October 15th Call to Action
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 14, 2011, 11:08 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Over the last 30 years, the 1% have created a global economic system - neoliberalism - that attacks our human rights and destroys our environment. Neoliberalism is worldwide - it is the reason you no longer have a job, it is the reason you cannot afford healthcare, education, food, your mortgage.
Neoliberalism is your future stolen.
Neoliberalism is everywhere, gutting labor standards, living wages, social contracts, and environmental protections. It is "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money." It is a system that ravages the global south and creates global financial crisis - crisis in Spain, in Greece, in the United States. It is a system built on greed and thrives on destablizing shocks.
It allows the 1% to enrich themselves by impoverishing humanity.
This has to stop!
We must usher in an era of democratic and economic justice.
We must change, we must evolve.
On October 15th the world will rise up as one and say, "We have had enough! We are a new beginning, a global fight on on all fronts that will usher in an era of shared prosperity, respect, mutual aid, and dignity."
We deserve a wage for our labor that equalizes the workers. We deserve a wage to live in today's society not under it. Those who earn more owe us by paying more into the system. The less we earn the more the system must be put to work for us.
As everyone is equal, there must be One Equalness for everyone: abolish inequality
Equal happiness for each according to his need.
One day of labor one equal compensation
We all deserve justice for our occupation.
We all deserve to be heard and agreed with.
If you are not with us you are not among us.
stop the hate
I agree 100% - check out the lyrics to my song "No It's Not OK":
You work all your life just to make ends meet Forget about a pension and Social Security You'll be working until you're eighty - that's downward mobility
No, it's not OK There's a better way Main Street's brighter day Let's start it here on Wall Street
The game is stacked in the 1%'s favor And we the 99 are not allowed at the table Well the GDP says that there is wealth being created But it floats to the top away from those who generate it
No, it's not OK There's a better way Main Street's brighter day Let's start it here on Wall Street
They know that to conquer they must first divide So they stoke up discontentment with those who are unionized Sure they have nice pensions and sane working hours too But instead of tearing them down why not build up me and you? Because you deserve the same things for your labor And the 99% are your friends and neighbors
No, it's not OK There's a better way Main Street's brighter day Let's start it here on Wall Street
We don't want a handout we just want what we've earned And a fair shake for those who have been so badly burned Holding criminals responsible: what could be more mainstream? It's time to stop the theft of the American Dream
Song free download at: http://www.reverbnation.com/vegetarianblues
I remember reading someone asking if the movement had a theme song. Folks, I think we found it. :)
honestly - not bad, dude
Abolish inequality?
The progressive tax system is unequal...
Do you people not understand tax law? Probably not... it has taken me a 4 year degree (and, I am still learning about it) to understand it, yet, you people claim you know what is equal.... HA
Beauty creates inequality. How will you regulate that? When money, education, status, etc. are all gone as sources for inequality, there will still be the one thing that has always been a motivator, a weapon, a cause of preferential treatment, and a source of envy - beauty. How will you abolish that inequality? Sooner or later, won't you just have to realize that there will always be someone who has something that someone else does not, even if it isn't materialistic?
Hi Ohcubbs, yes i understand your point and its true in many ways according to how we have been brainwashed thanks also to mass media propaganda and consumerism marketing strategies, but what if beauty was defined in another perspective which of course entails an education system that would be established( where finance and political interests have no place there) where we could be educated in a more mutual understanding empathy based environment, I absolutely believe that every human being was born with a certain natural talent but for most these creative talents we received were extinguished because of a corporate capitalistic system which integrated us all into a "survival of the fittest" kind of society and cause us separation between us as a human race. We are all influenced by our upbringing and surroundings and of course as an example, even here see how all of us are effected by politics and how much our personal opinions effect the way we interrelate with each other and can lead us even to immense hatred amongst fellow citizens who are against military war, but never the less because of influence of environment and thoughts and opinions(lets say on politics) we are not capable of raising over these personal differences to create something beautifully beneficial for the collective whole. Im really hoping that this global movement will bring us to great change but also at the level that each of us as an individual can together work through our differences in order to strive forward to collectively cooperating and sharing together towards building a beneficial caring society and that can be defined at least in my eyes as true beauty.
Nice! Inequality is a permanent reality. We can't regulate or abolish it. Only we can personally and organizationally try not adding it. Resistance in Zuccotti Park is a symbol of humanity. But haven’t any value for use weapon. Now your statuses aren’t in a small ground that has some tree. You are at the heart of some people in our globe from north to south and west to east.
go and do your things to free iranian people from ayatollah and dont forget orgenization then we talk
Sorry, I'd love to comment on what you just said, but I don't understand it. The first 5 sentences I can understand, but the last 3 you lost me with.
Please consider taking a look at http://j.mp/BasicIncome and @BasicIncome to investigate the past 50 years of work toward acheiving these objectives. Onward!
What you need is for government to get out of your life so if one is poor they can still survive. If one chooses to be more material they won't get discriminated against for simply having more.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27gfHU6G-hI We must dismantle the system we have today and replace it with DEMOCRACY - democratic communities and workplaces.. We must take the power back from the non-elected finacial elite who dominate our society. We demand more say in the affairs that affect us, we demand DEMOCRACY
yours s http://struggleforfreedom.blogg.no/
Let's unite under one fisting for all!
Convert those in the way through the persuasion of fister power! Without equal cooperation we are doomed to the inequality of individuality.
The collective will be heard when we shout even louder. We can get together on this without needless violence
A united fist, cause banksters have fisted us enough? ;)
"Neoliberalism" masks the reality.
Let's grasp it not mask it!
It is capitalism, capitalism in a "neoliberal phase"
Crack some Marx and you'll realize there is NOTHING fundamentally NEW to our current position on the roller-coaster of capital accumulation.
Kensyian reforms of the 1940's->60's are no longer possible because (Despite the elite's wealth) American RATE of growth is anemic. (look at the decline in GDP decade by decade since WWII). (capitalism requires compound growth) Their rates of growth are low so they want to increase the rate at which they exploit us.
Nationalize the banks, cap personal income at 500,000 a year, worker control of the Major Largest corporations, guarantee good universal health-care, a job, a 30 hour work week, a decent job, free well funded public education ... We have the physical resources for all of this, the technical skill for all this, the people to implement all of this... The problem is that we have a political economic system based off of the creation of profit for profits sake and a political class whose power economically and politically would be destroyed by this move.
capitalism is only one stop along the road to idealized fairness for everyone equally. It is as they say a necessary evil, but only briefly.
It is a tool to facilitate the change everyone must accept to be a productive member of society.
When profit and profit are equalized by removing from the hands of the rich and placing in the trust of the collective we can be truly free to be as productive as we want without the enslavement of wage inequalities and other ideological atrocities.
Nationalizing growth AND industry is the only way to ensure the fairness everyone here is rallying for so passionately.
Yes, and keep in mind that we don't want to be "nationalized" from above. Let US be the new nation. Were working people to rule the large corporations there would need to be rotating power, immediate recall, elections at any time, no economic benefit for being in power, and public access to all internal information circulated in these people owned industries
The solution is clearly necessitate equality. Direct Democracy will get us there faster.
We have the right to get what we want when we want it!
Anything else is pure fascism.
"Direct democracy" will lead to mob rule. All of the democracies of the ancient world were "direct," and it ALWAYS lead to the "tyranny of the majority."
And how spoiled are you anyway, to think you have the right to get what you want wehen you want it?
"The solution is clearly necessitate equality. Direct Democracy will get us there faster."
This I can agree with. The rest of your statement, not so much. We have fascism already, thusly this movement. The fascism has got to go, and that's the point.
You don't give up do you, Deepfist?
Any thought of earning it? If you want college tuition, join the service and earn a scholarship!!!
Every time I hear things like this, I want to ask people just to think about the numbers if everyone were to follow their advice. Hypothetically, all things being equal, here's the deal:
Because of the outsourcing of industrial labor, the only real hope any American citizen has of getting a decent job is in a sector that will require that you have a bachelor's degree.
A little over 25% of our population is currently under the age of 18, when you'd go to college and be eligible to serve. (this doesn't need to be adjusted for the fact that many people would not go to college immediately after graduating high school, since we're talking about the numbers in the ideal scenario your comment has suggested). The US population is over 310 million, so we're talking about upwards of 80 million people here over the next 18 years moving toward enrollment/enlistment age; narrowing it down for the group that would be close to the age of graduation (15-18), and thus of being able to enlist, you'd still have 20 million people going to college over the next four years (which is why the number of people at age 18 is transposable - in other words, 15-18 is four years, freshman-senior year of college is four years...).
The average state college tuition rate is $7000 per year, over a four year period that's $28k; for private colleges it averages $27k for a four-year total of $108k (and keep in mind that there are relatively few states that have decent state college systems (CA leads by far and away; most other states like VA and MI have one good school), and that the number is declining because of budget cuts (again, CA)). If we compare these numbers to, say, the median income of the US (which is currently about $49k - given housing, food, health, and miscellaneous costs, we can assume these people will not be able fully to afford even the in-state tuition rate at a state college with their earnings), we can see a lot. This isn't a precise index, since the median income doesn't say who will have children going to college, but for a broad comparison of the numbers, this is irrelevant. We can still assume that plus or minus 5% of half of the people in the US who have children that are of college age will be making below $49k a year, leaving us with a number of people in need of assistane that is still well over ten million.
So, to the point... Never mind the implausibility of the scenario of a run on military enlistment; we're talking about the practicability of everyone following the maxim "if you want college tuition, join the service and earn a scholarship." You're saying that, maximally, 20 million people should join the military to earn a scholarship; instead of adjusting for all factors that might count against the optimal scenario (including the fact that not everyone will have parents who can't afford tuition rates), we could just theoretically drop the number to 10 million, or even 5 million, and it would still speak against your point. We do not currently have any need, let alone money, for everyone who needs to make a decent living to enlist in the military.
The question is what are you, and all of the other trolls, missing in your statements? The answer is, the point of this whole movement. We want an optimal scenario for everyone, and there are a variety of ways to restructure public institutions to make this possible. We simply want to maximize the potential for the greatest number of people to live fulfilling lives. When you object by suggesting that current institutions allow that one or two individuals may be able to do this, you're missing the point - we are demanding institutions that are accountable to the citizen body as a whole. If the social situation in this country requires that people have a bachelor's degree just to make a decent living, then we shouldn't make it so expensive. Hell, we could make it borderline free if we wanted to.
cause that is an option for everyone.... the service is turning people away in record numbers because they are too fat or too mentally ill. More corn syrup with your watered down education and personal failure? Sometimes failure is systemic and has nothing to do with moral failing.
Could someone please provide some chapters on what Marxism would have meant to Marx himself? In reading Capital, I can't remember him actually SUGGESTING any particular institution (outside of the Manifesto, which was a rant). Rather, he described this complex process of capital accumulation. The unknowns here hold a lot of potential danger...as we've seen in history, there is a tendency to misrepresent and misunderstand Marxism.
You don't usually get it in Marx himself, except for a few comments here and there (and they're mostly in the Communist Manifesto, which is why it's the one everyone reads; earlier, more utopian claims are made in a number of the essays collected in the "Early Works of Marx" collection put out by Penguin for the last several decades - but even these define the future in terms only of negating the past; you might also want to see the German Ideology, which has some comments in the beginning about ending the alienation of the product of labor from the laborer (there's an abridged version of this that's easy to find, and it has the relevant passages)). The reason you don't has a lot to do with where he thought he was situated historically. He thought of himself as sitting basically in a transitional moment, but one where new institutions hadn't yet come into play. Basically, as far as he was concerned, you could see the basic problems causing system failure (in a nutshell, that capitalists made their money from the ability to continuously lower wages in competition with each other - this would eventuate in their own self-weakening: on the one hand, since capitalists are competing with each other, they keep driving other members of their class out of business; on the other, they need a progressively larger supply of surplus labor (people able to work but out of work) in order to keep using it as leverage to drive wages down).
But this was all he thought he could see - the future would be left to the social organization that resulted from the annihilation of the capitalist class (and also the proletariat, since people were only defined as that by the fact that they were opposed to the capitalist class - so when that ended...). Anyway, that's why when most people talk about "marxism" they mean people who came after him.
You should read "Critique of the Gotha Program" or "The Civil War in France" Where Marx in his later years (after Capital) spells out ideas for social transformation. While a lot of what you're saying is accurate it is also important to keep in mind that Marx thought there were general guidelines for the new society that would replace Capitalism and which he actively called communism. Some of those things involve worker control over the economy, abolishing private property, the destruction/withering away of the state (to be replaced by non-bureaucratic democratic control and an armed citizenry) ... his aim ultimatetly was to create a society whose goal was the production of use-value for itself rather than for profit like we do now. And, to do this in a democratic way that responded adequatly to everyone's developing needs. But really that's just a sliver of the whole picture. I strongly recommend reading Trotsky's critique of the soviet union in "revolution betrayed" it talks a lot about the failures of so called "communism" in the 20th century
Yeah, you're right. I guess I was trying to make the point that he didn't go into details (also, I'm one of those people that believes owning the book counts as reading it, which is why I haven't gotten around to Gotha yet...).
