz (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 595 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 1:21:42 PM

BlueBerry Pick'ncan be found @ThisCanadian.com?????????Watching the World with a Human Bias"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced" Learn.Think.Believe&Act.
BlueBerry Pick'nBlueBerry Pick'ncan be found @ThisCanadian.com?????????Watching the World with a Human Bias"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced" Learn.Think.Believe&Act.

Its been a while since Kerry sported a pair...

<a href="http://thiscanadian.typepad.com/this_canadian/2007/09/scared-politici.html">Scared Politicians & Nervous Cops = browbeaten CITIZENS...</a>

Village Voice reporter http://www.joeconason.com/">Joe Conason and I had been tipped off about the walkout, and when we got to the church, we found Bea Zobel, one of Cory Aquino's top aides, in a tizzy. "The women are terrified," she said. "They're scared to go home. They don't know what to do. We don't know what to do." Joe and I suggested that Mrs. Zobel go to the Manila Hotel and bring back some members of the Congressional observer team. She came back with Kerry, who did nothing.

Kerry later said that he didn't talk to the COMELEC employees then because he wasn't allowed to.

[A bone-head Rolling Stone fact-checker sent the article to Kerry's Senate office for comment. Kerry staffers were wroth and insisted the senator's version of events be included.] This is ridiculous. He was ushered into an area that had been cordoned off from the press and the crowd and where the computer operators were sitting.

To talk to the women, all he would have had to do was raise his voice. Why he was reluctant, I can't tell you. I can tell you what any red-blooded representative of the U.S. Government should have done. He should have shouted, "If you're frightened for your safety, I'll take you to the American embassy, and damn the man who tries to stop me." But all Kerry did was walk around like a male model in a concerned and thoughtful pose.

by BlueBerry Pick'n (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 10 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 3:13:07 PM

Rafe Pilgrim, after "a life largely wasted on hard honest work," found himself a jungle of turkey oak, scrub pine and giant palmettos up a dirt road running east of Crystal River, Florida, which neither school busses nor the U.S. Postal Service dare to assay. Sharing a house of his own design with Spanky the cat, Darla a pit bull, and a foundling of mysterious breed named Alfalfa -- all collectively known as Our Gang -- he spends his time "productively: writing poetry, working for...

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Rafe PilgrimRafe Pilgrim, after "a life largely wasted on hard honest work," found himself a jungle of turkey oak, scrub pine and giant palmettos up a dirt road running east of Crystal River, Florida, which neither school busses nor the U.S. Postal Service dare to assay. Sharing a house of his own design with Spanky the cat, Darla a pit bull, and a foundling of mysterious breed named Alfalfa -- all collectively known as Our Gang -- he spends his time "productively: writing poetry, working for...

to see more of bio, click on member name

The Reality and the Governance We Deserve

The boy pleaded, "What did I do?"

What he did is perfectly clear, and probably a crime here in ex-America today, even in a forum featuring the last Democrat presidential candidate -- he asked a question!

Senator Kerry, a so-called opposition leader, and the best the Democrats could offer the nation in 2004, certainly could have paused in his political rhetoric for a few moments to intervene more effectively in the unjustified and brutal behavior of the police, but then again we've learned that direct and necessary action is not the Senator's forte, nor is it any longer -- many may well surmise -- his party's.

In Nuremberg in 1937, the Brownshirts wielded billyclubs to enforce political correctness. After seventy years, we here have now progressed to tasers.

More than a year ago, I appealed to the peace organizations to support a program to put a Million citizens onto the Mall in DC, and there to stay until we earned back America. The response was universal: to support such an initiative was deemed "unrealistic."

That boy might well ask us today: "Why didn't you do it?" Poor kid, he doesn't realize what it means when a program to regain America is "unrealistic." All that I might manage to say to him today is that I am very sorry.

So now we've seen it, right on the video -- we've seen the reality and the governance that we deserve.

Now I have a second request for the peace movement, and that is to shut up after five years of incessant moaning and groaning, or to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE !

........Just one of three hundred million ex-Americans, Rafe Pilgrim

by Rafe Pilgrim (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 36 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 4:44:43 PM

Inspired by Rob Kall of OpEdNews, and with the co-operation of our admirable writers from across the world wide web, I began a monthly newspaper called The Liberty Voice. After nearly one year of this effort, we have distributed over 100,000 copies.

I am a direct descendant of John Beckley, the first Librarian of the Library of Congress as appointed by then-President Thomas Jefferson. Beckley was also the first Clerk of the House of Representatives following his dedicated work at ...

