4 ms·

All you need to do is watch videos of protests anywhere to see cops aggressing on protestors, shooting people on their lawns, arresting and shooting reporters f

by ixtli 6y ago

All you need to do is watch videos of protests anywhere to see cops aggressing on protestors, shooting people on their lawns, arresting and shooting reporters for major news networks on camera. When people are aggressed upon by armed security forces in other countries I'll bet most dont take the side of the people with the guns, so why now?

coolspot 6y ago
There are examples of pure looting. E.g. The Grove in Los Angeles: https://youtu.be/hpXdXLaJhKE https://youtu.be/hpXdXLaJhKE
- ssalazar 6y ago
  Ugly but beside the point. Why arent the police protecting these businesses, if looting is such a concern, rather than instigating peaceful protestors? Besides, these businesses are all insured; Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss. By contrast, nothing will bring back George Floyd, let alone the countless black people afflicted by police brutality that weren't caught on camera. With millions still unemployed and a sense that society has left so many behind, COVID in the US was a powder keg looking for a match, and a breakdown of order shouldnt really be unexpected.
  - thephyber 6y ago
    I'm pro-protest and pro-police-accountability-reforms, but some of your logic fails. > Besides, these businesses are all insured Some of them are. But having to claim on insurance is an expensive proposition that eats into profit margins (which is extra difficult in the middle of a worldwide depression). > Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss. Most companies aren't multinational megacorps in high profit businesses. I drove through South Central Los Angeles about 1 year after the Rodney King riots. I don't know what proportion of the businesses were rebuilt, but it was pretty clearly that many of the buildings hasn't been rebuilt. Large scale building damage takes a LONG time to rebuild and probably means the business can't run until it's done.
    - ssalazar 6y ago
      I appreciate the counterargument. I would never advocate looting, especially of small/family businesses. The part of Los Angeles where I live has been hit hard by looting this weekend, including many small businesses, and its painful to see. I would highly prefer peaceful protesting and peaceful policing. But there is really no comparison of a line item on a multibillion dollar balance sheet--the linked video is all luxury multinationals--with peoples' actual real lives. The response of "what about the looters?" is a distraction from exactly that.
      - thephyber 6y ago
        > The response of "what about the looters?" is a distraction from exactly that. Yup. And I personally think that a lot of the violence isn't the average protesters who care about police accountability, but people who are just using protests as an excuse to wreak havoc with less chance of being singled out for arrest.
    - makomk 6y ago
      Yeah, and insurance isn't going to cover the lost income whilst rebuilding - if it even covers rioting at all. For example, America's oldest indie sci-fi bookstore was torched as part of the riots, totally destroyed, and the owner isn't expecting to get a single cent from insurance due to the exclusions: http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml

by ixtli 6y ago

coolspot 6y ago

There are examples of pure looting. E.g. The Grove in Los Angeles: https://youtu.be/hpXdXLaJhKE https://youtu.be/hpXdXLaJhKE

ssalazar 6y ago
Ugly but beside the point. Why arent the police protecting these businesses, if looting is such a concern, rather than instigating peaceful protestors? Besides, these businesses are all insured; Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss. By contrast, nothing will bring back George Floyd, let alone the countless black people afflicted by police brutality that weren't caught on camera. With millions still unemployed and a sense that society has left so many behind, COVID in the US was a powder keg looking for a match, and a breakdown of order shouldnt really be unexpected.
- thephyber 6y ago
  I'm pro-protest and pro-police-accountability-reforms, but some of your logic fails. > Besides, these businesses are all insured Some of them are. But having to claim on insurance is an expensive proposition that eats into profit margins (which is extra difficult in the middle of a worldwide depression). > Im certain that Apple and Luxottica, some of the richest companies in the world, can write off the loss. Most companies aren't multinational megacorps in high profit businesses. I drove through South Central Los Angeles about 1 year after the Rodney King riots. I don't know what proportion of the businesses were rebuilt, but it was pretty clearly that many of the buildings hasn't been rebuilt. Large scale building damage takes a LONG time to rebuild and probably means the business can't run until it's done.
  - ssalazar 6y ago
    I appreciate the counterargument. I would never advocate looting, especially of small/family businesses. The part of Los Angeles where I live has been hit hard by looting this weekend, including many small businesses, and its painful to see. I would highly prefer peaceful protesting and peaceful policing. But there is really no comparison of a line item on a multibillion dollar balance sheet--the linked video is all luxury multinationals--with peoples' actual real lives. The response of "what about the looters?" is a distraction from exactly that.
    - thephyber 6y ago
      > The response of "what about the looters?" is a distraction from exactly that. Yup. And I personally think that a lot of the violence isn't the average protesters who care about police accountability, but people who are just using protests as an excuse to wreak havoc with less chance of being singled out for arrest.
  - makomk 6y ago
    Yeah, and insurance isn't going to cover the lost income whilst rebuilding - if it even covers rioting at all. For example, America's oldest indie sci-fi bookstore was torched as part of the riots, totally destroyed, and the owner isn't expecting to get a single cent from insurance due to the exclusions: http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml