# Protesting the Olympics?



## biggus dickus (Apr 20, 2012)

Are people going to do that? 

I've read a couple of people on other places calling for demonstrations and so on. Plenty of reasons to protest it being a massive waste of money, it's been pretty unpopular with a lot of people in East London where they are staging it for all sorts of reasons, and the IOC are horrible....plenty of reasons that I'm sure I don't need to tell you

But what about the people from all over the world who do spend years training to go to the Olympics and compete, and the whole spectacle of it?

Thoughts?


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## gunneradt (Apr 20, 2012)

I should think protesters will be locked up so fast they wont be able to blink


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## fractionMan (Apr 20, 2012)

Pointless posturing and waste of bloody money.  I couldn't care less who can run 0.01 second faster than someone else, fuck em tbh.


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## biggus dickus (Apr 20, 2012)

fractionMan said:


> Pointless posturing and waste of bloody money. I couldn't care less who can run 0.01 second faster than someone else, fuck em tbh.


 
What about Usain Bolt who is like 3 seconds faster than everyone else?


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## AKA pseudonym (Apr 20, 2012)

yes, there will be protests..... indeed they have started already...


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## N_igma (Apr 20, 2012)

fractionMan said:


> Pointless posturing and waste of bloody money. I couldn't care less who can run 0.01 second faster than someone else, fuck em tbh.


 
Catch yourself on mate.


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## bi0boy (Apr 20, 2012)

There will be millions of army, police, specials, PCOSs, private security etc all with nothing to do except try and find some terrorists to grab, so I would have thought any protests would have to be quite inventive.


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## DotCommunist (Apr 20, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> I should think protesters will be locked up so fast they wont be able to blink


 

It's the hardworking criminals I feel sorry for. The duration of the olympics is going to see central london locked down so tight you can't even shot a tenbag without getting collar felt.

(((criminals)))


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> But what about the people from all over the world who do spend years training to go to the Olympics and compete, and the whole spectacle of it?


 what of them?


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## Lo Siento. (Apr 20, 2012)

Well, it's a global opportunity to show the world the Best of Britain, so, really, I would think we should dedicate the whole month to mass rioting and civil unrest, right?





legal disclaimer now that we apparently live in a police state, this is not a serious call for rioting. So move along, nothing to see here.


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## El Jugador (Apr 20, 2012)

You could always try wearing a non-sponsor's logo.


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## biggus dickus (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> what of them?


 
Well it's about them not the shit that surrounds it. The Olympics are enjoyable to watch because of them, disrupting the Olympics could affect the day that they put their lives into


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## DotCommunist (Apr 20, 2012)

can't be any worse than munich '72


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> Well it's about them not the shit that surrounds it. The Olympics are enjoyable to watch because of them, disrupting the Olympics could affect the day that they put their lives into


so?


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## Bernie Gunther (Apr 20, 2012)

bi0boy said:


> There will be millions of army, police, specials, PCOSs, private security etc all with nothing to do except try and find some terrorists to grab <snip>


 
Or failing that, photographers ...


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## bi0boy (Apr 20, 2012)

Well exactly. If there aren't any muslim men with big beards, then the terrorists must be that photographer, right? Everyone knows terrorists take photos of public places, but who else would want to?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 20, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> Well it's about them not the shit that surrounds it. The Olympics are enjoyable to watch because of them, disrupting the Olympics could affect the day that they put their lives into


 
So their lives, hopes and aspirations trump those of everyone else, is that what you're saying?


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## likesfish (Apr 20, 2012)

well after the boat race twat 
  I think anybody disrupting the Olympics better hope the security is switched on because the spectators might not take to kindly to some self important twat grand standing


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 20, 2012)

Great - we've got the world's least amusing troll and the star of speAk you're branes both on the same thread. Any chance we could lock them in here?


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## scifisam (Apr 20, 2012)

Bit late to protest the Olympics, really. What would the point of the protest be - stop the 100 metre dash now and give us our money back?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 20, 2012)

I think it's more a case of using the olympics as an opportunity for civil disobedience/strikes/whatever to have a greater impact than normal. The government is more bothered about making sure such things don't happen when the world is watching than when it isn't.


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## Belushi (Apr 20, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> I think it's more a case of using the olympics as an opportunity for civil disobedience/strikes/whatever to have a greater impact than normal. The government is more bothered about making sure such things don't happen when the world is watching than when it isn't.


 
It should be Proletarian Democracy's first action


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 20, 2012)

First person to get a proletarian democracy banner on the telly during the Olympics should get an Order of Posadas Award.


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

For or against?


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## Belushi (Apr 20, 2012)

We need a more nuanced position than that Corax


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

Belushi said:


> We need a more nuanced position than that Corax


I was just trying to clarify the thread title.


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

I may firebomb something as a protest against verbing nouns inappropriately.


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 20, 2012)

I think Proletarian Democracy should engage in direct action at the olympics in protest against the five pound note and the clearly sexist shape of the lower case q.


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## purves grundy (Apr 20, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> I think it's more a case of using the olympics as an opportunity for civil disobedience/strikes/whatever to have a greater impact than normal.


You can bet that the state and all the private suppliers of security 'solutions' are looking at the Olympics in a very similar way...


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Bit late to protest the Olympics, really. What would the point of the protest be - stop the 100 metre dash now and give us our money back?


I thought you had some wit but I see I was mistaken


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

likesfish said:


> well after the boat race twat
> I think anybody disrupting the Olympics better hope the security is switched on because the spectators might not take to kindly to some self important twat grand standing


i don't see why they should when they paid to see a bunch of grandstanding twats already


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## DotCommunist (Apr 20, 2012)

Corax said:


> I may firebomb something as a protest against verbing nouns inappropriately.


 

Was going to post this outrage on Teuchters 'Americanisms' thread but I don't want to give the dull cunt validation.


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## scifisam (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> I thought you had some wit but I see I was mistaken


 
I wasn't trying to be witty. But thanks for the compliment anyway.


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

scifisam said:


> I wasn't trying to be witty. But thanks for the compliment anyway.


It wasn't a compliment, I was saying you are stupid: a belief your reply has reinforced


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## scifisam (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> It wasn't a compliment, I was saying you are stupid: a belief your reply has reinforced


 
I'm devastated.


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

scifisam said:


> I'm devastated.


Maybe you are. But you're still daft.


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## scifisam (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> Maybe you are. But you're still daft.


 
Yes. I was totally serious when I said I was devastated.


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Yes. I was totally serious when I said I was devastated.


Oh dear


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm daft.


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

Corax said:


> I'm daft.


Yes it's common knowledge


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> Yes it's common knowledge


What is?


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

Corax said:


> What is?


That you're stupid


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> That you're stupid


Who's what now?


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## Pickman's model (Apr 20, 2012)

Corax said:


> Who's what now?