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sherry clarkInspired by Rob Kall of OpEdNews, and with the co-operation of our admirable writers from across the world wide web, I began a monthly newspaper called The Liberty Voice. After nearly one year of this effort, we have distributed over 100,000 copies.

I am a direct descendant of John Beckley, the first Librarian of the Library of Congress as appointed by then-President Thomas Jefferson. Beckley was also the first Clerk of the House of Representatives following his dedicated work at ...

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Silence is Betrayal

Please call to express your concerns about this horrific incident:

University of Florida Police Department: (352) 392-1111
University of Florida main switchboard: (352) 392-3261
University of Florida Police Department's Dispatch Center: (352) 392-1111 available 24-hours daily.

Forward this information along to everyone you know.

"A time comes when silence is betrayal" Indeed, "the truth of these words is beyond doubt. Silence is betrayal."

Martin Luther King

Here is Kerry's response to the incident.

Link

Like the 2004 stolen election, Kerry is recorded as doing absolutely nothing. Kerry was in the background of the taser event doing absolutely nothing but attempt a lame joke at the victim's expense.

Kerry says "...I think everyone just...(unintelligible) ...this situation is...(unintelligible) I'll answer his question...seems the young man is unavailable to swear me in as President..."

(nervous laughter in background, just after audible shocking sound of taser)

Yeah, that 's a good one, Mr. (shoulda-coulda-woulda-been-Pr esident-but-stayed-bought-and- paid-for) Senator.

His website response is wholly inadequate for the issue at hand...police brutality.

He sums his response by stating he regrets "that a good healthy discussion was interrupted", but says nothing about the brutality he now knows transpired...as is now documented by his own website.

What is true for every American holds doubly true for the Senator:

Silence is Betrayal.

by sherry clark (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 99 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 5:04:21 PM

I'm not too big on the left/right thing, but I do like this site. I've always liked writing about topics that I feel passionately about and I think this community provides a great service to what America is all about.

In my space time I enjoy good cigars, steaks sailing, charter fishing, salt lamps, and politics.

I currently work for an SEO and Reputation Management Firm in El Segundo, CA.

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Jeffrey HendersonI'm not too big on the left/right thing, but I do like this site. I've always liked writing about topics that I feel passionately about and I think this community provides a great service to what America is all about.

In my space time I enjoy good cigars, steaks sailing, charter fishing, salt lamps, and politics.

I currently work for an SEO and Reputation Management Firm in El Segundo, CA.

DONE! SEO Blog
Facebook
Twitter
FriendFeed
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I'm fed up.....

With people standing by watching this kind of thing happen.

Just because someone is wearing the uniform of a police officer doesn't mean they are invincible. A well placed fist to the jaw will knock them out, just like any other person.

Standing by watching some have their rights violated, and seeing them tortured is really worse than actually doing it yourself.

by Jeffrey Henderson (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 7:30:13 PM

I am a retired opera singer. I was a leading soprano with the New York City Opera for ten years. I am a strong supporter of Dennis Kucinich and worked for his campaign in 2004. I believe that he is the ONLY honest man in congress. He has been working against this insane war since before it began. I am 72 years old and I have been so frustrated with the media, the Congress and the American people that they don't tell the truth.
CaronomeI am a retired opera singer. I was a leading soprano with the New York City Opera for ten years. I am a strong supporter of Dennis Kucinich and worked for his campaign in 2004. I believe that he is the ONLY honest man in congress. He has been working against this insane war since before it began. I am 72 years old and I have been so frustrated with the media, the Congress and the American people that they don't tell the truth.

To this we've come!

The phrase is a quote from the opera "The Consul." It is a cry for some kind of human response to everything, anything.

This is not America. This must be some dictatorship where this could happen.

Well, this should be a wake up call for all of us. I have been angry with this government for a long time not just since Shrub and his gang of hoodlums took over. And Kerry was certainly NOT my candidate of choice.

Only in a country led by fascists could this kind of thing take place. Yes, the police were wrong and they should be fired. Yes, Kerry was weak and ball-less. So what if the "boy" was asking questions that might have embarassed Kerry. He should be embarassed by many things including his lack of action against the police. And why did he cave in so quickly after the election in 2000 was stolen? Why did Gore cave in so easily after the next stolen election?

I want answers, too. I've asked the questions and gotten no answers. What is to be done about this situation? Is the boy still in jail or was he released and what are his options as to what he can do to punish the police? For they must be punished and never work as "peace officers" again. HA!

Who will take responsibilty for this? I will be calling the numbers in the comment by Sherry and forcefully complaining about the police actions. I have to because I couldn't live with myself if I didn't . Join me and do that. You will feel better for having done something about it.

