August 20, 2004, Follow the bouncing ball
I'll try not to be too snarky as I ask "what do these things have in common": (1) Crude oil has crossed $49/bbl., presumably on its way over $50, amidst continuing strong demand and ever more tenuous supply, and (2) New York City's police department has made a public show of force, including its riot gear and helicopters, to show it means business to battle protestors around the GOP Convention and even the Grey Lady succumbs to the idea that "the enemy is anarchists".
First of all, it strikes me as inconceivable that any President whose policies contributed to $49/bbl. oil is even running for reelection, let alone seems to be running neck and neck in the polls (though trending against him, admittedly).
But then, in such a situation, where resources will become more scarce and expensive, what more telling image is there than police in riot gear pushing back (with various degrees of force) political protestors?
This is the stuff of craziness: we really haven't seen too much of this since the late 1960's, when a combination of discontent over Vietnam, civil rights, and other events (think "Prague Spring"), and peculiarly warm summers, led to many a long hot summer in the United States (and lotsa stuff elsewhere).
So why now? Well, let's see: we have a government that once again plunged us into a no-win war that is growing more unpopular by the day, the hard-won efforts at those civil rights may be undermined by the attempt to reimpose an economic system that will make those civil rights less meaningful (and try to undermine those civil rights while we're at it), and... oil just hit $49/bbl.
Well, Familia talking dog will be at an undisclosed location on the East Coast for a few days, but we'll be back just in time for Convention fun and frolic. We'd like to join some of the "street blogging" of the Convention, if we can; I'm hoping the advanced riot gear, et al., is just a bluff to keep the Seattle-World-Economic-Forum type idiots from even coming, let alone engaging in misdirected violence, and the police really mean not to instigate on their own. I'm also hoping that cooler weather-- and cooler heads-- prevail. Allah be praised, make it so.
Comments
I'm 100% sure that provocateurs and police will coordinate their activities for maximum prime-time coverage, and that the leaders of previously-unknown violent anarchist groups will mysteriously disappear at the key moment, leaving their followers to battle the police and eventually do hard time.
Posted by Zizka at August 20, 2004 12:35 PM
...y'know, I was just thinking the other day about this whole "anarchists in the Big Apple" thing and got to thinking back to their star turn in Seattle. I finally decided that they probably won't be that much of a force because - having seen some of their transportation then - I'm not sure they can even make it to New York. Of course, that would force the Republicans to employ their operatives to foment the riots....
Posted by Jack K. at August 20, 2004 04:47 PM
Going on a vacation at an undisclosed location? Even I did not know this one. My contacts have failed me.
You have ruined my weekend. I was so looking forward to the Exorcist Prequel, for the warmth and to see if they incorporated my notes.
Damn you TD.
Posted by Hassan Bar Sinister at August 20, 2004 05:32 PM