It's another example of when you should have left everyone thinking you thick instead of posting and proving you are


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## Corax (Apr 20, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> It's another example of when you should have left everyone thinking you thick instead of posting and proving you are


Who should?


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> So their lives, hopes and aspirations trump those of everyone else, is that what you're saying?


 
How did you get that?

I would say that their lives and aspirations trump those of protest groups since it's more difficult to get to the Olympics than go on a demo and most athletes usually only have one or two chances in their lives to compete in the Olympics


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> How did you get that?
> 
> I would say that their lives and aspirations trump those of protest groups since it's more difficult to get to the Olympics than go on a demo and most athletes usually only have one or two chances in their lives to compete in the Olympics


 
It's called logic biggus. What do you think the protestors might be demonstrating about? It's not principled opposition to hurdles or the inherent sexism of the high jump is it?

Shows how out of touch with reality you are though. Why would you think that the lives and aspirations of protestors are defined by their organising of demonstrations? There's many things people only get one opportunity at, and if things continue as they are that may reduce to zero. Things that are a lot more important than trying to get to the other end of a track faster than someone else.


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> It's called logic biggus. What do you think the protestors might be demonstrating about? It's not principled opposition to hurdles or the inherent sexism of the high jump is it?


 
How would you feel if there was a demonstration against the 'Islamification' of the UK?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> How would you feel if there was a demonstration against the 'Islamification' of the UK?


 
What? There are such protests. I think they're fucking stupid.

Now can you explain the relevance, then actually address my post rather than farting out irrelevant bollocks?


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

Not if you're going to be so rude

I was just interested in people's opinions since it seemed like quite an interesting subject for discussion but I really can't be bothered with a discussion involving so many personal insults, if I wanted mindless abuse I could just go to one of those bbs for teenagers


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## Corax (Apr 21, 2012)

Corax said:


> Who should?


Who should what?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> Not if you're going to be so rude
> 
> I was just interested in people's opinions since it seemed like quite an interesting subject for discussion but I really can't be bothered with a discussion involving so many personal insults, if I wanted mindless abuse I could just go to one of those bbs for teenagers


 
Call me a cynic but given your form, including posts on this thread, I find that difficult to believe.


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## Wolveryeti (Apr 21, 2012)

I'm not against people doing athletics. I'm against the anti-democratic feel of how the whole thing has been run from the start. Cost overruns, my having no real say in the matter, people's rights being suppressed for the benefit of sponsors, that kind of shit.


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## AKA pseudonym (Apr 21, 2012)

Reason 1
The homeless community will suffer more harrasment.....

please add further reasons as you see fit....


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## BigTom (Apr 21, 2012)

Reason 2
The involvement of ATOS with the paralympics


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

I meant protesting at the actual event. Like I put in my first post, there are so many things that are wrong with the London Olympics and the Olympics in general, I was just wondering what people thought about trying to disrupt the actual events themselves?

I kind of think that it would be better to let the sports be the focus of the event. For the sake of the sports themselves and also because you run the risk of looking like a bunch of dicks trying to hijack it. And also there is the risk that people who may be sympathetic in the right context will be annoyed by having to watch protests while they are waiting for the running to start etc

These are just my thoughts, I'm not really 100% either way to be honest (although I 100% won't be going to any stupid fucking Olympics or stupid fucking protests, but I will watch some of the events on TV despite knowing how corrupt the whole thing is


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## DotCommunist (Apr 21, 2012)

protest only at convenient times and places


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## Corax (Apr 21, 2012)

I'm going to persistently use the words 'twenty-twelve', 'London', and '2012' without paying the appropriate licensing fee.


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## ymu (Apr 21, 2012)

Are there any symbolic gestures that would work on an anti-cuts theme, and any athletes likely to be up for it?


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

Oh and also like people pointed out on the first page, if you did try to start a protest the police would drag you off really quickly so it would be a scuffle rather than a demo


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

So we should only demonstrate when it's not going to be in any way disruptive and we definitely shouldn't demonstrate when the government don't want us to and are likely to try and stop us?

Brilliant!


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

You can do what you like, as I keep saying I don't think it will be useful but I'm prepared to be convinced.


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## Mr.Bishie (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> Oh and also like people pointed out on the first page, if you did try to start a protest the police would drag you off really quickly so it would be a scuffle rather than a demo


 
We'll have to wait & see.


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## ymu (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> You can do what you like, as I keep saying I don't think it will be useful but I'm prepared to be convinced.


How do you define 'useful'?


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## likesfish (Apr 21, 2012)

i think there is a time and a place.
  like you could have attempted to demonstrate at  wooton basset you'd have looked like a massive cunt though.


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## ymu (Apr 21, 2012)

Where and when is the best time to protest against the Olympics?


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## BigTom (Apr 21, 2012)

ymu said:


> Are there any symbolic gestures that would work on an anti-cuts theme, and any athletes likely to be up for it?


 
I'd love to see a British Paralympian with an ATOS KIlls banner wrapped around them instead of a british flag (should they win anything).


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## stethoscope (Apr 21, 2012)

Worth checking Counter Olympics Network.


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## spanglechick (Apr 21, 2012)

i know Corax has already done this bit but FFS!

"Protest at the Olympics"; "Protest About the Olympics"; "Protest Against the Olympics"... all of these are acceptable. "Protest the Olympics" is grammatically incorrect and a mistake we've imported from the States (it's grammatically incorrect over there, too - they've just been doing it wrong for longer).


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

ymu said:


> Where and when is the best time to protest against the Olympics?


 
On the podium after you win obviously


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

I don't understand why I am being expected to defend and explain myself for asking a question anyway. I was just interested in peoples opinions and giving mine, which I qualified several times with statements like 'I'm not sure' and 'I haven't given it much thought' etc

I was more interested in a discussion than an argument


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

spanglechick said:


> i know Corax has already done this bit but FFS!
> 
> "Protest at the Olympics"; "Protest About the Olympics"; "Protest Against the Olympics"... all of these are acceptable. "Protest the Olympics" is grammatically incorrect and a mistake we've imported from the States (it's grammatically incorrect over there, too - they've just been doing it wrong for longer).


 
like, ask me if I care


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## gunneradt (Apr 21, 2012)

I'd love to see protesters try - will be fun - and then watch them crying in court.


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## ymu (Apr 21, 2012)

BigTom said:


> I'd love to see a British Paralympian with an ATOS KIlls banner wrapped around them instead of a british flag (should they win anything).


There must be shedloads of paralympians who would be up for that. Any politically sound able-bodied athletes around who might?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> I'd love to see protesters try - will be fun - and then watch them crying in court.


 
That's because you're a sad, pathetic little cunt though isn't it?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> I was more interested in a discussion than an argument


 
Your previous postings on the politics forums, together with some of your posts on this thread, suggest you were more interested in getting a reaction than anything else. So don't whine when that's what you get.


