That DC trucker protest to have thousands of truckers clog the Beltway? Try "a couple dozen". - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/11/dozens-not-thousands-show-up-for-dc-trucker-protest/"]Dozens, not thousands, show up for DC trucker protest[/URL] [QUOTE]A trucker protest aimed at clogging the Capital Beltway around Washington to protest government "corruption" was not shaping up to be quite the commuter nightmare organizers had threatened. As of Friday morning, dozens of tractor-trailers were said to be on the road as part of the protest convoy. Virginia state police say they stopped four tractor-trailer drivers on the Beltway, pulling them over after they began driving side-by side across all four northbound lanes of the Beltway in Fairfax County. Their actions slowed traffic to about 15 mph. Officers warned the drivers not to impede traffic and did not write any tickets. Police say a convoy of about 30 trucks began traveling north on Interstate 95 from Doswell, Va., on Friday morning. The truckers are circling the Beltway.[/QUOTE] [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1314091"]As seen previously on SH.[/URL]

Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy...

They should've left one lane open at least. Slowing down a lot of traffic for your own cause could be dangerous and its extremely arrogant. What if someone was late to work and now they've lost their job because of that? Or someone was trying to get to somewhere very important but now they've missed it? Don't drag others down with you like that. That's just being a dick, not protesting.... Even though I know protesters usually cause entire blocks to be cut off, but at least there's usually more ways around. On a highway, there isn't much leg room when the entire 4 lane beltway is taken up.

[QUOTE=NoobieWafer223;42492289]Slowing down a lot of traffic for your own cause could be dangerous and its extremely arrogant. What if someone was late to work and now they've lost their job because of that? Or someone was trying to get to somewhere very important but now they've missed it? Don't drag others down with you like that. That's just being a dick[/QUOTE] These guys' stated goals were to impeach Obama and citizens' arrest Congress. Do you think they're even in touch with that sort of logical, compassionate thinking?

[QUOTE=NoobieWafer223;42492289]They should've left one lane open at least. Slowing down a lot of traffic for your own cause could be dangerous and its extremely arrogant. What if someone was late to work and now they've lost their job because of that? Or someone was trying to get to somewhere very important but now they've missed it? Don't drag others down with you like that. That's just being a dick, not protesting.... Even though I know protesters usually cause entire blocks to be cut off, but at least there's usually more ways around. On a highway, there isn't much leg room when the entire 4 lane beltway is taken up.[/QUOTE] the whole point of a lot of direct action is inconveniencing people.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42492445]the whole point of a lot of direct action is inconveniencing people.[/QUOTE] The problem with that logic is that it's counter-productive, it turns people AGAINST your cause.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42493310]The problem with that logic is that it's counter-productive, it turns people AGAINST your cause.[/QUOTE] only if you can't critically think/assess the situation though.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42493310]The problem with that logic is that it's counter-productive, it turns people AGAINST your cause.[/QUOTE] It brings attention to your cause.

I love the little details about this (assuming all of the reporting is true, obviously). October 7th (the article from katbug's thread): [quote=October 7th article]Andrews said last week 3,000 truckers had RSVP-ed to the event, and Conlon says he's now lost count of the number. He says he's receiving around 100 emails a day from prospective participants.[/quote] [URL="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/07/truckers-for-the-constitution-plan-to-slow-dc-beltway-arrest-congressmen"](source)[/URL] :v: [quote=October 7th article]The truckers circling I-495 will keep the left lane open for emergency vehicles, Conlon said, but "everybody that doesn't have a supporter sticker on their window, good luck: Nobody in, nobody out." The trucks will be going the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit.[/quote] The story linked in the OP: [quote]Virginia state police say they stopped four tractor-trailer drivers on the Beltway, pulling them over after they began driving side-by side across all four northbound lanes of the Beltway in Fairfax County. Their actions slowed traffic to about 15 mph. Officers warned the drivers not to impede traffic and did not write any tickets.[/quote] Clearly, they decided to get more aggressive, or those four went off-script in their hubris. Or maybe they just chickened out. [quote=October 7th article]D.C. commuters who wish to be allowed past the convoy must have "T2SDA" – an acronym for the event's original name, "Truckers to Shut Down America" – written on their vehicle, he said. "It's going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter," Conlon said, "[and] if cops decide to give us a hard time, we're going to lock the brakes up, we're going to stop right there, we're going to be a three lane roadblock."[/quote] Holy shit how full of yourselves can you get. :v:

[QUOTE=woolio1;42492259]Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a convoy...[/QUOTE] And they're going to roll that truckin' convoy down the Beltway. Convoy!

Fuck, catbarf, not katbug. Goddamn, muh automerge/edit. :v: I apologize to both of you, I knew it was c/kat???? but my memory failed.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42493310]The problem with that logic is that it's counter-productive, it turns people AGAINST your cause.[/QUOTE] it isn't meant to rally people to your cause. it's meant to inconvenience people... if hundreds or thousands of people are late to work, then companies lose time. as you know, time = money. therefore, companies lose money. economic slowdown is one of the most effective means of action in a capitalist system. the elite doesn't listen to a bunch of people yelling catchy slogans, the elite listens to their bottom line being eaten away by civil unrest. there are other methods of action meant to actually get people to support your cause. blockades, strikes, sit-ins, boycotts, etc., are not generally used for that purpose though. [editline]12th October 2013[/editline] we live in a world where, frankly, most people will not outright support your cause no matter how morally righteous you think you are. it isn't a matter of being right or wrong, it's a matter of most people having their own lives to deal with and being generally apathetic(at least in action) towards most particular political/social/economic ideas. for the small groups that ARE politically/socially/economically passionate, there needs to be some form of direct action to make your minority seem "louder" or "stronger".

Yeah that's nice and all, but people aren't going to see it that way. People are going to see you as the shithead who made them late for work this morning. If they're aware of your cause, they'll see that kind of behavior and associate it with inconveniencing them, thus turning them away.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42495817]Yeah that's nice and all, but people aren't going to see it that way. People are going to see you as the shithead who made them late for work this morning. If they're aware of your cause, they'll see that kind of behavior and associate it with inconveniencing them, thus turning them away.[/QUOTE] so fucking what? like i said, the point isn't to get them to support the cause.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42495817]Yeah that's nice and all, but people aren't going to see it that way. People are going to see you as the shithead who made them late for work this morning. If they're aware of your cause, they'll see that kind of behavior and associate it with inconveniencing them, thus turning them away.[/QUOTE] The point is to fuck with those their cause is against, not to gain attention or support. Are you incapable of understanding this?

in this specific case, i think the point was for this organization to say "we truckers have enough power on our own to cause serious economic slowdown, so we are going to flex that power to get the things we feel we deserve from the system". it doesn't seem like it turned out so great. that isn't because they inconvenienced the average joe, it's because the organization failed at organizing truckers and getting them to actually do a proper slowdown.

[QUOTE=Kinversulath;42495334]And they're going to roll that truckin' convoy down the Beltway. Convoy![/QUOTE] It makes me so happy so many people get this reference. I wonder if it's because GTA V features that song on Rebel Radio...