Didn't last long; it was covered this afternoon[1]. The best comment on Twitter: "Snowden busted; massive coverup underway"...
Bummer I missed it. I was just a few blocks from the park. They should have done on the weekend.
Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
311–320 of 374 posts
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#312Earlier quoted context omitted.
Snowden would not have been safe from kidnapping in South America. Once his location was known, he would have been as good as captured. Only Russia or China have the kind of military might that could deter the US from attempting to take him back by force.
All the while, Julian Assange hangs out at the Ecuador Embassy, ready for the taking. FYI: Snowden was trying to get to Ecuador when Russia trapped him in Moscow.
Snowden was going to Ecuador only after he went public, because at that point it was about politics, not black ops. A little-known individual can be easily taken out in US-friendly countries (see CIA "extraordinary renditions"), that's the threat he neutralized by being in Hong-Kong -- which is not just "China", it's a very complex country with a separate political system where both China and China's enemies have to tread carefully; by saying "he went to China" you're just pushing your own frame -- but then again, you already know that, don't you?
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#313What we really want to know is where can we get giant Snowden busts and is there a directory of empty plinths on the internet?
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#314Earlier quoted context omitted.
Similarly: "I've never seen a plausible argument supporting what Snowden did that boiled down to more than [my morality is more important than your laws]. At most, you get a side order of [George Orwell] mumble mumble [he wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything if he tried to do it differently] mumble mumble [The government was so evil towards him that he fled to RUSSIA!]". These aren't arguments that people a…
Perhaps you could be one of those better conversational partners instead of implying that he's lying? Also I think you have something to learn about human nature if you don't believe people will bluff on a political opinion without being able to give a coherent argument.
I don't really understand how you read that from my comment. I didn't imply he was lying. I was demonstrating how easy it is to straw man. It's clearly very easy to dismiss opinions you may disagree with by twisting them into something else. "You're stupid because I can mock you" doesn't give any validity to your arguments.
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#315Seeing them cover this thing up is a hideous moment in our history: https://vine.co/v/eBBvedaHtBz . Shameful that something so harmless is immediately covered up (quite literally) because it challenges the state. The U.S. is getting scarier by the day, folks.
It is almost funny how the "vandals" were careful, whereas the cop unceremoniously stands on the eagle while covering up the bust.
No wait - "symbolic". That's the word I was looking for.
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#316Earlier quoted context omitted.
Perhaps you could be one of those better conversational partners instead of implying that he's lying? Also I think you have something to learn about human nature if you don't believe people will bluff on a political opinion without being able to give a coherent argument.
An interesting detail is that while I was complaining about a non -argument, he at least advanced an actual argument while trying to parody it. And you know what? Where "my morality" is our Constitution and the principles of a constrained government that serves (and is accountable to) the people, then yes , that trumps the Hell out of laws designed to allow what's going on and keep it secret from us. Given the contex…
Out of curiosity, what actual(valid?) argument did I actually produce?
The fact that you are somehow extracting an opinion from my statement is fascinating. No where have I stated my beliefs, no where have I implied my beliefs. Your statement is a simple display of black and white thinking: "If you criticize my comment, you disagree with everything I believe". The fact that "people like me" exist in the context of this commentary is probably a good thing.
Let me reiterate: My opinions were never stated anywhere in this entire thread. I criticized your train of thought and your straw man argument. Nothing more.
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#317Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It's a couple feet tall and entirely inside the width of a large pillar. It's not going to fall on anyone. You're probably right, but that's a very naive way to approach public safety and accountability. If it was still visible right now there would probably be a few people climbing up to it to get a selfie with Snowden . > I'm sure someone in the organization knew that blinking lights don't make bombs. Why didn't…
You are literally inventing problems that either don't exist or have an exceedingly small chance of occurring. Yes, a tornado could sweep through and blow the bust onto a passing baby stroller, but the saying, "don't borrow trouble," comes to mind.
I am not inventing them; it is their (Parks and Rec) responsibility to handle contingencies that could cause them or their users trouble. You don't know what chance it [the sculpture causing harm] is because you know absolutely nothing about it except what the article has told you. But they're responsible for it and what it does under "normal conditions".
The tornado example is funny because though it would probably be considered an "act of god", maybe then certain things that shouldn't get blown off would. Why? Because it's literally hydrocal glued onto a column...
"Don't borrow trouble" would be just as appropriate in response to the more conspiratorial views which I am trying to refute.
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The best possible outcome of this would be that someone at the next commission meeting brings a proposal (or sends one to Laurie Cumbo, or the conservancy) to reinstall the piece. Probably couldn't go in the same location because doing anything with Preservation takes... forever... but I wouldn't be surprised if Fort Greene could muster up support of locals (as long as they don't mind attending plenty of evening meetings).
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#318It's interesting to see that these people (1) installed the bust in such a way that it can be easily removed without damaging the existing structure and (2) went to great lengths to ensure that the new design is honoring the aesthetics that were already in place. One can argue otherwise, but I think this is a very creative and considerate form of protest which btw is also non-violent.
As I said in another response: it's a political statement made with public art. As far as Parks and Rec is concerned, it's big heavy piece of vandalism, the integrity of which they know nothing about. To put this in a programmer's perspective: imagine if artists wanting to make political statements suddenly started littering your linux kernel with binary blobs which caused your boot screen to flash an image of Snowde…
I can't agree with you more and you gave an excellent analogy.
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#319Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are literally inventing problems that either don't exist or have an exceedingly small chance of occurring. Yes, a tornado could sweep through and blow the bust onto a passing baby stroller, but the saying, "don't borrow trouble," comes to mind.
I am not inventing them; it is their (Parks and Rec) responsibility to handle contingencies that could cause them or their users trouble. You don't know what chance it [the sculpture causing harm] is because you know absolutely nothing about it except what the article has told you. But they're responsible for it and what it does under "normal conditions". The tornado example is funny because though it would probably…
People like you are why NYC is dying. I mean, my god, imagine the dangers inherent in public art! Those venemous subway buskers! The risk inherent in street performances! DIY music venues! Why don't we have all the boring squares move into a city and just smother it with uninventiveness masked as safety concerns?
I bet you didn't like the phreaking scene, either, because it went against someone's risk assessment, too dangerous, etc.
Re: Massive, Illicit Bust of Edward Snowden Stuck to a War Monument in Brooklyn
#320Earlier quoted context omitted.
An interesting detail is that while I was complaining about a non -argument, he at least advanced an actual argument while trying to parody it. And you know what? Where "my morality" is our Constitution and the principles of a constrained government that serves (and is accountable to) the people, then yes , that trumps the Hell out of laws designed to allow what's going on and keep it secret from us. Given the contex…
Out of curiosity, what actual(valid?) argument did I actually produce? The fact that you are somehow extracting an opinion from my statement is fascinating. No where have I stated my beliefs, no where have I implied my beliefs. Your statement is a simple display of black and white thinking: "If you criticize my comment, you disagree with everything I believe". The fact that "people like me" exist in the context of th…
Seriously?
When you responded with "I've never seen a plausible argument supporting what Snowden did that boiled down to more than [my morality is more important than your laws]", you were trying to mock my complaint. However, while I was complaining about a lack of argument, you were complaining about an actual, very valid argument that I endorsed.
Or to put it another way, snarking about people who think morality is more important than law is kinda hilarious when we're talking about a monument to the Revolutionary War. Or much of American history, for that matter.