http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2201133The OP starts out complaining that the media is too focused on Scott Olsen, the ex-Marine hurt protesting in Oakland.
But all the focus on his status as a marine has me wondering about others who were hurt on that shameful night. What if he hadn't been a marine? Isn't it enough he was simply a human being standing up for democracy and economic justice? Sometimes I feel his status as a military veteran is being exploited.
And it rapidly goes downhill from there:
dotymed (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 10:27 AM
Response to Reply #2
31. IMO, "it" has already gotten out of control.
The brutality of the "jack-booted" enforcers of this authoritarian regime have already crossed the line. When I call this a regime, I am not saying that President Obama is in charge. I think he has become a useful pawn for TPTB.
I'd like to imagine that President Obama is being forced to maintain the status quo. I really do not believe that, but I would like to. I do know that the current republican challengers to the "throne" would be worse for America. Just like most Americans, I am tired of "voting" for the lesser of two evils.
I pray that we can change the direction of America peacefully, but it is hard when we are met with extreme violence. I know that most Americans (we, I ) do NOT want a physical war. We would stand very little chance against the best trained and equipped military in the world.
We do not want death and destruction in the streets (yet we already have some of it). We DO want many changes. changes that would make America a great country. A country where all people are equal. Not a country (as it is now) where money is king.
I applaud the restraint of OWS protestors and I think that such restraint should be mandated to those who are tasked with "maintaining the peace." Instead of doing so, they have been violent thugs against the very people and the country that they swore to serve and protect.
War is pure destruction. Just look at the countries that we have destroyed in the name of "democracy." If it comes to that in America, I pray that the military will realize that our constitution, that they swore to defend, allows us the freedom of dissent and to demand redress. If so, then hopefully the military will stand with the people.
Ship of Fools (618 posts) Fri Oct-28-11 10:50 AM
Response to Reply #2
35. Wait until 2012. When enough people get turned away from the polls
because they lack "proper ID," THAT will be the time to worry.
Prediction: Repubs steal WH & Senate, violence ensues, WH breaks out National Guard,
followed by the end net neutrality. Heard it hear first (maybe 178th). Just sayin ...
Just sayin... MARSHALL LAW!!!!
PATRICK (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 09:46 AM
Response to Reply #4
8. Without veteran status
He would be another non-reported accident presumed to be somewhat responsible for his own injury and a long shot gamble on winning a case against a police self-investigation. The fact that only reluctantly did the media "notice" he was a veteran in this script, highlighted the overall brutality at all. It is the ultimate service to the country. Many who make that sacrifice get ignored or fail.
When it comes down to ultimate confrontation, a fake government can only fall back on the army, even a large minority of supporters and cronies and all controlled institutions are not enough. Today, looking about, we have a just opposition to the repression of free speech(NEVER carried out against the pathetic baggers) by law officials, first responders and their unions, all in promoting simple legality and justice, mostly unsupported by failed political leadership.
You can never expect anything but reluctance from corporate news. Reluctant stories are spun. Spin is defended. A new cycle of ignoring argument and facts spins itself away from the simple event. Others obviously are not going to benefit from this "break" in the fact boycott which continues. To even argue about defending his victim status is to struggle in the MSM net. Screw them.
At another time such a symbolic martyr will be a spark to even greater effect. Looks like the repression mode will continue looking to see if the "mobs" will give up and dissolve in media lies.
So, let me get this straight... The media is creating a symbolic martyr for your cause and do don't like it because he is an ex-Marine?
EFerrari (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 09:51 AM
Response to Reply #1
13. People also mistake projection for empathy all the time.
That's why "Fraser" was funny. Fraser projected all over people and prided himself on his compassion. And he was shown to be wrong in his projections all the time, which made him look silly.
uh... what?
JackDragna (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 09:43 AM
Response to Original message
7. It goes deeper than this.
Edited on Fri Oct-28-11 09:47 AM by JackDragna
The Marines, like many U.S. branches of service, have a long history of being a bludgeon for our foreign policy. They've committed atrocities in many different theaters of war, been used as an enforcement tool for corporations (especially during the early part of the 20th century) and have been an integral part of the abject cruelty suffered by other nations at the hands of our armed forces. Scott Olsen deserved a hell of a lot better than he got, but not because he's a Marine - it's because he was an American. There are plenty of dead Iraqis right now who took real bullets to the head fired from Marines and I find it deeply disturbing how liberals now want to "talk up" the tough-guy nature of our troops, now that one of them has finally experienced the ham-fisted type of brutality our government has established and defended in other countries.
edited for spelling.
A million+ dead Iraqis, right?
leftynyc (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 09:48 AM
Response to Original message
9. It also points out the rank
hypocrisy of the right who claim to worship our military. When it comes down to it, they only support people who think as they do who just happen to be in the military. All others are traitors and scum. Just try and find ANY Democrat or person on the left that has a military background that they haven't hated.
Let me help you: Try to find any Dem who doesn't hate the military and this country.
Tierra_y_Libertad (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-28-11 11:09 AM
Response to Original message
39. As an ex-marine, I completely agree. He is just another citizen/victim of the oppression.
But, I will say, that his being an ex-marine being used to bring the violence against protesters to the public is fine with me. In a way, it's using the establishment's own "patriotic" propaganda against them.
Now, I used ex-Marine as a slur, because any real marine will tell you there are no EX-Marines, only Former Marines.
