Student Walkout - Sept 5th (4 Viewers)

[l.i.z.i`]

What's wrong with our generation is our passive and blind acceptance of everything the government shoves down our throats, and apathy for anything that doesn't personally affect us. If you don't want to protest, that's fine, but don't mock those who are standing up for something they believe in.

umm i'm kinda new at this but i've been reading through this thread and i'm wondering...
does anyone who wants to protest actually know what they're protesting about?
i mean, yeah it's a day off school and all that shit, but for those who actually want to go, what are you trying to achieve? what do they BELIEVE IN?
personally, i went to the anti war protests back when howard was committing troops to iraq, and there was a shitload of people with awesome signs of howard kissing bush's arse
no offense to those who wanna go to this, but are you planning to do anything apart from run around with your friends thinking that you're doing something useful that you don't actually understand?

and for those who think it's bullshit, and people hate bush coz it's fashionable, i guess its undeniable, but that's the strength of numbers, isn't it? if no one originally stepped outside the normal conventions to, i don't know, protest? we would still be in that totallitarian society or whatever the hell you guys were on about
the point is that we CAN protest, and some dickhead isn't going to shoot us all just coz we're voicing our opinion, or following our friends...

 

[Testpilot]

I think people misuderstood my post from several pages back. I was neither supporting or criticising Bush, nor do i claim to be intimately aware of his policies. My main point was (which many of you overlooked) is that a majority of the people have formed their opinions of Bush without the appropriate level of knowledge. Hence i said it was fashionable to be anti-Bush.

 

[dbevis]

The Bush administration has:

PATRIOT Act.
Wiretapped US citizens without a warrant.
Leaking an undercover CIA agents name to the media for revenge.
He personally vetoed government money for stem cell research (lol, then held a press conference with children around him, what a dickhead).
Changed abortion laws.
Terrible immigration bill that was defeated in Congress.
Fired Federal attorneys for not being loyal enough to the Republican party then shielded the Attorney-General while he probably perjured himself in Congress ("I cannot recall.").
Refused for prominent people to testify in Senate hearings.
Guantanamo Bay
Denial of habeas corpus (granted as a right in the American constitution)
Tried to expand the role of the 'executive' with more powers than granted in the Constitution.
TORTURED PEOPLE. And also removed people from countries with laws against it, and taken them to some third-world shithole to be tortured there.

What a great guy letting all this happen.

Don't forget the U.S. free trade agreements with third-world nations that allow US corperations 'unrestricted access' to the countries natural resources and gives the US the ability to flood the nations market with subsedized US agricultural goods, essentially destroying the entire agricultural sector of the nation as the poor native farmers are pushed off the market (free market capitalism at its finest, destroying another nations economy to strengthen your own). Keep in mind this is not something that the Bush administration has invented, its been going on for many many years now, however the Bush administration has not stopped this so they are just as culpable as any other administration.

Also, how about the US war on drugs in South America, where American planes guarded by CIA helicopters fly over pesant farmers land and destroying their crops, some of which is coca but not always. Yes they are growing coca (used for the production of cocain) but there are two important things to remember with this, firstly these native farmers have been growing coca for thousands of years and secondly you have to take the context into account, these farmers are unable to sell their food produce for any reasonable price as because of the US 'free trade' agreements as described above. Another important note is that the CIA pesticide drops are selective and are only used on the pesent farmers land, the Right-Wing paramilitary groups are also growing cocain for funding but the CIA turns a blind eye because they are the people they want in power, similar to the Contra's in nicaragua only using the pretence of Drugs as justification rather than the Cold War. Again this is not something that has been innitiated by the Bush administration, rather the Clinton administration as a way of keeping the pressure on South America after the cold war finished. However it has continued under Bush and as such he is again culpable.

These issues and the ones you mentioned earlier are not just issues with a specific administration but issues with the US system as a whole, this however does not mean Bush and his cronies are innocent by any means, but it should be realised that when Bush leaves it won't solve the problems at hand in the long run, for that something extreme would have to happen.

 

[Triangulum]

Don't forget the U.S. free trade agreements with third-world nations that allow US corperations 'unrestricted access' to the countries natural resources and gives the US the ability to flood the nations market with subsedized US agricultural goods, essentially destroying the entire agricultural sector of the nation as the poor native farmers are pushed off the market

There's actually been some interesting research lately suggesting that trade liberalisation results in net gains for third world farmers, because it pushes down the total price of goods they buy more than it pushes down the total price of goods they sell. Can't remember where I saw it, though.