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> Your previous postings on the politics forums, together with some of your posts on this thread, suggest you were more interested in getting a reaction than anything else. So don't whine when that's what you get.


 
I'm not angry, just disappointed is all


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## ymu (Apr 21, 2012)

Disappointed that people don't think your posts are full of fascinating insight?

Try harder?


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

I liked BigTom's idea of the Paralympians making a statement about ATOS, that would be a great campaign, is anyone doing that? Not sure how you'd go about contacting the competitors because the official body would probably run a mile. Or maybe not?


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

ymu said:


> Disappointed that people don't think your posts are full of fascinating insight?
> 
> Try harder?


 
No, disappointed with your attitude


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## Brainaddict (Apr 21, 2012)

A number of activists I know have said they won't bother with doing stuff during the Olympics. Not only will you get arrested so fast you won't be able to do anything, but as the riot sentencing showed, the courts in this country are highly politicised and will happily impose greater punishments not on the basis you have committed greater crimes but on the basis you have upset the wrong people. The Fortnum and Mason arrests and trial have also shown the political leanings of the police and courts to a lot of people - and tied up a lot of activists in trial proceedings when they might have been doing other things.

I think there is also a strategic reason not to do it - it is not just the shrill right wingers who will see it as 'selfish' but a lot of people who don't really 'get' why people protest at all. You can't take this logic too far - you can't please all the people all the time and shouldn't try to - but the corporate-nationalist propaganda stream from all sides during the Olympics is going to make it very hard to engage people beyond the few activists involved in political debate or action.

Maybe that all seems like giving up but in the end you have to pick your battles. However tempting it is to target the biggest corporate orgy in the world it is like assaulting an enemy position when you know they are at their strongest. Best wait till we can kick them when they're down


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

I'd agree with that but I think there are things you can do that won't piss off ordinary people who just want to watch the Olympics - the kind of thing Big Tom was talking about for example. Don't see why a march in London would be problematic, not aimed at disrupting the Olympics but rather at taking advantage of the fact that the world is watching to get extra exposure for anti-cuts/austerity stuff. Cos it doesn't have to be a protest _against _the Olympics, even though I do think it's a pointless waste of money. More a case of using the Olympics as a platform.


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## BigTom (Apr 21, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> I liked BigTom's idea of the Paralympians making a statement about ATOS, that would be a great campaign, is anyone doing that? Not sure how you'd go about contacting the competitors because the official body would probably run a mile. Or maybe not?


 
When it was announced that ATOS would be doing the IT for the olympics & paralympics, I saw some discussion on twitter between Tanni Gray-Thompson (who is in the house of lords now) and some disability activists, but I don't remember that coming to anything, except I think Tanni was going to raise questions about it with Lord Coe or whoever in the HoL / LOCOG group.
I can't see the official body doing anything tbh, I don't remember the british athletic federation (or whatever they are called) making any kind of statement at the time when it was announced, and I can't see them doing anything now.

I'm not involved with any of the disability / atos campaigns at an organisational level though, so I don't know if any overtures have been made to the official groups.  I'd be shocked if they took a stand, they won't want to rock the boat / cause controversy at the home games imo. 

 I think our best hope lies with the individual athletes taking action off their own back.


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## Brainaddict (Apr 21, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> I'd agree with that but I think there are things you can do that won't piss off ordinary people who just want to watch the Olympics - the kind of thing Big Tom was talking about for example. Don't see why a march in London would be problematic, not aimed at disrupting the Olympics but rather at taking advantage of the fact that the world is watching to get extra exposure for anti-cuts/austerity stuff. Cos it doesn't have to be a protest _against _the Olympics, even though I do think it's a pointless waste of money. More a case of using the Olympics as a platform.


I see the argument for doing this, much as I dislike marches in general. But if the purpose is to get certain messages into the mainstream media then you can expect the usual studied bafflement from journos 'They're against something but what do they _want_?' etc etc, which you will then hear repeated by people ad infinitum. It's a dispiriting game to get into.


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## biggus dickus (Apr 21, 2012)

@ brainaddict : that is kind of what I was trying to say but I didn't put it as well as you

@BigTom : I also think that the role that the Paralympics plays in how people see disability is a positive one and despite everything about the Olympics that is wrong the Paralympics really is a positive thing in itself (even in the most enlightened societies we aren't used to seeing normal people in wheelchairs etc )


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## DJWrongspeed (Apr 21, 2012)

There was great performance piece done at the Vancouver winter 2010 olympics where a guy dressed up as one of the official city ambassadors and passed himself of as genuine. (He ordered the same outfit from the company supplying them) After befriending members of the public he quickly went 'off message' and started illuminating them about the less savoury and corrupt aspects of the city. He got away with it for quite some time before being arrested for impersonation I think. Was never charged though.

As Brainaddict says it would be futile to use normal protesting tactics. More subtle things like this would be welcome.


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## Brainaddict (Apr 21, 2012)

An aside, but talking of kicking people when they're down reminded me of HS Thompson's obituary of Nixon - one of the finest things ever written about a dead politician:



> Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning. Even his funeral was illegal. He was queer in the deepest way. His body should have been burned in a trash bin. These are harsh words for a man only recently canonized by President Clinton and my old friend George McGovern -- but I have written worse things about Nixon, many times, and the record will show that I kicked him repeatedly long before he went down. I beat him like a mad dog with mange every time I got a chance, and I am proud of it. He was scum.


 
Just thought that would cheer you all up


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## gunneradt (Apr 21, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> That's because you're a sad, pathetic little cunt though isn't it?


 
ha ha - go on try it then big boy


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> ha ha - go on try it then big boy


 
Try what soft lad?


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## gunneradt (Apr 21, 2012)

protesting, big boy


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## Corax (Apr 21, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> protesting, big boy


For or against them?


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 21, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> protesting, big boy


 
You're actually masturbating while you're posting that aren't you? And calling me big boy too. Please stop, it's making me uncomfortable.

I probably won't protest since I'm a long way away from the games and there are more effective things I can do with the time I have spare. But if I do it won't be with the intention of bringing your wank fantasies to life.


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## gunneradt (Apr 22, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> You're actually masturbating while you're posting that aren't you? And calling me big boy too. Please stop, it's making me uncomfortable.
> 
> I probably won't protest since I'm a long way away from the games and there are more effective things I can do with the time I have spare. But if I do it won't be with the intention of bringing your wank fantasies to life.


 
don't flatter yourself

Im genuinely looking forward to protesters getting their collars felt- makes for great TV


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## DotCommunist (Apr 22, 2012)

yep, highlight the cause. Cmrd Gunner, and here was I thinking you an asocial wanker with a pale band where the wedding ring used to be and a tenuous grip on reality. Turns out you are well behind high profile televised disruptions. No pasaran mate, no pasaran


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## phildwyer (Apr 22, 2012)

It seems to be working in Bahrain.


