Is it possible for OWS and others to hire Black Water/Xe to protect them from the riot police???

[Devil_Fish]

Just a thought...

I would love to see a line of Black Water/Xe security forces facing the riot police, and a bunch of peaceful protesters un-molested and safe. Hey, if it's good for the goose....

[FirstLight]

1. while i love the concept...

Blackwater/Xe already *has* a contract WITH the govt...so they are probably already on site.

[Devil_Fish]

3. Wasn't Xe's contract with the government rendered nul and void by the acorn act??? NT

[Amonester]

2. try another private entity...

and lots of dough (prolly)

[teddy51]

4. There might be others out there though that would do the job, but who is going to

pay for this protection?

[tcaudilllg]

10. Fund drive?

I'd rather give it to OWS than to Obama!

[teddy51]

13. Yep, good point... Who could we use, and what sites do we cover? You do

realize that this could cause something like a civil war in this country (just asking, but I like it)?

[Devil_Fish]

19. What sites.... At least OWS and OOakland. (thats right Oakland, You're Fucked Up!)

Not the bulk of the people in Oakland mind you, just the ass hole Mayor, and her goon squad + the NIMBY ass holes.

[teddy51]

20. Ok, so outline this money drive and how this would proceed from here?

I am so sick of sitting here nite after nite watching the NYPD and OPD abusing the people that represent most of here on DU.

[tcaudilllg]

35. Main thing we need to ask is: what are the goals?

To protect protestors? To give police a haven from the wrath of evil mayors?

Come to think about it, stronger police unions might serve the same purpose. They could, in theory, organize strikes and general acts of insubordination. Who would stop them? Other cops?

[tcaudilllg]

34. A civil war...

hmm. I don't think we are psychologically prepared for a civil war. We need a few more key scientific advances before we are ready to take on the extreme right with the full support of the people. The object of any civil war would be to depose the right wing think tanks and (what remains of) the Tea Party. The banksters are a symptom of arrogance, and what is necessary to create change in this country is a rejection of arrogance. I'd rather see that happen as a cultural zeitgeist than a bloody civil war in which I get to see so many innocent people die, plus who knows, the Right might be crazy enough to nuke us if cornered.

But we can't do much worse than we are right now. The police are totally enslaved. NYC is enslaved. The best outcome at this point would be Bloomberg's assassination. That would send a shockwave through Wall Street and also a message that money does not buy escape from justice. However, Obama is the foremost obstacle the people face at this point in time, because he is the hammer that will come down on any who try to change the status quo. Of course, Geithner would probably pressure him to crack down very hard... Geithner is the Street's inside man. The MSM will of course remain fearful for their jobs and compliant in the scheme.

If people came to hate Bush due to reaction and disgust, then they need to learn to hate Obama by choice. Definitely, we need to get the word out to people to redirect their funds towards Occupy and away from the DNC. I was heartened to hear David Gergen talk about the plan by Lawrence Lessig for a 2nd constitutional convention. I think that could send some shivers down the adversary's spine because no one knows what could pop out of such a thing. ;) I think our first priority as grassroots level organizers is to focus on getting the enemies of OWS out of office. Hopefully we'll see state leaders take on congressional insider traders. Of course that happens at state level too, if I'm not mistaken, so we need to be careful not to replace the old boss with new boss same as old. :)

I think America has too much respect for dissenting views for the police to end up fighting each other. If a fund drive was carried through to bankroll terminated officers, I think that would be effective. An important fact: there are only so many people willing and able to be excellent police officers in a population. It's a matter of liking law and equalizing opposing forces, attentiveness to that kind of energy. So police officers have that in common and as such, are respectful of each other. But their cause may not be justice so much as it is peace for its own sake (although that seems an extreme position). My point is that if they are forced to choose, they are likely to choose peace over justice. Of course they also might look at themselves as regards that, and ask if the police are become just another militaristic faction. That would be a strong argument for persuading some of them to bolt to the NGO security org. Admittedly, it doesn't seem like peace has value in the short term.

[PoiBoy]

For that kind of money, we could probably buy a mayor or senator....

