Up to 2 Million March on D.C. to Protest Big Spending

[barfo]

Ever hear of perspective?

Yes. I'm trying to give you some.

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

Yes. I'm trying to give you some.

barfo

Your pixel math is silly. Because of perspective, in the visual sense.

Watch the youtube video and you'll see that there was a constant stream of giant crowd moving through that intersection for hours.

 

[barfo]

Your pixel math is silly. Because of perspective, in the visual sense.

Watch the youtube video and you'll see that there was a constant stream of giant crowd moving through that intersection for hours.

Oddly, you didn't link the youtube video as evidence, you linked a still picture and asked us to believe that showed 1.5M people. So I responded to that.

The pixel math does work, because that first picture only shows a few blocks worth of people.

Edit: besides, in what sense can you say a picture "shows" something that is beyond the resolution of the photo? If you point your camera at the sky and take a picture, does it show trillions of stars? There might be trillions of stars up there, but you sure can't see them in the photo.

But if you don't like that, you can calculate the square footage of ground available in the picture for people to stand on, and figure at a mimimum, 1 sf per person. You'll find that those first two pictures don't show anywhere near 1.5 million square feet. The third one, maybe.

barfo

 

[mook]

How many women has Glenn Beck killed?

I've never watched Beck, but I don't have someone who has committed homicide as my avatar, either.



Ed O.

Actually, he refuses to deny that he raped and murdered a woman in 1990. Now, I'm not saying he did it, in fact I don't think he did, I just find it interesting that he refuses to address the issue by providing supporting material about how he didn't rape and murder the woman.

 

[Denny Crane]

1.2 Miles from the capitol steps to the Washington memorial. 200 people across, ~5280 feet, person takes 1x1 ft = ~1.5M people.

That looks like a crowd of people more than a mile long. Completely filling TWO streets (there's a Y intersection close to the bottom of the photo).

 

[yakbladder]

1.2 Miles from the capitol steps to the Washington memorial. 200 people across, ~5280 feet, person takes 1x1 ft = ~1.5M people.

That looks like a crowd of people more than a mile long. Completely filling TWO streets (there's a Y intersection close to the bottom of the photo).

Besides the fact that this is one of the most ridiculous debates on here...

How many people do you know who take 1X1 ft of space? That would have to be one compressed group of folks in orderly line-up (goose-stepping perhaps) who didn't mind smelling their neighbors aftershave and/or armpits.

 

[Denny Crane]

Besides the fact that this is one of the most ridiculous debates on here...

How many people do you know who take 1X1 ft of space? That would have to be one compressed group of folks in orderly line-up (goose-stepping perhaps) who didn't mind smelling their neighbors aftershave and/or armpits.

I was using Barfo's 1sq ft/person figure.

In this photo, you can see the capitol building on the horizon. That's over 4 kilometers from where the picture was taken. According to google maps. Feel free to do your own figuring.

 

[julius]

Odd that they were using Terry Schiavo on a poster, when it was Republicans that kept her alive against what was popular opinion and what her husband and her (according to her will) wanted.

 

[barfo]

I was using Barfo's 1sq ft/person figure.

Which is a conservative (mosh pit) number, and probably valid only when the participants are standing rather than marching. Walking takes up more space.

In this photo, you can see the capitol building on the horizon. That's over 4 kilometers from where the picture was taken. According to google maps. Feel free to do your own figuring.

The capital may be 4km, but we certainly can't see whether the crowd extends anywhere near that far.

I think I'm going to trust the DC police department on this one. Fun though it is to analyze pictures, my guess is they have more reliable methods for estimating crowd size (like counting the number of bus parking permits they've given out, for example).

DC police dept says 60-70K, I see no reason to doubt them.

barfo

 

[mook]

It's pretty easy to resolve this debate. Present a half dozen photos like the ones from Obama's inauguration. Cite some credible sources from within the United States that actually agree with you.

This thread just reminds me of a past obsession with Zogby and how McCain was going to win in a landslide. It's pretty clear, IMO, that most media sources agree this isn't anything close to Obama's inauguration in size and scope. If it were, we'd see a ton more photographs and reporting to that end.

 

[deception]

question: out of the millions and millions that marched? how many do u think actually voted for obama?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Million moron march...

 

[blazerboy30]

Million moron march...