Appreciated!
I'm unfortunately following this from across the ocean and have only now understood that "99%" do not mean "ninetyniners". Either 99% against the 1% (presumably the likes of Steve Jobs or Michael Jackson) is pure PR, or there's some big disillusion waiting for you. Whatever power the 1% yield, they're not alone to benefit from the current set-up. If you want to strive for equality, you'll have to take on a mass of apparently not-so privileged business owners, professionals and managers throughout society who are fed nicely by it, including the auditing profession, advertising and other "creative" types, university staff, the huge healthcare establishment, and so on. As the US have been at the vanguard of the world expansion of our multinational, faceless, complexity-based economy, it would only be fitting that the American people now be at the vanguard of its dismantlement. But that would mean doing much more than "capping personal income at $500,00". All the best, then!
I agree. Somewhat. Maximum wage should be set at $2 mil. For various reasons. Short work weeks, maybe. No less than 32 hours a week. And some professions can't guarantee that. I've seen sentiment for free public education up to undergraduate degrees, and I agree. It takes the pressure off. We could end up with obscenely educated people. How could that be all that bad. Post-graduate? Yeah. Cough up some dough. You'll most likely be able to cover the cost eventually.
Best Comments Today presents the socialist hat. Wear it if you like, then point to its successes. Cuba gained good social programs--health care, education, etc--at the price of crack-downs on dissent. Sweden was a model, but now slips into fascism. There will always be a market, whatever it's called.
Here's what's wrong with our market: Two months ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), on page 131 of GAO Report No. GAO-11-696, said our Government gave $16 trillion to the banks. (Who finagled these hand-outs? Well, there they are, in the news--as our leaders, not as crooks.) That amount would have given $50 thousand to every U.S. citizen. Imagine the strength of THAT economy. That would have been a bit of awesome socialism brought down from the top to the rest of us.
But socialism is no less prone than capitalism to manipulation. The hierarchy of both needs transparency and accountability to keep a level playing field. Most folks just want a fair chance, not a contrived social order, to make of their lives what they can.
Regarding the much-touted free market: Unregulated growth in capital, like unregulated growth in nature, is cancerous and feeds on itself. A free market is just another name for crony capitalism.
Our political system is broken; demands before the movement grows are pointless. Give it time. Stay clear of politics and isms. The Right will demonize and the Left will try to piggyback a thousand agendas. Keep the umbrella and message open for all. The 99% needs the 99%.
Sweden sliping into fascism? Only in your dreams...
Well, anyway Sweden currrently has a right-wing party in the government. That explains some authoritarian traits.
But fascism? No way... Socialism works very well in Scandinavia. Even when right-wing governments like that of Sweden try to destroy socialism.
Good to hear. Saying "fascism" was an overstatement. Thanks for your correction.
Here in New York, I've known Cubans from the right wing to middle ground to socialist, which gives me a broader sense of that country.
This comment should top the list
Agreed! Well said.
best comment i've read so far in the past few days...
@e000 -- I totally get why you're annoyed, but it doesn't apply in this case. The commenter was just stating a basic fact about Marx, not presuming to understand all his works. Nothing wrong with that.
But in general, I really stand with you in being troubled by those who are hungry for premature answers: there are plenty of people on every side waiting for something that looks like a simple, shining answer to pop up so they can sign up. Doesn't matter whether that answer is "Ditto, what Marx said" or "Ditto, what Bush said". This is a huge problem currently preventing any genuine people's movement from breaking into the majority.
Therefore, we must think hard and do it in public, for all to see. Stay visible until everyone understands why these questions are truly difficult. Occupy as long as it takes, until the majority are themselves revolutionary thinkers! Answers won't come a day sooner.
Yeah, and I was just saying it's a lengthy body of works he produced, and the concepts are very complex, never mind the translation and time period concerns. Light comment, nothing dire or pugnacious meant by it.
Yeah! We need some real creativity, and some new ideas - things are not as they were in the times of our ancestors. This is new, and while we can learn from the past, we need to evolve as well, or we will just end up repeating it.
Yeah. That's why I argue vehemently against any censorship in these forums. It is absolutely counterproductive to forward momentum - true forward momentum, and not just another circle back to a past "almost was".
If capitalism is the choice than I think that Keynesian economics is perhaps the most viable system because it allows bolt sides - private sector and government – to coexist in harmony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynesian
Keynesian economics allowed for a welfare state for a few decades -- something preferable to what we have now. That being said, keynesian economics is more expensive than today's model. This expense proved problematic in the 70's when we could no longer sustain growth off of the usual industrial model. As growth slowed down capitalists tried to exploit the working class more and move into finance. While both of these things are despicable they were not simply done "just because" -- they were a response to lower manufacturing profits. Capitalism itself is spent, let's get rid of it. (Of course these "neoliberal" fixes, didn't help too much, and had their own contradiction, and now we are in the mess of all messes)
keynsianism will not work this time around. This is it. The big crisis. Capital cannot grow any longer and is in its final death throes.
Perhaps you’re right, The Big Crisis. Please note however that I did emphasize “if capitalism was the choice” than in my opinion government should be in charge of the economy and the social not corporate capitalism. I’ll take one step ahead to predict that this particular Big Crisis is of global proportion what we are witnessing is total collapse of savage capitalism finally.
uh...what the heck are you talking about? Keynesianism is what has brought us to this debt crisis and the perpetual cycke of boom and bust. People, governments, corporations must live within their means. Bring back a gold standard.
Can you envision an orderly society without some sort of mechanism to establish fair value to an exchange among two individual? Capitalism seems to be the system of choice due to its long history; we only need to choose the right version. If capitalism is about economics and economics is about production and consumption then the core of the problems appear to be among these two functions. Do we really need to produce and consume for profit at any cost? If the answer is yes than the villain maybe the currency not capitalism.
you have no idea what you're talking about. Capitalism thrives off of crises. Its how it reboots after accumulating too rapidly. Its built into the logic of the system and keynsianism was just a bandaid...
Have you notice that most of the Keynesian economies are doing quite well economically? Why? Because Keynesian economics recognize only the government in charge of the economy, that is, owning and operating every single national industry. Do you know what this represents? A rich and powerful government capable of provide for the needs of its citizens as all the social governments do. Corporate capitalism it’s not responsible for the social they are about profits and is insane to expect that the free-market is going to fairly provide for anything.
"crack some Marx", heh... you're gonna need to crack a lot of Marx to have more than just an armchair, pop-psych, college freshman understanding of the material.
Please finish it, too. No skimming, and then coming here and spouting off half ideas. That annoys the hell out of me.
My comment though a simplification embodies Marx's basic argument regarding the falling rate of profit. As the profit rate falls (due to technical innovation and machine adoption) extracting more surplus labor through an increased rate of exploitation is necessary. This creates a race to the bottom that sharpens class antagonisms. The complications to the falling rate of profit argument primarily regard a host of counter-tendencies that can counteract this important trend I speak of. My basic point is that "Neo-liberalism" isn't anything new and Marx clearly shows this by pointing to how capitalism can wax and wane between more welfare like states and states which can't afford a "wage-capital compromise. (And, furthermore, how in the long term, this second state will become increasingly necessary)
In the future I suggest not just saying "oh this is an armchair view of marx" and instead concretely showing how the larger cannon counterpoints in some specific way what is said. And, I agree with you people aught to read these things in full, Capital is a wonderful book. But I standby that the primitive narrative I gave expresses some of the more important theories in macro-marxist-economics.
Heh, I was warning the person you were talking to, hehehe... Prepare to crack and crack and crack. Having "cracked" a little Capital myself, I can say that and chuckle with confidence. Relax. ;)
Heeh whoops :P
actually marx is pretty understandable if the summerizer explains it clearly. his concepts really aren't that out-there. Its just a specific set of terminology to describe certain phenomenon he was observing in industrializing europe. and for the most part, he was right. his political recommendations however we a bit lacking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USn4ZLvLPNs We must dismantle the system we have today and replace it with DEMOCRACY - democratic communities and workplaces.. We must take the power back from the non-elected finacial elite who dominate our society. We demand more say in the affairs that affect us, we demand DEMOCRACY
http://occupywallst.org/forum/replace-capitalism-with-democracy/
yours s http://struggleforfreedom.blogg.no/
Get out and vote!
Well, sure, thats one out of many other things you can do. But you have a big problem in the US: Both major parties are owned by the wealthy and powerful, so voting for the democrats arnt gonna help much. You see tendencies like that in other countries as well - the wealthy have huge influence over poiticians all over the spectrum. What we need to do is exactly what were doing right now: organize a massive growing movement so we can end this madness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN2Q6sdh6Bg
To that end, the abolition of the Electoral College should be a major priority and definitely part of this new exciting conversation - because it has vested total power in the hands of two parties, shutting too many alternate visions, viewpoints and opinions out of the national dialogue. To think that in the end, even a popular majority vote could be stolen by a handful of electors is very scary. To step away from casting a vote, no matter how deep-seated one's frustrations, is allowing the Corporate-GOP, especially, to gain the advantage - pay attention to their widespread efforts to drop hundreds of thousand of voters from the rolls, make it more difficult to register to vote and in some cases impossible for disadvantaged citizens to even verify their identity in order to register. The vote can be very powerful. If you let yourself be 'turned off' from the political process and fail to exercise your responsibility to vote, you are part of the problem. Democracy requires your attention and your voice, and your vote does matter.
WE THE PEOPLE OF OWS a draft of Remedies and solutions WE THE PEOPLE recognize that our current system of government is broken and certain actions need to happen immediately so that we may grow peace and set an example across the globe. Below are Remedies suggested by the people that feel need to happen for a peaceful and prosperous future considering the current status we're in. We are either on the verge of becoming great and one via the internet, or starving serfs to a king with rights only granted in favor. We need to restore our nations soviergnty, our personal freedoms, our liberties, and save our economic system as well. Occupy wall streets main issue is how broken the system we have in place is and we do not have a voice to stop it unless it is exposed and dealt with. Now I may not be a perfect messenger,in fact I have only put to pen what I could think of in a short eve. But when the people mold something from grassroots, it sends a powerful message. So please feel free to print, add your own ideas and refine and share with your friends. All it takes is an irrate minority to start the brushfires of freedom in the hearts and minds of men.
END THE FED There is no authority in the constitution authorizing a central bank.
a. return to gold standard, sound money.(not just sound economic "policy", SOUND MONEY). b. no inflation tax c. no IMF, no WTO, no NAFTA, no BAILOUTS, no TARP d. ban mega mergers e. full audit of fort knox and our gold supply f. eliminate trade deficit with china g. freeze automatic projection of debt growth to future spending and cuts. h. Banks got bailed out, the people got sold out therefore all past bailouts should be
i. advocate minimum wage j. no congressional pension program k. balance budget,audit fed hr. 459 and s.202
No policing the world, no military industrial complex, no new world order, troops home now! a. Cut all departments not authorized by the constitution
b. end the war on terrorism propaganda restore our rights. c. no foreign aid / yes to humanitarian efforts/ex: charities funded by donations d. stay out of entangling alliances e. repeal the patriot act and electronic communications privacy act f. no u.n. g. no lobbyists i. close bases and secret prisons/Guantanamo J. open talks and trade and treat everyone like Canada
NO MORE freedom of information act LOOPHOLES, FULL DISCLOSURE NOW. a. NSO,NSA,NASA,CIA,ETC
Repeal Obamacare
Hold Monsanto liable for damages to our worlds seed and food supply pull all genetically modified seed
Free Bradley Manning a true hero
Ban media monopolies and manipulation.
Organize a new voting system so every voters choice is recorded and counted in multiple ways for easy
future audits/recounts. That way we have the most accurate counts possible for each candidate and each persons vote truly counts.
I remember the first time I heard about your Electoral College system. My absolute first thoughts were "are you f**kin kidding me??" Totally agree, it`s gotta go!
Ditto that! Get that Electoral College bullshit nullified, then voting would actually mean something again.
A thought occurs that we may have an allie towards that end, if they can stop fucking around with general mayhem and put some real conviction behind the masks and robovoices. Anon did swear support for the Resistance, lets see if they're for real.
There's a tiny, insignificant fraction of American politicians that have the morals and balls to tell lobbyists to fuck off, and won't take corporate campaign bribes. Ron Paul is one of those that gets the most talk in the media. But they're vehemently hated by the crooked Republicans, who can mercilessly demolish guys like Paul in the elections cause they're directly funded by our enemy, have zero morals and absolute hatred for their fellow Americans.
And Dems have no spines. They'll take the money and do as they're told, and be unwilling crooks anyway. Exhibit A, Obama.
Yeah, vote for a politician that's not a crook. He's not going to win and we'll get a crook anyway.
"Lesser evil" is still evil and not an acceptable choice. Always remember that.
If you want Ron Paul to win the nomination then register to vote as a Republican and vote in the primaries. You can always switch to Independent or to Democrat later.
Good point.
