Occupy Calgary/Do Not Merge

[pylon]

So I guess the conclusion is, these protesters are in favor of a communist/socialist model. It is the only way you get these types of guarantees in life.

This is what I think they should do with these protesters. Tie them to a chair, A Clockwork Orange style, and show them some footage of Rawandan's getting chopped to pieces by guerrilla's with Machetes. Or some Chechen rebel sawing a live soldiers head off with a hunting knife. Maybe we can toss in some corpses of starved African toddlers being eaten by dogs. Then they can say how hard they have it.

I have seen some hard stuff in my life, and every time I walk down a street without the fear of being robbed for the clothes off my back, get in my car and drive on our incredible highway system, or look at those giant Mountains to the west knowing I can wander into them without fear of being killed by some insurgent, I am so thankful of what I see around me, and that against all odds, I was born into the greatest country in the world. Yet here we are, with people bitching about their first world hardships, and that they cannot afford a $500,000, 3 bedroom home right out out of college. Talking about it like it is some sort of basic human right.

This is so pathetic.

[JiriHrdina]

Calgary Sun editorial:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/10/11...-be-tough-sell

"It’s tough to comprehend what the Occupy Calgary crowd is so worked up about.
“We don’t want to see corporate greed — we want to see recognitionof human need,” says one of its spokemen.
We say spokesmen, because this group claims to have no leaders."

and

"Our prediction is the protest is bound to fizzle out anyway.
Calgarians are too busy working and helping others to pay attention to the whines of a few feckless malcontents."

And before someone says what garbage the Sun is - the facts are they are one of two major papers in this market....so their coverage is important. Already we are seeing that the vagueness and lack of leadership with this movement is impacting what type of attention the press will give it.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Well I see you pulled out pretty quickly and gave up the ghost after Resolute's post.

In future, if you wish to critique, try providing some supporting evidence (if you think my evidence in bunk, then please provide your own, instead of trying to shout it down like a 3 year old trying to get his mother to buy the Fruit Loops instead of the Wheaties). Saying the chart is "basically made up" is a complete pile of garbage and you know it.

Just because "you really don't think this is the case", doesn't make it true.

Now, you just look like a loon because housing prices are increasing at a faster rate than average salary.

I didn't "give up the ghost" but thanks. I'm just not running around doing research for you to try to prove your point. You posted a chart that was clearly wrong and used that to try to prove your point. Don't get upset because someone called you out on bad evidence.

You put up the chart and tried to base your point around that. If we know that the chart isn't accurate to begin with then that's that. I could poke all kinds of holes in your theory about housing/prices and wages:

A) The fact that housing has increased that much above wages doesn't actually mean anything. Were the wages too high leading up to your chart? Were the housing prices too low leading up to your chart? Was there a reason that housing was a hot commodity shortly after the chart begins? Its pretty basic economics.

B) Are the wage increases reflective of those buying homes? In other words, great the wages are based on the societal average....but not everyone is buying a house or has any intention. So you have to throw those people out of your data to begin with, otherwise its surely skewed down. Do we need to factor in the University students wages who tends bar on weekends while they get a degree?

C) Does the increase in housing actually reduce the affordability? Just because the increase in home prices out paces the growth in wages doesn't prove that point. You have to factor in the increased equity that many people had in the homes as a result of this growth, the baseline for wages before the increase and go from there. In other words if leading up to the boom people had mortgages for say twice their annual income and that number is now three times their income its not a big deal. The chart makes it seem like it is, but that's just the visual.

Bottom line your chart is flawed, virtually meaningless and a great example of hindsight bias. You wanted something to show that home prices had outpaced wage growth and you found it. Congratulations. In the meantime the actually useful information could tell an entirely different story; if you think that I'm going to waste my time searching that out for you though you have another thing coming.

Its not up to me to find the answers for you and I can still critique what you put forward. Just because you're wrong doesn't mean that I know what the answer is....I just know that there is no way that housing prices increased 100% of the time since 1996 as your graph implies.

[pepper24]

If I were the organizers I'd have the protest focus on Calgary being the energy capital of Canada. If Wall Street symbolizes banks, downtown Calgary symbolizes the energy sector. You at least have a basis to go on.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by pepper24

If I were the organizers I'd have the protest focus on Calgary being the energy capital of Canada. If Wall Street symbolizes banks, downtown Calgary symbolizes the energy sector. You at least have a basis to go on.

Yes, the horrible energy sector propping up the Canadian economy by giving underqualifed people overpaying jobs. Seems like the energy sector is exactly what the occupy wall street people want.

[TorqueDog]

Occupy Calgary can go piss up a rope.

[jammies]

It's interesting how the deliberate lack of a central message lets everyone project what they feel IS the true message - good or bad - onto the event.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Calgary Sun editorial:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/10/11...-be-tough-sell

The Calgary Sun being against it is a pretty telling mark in favour of it. I'm sure Rick Bell is already "researching" some way to blame it all on "Silly Hall".

