If you are wondering what the crowd is a gathering around when the government thugs use a flashbang, it’s this man.

If you are wondering what kind of low-life scum sucking socialistic parasite he is to be attending such a protest, first up, fuck you, second, here you go.

Oakland’s independent police review body will examine the clashes between riot officers and protesters that left an Iraq war veteran in a critical condition as Occupy protestors prepare to rally at the same spot for a third night of protests.

Police battled protesters following an Occupy Oakland march to demonstrate against the closing of two occupations in the city in the early hours of Tuesday morning. More than 100 people have been arrested in Oakland since police cleared a camp in Frank Ogawa plaza.

Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a fractured skull and brain swelling after he was allegedly hit in the head by a police projectile during the clashes on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Highland hospital in east Oakland confirmed he was critically ill after being admitted on Tuesday night.

[full story]

One thing I generally know is that when people have nothing left, or very little to risk other than their own skin in the game, they tend to push toward extreme solutions.  There is a race on now, and that race is whether or not our society can change fast enough to keep itself relevant to the vast majority of the people in our society.  It’s dang near an article of faith around here.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

To be clear, I don’t think OWS is, as of yet, a full-on revolutionary movement.  But there is a stark difference in what is going on here and what happened with the Tea Party.

It’s evident now that “Tea Party” is really just code for “Hardcore Republican”.  I call them “Fox News Republicans” and their ultimate act of defiance culminated in the 2010 elections.  This hugely revolutionary act was to elect a bunch of…wait for it…hardcore Republicans to the House, and give control of that chamber back to the folks who had it under Bush. (they failed in the Senate, because Senate districts, known as “states”, are harder to gerrymander and get nutjobs elected on straight party votes than house districts).

So any comparison between the two “movements” is shallow at best, and more likely the result of lazy “left-right” thinking than any real analysis.

There’s a book that one needs to read to understand why I’m being so melodramatic (I’m not) about the situation, and throwing out big words and bloody pictures.   It’s here.  A very quick read, in it you will find a section about this.. (from the ‘pedia).

 To be successful, these mass movements need the adherents to be willing to sacrifice themselves and others for the future goals. To do so, mass movements often glorify the past and devalue the present. Mass movements appeal to frustrated people who are dissatisfied with their current state, but are capable of a strong belief in the future. As well, mass movements appeal to people who want to escape a flawed self by creating an imaginary self and joining a collective whole. Some categories of people who may be attracted to mass movements include poor people, misfits, former soldiers, and people who feel thwarted in their endeavors.

To put it simply, you fucked with the wrong Marine.

I’m not sure if you folks are aware, but our President (the one who won a Nobel Peace Prize) is ending wars left and right.  He’s going to end the one in Afghanistan before the 2012 election, bank on it.  That’s a whole lot less soldiers being needed, a whole bunch of which are going to get shafted by a government now focused on cutting spending (on them).

That’s, as they use to say in that commercial, two great tastes that taste great together, a purpose…and an army.

OWS isn’t going away.  A good portion of the 99% are paying attention, and now there’s blood on the ground.    Our blood, on our ground.

So yea…like I said…game on.