But I don't think Doc Paul stands a chance, even with overwhelming citizen's votes. Even tho he's listed as a Repub, he's not an evil, vicious, lying, biblewaving, hate mongering, warmongering, thieving Repub. He's the exact opposite, he's got balls, he's an honest fellow who tells it as he sees it, he wants to reform this shit and challenge the current fucked up structure, and that makes him a menace to the psychopathic Repubs. You can bet your ass they'll do anything to get in his way to the white house. Just like they did Obama for the same reason, only Obama whiteflagged and kissed ass, so no reform from him. Even the little bit of reform Obama tries to sneak through gets fucked up by those bastards.
The difference here is Paul won't whiteflag and kiss ass, they know it, so the bastards will get nastier on him. A lot nastier. Electoral College, the bastard's best and most devastating weapon.
What's our alternative??? Anarchy?
Anarchy is better than fascism, be that corporate fascism, or political fascism.
At least it provides equal opportunity.
Anarchy is not the best plan.
Collectivism is far superior to anarchy, as each has the vote of Direct Democracy.
Occupation wends the voice of many into the voice of one, it is a great equalizer.
Collectivism is pretty trashy.
It's working for the Anons.
It worked for the Borg, too, though I can do without having cables and car parts all over me.
Anonymous is cool, but not exactly a good model for society.
What do you think if turned this movement into a Global Labor Union Movement. Like this is how we make the governments meet our demands? Our demands can be better wages and all but we need a leader like Elizabeth Warren?
YES!
I just hope that everyone has realistic goals.
Drastic campaign finance and lobbying reform is a good goal. Foreclosure protection is a good goal. More of a tax burden on the rich is a good goal. A public health option is a good goal. Jobs spending (a bailout for the poor) is a good goal. Steeper penalties and investigations for wall street is a good goal.
All the things I just listed will require the social fight of our lives to attain and should be fought for through peaceful resistance and political action. Things I see people writing like the end of corporate personhood and socialized banks and even anarchy are dumb, unrealistic goals that will only get this movement laughed at. Right now realistic, attainable goals are the things that can really help push this movement forward and help a lot of people through these hard times.
Dunno. The dialogue has been started publicly. D.C. and Wall St. both acknowledge OWS exists, yet do not respond to ANY point made from any segment of it. They're the leaders, and we their constituency, correct? So why no query from them?
A proposal for full employment:
http://nplusonemag.com/full-employment
Another modest proposal, this time for a shorter workweek:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jan/26/business-us-economy-worker-benefits
Modest tweaks will make modest improvements http://j.mp/BreakTheJobTrance
How about moving beyond a notion of "work" entirely? From Bob Black: http://idlenest.freehostia.com/mirror/www.whywork.org/rethinking/whywork/abolition.html "Liberals say we should end employment discrimination. I say we should end employment. Conservatives support right-to-work laws. Following Karl Marx's wayward son-in-law Paul Lafargue, I support the right to be lazy. Leftists favor full employment. Like the surrealists -- except that I'm not kidding -- I favor full unemployment. Trotskyists agitate for permanent revolution. I agitate for permanent revelry. But if all the ideologues (as they do) advocate work -- and not only because they plan to make other people do theirs -- they are strangely reluctant to say so. They will carry on endlessly about wages, hours, working conditions, exploitation, productivity, profitability. They'll gladly talk about anything but work itself. These experts who offer to do our thinking for us rarely share their conclusions about work, for all its saliency in the lives of all of us. Among themselves they quibble over the details. Unions and management agree that we ought to sell the time of our lives in exchange for survival, although they haggle over the price. Marxists think we should be bossed by bureaucrats. Libertarians think we should be bossed by businessmen. Feminists don't care which form bossing takes, so long as the bosses are women. Clearly these ideology-mongers have serious differences over how to divvy up the spoils of power. Just as clearly, none of them have any objection to power as such and all of them want to keep us working. ... Work makes a mockery of freedom. The official line is that we all have rights and live in a democracy. Other unfortunates who aren't free like we are have to live in police states. These victims obey orders or else, no matter how arbitrary. The authorities keep them under regular surveillance. State bureaucrats control even the smaller details of everyday life. The officials who push them around are answerable only to higher-ups, public or private. Either way, dissent and disobedience are punished. Informers report regularly to the authorities. All this is supposed to be a very bad thing. And so it is, although it is nothing but a description of the modern workplace. The liberals and conservatives and Libertarians who lament totalitarianism are phonies and hypocrites. There is more freedom in any moderately de-Stalinized dictatorship than there is in the ordinary American workplace. You find the same sort of hierarchy and discipline in an office or factory as you do in a prison or a monastery. In fact, as Foucault and others have shown, prisons and factories came in at about the same time, and their operators consciously borrowed from each other's control techniques. A worker is a part-time slave. The boss says when to show up, when to leave, and what to do in the meantime. He tells you how much work to do and how fast. He is free to carry his control to humiliating extremes, regulating, if he feels like it, the clothes you wear or how often you go to the bathroom. With a few exceptions he can fire you for any reason, or no reason. He has you spied on by snitches and supervisors, he amasses a dossier on every employee. Talking back is called "insubordination," just as if a worker is a naughty child, and it not only gets you fired, it disqualifies you for unemployment compensation. Without necessarily endorsing it for them either, it is noteworthy that children at home and in school receive much the same treatment, justified in their case by their supposed immaturity. What does this say about their parents and teachers who work? The demeaning system of domination I've described rules over half the waking hours of a majority of women and the vast majority of men for decades, for most of their lifespans. For certain purposes it's not too misleading to call our system democracy or capitalism or -- better still -- industrialism, but its real names are factory fascism and office oligarchy. Anybody who says these people are "free" is lying or stupid."
A "basic income" might help with that change, but there are other changes one could make, too, both what Bob Black mentions in that essay about turning work into play (or automating it, or redesigning it, or deciding it does not need to be done), as well as broader changes (towards a gift economy, towards better tools for local subsistence, and towards better participatory government planning): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vK-M_e0JoY
I think you are right that a guaranteed income is a very worthy goal. In a world where there is so much produced, where work is so highly productive, and where fewer people are needed to accomplish the work to be done, we need to begin to conceptualize income as different from wage work. A right to a basic income--regardless of work--would go very far in advancing this.
What about just take the money out of the equation? For clarification: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3Qz1C-dAGc
you realize bob black is an anarchist right. he is for anarchist communism (which is what the vast majority of anarchists are for) Also, I love Bob Blacks stuff.
Thanks for the reply. The problem with a term like "anarchist" is it is so broad it become meaningless, and so it becomes foolish to try to claim one is one, because you never know who you are getting into bed with. Example pointing to the problem: http://theultimateanswertokings.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-why-i-dont-call-myself.html
I like the tagline there that: "The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh!" When the OWS crowd starts to laugh together about the follies of the 1%, then it will have achieved something amazing, because the next step after laughter is doing things differently. As long as the 1% can keep the 99% fearful and not laughing, it has control. Fear usually shuts down creativity -- joy (like from singing together or even being part of the people's microphone) and laughter is one antidote to fear. So, a good thing to call for is ... more laughter at the 1%. :-) But we won't get there if what is felt is mostly anger and fear.
Or from: http://www.humorproject.com/doses/default.php?number=1 "There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third. (John F. Kennedy)"
Some humor about economics: :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVp8UGjECt4
http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue21/Stanford21.htm
Anarchism has also been associated with violence (and in general is painted as very serious non-funny stuff). It doesn't have to be, but it is convenient for those in power to paint it that way. So using that term creates friction with a non-violent approach, which generally needs some common values and some leadership to hold itself together: http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/change/science_nonviolence.html
People can often be right about something and wrong about other things, or can state a problem well even if their solution is problematical. Bob Black is a convenient reference because his work is online and he does say some great stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Black
There are many other authors who say similar things though, maybe not exactly but close, talking about the end of work (Jeremy Rifkin) or moving beyond work through automation (Marshall Brain), or changing the workplace to be more participatory and democratic (Richard Wolff http://www.capitalismhitsthefan.com/ ), which all dance around the same issues. And there are lots more people in each category.
A more polite term internationally for what many so-called "anarchists" believe in might be "libertarian socialist", such as Noam Chomsky calls himself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_socialism
The term "libertarian socialist" is as contrasted to "propertarian libertarianism" which is strong in the USA. In the USA such Propertarian people have taken over the term "libertarian" and likewise on this website it is generally used that way. From what I read, that form of libertarianism ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propertarianism ) is abhored by most people who would call themselves "libertarian" elsewhere (where the "socialist" part is implied).
If you like Bob Black, you might also like James P. Hogan's sci-fi Voyage From Yesteryear: http://www.jamesphogan.com/books/info.php?titleID=29&cmd=summary "The book has an interesting corollary. Around about the mid eighties, I received a letter notifying me that the story had been serialized in an underground Polish s.f. magazine. They hadn't exactly "stolen" it, the publishers explained, but had credited zlotys to an account in my name there, so if I ever decided to take a holiday in Poland the expenses would be covered (there was no exchange mechanism with Western currencies at that time). Then the story started surfacing in other countries of Eastern Europe, by all accounts to an enthusiastic reception. What they liked there, apparently, was the updated "Ghandiesque" formula on how bring down an oppressive regime when it's got all the guns. And a couple of years later, they were all doing it! So I claim the credit. Forget all the tales you hear about the contradictions of Marxist economics, truth getting past the Iron Curtain via satellites and the Internet, Reagan's Star Wars program, and so on."
Although Hogan later said he thought a bit more formalism was needed than what he painted there. Still, it is a book that I reread when times are tough, because it is hopeful. I like Iain Banks' "Culture" series, too. Ultimately, the solutions we get may be more "Chaordic" like Dee Hock talks about. http://www.chaordic.org/ http://web.archive.org/web/20010405020550/http://www.cascadepolicy.org/dee_hock.htm
listen I know this stuff, I've been an anarchists for a while and active in social struggles since I got involved in the "anti-war" movement in 2008. I understand that anarchists are libertarian socialists but if you think anarchists don't have a sense of humur then I don't know what to tell you. We're the ones who have actions like "insurrectionary clown brigades" at G20 summits and shit. We're constantly making fun of ourselves. We can also be very serious though, because this is some serious shit. And you can stop putting anarchist in quotation marks. There is a very active and vibrant anarchist movement around the world and we are growing. We've been organizing without leaders and using consensus and direct democracy for years. If you don't realize how the "occupy" movement is intensely informed by anarchist values you're being willfully ignorant.
Oh, some of that is background for other people if they are interested, sorry. Yes, I'd totally agree that a lot of counter-culture people of various types have gotten good at using humor. To be clear, some anarchists are libertarian socialists -- not all are.
On attempts at consensus and direct democracy, I've long seen the sputtering of the Green political movement in the USA (for decades) even as it is true that environmentalism has spread. I'm not against the ideas -- I'm just saying I have seen them fail in practice, at least trying to scale past a very small community (where they. can work quite well, like on a shop floor or small cooperative business or town hall meeting).
I like what Manuel De Landa says about balance: http://www.t0.or.at/delanda/meshwork.htm "To make things worse, the solution to this is not simply to begin adding meshwork components to the mix. Indeed, one must resist the temptation to make hierarchies into villains and meshworks into heroes, not only because, as I said, they are constantly turning into one another, but because in real life we find only mixtures and hybrids, and the properties of these cannot be established through theory alone but demand concrete experimentation. Certain standardizations, say, of electric outlet designs or of data-structures traveling through the Internet, may actually turn out to promote heterogenization at another level, in terms of the appliances that may be designed around the standard outlet, or of the services that a common data-structure may make possible. On the other hand, the mere presence of increased heterogeneity is no guarantee that a better state for society has been achieved. After all, the territory occupied by former Yugoslavia is more heterogeneous now than it was ten years ago, but the lack of uniformity at one level simply hides an increase of homogeneity at the level of the warring ethnic communities. But even if we managed to promote not only heterogeneity, but diversity articulated into a meshwork, that still would not be a perfect solution. After all, meshworks grow by drift and they may drift to places where we do not want to go. The goal-directedness of hierarchies is the kind of property that we may desire to keep at least for certain institutions. Hence, demonizing centralization and glorifying decentralization as the solution to all our problems would be wrong. An open and experimental attitude towards the question of different hybrids and mixtures is what the complexity of reality itself seems to call for. To paraphrase Deleuze and Guattari, never believe that a meshwork will suffice to save us."
As an example of tradeoffs, formal governments have problems (wars, corruption), but they also tend to limit local feuds though courts, police, and such. We need better forms of cooperation for the 21st century. IMHO they are probably going to look more like the hybrid "Chaordic" forms that Dee Hock talks about or the "Meshwork and Hierarchy" forms that Manuel De Landa talks about rather than things that go to one extreme or the other. Life exists in the zone between fire (chaos) and ice (order).
