Anti capitalist protest? Do these people really even know what they are orgazing about? Maybe they should all find a tree house each to live in and get back to their roots.
G20 protests by anti-capitalists and environmentalists; Barack Obama in UK for summit. As the world's leaders jet into London for tomorrow's G20 summit, thousands of anti-capitalists and environmentalist activists have gathered for protests in the capital. **Paul Lewis **says it presents an unprecedented challenge for Britain's police and security forces.
The dramatic ups and especially the dramatic downs reek havoc on the modest fortunes of the middle and lower classes - and mindful that this recent global downswing was the direct result of the greed avarice of the market managers themselves - we have every right to be upset.
“Maybe they should all find a tree house each to live in and get back to their roots.”
Before you going running off into the jungle, perhaps someone should point out a survivalist technique to you: Tree houses are generally built in the branches, not in the roots.
Getting back to your serious point, there are some really nutty people out there.
The Global Economy swings up and down and up again and that will never change. As an individual you can just make sure you find your way through. It’s amazing what the human mind can do when applied. Or you can go and spend time doing the activist thing in the streets getting all emotional, dramatic and at times violent.
Sure comment has to be made when the leaderships are not doing the right thing, but itcan be done intelligently. Somehow out of all those orgazing in the streets, likely they are just venting without understanding exactly what’s really happening. Destroying public property and the such … certainly won’t be helping their own situations.
For one thing, if you don’t like the leadership, don’t vote them in. And it would help if you weren’t like those Obama voters on U-Tube thinking Congress was run by the Republicans and the such. Be a little informed to what’s going on, instead of just running to the streets, running off at the mouthy would perhaps be a better approach.
You may sympathise with those activists or be one of them … but I reckon it mostly just serves them right cuz they mostly brought it on themselves. There’s no credence in blaming one’s own personal fortunes on the state of the Global Economy.
**Before you going running off into the jungle, perhaps someone should point out a survivalist technique to you: Tree houses are generally built in the branches, not in the roots. **
Firstly referal to Tree Houses was meant as a symbolism? Roots refers to back to our ancestors and not to tree roots? Are you familiar with that novel and old TV series “Roots”? Yup … them kind of roots.
G-20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland ** ** Slideshow:Protests at the G20 summit AP – Police control protesters outside the Bank of England, during the G20 protests in the center of London … By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 15 mins ago
LONDON – G-20 protesters clashed with riot police in downtown London on Wednesday, breaking into the heavily guarded Royal Bank of Scotland and smashing its windows. Earlier, they tried to storm the Bank of England and pelted police with eggs and fruit.
At least 4,000 anarchists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists and others jammed into London’s financial district for what they called “Financial Fool’s Day.” The protests were called ahead of Thursday’s summit of world leaders, who hope to take concrete steps to resolve the global financial crisis that has lashed nations and workers worldwide.
Some protesters spray-painted the side of the RBS building with the phrases “class war” and “thieves.” Others pushed against columns of riot police who swatted them away with batons.
Demonstrators shouted “Abolish Money!” and clogged streets in the area known as “The City” even as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference elsewhere in the British capital.
At least eight people were arrested but there were no serious injuries reported.
Royal Bank of Scotland is at the center of protesters’ anger because it had to be bailed out by the British government after a series of disastrous deals brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. The bank is now majority-owned by the British taxpayer.
Despite that, its former chief executive Fred Goodwin — aged just 50 — managed to walk off with a tidy $1 million annual pension for life, while unemployment in Britain now tops 2 million and is heading towards 3 million by the end of this year. Goodwin has been vilified by the British press.
RBS posted a British record loss of 24.1 billion pounds for 2008. The British government has invested 20 billion pounds in propping up the bank.
Helicopters hovered above the protests and some buildings were boarded up. Many banks had extra security and hundreds of police officers lined the streets.
“Every job I apply for there’s already 150 people who have also applied,” said protester Nathan Dean, 35, who lost his information technology job three weeks ago. “I have had to sign on to the dole (welfare) for the first time in my life. You end up having to pay your mortgage on your credit card and you fall into debt twice over.”