[Regular_John]

I can't wait for this thread to be merged.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by jammies

The Calgary Sun being against it is a pretty telling mark in favour of it. I'm sure Rick Bell is already "researching" some way to blame it all on "Silly Hall".

Yeah I was thinking the same thing - that and I am sure that the type of people an event like this would cater the most towards wouldn't be the same type of people who prefer to read the Calgary Sun.

Granted at the same time I really think this is a stupid concept and isn't going to do anything other than be on the front page of the city section and the people will be downplayed as whiners and malcontents because they take the childish tactic of just creation of a massive group with no really common perspective, mission or goal and it just turns into a bunch of people yelling about anything and everything.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Yes, the horrible energy sector propping up the Canadian economy by giving underqualifed people overpaying jobs. Seems like the energy sector is exactly what the occupy wall street people want.

Nice twist...lol. Take a bow.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by jammies

The Calgary Sun being against it is a pretty telling mark in favour of it. I'm sure Rick Bell is already "researching" some way to blame it all on "Silly Hall".

Even a stopped clock yada yada...
The Sun being against it doesn't legitimize it, either.
You can go and "protest" all you like, but don't be offended when other people aren't jumping on your bandwagon, because really, you're not even talking about anything in particular except human nature.
What are you hoping to accomplish? You want the government to put in more regulations so that CEOs and other rich guys can't get any more richer, while the rest of us stay not-rich?

I have an idea, if you people want things to change, try showing up on voting day. That's democracy.

Have fun at your directionless protest. I'm sure lots of things are going to change because a bunch of people got mad and went and sat on an island all day.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Have fun at your directionless protest. I'm sure lots of things are going to change because a bunch of people got mad and went and sat on an island all day.

LOL, and that is another thing I find hilarious about this. These people don't even know how to protest. They are lazy.... at protesting. Man, I have seen some of the protest footage of the 50's/60's/70's, and those old cats knew how to get their cause some attention. If you are not being pelted by fire hoses, rubber bullets, tear gas, and german shepard's, you're doing it wrong.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by pepper24

If I were the organizers I'd have the protest focus on Calgary being the energy capital of Canada. If Wall Street symbolizes banks, downtown Calgary symbolizes the energy sector. You at least have a basis to go on.

So there would be like 4 people at the protest then.

Lets protest about the lack of paying jobs by bitching about the primary corporate entity in this province.

[killer_carlson]

I am late to this thread and don't really understand the Occupy Calgary concept anyways.

My question, being an immigration lawyer who sees first hand the shortage of workers we are already experiencing in this province, is why are these people who are protesting not at work?

[Bigtime]

So apparently Occupy Calgary has become more of a homeless outreach centre:

Taking their cue from thousands of protesters worldwide, about 50 local activists have set up tents in Centenary Park on St. Patrick’s Island to “Occupy Calgary.”

The dozen shelters scattered throughout the west end of the island are fronted by a poster board strewn with handmade signs marking the area as a safe zone. The city has provided the protesters with a firepit, portable toilets and garbage disposal.

Most of the participants so far are homeless people who have long used the park as a stomping ground.

Former mayoral candidate Paul Hughes said the camp has become an impromptu outreach centre for the local homeless population. He said he hoped the events would draw attention to poverty in Calgary.

However, he also wants to target gender inequality, student debt aboriginal issues and access to education and health care.


“For Calgary, it’s probably more about community building,” he said. “I know it sounds a little utopian in a way, but it’s got to some place.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Oc...409/story.html

[VladtheImpaler]

Down with greed! Can you spare some change?

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by pylon

So I guess the conclusion is, these protesters are in favor of a communist/socialist model. It is the only way you get these types of guarantees in life.

This is what I think they should do with these protesters. Tie them to a chair, A Clockwork Orange style, and show them some footage of Rawandan's getting chopped to pieces by guerrilla's with Machetes. Or some Chechen rebel sawing a live soldiers head off with a hunting knife. Maybe we can toss in some corpses of starved African toddlers being eaten by dogs. Then they can say how hard they have it.

I have seen some hard stuff in my life, and every time I walk down a street without the fear of being robbed for the clothes off my back, get in my car and drive on our incredible highway system, or look at those giant Mountains to the west knowing I can wander into them without fear of being killed by some insurgent, I am so thankful of what I see around me, and that against all odds, I was born into the greatest country in the world. Yet here we are, with people bitching about their first world hardships, and that they cannot afford a $500,000, 3 bedroom home right out out of college. Talking about it like it is some sort of basic human right.

This is so pathetic.

of course, you realize the irony in you statement?

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I am late to this thread and don't really understand the Occupy Calgary concept anyways.

My question, being an immigration lawyer who sees first hand the shortage of workers we are already experiencing in this province, is why are these people who are protesting not at work?

That job is too hard. They want higherpaying easier jobs.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by pylon

LOL, and that is another thing I find hilarious about this. These people don't even know how to protest. They are lazy.... at protesting.

That's my beef - if you are going to do this - do it right. Get yourself organized, have proper spokespeople...put in the time needed to appear like you have some clue about what your position is.

Just showing up isn't a protest.