Anarchism -- or "absence of order" -- is as a term more to one extreme. So, I just don't feel the term anarchist captures the fact that all systems have some type of order (even emergent self-organized), whatever nuanced understanding some self-described anarchists come to (whether libertarian socialism or something else). As Lawrence Lessig said in "Code 2.0", rules, norms, prices, and architecture are all ways of affecting human behavior. Formal government has long been an aspect of that process. Even if we get rid of it, we'll just end up having something of an equivalent most likely by some other name, like by discussing and voting on software architecture through the internet or whatever, like with Debian GNU/Linux discussed here: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/14/1349202
In practice I'd suggest a lot of self-described anarchists are closer to "chaordic" in their beliefs and the lives they live (including the technology they chose to use). So, I think people may do themselves a disservice by adopting the anarchist label instead of a term like "chaordist" or whatever.
anarchism is not the absence of order. like at all. it is emergent order from self-organization. rhizomatic order. there's a reason so many anarchists are obsessed with deleuze and guatarri.
Sure, as you understand the term anarchism. But that is not how the rest of the world sees that term, whether fair or not, as it has become associated with both the absence of law and with violence.
This is more an example of how the rest of the world uses that term: http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/10/robert-steele-video-two-party-tyranny-obama-will-not-co-ops-ows-violence-is-from-provocateurs-not-ows/ "Note: this was recorded at 1015 EST well before the reports about eight hours later that Anarchists had penetrated the groups in Europe and were responsible for the violence."
Remember, one could argue the State was an example of emergent self-organization... So, one has to articulate specific positive values about what one wants to see. What positive values do you want to see emerge? If you can express them in positive terms, maybe others will support those specific values.
I agree with this 100%. I can only go so far into political nuance while remaining effective. If you want to know how anarchists define "emergent self-organization" then explore our theories! We have a diverse body of thought that's scarcely been tapped. In short: spread anarchy, live communism.
Hold on. Aren't the naysayers already calling the movement an unruly pack of anarchists that want to destroy civilization and kill everyone? (Among some of the nastiest shit our enemies love to spew.) As if being called lazy dirty hippies wasn't enough.
You know, for anarchists out to kill people, we're doing an exceptionally poor job of it. Nobody's dead yet! LMAO
I think both would make companies less competitive and would hurt us in a globalized market where the average workers works 12 hour days in china for so much less money. All of our products require parts and resources from other countries as well. But you gave me a great idea!! We need someone to lead THE UNION OF GLOBAL LABOR. I can't believe it was that obvious. We get someone like Elizabeth Warren to lead this movement once we go global to strike against corporations around the world by unionizing global labor.. We would need translators and everyone on the net to organize.
Look to radical unions such as United Electric (UE) and others who have been organizing labor genuinely across national boundaries for 75 years. Not to mention the IWW.
I need a share of prosperity as I am very hungry out here. The evil bank will not let me withdraw the money I need. Can someone point me to a shared prosperity cafe in this town?
I hate that money has green on it at all. It is an affront to the planet I love dearly.
Close your account! Close your account! Close your account!
I know, that's not much help. But really, close it. That's your cash, not theirs. Take it back from them. In the meanwhile, munchies at Liberty Park.
Absolute equality breeds tyranny. Read tocqueville. Changes are needed but they certainly aren't as drastic as you are calling for.
absolute equalness is absolutely a prerequisite to the change the occupation deserves!
you must be mistaken in your understanding of the correctness of our collective assertions!
We will shout louder until you agree with us
Shouting is the most effective tool on the ground to make our values known
We have a right to be heard. You have the right to agree or remain silent. Dissent is not tolerated.
"We have a right to be heard. You have the right to agree or remain silent. Dissent is not tolerated."
Very nice, Adolph.
I'm pretty sure deepfist and pacificity are just jerking our chains. I'm also pretty sure they are the same person.
I just hope that everyone has realistic goals.
Drastic campaign finance and lobbying reform is a good goal. Foreclosure protection is a good goal. More of a tax burden on the rich is a good goal. A public health option is a good goal. Jobs spending (a bailout for the poor) is a good goal. Steeper penalties and investigations for wall street is a good goal.
All the things I just listed will require the social fight of our lives to attain and should be fought for through peaceful resistance and political action. Things I see people writing like the end of corporate personhood and socialized banks and even anarchy are dumb, unrealistic goals that will only get this movement laughed at. Right now realistic, attainable goals are the things that can really help push this movement forward and help a lot of people through these hard times.
Can anyone tell me what our alternative can be in a globalized world where we all use smartphones, laptops and have all our stuff made elsewhere be? I think neo liberalism is way better than neo conservatism but is there any other realistic alternative that wouldn't put us all into poverty or anarchy? I've really thought about this and the only thing I can come up with is the fact we have to deal with the ultra rich corporatocracy and tax them enough for a welfare state. Otherwise we have to give up our iphones. But if it comes down to it.. I'm ok with communal living too. I just don't know who's going to feed us when winter comes and we can't farm locally and how are we going to trade and who's going to run our utilities without some kind of corporation? the government? Service will be slow if there's no competition.
Nationalizing the telecom companies will happen before the winter you fear. Come into the collective, it is warm, and safe, and good. There is plenty of equality for everyone.
Communication is a right therefore it is wrong not to provide the best phones to everyone.
Stop the greed.
You know what that's what we need. How about a bill of rights? An Occupy Wall Street bill of rights. We the people have the rights to free internet, electricity, water, education, healthcare and a living wage. All of which should be free. And we want to pass the Jobs Act I think a list like this would be good. People just look at this movement like we're kids who just don't want to work and eat free pizza.
I just hope that everyone has realistic goals.
Drastic campaign finance and lobbying reform is a good goal. Foreclosure protection is a good goal. More of a tax burden on the rich is a good goal. A public health option is a good goal. Jobs spending (a bailout for the poor) is a good goal. Steeper penalties and investigations for wall street is a good goal.
All the things I just listed will require the social fight of our lives to attain and should be fought for through peaceful resistance and political action. Things I see people writing like the end of corporate personhood and socialized banks and even anarchy are dumb, unrealistic goals that will only get this movement laughed at. Right now realistic, attainable goals are the things that can really help push this movement forward and help a lot of people through these hard times.
Firstly, my sense is that your goals are not very representative of the group. They are very much the goals of the center-left democratic party we already have. The language of "jobs spending" in particular I find frustratingly compliant with corporate dominance. It's not more work (or even more money for it) that I think people are really after, it's more access to the resources at hand for everyone independent of their work. If we need a jobs bill, its one not a jobs spending bill rewording hiring but a jobs shifting bill moving towards different work that builds more public and free infrastructure.
More importantly, I think it's too soon to think we can say what's realistic. We don't know how large the movement is going to be in a month or two, and we shouldn't be be setting the limits of our project without that knowledge.
At the very least, I think as a point of transparency, it's important that if we're going to speak the language of "realistic" goals, we should do it alongside talk of our own goals. More bluntly, there are countries now with socialized banks and no corporate person-hood; are you against these things as well as thinking them unrealistic? If so, it's useful to say so alongside your sense of what's realistic.
If people are laughing at intelligent goals for their society, to me this is evidence of the need for a giant education working group, not a need to change the goals.
The movement can't grow unless there are short-term goals that will help us out of our latest recession/depression. I agree that corporate personhood and the legalities and consequences involved should be examined and repaired by a people's movement; I but things that liberal economists have been pushing for such as jobs spending, i.e. social spending projects that fix our country and get people to work , are essential to helping get us back on track. If I sound like an establishment person to you, it's because I've been let down so many times by movements that don't have legs. I would like to see the 99% succeed.
I hear you. I'm afraid we'll take one step closer to being like Germany or France and everyone will go home complacent.
There's a balance between having "legs" and being weighted down by people who can't yet see the need for radical change.
I don't know where that balance is yet, but I suspect we're still at a size where it's good to be quite radical. I don't want to let up on the anti-capitalism pedal until it's clearly stopping the movement's growth.
I really just want people to continue protesting but at the same time take direct political action. There are tons of things democrats would like to do but don't have the support. Things like single payer health care, a tax code that doesn't favor the rich, environmental protection, voting rights and welfare for minorities, stricter regulations for banks and corporations, consumer protection... The list goes on and on. Democrats can't do these things because of money interests in washington and obstructionism. That means if we elect liberals to congress and remove lobbyists and corporate campaign donations our problems are solved. It's THAT simple. I do want people to push hard and be radical, but realize that without gradual change there will be no change at all, because even though we call ourselves the 99%, a majority of Americans are not out there protesting and only support the most populist goals of the movement.
I'm for a gradual change to a more socialized system, but I don't think anything can happen until corporate money leaves our system. Until we get rid of legal bribes to our politicians the government won't have the people's interest in mind and the rich will keep getting richer.
Noam Chomsky said it best when he described corporations as small Tyranny. Eliminating that would be a start. And corporations should not be considered a person, as they do not have health, or life expectancy, and should not get a voice diverged of responsibility.
But we can't just snap our fingers and make them go away! Like it or not we're still the world's largest economy and this system is super hard to change. I'm not saying it's impossible but I think a great place to start is to protect the government from corporate influence. We won't get rid of corporate personhood until we do so.
check your facts. We are not the worlds largest economy.
Fine, one of them at least. That doesn't change my point. I'm not pro corporate personhood, and I don't really know anyone who is. It would be interesting to hear from someone who was but for now I'll just go on believing they're evil entities that are ruining the world.
I just don't think you can get rid of the laws of corporate personhood (or most laws that defend people from corporate power) without tackling the issue of money in government. The government that runs on campaign and lobbying money is beholden to those that pay them. If you remove money from the equation then the only people the government is beholden to are the voters, and can then work freely to help the masses. Even that goal (which is much simpler than ending corporate personhood) is extremely difficult and we aren't being helped by the supreme court or congress. A combination of protest and direct political action are the only way to effect change in this country.
true.
http://struggleforfreedom.blogg.no/1317735903_chomsky_explains_libe.html
I share these goals, basically. Corporate personhood is a hot button for me, in particular, but... Overall, these seem like a good representation of OWS' shared values and also what might be possible in the short and mid term.
I would like to see us tackle free trade fundamentalism to some extent as well. We're the only major trading nation without a coherent policy that protects its citizens and the environment. We've absolutely gutted ourselves by unilaterally demolishing trade barriers.
I agree with you on the free trade issue. Corporate personhood is extremely questionable, but I don't think we can have action until we start protecting our government from the influence of special interest groups, i.e. campaign donations and lobbyists.
Or dirty hippies, or anarchists out to kill everyone. I swear, some of those slurs are edging into tinfoil hat wearing crazy. I suppose next we'll be agents for space lizards, or something way off the deep end.
Want to work? Come to North Dakota and make $100+K easy.
And freeze your ass off. That's OK if you haven't seen boom/bust cycles before. i.e. Parachute, Colorado or so many other "gold rushes" where the price for a steak stripped the increase in wages. I'm glad you're doing so well. Bundle up. Buy someone a piece of pizza.
What if we outlaw the importation and sale of goods made by excessive exploitation. Whether it's child labor, slave labor or poor environmental policies? What if we get the lobbyists out of the way so we can enforce the laws we have or concoct and implement ones that would work? What if Carl Rove was held responsible for every dirty trick he's pulled since Watergate? Can we regulate fraud? Libel? Slander? What if our elected officials lobbied on our behalf and went about their time in true deliberation rather than pandering to anyone and everyone w/ a buck? What if we didn't have to buy access to our courts? What if the Supreme Court wasn't a partisan leftover from an administration that cheated it's way into power? Me thinks there is a reason the press says we have no goals. That's what they're told to say. Or, like today, not to say. Stay united. Stay strong. Peace
iPhones? Waaaaaay overpriced IMHO. But eh, I have a cheapo little Samsung that only does text and voice, I don't need anything more and it's super affordable for me. For real computing power, this real computer I built myself from discarded PCs that wasteful technosnobs threw out does the trick. Installed Linux, and I'm a netsurfin' dude on the cheap, how cool is that?
Also, the people making IPhones were committing suicide before anyone raised their standard of dignity. Real cool MadAsHell. Reduce, reuse, recycle. In a truly democratic system, we, are the Gov't. There is no "us". No "them". That research is ours. The air waves are ours. The internet is ours. Take them back from shameless, faceless entities created for the soul purpose of profit regardless of consequence. Together, we have done great things. Together we can do great things again.
neoliberalism= economic ideology. neoconservatism= foreign policy orientation. Just thought I'd clear that up. Also. Anarchy is a good thing! Its not chaos but rather leaderless self-organization. These protests are based on anarchist principles! Its true!
Don't let the Repubs know that. They think Anarchy is all about blowing shit up and mass murder sprees.
..No wait, that's the Republican Party! Iiiiiirony!
Just remember that every time you consume you are voting. If you don't like a corporations values then don't give them your money. At least you are free to make that choice. Marxism decides what your choice is and forces you to pay for it one way or another even if you don't want it. It's not equality. It's death of the individual and his power.
It remains to be seen what kind of choice Marxism could enable, but I also don't seem Marxism as a system that's inherently good or bad. A culture of Marxists will still have to work to avoid being a culture of mediocrity, and disempowerment, but to me it seems a culture that's at least better equipped to address them as problems.
The television programming, the clothes, the vehicles, the trips, and the education people currently "choose" en mass don't seem to demonstrate much individual power to me.
