KDog watches the rally from the inside out

[K-Dog]

I am in the crowd and the organization I'm involved with had our table in the park (top of the screen in the video), we sell socialist books and buttons.  Books with an anti-imperialist theme.  We meet once a week and hope to have interested some new members today.  We seek to stop exploitation of all kinds.

There are a handful of socialist parties in Seattle and we all had tables and booths in the tree lined crescent path around the grassy area.  The park is where the CHAZ/CHOP was the last time the orange idiot had the nuclear codes.

May day in Seattle in the past has been infested with 'faux' anarchists who are actually members of I.C.E. and such who show up to make trouble.  It is done to give May Day a bad name.  Store windows are broken, and then boarded up with plywood stocked just for the occasion.  The plywood went up within minutes at American Apparel in 2012.  Masked men in designer black flew in, did their thing, and vanished.  I know one of them came up from Oakland, CA.  With at least 1000 people attending, such a thing did not happen this year.  It was a very nice event. 

May Day celebrations began in the 19th century as labor movements commemorated the Haymarket Riot of 1886, when police killed several workers protesting for an eight-hour work day. In later years, May Day celebrations were used as an occasion to protest against wars and promote peace.

Current cultural propaganda describes May Day as a day celebrating the arrival of SPRING.  It was quickly pointed out in our local news today that only a 'minority', 20% they said --- Think that May Day is a day devoted to protest.  AFTER citing the 20%, the announcer took a quick pivot and said, 'What do you think'.

After cleverly making you think as intended.

[TDoS]

May Day celebrations began in the 19th century as labor movements commemorated the Haymarket Riot of 1886, when police killed several workers protesting for an eight-hour work day. In later years, May Day celebrations were used as an occasion to protest against wars and promote peace.

Current cultural propaganda describes May Day as a day celebrating the arrival of SPRING.  It was quickly pointed out in our local news today that only a 'minority', 20% they said --- Think that May Day is a day devoted to protest.  AFTER citing the 20%, the announcer took a quick pivot and said, 'What do you think'.

After cleverly making you think as intended.

I don't get it. How did they make me think as intended? May Day started as a protest of something. Okay. Someone tells me May Day celebrates spring (never heard what May Day was for, so I'm agnostic). Okay.  Someone tells me 20% think it is for protest, and asks me what I think.

I respond that A) I don't give enough of a shit to pick a side and B) if forced to pick a side, I venture it sounds as though May Day got co-opted for something other than it started out as.

And I care about this...why?

Is that really what I was supposed to think about?

If I have a vested interest in the original idea of May Day I understand giving a shit, and if I have no clue I don't care, and if it is just an excuse to party that at least makes American sense, particularly among the young, but folks don't often reach for deeper meanings, and some talking head doesn't clever think about anything unless they've got some cool take on astrophysics, observation of neat contradictions in the quantum world, etc etc.

Columbus Day celebrates the genocide of native Americans. Labor Day was about murdering folks during a strike and riots causing millions in damage. Ok. Nowadays folks are just happy to get a extra day off.

[K-Dog]

In this case, by implying that only a ""minority"" of 20% believes May Day is devoted to protest, the announcer is indirectly highlighting the contrast between that minority and the majority. This creates social pressure on the audience to align with the ""majority"" perspective that May Day is associated with spring celebrations. By asking ""What do you think?"" immediately after citing the minority percentage, the announcer is inviting viewers to reflect upon their opinions and potentially question or reconsider their own thoughts, unconsciously siding with the larger group.


Basic thought control and the peril of being a social animal.  If I wanted to find a more appropriate video I could, but this video presents the flip side of the same coin, that's good enough.

[TDoS]

In this case, by implying that only a ""minority"" of 20% believes May Day is devoted to protest, the announcer is indirectly highlighting the contrast between that minority and the majority.

Well...if you put your personal perpective into those words you might arrive at that conclusion. I didn't. Reading into a general comment some implication tends to be a personal thing I would bet.

This creates social pressure on the audience to align with the ""majority"" perspective that May Day is associated with spring celebrations.

Social pressure on those with your perspective perhaps...wouldn't create a milli-psi on me. Are audiences in Washington different than ones someone else might be familiar with?

Basic thought control and the peril of being a social animal.  If I wanted to find a more appropriate video I could, but this video presents the flip side of the same coin, that's good enough.

Apparently only basic for some folks who think as you've described. "Basic thought control"? Might work with those who can't think for themselves rather than those who can?

[K-Dog]

How would you know if it did not work on you.  I do not think you would know.