Anonymous Punishes the Oregon Tea Party

[Andy Chalk]

Anonymous Punishes the Oregon Tea Party

The Oregon Tea Party suffered the wrath of Anonymous after it was discovered using the group's famous "We Are Legion" slogan in official materials and merchandise.

Chances are that if you're reading this, you have at least a passing familiarity with Anonymous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29]. For those who don't, it's a sort of internet meme/subculture type of thing, strongly associated with 4chan, that commits acts both online and and in the real world, sometimes good, sometimes bad and always "for the lulz." I don't really get it myself, to be quite honest, but I do know enough to stay out of its way.

The same can't be said for the Oregon Tea Party, however. For reasons unknown, although probably because it sounds cool and ominous, the conservative political protest group began using the slogan, "We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us." According to the Daily Kos [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/7/28/888292/-Anonymous-1,-Oregon-Tea-Party-0], the slogan first appeared on a sign at at Tea Party rally and before long it turned up on official Oregon Tea Party bumper stickers.

Yesterday, thanks to a Reddit [http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/ctoxg/found_this_on_my_conservative_parents_fridge_it/] user whose parents belong to the group, the Tea Party's use of the slogan was revealed to the world at large. From that point it was only a matter of time until 4Chan itself found out and soon, as the saying goes, the internet was there.

The Oregon Tea Party Facebook page was quickly subjected to an onslaught of image macros, desus, flames and herp derps, along with at least one message explaining why it was being smacked around. Within a couple of hours, the Tea Party had run up the white flag with a message reading, "Anonymous: We appreciate your resources and admire your tactics. You have taught us more than you know. As requested, we are no longer using the 'anonymous' quote."

The Oregon Tea Party's Tea Party [http://facebook.com/OregonTeaParty], which bills itself as a legitimate voice of conservative political dissent in the United States, "admires" the tactics of Anonymous?

via: Twitter [http://twitter.com/AllenVarney/status/19746436671]


Permalink

 

[Worgen]

I can only hope that they learned not to fuck with anonymous but I have a feeling they are going to try and start using anonymous tactics, and probably failing but who knows

 

[Sevre]

I love how the Tea Party, those stalwarts aiming to rescue the United States from the grasp of damned flaming liberals, bends to hackers like that.

No doubt the rest of us would, but you do expect some backbone from authority.

 

[Booze Zombie]

The campaign was clearly a win and entertaining as always, but does anyone else find it disturbing that the Tea Party [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement], which bills itself as a legitimate voice of conservative political dissent in the United States, "admires" the tactics of Anonymous?

No, mob-justice was meant to be a huge part of democracy, wasn't it?
"It's what 'the people' want!"

Besides, we're talking politicians here, they probably admire them because all politicians want the power of anon, to strike quickly and without mercy at their enemies.
After all, most politics seems to devolve into mud-slinging, eventually.

 

[geldonyetich]

So, 4Chan versus Tea Party.

Which one am I supposed to support as the voice of reason here? It's like an escaped lunatic got into a fight with the guy who shouts religious-minded obscenities on street corners.

 

[Matt_LRR]

The campaign was clearly a win and entertaining as always, but does anyone else find it disturbing that the Tea Party [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement], which bills itself as a legitimate voice of conservative political dissent in the United States, "admires" the tactics of Anonymous?

Not really - Anonymous is the ultimate grassroots organization. Like minded people, who band together for a cause, with no central leadership or organizational force to enact social change (or whatever).

Anonymous is basically crowdsourced activism, for better or worse, so to that extent it is worthy of admiration.

Yeah, they're dicks, but they're dicks in a way that is goddamn fascinating to watch.

-m

 

[lizards]

I can only hope that they learned not to fuck with anonymous but I have a feeling they are going to try and start using anonymous tactics, and probably failing but who knows

everytime i see your avatar i burst out laughing

 

[iLikeHippos]

I see back-bone is missing here...

What a shame. They seemed like such a strong group... Oh well.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

These Anonymous boys are obviously a force to be reckoned with. Spamming Facebook over a petty dispute will sure show somebody...

This is why when the world ends I'll be that crazy guy who lives in the cabin and eats people he drugs. I have never seen anything this group of rejects have done be more impressive than a prank. My Grandmother knew more about psychological warfare.

 

[Worgen]

I can only hope that they learned not to fuck with anonymous but I have a feeling they are going to try and start using anonymous tactics, and probably failing but who knows

everytime i see your avatar i burst out laughing

sounds like its working as intended then

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

I think it was just words to get Anonymous off t heir backs. The phrase isn't copyrighted or trademarked at all. All the macro moves and spamming that Anonymous uses is just retarded in my opinion.if you don't want someone to use your slogan, copyright it

 

[lizards]

The campaign was clearly a win and entertaining as always, but does anyone else find it disturbing that the Tea Party [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement], which bills itself as a legitimate voice of conservative political dissent in the United States, "admires" the tactics of Anonymous?

Not really - Anonymous is the ultimate grassroots organization. Like minded people, who band together for a cause, with no central leadership or organizational force to enact social change (or whatever).