So if by choice you mean our current experience of selecting a brand, a look, and property to identify with, yes, I hope Marxism can eliminate it. However, it seems to me that Marxism is all about a sort of library of communal tools, materials, trade knowledge, and work-space that would be hugely empowering for the kind of creative choice experiences I'm after.
An example: Marxism might take away my ability to work my tail off until I can have my choice of a plethora of sports cars and luxury vehicles, but if it can provide me with ubiquitous, efficient, functional transit that I don't have to work constantly to afford, that, to me, will be so much more empowering, because I'm not interested in the experience of owning a vehicle, I'm interested in the experience of travel.
You're right that there's a legislating of desire here, in the requirement that we all must work enough to provide the transit system for everyone, but it seems to me that this isn't really a huge practical problem. Most of the most expensive things our society has are all things that can be made so much more cheaply by a single, efficiency-minded manufacturer that I don't think the amount of work you'll be required to do will really be all that much.
If we had one main line of phones, computers, boats, trains, planes, and automobiles that we slowly improved, it seems to me that these would so much more efficiently fit the needs of most of us that there would be plenty of leftover resources for us to devote to interesting projects.
Alternatively and admittedly oversimplified, it seems to me that capitalism gives us business buildings that look like palaces, and homes that look like hovels. Marxism can appropriate the resources oppositely.
Lastly, I acknowledge that Marxism has an unhelpfully idealistic bent, but I think that's just because no one's (perhaps the Cubans excepted here, but we're holding them back so much it's not a decent experiment) made a serious attempt implementing it. When people tried to institute democracy towards the end of European monarchy and aristocracy, it had an idealistic bent too. It didn't solve all the problems people hoped it would, but didn't lead to all the problems its strongest critics thought it would either. When I advocate Marxism, it's a tentative avocation, you know, it's something that seems worth trying.
look up autonomist marxism. the marxisms of the past are rigid and authoritarian. autonomism however is refreshing and relevant and is just as much anti-state as it is anti-capitalist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomism
You do realize that the internet, and even the new speech recognition artificial intelligence software on the iPhone 4S were both developed by government-sponsored research, don't you?
oh that's your iphones you care about, eh? slow service? competition and fast service created false values and increased consumerism. wake up. your iphones were bought by you only to buy more (needless communication services and crappy online content), with small excuse of really valuable things like emergency calls etc. consumerism is what wall street created, it is in the minds of people! who's gonna feed you? YOU ARE! what are you afraid of? poor life? get rid of your TV and you'll be surprised by possibilities you'll have and how much free time you'll get. don't be the slaves of your iphones and TV! go for real life and taste freedom! wall street must be downed for the planet's sake.
oh so true! there used to be these things called "pay phones" which were publicly available and nearly ubiquitous. hard to find these days, thanks to the privatization of communication through ... your iphones!!!
If a corporation takes your good job away, and puts it in another country, neither you nor the poul soul in the other country benefits, because while you are out of a job, they work sweatshop hours for sweatshop wages. Don't be angry at poverty-stricken people in other countries. Your anger belongs on Wall Street.
Our anger belongs to the collectivism of the occupation. Using anger otherwise is selfish and unproductive.
Spread the anger around and use it everywhere so that everyone can equally enjoy the benefits.
I demand justice for the occupation NOW
So we should have a flat tax where everyone pays the same percentage rate right? That would be FAIR.
I agree. 1 person, 1 vote. Why should I have to pay more just because I worked hard and am successful?
direct democracy is the fast track to the change we are all shouting about!
The one who earns more, owes more.
The one who is payed less is entitled to a greater share to balance the inequality.
Wage disparity is easily solved: pay them more from the obvious surplus.
Yah, socialism or communism. Let's do that. NOT.
Because those who have the most wealth, especially investors and bankers, don't work. They expropriate the work of others.
Right. They just get money for free. It falls out of trees and the sky for them.
it falls out of the pockets of the day laborer because they regularly shake them down with fees, and federal taxes, then state taxes, then county taxes, then city taxes, and levies, and interest.
The common worker is held to an intolerable inequality versus the unproductive man.
Who is entitled to the fruits of another's labor?
Here's a pro tip.
Study and work hard to become the rich man. Instead of bitching and whining and becoming the day laborer.
Because we live in a meritocracy? You're full of bright ideas today.
The laborer himself, unless he contracts his labor to another. In which case, an agreed-upon compensation is his return.
The concept of surplus value. Your wages are actually less than the value you produce by working. The rest goes into what is called "profit" which is pocketed by the owner of the firm for which you work. This is elemental. Study your economics from Locke and Smith through Marx and get real.
Do any of these mormons that are protesting realize that they are not protesting for a flat tax but they are requesting to increase the progressive tax system. The progressive tax system is what is killing american. In order for everyone to pay their fair share a flat 15% would be fair.
agreed
Hi protesters.I'm from IRAN.I want to say that "We are with you and we are helping you."good luck.
The US wants to get us in a war with Iran. Some Saudi Arabian King must be breathing down Obama's neck, like he did with Bush. Just say no to eternal war that Obama gave himself powers to wreck. He just sent 100 armed military advisers to Central Africa. Evil Empire occupying the world indeed! Peace to all the world! All of our brothers and sisters in every country. If we rise up together against the governments of our world, we will prevail in peace!
The rich and the poor: Man withholding, from his fellow man, that which could bring prosperity, health, happiness. Money(worst creation ever), food, water, essential resources.. Timeless examples of this again and again. Can we kick the bourgeois for good? OWS is a good start.
First start by encouraging them to share more equally with those who have less by the misfortune of having a lesser paying job.
The rich are depriving the poor by withholding. Force them to level their own playing ground and then we will see a REAL change in society.
Technology is the impetus for the dawning of the new era. For the first time all of humanity can instantaneously communicate on a global scale. We can control our birth rate with the use of safe effective birth control. We have the resources to feed and house the world’s population. Most all human suffering is manmade or worsened by greed and lack of empathy. Technology has also given us the ability choose our destiny. We can continue the current trajectory: depletion of resources, growing inequalities and war. Or, we can choose a new way.
The path to enlightenment, equality, and sustenance is attainable with a united movement. Part of that movement is time bank. Time bank is a network of humanity. Organized on line. Completely transparent. All inclusive. Hour in. Hour out. That’s it. No person’s hour is more or less valuable than another.
A worldwide time bank can be started now. With enough participation it can catalyze the transition from the current corrupt monetary system to a society where money is irrelevant and each person is valued. Fear and greed will paralyze this movement. Hope and imagination can propel it.
I LOVE YOU! I really do. Time banks make sense-- there's substance to them and a perky side-effect is that you get to know your communities. The nicest thing is that you don't have to be rich to get services, you just have to be willing to do something in exchange.
http://timebanks.org
Start one in your area. Spread the word.
:))))))))))))))))))))))))
Thank you for bringing up that it is both parties. I hope folks stop just blaming the GOP. They need to look at who funded this administration and how he paid them back. Thanks for linking that great Taibi piece that implicates Goldman Sachs. You are spot on and focused OWS!
Let's not lose focus here. It's been class warfare for a long time, the wealthy have been pitting the middle class against the poor for decades. The effective tax rate for the wealthy has been a lot less than blue collar workers for a long time. The corporations they run are huge tax evaders and the middle class pays the majority of the bills for everyone. Over paid corporate executives tanked the economy and now with billions in cash reserves they're holding back jobs like a kids that selfishly take their toys home because of new regulations that requires them to play fair. Hold the uber wealthy accountable, make them play fair and pay dearly.
Herman Cain, hear this, a flat tax would be great, lets do 15% over a $15k standard deduction for individuals and eliminate all other deductions except for natural disaster, catastrophic health care and secondary education costs. Corporations get no write offs, 20% tax rate straight up, no exceptions...fire the accountants and hire someone that actually brings in money for your company honestly.
Mere "reform" is too little too late. The .1% has committed consistent economic violence against the 99% since the 1980s. Reparations and compensation are called for.
We must transfer a significant amount of wealth from the .1% to citizens. The challenge is in transferring enough, and doing it in a lawful manner.
Force WILL be required; the .1% (like the royalty in previous centuries) have become accustomed to their ill-gotten gains, and will resist paying their debts with every weapon in their (substantial) arsenal.
Some ideas/demands for compensating the victims of their economic violence:
Nationalization reacquires these resources for THE PEOPLE. The wealthy have abused their power by using these resources to impose poverty and death. Essential services for citizens MUST be nationalized.
A return to the 90% tax bracket for billionaires. Taxes on stock transactions. An ADDITIONAL tax on the wealthy to fund an international, ONGOING war on poverty.
An immediate withdrawal from the corrupt corporate "free-trade" agreements like NAFTA and GATT. These treaties outsource jobs to low-wage countries, and allow foreign corporations to sue countries that pass health, safety, and labor laws that protect their citizens, for HYPOTHETICAL losses.
Reinstating welfare, which was unconstitutionally destroyed by the Clinton administration, in violation of the Constitution's requirement to "...promote the general Welfare...".
Prosecution of the wealthy criminals that have committed economic violence against citizens.
Impeachment of the fascist "justices" on the Supreme Court that have repeatedly violated the Constitution to favor the wealthy interests they work for.
A REAL investigation with subpoena power of the neocons' involvement in staging the 9/11 false-flag attacks, which were used to justify the fascist takeover of OUR democracy.
An immediate and drastic cut to the insane wasteful military spending that is bankrupting the country.
Eliminating corporate personhood.
Nationalizing the Federal Reserve and canceling the national "debt" to them in return for not prosecuting their crimes.
Free education.
Repealing the unconstitutional laws that have assaulted OUR democracy, such as the Patriot Acts, and the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
Stopping the recording of ALL our phone calls, emails, and texts by the NSA, destroying the recordings made, and prosecution of the criminals in government and industry that participated in this biggest invasion of privacy in history.
Making unverifiable, easily-hackable touchscreen voting machines illegal, and requiring voting machines to use open-source software.
Don't allow our uprising to be bought off by symbolic minor "reforms". There are more of us than them, AND WE HAVE THE POWER TO DEMAND THESE CHANGES!
Let's use it! Alan8
Hi protesters.I'm from IRAN.I want to say that "We are with you and we are helping you."good luck.
We are with you too. Thanks.
REGISTER as third party NOW!
ows demands:
min wage $15 for comp with 15+ emp, diff btw min and max wage 15 times, max. currently, its 142. unempoyment benefits plus single payer public private healthcare until job found.
no tax loopholes at all.
http://911investigate.blogspot.com http://WorldNewsRecord.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/loveU
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/04/1022722/-Occupy-Wall-Street:-List-and-map-of-over-200-US-solidarity-events-and-Facebook%C2%A0pages?detail=hide - important
http://occupyWallstreetEvents.com - important
Wage labor is actually the problem. Money is the problem, be it farming or industry. Abolish taxes and implement only a consumption tax. You want to buy a luxury yacht, there will be a hefty tax. You want to buy a carrot, just grow it yourself or trade with a neighbor.
There's such a lack of leadership in this movement. If we don't start making serious and real demands I think what we're going to have is a country of beggars on the street! Please, before the winter comes. Let's nominate a leader. Someone capable enough like Elizabeth Warren to lead a Global Union for Labor and Progress.
The power of collectivism is the equality of voice. Such as you suggested will lead back to the fascsim of the few.
In a true democracy everyone has the power of leadership.
Can we please stop comparing America with Fascism. That is so unproductive. Fascist countries send millions of people into death camps. America only has a prison population where most criminals have been given due process. It's not perfect but please don't compare this country to Fascism it's not that bad and it makes us sound like idiots.
Fascism isn't Nazism. Nazis sent millions to death camps. Fascism just slowly strangles the 99% to death economically. Our government is as close as one can get to true fascism while still denying the truth - that it is already. Policies driven by corporate power, the use of fear to divide and conquer us, the suppression of dissent - haven't you noticed?
At first I thought what an awesome idea. Then I thought, "but wait, she's running for Congress right now. Would she give that up to help lead OWS? Should she? Maybe better if she got into Congress. Then it hit me: why couldn't OWS work to get Congress FILLED with Elizabeth Warrens? Why couldn't OWS get maybe even YOU (HL123) or the person standing next to you, elected to Congress? Serious.
An allied voice in Congress might be a good idea. But only one of the rare few politicians with the balls to tell lobbyists where to stick it, and thusly isn't tainted with the blood money.
I have had enough of liberal bull shit. People need to grow up and stop whining. Men need to stop being pussies. There are plenty of good jobs for people that search out and get education in fields with demand. Unfortunately all the hippies with the liberal arts and psychology degrees will not have shit to do. You are not just attacking the 1%. You are attacking everyone that is hard working that earns more than a poverty wage and wanting to forcibly take their hard money to give to the lazy piece of shit loser unemployed.
yes, whining is unproductive. But the occupation gathered to shout.
We can only be heard by shouting, shouting often, and shouting loudly. We will not tolerate being ignored, nor will we tolerate dissent.
