So.....G-20?

[wipers]

If they started a Phish concert they wouldn't leave ever. It would be like that South Park episode.

[Brill Weave]

So they are saying they expected upwards of 15,000 protesters to gather in Arsenal Park to walk from Lawrenceville to downtown. They haven't left yet. I leave work in an hour. Right when they will probably start marching. I may have to get some hippy hood ornaments.

[Alleya]

The problem with these leftists is that they think that one year of college education or "heart power" is enough to understand how complicated the world really is. It's not black and white and you need to learn to have patience and compromise. Our political leaders and economic professionals know what they're doing and i don't see how these idiots yelling for days is going to affect a thing. That's the problem. They don't know what's going on because they're ignorant hippies and college douche bags. If they would realize, like we do, that we're just meaningless idiots who only get in the way of professionals trying to solve the world's problems, then they would just shut the fuck up and sit at a computer like we do.

The only thing we can do is work our jobs, buy our stuff, and listen to their informed opinions instead of causing all this shrill ruckus. But because they're so desperate to add meaning to their meaningless lives they can't see the truth for what it is. And the truth is, we're all nothing but worthless bags of flesh who have no power whatsoever in the real world, and they should just accept that, sit on a chair, turn on the computer, and post about michael jackson like the rest of us normal people do. They are only inconveniancing us.

...

/stand up

/slow clap

/tear

[Olo401]

patchouli and pot?

AHhaahhaha well played sir!

[Brill Weave]

Aw they closed the bridge I go across. But on the plus side a protest march is quickly approaching my work on Penn Ave. Apparently our police presence has gone from two up to eight officers walking the grounds outside the building.

[Zalius]

what the fuck is g20

[wipers]

G 20 is a summit of lesbians that meet every year.

[ZarakiKujata]

what the fuck is g20

Summit of the G-8 + 12 countries strategically chosen from the developing world i.e. BRICs even if the other 12 technically have smaller economies than those of European countries that are omitted.

[Zalius]

Summit of the G-8 + 12 countries strategically chosen from the developing world i.e. BRICs even if the other 12 technically have smaller economies than those of European countries that are omitted.

what the fuck is g8

[Kuya]

The countries that matter.

[6souls]

BBC NEWS | Business | Trouble breaks out at G20 summit

Trouble has flared as world leaders gather in the US city of Pittsburgh for the G20 summit.

Reports said riot police used pepper gas and fired rubber bullets at protesters on a march near the venue.

Demonstrations were widely expected and thousands of extra police are on duty. The previous G20 meeting, in London in April, was marred by clashes.

Economic stability, financial regulation, climate change and bankers' bonuses are set to top the G20 agenda.

The clashes are thought to have begun after hundreds of protesters tried to march, without permission, towards the convention centre where the summit is being held.

'Party over'

With many major economies beginning to climb out of recession - attention will turn to when and how to withdraw government stimulus packages.

Cracking down on bankers' bonuses has popular appeal with the public, it is expected that an agreement will be reached on how that might be achieved.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said G20 countries had reached a consensus on the "basic outline" of a proposal to limit pay and bonuses by the end of 2009.

Each country would set their own standards, he said, but that these would be overseen by the G20's Financial Stability Board - made up of central bankers and regulators.

Earlier, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling warned bankers that the "party was over" and they must realise that the world has changed.

Balance growth

A spokesman for the White House said that financial regulatory reform was the most important agenda item for summit, but that addressing global economic imbalances was also a priority.

President Barack Obama has led a campaign to smooth out imbalances in the flow of global capital to try to secure greater long-term economic stability.

The US proposal calls on economies such as China, Brazil and India to boost domestic consumption in order to lower their trade surpluses.

Meanwhile the US and Europe would encourage more saving to reduce long-term budget deficits.

Director of the US president's National Economic Council, Larry Summers, said that a "balancing global growth approach" of said that there would have to be changes in

"The US can't, should not and won't continue to experience the consumption-led growth driving very high volumes of imports and lending impulse to the rest of the world economy," he told the BBC.

"That's not a sustainable financial situation for the US and that's why we're in the process of adjusting."

Other discussions will involve the continuation of talks over whether countries such as China, India and Brazil should have greater say on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

[Brill Weave]

They are going to be down in my neck of the woods tomorrow. Apparently they broke a few windows at a Boston Market, PNC Bank, and a BMW dealership. The police are confirmed to have used tear gas, rubber bullets, as well as noise deterrents. So it should make for an interesting day going into work tomorrow morning. Luckily I start early enough that no dirty hippy is going to be awake yet.

[Airenn]

Damn entered the thread thinking there was a new Logitech Keyboard/gamepad/mouse that I didn't know about.

HOW DARE YOU!

^This

[Kuya]

They should probably start categorizing these greenpeace and code pink groups as possible terrorist organizations. It is common for these sort of people who have little understanding of the world to react in a shrill and emotional manner; reason plays no part in their thinking. And i'm sort of half worried that unreasonable people such as that will tend to gravitate towards violence.

[shieldsofwindurst]

They are going to be down in my neck of the woods tomorrow. Apparently they broke a few windows at a Boston Market, PNC Bank, and a BMW dealership. The police are confirmed to have used tear gas, rubber bullets, as well as noise deterrents. So it should make for an interesting day going into work tomorrow morning. Luckily I start early enough that no dirty hippy is going to be awake yet.

I was going to go to that boston market for dinner today! But nooooo, now it has to be swarming with cops. >

[Byrthnoth]

They aren't organized enough to be considered terrorists. Generally terrorists at least set out to terrorize a particular group with a particular objective. It's just a bunch of people who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground and can't use logic to find it.

Basically, a bunch of people who are pissed off, despite living in the US and obviously being well-off enough to travel to Pittsburgh and waste a few days (thanks to our government programs and infrastructure), sit around and talk about how messed up the world is with other equally poorly informed jackasses. Eventually they get worked up and break shit.

Pissed at rich people. Break stuff at a BMW dealership. Pissed at banks? Break stuff at PNC. Pissed at chain restaurants? Break stuff at KFC. Afterwards they can sit around, smoke up, and talk about how if everyone did the same thing they did the companies would definitely have to change their corporate strategies and be much better guys.

[Kuya]

Exactly. That's why they should just do what we do.

[Korietsu]

I just saw some footage of a LRAD being used on protesters. Shit's annoying even with the shitty youtube quality. Sucks to be them out there.

[Demosthenes11]

Exactly. That's why they should just do what we do.

applause @ successful trolling, but I have found environmentalist protesters the least informed and least realistic of all the protesters

[Brill Weave]

It was pretty fun when the assistant chief of police starting saying that this was an illegal gathering most of the protesters started breaking out their earplugs and masks. And then proceeded to scurry away. The bigger rallies are planned for today, so it could be even more fun.