Anonymous: Powerful activist group or disillusioned youngsters?

[Ridgley]

But what is Anonymous really? Are they a powerful group that is working for worldwide change, or are they a bunch of disillusioned youngsters that believe they should have their way, regardless of the fallout?

[????]

middle class, left wing activists and those arrested included several in their 40s and 50s, or, like in the ceral cafe mob a whiole back, a 40 something academic. They are by and large spoilt, angry, middel-class tossers..social media is awash with these idiots too.

[Otta]

Can't disagree with that.

[red devil]

I'm all for a bit of subversive hacking of right-wing nutjobs, but other than that, what Quids said...

[Ridgley]

Maybe you are right in part ???? but I think, they have a few genuine concerns of how unequal society has become especially now with the bedroom tax, tax credits etc????????????????

[Loz]

I think the IT Crowd portrayal of Anonymous was particularly spot on. A bunch of teenage keyboard bullies.

[phobic3000]

I'm sure a lot of them don't even know why they are protesting.

[Jeremy]

Sorry... I know this is gonna sound out of touch... what exactly is the problem with the bedroom tax? Is it simply that people want to keep their houses? Or is it that there isn't anywhere smaller available (so they have to either pay the penalty or face eviction)?

[????]

That bit (the hacking)yest but it's loads of 40+s too, I don't really have a problem with students etc doing this stuff they're yopung naive twats it's the perpetually angry middleclass, middleaged ranters of the left that get right on my tits - both online and in the real world. Half them in Corybn's advisory team/cabinet now too :)

[????]

PS I'm hoping to rouse Snorks from his slumber

[Blah Blah]

Not sure they are all middle class though. Take a look at today's 'Daily Politics' for a poor example of the kind of people they attract - not pleasant at all - although he was from 'Class War' so perhaps not the best spokesperson to invite on the programme.

Anonymous emerged originally as a group of hackers didn't it? Attacking big business? And from what I understand the hackers didn't know who each other were.

[????]

blah, back in the 80s I used to go on a lot of demos with Class war/Stop the City...they were pretty middle class then

[ratty]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sorry... I know this is gonna sound out of

> touch... what exactly is the problem with the

> bedroom tax? Is it simply that people want to keep

> their houses? Or is it that there isn't anywhere

> smaller available (so they have to either pay the

> penalty or face eviction)?

Both really.

[Blah Blah]

The problem Jeremy is this. Many local authorities do not have smaller properties to move people into, so what does the tenant do? Pay the bedroom tax or move into private rented accomodation where the bill to Housing benefit will be twice as much? It is probably one of the most poorly thought out policies ever, and every party but the Tories vowed to scrap it at the last election for that reason.

[simonethebeaver]

Also there have been several cases of people with disabilities being forced to move out of homes that have been (expensively) adapted for their use, only for similar work to be needed in a new one, or worse, for the work not to be done but their quality of life to drop dramatically.

I have no problem with people having strong political opinions throughout their life. Why on earth should someone in their 50s not want to go on a march or shout about their beliefs? UKIP is full of them.

[Otta]

Yeah I was going to mention the disability angle. In some cases the "spare" room is actually needed for things likt hoisting equipment. It's a relatively small number, but it shows the lack of thought or flexibility in the thinking behiond it.

[TE44]

Otta I don't think it is a small number, trouble is, we have a goverment who refuses to make public, how bad the situation is.

[????]

simonethebeaver Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Also there have been several cases of people with

> disabilities being forced to move out of homes

> that have been (expensively) adapted for their

> use, only for similar work to be needed in a new

> one, or worse, for the work not to be done but

> their quality of life to drop dramatically.

>

> I have no problem with people having strong

> political opinions throughout their life. Why on

> earth should someone in their 50s not want to go

> on a march or shout about their beliefs? UKIP is

> full of them.

Yes. I remember all those UKIP demos that have ended in violence.....

[Blah Blah]

TE44 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Otta I don't think it is a small number, trouble

> is, we have a goverment who refuses to make

> public, how bad the situation is.

Around two thirds of those affected are disabled according to figures. Cameron did claim that the disabled would be exempt, but it hasn't been the case for many. Councils have been issuing discretionary housing payments to cover the tax of those hardest hit. And tenants who have never had arrears find themselves in arrears for the first time ever.

There's no logic to this government. They are determined to make it as difficult as posible for councils to build and at the same time seek to tax those who have absolutely no options to be moved because the LA has a shortage of suitable properties.

[Loz]

Blah Blah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> TE44 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> Around two thirds of those affected are disabled according to figures.

But very few of those would have required house modifications, as per Otta's post.

Government figures say that there are 11.6 million disabled people in Great Britain.

[Blah Blah]

And that figure becomes less clear given that some of those are over 65 and so exempt anyway because of age. It's just a really poorly thought out policy at the end of the day, that hasn't really saved any money either. And a small number of people have been pushed to suicide over it. Even one suicide is one too many.

[simonethebeaver]

????, why talk about violence? A handful of people in their 40s arrested - we don't know why or whether they've been charged. You talked about Corbyn's cabinet; none of them are fighting on the street. I misunderstood your post as it appeared to be complaining about middle aged people being whingers for being involved in left wing politics in middle age. Anonymous is not a bunch of 50 year old academics.

[Otta]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Blah Blah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > TE44 Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > Around two thirds of those affected are disabled

> according to figures.

>

> But very few of those would have required house

> modifications, as per Otta's post.

>

> Government figures say that there are 11.6 million

> disabled people in Great Britain.

Indeed. There's disabled and there's disabled. I would count as one of that number, but I don't need a spare room because I have crap eyes.

[TE44]

There can be minor modifications at home for disabled that makes a huge difference to there

life, where having an extra bedroom may not be

needed. Many disabled have found thereselves

homeless after arrears and cuts. For the ones lucky

enough to be rehoused they are finding a long waiting list for the modifications they had and still need. I agree Otta theres different levels of

disablement, and different levels of modifications.

Don't change the fact its shit.

['bout now]

This quote from a masked protester sums it up nicely (from the BBC).

"it would've been a revolution, but I think the weather's put everyone off, to be honest."