Everyone who works a day, works the fair amount of their choosing, and deserves compensation equal to that of the most well compensated. This abolishes wage inequality.
Or do you prefer wage inequality? How is that not fascism?
All work is equally labor. All labor deserves equal compensation.
Everyone deserves the equality of everyone else!
Oh put a sock in it, troll.
hehehehe dumb ass
Anti-intellectual dweebs like you should keep their ignorant opinions to themselves and their drinking buddies. The rest of the world just laughs at you guys.
cut $1 trillion crazy military budget in half. now.
There are four job seekers for every job posted, my dear!
Can you answer the question of why unemployment has risen and wages have stagnated system wide?
Yes I can.Primarily it has to do with outsourcing and the demonization of the idea of protectionism. This is a primary focus of Neoliberalism. Free trade is a euphemism for freedom to enslave and exploit. Anti protectionist is anti American worker. This is an area where Dennis Kucinich and Donald Trump are actually pretty much on the same page. Of course both have been marginalized by the MSM.
plenty of good jobs, my left foot! I have a business degree. That didn't help me any, now did it??? Did it???!!!!! You have absolutely no freaking idea what you are talking about. I bet you get your news from CNN, too. Actually, never mind, you're just a troll.
And yet, many of you are demanding free college. How will that help if there are mo jobs?
Education is only important to get a job? I feel sorry for you.
No, that's my point. It isn't. Hence my confusion with that particular demand for free college.
stop twisting my balls, provokator
i agree with the ideas just not the labeling. when you start labeling you create division and prejudice... that why " rep/ dem" is a failure. people get behind a name and assign that name attributes that really may or may not be true- and not all of those attributes may be harmful.
we have been so polarized we are blind to what a balanced peaceful union can look like. lets try to keep abrasiveness language like " MUST , NOW, HAS TO" etc out of our mindset. and deep polarized resentments away from our purpose.
Any psychologist or counselor will tell you that is ineffective communication and does not promote unity.
We have this one opportunity. Many of us will not see another chance such as this in our lifetime. This movement, right now, has it's strength in numbers. PLEASE do not waste this incredible energy by lack of focus. We need leadership to STAND UP to clarify and focus the demands of the 99%. Every social movement had a leader to articulate agendas with rhetoric that stirred the masses and a call to action. Let's prioritize demands so that legislation can be formulated to ACTUALLY CREATE CHANGE. MORATORIUM ON ALL FORECLOSURES NOW Number one Priority. There are families waiting for Baliffs to come and physically throw them out of their own home RIGHT NOW. Nothing is more important than a roof over your head and food on the table. Corporate greed created this economy of the 99% having lost their jobs and homes. Right now we are the 'flavor of the week' in the media. Corporate America is just waiting for this movement to go away. Can we all show them that we are not going anywhere? Before it is too late and more families are out on the street.
Instead of occupying Wall Street, Why not get off your asses and attack the real problem. Ultra liberal politics and thinking. End the entitlement programs force people back to work. Eliminate all the hidden and excessive taxes on the people and businesses, return to the "Locked Box" Social Security System, and jail all the politicians for grand theft of $2.6 trillion from the American people.
The signs should read "Give the money back."
Remember remember 15th of October, of unreason, robbery and rot.
I see no reason why bankster treason should ever be forgot.
neoliberalism isn't the problem, it is the solution.
What we have now is facism, where the state is too involved, yea even in bed with corporations. Government makes too much difference in the economy, hence it is ripe for corruption.
you people blame everything on those more fortunate. Take a look at yourselves before going after someone else. Everyone makes their living somehow and who are you to say their families shouldn't benefit from the work they are doing. You can't blame your hardcomings on the people at the top. A company does not decide to lay off people, they are forced to or else the entire company would go down and all of the workers with it. Protestors fight for unity between corporate giants and small town people when you are really singling out that 1% and their families. The corporate companies do not control the government as far as i'm aware there IS a vote every couple years and its based on majority. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Economic Stimulus for the People of The United States of America USA issues 14 trillion in debt vouchers (NOT CASH) to 300 million American citizens. 2) This equals $46,000 per person in the United States in debt vouchers. 3) Vouchers can only be used to pay off BANK DEBT incurred before Jan 1st 2011. 4) Vouchers must be used in 60 days. 5) Vouchers are only good for AMERICAN BANK DEBT. 6) Vouchers issued to people 18 or under will go to Parent or Guardian if Parent or Guardian claims them on their Income Tax Return. 7) Example A family of 4 will receive $184,000 in DEBT vouchers. They pay off car a loan, mortgage, and or other bank debt. Their choice. After the owner pays the Mortgage down then automatically a refinance at an interest rate no more than 3% will be in order and mandatory by the bank holding the mortgage. How Does This Work?
· The Government is not printing money but issuing Debt Vouchers to each of citizen of the United States of America. · Each voucher is backed by the USA for the face value of the voucher. · Any AMERICAN BANK must accept the voucher as full payment of the Face Value of the voucher. · The Voucher (tracked by Serial Numbers and registered with the USA government) is then property of the Bank. · The Bank then owns the Voucher and has 30 Days to pay off their GOVERNMENT DEBT in the amount of Face Value of Voucher. · Since the people of the US owe debt to Banks, and Banks owe debt to US Government then: · Eventually all voucher will end up back at the US Government in which they will be accounted for as per serial Number and properly endorsed and filed. What will this accomplish? 1) It will clear debt from every citizen of the USA, either paying down debt or paying down Mortgages owed to banks. This will turn upside down mortgages in to a home with equity. 2) It will give banks extensive cash flow allowing them to be sound again. 3) It will allow banks to clear up bad debt. 4) It will allow banks to pay back the USA Government. 5) It will instantly spark the economy because all Citizens will have expendable cash after debt is paid 6) It will clear up Citizens Credit Ratings. 7) Banks can now begin to lend again. Not only do the banks, big corporations, and Congress Prosper but also this plan allows all US Citizens to Prosper. The Economy will soon begin to grow at record numbers allowing the Government to make their money back.
"The Power Elite... posits wealthy and/or well connected families and individuals who seek to expand their wealth by applying and promoting dominant social themes. Such themes may eventually develop into widely held memes [beliefs].
Often such themes seem to originate with the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization or other international bodies that are... influence[d] by the power elite. The themes then are picked up and rebroadcast by the mainstream media. Thus, what may seem to be the work of an independent institutional staff may actually be the brainchild of the power elite.
Concepts such as bird flu, Islamofascism and peak oil are so extensively promoted that much of the public unquestioningly accepts their fearful premises and demand action. Those with the wherewithal to provide solutions – products, services and corporate offerings... may earn vast profits as a consequence.
There is little contemporary scholarly analysis of the concept of the power elite, but it corresponds roughly to what once was called "the money power."
There are a variety of theories as to the composition and character of the power elite. It sometimes is referred to ominously as the "Illuminati," the "black church" or the "black nobility." It is not necessary to confirm such characterizations to recognize that the action and influence of modern money power are pervasive.
In most conceptions, the core of the power elite coalesces around the European and American banking dynasties and some elite, titled families, or it may be characterized as a "sub-church" within the Roman Catholic, Jewish or other religion. Chief among these dynasties are likely the Rockefellers and Rothschilds.
In some conceptions, the power elite includes members who claim to trace their ancestry to ancient times, even to Babylon and beyond. This accords with the notion that members believe their pedigrees differentiate them from the "common herd."
Signifiers of power elite activity include a disdain of free markets and the persistent and uncritical promotion of a theme or meme to the exclusion of contrary evidence or argument."
Question. Learn. Fight! Quotes from The Daily Bell
IRONIC isnt it that the wall street protesters are funded by GEORGE SOROS BILLIONAIRE and HEDGE FUND MANAGER
Ironic isnt it that the wall street protesters are funded by GEORGE SOROS BILLIONAIRE and HEDGE FUND MANAGER.
http://www.cafepress.com/powst purchase and distribute Tea Party/Occupy Wall Street clothing, dont' let the media divide the two, both have much to agree on. Become even more powerful by choosing your own path.
Isnt it IRONIC how the wall street protesters are funded by GEORGE SOROS BILLIONAIRE and HEDGE FUND CEO
http://www.cafepress.com/powst purchase and distribute Tea Party/Occupy Wall Street clothing, dont' let the media divide the two, both have much to agree on. Become even more powerful by choosing your own path.
Ironic how the occupy wall street protesters are funded by GEORGE SOROS BILLIONAIRE and HEDGE FUND CEO.
Ironic how the occupy wall street protesters are funded by GEORGE SOROS BILLIONAIRE and HEDGE FUND CEO.
make this the track for the movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RsCPClAy-8 name the enemy and then search for a soloution, its the banks, its the wall street, its the system. occupy!!!
Occupy Wall Street turns to the A United World Social Network (WE Party) for help to create change without protesting.
WE THE PEOPLE want to see a shift in consciousness from I to WE - www.weparty.info
WE are putting together a program for ALL governments - WE THE PEOPLE appeals to 100% of the people. At WE PARTIES WE are making a difference at www.weparties.info and not getting arrested.
See the 100% World Peace Club (www.aunitedworld.net/club) - Create WE Party websites (www.15freesites.info) - Join the shift from I to WE
"Learning your purpose is your energy source to promote kindness and pass your love forward" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOJzKMZCdCA -
Your followers can definitely help us create a shift in consciousness! http://aunitedworld.net/shift
The (http://www.aunitedworld.net) Social Network is for "People Helping People Online"
This has nothing to do with the Tea Party. It's the WE, Party and it appeals to 100% of the people, 100% of the time.
The WE Party is about helping and inspiring others primarily online. It's about doing what's right. If a person does something that 99 out of 100 people feel is right and there is one person that doesn't feel that way, then it is wrong! WE are the people with Character!
The WE Party Mentors say "WE can make a difference" - "Yes WE can" - United WE stand" - "WE can be the change WE wish to see in the world" - "In God WE trust" - "WE the people" - "WE are the world" - I'm proud to be an AmerWEcan" - "WE are family" - "WE believe" - "WE need a media in this country that covers grassroots movements" - WE shall not be moved" - "All WE want is equity" - "WE are the 99%"
Occupy Wall Street turns to the A United World Social Network (WE Party) for help to create change without protesting.
WE THE PEOPLE want to see a shift in consciousness from I to WE - www.weparty.info
WE are putting together a program for ALL governments - WE THE PEOPLE appeals to 100% of the people. At WE PARTIES WE are making a difference at www.weparties.info and not getting arrested.
See the 100% World Peace Club (www.aunitedworld.net/club) - Create WE Party websites (www.15freesites.info) - Join the shift from I to WE
"Learning your purpose is your energy source to promote kindness and pass your love forward" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOJzKMZCdCA -
Your followers can definitely help us create a shift in consciousness! http://aunitedworld.net/shift
The (http://www.aunitedworld.net) Social Network is for "People Helping People Online"
This has nothing to do with the Tea Party. It's the WE, Party and it appeals to 100% of the people, 100% of the time.
The WE Party is about helping and inspiring others primarily online. It's about doing what's right. If a person does something that 99 out of 100 people feel is right and there is one person that doesn't feel that way, then it is wrong! WE are the people with Character!
The WE Party Mentors say "WE can make a difference" - "Yes WE can" - United WE stand" - "WE can be the change WE wish to see in the world" - "In God WE trust" - "WE the people" - "WE are the world" - I'm proud to be an AmerWEcan" - "WE are family" - "WE believe" - "WE need a media in this country that covers grassroots movements" - WE shall not be moved" - "All WE want is equity" - "WE are the 99%"
WE THE PEOPLE OF OWS a draft of Remedies and solutions WE THE PEOPLE recognize that our current system of government is broken and certain actions need to happen immediately so that we may grow peace and set an example across the globe. Below are Remedies suggested by the people that feel need to happen for a peaceful and prosperous future considering the current status we're in. We are either on the verge of becoming great and one via the internet, or starving serfs to a king with rights only granted in favor. We need to restore our nations soviergnty, our personal freedoms, our liberties, and save our economic system as well. Occupy wall streets main issue is how broken the system we have in place is and we do not have a voice to stop it unless it is exposed and dealt with. Now I may not be a perfect messenger,in fact I have only put to pen what I could think of in a short eve. But when the people mold something from grassroots, it sends a powerful message. So please feel free to print, add your own ideas and refine and share with your friends. All it takes is an irrate minority to start the brushfires of freedom in the hearts and minds of men.
END THE FED There is no authority in the constitution authorizing a central bank.
a. return to gold standard, sound money.(not just sound economic "policy", SOUND MONEY). b. no inflation tax c. no IMF, no WTO, no NAFTA, no BAILOUTS, no TARP d. ban mega mergers e. full audit of fort knox and our gold supply f. eliminate trade deficit with china g. freeze automatic projection of debt growth to future spending and cuts. h. Banks got bailed out, the people got sold out therefore all past bailouts should be
i. advocate minimum wage j. no congressional pension program k. balance budget,audit fed hr. 459 and s.202
No policing the world, no military industrial complex, no new world order, troops home now! a. Cut all departments not authorized by the constitution
b. end the war on terrorism propaganda restore our rights. c. no foreign aid / yes to humanitarian efforts/ex: charities funded by donations d. stay out of entangling alliances e. repeal the patriot act and electronic communications privacy act f. no u.n. g. no lobbyists i. close bases and secret prisons/Guantanamo J. open talks and trade and treat everyone like Canada
NO MORE freedom of information act LOOPHOLES, FULL DISCLOSURE NOW. a. NSO,NSA,NASA,CIA,ETC
Repeal Obamacare
Hold Monsanto liable for damages to our worlds seed and food supply pull all genetically modified seed
Free Bradley Manning a true hero
Ban media monopolies and manipulation.