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## SpineyNorman (Apr 22, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> don't flatter yourself
> 
> Im genuinely looking forward to protesters getting their collars felt- makes for great TV


 
I fail to see how receiving sexual attention from your perverted mind could flatter anyone.

Oh, and what DC said.


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## gunneradt (Apr 22, 2012)

phildwyer said:


> It seems to be working in Bahrain.


 
yep - one down as they say


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## likesfish (Apr 23, 2012)

if there was a cause that is popular and relevant then go for it.
 paralympics and astos fair enough.
 just random shit not so much


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## BigTom (Apr 23, 2012)

So other things with relevance to the olympics:

Sweatshop Labour stuff - Adidas have issues with this
Worker conditions in mines - Rio Tinto are a partner and supply the metal for the medals - there is some serious crap around their mines and environmental issues as well as worker condition etc. stuff that I could probably find some links for if I could be bothered 
Obesity & Health, general food issues - McDonalds & Coca-Cola

pretty sure some of the other big sponsors / partners have dodgy stuff around them, I mean they are all major corporations so they are bound to .. 

Slightly more of a stretch to links cuts/austerity due to the amount that's being spent on the olympics, or housing issues because the althetes village housing isn't going to be affordable for residents of the boroughs it's being built in iirc, but not exactly unconnected either.

But I agree that the best protest would be something that links with the olympics, rather than simply using the olympics as a way to get more coverage.


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## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

I think the fact that the athletes village has been built at our expense and will be sold off to the rich instead of used for affordable housing is a fucking huge deal, no?

It's not the fact of the Olympics, it is how it has been used to line pockets with little direct benefit, and often huge detriment, to the people who have been worst affected by it.


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## London_Calling (Apr 24, 2012)

Last I read 50% of the Olympic housing development were affordable housing?


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## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

They keep saying stuff like that, but it looks like a fudge. It's been sold off to private developers, along with extra plots to develop in the future. The 50% seems to be based on the just under half of the existing units bought by Triathlon Homes 'for affordable housing':


> The Village will deliver 2,818 new homes, including 1,379 already purchased by joint venture Triathlon Homes to become high-quality affordable housing.
> 
> http://www.london2012.com/press/med...-investor-announced-with-plans-for-a-new-.php


 

But only 675 (just under half) of those bought by Triathlon will be let out at affordable rents:


> Triathlon Homes, the owner of the development's 1,379 affordable homes, has announced that 675 units will be rented as social housing. Newham Council will receive 350 [of these 675??? - ymu].
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16655455


So, there's something like 4,800+ new homes in total (of which 2818 currently exist), 675 of which will be let out at 'affordable rents', with affordable being defined as ... ?

It looks like the true figure is ~15% at best, and that's without digging into any of the other figures/claims flung out by the PR machine.


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## London_Calling (Apr 24, 2012)

Not interested in the extra lots as that isn't part of any claim, including the 50% claim. And they haven't been build for the Games as they're not built at all yet.

On that basis, it seems 50% remain affordable, with just under 25% social housing.

I presume the rest go to key workers?


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## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

Do we have confirmation that the non-social housing will be affordable? They're usually used as synonyms, aren't they?

And regardless of those numbers (important as they are), why is something built at taxpayer expense being sold off for a private company to profit from? That's our money, and it should stay in our pockets.


----------



## London_Calling (Apr 24, 2012)

Hang on, you're the one making the claims. I'm saying if you have evidence/links to back up your assertions (like the ones quoted below), it would lend them credibility.


ymu said:


> I think the fact that the athletes village has been built at our expense and will be sold off to the rich instead of used for affordable housing is a fucking huge deal, no?
> 
> It's not the fact of the Olympics, it is how it has been used to line pockets with little direct benefit, and often huge detriment, to the people who have been worst affected by it.


 
We're told 50% - is that incorrect?


----------



## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

I gave you the links and my analysis of the data.

If you're claiming that "social housing" and "affordable housing" have different meanings, and that all of the Triathlon Homes will be affordable, it is up to you to provide the evidence. There's no mention of any such thing in the links I provided.

The 50% appears to be a fudge, to fool the easily fooled. It's 25% of existing units and <15% of the planned total. If you haven't, in fact, been fooled, show how the 50% claim is true wrt to existing units.


----------



## London_Calling (Apr 24, 2012)

ymu said:


> If you're claiming that "social housing" and "affordable housing" have different meanings, and that all of the Triathlon Homes will be affordable, it is up to you to provide the evidence. There's no mention of any such thing in the links I provided.


You're talking complete bollocks again.

Affordable housing is... affordable housing, of which social housing (I presume you mean for rent) is one aspect.


----------



## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

Different figures again from the Indy. They're claiming 8000 additional homes on the extra plots, and 91 existing units being sold under shared-ownership schemes (which could just about squeeze into the 'affordable housing' definition, but all reports state that most units will be rented, not sold).

Trying to find an article which addresses this from a social justice pov instead of all this 'great investment opportunity' crap.


----------



## BigTom (Apr 24, 2012)

well we should probably try to squat the athletes village then, lol.. can you imagine how heavy the bailiffs would be?


----------



## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

Highlighting the issues can be done from outside, and possibly by some spectators who don't mind losing their spectator rights. Getting some athletes to use the opportunity from the inside would be ace. Banners they can hang from their windows in the village (after they've finished competing, given than it is such a huge risk they would take to make any kind of statement)?


----------



## BigTom (Apr 24, 2012)

Squatting the athletes village would be perfect though, except for the many broken bones you'd get.  The news value of it would be immense, and would easily highlight the issue of building homes that the residents can't afford.
I just think that you'd get badly beaten for even trying to do it, and probably it's going to be heavily fenced off and lots of security until the athletes turn up so you'd not have a chance to get into the houses.
Little point in doing it after they've left - would still be a good demo but wouldn't make international news, maybe not even national news. 

But yeah, getting athletes involved would be great - there must be some GB athletes from around that area of London who'd understand the issue.


----------



## ymu (Apr 24, 2012)

I would think the route to find them (in the absence of serendipitous urban friendships) would be: disability rights activists -> paralympians -> team GB


----------



## likesfish (Apr 24, 2012)

rio tinto advertising in the metro made me go


----------



## butchersapron (Apr 26, 2012)

ymu said:


> Are there any symbolic gestures that would work on an anti-cuts theme, and any athletes likely to be up for it?


John Carlos is speaking in London as a guest of the RMT on Monday 21 May, 6pm at Friends House, Euston Road, Euston

John Carlos - Resistance: The best Olympic spirit


----------



## ymu (Apr 26, 2012)

How to publicise that to team GB?

Twitter might find some I guess? Are the RMT on the case?


----------



## El Jugador (Apr 26, 2012)

Symbolic gestures of an anti-cuts theme


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Apr 28, 2012)

There's a journo who lives in a tower block next to the Olympic site who received a letter from the MoD today saying they are going to put a missile-firing equipment on his roof for two months during the Olympics. I shit you not.






