Some interesting ironies...the environmentalists destroying the
environment, workers rights people causing more work for those they are
fighting for:
>this just in from my downtown reporter
>
>"I'm at my desk, more or less at the corner of 6th and Pike. There are
>thousands of people, many of them in desperate need of a bath.
>Occasionally the cops will drive around in their urban assault vehicles
>and lob tear gas into the crowd, which only excites them further. The
>environmentalists are in fine form, pulling down trees and spray
>painting slogans on the walls. The workers rights people are throwing
>paint at Niketown and Banana Republic, which minimum wage workers will
>get to clean off later, using toxic chemicals. The streets that aren't
>blocked by the police have been barricaded with overturned newspaper
>machines and planters. Every once in a while a rumor floats up that the
>protesters are throwing Molotov cocktails, but so far they are just
>rumors. Most of the real trouble seems to come from the "anarchists" in
>bandanas & face masks, who are either dangerous revolutionaries, or
>don't want their Moms to know they didn't go to school today. I can
>appreciate the carnival atmosphere, and I've been spending most of the
>morning rubbernecking rather than working, but I think most people are
>just here to make some noise, and the majority of them don't really
>understand what they're protesting. On the other hand, the horses are
>wearing little riot shields, which are kind of cute for some reason."
>
>The whole thing is really weird to me. I read cyberpunk and sci-fi (almost
>exclusively). I've been reading about global corporate control for years,
>it's a mainstay of set and setting within the genre. My question is, is
>sci-fi prophetic? If you're first answer is no, think about the influences
>Ray Bradbury and Philip K Dick have had on advanced technology which are
>now part of our daily lives.
>
>The cops have started to use some new gas instead of the pepper spray.
>:-P
>
>Nordstrom windows were broken.
>
>
>but for those interested, here's what i've gotten so far,
>including some shots
>of the teargassing...
>
>http://www.funkaspuck.com/rawpics/WTO/
>
>ain't democracy fun!
>
>
>Thomas
>
>
>
-- B.K. DeLong Research Lead ZOT Group617.642.7149 bkdelong@zotgroup.com http://www.zotgroup.com