Taking war protesting to the next level

The BBQ Pit
1

Some folks in Belgium are apparently planning to hold a demonstration against American invasion and occupation of Europe in 1944-1945.

Yes.

Really.

American invasion and occupation of Europe in 1944-1945.

According to them, "The demonstration on May 25 is against the US invasion of Europe in 1944-1945, against the presence of US troops in Europe, and to demand the withdrawal of those troops. It is also directed against the American soldiers buried at Margraten: they fought as conquerors, to subject Europe to American values and American interests. They deserve no honour, and certainly no gratitude. They should be reburied in the US. "

Either this is an elaborate setup for a joke or they really are putting something in those freedom fries in Belgium.

http://belgium.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/58530.php

2

Ain’t that the truth. Fucking morons.

3

Je roule mes yeux.

4

Some radical ideas are (later) taken up by the mainstream, most aren’t. I still think there’s a place for radical youth, if only to remind me and make me smile about younger days … this is just a bunch of kids who’ll learn more, gain greater experience, mature in time. At least they show some kind of interest in politics (which I rather thought this generation had lost).

I don’t like to thank George Bush for very much but he has at least stimulated interest in politics amongst the <old codger voice> young people

You don’t suggest an alternative; what would you do to shut them up ?

5

I assume these protestors will be speaking German at the protest…

6

Well, not doing something this monumentally stupid and ignorant might be a first step.

7

Now, they’ve taken the first step (which is to aviod the true enemy, apathy).

Second step is to mature through experience and learning, IMHO.

8

Well, I prefer apathy to downright vocal idiocy.

They’ve got an almost infinately long way to go then.

9

Ye GADS!

Alright, the usual disclaimers: not all Belgians, let alone Europeans, feel this way. I see from the article that the organisation appears to be partially Dutch, at least - I can only hang my head in shame. This is a minority position, in fact, it’s the first I heard of it that some eedjits are actually suggesting the Liberators came here to occupy us. Yadda yadda yadda.

I think most of you are familiar with both my opinion on the Liberators of WWII, and the current war in Iraq. It’s entirely possible to be against the latter while still honouring the first.

It’s also possible to discuss the current American army bases without being a complete jackass. For instance, it is pretty much a known fact that the US stores nuclear weapons on the Dutch air base Volkel. Part of the base is sealed off for any Dutch military personnel, and is heavily guarded by Americans. IIRC, it’s technically American soil. The secrecy both governments maintain about this is telling: I was unable to find a site that wasn’t linked to some sort of protest group. But here’s one that looks fairly documented.

Now, let me be perfectly clear about this: I do not like this one bit. In fact, I want that shit out of there. My country doesn’t own any nuclear weapons as a matter of choice: why should we store US nukes, when the reason for them (the Cold War) hasn’t been valid for 15 years? Get that shit of our soil, please.

Furthermore, it is possible to reasonably discuss whether the American bases still present in Europe are necessary today. If they only serve as overseas weapons vaults, I humbly submit that they might not be.

But that’s a far, FAR cry from suggesting the Liberators were in fact shipped over to occupy, or infiltrate, Europe. If that was the case, they sure did a lousy job, huh? I mean, it still says “Koninkrijk der Nederlanden” on my passport.

In short, these kids are idiot, and have automatically disqualified themselves from any rational discussion about the topics they seem to be so passionate about. Which is a shame, as some of those topics might actually be worth debating.

10

Uhhh? Maybe they got these ideas in their education. The US doesn’t have all the hallowed hall idiots.

11

Ah yes, because we all know that Nazi values and interests were much better than those of the American soldiers. :rolleyes: I think that we need more chlorine in the gene pool, there seems to be a massive algae bloom at the moment.

Coldy, I don’t think anyone on these boards would dare think that you were as monumentally stupid as the fucks the OP’s talking about. At least I hope not.

12

As has been already stated these kids are idiots. Some idiots get into all sort of stupid groups. These muppets have gone with this one. Others walk around with a swastika tattooed on the forehead. They’ll wake up and smell the heather one day, hopefully.

13

Unless they went to Complete Asshat High, I can assure you they did not learn this shit in school.

14

These shmucks are just as damaging to anit-war efforts as PETA is to animal rights.

15

I’d serve them pie.

16

young people

You know what? This is not an “interest in politics”. This is an interest in getting attention for it’s own sake and joining a cause just to feel as if you are part of something. Why is “doing something” regardless of how stupid somehow better than doing nothing and keeping one’s mouth shut? What ever happened to the old saying “better to stay silent and have people think you a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt?”

That’s the wonderful thing about democracy though. Any idiot can say whatever they want, no matter how ridiculous and the rest of us don’t have to listen.

I don’t know…release the hounds…or the bees…or the hounds with the bees in their mouth so when they bark they shoot bees at them?

17

When I was living in Belgium, I mustsay that I made frequent trips to Holland for… well… let’s just say for wooden shoes. Now it might have just been the smoke from the wooden shoes burning that got to me (yeah… burning shoes… they’ll never guess what I was really doing!) but IIRC I was thanked by many people as being Canadian, my forefathers were responsible more liberating Holland more so than the Americans. Not that I am an expert here, I am only speaking from my own personal experiences from my time there. In fact, I was even taken to people’s houses for dinner “in a show of appreciation to Canada”.

So, if this is indeed the case, I submit that you kick out all the US Nuke people and let Canada plant a bunch of Sugar Maple trees, and a hockey arena. And we’ll even let you in as long as you bring wooden skates :slight_smile:

18

For the same reason it’s worth learning a new skill, you get better as time passes. In theory. And it’s a bit more involved in the real world than some other teenage options, like computer games.

Btw, I’d have thought you might have had enough respect to quote Mark Twain accurately.

Charmed, I’m sure.

19

Demonstrating is not a skill. It takes no effort to hold up a cardboard sign and chant along with 1000 other people. It feels like you are doing something because there are a lot of people alongside you. It feels good because you think it’s an important idea. In reality, it’s about as involved in the “real world” as a rock concert or sporting event - a lot of fun and gets you out of the house, but in the grand scheme of things pretty unimportant.

Personally, I think irrational exuberance and idealism is a lot worse than apathy. No one ever got killed NOT going on a crusade or jihad.

20

What are you talking about? I protested apartheid. Apartheid ended. QED. For my next trick, the end of despotism.