Re: OT - The News Thread
I don't believe it is intolerance of dissent. Legitimate dissent is good, especially when the protestors have legitimate grieveances (yes, I know it's a subjective argument to determine what is "legitimate" or not but in most instances it's pretty clear) to bring to the froefront of attention.
That's the issue, whether you believe in it or not, it's legitimate dissent as long as it's done properly and peacefully. Take the Tea Party protests for instance. I think they're all loony, but I would pick up a gun and go to war this afternoon to protect their right to have their loony protests.
But mindless destruction of public property for anarchy's sake and for the thrill of it should be aggressively stamped out and those prosecuted (in a fair trial) to the full extent of the judicial process.
Absolutely, they do nothing but damage the image of protesting. However, this is where we have to look at the role that agent provocateurs play. If the first person throwing a rock at riot police is a AP, and the riot police get violent as a reaction...and then property damage occurs, it's hard to blame to protesters.
I bring that up because in Seattle it's been alleged that a group of face masked and hooded guys wearing black that none of the regular protest groups were familiar with, touched off the violence and were responsible for a large part of the property damage. If they were a moron anarchy group, then obviously it's on them...but if they were AP's...well, it changes things quite a bit, no?
There is room in this society for dissent and conflicting opinions. That doesn't give you or I the right to smash a garbage can through the window of some poor independent businessperson's workplace, thereby jeopardizing their income and family.
No, of course not, but it's exactly why the thought of government agents infiltrating a protest is so insidious. Whether it's 1 of 10, 1 of 100 or 1 of 1000, it should simply never happen.