More here on his timeline: https://twitter.com/#!/brianwhelanhack

If that's not worth protesting about, I dunno what is. I reckon this'll become a bit of a story....


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 28, 2012)

I'm assuming they may be worried someone may think it's a good idea to fly a plane into it?


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Apr 28, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> I'm assuming they may be worried someone may think it's a good idea to fly a plane into it?


Yeah so let's shoot it down right over a heavily populated area of London 

It's military cock waving, and a piss take of the highest order. Even funnier, the tower was recently struck by lightening and has been closed because of falling debris!

Article here: http://www.latentexistence.me.uk/missiles-over-london-a-new-olympic-event/

I really thought this was a joke when I first heard, but it doesn't appear so...


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 28, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Yeah so let's shoot it down right over a heavily populated area of London
> 
> It's military cock waving, and a piss take of the highest order. Even funnier, the tower was recently struck by lightening and has been closed because of falling debris!
> 
> ...


 
Well I'm guessing they are absolute last resort rather then the first line of defence. 

Whilst the consequences of shooting down an aircraft over somewhere as densely populated would be pretty horrific, I hazard a guess it would be no where near as horrific as a plane hitting a crowded olympic stadium.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Apr 28, 2012)

maybe we should just go the whole hog and declare martial law and suspend all rights and freedoms for the duration of the olympics?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 28, 2012)

Except this doesn't actually take away anyone's rights and freedoms. It's just a yuppie who lives in a gated community moaning that he's going to have some soldiers on the roof.


----------



## London_Calling (Apr 28, 2012)

I hope they're selective. Disrupt the Marathon by all means, but if someone fucks up either of the Brownlees in the Triathlon or Team GB in the road race, sympathy among the general population will be very, very short.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 28, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There's a journo who lives in a tower block next to the Olympic site who received a letter from the MoD today saying they are going to put a missile-firing equipment on his roof for two months during the Olympics. I shit you not.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
We had some sort of anti aircraft missile setup here too. But with modern technology, they didn't need to perch it on the rooftops. It was miles away, out in the woods. What with radar etc, they can still shoot something down in a matter of seconds, even if the launch site is 20 miles from the encroaching aircraft.


----------



## London_Calling (Apr 28, 2012)

C'mon, the aircraft missile thing is the same as the old chestnut of having a tank photographed at Heathrow every time there's a terrah! attack on London: (a) it's a photo op (b) it's supposed to reassure the numpty public.


----------



## likesfish (Apr 28, 2012)

Hvm is a short ranged  missile the last hope basically .
  Uk doesnt have any theatre ranged missiles and although theres a t45 in the thames.
 The yanks are demanding land based sams for some reason.
  A much better version of having some bored squaddies baiting a yuppie (because you know totally they are going to)
 Rather than a cletus and a patriot battery taking out an easyjet by mistake.


----------



## biggus dickus (Apr 28, 2012)

The SAM thing seems so ridiculous to me, makes no sense at all, who are they expecting to attack in a fleet of planes?


----------



## bluestreak (Apr 28, 2012)

to be honest, if any terrorist group wants to attack the olympics i can't give them eough support.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 28, 2012)

That's the kind of thing that gets you on a watch list.


----------



## Bernie Gunther (Apr 29, 2012)

All the more reason to say stuff like that.

If they want to put peaceful democratic people on watch-lists for saying things critical of the neo-liberal ideological consensus, then the more people who fuck with their heads the better.

Fuck their secret police spying on citizens.

Fuck people who think it's reasonable to be scared of that shite.


----------



## biggus dickus (Apr 29, 2012)

It doesn't fuck with their heads though, it gives them someone to make an example of


----------



## Bernie Gunther (Apr 29, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> It doesn't fuck with their heads though, it gives them someone to make an example of


 
For all I know you're one of them, and on that assumption, I say this to you.

For democracy to work, people have to be willing to refuse to be scared by the secret police. (It helps also if they have someone to vote for who represents their interests, but hey, perfection only happens in heaven)


----------



## likesfish (Apr 29, 2012)

Being paranoid is probably a an essential part of planning security.
  remember you've  got the americans breathing down your neck and the israelis not to mention the rest of the planet.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 29, 2012)

Bernie Gunther said:


> All the more reason to say stuff like that.
> 
> If they want to put peaceful democratic people on watch-lists for saying things critical of the neo-liberal ideological consensus, then the more people who fuck with their heads the better.
> 
> ...


 
We live in a world where habeas corpus can be suspended, where indeterminate detention happens, where extraordinary rendition happens. I don't know if it's reasonable to be scared; but I think some people are scared.


----------



## likesfish (Apr 29, 2012)

We also live in a world where 3000 people were killed in New york in a single terrorist attack.
 Thats every single death in the troubles in one attack.
  batshit islamic deathcult is out there trying to up the ante after that one ( a weakness much harded to pull off a spectacular but if they get lucky )
  A certain level of paranoia is justifable


----------



## Bernie Gunther (Apr 29, 2012)

Well look. I think it's reasonable to expect people not to do the equivalent of shouting 'fire' in a cinema. Prank bomb warnings and other irresponsible shit cause obvious social harm and certainly should be strongly discouraged.

What I'm talking about though is the expectation that you "go on a list" via some sort of democratically unaccountable secret police surveillance of places like Urban and suffer harassment and/or discrimination, for obviously harmless humour about official paranoia or otherwise taking this piss out of the government or ruling ideology.

Authoritarian types being the way they are psychologically, they may have trouble telling these two quite distinct scenarios apart; may have serious trouble distinguishing between a plausible threat of harm to society and any failure to 'respect their authoritay.'

So we as citizens need to help them with their psychological problem, in order to prevent it becoming a problem for society, by being very clear about the distinction ourselves and standing up for our right to commit political satire, sarcasm and mockery.


----------



## DotCommunist (Apr 29, 2012)

likesfish said:


> *We also live in a world where 3000 people were killed in New york in a single terrorist attack.*
> Thats every single death in the troubles in one attack.
> batshit islamic deathcult is out there trying to up the ante after that one ( a weakness much harded to pull off a spectacular but if they get lucky )
> A certain level of paranoia is justifable


 
yes, the butthurt over that has been long, loud and lethal for fallujah residents in particular


----------



## likesfish (Apr 29, 2012)

And others and likely to continue 
 Still doesnt take away from the fact nutjobs are out there intent on mayhem
     Even if we ignore the islamic nutjobs we now have there idiot cousins brevik and his like minded followers that may not exsist.
 But a pipebomb doesnt need sanity to kill


----------



## gunneradt (Apr 29, 2012)

bluestreak said:


> to be honest, if any terrorist group wants to attack the olympics i can't give them eough support.


 
what a ridiculous thing to say


----------



## stethoscope (Apr 29, 2012)

They don't need SAMs to keep any high-flying terrorists out, they'll need ground re-enforcements against us pissed off Newhamites!