...cops and security guys are just minions... we gotta buy a BOSS...!!!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

25. LOL

[MADem]

5. For that kind of money, they could rent a warehouse and camp in relative warmth and safety.

Those guys don't work for peanuts.

Also, they wouldn't disobey a direct order from a police officer, so that would be a supreme waste of cash.

[Devil_Fish]

6. Did they obey the police in Iraq?NT

[MADem]

15. For all intents and purposes, they WERE the police in Iraq.

Let's keep the focus on the OP, shall we?

[Zorra]

7. I'd be seriously worried about getting fragged by the highest bidder. nt

[No Joe]

8. Excellent question

Recom!

[brooklynite]

9. Unrec'd

Do you seriously believe a private security force is going to resist a US Police Department?

[tcaudilllg]

11. If it's big enough.

Hell, what if it EMPLOYED former police officers? Then it could go full on vigilante and the police could stand up to Bloomberg. As it is, he rules over them with an iron fist, their families' fortunes resting on his whims.

[jberryhill]

14. One of the purposes of nonviolent resistance is to reveal that iron fist

[teddy51]

22. I don't see advocating violence in the OP actually. I see protecting one's self against violence

by hiring a force that can insure that.

[jberryhill]

23. You deeply misunderstand what I said

Being protected from government reaction to protest really misses the point.

[teddy51]

24. Sorry, still not following. Please spell it slow and precise for an old fart, thanks. n/t

[jberryhill]

28. I'm not sure where to begin

You might start with Thoreau.

Marching around didn't accomplish anything for civil rights. What moved public opinion was the OPPRESSIVE REACTION to all that marching around.

If your point is that the OWS encampments should just be left alone and ignored, then can you explain where that goes?

How about if the city let them use Madison Square Garden? Then, they'd have climate control, lots of space, and won't create any sort of public disturbance. Would that be better?

[teddy51]

30. Ok, I understand where u are going now. I don't expect that the powers that be

will sit and watch this go on, so what was to be accomplished from the start of OWS? I'm not sure that peaceful is going to get the job done. It seems to me that voting in the 1% to any political position is where we should be. Bloomberg is a multi Billionaire, and therefore certainly does not represent the 99%. Who voted him in, and why?

[jberryhill]

32. And FDR and JFK were born to sharecroppers in Alabama

[tcaudilllg]

38. It's the rhetoric that any man, of any background, can become president.

Which is true, if the guy ahead of you dies in office.

[Devil_Fish]

27. I think having to hire private security to protect you from the government would speak volumes. NT

[No Joe]

16. I think the question is rhetorical n/t

[Devil_Fish]

17. Do they resist the Iraq government? Seems to me they work for the highest bidder.

P.S. I didn't post this for Rec's. Frankly, I don't really care if you like the question. I just feel that Riot police should respond to actual riots. not peacefull protesters.

[teddy51]

18. Hey, the 99% has nothing to lose anyway so it is something to think about.

The only problem is the number of sites that would need to be protected. But let me say something else, if the retired vets. were into this, it just might get really hot.

Our coming home vets (from at least vietnam and onward) have been treated like crap. Many of them have nothing to lose either.

[jberryhill]

12. How about Hell's Angels? They did such a good job at Altamont.

[Amonester]

21. Not a good idea.

Not a good idea at all (but the OP's wasn't also, so it's fair game). :hi:

[Union Scribe]

26. I gotta rec this just for thinking outside the box.

The mental image alone is awesome.

[Devil_Fish]

29. hey thanks.NT

[saras]

31. It would make more sense to ask the UN

[Devil_Fish]

33. Hey, your right! We should get the UN to hire Black Water/Xe to protect the occupiers.

Just like Iraq.

[Blue_Tires]

36. If OWS seriously had the $$$$ for Bilgewater

then 1. Police wouldn't fuck with them anyway because they'd be the 1%, and 2. They could afford to simply buy congress and shape policy to their own whim...

[Wind Dancer]

37. I don't think OWS wants to make a deal........

...with the devil, so to speak.

Extremely bad idea.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tcaudilllg]

40. Fund drive?

If you're serious.