Monday, October 24, 2011

"The People's Microphone"

So far, I've resisted all impulses to comment on "Occupy Wall Street", but really, this "people's microphone" thing?  This thing where (apparently, because they lack a permit to use bull horns) the crowd repeats (word for word, a phrase at a time) what the speaker is saying so that everyone can hear what s/he is saying?  It's awfully creepy. 

Then there are the interviews with the "occupiers"...  (And yes, I know that you can find clueless people in any group.  But still...)

Interviewer:  What are you here protesting today?

Occupier #1:  Uhm... Um... Uh... I'm protesting, um... I can't do this, I'm sorry.

Interviewer:  Well, let me ask you another question.  What do you hope to achieve by this protest?

O #1:  Um, what I hope to achieve is just to get our voices heard, you know. Just...

Interviewer:  Can you give me an example of what you want to say as far as your voice being heard?

O #1:  Uhh... Um... Meh-- like, I'm sorry; I'm just-- I'm ju-- I'm just-- I'm just I'm just mentally all over the place.  I'm really tired.  I haven't slept in two days, you know.

...Blah blah he doesn't have a shelter and doesn't want to sleep in the rain...

Interviewer:  And what are you hoping to achieve?

O #1:  Um...You know, right now the protest is just in its, uh, early stages, so... You know, right now we're just all about getting out there, you know.  Making, uhm... Yeah, just........ Um... No, that's it; I'm done. 

Then (after being asked), the dude admits that he's tried to, erm, "have relations" while he's been out there, but it was a no-go, because he had no tent.  (Man, those Occupier chicks are so demanding!) 

Interviewer:  What's more important to you, sir--  smoking weed or getting a job? 

O #1:  Getting a job so I can use the money to buy weed.  

Later, the interviewer talks to a female Occupier...

Interviewer:  Uh, what are you protesting here today?

Occupier #2:   Uhm, we're struggling, so, you know? 

Interviewer:  You say you're struggling, but you girls are in good shape, and you have the abilities to hold down jobs.  Do you think it makes more sense to get a job than to waste your time sitting around here filing your nails? 

O #2:  Um, f**k working for the Boss.  I'd rather make my own money; like, I could control... how-- how much money I make, when I make it... as long as I work hard enough.  

Hm.  Sounds to me like Ms. Occupier wants to be her own boss... like a business owner... an entrepreneur, or something.  But wouldn't that make her, like, you know, evil, or something?  I mean, like, what if, um, she decided she wanted to make more money than was, you know, fair?  And, like, how would she even know how much was fair?  Ugh, this is confusing!!  Well, anyways, being your own boss is probly alots of work an' stuff, you know?  So maybe not...

Interviewer:  How can we fix this economy? 

O #2:  ...I say abolish money.   (...someone in the background chimes in with a "yeah!" so she gets more fired up...)  We don't need money... in order to establish a good living-- like, there's enough food and supplies to go around for everybody, except...  It's-- it's f**ked up how we have to pay to live, you know?  You know what I mean?  If we all just rationed s**t out, you know, no one has, like, more than the other-- I mean, I guess... my idea-- my ideals-- I-- I like to live life more like Commie-Socialists?  ...But it's like... It's f**ked up how we-- we have to slave in order to live.  

Oh.  My.  Gosh. 
I mean, you know people like this exist, but to actually hear them speak (or in your case, read a transcript of their words)... Good ga-rief.  Ok, I'm going to go bury myself under a pile of laundry and pretend I don't live in a world where scary-stupid are out to impose their crazy ideas on the rest of us. 

Yes, these are the brilliant minds of tomorrow, and they're ready to lead!