----------



## 19sixtysix (Apr 29, 2012)

I await the shooting down of an aircraft belonging to the Newham model aircraft club.


----------



## stethoscope (Apr 29, 2012)

19sixtysix said:


> I await the shooting down of an aircraft belonging to the Newham model aircraft club.


 
Attacking from the skies over Wanstead Flats!


----------



## StraightOuttaQ (Apr 29, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> The SAM thing seems so ridiculous to me, makes no sense at all, who are they expecting to attack in a fleet of planes?


 
Working on the assumption that no one would be able to succeed in getting control of a commercial flight, that leaves private or charter flights, presumably a flight chartered by someone from a South Eastern Airfield. Once private / charter plane is airborne,then they either take control either as the pilot or a passenger who hijacks their own plane to deviate from flight plan). They may or may not have a private license. Once in the air and they have control of the aircraft, flying under 250 feet to avoid radar at high speed, they may attempt to parking themselves into the stadium at speeds of 300mph or so, with a rapid deceleration to zero within five feet of concrete. If were planning a plane based attack, my deductive powers tell me that this would be the method with the highest chance of success. That said, it still would be extremely unlikely to succeed IMHO. 

TBH, any potential attack would be more likely to succeed if they attempted a replay of 7/7 to disrupt ground level public transport infrastructure.

How likely is any of this to actually happen? Well, Tom Clancy's lawyers have already told me off. Something about "Rainbow Six:London" or something. meh.


----------



## laptop (Apr 29, 2012)

London_Calling said:


> You're talking complete bollocks again.
> 
> Affordable housing is... affordable housing, of which social housing (I presume you mean for rent) is one aspect.


 
No, you're talking bollocks now.

The phrase was "affordable rent" which has a legal meaning now - Communities Act?

It's up to 80 per cent of private sector rents in the area.

What that means is open to many questions, especially in an area like Newham with a preponderance of social housing and a few yuppie enclaves and rip-off private landlords, both over-priced.

Hackney and Tower Hamlets have set the "affordable rent" level near the maximum payable by Housing Benefit. Don't know about Newham.

So-called "affordable rent" is designed to take over from social housing.

Social landlords are very, very strongly discouraged from creating new housing at social rents, regulated by the Tenant Services Authority. Any new units must be let at so-called "affordable rent".


----------



## laptop (Apr 29, 2012)

Anyway, so, these missiles...

Betting they back off from the match factory and they end up on my roof?

And, yes, taking something out by mistake seems to be the point. Trouble is, we don't get any EasyJet round here.

Loads of businesscreatures coming into London City, though... and, er, yes, those planes are ducking under the main Heathrow inbound flightpath.


----------



## likesfish (Apr 29, 2012)

who ever is planning the secuirty has the worlds most paranoid and richest countries bending his ear with demands/suggestions reguardless of pracitcality .  

 I'm suprised the yanks havent demanded to park the nimitz in the thames


----------



## laptop (Apr 29, 2012)

likesfish said:


> I'm suprised the yanks havent demanded to park the nimitz in the thames


 
They have to keep something in reserve for the last minute "look how serious we is!" announcement.

Let's see, though:

USS Nimitz draught:



> Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m); Limit: 41 ft (12.5 m) [no, I don't understand the difference].


 
Dredging currently under way:




> The existing northern approach channel to the Thames Estuary will be dredged to a depth of 14.5m in the inner channel and 16.5m in the outer.
> here


 
but not as far as Tilbury, only to Stanford-le-Hope.

Bet it gets stuck


----------



## London_Calling (Apr 29, 2012)

laptop said:


> No, you're talking bollocks now.
> 
> The phrase was "affordable rent" which has a legal meaning now - Communities Act?


I was talking to ymu, who talked only in terms of her choice of phrase "affordable housing"


----------



## 2hats (Apr 29, 2012)

Free Tax payer funded airshow over London leading up to and over the bank holiday weekend, including low level and evening sorties by Typhoons on 5th May.

PS Large (80+ aircraft) flypast planned for Windsor on the morning of 19th May (aircraft assembling from the south-southwest and departing to the north and northwest) for the diamond jubilee. The aircraft are rehearsing on the mornings of 15/16th May off the NW coast of Wales.


----------



## laptop (Apr 29, 2012)

2hats said:


> Free Tax payer funded airshow over London leading up to and over the bank holiday weekend, including low level and evening sorties by Typhoons on 5th May.


 
Typhoon at 500 feet in the evening of the 5th 



2hats said:


> PS Large (80+ aircraft) flypast planned for Windsor on the morning of 19th May (aircraft assembling from the south-southwest and departing to the north and northwest) for the diamond jubilee. The aircraft are rehearsing on the mornings of 15/16th May off the NW coast of Wales.


 
They almost always go the other way... in up from the North Sea. Why?


----------



## 2hats (Apr 29, 2012)

laptop said:


> They almost always go the other way... in up from the North Sea. Why?


 
That's a flyover of Windsor, not central London, so you might as well minimise disturbance to civil air traffic in/out London airports.

e2a: chart


----------



## likesfish (Apr 29, 2012)

US security are insane we had some US politicion come through once cyprus and some secret service type wanted to control the entire Bases weapons.
 keeping them happy is a major achievement


----------



## bluestreak (May 2, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> what a ridiculous thing to say


 
not really.  there's always a chance you might be horrifically maimed, and that's got to be worth $5 of anyone's money.


----------



## Roadkill (May 2, 2012)

bluestreak said:


> to be honest, if any terrorist group wants to attack the olympics i can't give them eough support.


 
That's really not a nice thing to say.


----------



## gunneradt (May 2, 2012)

bluestreak said:


> not really. there's always a chance you might be horrifically maimed, and that's got to be worth $5 of anyone's money.


 
which is probably equal to your income right now


----------



## ymu (May 2, 2012)

Money buys respect? You sad, sad little man.


----------



## Col_Buendia (May 2, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There's a journo who lives in a tower block next to the Olympic site who received a letter from the MoD today saying they are going to put a missile-firing equipment on his roof for two months during the Olympics. I shit you not.
> 
> More here on his timeline: https://twitter.com/#!/brianwhelanhack
> 
> If that's not worth protesting about, I dunno what is. I reckon this'll become a bit of a story....


 
Brian Whelan has just tweeted that he's being evicted from his flat. Nothing to do with his whistle-blowing on the missile story. Obviously.
https://twitter.com/#!/brianwhelanhack/status/197742091181371393


----------



## gunneradt (May 2, 2012)

ymu said:


> Money buys respect? You sad, sad little man.


 
we have a loser here advocating terrorism


----------



## ymu (May 2, 2012)

How does that excuse your pathetic response?