 

[jb_nc]

Don't forget the U.S. free trade agreements with third-world nations that allow US corperations 'unrestricted access' to the countries natural resources and gives the US the ability to flood the nations market with subsedized US agricultural goods, essentially destroying the entire agricultural sector of the nation as the poor native farmers are pushed off the market (free market capitalism at its finest, destroying another nations economy to strengthen your own). Keep in mind this is not something that the Bush administration has invented, its been going on for many many years now, however the Bush administration has not stopped this so they are just as culpable as any other administration.

Also, how about the US war on drugs in South America, where American planes guarded by CIA helicopters fly over pesant farmers land and destroying their crops, some of which is coca but not always. Yes they are growing coca (used for the production of cocain) but there are two important things to remember with this, firstly these native farmers have been growing coca for thousands of years and secondly you have to take the context into account, these farmers are unable to sell their food produce for any reasonable price as because of the US 'free trade' agreements as described above. Another important note is that the CIA pesticide drops are selective and are only used on the pesent farmers land, the Right-Wing paramilitary groups are also growing cocain for funding but the CIA turns a blind eye because they are the people they want in power, similar to the Contra's in nicaragua only using the pretence of Drugs as justification rather than the Cold War. Again this is not something that has been innitiated by the Bush administration, rather the Clinton administration as a way of keeping the pressure on South America after the cold war finished. However it has continued under Bush and as such he is again culpable.

These issues and the ones you mentioned earlier are not just issues with a specific administration but issues with the US system as a whole, this however does not mean Bush and his cronies are innocent by any means, but it should be realised that when Bush leaves it won't solve the problems at hand in the long run, for that something extreme would have to happen.

Those criticisms have nothing to do with the Bush administration by US foreign policy for several years; Bush didn't sign NAFTA or did he begin the war on drugs.

 

[jb_nc]

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigns: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/gonzales/index.html

 

[jb_nc]

lol

 

[dbevis]

Those criticisms have nothing to do with the Bush administration by US foreign policy for several years; Bush didn't sign NAFTA or did he begin the war on drugs.

If you actually read my post you will notice I actually said that 3 times.....also the free trade agreements are not limited to NAFTA, read this: http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/721/37415 thats about a trade agreement thats currently being worked on between the US and Peru. Yet again the problem is with the larger system not a specific administration.

 

[jb_nc]

If you actually read my post you will notice I actually said that 3 times.....also the free trade agreements are not limited to NAFTA, read this: http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/721/37415 thats about a trade agreement thats currently being worked on between the US and Peru. Yet again the problem is with the larger system not a specific administration.

yes let me counter that with an unbiased article from www.pro-neo-conservative-news.com

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Hey guys your hero karl marx was pro-free-trade

no reason to protest, then

 

[katie_tully]

lol @ a student walk out

sure to stop the world in its tracks.

 

[katie_tully]

Well because that takes time. Why bother waiting thirty or so years for what may never occur when you might as well try to make even a little bit of difference right now?

The only difference you're going to feel is the crack of a batton over your empty noggins.

 

[fLeTchIe]

Well, how bout print off your protest messages on an A4 paper and stick em all on those massive metal walls surrounding the convention centre! and all students must put their ipods on full volume with the song dear mr. president playing!
we're not jigging school, nor damaging property, but protesting at the same time!

 

[Captin gay]

Fuck you. In this case, lame "BuSh Is A BaD GuY!!!" bandwagon hoppers are awesome cause we all know shitter cunts will be in the country at the same time.

...

 

[Captin gay]

Also I had the best idea for apec. hook up massive speakers all over town and get them playing the same song so you hear it all over central, town hall and the cbd

that would be awesome.

EDIT: Music played would be altrock or indie or whatever, but not anything by Pink

 

[withoutaface]

Libertarians: "Hey guys, we see what you're doing, and it's wrong because of x. We plan to challenge you in the upcoming election and block your disgusting authoritarian bills in the parliament."
Socialists: "Howard is evil, because he doesn't tax highly enough. If we break shit that belongs to the government, then he's going to have to raise taxes to replace it."

 

[katie_tully]

Lower taxes for high income earners!

Local member for Dubbo or whatever she calls herself went on some rant today. The reason for the equine flu outbreak is because the government is spending too much money on APEC.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

gotta love that patriot act

 

[Enteebee]

EDIT: Music played would be altrock or indie or whatever, but not anything by Pink

Why not 'Dear Mr President' ?

 

[katie_tully]

My Chemical Romance. Really stick it to them.