Thurs 2nd April: G20 protests

[Blagsta]

Well yes and no. It is not an entirely unreasonable extrapolation from Darwin to suggest that the pursuit of self-interest is human nature. As I've pointed out many, many times here before, Darwin's theory of evolution is based on Thomas Malthus's theory of capitalism.

Hmmmmm. I'll run that by my friend, a Darwin expert. I'm pretty sure she'll just laugh though!

 

[phildwyer]

Hmmmmm. I'll run that by my friend, a Darwin expert. I'm pretty sure she'll just laugh though!

No she won't.

"In October 1838, that is, fifteen months after I had begun my systematic inquiry, I happened to read for amusement Malthus on Population, and being well prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on from long- continued observation of the habits of animals and plants, it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. The results of this would be the formation of a new species. Here, then I had at last got a theory by which to work".

Charles Darwin, from his autobiography. (1876)

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/malthus.html

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Let's absolutely one hundred per cent not go there on this thread though.

One hundred and fifty per cent.

 

[Blagsta]

No she won't.

"In October 1838, that is, fifteen months after I had begun my systematic inquiry, I happened to read for amusement Malthus on Population, and being well prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on from long- continued observation of the habits of animals and plants, it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. The results of this would be the formation of a new species. Here, then I had at last got a theory by which to work".

Charles Darwin, from his autobiography. (1876)

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/malthus.html

I'll see what she says. She did her PhD in this stuff.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

no really, because I know how this goes

 

[phildwyer]

Let's absolutely one hundred per cent not go there on this thread though.

One hundred and fifty per cent.

Point taken and all, but it is important to counter the likes of this innit:

That's the way that humans are hardwired and why any purely collaborative system will soon revert to the natural "king of the hill" state.

 

[Blagsta]

It's easy to counter that though. Just read some anthropology or neuroscience books!

 

[Cobbles]

Controlling and thwarting demonstrations isn't the job of the police, and if you think it should be then you shouldn't be spewing so much crap about the glories of democracy.

Where a demonstration spills over into illegal activity (e.g. random vandalism or causing an obstruction) then their job is to enforce the law. that's what they did.

 

[Blagsta]

Where a demonstration spills over into illegal activity (e.g. random vandalism or causing an obstruction) then their job is to enforce the law. that's what they did.

There are other ways of enforcing the law.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

That is quite clearly accomplishable without the same old bullshit arguments about Darwinism popping up.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Why should one teeny group decide that they have a right to disrupt the lives of a much larger group?

The "teeny group" hasn't decided anything, they exercised a (severely eroded) constitutional right to protest, one that's been around for nearly 200 years now.
Do at least try for a modicum of accuracy in your posts.

Failing that, how about not troubling people with your witterings?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Anybody with any sense could see the storm that was gathering starting a couple of years ago and adjusted their investment portfolio accordingly.

That'd hardly be in line with the precepts of neo-liberal capitalism, would it?

The "financial Crisis" wasn't caused by bankers per se, that'd be like trying to pin the pitiful state of general education on an individual.

Very poor analogy. Bankers as a profession had a fair amount to do with the problem. They are, after all, the people who authorise investment and divestment in and of different assets, are they not?

Surely you can't be seeking to blame old Prudence for the global financial crisis? He's only responsible for the UK's situation (e.g. selling off gold reserves at the bottom of the market - genius)...

Hold on, a moment ago you're coming out with how daft it would be to blame an individual, and now you're...blaming an individual. Well done!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Morons who bought crap properties for a price way over their value egged on by mortgage dealers and brokers whose only qualification was the ability to stick coins into a "print your own professional business card" machine.

I presume these brokers and dealers all had access to printing machines for the certification and licencing they need to be able to legally lend and broker too, then?

 

[lopsidedbunny]

Just come arcoss this on indymedia... https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427427.html and see 3:10

 

[david dissadent]

see 3:10

That video is a very illustrative example of how the 'kettle' creates flashpoints that would not otherwise exist.

Thanks for posting it.

 

[GoneCoastal]

That video is a very illustrative example of how the 'kettle' creates flashpoints that would not otherwise exist.

Thanks for posting it.

Just reading the comments on Indymedia and it looks like The Guardian have picked it up

 

[OneStrike]

That video is a very illustrative example of how the 'kettle' creates flashpoints that would not otherwise exist.

Thanks for posting it.

I suprised myself at just how angry i felt after watching that. I saw similar things happen countless times on April 1st, still hurts my senses to see a small woman slapped around like that, never mind hit with a club. He must be 6'2" and about 14stone ffs.

 

[lopsidedbunny]

I suprised myself at just how angry i felt after watching that. I saw similar things happen countless times on April 1st, still hurts my senses to see a small woman slapped around like that, never mind hit with a club. He must be 6'2" and about 14stone ffs.

I'm 14 stone and I'm smaller than him ...

 

[two sheds]

I suprised myself at just how angry i felt after watching that. I saw similar things happen countless times on April 1st, still hurts my senses to see a small woman slapped around like that, never mind hit with a club. He must be 6'2" and about 14stone ffs.

That man is a thug. What the hell are people like him doing in the police?

 

[OneStrike]

I'm 14 stone and I'm smaller than him ...

Well, you get my point chubby!

My thought, simply, was that he was a fairly big armed bloke, she looked tiny. Suppose the justification would be that he only slapped her face and clubbed her leg, he could have thrown a right hook and put his club across the bridge of her nose. Reasonable force see.

 

[Brother Mouzone]

That man is a thug. What the hell are people like him doing in the police?

Seems to be a prerequisite.

Disgusting.

 

[ToothlessFerret]

Watching the whole episode, its a classic example of how the behaviour of two police officers in particular, incite a potentially aggressive situation across the entire crowd. It should be shown to and drilled into every trainee copper. A great example of violence starting with some of the police officers. Great link.

 

[free spirit]

Watching the whole episode, its a classic example of how the behaviour of two police officers in particular, incite a potentially aggressive situation across the entire crowd. It should be shown to and drilled into every trainee copper. A great example of violence starting with some of the police officers. Great link.

problem is that if it was shown to every trainee copper it'd be being shown as an excercise in how the police should deal with potentially violent protestors... ie this is pretty much what they're trained to do, some of them do realise that this behaviour actually antagonises the crowd, unfortunately they're also mostly the ones who are well up for a ruck, so do it deliberately.

 

[lopsidedbunny]

I am assuming this happen on the 2nd April?

Police Pointing a 50,000-volt Taser at a Group of People Lying on the Floor

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6130949.ece

I am deeply suspicious that the The Times had taken interest in this subject.... being a pro Blairite for most of it recent life.

 

[danny la rouge]

It was just a few bad scapeg... I mean apples. Not a top-down thing at all.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8007580.stm