Bloomberg's Dumb Tactics Result in Occupation of Wall Street

@RonMwangaguhung
You know, I, too, wondered why Bloomberg didn't just wait until winter and let it all go away. But, thinking about it, my guess would be that Bloomberg actually consciously rejected that outcome, to avoid setting a precedent that angry people can set up a protest camp in New York and get away with it. There are two aspects to this. First is the political–Bloomberg wants to avoid creating the impression that citizens can demonstrate without risking getting roughed up by police, since creating a fear of arrest scares off people with disabilities, jobs or kids (i.e., most people). Second is the legal, in that Bloomberg doesn’t want to give future demonstrators the legal argument that they were treated less favorably than OWS because of their viewpoint. As to the latter, a similar situation occurred where, as I recall, an email uncovered in litigation showed the NYPD denying a permit to a John Lennon memorial event for fear that anti-RNC demonstrators would ask for the same permit.

I don’t mean to make any value judgments here, though I could, but rather I’m just trying to think about an explanation for why events transpired as they did.

@josiah Thanks, I think this goes a long way into decoding Bloomberg's thought process

@RonMwangaguhung
And not that this can't backfire for Bloomberg, if the repression increases participation through creating outrage rather than decreases participation through creating fear. Of course, whether that happens or not is basically up to us.

@DoctorDisaster Dunno. Over here in Europe politics is teeming with technocrats who are well educated and cite history all the time. And they're just as bone-headed. There's something inherent in politics that attracts stubborn dopes like customer service attracts misanthropes.
Or as my dad always said, "mediocrity rules.."

@SarahHeartburn In regards to the customer service thing, it actually CREATES them, because people suck.

@zoom I think we're both right but clearly your explanation covers 75% of the disgruntled.

@SarahHeartburn I think the problem is that they insist on not believing that they are, in fact, asshole aristocratic tyrants. Just admit it and start boning up on your Machiavelli, already!

@DoctorDisaster Your use of the word "aristocratic" is on the money. There are in fact memebers of the nobility in politics here. The President of the Community of Madrid, (somewhat equivalent to a US State governor), Esperanza Aguirre, is a countess, and boy does she act like one. Couple weeks ago she sneeringly referred to Obama as a "progressive". Don't get me started.