Anonymous is basically crowdsourced activism, for better or worse, so to that extent it is worthy of admiration.

Yeah, they're dicks, but they're dicks in a way that is goddamn fascinating to watch.

-m

there has never been a better description

 

[Legion]

Yes, because they totally invented the phrase.

The Christian Bible: Mark 5:9 "My name is Legion, for we are many."

Hell, the list of times it has been used in pop-culture makes it even less original.

Yes, I am aware that I am stating that my own username and title is not original.

 

[Jonluw]

So... Can we expect to see the Oregon tea party employing anonymous' tactics now?

 

[Matt_LRR]

I think it was just words to get Anonymous off t heir backs. The phrase isn't copyrighted or trademarked at all. All the macro moves and spamming that Anonymous uses is just retarded in my opinion.if you don't want someone to use your slogan, copyright it

who would copyright it? they aren't an organization.

The #1 rule of the internet - the ONE thing every person using it should know - don't provoke anonymous. just don't do it. Don't acknowledge them, don't borrow from them, just leave them in their own little vaccuum. If you try to engage them in any way, you are going to lose, unless you bring some epic win (see the old spice guy).

Co-opting an element of anonymous culture for a political rally is just asking for trouble.

-m

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

Dudes... seriously, these people are pricks...

Epilepsy Foundation forum invasion
On March 28, 2008, Wired News reported that "Internet griefers"?a makeshift term for people whose only interest are in harassing others[47]?assaulted an epilepsy support forum run by the Epilepsy Foundation of America.[48] JavaScript code and flashing computer animations were posted with the intention of triggering migraine headaches and seizures in photosensitive and pattern-sensitive epileptics.[48] According to Wired News, circumstantial evidence suggested that the attack was perpetrated by Anonymous users, with the initial attack posts on the epilepsy forum blaming eBaum's World. Members of the epilepsy forum claimed they had found a thread in which the attack was being planned at 7chan.org, an imageboard that has been described as a stronghold for Anonymous. The thread, like all old threads eventually do on these types of imageboards, has since cycled to deletion.[48]

RealTechNews[unreliable source?] reported that the forum at the United Kingdom?based National Society for Epilepsy was also subjected to an identical attack. It stated that "apparent members of Anonymous" had denied responsibility for both attacks and posted that it had been the Church of Scientology who carried them out.[49] News.com.au reported that the administrators of 7chan.org had posted an open letter claiming that the attacks had been carried out by the Church of Scientology "to ruin the public opinion of Anonymous, to lessen the effect of the lawful protests against their virulent organization" under the Church's fair game policy.[47] The Tech Herald[unreliable source?] reported that when the attack began, posts referenced multiple groups, including Anonymous. The report attributes the attack to a group named "The Internet Hate Machine" (a reference to the KTTV Fox 11 news report), who claim to be part of Anonymous, but are not the same faction that are involved in the campaign against Scientology.[50]

Some Anonymous participants of Project Chanology suggest that the perpetrators are internet users who merely remained anonymous in the literal sense, and thus had no affiliation with the larger anti-Scientology efforts attributed to Anonymous.[50] During an interview with CNN, Scientologist Tommy Davis accused Anonymous of hacking into the Epilepsy Foundation website to make it display imagery intended to cause epileptic seizures. Interviewer John Roberts contended the FBI said that it "found nothing to connect this group Anonymous (with these actions)", and that it also has "no reason to believe that these charges will be leveled against this group".[51] The response was that the matter was on the hands of local law enforcement and that there were ongoing investigations.[51]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29#Epilepsy_Foundation_forum_invasion

 

[FinalHeart95]

"Anonymous: We appreciate your resources and admire your tactics. You have taught us more than you know. As requested"

Are they going to attack liberal websites with shock pop-ups?

 

[Hiphophippo]

I'm sort of upset it was just left at that. I love the idea of Anonymous. The fact that's not really even a group of people but rather a sort of internet hive mind is fascinating.

"They" embody everything that the internet is, and for that, I salute them.

My Grandmother knew more about psychological warfare.

I bet she bought a dog and curtains. It's the only sure fire way to beat them.

 

[soapyshooter]

Finally the idiots who worship Glenn Beck like Jesus get punished. They should bring the whole organization down.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

I think it was just words to get Anonymous off t heir backs. The phrase isn't copyrighted or trademarked at all. All the macro moves and spamming that Anonymous uses is just retarded in my opinion.if you don't want someone to use your slogan, copyright it

who would copyright it? they aren't an organization.

The #1 rule of the internet - the ONE thing every person using it should know - don't provoke anonymous. just don't do it. Don't acknowledge them, don't borrow from them, just leave them in their own little vaccuum. If you try to engage them in any way, you are going to lose, unless you bring some epic win (see the old spice guy).

Co-opting an element of anonymous culture for a political rally is just asking for trouble.

-m

Hm... I suppose... My stupid.

But I've actually never heard of anonymous before today. I just done' undertand any of it... Especially the epilepsy thing I posted above