Organize a new voting system so every voters choice is recorded and counted in multiple ways for easy
future audits/recounts. That way we have the most accurate counts possible for each candidate and each persons vote truly counts.
I support the protest and live 1 1/2 blocks north of the square on Broadway. Please remember that regular people live in this area. We live above the businesses and are the 99% as well. The marching past with drums and screaming has been happening last night and tonight since midnight consistently. Please remember your neighbors and be considerate of our home and families.
I support the protest and live 1 1/2 blocks north of the square on Broadway. Please remember that regular people live in this area. We live above the businesses and are the 99% as well. The marching past with drums and screaming has been happening last night and tonight since midnight consistently. Please remember your neighbors and be considerate of our home and families.
OWS, join Obama Supporters Videos/ Song! I believe Barack Obama will be known as the M.L.K. of our day & will continue to bring the world together to progress it like never before. In my own way, I want to play a big part in this major place in our history. People need help all around the world. There's one song for everyone & everything! For Obama 2012, I'm inviting Occupy Wall Street to be in my Obama Supporters Videos/ Song of celebrities, people of places named after Obama & Obama supporters posting a video of themselves singing the chorus of Obama For The World (world's Obama tribute song)! ITunes! For Obama's change & America's freedom! 50% of the sales will go to OWS protesters & Obama For America. Just video everyone in every Wall Street Occupy protest singing (in unison) the chorus of Obama For The World. You will eventually have to support Obama for 2012. The Republicans sure aren't going to support your causes. You're the answer to the Tea Party! Now answer back, singing Obama For The World! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=KaAeSaj-xJc http://nycga.cc/donate https://donate.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/2012/davidking http://www.tunecore.com/music/david-king
Those 'wealthy and powerful' you demonise are the same people that employ thousands of people! Just like you (if you spent your time doing something productive like working, rather than attending left wing rallies).
Protesting is easy. Blaming super rich people is easy. Getting up and going to work every day is harder!
Toughen up people!
please don't let those gov't agents posing as professional activist (shaptons, west, nader whoever) become the face of this thing they way u started is the way u should continue u got the streets if those cats take takeover u gonna lose credability. One love, shaheed517
please don't let those gov't agents posing as professional activist (shaptons, west, nader whoever) become the face of this thing they way u started is the way u should continue u got the streets if those cats take takeover u gonna lose credability. One love, shaheed517
"The collapse of the American financial system that occurred in 2008 has since turned into an economic and political crisis of global dimensions. How should this world-shaking event be conceptualized? Mainstream economics has tended to conceive society as governed by a general tendency toward equilibrium, where crises and change are no more than temporary deviations from the steady state of a normally well-integrated system. A sociologist, however, is under no such compunction. Rather than construe our present affliction as a one-off disturbance to a fundamental condition of stability, I will consider the ‘Great Recession’ and the subsequent near-collapse of public finances as a manifestation of a basic underlying tension in the political-economic configuration of advanced-capitalist societies; a tension which makes disequilibrium and instability the rule rather than the exception, and which has found expression in a historical succession of disturbances within the socio-economic order. More specifically, I will argue that the present crisis can only be fully understood in terms of the ongoing, inherently conflictual transformation of the social formation we call ‘democratic capitalism’. "
http://newleftreview.org/?page=article&view=2914
There was a book written the late 70's by a man named Davis Thomas. Called "In Defense of Capitalism". An Englishman. It described how a system based on capitalism could be symbiotic rather than parasitic. Tax structures that enhanced the arts, sciences and help the needy. Just like our Constitution and Universal Human Rights suggest. This is not what we have. In a Government of the people, for the people, by the peeps, there is no "us" vs. "them". Only us. Armed w/ all the necessary information, we could decide which way is best to proceed. When corporations pay politicians, write legislation, police themselves and control the information, we, do not have enough accurate information to decide anything. Just divergent data that causes us to fight amongst ourselves. After all, desperate, divided people are easier to exploit. Stop the lobbyists! Stop the propaganda! Then the insanity stops. Peace
You say justice I say socialism. Economic Justice = if you make bad business choices and run out of money you go bankrupt not get bailed out. A free market is the only just and sound way to run an economy and the government has no business in business. The government having business in business is the root cause of every issue we now have. Ron Paul 2012 - Real Change
Power to the People! A note about Chase. They paid back all the money that was afforded them under TARP, with ~795 Million in interest tacked on.
Support Dodd-Frank, return Glass Steagle. Insist that banks make their money by lending it, not by investing it in shoddy securities.
I hope all of the occupy rallies across the nation assemble and head to Washington where change can take place. Good luck all.
Naive folks. Do You really think that we, the 1%, will ever give up ? In the street You may gather a billion of noisy idiots who cannot even self-organize and formulate their political demands. Nothing will change. We own everything in this country-the businesses, the government, the congress, the mass media, the police. All congressmen and president are members of our "1%" class. We will decide, not You. Maybe as usual we'll send You a couple of food stamps and 100 bucks in order to make You shut up. !
It's heartening to see refreshingly forthright coverage coming form, of all places, a site for professionals whose whole livelihoods centre on Wall Street. See for yourselves and give this correspondent a big pat on the back if you run across him among you: http://compliancesearch.com/compliancex/wall-street/occupy-wall-street-%E2%80%93-a-walk-through-zuccotti-park-a-compliancex-exclusive-report/
every person should have same health insurance and pay raise ,and other benefit the bankers polition and those thieves which having last 30 years and dont give fuck the people i say lets burn them so bad they never forget like they say when somthings its not working better bring them down and start all over from bottom
I see a lot of comments bashing capitalism. But the true meaning of capitalism is if you work hard you make more money. The concept is sound. What has happened has nothing to do with capatalism. Its the perversion of capitalism that has been in the works for the last 30 years. Why make a car and make millions when I can print a credit card and make billions. Why follow labor laws when I can move to where there are none and reap the same benefits. Why worry about next year when all that matters is the next quarter. These are all old issues. What is new to our generation is the lack of government intervention and from what I can see the purchase of our government by the very people the government is supposed to keep in check.
Yup, leading to the runaway insanity we're living now. If nothing is done about it, that is we fail then it's going to suck 1000x worse for the younguns..
I think we can all agree: Failure, my friends, is NOT an option.
I am a japanese in Japan. I always thought it was wrong that the great ressesion like last one were caused too often by the those 1 % and caused too many trouble to the rest. I really admire the principle of this movement and I wish to join and change the system.
This movement needs a charter or constitution that outlines the rights of the 99% of us that are not rerpresented in Washington to further unify this movement and bring about positive change for everybody but the 1%.
This movement needs a charter or constitution that outlines the rights of the 99% of us that are not rerpresented in Washington to further unify this movement and bring about positive change for everybody but the 1%.
I thought this was America, Where the peoples voice mattered, I thought this was a free country, where we could assemble and voice our opinion without arrest, I thought this country believed in equality, where we were all equal, rich and poor alike........BUT IT IS NOT, WE LOST OURSELVES THROUGH OUR GOVERNMENT, WE TRUSTED THEM, THEY FAILED US........But yet we give them another chance.......We say now, with all our voices, fix it.....fix what you have destroyed......fix our jobs, fix our economy, fix our health care, fix our taxes , fix our laws, and give us our freedom......fix America.I am not speaking for me, I am not speaking for you, I am not speaking for the rich or the poor, and I am not speaking for the president or our government.....I am speaking for all people who are American, and the world alike, We will not stand idle by, we will not shut up, We will not sit down ,and we will not take it anymore......We the people, Of the United States of America, under our constitution, demand retribution, We demand equality, we demand our rights, We demand that You, the government, the president, and The 1% that control everything, Fix your mess, Give back our country to us..... signed , citizen of United States of America Jerry Pipkins
It’s about time listen to what the people are saying, call them what you will bottom line - our representatives in office (Both Party) were voted to serve the people. Not their own self-interest, how about taxing all imports by 40% this will create jobs and cut our national deficit, pulling out our armed fours from overseas secure our borders and homeland. United we Stand
Prescott, AZ stands in Solidarity with the world today and everyday!
We want change, we will see it through.
Much love and many blessings to all out there today who are standing up. Together we are strong, so together we must stay.
Stefan Molyneux (classical liberal) augments the OWS demands. Very apt analysis in the current trend of events. Truly in the Rothbard model:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTx6t3FUSkM&feature=relmfu
Happy viewing! :-)
Professor Y
The media and politicians say OWS has no agenda! This is our agenda:
ELECTION REFORM TAX REFORM EDUCATION REFORM IMMIGRATION REFORM ENERGY REFORM
That benefits the 99%, NOT the 1%.
Then we will feel like their is actually progress being made to help our children, our unemployed, our families, our elderly and our environment.
It all starts with Election Reform and the Repeal of Citizen's United! Political systems that require corporate donors will always lead to a corrupt government that serves top tier donors.
The media and politicians say OWS has no agenda! This is our agenda:
ELECTION REFORM TAX REFORM EDUCATION REFORM IMMIGRATION REFORM ENERGY REFORM
That benefits the 99%, NOT the 1%.
Then we will feel like their is actually progress being made to help our children, our unemployed, our families, our elderly and our environment.
It all starts with Election Reform and the Repeal of Citizen's United! Political systems that require corporate donors will always lead to a corrupt government that serves top tier donors.
Please, take a moment to support the occupation movement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reazEr_AIBk
all fucking lazy people better get up and fuck the corprate america every secand counts dont let them to rubbing you anymore then get up and fuck all of them
Please don't give up - remember the European occupation of central and south America after Columbus, millions died and Europe added 4% wealth from the Potosi, Bolivia silver mines. Remember Clara Lemlich and the 20,000 strike force of 1909 of the garment industry in NY. Remember the Triangle Waistshirt Company ( N.Y.) fire victims of 1911, 140 young girls, half of them teens who reported unsafe work conditions. Remember the victims of the psychotic greed fed stock market crash of 1929 - 14 million out of work, foreclosures at 1,000 a day, the hungry and the dead.
Keep up the Good Work. Fairness. Every corporation, Every wealthy person, Every poor person should pay the SAME % of tax on income. No Loopholes, No Deductions, No Shell-games, No Exceptions. It is the only way to force corporations and wealthy people to pay their fair share of taxes. Fairness.
There is no such ideology as 'neoliberalism', it is merely a useless pejorative term, it says so right in your wikipedia link. I happen to like markets, openness and trade.
Super fuck you, you do not fucking speak for me, stop projecting your tedious ideology on us, get the fuck out. We need a new news poster please, urgently.
Voters’ turnout in North America is constantly going down and people are disillusioned with the electoral process and feel it has now become a bit meaningless to vote. It is not enough for most people just to vote once every four years to elect someone that will later be corrupted or do whatever.
In order to create a better democracy, we need to be able to bypass at least some of the representative process. Modern communications is now allowing us to say what we want as individuals and we no longer need to be represented by people in parliament to take decisions for us. The role of the government should be to propose directions society could take but letting the people decide through referendums (direct democracy). This process, while alleviating corruption by removing some power to elected people, would allow some decisions that no political party would ever attempt to take because they would often be against the interests of influent lobby groups and powerful corporations.
So far, the main stomping block for e voting taking on is revolving around confidentiality (anonymity) and hacking concerns. Those issues could be addressed by having an open e voting system by which the database, although anonymous, would be open allowing voters to verify that their vote is accounted for and accurate. The users could get a random number identifying them in the database and check if that number (or key) is associated with the correct vote for the given referendum, many could be run simultaneously. The best would be to create a package using maybe Open Office as a way for the user to manipulate the database to verify his/her vote and analyze the data if desired. The difficulty in having a representative and legitimate vote is to be able to use the electoral database for the constituencies to generate the individual keys; maybe someone would have to be elected the old fashion way clearly stating this goal as a platform... Looking at what is happening in the Arab world, this might be a way to quickly implement a form of democracy in places where there is nothing yet to support it. Your movement is very fertile ground for these ideas to take roots, there are highly educated motivated people in your group that could make this a reality and elaborate a system that would account for minority rights, server setups, phone interface etc. It could also (one can dream) create a whole new world where every voice can finally be heard and be as important towards decision making as anyone else. No matter the size of the voter’s bank account or number of influential friends: we have to take the power back.
Thanks for your time.
http://salem-news.com/articles/october142011/occupy-america-doctrine.php
GREAT ARTICLE..."Doctrine for Occupy America"
http://salem-news.com/articles/october142011/occupy-america-doctrine.php
GREAT ARTICLE..."Doctrine for Occupy America"
All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.
