I find the difference in the treatment of OWS and the TEA Party gatherings interesting ...

[zbdent]

Okay ... if you believe the TEAhadists, Obama is a vicious dictator leading the lefties in their lockstep assault, if not downright slaughter, of moderate-rights or conservatives.

While the Republican/Conservative/Libertarian types are just letting the average Joe enjoy their freedoms.

So ... if Obama and company are the Stormtroopers ... why weren't there police dressed in riot gear with tear gas and nightsticks bashing in the skulls of the peaceful TEA Party gatherings?

Yet the OWS groups are teargassed and pepper-sprayed and, at best, menaced by police dressed as if they were storming Baghdad ... and then the police chief (at least in the Oakland case) goes and has an announcement about how the people sitting there doing nothing warrant being surrounded, which takes the police away from catching criminals in the act of committing crimes elsewhere? (A.K.A. - Oakland had to "divert resources" to make sure that the OWS didn't glare nastily at corporate offices ...)

[jeff47]

1. Of course they're treated differently. Only 8 people show up to the Tea Party ones.

[zbdent]

3. but remember, lefties hate America so much that

they'll send in the hit squads to quash any hint of dissent ... isn't that the righties' message?

[TheMastersNemesis]

6. False Accusations

They are projecting on the left what they are actually doing. When I run into Republicans that I know I am not allowed to say anything without vitriol coming back. Yet these racist pigs call Obama the N word all day long. I believe the hatred is deepening every day.
If the left does attempt to fight back the GOP will turn like a rabid dog.

I am sensing a lot of eliminationist rhetoric that is growing more and more. I had some guy in California call me a communist because I had an anti FOX sticker on my are. When I admitted to him that I like Matthews, Olberman and Maddow he just went nuts.
And I did not challenge him in the least. He owned a $500,000 boat.

[Cleita]

2. It glaringly shows who the entitled really are.

The establishment considers the rest of us dirty hippies. Maybe we should wear hats with tea bags dangling from them at the next protest. Do you think we'll get a pass then?

[a simple pattern]

8. Teargassed Enough Already?

[TheMastersNemesis]

4. The Difference Is More Than Interesting

The treatment of OWS was instigated by the right wing. And too many weak kneed Democrats helped. For some reason the cops seem to be on the side of people who will take their pensions.

If the demonstrations had been larger and more adamant the police would have used live ammo. Sadly in Denver we had two Democrats, the mayor of Denver and the Colorado governor, who were more than glad to oblige the RW.

If these demonstrations come back in the spring and become too effective the RW will crack down even more viciously. We are in a civil war but do not know it yet. The GOP has decided that it will kill the middle class completely.

They will end all labor laws, end unemployment insurance, Medicare, Medicaide, Social Security, minimum wage, child labor laws, outlaw unions, criminalize birth control, and end all federal domestic programs. They will turn what is left of that funding to the Christian fundamentalists. They will privative ALL of the commons. They will outsource millions of more jobs. And these initiatives will only be the beginning. They will end the 1st amendment.

The GOP is talking so much code right now. And the public is mostly unaware. The Republicans think that they are on the verge of total political supremacy. Kings statement in Florida was code for go after the Democrats and liberals and toss them out of the country. No one in the GOP questioned his statement as far as I know.

What I am saying looks over the top. But if you look at all the rhetoric out there as a whole it is hard to ignore the threat.

[smiley]

5. the tea party

Was not a true populist movement. It was financed be the very rich and only existed to undermine Obama's policies.

OWS is a true populist movement and as with all true populist movements organized by the so-called "left", military/police force has always been used to intimidate and squash.

I'm reading Howard Zinn's "The People's History of the United States" now. It's a great eye opener to continual class struggle which has gone on in this country since its founding.

[think]

7. The Tea Party Express was a dog and pony show. OWS is Real

Those Tea Party protests were basically Rethug rallies bought & paid for and organized by Koch Industry's puppet non profit group Americans for Prosperity, and Dick Armey's coal lobby group Freeddom Works.

Add in Fox News for additional marketing & promoting and other bought and paid for splinter groups and you have a well produced propaganda event.

[jody]

9. At least both groups complain about government programs! nt