Monday, November 7, 2011

#OccupyFail and The Boy Scouts

At first, I was disdainful of the Occupy protesters and mocked them. Now, I'm starting to pity them. Their little protest (once cute) is now turned into a horror show. A reporter from the NY Post spends a night in Zucotti Park and finds a scary scene.
“It’s done,” he repeats. “Occupy Wall Street is no longer a protest.” Scenes like this -- and far worse -- have been playing out since the Zuccotti Park “occupation” began on Sept. 17.

The parcel is now a sliver of madness, rife with sex attacks, robberies and vigilante justice.
It’s a leaderless bazaar that’s been divided into state-like camps -- with tents packed together so densely that the only way to add more would be to stack them.

And despite an NYPD watchtower overhead and the entire north side of Zuccotti lined with police vehicles, it is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous places in New York City.
Read the whole thing.
These people are finding out that when you put a whole bunch of unprepared, disorganized people close together with no hygiene, running water, camp skills, or leadership, you devolve into "Lord of the Flies". At this rate, I would call it a success if no one ends up dead. If they stay there much longer, the New York winter will not be forgiving.

Back in the day, I went on a camping trip with my high school senior class in the mountains of North Carolina. For me, it was old hat, having made Eagle Scout two years before. However, some people in my senior class were not "outdoorsy", and they had this trip thrust upon them without any preparation. 

Basic things, like having warm socks (not little tennis socks); knowing how to set up your tent; setting your tent up in an area that won't become flooded if it rains; having proper ventilation, having proper sanitation, and having the proper gear were overlooked. As a result, it was pretty much a bust of a trip. People were unhappy, cold, had wet socks (left them outside overnight) and were ready to go home well ahead of schedule.

At this point, I think the Occupy crowd is having the same experience.

P.S. This is not how you set up camp, but then again, you probably don't learn how to do that when you major in transgender studies.

There are at least five things done incorrectly here.

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