As to what do about the thugs in the White House, pester your legislators about impeachment every day, twice a day if possible. Threaten them with defeat in the next election. That's what I've been doing. We, the people, have to take back our country.

The only candidate that I believe can help do that is Dennis Kucinich. And if you think that is impossible, think again. We can elect him if we all vote for him. He would never allow this kind of thing to happen on his watch. He is not one of the whores who are beholden to the corporations or the lobbyists that control Washington and the country now. And yes, i'm referring to all of the other candidates. It's disgusting to see the millions of dollars that have been raised by them for their election. If we want our country back they must not be elected.

It's all related. Nothing will change if any one of them is elected. It will be satus quo with the lobbyists, the insurance companies that have sucked the health care system dry and us in the process. Why do you think that Hillary talks about " an affordable health care plan"? It involves the insurance companies. They are very powerful and she is doing their bidding as all of the other candidates are.

I'm sorry that this comment has become a campaign speech for Dennis Kucinich but I truly believe that he will be the answer for all of these problems. He is the real thing. He cares for the people. He is a man for all of us.

by Caronome (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 225 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 2:04:29 AM

Virginia Simson is a spiritual journalista/activist who runs a visionary planetary tutorial blogspot, www.ladybroadoak.blogspot.com as well as a blog on the uranium industry and depleted uranium at www.lowlevelradiation.blogspot.com. She feels that we must educate the young as to the real issues of the day - economics, clean energy, a drug free lifestyle, friendship and concern for the environment. We must plan for seven generations in the future. She unconditionally supports impeachment and...

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ladybroadoakVirginia Simson is a spiritual journalista/activist who runs a visionary planetary tutorial blogspot, www.ladybroadoak.blogspot.com as well as a blog on the uranium industry and depleted uranium at www.lowlevelradiation.blogspot.com. She feels that we must educate the young as to the real issues of the day - economics, clean energy, a drug free lifestyle, friendship and concern for the environment. We must plan for seven generations in the future. She unconditionally supports impeachment and...

to see more of bio, click on member name

That video is HORRIFIC

and there is no other word to describe it.

Are people really so dissociated and desensitized that they can't see that?

We are watching the criminalization of all dissent. We saw it in Sydney and Montebello Quebec. We see it in Washington DC and Florida. People are held guilty BEFORE commiting a "crime", punished and then judged as terrorist, anarchists or whatever demonizing tag will do for that day.

For heaven's sake, to blame Andrew Meyer for being young and passionate and thinking he deserved ON ANY LEVEL for ANY REASON to be tasared is so beyond the pale.

I refer you ALL once again to Naomi Klein's very very important video and to plead with everyone to PLEASE pass it along to your friends, your ebuddies, to whoever you can think of who can learn from it. It's NOT about economics; it's about methods of CONtrol used by manipulators who stand to gain by shutting up all dissent and free thinking, to shut down discussion and INFANTILIZE us so that they can force feed us with .. well, you can name it yourself.

PASS IT ALONG PLEASE

We can all recover from our collective shock

Have you been shocked into COMPLIANCE??

(above link to youtube version .. if it is missing, please go to Naomiklein dot com and you'll find a link )

A Film by Alfonso Cuarón and Naomi Klein, directed by Jonás Cuarón.

"When I finished The Shock Doctrine, I sent it to Alfonso Cuarón because I adore his films and felt that the future he created for Children of Men was very close to the present I was seeing in disaster zones. I was hoping he would send me a quote for the book jacket and instead he pulled together this amazing team of artists -- including Jonás Cuarón who directed and edited -- to make The Shock Doctrine short film. It was one of those blessed projects where everything felt fated." - Naomi Klein

Alfonso Cuarón, director of "Children of Men", and Naomi Klein, author of "No Logo", present a short film from Klein's book "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." See shockdoctrine dot com (the links here are not working again.)

An official selection of the Toronto Film Festival

by ladybroadoak (38 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 391 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 3:03:06 AM

Michael Leon is a writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. His writing has appeared nationally in The Progressive, In These Times, and CounterPunch. He can be reached at maleon64@yahoo.com.
Michael LeonMichael Leon is a writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. His writing has appeared nationally in The Progressive, In These Times, and CounterPunch. He can be reached at maleon64@yahoo.com.

Do Not Make Light of Police Brutality

This is the essence of fascism. One person goes down, and few come to his aid.

Rob, you ought to know better. Give off your ass!

