Operation Occupy Wall Street

Andy_Bates · 2011-11-22T11:54:20.000Z

thrasymedes:

Well, you fed the troll, what did you expect?

The troll was the one who said, “I notice that the police don’t pepper-spray Tea Party events,” without mentioning the little detail that people at the Tea Party events haven’t done anything that would warrant such a response.

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:00:22.000Z

So why did they call themselves the Tea Party, Andy?

WarrenM · 2011-11-22T12:01:10.000Z

Did someone say something about a dead baby? :(

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Andy_Bates · 2011-11-22T12:05:59.000Z

madkevin:

So why did they call themselves the Tea Party, Andy?

What does that have to do with the police being afraid to oppose the current Tea Party, Kevin?

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:09:08.000Z

The defense rests.

Andy_Bates · 2011-11-22T12:12:54.000Z

Objection! Relevance!

Sustained. Kevin, please address the matter at hand: Why would police be afraid to confront Tea Party members based on their name?

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:15:16.000Z

Is that the matter at hand? I thought it was your congenital inability to answer a simple question, even when repeated ad nauseam. As evidence, I present every thread you’ve ever posted in.

Fishbreath · 2011-11-22T12:16:01.000Z

madkevin:

The defense rests.

That’s sort of a funny label to give yourself, since you’re on the side claiming that the police were scared of a group because of their name.

Have you considered the possibility that the name ‘Tea Party’ was chosen not because of the tarring and feathering, but because it’s a well-known patriotic event in United States history?

Wait, no, what am I thinking? The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy would never do anything for innocent reasons, being composed of vampires and baby-eaters.

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:17:50.000Z

Fishbreath:

That’s sort of a funny label to give yourself, since you’re on the side claiming that the police were scared of a group because of their name.

Except I never claimed that. Apparently you’re in Andy’s reading class.

Brandon_Clements · 2011-11-22T12:21:14.000Z

Fishbreath:

Have you considered the possibility that the name ‘Tea Party’ was chosen not because of the tarring and feathering, but because it’s a well-known patriotic event in United States history?

So, they chose to name their movement after an event that destroyed expensive private property?

Fishbreath · 2011-11-22T12:21:50.000Z

madkevin:

Except I never claimed that. Apparently you’re in Andy’s reading class.

Except that was what the original discussion was about before you started driving it in circles.

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:22:53.000Z

Perhaps you’re confused as to how internet message boards work?

Fishbreath · 2011-11-22T12:23:54.000Z

Fishbreath:

Have you considered the possibility that the name ‘Tea Party’ was chosen not because of the destruction of private property, but because it’s a well-known patriotic event in United States history?

Fixed that for me.

Although if you want to make the argument you seem to be, then that does give #OWS a way better claim to the Tea Party name than the actual Tea Party.

Fishbreath · 2011-11-22T12:24:46.000Z

madkevin:

Perhaps you’re confused as to how internet message boards work?

No, I read Slashdot: I’m quite familiar with pedants arguing something that’s basically semantics, rather than a much more interesting question.

Andy_Bates · 2011-11-22T12:27:17.000Z

madkevin:

Is that the matter at hand? I thought it was your congenital inability to answer a simple question, even when repeated ad nauseam. As evidence, I present every thread you’ve ever posted in.

I am happy to answer relevant questions that add to the discussion. But since you already know the answer to this question, and it is also irrelevant, I don’t see any reason to bother. Plus, I’m holding out hope that you will actually hold your breath. Fingers crossed!

madkevin · 2011-11-22T12:27:41.000Z

Speaking of interesting questions, why do you think the Tea Party named themselves, Fishbreath? Maybe Andy can crib from your answer. He obviously needs the help.

Jibble · 2011-11-22T12:29:33.000Z

Andy Bates:

So are you now claiming that the Tea Partiers were given preferential treatment?

Nope. Once again, I was pointing out that they weren’t always sweet little old ladies playing bridge after obtaining the proper permits.

Andy Bates:

As for the use of pepper spray, you do realize that pepper spray is used in specific circumstances, right?

Right. Like when you want to rub it on someone’s eyes with a q-tip because they’re chained up in the lobby of a lumber company.

Andy Bates:

It’s not just used as a general response to any sort of criminal activity.

I’ll give you that much. That’s what tasers are for.

Andy Bates:

The first guy was arrested

The first guy wandered off into the crowd and wasn’t arrested until days later, and was then given probation. No one stopped him, and if he hadn’t been caught on video absolutely nothing would have happened to him.

Jibble · 2011-11-22T12:32:05.000Z

madkevin:

Speaking of interesting questions, why do you think the Tea Party named themselves, Fishbreath? Maybe Andy can crib from your answer. He obviously needs the help.

I’ve already covered this. Several of the organized Tea Party groups openly admit that the origin of the name was Rick Santelli’s CNBC rant. It is a settled fact.

Jason_McCullough · 2011-11-22T12:32:31.000Z

Andy Bates:

You say that the “Sons of Liberty” group “was basically the Boston Tea Party,” but the Boston Tea Party was an event, not a group. The modern Tea Party named themselves after that event, not after the group that tarred and feathered people. And that’s all tangential anyway, because naming yourself after someone violent doesn’t make you violent, any more than naming yourself Muhammad makes you a boxer.

Fishbreath · 2011-11-22T12:35:16.000Z

madkevin:

Speaking of interesting questions, why do you think the Tea Party named themselves, Fishbreath? Maybe Andy can crib from your answer. He obviously needs the help.

Okay, I’ll take a swing at that.

The symbol of the Boston Tea Party has been used in tax-related protests going back to the 80s. In 2007, Ron Paul supporters held a fundraiser along the same lines. The first protests associated with the Tea Party movement didn’t actually use that name; I knew of a couple of so-called ‘Porkulus Protests’ in February 2009. Then there was the whole business with Santelli suggesting a tea party by dumping derivatives into the Chicago River, and (the right-wing grassroots/the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy-- select based on prejudices and time period) liked the name enough to make it stick.

So to repeat myself a third time, I do honestly believe that the Tea Party label took off because 1) it’s an iconic patriotic event in the founding of this country, steeped (ha) in the history of American liberty, and 2) it had already been part of anti-tax and anti-government protests for two and a half decades.

If you’d like my sources, just say so.