Hot Meme – Truckers to blockade DC Beltway

It started on Monday of this week, reports in US News and World Reports claiming upset truck drivers would descend on Washington and block the beltway.  The plan was radical, occupying all but the most extreme left lane (for emergency vehicles) the only way the truckers would let you get thru was if you were donning a “T2SDA” sign.  This stands for Truckers to Shut Down America.

When i first heard about the plan i was excited, which was dampened some by the tea party influence over the event.  But even if it was being done by people i dont like for a cause i dont agree with, i am happy to learn from their tactics.  The threats were colorful.

“It’s going to be real fun for anyone who is not a supporter,” Conlon said, “[and] if cops decide to give us a hard time, we’re going to lock the brakes up, we’re going to stop right there, we’re going to be a three lane roadblock.”

It had the capacity to be a great action, except it fundamentally fails the plausibility test.  Tractor Trailers cost about $260K average each in the US.   This is too big an investment, too big a risk to make for an action which will likely not change much, as many felt it would fail.

You can tell it is a scam, because there is no group named and no website listed

You can tell it is a scam, because there is no group named and no website listed

By Tuesday, the official story was in full retreat. the Washington Post was already calling the a hoax, quoting truckers.  Conlon would go on to say:

“Nothing gets the attention of the mainstream media like some sort of disastrous threat. I knew it was going to ruffle some feathers. We would not be having this conversation if government was balancing this budget,” he said.

Now if we are paying even the smallest about of attention, we would know that blown budgets is a common thing in the US.  That the idea that Obama is a traitor for not balancing the budget, would paint every contemporary president with this same brush.  No this is again about Obama being technically black.

By Thursday, the media was too good and the truckers (not representing any union as far we know) said the protest was back on and they had 53K of Facebook friends to prove it.

convoy

We will see tomorrow, but i am better dollars to doughnuts that there will be a traffic jam, but it will not be a radical political action, but just poor urban planning.