Agreed. People who want to protest unsustainable amounts of government spending, borrowing and taxing are total morons.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Agreed. People who want to protest unsustainable amounts of government spending, borrowing and taxing when a democrat does it are total morons.

fixed.

 

[blazerboy30]

fixed.

You must have missed this earlier post:

In a chilling forecast, the White House is predicting a 10-year federal deficit of $9 trillion — more than the sum of all previous deficits since America's founding. And it says by the next decade's end the national debt will equal three-quarters of the entire U.S. economy.

No other president, Republican or Democrat, has ever even approached the kind of spending Obama is trying to accomplish.

Take a break from your partisan goggles for awhile. It would do you some good.

 

[MrJayremmie]

No other president, Republican or Democrat, has ever even approached the kind of spending Obama is trying to accomplish.

Take a break from your partisan goggles for awhile. It would do you some good.

OK. Minus the stimulus, lets say Bush got 4 more years, you think it would be any different, if not more under him? With a recession (bailouts, stimulus), 2 wars, ungodly tax cuts, ungodly military spending, healthcare costs, and so on... you think it would be different under a republican president?

LOL. Give Obama a surplus and we'll see how he does compared to that monstrosity we've had the past 8 yrs.

And i find your partisan remark quite humorous, coming from your "right" way of thinking. You act like the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility, lol. Maybe when they are out of power.

 

[BlazerWookee]

blah blah blah whine whine whine

I remember protesting Bush so many fucking times, walking by storm troopers, smelling tear gas.

You know what it accomplished? Fucking nothing.

Guess what this will accomplish.

Funny thing about the 9/12 marches. It came on a Saturday because most of the people who attended actually work for a living during the week. Oh, and How much tear gas needed to be used? How many police incidents occurred? How many arrests? Hmmmm...

 

[yakbladder]

Funny thing about the 9/12 marches. It came on a Saturday because most of the people who attended actually work for a living during the week.

Or they didn't believe enough in the cause to take a vacation day. Or they were unemployed because of previous craptacular economic policies. Or they just felt so strongly about the issue they decided it was a high priority for them and if it got them in trouble at work so be it. Or they worked extra outside of the protest time to make up for it. Or they owned the business and told their employees to go. Or...or....or...

Funny how each side tries to paint the other as a bunch of worthless people And rather than turning the other cheek or being a "man" and rising above such petty insults they just point to the other side and go "Well, they said this and this, so I can do the same!"

 

[blazerboy30]

OK. Minus the stimulus, lets say Bush got 4 more years, you think it would be any different, if not more under him? With a recession (bailouts, stimulus), 2 wars, ungodly tax cuts, ungodly military spending, healthcare costs, and so on... you think it would be different under a republican president?

You're very confused. It is difficult to even respond to such sporadic thoughts, that aren't even true.

- The stimulus (~$700 billion) is going to look like a drop in the bucket compared to the $9 Trillion deficit and $~20 TRILLION debt.

- We were in two wars during Bush's last term. Add that spending in, and we are still nowhere near Obama's deficits.

- Projections show that Obama will rack up as much debt in 4 years as Bush did in 8 years.

- The CBO studies show that with Obama's healthcare proposals, overall healthcare spending in the country will go UP.

Luckily when Bush would have at least had the pushback from a Dem controlled house and senate.

LOL. Give Obama a surplus and we'll see how he does compared to that monstrosity we've had the past 8 yrs.

This just doesn't even make sense. Are you trying to say that if Obama had been given a surplus, he would be spending LESS? Wow. Just wow.

And i find your partisan remark quite humorous, coming from your "right" way of thinking. You act like the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility, lol. Maybe when they are out of power.

You're building nothing but a strawman here. Please show me where I said that the Republicans (in the last few terms) have been fiscally responsible.

You're clearly not doing research, or not understanding what you are reading. You are not paying any attention to what I post. And then you happily continue to post bumper-sticker quotes from your party lines.

 

[PapaG]

Actually, he refuses to deny that he raped and murdered a woman in 1990. Now, I'm not saying he did it, in fact I don't think he did, I just find it interesting that he refuses to address the issue by providing supporting material about how he didn't rape and murder the woman.

I find it interesting that you would fall for this obvious stunt.

