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That's not true at all. As an American, I was never given the option to purchase an "unsafe" cigarette from Eric Garner - he was killed in order to prevent me f

That's not true at all. As an American, I was never given the option to purchase an "unsafe" cigarette from Eric Garner - he was killed in order to prevent me from having that option.

randomdata 10y ago
I believe he is referring to the safety of a stable income, which such protectionism attempts to provide. If someone can come in and try to do a better job, then you are always at risk of losing your revenue stream. If the law prevents competition, then you can feel more secure in having that revenue stream for life.
maxerickson 10y ago
The NYC policing of singles is clearly about taxes no matter what else they might say to justify it.
ank_the_elder 10y ago
According to wikipedia, Garner was not primarily a cigarette salesman: 1. He had been a horticulturist at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, but quit for health reasons. 2. Garner had been arrested by the NYPD thirty times since 1980 on charges such as assault, resisting arrest, and grand larceny. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner With thirty arrests, he is best described as a criminal who used to work as horticulturist. Although: "An official said he had been arrested multiple times for allegedly selling unlicensed cigarettes"
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  At least as indicated in the video of his death, none of this is relevant. He didn't assault any police officers when he was killed and he didn't appear to be resisting or committing larceny. Also, you do know that "resisting arrest" just means "the cops don't like this guy", right? (I suppose it's easy for folks who don't interact with the police not to know this.)
  - ank_the_elder 10y ago
    We must have seen different videos, then, as it's very clear from it that he was resisting arrest. Is this the one you were talking about? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGxagKOkv8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGxagKOkv8 PS: Can you tell just how biased you are? I'm curious as to how oblivious you are of your own professional shortcomings.
    - yummyfajitas 10y ago
      I just rewatched the video, module the actual killing part. He's having a conversation and pretty animated, waving his arms Italian style, when the police grab him. Almost immediately he's put into a chokehold. Clearly the personal attacks bolster your case.
      - ank_the_elder 10y ago
        "And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. "Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. "Reality control," they called it: in Newspeak, "doublethink." (1.3.18)"
- zeveb 10y ago
  I think it's possible to believe: that Garner was not an ideal person; that the policy he was killed to enforce is wrong; and that his actual killing was wrong.

That's not true at all. As an American, I was never given the option to purchase an "unsafe" cigarette from Eric Garner - he was killed in order to prevent me from having that option.

randomdata 10y ago

I believe he is referring to the safety of a stable income, which such protectionism attempts to provide. If someone can come in and try to do a better job, then you are always at risk of losing your revenue stream. If the law prevents competition, then you can feel more secure in having that revenue stream for life.

maxerickson 10y ago

The NYC policing of singles is clearly about taxes no matter what else they might say to justify it.

ank_the_elder 10y ago

According to wikipedia, Garner was not primarily a cigarette salesman: 1. He had been a horticulturist at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, but quit for health reasons. 2. Garner had been arrested by the NYPD thirty times since 1980 on charges such as assault, resisting arrest, and grand larceny. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Eric_Garner With thirty arrests, he is best described as a criminal who used to work as horticulturist. Although: "An official said he had been arrested multiple times for allegedly selling unlicensed cigarettes"

yummyfajitas 10y ago
At least as indicated in the video of his death, none of this is relevant. He didn't assault any police officers when he was killed and he didn't appear to be resisting or committing larceny. Also, you do know that "resisting arrest" just means "the cops don't like this guy", right? (I suppose it's easy for folks who don't interact with the police not to know this.)
- ank_the_elder 10y ago
  We must have seen different videos, then, as it's very clear from it that he was resisting arrest. Is this the one you were talking about? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGxagKOkv8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGxagKOkv8 PS: Can you tell just how biased you are? I'm curious as to how oblivious you are of your own professional shortcomings.
  - yummyfajitas 10y ago
    I just rewatched the video, module the actual killing part. He's having a conversation and pretty animated, waving his arms Italian style, when the police grab him. Almost immediately he's put into a chokehold. Clearly the personal attacks bolster your case.
    - ank_the_elder 10y ago
      "And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. "Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. "Reality control," they called it: in Newspeak, "doublethink." (1.3.18)"
zeveb 10y ago
I think it's possible to believe: that Garner was not an ideal person; that the policy he was killed to enforce is wrong; and that his actual killing was wrong.