Phi Beta Iota: A real conspirary theorist would wonder if the “Iranian plot” was actually a half-assed Exxon plot. The sales pitch is annoying, finally getting to the point, shale gas, but along the way, does itemize the level of commitment. This is not a paradigm shift–it still assume centralized development, it uses water we cannot afford to give up to push the gas, and it adds chemicals to do the fracking. In other words, it externalizes all risks and costs to the future public, while privatizing a dubious resource.
The real paradigm shift is decentralized energy and shared energy, as Buckminster Fuller envisioned. The Saudis would be much better off creating new models of integrating housing and commercial that generate their own energy, capture all water, process their own waste, and generally leverage solar, wind, human, and other forms of energy in place.
Phi Beta Iota: The USA has already had one veteran burn himself to death, while 18 a day are committing suicide (and in Iraq, more die from suicide each month than from combat). The US Government is very, very sick of mind, lacking soul and heart, completely divorced from reality and integrity. A couple of soccer moms are next–are you ready?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2011
www.nyc.gov
STATEMENT OF DEPUTY MAYOR CAS HOLLOWAY ON BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES POSTPONING THEIR CLEANING OF ZUCCOTTI PARK
³Late last night, we received notice from the owners of Zuccotti Park Brookfield Properties that they are postponing their scheduled cleaning of the park, and for the time being withdrawing their request from earlier in the week for police assistance during their cleaning operation. Our position has been consistent throughout: the City¹s role is to protect public health and safety, to enforce the law, and guarantee the rights of all New Yorkers. Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters that will ensure the park remains clean, safe, available for public use and that the situation is respectful of residents and businesses downtown, and we will continue to monitor the situation.
Phi Beta Iota: NYPD and Bloomberg both understand that flash mobs can hand them their ass.
Below is a slightly edited excerpt from an email written by a group facilitator participating in one of the urban Occupy actions (name withheld at their request). Their note reveals an emerging difficulty that could undermine the ability of such actions to hold their position and succeed in their mission. I then offer some thoughts on chaos and order that I hope will help them (and us all) deal well with such issues in these times of transition.
Following all that, I offer some new Occupy links, with excerpts from the linked articles. I hope you enjoy them.
WASHINGTON – David Petraeus, the former general who led the Afghanistan war and now heads the CIA, has ordered his intelligence analysts to give greater weight to the opinions of troops in the fight, U.S. officials said.
CIA analysts now will consult with battlefield commanders earlier in the process as they help create elements of a National Intelligence Estimate on the course of the war, to more fully include the military's take on the conflict, U.S. officials say.
Phi Beta Iota: On the surface, this is a good order. Understanding both sides, however, suggests that this is a repeat of the Sam Adams – Westmoreland dictated fraud. The US military and NATO are lying to the public and to their respective legislative and executive branches about the continuing failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and across Africa. We no longer post the recurring slams on the falsehoods being purveyed. It is so very sad when our senior officials are so blatantly lacking in integrity and depriving us all of the intelligence that we are paying for.
New Rules from Zucotti ParkMayor Bloomberg is moving to shut down Occupy Wall Street at Liberty Square tomorrow at 7 AM.
The ruse he is using: the need to clean the “park.” He has promised that Liberty Square will be reopened after the cleaning but nobody will be allowed to set up anything in park, nor will sleeping bags be allowed (click the sheet to the left for larger version).
Click on Image to Enlarge
This is going to get interesting. Will be working up some ideas for how this could play out. Let's start off with an assumption. This is Bloomberg vs. Occupy. One mind vs. many minds. The goal is to coerce him into changing his mind. Dissuade him. Get inside his OODA loop.
Go straight for him. Maximize the eviction's taint on Bloomberg's personal brand. Personalize the protest/eviction by attaching the blame to him personally. Pierce his shield of bureaucratic impersonality. Brand the eviction with the name: Bloomberg. This is/will be a global stage, use it.
Confuse him. Lots and lots of Flash Mobs. Shut down bridges and major streets. Overwhelm with volume/speed. Non-violent disruption. As soon as police arrive in force, disperse and reassemble at new location. Bikes + Kids. Disrupt, disrupt, disrupt. More flashmobs = more disruption. As long as the square is under attack, keep the city tied in knots. NOTE: If they lock down the area, flashmobs are the best way to participate (and get some exercise).
Connect with more people than him. Best way to do this: Eyes in the sky. Get a camera/cameras above Liberty Square. Stream the feed. The better the quality the more impact it will have. It will play across the world. Think about how important AJs video feed over Tahrir was when things got hot. Better yet, get AJ to cover it and stream it.
If you have additional ideas, add them below. Good training in tactical thinking.
Hoisted from the comments:
The flashmob tactic was tried here in Panama couple of years ago by the SUNTRACS construction workers union, and with very small groups pre-planted all over the city they drove the police absolutely crazy. Police would show up at location A, mob would disperse immediately, two text messages and now TWO flashmobs would block streets at different locations. They never followed up with it (preferring massive marches to display force) but it worked very well and with much less people than #ows has available. [courtesy: Okke]
James Bond-style weapons found on North Korean assassin
Weapons straight out of a James Bond film have been put on display in Seoul after authorities found them on a North Korean assassin.
EXTRACT
The weapons include an innocent-looking black torch, complete with a wrist strap and the word “Police” along one side, that is actually a gun capable of firing a bullet.
Prosecutors in the South Korean capital say the weapon had a range of around 30 feet and was loaded with a bullet that was coated in a poisonous chemical. A mere 10 milligrams of the poison is sufficient to cause breathing problems or heart failure, they said.
In a televised demonstration of the gun, a bullet fired from the torch penetrated deep into a mattress from a distance of 16 feet.
Phi Beta Iota: The contrast to the Iran plot farce in the USA could not be sharper, especially when the bloated insane US budget of pasty-faced white guys engaged on “domestic security” is taken into account.
