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That only works as long as he's not opposing the state or any corporation or individual with powerful state connections. I dare this guy to go down to the local

That only works as long as he's not opposing the state or any corporation or individual with powerful state connections. I dare this guy to go down to the local Occupy Wall Street protests and then see how little the government cares. The fact is, we violate laws every day. In addition to actual violations, we do many more things that look suspicious and can be construed as potential violations. The government doesn't have to convict you in order to radically lower your quality of life. It merely has to investigate you. For example, I knew a person that protested against the RNC convention in 2008. Though they were protesting peacefully, their group was broken up and arrested by the FBI. For the next two years, their case was bounced down from federal court to state courts, and then from state courts to county courts. Two and a half years later, the case was dismissed without any explanation or apology. However, while the case was ongoing, this person was unable to get a job, unable to get housing, unable to do anything that would require a background check or a credit check. Was this person involved in major criminal or subversive activity? I don't see how she could have been, given that all charges were dropped. However, the actions taken against her can only be described as harassment.

oelewapperke 15y ago
Oh great the conspiracy argument. You know, even assuming this is true, and that's a BIG assumption, what is your suggestion ? Humans are the cornerstone of everything, and what you've just described is what humans do. You see people cheat the rules on toddler playgrounds, you see you and me cheat on our tax returns, you see business owners cheat their customers and suppliers, you see management fighting their own subordinates and colleagues with every dirty trick in the book, and yes, you see large groups, corporations, unions, scouting groups* go after individuals (though frankly, this happens much less in America compared to China, the middle east or even Europe). I understand the 99%'ers griefs, I even mostly agree with the more moderate among them, but they are every bit as bad as the people they're attacking. They're human.

oelewapperke 15y ago

Oh great the conspiracy argument. You know, even assuming this is true, and that's a BIG assumption, what is your suggestion ? Humans are the cornerstone of everything, and what you've just described is what humans do. You see people cheat the rules on toddler playgrounds, you see you and me cheat on our tax returns, you see business owners cheat their customers and suppliers, you see management fighting their own subordinates and colleagues with every dirty trick in the book, and yes, you see large groups, corporations, unions, scouting groups* go after individuals (though frankly, this happens much less in America compared to China, the middle east or even Europe). I understand the 99%'ers griefs, I even mostly agree with the more moderate among them, but they are every bit as bad as the people they're attacking. They're human.