###

by Michael Leon (111 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 29 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 8:45:50 AM

thanks for asking!
Kyle Johnsonthanks for asking!

What's Next? The sequel of the remake!

Hmmm, Haven't we seen this movie before? What was the name of it? Oh yeah, Gimme Shelter.

But a brilliant bit of casting here in the remake...

Black shirt goon squad as Hells Angels,

John Kerry as Mick Jagger - impotent witness to a hideous crime. He can't handle a half dozen rabid cops in a public spectacle like this?

The crowd was originally weed whacked hippies, "Wow, man! Bummer!"

But in the remake they're smug Republicans cranked on Bush Kool-Aid cheering the cops on.

Now, I like the low budget and kind of arty look - note the shaky hand held camera work.

And instead of an inhospitable location like Altamont and a pricey cast of thousands, it's in a college auditorium (sort of like the "Night of the Living Dead" remake in the mall) where it can symbolize what kind of proto-fascist imbeciles this country's universities are becoming so adept at producing.

But, best for last... new twist on the ending.

While they drag the guy off to some black site in Romania, or say, Louisiana, Greenland's ice sheet let's go, the entire state of Florida gets Atlantisized and the only survivors are the few folks that at least raised their voices against the Gestapo/KGB/CIA/SAVAK/MOSSAD/LAPD/NYPD - insert your preferred agency of persecution - and the two that hit "Record."

Oh, and the sequel? Exactly the same script except YOU are the victim.

Good night
and good luck

by Kyle Johnson (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 3:37:31 PM

Harpist, unemployed blue collar worker, and Bush basher living deep in the heart of Texas.
PappyHarpist, unemployed blue collar worker, and Bush basher living deep in the heart of Texas.

Harry Potter and the overblown hyperbole!

The video is horrific because what happened is HORRIFIC. This is the Kent State of our time, it really is. Last week Reverend Yarwood had his leg broken in Washington DC for wearing an I LOVE Iraqis button! Some crime!

Excuse me for pointing out the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room, but this event has NOTHING in common with the Kent State Massacre. Was anyone killed? No! Was anyone fired upon with a real weapon containing real bullets? No! Has Neil Young sat down to write a song in praise of the malcontent in question? NO NO NO!

Look, I love hyperbole, and I use it in my writing, a lot. However, there is a VAST difference between some kid being escorted out of a political rally at taser point, and four kids lying on the ground in pools of their own blood!

That's not to say I agree with the kid being tasered. Oh hell no, that is pure Gestapo bullshit! One unruly kid asking impertinent questions is most definitely no reason to usurp his right to free speech.

And in the final analysis, that's what this issue is about, the loss of our freedom of speech. What began as a bunch of whiny babies pissing and moaning about Janet Jackson's ugly, pierced tittie has ended with this appalling breach of personal freedom.

Besides all that, let's look at the positive effect this event will most surely have. In the past few days, there have been two stories in the Lame-stream about people protesting. That's two more stories about protests than I have heard in the past six years...at least protests here on our own soil. Perhaps this is the barometer that proves that Americans are waking up from their consumerist glut slumber.

Frankly, I don't give a shit why this kid did what he did. I want him to do it more...especially if he does it where there are cameras present. I want more malcontents such as he to come out of the woodwork and start fucking more with the establishment. I want this country to take this kid's lead, and stop playing nice just because the assholes holding the billy clubs, tasers, and other offensive weaponry tell us to.

What difference does it make if this kid is an attention whore anyway? His motivations are meaningless. It is his results that matter. Besides, it's only the Lame-stream that is telling us how much of a malcontent this kid supposedly is. Does anyone here really buy the Lame-stream line anymore? If so, what are you doing here? If not, why debate about whether or not this kid is a killjoy in khakis? It's a non-sequitor!

At long last, we are seeing the kind of courage that stood in the face of Tricky Dicky and the juggernaut of the Vietnam war. I hope that continues. And frankly, if it does take a real Kent State-like episode to snap the last of the chronically sleeping out of their consumerist slumber, then let the blood flow!

No, I am not advocating death, but isn't it curious how long the Vietnam war lasted after the Kent State Massacre? It could be argued successfully that it was the KSM that really brought home the wastefulness and meaninglessness of the Vietnam war. Ergo, it may have to come to that before the remaining thirty percent of Americans who still suckle at DUBYA's tit realize they are drinking cyanide and strychnine along with their grape flavor-aide!

Blessed be!
Pappy

by Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 860 comments) on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 4:26:06 PM

And blessed be that I made the comment, too

There are what are known as "tipping points"

Kent State was a tipping point.