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (May 2, 2012)

Bernie Gunther said:


> What I'm talking about though is the expectation that you "go on a list" via some sort of democratically unaccountable secret police surveillance of places like Urban and suffer harassment and/or discrimination, for obviously harmless humour about official paranoia or otherwise taking this piss out of the government or ruling ideology..


 
It's not hypothetical: it's a known fact that that's exactly what happens.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101439630


----------



## bluestreak (May 3, 2012)

Roadkill said:


> That's really not a nice thing to say.


 
I'm not trying to be nice.


----------



## bluestreak (May 3, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> which is probably equal to your income right now


 
Oh! A touch!  I am undone!


----------



## bluestreak (May 3, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> we have a loser here advocating terrorism


 

You say loser, I say voice of the people.  Except of course, people like you.  Who should have their throats torn out to prevent their stupid ignorant opinions being vomited forth into an undeserving world.  Seriously, what is the point of you?  How did you end up like you are?  Did your mother not pay you enough attention?  Or are you the spawn of pig thick bigots and thus never had a chance?  If only social services had gotten involved and fostered you with someone a bit more useful to society like that nice Fred West and his wife.


----------



## gunneradt (May 3, 2012)

bluestreak said:


> You say loser, I say voice of the people. Except of course, people like you. Who should have their throats torn out to prevent their stupid ignorant opinions being vomited forth into an undeserving world. Seriously, what is the point of you? How did you end up like you are? Did your mother not pay you enough attention? Or are you the spawn of pig thick bigots and thus never had a chance? If only social services had gotten involved and fostered you with someone a bit more useful to society like that nice Fred West and his wife.


 
Are we a wee bit angry? You were the one advocating terrorist attacks, not me.  But then, that is always justifiable for the cuddly left, isn't it!!  Supporting violence and subversion when it's being seen to unhinge something they don't like.


----------



## Blagsta (May 3, 2012)

Fuck the cuddly left


----------



## bluestreak (May 3, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Are we a wee bit angry? You were the one advocating terrorist attacks, not me. But then, that is always justifiable for the cuddly left, isn't it!! Supporting violence and subversion when it's being seen to unhinge something they don't like.


 
well i'm not going to advocate violence against something i do like.  that would be almost as pointless as you.

except football.  i like football but if someone wants to bomb football i'll support it.


----------



## Pickman's model (May 3, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Are we a wee bit angry? You were the one advocating terrorist attacks, not me. But then, that is always justifiable for the cuddly left, isn't it!! Supporting violence and subversion when it's being seen to unhinge something they don't like.


you often seem quite unhinged


----------



## biggus dickus (May 4, 2012)

If there was a terrorist attack it would just mean that lots of innocent people died and the people who got all of the weapons deployed would be able to say 'told you so' and put weapons at all of the major events in the future. Can't see any positives


----------



## laptop (May 4, 2012)

2hats said:


> That's a flyover of Windsor, not central London, so you might as well minimise disturbance to civil air traffic in/out London airports.
> 
> e2a: chart
> 
> View attachment 18679


 
Ta. Are there similar plates/charts for the exercise that is suppose to have started yesterday?


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

Exercise Taurus Mountain 5-12. Out to 40 nm as per the map.

Military helicopters operating from Greenwich surface to 2000 feet (most activity around 500 feet) as follows: 4th/5th/6th/8th/9th/10th 0700-2200hrs, 11th 0900-1100hrs.
Military fast jets operating to/from Northolt surface to 4000 feet as follows: 4th 0900-1700hrs, 5th/6th 1000-2200hrs, 8th/9th/10th 0800-1700hrs.


----------



## laptop (May 5, 2012)

2hats said:


> Exercise Taurus Mountain 5-12. Out to 40 nm as per the map.
> 
> Military helicopters operating from Greenwich surface to 2000 feet (most activity around 500 feet) as follows: 4th/5th/6th/8th/9th/10th 0700-2200hrs, 11th 0900-1100hrs.
> Military fast jets operating to/from Northolt surface to 4000 feet as follows: 4th 0900-1700hrs, 5th/6th 1000-2200hrs, 8th/9th/10th 0800-1700hrs.
> ...


 
Blimey. Ta.

* brain melts inspecting the chart *


----------



## Bernie Gunther (May 5, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> It's not hypothetical: it's a known fact that that's exactly what happens.
> 
> http://www.democraticunderground.com/101439630


 
Sure, but that doesn't mean it's something that a democratic society should tolerate.

The media used to mock banana republics and the former Eastern Bloc governments for letting their secret police behave like that, and rightly so in my opinion.

Now we're supposed to accept it as 'normal' ...

I'm sorry but no. Common sense should apply.


----------



## El Jugador (May 5, 2012)

Bernie Gunther said:


> Sure, but that doesn't mean it's something that a democratic society should tolerate.


I think it's because while the Olympics are here, far less of our intorelance of their intolerance can be tolerated <nods wisely>

They must have written their joke on their landing cards or something - Otherwise anyone on this thread getting a right good feel-up at arrivals this holidays can thank Bluestreak /


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

laptop said:


> * brain melts inspecting the chart *


 
It's just a standard aeronautical chart. I should have perhaps pointed out, if it weren't obvious, that the relevant area of activity is the yellow circle, whilst all the purple zones are just the various regions of differing classes of airspace/locations of beacons/hazards/assorted warnings which are present 24/7 and not anything specific to this exercise?

The restricted and prohibited airspace regions for the olympics this summer are as below. Prohibited means what it says on the tin. Restricted essentially means you must follow additional rules (to the norm), file detailed flightplans for all movements, get them approved and stick to them. Even large model aircraft use has been banned in some areas.


----------



## laptop (May 5, 2012)

2hats said:


> It's just a standard aeronautical chart. I should have perhaps pointed out, if it weren't obvious, that the relevant area of activity is the yellow circle, whilst all the purple zones are just the various regions of differing classes of airspace/locations of beacons/hazards/assorted warnings which are present 24/7 and not anything specific to this exercise?


 
The yellow circle and the *X* at Northolt were the bits I _did_ get 



2hats said:


> The restricted and prohibited airspace regions for the olympics this summer are as below. Prohibited means what it says on the tin. Restricted essentially means you must follow additional rules (to the norm), file detailed flightplans for all movements, get them approved and stick to them. Even large model aircraft use has been banned in some areas.
> 
> View attachment 18895 View attachment 18896


 
Bit awkward that London City is prohibited in its entirety, then?


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

laptop said:


> Bit awkward that London City is prohibited in its entirety, then?


 
Nope:


> Aircraft will not be allowed within the Prohibited Zone unless they are inbound to or outbound from Heathrow, London City or RAF Northolt and under the control of those airports or NATS TC or Thames Radar. These flights must have undergone crew, passengers and baggage screening in accordance with the relevant aviation security programme. They must also meet all the requirements to enter the Restricted Zone.


