Protesters ousted

Image via CBS news

Here's a quote from the New York Daily News:

"The mayor's office tweeted earlier to Occupy Wall St: "Occupants of Zuccotti should temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps. Protesters can return after the Park is cleared."

Believe that?  I don't.  Why?  Because the mayor of New York, Mr. Bloomberg, has repeatedly indicated that he doesn't think that the occupiers are as good as he is.  For instance, "they" are "not productive" (source) is one of his supposed criticisms.  Why supposed?  Why would you call someone or a group not productive without evidence to that effect?  Because it is not a fact, it is both an assumption and the erection of a straw man with which to do battle, rather than deal with the actual protesters who tend to be pretty much like the rest of us.  Later, he blasted the protesters for encircling wrong-doers and ejecting them from the park.  Bloomberg implies that all the protesters need do is hand the alleged criminal over to the police.  You know, as if the police and the protesters are on the best of terms.  Anyway, protesters bad, police and mayor good, therefore protesters should expect to be treated like lesser beings.

The occupiers may get to return, but not to what was there before.  I would assume that property can be recovered – for a price.  I would also assume an attempt will be made to institute a curfew thus allowing the mayor to have the police evict the protesters.

I don't know what the mayor hopes to accomplish other than to temporarily get his way, 'cause these people are definitely not going away.  Anyway, we have here good examples of assuming a conclusion (circular thinking) the erecting of a straw man (protesters are bums) and red herrings (the park must be "cleared").