Previous to that happening, two, yes, two students were killed at Jackson State the week before.

Does ANYONE remember? I for one certainly do.

Now the point is that few paid attention to the criminalization of Reverend Yarwood, who was flattened for his badge/button/pin and one read precious little about it .. very little outrage was shown. Why? Because he's BLACK and the head of the hiphop caucus? Because we EXPECT such things to happen but we don't expect nice white guys to be tasared???

In 1994, many many things happened to me that NONE Of you would like to experience under the so-called War on Drugs, which was implemented using the War Measures Act to justify deportations and rounding up people and denying them hearings. Several THOUSAND US citizens were affected by this. They families were SHATTERED. Civil rights groups did NOT rush to their aid, I assure you.

AT FIRST, I got some sympathy until I filed a lawsuit against the US after being taken hostage, my kids threatened with torture if I didn't do what they told me and many other ghastly things. I live IN EXILE, you guys. Nothing the US does surprises ME.

But despite everything I refuses to lose my feelings and I refuses to stop speaking about injustice under every ugly leaf it uses to hide itself.

Tasars suck; the people who use them have little training and certainly do NOT know what they feel like; Andrew Meyer certainly knew much more about them then the officer who used it. Doesn't this make anyone JUMPY??

I stand by my original comments. I think what we see here is a tipping point, another Kent State. And more than most (who's been a radical since 1967), I know what I am talking about.

Go and see what happens when YOU get tasared .. or hit with a lead filled nightstick, or hit with rubber bullets, or had gases used on you that you aren't even sure what they are .. and I don't think MARTYRDOM is a great idea. Very nice armchair commentary to say "let the blood flow" but really NOT a very good epitath.

Is it better to be DEAD than to be alive suddenly? I don't think so despite very very intense complex post traumatic stress disorder. I think politicalization is going to happen RAPIDLY and that people are more fed up and dissociated from each other in America than anyone has suggested thus far. Time to send information around .. Naomi Klein's video, the youtube video on Andrew Meyer and anything else that will help wake people up, becuz the movment must be STRONG.

by ladybroadoak (38 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 391 comments) on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 5:32:28 AM

Armed with word, song, and sequencer, Mars delivers social analysis, dreams and blueprints for change. She survived the 1999 National Poetry Slam, has performed all over Chicago, and has been a featured speaker at many political rallies. Born in New England in the radical 60's, Mars is a veteran political activist, performance artist/musician, chocoholic, early childhood educator, photographer, sky-watcher, single mom of a rebel in training, and proud African-american bowl of gumbo.
Mars CaultonArmed with word, song, and sequencer, Mars delivers social analysis, dreams and blueprints for change. She survived the 1999 National Poetry Slam, has performed all over Chicago, and has been a featured speaker at many political rallies. Born in New England in the radical 60's, Mars is a veteran political activist, performance artist/musician, chocoholic, early childhood educator, photographer, sky-watcher, single mom of a rebel in training, and proud African-american bowl of gumbo.

It is no exaggeration-- the Forth Reich is being installed

BE WARNED: Americans will now sit there, SIT THERE, and allow police to TORTURE you in PLAIN VIEW if they don't like you or what you are doing.

Whether you liked this guy's approach or not, the fact is police electroshocked a man who was already in custody, and as he SCREAMED FOR HELP, they sat there. The Brown Shirts are already here.

by Mars Caulton (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 82 comments) on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 8:55:22 AM

Harpist, unemployed blue collar worker, and Bush basher living deep in the heart of Texas.
PappyHarpist, unemployed blue collar worker, and Bush basher living deep in the heart of Texas.

Tipping point?

There is no such thing here, especially when one considers how easy it will be to paint the kid who got tasered as a troublemaker. It's already started. This is no tipping point!

I'm sorry, but until people die, nothing compares to Kent State. The recent "wave" of protests is nice, but it's only a start. The fact that some more people have finally awakened to the reality of the world in which we live is a good thing, too. However, until the blood of innocent Americans is spilled like it was on May 4, 1970, there is no comparison.

Here, look at this picture of grief from that event, and then compare it with the antics of Andrew Meyer. There is a difference.

And it's not like I don't agree that it was an egregious deed done by a bunch of thugs. I said as much already! I think calling the actions of the cops, "...pure Gestapo bullshit," should pretty much let you know I am not happy that Mr. Meyer was treated so egregiously!

I just can't see how one kid being roughed up can be compared to four people really getting killed for really standing up to the powers that be. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

Blessed be!
Pappy

by Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 860 comments) on Friday, September 21, 2007 at 2:46:54 AM