Scott Olsen – Innocent Protestor or OWS’s Horst Wessel
As a U.S. Army veteran, I've had a wide variety of post-ETS experiences. Some people have been downright insulting, some awkwardly well-meaning, and others change the topic when mention of military service comes up. Yes, I’ve been called a baby killer – despite working closely with an orphanage and organizing charity donations to support it during my second tour of duty in Nam. Yes,
When strangers say, “Thank you for your service.” I’ve smiled and said “Thank you.” even though after 40 years of being less-than-thanked, it all seems a bit pointless.
To me, vets who have served during the last 20 years deserve thanks far more than I do now, especially as they are dragged into the political skirmishing that has divided the U.S. into armed camps.
The 21st century shot-heard-round-the-world may have been fired in Oakland last week, when Scott Olsen was allegedly hit with a teargas canister fired by Oakland police who were attempting to disperse a riot lead by Occupy Oakland. Doubt it was a riot? See the Protestor’s Point Of View (insert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Kkmfy3Lc0)
If this wasn’t a riot, I’ll hereafter refer to people being stomped and trampled by South American Soccer fans as a peaceful protest.
In the midst of this melee, was it an OPD teargas canister or a rock (brick?) thrown by another protester toward the police that hit Olsen? Despite all the video being shot in the intersection, no one seems to have captured the impact. Not even the guy standing a few feet away holding a flag.
View this: (Insert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEj_4fqDbnM) Note the guy wearing a U.S. Navy
Crackerjack uniform holding the flag.
Three things are significant about this scenario:
Now, let go back 71 years. Horst Wessel, a Nazi activist in the process of being groomed by Joseph Goebbels and member of the paramilitary SA, opened his apartment door and was shot in the head and killed instantly. The crime was attributed variously to a Albrecht Hohler, a communist assassin, local thugs hired by his landlady to settle an contentious rent debt, and a romantic triangle gone wrong involving an 18 year-old prostitute who held the lease to Horst’s apartment.
To tie up loose ends, the Gestapo summarily executed Hohler and Goebbels propaganda apparatus designated Wessel as a martyr to the Nazi movement.
Popular word, movement. Isn’t it?
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Wessel’s grave became a national monument and the site of an annual Nazi convocation. The Horst Wessel Song became the anthem of the Nazi Party until 1933 when it was recognized as co-national anthem of Germany along with Deutschland Uber Alles.
Then we have this: http://www.breitbart.tv/chicago-teachers-union-caught-on-video-staging-arrests-for-cameras/
Was Olsen selected to be a “high value victim” of the protest’s organizers?
Did he get conked with a brick or bottle by one of his Occupant colleagues?
Why has there be absolutely NO coverage of the event since its occurrence?
Something stinks.
- end -
(c) Martin Higgins
www.martinhiggins.com
When strangers say, “Thank you for your service.” I’ve smiled and said “Thank you.” even though after 40 years of being less-than-thanked, it all seems a bit pointless.
To me, vets who have served during the last 20 years deserve thanks far more than I do now, especially as they are dragged into the political skirmishing that has divided the U.S. into armed camps.
The 21st century shot-heard-round-the-world may have been fired in Oakland last week, when Scott Olsen was allegedly hit with a teargas canister fired by Oakland police who were attempting to disperse a riot lead by Occupy Oakland. Doubt it was a riot? See the Protestor’s Point Of View (insert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Kkmfy3Lc0)
If this wasn’t a riot, I’ll hereafter refer to people being stomped and trampled by South American Soccer fans as a peaceful protest.
In the midst of this melee, was it an OPD teargas canister or a rock (brick?) thrown by another protester toward the police that hit Olsen? Despite all the video being shot in the intersection, no one seems to have captured the impact. Not even the guy standing a few feet away holding a flag.
View this: (Insert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEj_4fqDbnM) Note the guy wearing a U.S. Navy
Crackerjack uniform holding the flag.
Three things are significant about this scenario:
- If the police did fire a round – at head level – it had to be from the front of their rank at the barricade. The alleged projectile was a 40mm teargas canister, but viewing the pan shot of the police I don’t see an M32 or M79.
- Would a 40mm round at close range (>5 meters) merely fracture Olsen’s skull? Having extensive experience with M79 rounds in Vietnam, I’d expect a direct hit on the upper left side of Olsen’s forehead to have done substantially more damage. http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/grenade/40mm_ammo.html#M651Plus a photo of the wound – a freeze-frame cut from the above video – show a vertical gash. Given that a projectile that weighs half a pound that has a muzzle velocity of 76 meters per second (168mph), Scott should be missing half of his skull. For purposes of comparison, imagine a billiard ball traveling at the speed of a mid-field Nascar entry – except that the CS canister is 33% heavier than the ball.
- At the front of the mob – in fact, on the police side of the barricade – are two (or more) veterans. Motionless. Not caught up in the wild movements of the riot, but holding their ground. Scurrying around them are multiple photographers. At 00:47, we see that the flag-bearer has moved behind the barricade to join the mob. Olsen is not beside him, but stands several meters to his rear. A tear gas canister, flies from the mob side toward the police. The replay includes the sound of a weapon firing. Were rounds being fired toward the police?
- After the alleged impact, where is the 40mm CS canister? If it impacted Olsen’s head, shouldn’t it be lying nearby, spewing smoke? The area surrounding the motionless Olsen is clear of smoke or expended round.
Now, let go back 71 years. Horst Wessel, a Nazi activist in the process of being groomed by Joseph Goebbels and member of the paramilitary SA, opened his apartment door and was shot in the head and killed instantly. The crime was attributed variously to a Albrecht Hohler, a communist assassin, local thugs hired by his landlady to settle an contentious rent debt, and a romantic triangle gone wrong involving an 18 year-old prostitute who held the lease to Horst’s apartment.
To tie up loose ends, the Gestapo summarily executed Hohler and Goebbels propaganda apparatus designated Wessel as a martyr to the Nazi movement.
Popular word, movement. Isn’t it?
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Wessel’s grave became a national monument and the site of an annual Nazi convocation. The Horst Wessel Song became the anthem of the Nazi Party until 1933 when it was recognized as co-national anthem of Germany along with Deutschland Uber Alles.
Then we have this: http://www.breitbart.tv/chicago-teachers-union-caught-on-video-staging-arrests-for-cameras/
Was Olsen selected to be a “high value victim” of the protest’s organizers?
Did he get conked with a brick or bottle by one of his Occupant colleagues?
Why has there be absolutely NO coverage of the event since its occurrence?
Something stinks.
- end -
(c) Martin Higgins
www.martinhiggins.com