 

[yakbladder]

You're very confused. It is difficult to even respond to such sporadic thoughts, that aren't even true.

- The CBO studies show that with Obama's healthcare proposals, overall healthcare spending in the country will go UP.

Funny thing is...

Sometimes you like them...

Sometimes you don't...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/28/cbo-gives-boost-to-obamas-health-plan/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61178-2004Aug12.html

Sometimes no matter what they say you spin it...

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_01/016586.php

-or-


"Chad Kolton, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, said that administration officials are pleased that the budget office endorsed White House forecasts of a halved deficit within five years. But Mr. Kolton dismissed concerns about the large deficits predicted for later years.

"Once you get beyond that five-year window, the numbers, even by the C.B.O.'s account, become notoriously inaccurate," Mr. Kolton said. "Even C.B.O. would admit we don't honestly know what these numbers will look like 10 years from now."

You're clearly not doing research, or not understanding what you are reading.

And you're clearly being an ass to him. Clearly.

 

[blazerboy30]

Funny thing is...

Sometimes you like them...

Sometimes you don't...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/28/cbo-gives-boost-to-obamas-health-plan/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61178-2004Aug12.html

Sometimes no matter what they say you spin it...

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_01/016586.php

Hmm. I skimmed through your links, so maybe I missed it, but where did your links disagree with what I posted? Taxes are going to have to go up to pay for the healthcare. Maybe some people's premiums will go down, but over all healthcare spending will go up.

-or-


"Chad Kolton, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, said that administration officials are pleased that the budget office endorsed White House forecasts of a halved deficit within five years. But Mr. Kolton dismissed concerns about the large deficits predicted for later years.

So? This has been known for about 6 months. That doesn't change the fact that the deficit is expected to quadruple before it halves. That still puts it at twice the current deficit.

"Once you get beyond that five-year window, the numbers, even by the C.B.O.'s account, become notoriously inaccurate," Mr. Kolton said. "Even C.B.O. would admit we don't honestly know what these numbers will look like 10 years from now."

No argument from me that nobody can predict what will happen 10 years from now. But the CBO's estimate is a lot closer than your's or mine. And I trust their estimate over the White House's estimate as well.

Further, the exact number isn't important. The trend is the scary part. Let's assume that they are 25% off in the good direction. That would still put our debt at ~ $16 TRILLION.

 

[yakbladder]

Hmm. I skimmed through your links, so maybe I missed it, but where did your links disagree with what I posted? Taxes are going to have to go up to pay for the healthcare. Maybe some people's premiums will go down, but over all healthcare spending will go up.

My point is that both parties seem to use the CBO at "convenient" times. Not that what you say, or more correctly, the CBO says is incorrect, just that there have been many a time when the CBO has said particular GOP proposals were...less than stellar? But the Republicans at those times either dismissed the CBO or just shoved it under the rug.

 

[MARIS61]

They were obviously missing at least one idiot.

Sorry you weren't invited.

I guess even the Repugnant Party has standards.

 

[MARIS61]

It's not hard for me to not see it that way.

I would expect it to be the same if Hillary were president, and then people would be blaming the matter on her being a woman.

Ed O.

Well, yeah, 'cause most racists are also sexist.

There are no boundaries to ignorance.

 

[MARIS61]

Where are people getting this 2 million number from? DC fire dept. estimates 60-70K.... I understand crowd science is never exact but there has to be some pretty wacko algorithms out there.

The figures come from Reagan and GW's economic advisers and budget crunchers.

 

[MARIS61]

I suppose rather than honestly adressing the grievances of the protesters, it's simply easier to dismiss the opposition as ignorant, uneducated, ill-informed and racist.

Since we agree they're ignorant, uneducated, ill-informed and racist, what "grievances" could they have that would interest normal patriotic Americans?

The problem with stupid people is they don't even know when they've got it good.

 

[MARIS61]

Oh, and How much tear gas needed to be used? How many police incidents occurred? How many arrests? Hmmmm...

Thanks for pointing out the DC police are mere hitmen for the Repugnant Party.

 

[mook]

I find it interesting that you would fall for this obvious stunt.

Really? You ought to find a new definition of "interesting."

 

[deception]

i was just watching anderson cooper and the primary organizer of these protests was on, referring to the president as an "welfare, indonesian, muslim thug" as well as "racist and chief".