 
Requirements to enter the Restriced Zone vary according to aircraft type.


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

I should also add that there are other exemptions from the restrictions/prohibitions:


> Aircraft that will be generally exempted from the restrictions include police, emergency medical, essential survey and aircraft operating for the Olympic Broadcast Service. Special procedures apply to these aircraft.


 
There is also restricted airspace over/around Weymouth and a handful of other Olympics-related sites.


----------



## likesfish (May 5, 2012)

anyone deciding to take a pleasure flight over the olympics is going to be in a  world of shit.
can you fly light planes over london anyway.


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

likesfish said:


> anyone deciding to take a pleasure flight over the olympics is going to be in a world of shit


 
Well, unless you can lay your hands on an old Lightning F4/borrow a U2/build your own high altitude balloon and loiter/transit at 66+kft, effectively above controlled airspace.


----------



## Hocus Eye. (May 5, 2012)

They could save a lot of money on this air security by employing a ring of barrage balloons around the Olympic Games sites.


probably


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> They could save a lot of money on this air security by employing a ring of barrage balloons around the Olympic Games sites.


 
*cough*


----------



## Hocus Eye. (May 5, 2012)

2hats said:


> *cough*


Fairy Nuff you got there first.


----------



## 2hats (May 5, 2012)

Perhaps we should have a WWII themed Olympics as befits the new age of austerity.


----------



## laptop (May 5, 2012)

2hats said:


> Perhaps we should have a WWII themed Olympics as befits the new age of austerity.


 
As against the WWIII theme we have now.

How else is the RAF going to get combat training over London, without the Olympics?


----------



## Hocus Eye. (May 5, 2012)

2hats said:


> Perhaps we should have a WWII themed Olympics as befits the new age of austerity.


Don't mention it.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (May 5, 2012)

Bernie Gunther said:


> Sure, but that doesn't mean it's something that a democratic society should tolerate.


 
I agree. But until it gets changed, certain activities carry a degree of peril, as that Briton found out after he made his humorous twitter feed.


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## likesfish (May 5, 2012)

There is that bloke who owns an old lighting  
  Could probably do one joyride once 

Thunder mountain is selling their old lightings get the cash together and you could have the ultimate fuck you as you outclimb the typhoons  and out speed them and cruise over the olympics out of range of any missiles


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## likesfish (May 5, 2012)

likesfish said:


> There is that bloke who owns an old lighting
> Could probably do one joyride once [/quote


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## DownwardDog (May 6, 2012)

likesfish said:


> Thunder mountain is selling their old lightings get the cash together and you could have the ultimate fuck you as you outclimb the typhoons and out speed them and cruise over the olympics out of range of any missiles


 
The Frightning couldn't out-climb the Tornado F3 (in reheat, the old shitter probably had the edge in dry power) never mind the Typhoon - which can go from brakes off to 11,000m in under 2 minutes...


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## DotCommunist (May 6, 2012)

The olympics are so welcome and relevant to our interests that we have a full array of military solutions should anyone fancy black septembering it. Death from the skies! SAMs on yuppie dems roofs! Gunboats loitering on the Thames.

Keep calm, carry on. Stupid boy.


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## 2hats (May 17, 2012)

2hats said:


> That's a flyover of Windsor, not central London, so you might as well minimise disturbance to civil air traffic in/out London airports.
> 
> e2a: chart
> 
> View attachment 18679


 
For completeness, the flyover starts at 1100 on Saturday with a diamond formation of 9 Typhoons, then closes 1226-1231 with the main flypast detailed here.


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## teqniq (May 17, 2012)

Those lovable mining types Rio Tinto Zinc are sticking the boot in on their employees again. What's this got to do with the Olympics? I hear you say. Read on:



> Mining giant Rio Tinto is the official Olympic supplier of the metal used to make the 2012 Olympic medals – yet it locked out 780 workers who are standing up against the company's aggressive contracting-out demands at a highly profitable aluminum smelter in Alma, Quebec.
> 
> Rio Tinto wants to eliminate decent jobs in Alma by replacing retiring unionized workers with precariously employed contract workers earning half the wages and no pension. In Alma, as in so many other places around the world, Rio Tinto's behaviour fails to live up to the Olympic principle of fair play and to the London Games' commitment to sustainability.
> 
> Canada is hosting the International Olympic Committee from May 23-25--let's deliver the message loud and clear: Drop Rio Tinto and its tarnished Olympic medals!


 
So Laboustart have a petition on the go, please sign:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1391


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## Roadkill (May 18, 2012)

2hats said:


> Perhaps we should have a WWII themed Olympics as befits the new age of austerity.


 
Personally, I'd have no objection to the Olympics if it were a 1948-style austerity Olympics, with pretty much no infrastructure spend and athletes housed in caravans on waste ground (which meant bomb sites in 1948, of course).

I've no interest in a few people in lycra running around and jumping into sandpits, but to each their own. What I object to is *£11bn* of public money being tipped into it - or, to put it another way, pretty much 1 pound in 8 of Osborne's spending cuts over the next few years. How many jobs, doing things that actually benefit the majority in the long term, and not relatively few for a couple of months, could have been saved with that money? Makes my blood boil.


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## kenny g (May 19, 2012)

Roadkill said:


> athletes housed in caravans on waste ground


 
but they evicted Dale farm last year.


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## Streathamite (May 21, 2012)

Roadkill said:


> Personally, I'd have no objection to the Olympics if it were a 1948-style austerity Olympics, with pretty much no infrastructure spend and athletes housed in caravans on waste ground (which meant bomb sites in 1948, of course).
> 
> I've no interest in a few people in lycra running around and jumping into sandpits, but to each their own. What I object to is *£11bn* of public money being tipped into it - or, to put it another way, pretty much 1 pound in 8 of Osborne's spending cuts over the next few years. How many jobs, doing things that actually benefit the majority in the long term, and not relatively few for a couple of months, could have been saved with that money? Makes my blood boil.


 I couldn't agree with you more


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## gosub (May 22, 2012)

BigTom said:


> Reason 2
> The involvement of ATOS with the paralympics


 

Won't they cancel them due to a lack of eligable atheletes


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## barney_pig (May 23, 2012)

SpineyNorman said:


> First person to get a proletarian democracy banner on the telly during the Olympics should get an Order of Posadas Award.


as long as it isn't draped over a twitching corpse


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## shaman75 (Jun 3, 2012)

check the comments http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005HP1UHK/b3ta-21



> Since buying this toy, my neighbours collection of Gollies have all been unduly harassed or locked away in a cupboard for no reason.


 
etc...


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## laptop (Jun 3, 2012)

shaman75 said:


> check the comments http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005HP1UHK/b3ta-21
> 
> 
> 
> etc...


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## likesfish (Jun 3, 2012)

thats seriously freaky


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