# I'm starting the White Bloc--who's with me? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 28, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743 "2010-06-28T03:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/21 "2010-06-28T17:27:45Z")
Yeah, **Randy** , that’s a brilliant idea. You lead the way, and we’ll be right behind you. Don’t bother to look back-- you can be sure we’ll all be there to support you when you reveal your secret to the protesters! ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/22 "2010-06-28T17:31:09Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > The Batman Bloc! Caped Crusaders fighting criminal anarchists! They could act upon seeing the Bat-Signal. Interesting idea… Could we have a Boy Wonder Auxilliary of probationary members? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/23 "2010-06-28T18:14:42Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > We’ll dress in all white so we know who we are. We’ll try to concentrate on the Black Bloc . . . Wait, are you sure this is an original idea? Something seems familiar about it, can’t put my finger on it . . . ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/24 "2010-06-28T18:18:25Z")
Known racist runs around in white costume, commits random violent acts on Blacks? I agree, it seems kkk-cliched ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/25 "2010-06-28T18:25:43Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Anarchists think society owes them something? I thought those were supposed to be socialists, at least according to the talking points. Left-wing anarchists (like the “black bloc” ones) tend to merge anarchistic ideas with socialism–this is a long tradition that goes back to people like Proudhon and Kropotkin. However, not all of them employ violent tactics (or even most of them), and even the black bloc ones typically target property, not people (though they’re often willing to return violence against security officers). Unlike the OP’s proposal of actually assaulting demonstrators, regardless of their affiliation. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > Eh, the name’s sounds funny. “White bloc” sounds like a group of white supremacists or Russian monarchists of which I am neither. Yeah, historically speaking, the color white has been associated with monarchism and the far right, e.g. the counterrevolutionary [White Terror](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_terror) episodes. And those would definitely be the kind of people who would be attracted to a “White Bloc.” > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I’ve decided to start a counter-protest group to go in and kick these protesters’ asses. We’ll infiltrate the crowd and then start beating the shit out of protesters once we’ve gathered up enough of us. We’ll dress in all white so we know who we are. We’ll try to concentrate on the Black Bloc, but if a protester’s head finds itself on the business end of our bats, then so be it. Quite seriously, with your choice of colors (or lack thereof) and your anti-socialist stance, your best bet is to make connections with neo-Nazis and Stormfront types, who love to get into street brawls with anarchists. But you need to be aware that many of the anarchists are used to fighting with heavily-armored police, and the ones from Europe are accustomed to breaking up Neo-Nazi rallies and the like. If you’re serious about organizing a “White Bloc” (and you’re not), it’s very likely that your ass would be the one getting kicked. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/26 "2010-06-28T18:40:06Z")
Strangely enough, there are some local anarchists who’d be down with this idea (with a couple changes). On May 1, some Black Bloc mofos from Chicago came to Asheville, went to an anarchist party, and afterward went on a rampage through downtown, smashing windows and destroying property. They targeted a lot of small, locally-owned businesses. The cops picked them up pretty quickly, and they’re facing some serious charges. The local anarchists were enraged by these folks, seeing them as a particular pernicious brand of tourist: come to Asheville, enjoy the mountains, fuck it up, and leave! While the black bloc groupies back in Chicago held fundraisers to pay the $110,000 in bail for the vandals, the local anarchists tried to find ways to help out the local folks that were hurt by the rampage, and did some PR stuff, basically saying to Asheville, “Hey, we’re your local anarchists, and we’re not about smashing stuff up, we’re about community gardens and co-op bookstores.” I wouldn’t be at all surprised if next May 1, the locals do a community-watch thing to prevent a recurrence of this incident. Our local anarchists are cool. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/27 "2010-06-28T18:45:00Z")
[White-in candidate | Metro Detroit News | Detroit | Detroit Metro Times](http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=9391) Here is a prototype for you. In Detroit ,in the 60s there were marches first for civil rights and then to protest the Viet Nam war. Breakthrough was formed to harass and beat marchers. If a marcher got separated after the march, Breakthrough thugs would beat them up. It did not matter if they were women ,men or nuns. They brought the violence that you approve of to peaceful protests. They too had no trouble justifying their aggression. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/28 "2010-06-28T18:59:33Z")
> [@Gotterfunken](#): > > If you’re serious about organizing a “White Bloc” (and you’re not), it’s very likely that your ass would be the one getting kicked. **Rand Rover** is a doughy Internet blowhard – he’d get his ass kicked at a Girl Scout rally. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/29 "2010-06-28T23:46:09Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I say we dress up like male chickens. The cock block? Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/30 "2010-06-28T23:48:00Z")
> [@11811](#): > > The cock block? Brilliant! Finally! I really didnt want to explain my own joke 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/31 "2010-06-28T23:50:06Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Finally! I really didnt want to explain my own joke 🙂 Was it out there that long? I had to preview to confirm nobody beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/32 "2010-06-29T00:07:56Z")
> [@Gotterfunken](#): > > Left-wing anarchists (like the “black bloc” ones) tend to merge anarchistic ideas with socialism–this is a long tradition that goes back to people like Proudhon and Kropotkin. However, not all of them employ violent tactics (or even most of them), and even the black bloc ones typically target property, not people (though they’re often willing to return violence against security officers). Unlike the OP’s proposal of actually assaulting demonstrators, regardless of their affiliation. It’s safe to say the worst of them is a better person than **Rand Rover.** And what’s more, it would remain safe to say it, even if the speaker were in the same room with **RR** instead of communicating from an anonymous computer terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/33 "2010-06-29T00:44:12Z")
This is all I can think of now… [http://strangeherring.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/spy-vs-spy.jpg](http://strangeherring.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/spy-vs-spy.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/34 "2010-06-29T01:11:54Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Finally! I really didn’t want to explain my own joke 🙂 Well, it _was_ overshadowed by the rather humongous one posted in the OP, you have to admit. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/35 "2010-06-29T01:55:00Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > We’ll dress in all white so we know who we are. We’ll try to concentrate on the Black Bloc …and sell them [Progressive Car Insurance](http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/2963573672_52b02c842d_o1.jpg)…? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/36 "2010-06-29T02:06:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Well, it _was_ overshadowed by the rather humongous one posted in the OP, you have to admit. the massive cock or the massive joke? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/37 "2010-06-29T02:16:47Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Anyone else listening to Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass tonight? Tonight? How about EVERY night!! ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/38 "2010-06-29T02:23:26Z")
> [@Gotterfunken](#): > > …neo-Nazis and Stormfront types, who love to get into street brawls with anarchists. … God knows American politics and what passes for society is far from perfect, but at least I don’t live in a country where that is going on. And why can’t I get “The Big Lebowski” out of my head? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/39 "2010-06-29T02:41:39Z")
Shit. When I was a teenager, I had a friend who was an anarchist punk. I saw him on the bus one day, and we were catching up, and I suggested that we stop downtown for a bite. He shrugged apologetically and said he’d love to, but couldn’t: the American Pride skinheads downtown were looking for him and had promised to beat him bloody if they caught him. Happens here too. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743/40 "2010-06-29T03:00:51Z")
> [@Gotterfunken](#): > > If you’re serious about organizing a “White Bloc” (and you’re not), it’s very likely that your ass would be the one getting kicked. These tough anarchists have broken up to tens of Starbucks windows! They aren’t to be trifled with. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-starting-the-white-bloc-whos-with-me/544743.md?page=3)