Demonstrators hoisted effigies of the “four horsemen of the apocalypse,” representing war, climate chaos, financial crimes and homelessness.
“The greed that is driving people is tearing us apart,” said Steve Lamont, 45, flanked by his family and protesters who were banging on bells, playing drums and blowing whistles.
One police officer lost his helmet and demonstrators tossed it around like a trophy and chanted slogans.
Fearing they would be targeted by protesters, some bankers swapped their pinstripe suits for casual wear and others stayed home. Bolder financial workers leaned out their office windows Wednesday, taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them.
Especially in Britain, bankers have been lambasted as being greedy and blamed for the recession that is making jobless ranks soar.
“It seems like everything is in a mess,” said protester Steve Johnson, 49, an unemployed construction worker. “You get bankers getting massive bonuses, and the MPs (British lawmakers) are lining their own pockets.”
Protesters waved banners reading “Banks are evil,” “Eat the bankers,” and “0% interest in others.”
One protester dressed as the Easter bunny managed to hop through the police cordon but was stopped before he could reach the Bank of England. Another black-clad demonstrator waved a fake light saber at officers.
Musician and political activist Billy Bragg said the time was now to make a difference.
“It’s better than sitting down shouting at the television at these bankers,” he said. “We cannot go back to the way things were before to the million-dollar bonus culture.”
The dramatic ups and especially the dramatic downs reek havoc on the modest fortunes of the middle and lower classes - and mindful that this recent global downswing was the direct result of the greed avarice of the market managers themselves - we have every right to be upset.
All I’m saying is that there are many folks who played by the rules, they bought a 3 bedroom ranch, built up a pension and maybe an IRA or two, and now through no fault of their own, they could be unemployed and broke.
I agree with you in some aspects, we do have a right to be upset about some greed and theft, but I think most of it goes back to personnel responsibility.
No one made them/us/me put our money in the stock market, we did it in hopes of making more money, it was a risk WE took, alot of us lost and are looking to blame someone, how about blaming ourselves.
No one made us buy houses to turn a profit, I bought one to live in first and if i decided to sell then hopefully I would make some money, but it was my decision No one made me invest, we could have taken it in cash and put it in a jar, WE assumed the risk by investing in the market, buying houses etc., and now we are threatening others for decisions we made?
We have to realize risks, and accept that we are in control of our risks, and that when we screw up we cannot blame someone else.
What is an “Anti-Capitalist”? Don’t we all live in Capitalist Systems, even Communist China … and prosper as a result? Has there been any system more succesful than the Capitalist one?
These demonstrators are “Anti-Capitalist Activists”, Anarchists and Environmentalists. Are they really against Capitalism period? Can they possibly survive if they did not have Capitalism?.. Environmentalists … solve all personal financial problems if G20 leaders started hugging trees? Anarchists ie rebelling … rebelling against what?
You are correct but I still do not see the point? They played by the rules and the rules of investing clearly state that you can lose money. They lost. Losing was clearly stated as a possibility in the rules. That is sometimes the way it goes. To quote Kevin Spacey from Swimming with Sharks, “What, your job is unfair to you? Grow up, way it goes. People use you? Life’s unfair? Grow up, way it goes. Your girlfriend doesn’t love you? Tough shit, way it goes.”
I would say I am someone who fails to see how the current global economic downswing is any more or less reason to help or feel compassionate for those who are suffering.
We do have every right to be upset that we are abandoning capitalism by bailing out the greedy idiots who screwed up, I agree!
The dramatic ups and especially the dramatic downs reek havoc on the modest fortunes of the middle and lower classes - and mindful that this recent global downswing was the direct result of the greed avarice of the market managers themselves - we have every right to be upset.
Slideshow:Protests at the G20 summit 
AP – Police control protesters outside the Bank of England, during the G20 protests in the center of London … By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 15 mins ago