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OCTOBER 9, 2011 2:51AM

Occupy Dallas (Photo essay) Viva La Revolucion!

Rate: 26 Flag
Sign 1

Capitalism, next to war, is the most naive of all human endeavors. It's a system set up to reward greed. And as I heard one person say, capitalism is a way of harnessing human selfishness for the greater good. And so-called human reason says we can trust that to always benefit us. You know, because greedy people will never fuck you.

Well, it's certainly pleasant to think so.

Those of us who live in the real world know differently. The idea of "regulating" greed is as about as idiotic as the idea of "regulating" murder (war by any other name). Sooner of later the dam always bursts. And while we argue about whether or not we should stick our fingers in the dam, we do so while ignoring the bigger picture that the dam is going to burst regardless as long as we allow the greed to keep flowing.

But I also know most people won't believe that until the dam actually breaks. As Moses said, "People will think, 'I am safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry." The truth is we've created a life in the shadow of a dam that's going to break. Everyone knows that, no one admits it!

"Oh, we have a plan for the facts: we plan to deny them!"

Sign 3

The human comedy is a pretty goddam funny thing if the consequences weren't so tragic. So let us come down from the mountain to see the ripples of human movement up close, where the friction of discourse comes to bear and souls brought to light. Yet even in tragedy there is beauty, because in the end we find the goal of all human efforts is to obtain love. And that's when we'll realize it's love we can trust - and nothing else.

The leaking of the dam is becoming more and more undeniable. Lies are crumbling under their own weight and the desperation to keep them alive only increases their outrageousness. Listen to this idiot of a Presidential candidate (that could only happen in a dying country):

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said the demonstrators are coming across as "anti-capitalism." [No shit, Sherlock] The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza said the Occupy Wall Street protesters are trying to distract the country from President Obama's "failed policies."

"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!" Cain said. "It is not a person's fault because they succeeded, it is a person's fault if they failed. And so this is why I don't understand these demonstrations and what is it that they're looking for."


Riddle me this, fat man. How many of your pizza making employees did you pay enough to get rich, you disingenuous jackass? And exactly how much money would you have made without them? The answer to both those questions is zero - same as your IQ. If we lived in a reality based society this man would be in a mental institution for delusional thinking, getting the help he so clearly needs.

And it would be provided through socialistic means.

Sign Cat 2

Most people don't know there was actually a faction of liberal democratic progressives in the Russian parliament during the power struggles of the 1917 revolution. The people rejected those voices, embracing instead those who would institute policies that resulted in the starvation of tens of millions. Finally, a few decades of untold suffering later, they start to think, "Gee, democracy may not be so bad after all." Any democracy in the West could have told them this was going to happen.

It will be the same thing with greed.

With these thoughts in mind, I traveled down to Pike's Park just outside of downtown Dallas to see this ripple that hoped to become a wave. First thing I noticed was a massive police presence. From paddy wagons to plastic cuffs to a command center and a helicopter, they came prepared to keep order in our society at all costs.

Shame they don't have that same attitude towards the banksters.

Comand center

Cops

Paddy Wagon

I've heard some folks openly wonder just what are these people protesting. Or to put it another way, they're asking: "Why aren't these people happy getting fucked?" Gee, boss, I jess dotn't knows the ansser to that. Then with the same air of unanswerable mystery they ponder just what could these protesters possibly want. Uh, to not be fucked? (Just a wild guess there)

Gazebo Far

Though laced on the edges with some anger and frustration, the vibe at Occupy Dallas was a positive one. Non-violence and cooperation with the police were wisely stressed. The protesters were laughing and enjoying themselves. It seemed well organized and focused and if there was any grumbling there I didn't hear it.

Water
Free provisions were made available

As often happens with the homeless, we like to show the most "deserving" ones to tell the story of that tragedy. But even the biggest asshole in the world deserves a home (Hi, Mr. Bush!) And I also read where the Occupy protesters were asked to dress in business casual so that they too could be "sold" better. Now you see why political people are never any fun.

Thank God the protestors didn't listen to that horse crap.

Signs City 2

Clown

Skateboard

The planned walk from the park down to the Federal Reserve building was without even the hint of incident. The police cordoned off the streets to allow a quick and easy procession. A few cars honked in sympathy to the cause and before you know it we were at the Fed giving The Man what for!

Cop Block

Walk

March 3

Watchers Building
A few watchers from on high

Fed Sign

The arrival was pretty anti-climatic. Chants were started and signs flashed to the passing traffic. Dallas is not a protest city. There was no real outbreak of civil rights marches in the sixties. Instead, city leaders bought off the black preachers and it remains that way to this day (some even think that's their right!). So I can imagine this protest - however feckless its results might be - raised the hackles of many loser Dallasites who saw it.

Protest Front Crop2

Protest cars

Fed View2

Protest Side

I also have video from the event but that will take a few more days to process and post. The whole experience was exhausting and draining. Even though I wore my (fake) press pass to differentiate myself, the idea of being the object of so many eyeballs and the police can be a bit nerve-wracking. The protesters, however, fed off that energy and with it came alive.

Sign 4

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Comments

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Of course the real question is will people still protest during boom times.
Protests seem to fizzle during times of plenty, but the dedicated folk keep going. I went to Occupy Indy yesterday but didn't march. They had a good crowd and good speeches. I posted some images sans commentary. I'll keep supporting them.
my country rises again!
I feel a twinge of hope.

