Greenpeace....

[Devils'Advocate]

I'm not sure that it was meant to sway the opinion of the typical Albertan. Belief in man-made global warming is the lowest in Alberta.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Wow, the amount of hate on this board is like a dog foaming at the teeth.

While I don't condone the message (separation b/w oil and state? WTF?), guess what - it has everybody thinking about the stunt, even if its seething hatred. there were people watching from below, cars lined up in traffic, and media covering the stunt on numerous outets.

In a lot of ways, the protestors succeeded. And they probably don't care how mad and inconvinienced you are.

There are a lot of ways to get your message across without making a large percentage of the population dismiss you as a bunch of assclowns.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

Did you just compare Martin Luther King Jr to Greenpeace? I am actually speechless now.....

Why not? Both had a political belief that they strongly believed in and use whatever non-violent means at their disposal.

I sense that the distinction is that you agree with one group and therefore AGREE with their civil disobedience and disagree with the other group and therefore DISAGREE with THEIR civil disobedience.

It's not a "how dare they break the law and bring out emergency vehicles", it's a "how dare they break the law and bring out emergency vehicles for a cause I don't like".

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I'm not sure that it was meant to sway the opinion of the typical Albertan. Belief in man-made global warming is the lowest in Alberta.

I think the belief in man-made global warming in Alberta is less of a factor to their cause than peoples jobs. It's tough to take up a cause that could severely impact your livelihood.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Just getting attention doesn't make it a success. Getting as much negative attention as it has (as this thread is evidence) makes it a massive failure.

Yeah, but you say that because thats your opinion (and also for a timely quip). Not everyone agrees with the "failure" part. As a communicator for a living, I actually think it's a success. You don't think the protestors know the public backlash they're going to get by doing this? My friend, they've calculated that deep in their plan. Greenpeace has long dealt with negative reactions - it's practically part of their business model.

Protesting against anything oil is always an uphill battle in Calgary, so the reactions among Calgarians shouldn't be surprising.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Wow, the amount of hate on this board is like a dog foaming at the teeth.

While I don't condone the message (separation b/w oil and state? WTF?), guess what - it has everybody thinking about the stunt, even if its seething hatred. there were people watching from below, cars lined up in traffic, and media covering the stunt on numerous outets.

In a lot of ways, the protestors succeeded. And they probably don't care how mad and inconvinienced you are.

Its called internet bravado, but I can understand the hate. I'm all for discussion and exchanging of differing views. Greenpeace isn't interested in that. They are all for assanine stunts like this. What pisses me and others off is the smugness of their spokespeople. I am pretty sure if I knew any of these guys doing the tower thing, I would dislike them intensely for their whole self important attitude.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by valo403

You do get that not all civil disobedience is the same right? Maybe not, as you just compared a rally to people breaking into a private building and hanging off the side of it.

Martin Luther King was repeatedly arrested for trespassing. Sometimes in private buidlings. I don't consider him an asshat for doing so.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Why would that organization even want separation of Oil and State? Do they really want the industry to be unregulated and unroyaltied?

That was my first thought too. What exactly is their message here?

I'm sure there are a lot of people in the towers downtown who would whole-heartedly back their desire to eliminate the government's involvement in the oil industry.

[Jetsfan]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Of those that have responded thus far in this thread, how many actually believe that global warming is happening and is caused by mankind?

Not me.

[Yeah_Baby]

Heh, Rodney King thanked a few posts. If he ever gets banned I say we riot.

[Russic]

From the herald:

Two Greenpeace protestors at the base of the tower wore facemasks of Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

And here I was thinking the ability to access the top of the Calgary Tower through a hatch would be the strangest part of this story.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Martin Luther King was repeatedly arrested for trespassing. Sometimes in private buidlings. I don't consider him an asshat for doing so.

And that has what to do with your comparison of a rally to this stunt? Did your fingers not type that?

[Frequitude]

Their message is lost on me. What the hell does "separate oil and state" have to do with Greenpeace's cause?

[CaptainCrunch]

If they were giving away a free hat, I would have attended.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I'm not sure that it was meant to sway the opinion of the typical Albertan. Belief in man-made global warming is the lowest in Alberta.

It wasn't meant to sway anyone's opinion. As already stated, the medium is the message, and the message was "Look at me! I'm Greenpeace!"

Nobody cares what they had to say because their message was secondary to themselves by design.

Civil disobedience done right:


You will note that this anti Liberal/Bloc/NDP coalition rally in front of City Hall was not blocking the roadway, not representing a danger to innocent bystanders and did not force closure and financial loss on any businesses.

Calgarians and Canadians showed that they did not support the opposition parties without the need to break the law or disrupt the lives of their fellow citizens. How the hell can several thousand everyday people manage that but three tards from Greenpeace can't? The answer is that their goal was to pull off a self-promotional stunt, not send a message.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Their message is lost on me. What the hell does "separate oil and state" have to do with Greenpeace's cause?

And what does it have to do with DA's incessant yammering about global warming and Alberta's lack of supporters?

[KTown]

Too bad they don't have the gonads to do this sort of stuff in Iran. I have a feeling they would just cut the rope and let them protest away as they are falling to there death. They would really get there message world wide this way

[Rodney King]

I just carried a freshly liberated 40 and a DVD player down 9th avenue to show my support for the cause. It's cool though, because it was from white store owners, and whites have been keeping us greens down for years.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Rodney King

I just carried a freshly liberated 40 and a DVD player down 9th avenue to show my support for the cause. It's cool though, because it was from white store owners, and whites have been keeping us greens down for years.

I don't get it. Can you type a little slower for me?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It wasn't meant to sway anyone's opinion. As already stated, the medium is the message, and the message was "Look at me! I'm Greenpeace!"

Nobody cares what they had to say because their message was secondary to themselves by design.

Civil disobedience done right:


You will note that this anti Liberal/Bloc/NDP coalition rally in front of City Hall was not blocking the roadway, not representing a danger to innocent bystanders and did not force closure and financial loss on any businesses.

Calgarians and Canadians showed that they did not support the opposition parties without the need to break the law or disrupt the lives of their fellow citizens. How the hell can several thousand everyday people manage that but three tards from Greenpeace can't? The answer is that their goal was to pull off a self-promotional stunt, not send a message.

I don't want to play Devil's Advocate, but before Resolute 14 posted an image of this protest, did anyone here actually, truthfully remember this? I sure didn't. I know it happened thanks to the reminding picture, but the message? Completely lost on me.

People scaling the Calgary Tower and posting a large banner? I'm going to remember that for a longer time. It's something I'll mention to my friends or family one day and say "protestors scaled the Tower and posted a big banner." I probably won't be saying the same thing for the above picture.

It's unfortunate, I know, but really it comes down to a marketing issue. The stupid stunt will be more memorable than the peaceful protest 9 times out of 10.