OTOH, Cain and Bachmann are bloviating on CNN at the moment. What's needed is someone in politics who speaks for these people.
What can't the pundits and PTB not understand about wanting economic justice? monkey fingered.
Good job, Harry! I am glad that no one acted stupidly/violently.
This was good reporting. No boom time is looming on the horizon, though. Love IS the answer.
Exactly, phyllis. Times of plenty at the price of injustice mean times of scarcity coming.

FM, it did for a moment, for sure.

Myriad, Alan Grayson does a good job of that. But really, if we have to be actually sold on the idea of economic justice, we in a heap a trouble!

BBE, those fuckers know full well what this is about. Too many liars want to keep the "America is perfect as it is" myth alive. (And good to see you back)

Thanks, Diana. It was a pleasant experience and I didn't sense any negativity. I've been reading up on some locals' posts and they say the same thing. More on that when I get the video up.

Miguela, boom times are certainly a theoretical proposition at this point in time! And yes, the irony is it's love we hold back from behind the dam.
re BBE's question and the workers standing in the window of the fed building, looking out--


"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
--sinclair louis

"One withstands the invasion of armies; one does not withstand the invasion of ideas."
--victor hugo

see also occupy wall street, my speech to the masses
"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!" Cain said. "It is not a person's fault because they succeeded, it is a person's fault if they failed." --Cain

Socialized Losses, Privatized Gains
"""The idea of "regulating" greed is as about as idiotic as the idea of "regulating" murder (war by any other name). Sooner of later the dam always bursts.""""

Harry, you are ON FIRE today! This is so well done. You have a big crowd in Dallas and you have the Federal Reserve Bank to protest at...

Please keep up the photos and writing!
I would go to the Occupy My Stinky Little Town protest but it would be just me and I'm not sure where I would march on. :)

Of course it would be nice if all these protest organizers were to get together and pull one big march where it counts, Washington DC. But there's always next year.
vzn, I agreee with both those quotes.

zuma, not sure where all this will lead but it's good to hear something other than tea party rhetoric around here.

ocular, the problem with poor people protesting is they can't afford to travel! But that would make for some definite headlines for sure.
brilliantly conceived and presented Harry, there's nothing here that I can argue with. Greed has always been with us, and Dante notwithstanding, among others, have failed to stem the tide. I think for our generation, the turning point came with Reagan and his minions when they said fuck the hypocrisy lets bring it out in the open and legitimize greed and make it something we can be proud of and fool most of the population that it is good and honorable.

Beautiful photos too and brilliant photo journalism.
Thanks for those kind words, Barry. Others have also touched on the whole Reagan thing and I agree. I was just a kid at the time but I remember thinking, "You can't do that, can you? You can't just have a giant greed party and not have it have long term consequences. It's a total denial of reality." But to whom do I plead my case?
I think the idea of Congress folks wearing NASCAR-like uniform is an awesome idea, then we can know who their sponsors are and so can the Congress person can too(you'd be shocked how many don't!!! They take the money, nod, and wander away!! EEK!! :D)
Tink, I also think they should have someone constantly changing sponsor caps on their head when holding press conferences. I think I speak for everyone when I say all of OS would chip in to see your congressman wearing a shirt saying "Sponsored by Tink's Cat House and Brew Imporium"!
I'm delighted that this garnered an EP and made the cover, it really is worthy of the recognition. Good job, again, Harry.
now here is the belly of the beast - and where the deed was done - its not where the texans lost, it is where the nazis won.
HARRY, WE SPOTTED YOUR ARTICLE ON THE COVER, CALLED "DOCUMENTING OCCUPY DALLS" AND WE WERE INTERESTED TO FIND OUT WHAT A DALLS WAS, IS IT A FORM OF DONKEY BALLS?

AND IF SO, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO OCCUPY THEM? DONKEY BALLS ARE NASTY, TRUST ME! YOU WANT TO OCCUPY, FISH BOOBS!!

YES!

BUT BACK TO THE ARTICLE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE YOU OCCUPYING DALLAS, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE FUN, CAN THIS BE DONE EASILY, OR DO WE HAVE TO PICK ANOTHER CITY, SUCH AS DULUTH?

THANK YOU....

WHEN WE BLOW UP THE EARTH, YOU WILL BE SAVED FOR OUR QUEEN HIVE, DALLS!!!

GOOD NIGHT AND REMEMBER, FORNICATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS IS NOT ONLY NICE, IT IS GOOD!
Well documented article.
The woman in the first pic thinks some of us are too stupid to know we are not free, yet she is sure she is free to protest. Is she? People should think before they write slogans.

As for congress, yes get rid if about 525 of them. Tomorrow.
Snowden, the only way to defeat the nazis is to not be one of them.

Sorry, Fish Boobs, I can't get past your name. I may never look at halibut the same!

Thank you, blu. Photographing, videotaping and participating in the event turned out to be no mean feat.

Joseph, I congratulate you on the self-awareness of realizing you're one of those people.
Love your passion here. This is great.

¡Viva la Revelucion¡
Thanks, trig. Can't wait to see the KC version.
Its a start Harry and let's hope it grows momentum.. I love the Nascar sign..:) Excellent reporting.
HUGGGGGGGG
Thanks, Linda. And yes it has to start somewhere.
Rated for the photos, and rated even more for your passion!