Thomas Jefferson
look at the income tax rates and see how our economy did best when we taxed the rich
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States
Year $10,001 $20,001 $60,001 $100,001 $250,001 $500,001 $1,000,000 1861 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 1862-1866 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 1867-1893 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1894 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1895-1913 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1913 1% 2% 3% 5% 6% 7% 7% 1914 1% 2% 3% 5% 6% 7% 7% 1916 2% 3% 5% 7% 10% 12% 13% 1918 16% 21% 41% 64% 72% 76% 77% 1920 12% 17% 37% 60% 68% 72% 73% 1922 10% 16% 36% 56% 58% 58% 58% 1924 7% 11% 27% 43% 44% 46% 46% 1926 6% 10% 21% 25% 25% 25% 25% 1928 6% 10% 21% 25% 25% 25% 25% 1930 6% 10% 21% 25% 25% 25% 25% 1932 10% 16% 36% 56% 58% 61% 63% 1934 11% 19% 37% 56% 58% 61% 63% 1936 11% 19% 39% 62% 68% 79% 79% 1938 11% 19% 39% 62% 68% 79% 79% 1940 14% 28% 51% 62% 68% 79% 79% 1942 38% 55% 75% 85% 88% 88% 88% 1944 41% 59% 81% 92% 94% 94% 94% 1946 38% 56% 78% 89% 91% 91% 91% 1948 38% 56% 78% 89% 91% 91% 91% 1950 38% 56% 78% 89% 91% 91% 91% 1952 42% 62% 80% 90% 92% 92% 92% 1954 38% 56% 78% 89% 91% 91% 91% 1956 26% 38% 62% 75% 89% 91% 91% 1958 26% 38% 62% 75% 89% 91% 91% 1960 26% 38% 62% 75% 89% 91% 91% 1962 26% 38% 62% 75% 89% 91% 91% 1964 23% 34% 56% 66% 76% 77% 77% 1966 - 1976 22% 32% 53% 62% 70% 1980 18% 24% 54% 59% 70% 1982 16% 22% 49% 50% 50% 1984 14% 18% 42% 45% 50% 1986 14% 18% 38% 45% 50% 1988 15% 15% 28% 28% 28% 1990 15% 15% 28% 28% 28% 1992 15% 15% 28% 28% 31% 1994 15% 15% 28% 31% 39.6% 1996 15% 15% 28% 31% 36% 1998 15% 15% 28% 28% 36% 2000 15% 15% 28% 28% 36% 2002 10% 15% 27% 27% 35% 2004 10% 15% 25% 25% 33% 2006 10% 15% 15% 25% 33% 2008 10% 15% 15% 25% 33% 2010 10% 15% 15% 25% 33%
I'm coming for this one. No doubt about it
Tax Rates 1
Bottom bracket
Top bracket
Calendar Year
Rate (percent)
Taxable Income Up to
Rate (percent)
Taxable Income over
1913-15
1
20,000
7
500,000
1916
2
20,000
15
2,000,000
1917
2
2,000
67
2,000,000
1918
6
4,000
77
1,000,000
1919-20
4
4,000
73
1,000,000
1921
4
4,000
73
1,000,000
1922
4
4,000
56
200,000
1923
3
4,000
56
200,000
1924
2 1.5
4,000
46
500,000
1925-28
2 1?
4,000
25
100,000
1929
2 4?
4,000
24
100,000
1930-31
2 1?
4,000
25
100,000
1932-33
4
4,000
63
1,000,000
1934-35
3 4
4,000
63
1,000,000
1936-39
3 4
4,000
79
5,000,000
1940
3 4.4
4,000
81.1
5,000,000
1941
3 10
2,000
81
5,000,000
1942-434
3 19
2,000
88
200,000
1944-45
23
2,000
5 94
200,000
1946-47
19
2,000
5 86.45
200,000
1948-49
16.6
4,000
5 82.13
400,000
1950
17.4
4,000
5 91
400,000
1951
20.4
4,000
5 91
400,000
1952-53
22.2
4,000
5 92
400,000
1954-63
20
4,000
5 91
400,000
1964
16
1,000
77
400,000
1965-67
14
1,000
70
200,000
1968
14
1,000
6 75.25
200,000
1969
14
1,000
6 77
200,000
1970
14
1,000
6 71.75
200,000
1971
14
1,000
7 70
200,000
1972-78
814
1,000
7 70
200,000
1979-80
814
2,100
7 70
212,000
1981
8 9 13.825
2,100
7 9 69.125
212,000
1982
8 12
2,100
50
106,000
1983
8 11
2,100
50
106,000
1984
8 11
2,100
50
159,000
1985
8 11
2,180
50
165,480
1986
8 11
2,270
50
171,580
1987
8 11
3,000
38.5
90,000
1988
8 15
29,750
1028
29,750
1989
8 15
30,950
1028
30,950
1990
8 15
32,450
1028
32,450
1991
8 15
34,000
31
82,150
1992
8 15
35,800
31
86,500
1993
8 15
36,900
39.6
250,000
1994
8 15
38,000
39.6
250,000
1995
8 15
39,000
39.6
256,500
1996
8 15
40,100
39.6
263,750
1997
8 15
41,200
39.6
271,050
1998
8 15
42,350
39.6
278,450
1999
8 15
43,050
39.6
283,150
2000
8 15
43,850
39.6
288,350 2001 8 15 45,200 39.1 297,350 2002 8 10 12,000 38.6 307,050 200311 8 10 14,000 35.0 311,950 2004 8 10 14,300 35.0 319,100 2005 8 10 14,600 35.0 326,450 2006 8 10 15,100 35.0 336,550 2007 8 10 15,650 35.0 349,700 2008 8 10 16,050 35.0 357,700 2009
10 16,700 35.0 372,950 2010
10 16,700 35.0 373,650 201112
10 17,000 35.0 379,150
California, which in 1996 became one of the first states to enact an electricity restructuring plan. Not long after the plan went into effect, price increases began to whittle away public support for deregulation in the Golden State. Just two years after deregulation was enacted, California consumer groups succeeded in putting on the ballot an initiative that would have thrown out the state’s deregulation plan. The measure failed. Criticism of deregulation intensified in the summer of 2000, when limited power supplies and increasing demand caused the wholesale price of power to soar throughout the state. In San Diego, where the retail price of power fluctuates directly with the wholesale market, electric bills doubled. The problem grew markedly worse in the winter of 2000/01, as the state's electric utilities faced a financial crisis and consumers were met with electricity shortages and skyrocketing prices.
power to 99%! but why the power is not with the 99%? because most of the wealth is with the 1%, and that took all the power with it. take back all the wealth and that will bring back all the power to 99%...
In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Glass-Steagall Act. By then, the country was mired in the depths of the Great Depression, and nearly 5,000 banks had failed. Businesses and people lost money. People lost jobs. The country was in crisis. Glass-Steagall was designed to prevent another crash in the future. Among other things, it barred commercial banks from getting into the investment business. It raised barriers between commercial banks, securities firms and insurance companies.
Nearly 70 years later, the Depression was history, and there was a push for deregulation to repeal or roll back Glass-Steagall. The result was the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, which took down that wall between the banks that made routine loans and the ones that did risky investments.
Experts are still arguing about what caused the recession that started in 2008, but many point to Gramm-Leach-Bliley as a major culprit.
The removal of the walls between commercial banks and investment banks led to mergers and promoted risky lending. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act, passed in 2000, made things worse by letting the popular new financial derivatives and swaps go unregulated, further promoting risky mortgages.
Many banks ventured into areas they knew little about. They made bad loans and took gambles. Subprime mortgages were chopped up into pieces and bundled into bad investments. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who owned what.
What started as a subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 quickly spread through most sectors of the economy, causing what is widely regarded as the worst financial crisis in the U.S. since the Great Depression.
As cable television developed, its prices were largely regulated by local governments. With deregulation moves in the mid-1980s, prices began to jump. In the early 1990s, regulations were imposed again. The massive Telecommunications Act of 1996 compelled Congress to ease most oversight and regulations on rates.
The idea was to promote technological advances and competition. The thinking was that telephone companies, wireless systems and direct broadcast satellites would compete with cable companies. Market forces then would help keep prices down and encourage companies to come up with creative ways to offer customers more TV choices.
The thinking was wrong. Nearly a decade after the deregulation, cable bills had increased by almost 60 percent in most places [source: Hear Us Now]. About 98 percent of Americans had only one cable company available to them.
The new technologies didn't emerge as well or as quickly Congress had expected. Not everybody has a good location for satellite. Wireless cable didn't work well. Cable rates kept rising.
Telephone company competition didn't help much, either. Many cable companies now offer telephone and Internet along with TV. After introductory packages expire, rates tend to go up.
Consumer advocates have been pressing for a new regulation that might help keep prices down. They want cable companies to be required to let customers choose only the channels they want rather than have to buy packages.
The act eased the cap on how many radio stations a company could own. The resulting consolidation meant that a handful of companies own almost all radio stations and thus control the news on those stations. Corporate owners cut jobs and reduced local news coverage. Two of those big companies that dominate the radio market, Viacom and Disney, also own many TV stations.
The 1996 act eased ownership regulations for TV companies as well. Companies can own TV stations that serve as much as 35 percent of the U.S. population. Broadcasters are allowed to own cable TV systems. Recently, the FCC has eased restrictions on companies owning newspapers and TV stations in the same markets. And many of the giant companies that control TV and radio also publish books and magazines.
The result: A few large corporations control most of the information you get.
Even though there are hundreds of TV channels, Americans get news and information mostly through a few big corporations. That can lead to similarities between news topics and points of view. Public-interest and media groups worry that citizens aren't well-informed and that public debate is being stifled.
test
In the 1930s, government officials believed that the airwaves were an important new resource that should belong to the public. So they set up the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to guard the public interest in the new medium of the day: radio. The FCC regulated how many radio stations one company could own. It encouraged local ownership. It issued broadcasting licenses and renewed them only if given proof that the station served the public.
By the 1990s, the Internet, cable TV and other technologies had changed the game. With the thought that a freer market would encourage new developments and improve service, Congress passed the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. For radio, that deregulation meant companies could own more stations in the same market -- and as many as they wanted nationwide.
The result? A few large companies own most commercial radio stations. Clear Channel is the giant, owning more than 850 stations across the country [source: Clear Channel]. These few companies control the music you hear on the radio. Their stations tend to play the same things, even across somewhat different formats. That's why no matter where you tune in, you're likely to hear the same songs.
The consolidation also makes it hard for new musicians to break in to the radio market. They already have enough trouble dealing with consolidation in the recording industry. And don't expect to hear local musicians on radio stations.
Deregulation doesn't always mean fewer choices. Some people may think it means too many.
OK. The banks didn't get rich off of the meltdown. They were rich already. In fact, they nearly went under and some did. That's why they got the bailouts, to prevent them from failing (the fear being that more failures would completely destroy the economy). The people that got much richer were the hedge fund managers and their investors. The reason that they got richer is because they saw the flaws in the mortgage-backed securities(CDOs) game before anyone else. They saw that these CDOs were vastly overvalued and so they bet against them in the form of CDS, credit default swaps (think insurance). Here's how that worked: Let's say I'm one of the enlightened fund managers and you're another fund manager or investment banker who believes that these CDOs are sound investments. I offer to lend you $1m for five years (though it was often way more than this) to invest however you please. But here's the catch; if the security in question fails during that time, you pay me $100m. Now normally you'd say "screw you, that's crazy" but because you haven't really done the research to know what these securities are actually compiled of (lots and lots of bad mortgages), you believe that the ratings agencies must be correct, so the perceived risk of that security failing is almost zero. The people who made money off of this would normally have provided a dampening effect on this reckless behavior and here's why: The rest of the market tends to take notice when the hotshots of the finance game (hedge fund managers) are placing billions in bets against a particular market tendency. They say "Hey, wait a sec. These super rich, super smart players may know something we don't. Let's take another look at this thing." By the time that happened, though, the CDO machine was in overdrive and many were in too deep to get out. The rest of the market started to catch on that these assets were toxic and so there were increasingly fewer people willing to buy them. To make a long story a little longer: Once the defaults started to happen, there was a cascade effect throughout the market and the Wall Street smart guys who saw it coming got paid while the Wall Street sheople (we all know that stupid people climb the ladder in all walks of life) got caught holding the bag. Though the only real consequence for them was the possible loss of their jobs. They still got the incredible bonuses that were guaranteed in their contracts.
Now, how did the ratings agencies drop the ball? CDOs were nothing new. The new part was their application to much riskier debt (individual mortgages). The then-current model of rating CDOs was based on the typical application of CDO: corporate debt. GE is much less likely to default on a loan than a homebuyer with a 500 credit score. So the antiquated rating system used by these agencies ended in the AAA rating of CDOs composed of the riskiest loans in the market.
So basically, it’s a matter of the clichéd “perfect storm” of; incompetence on a truly broad scale, people’s blind trust in the market giants (the herd mentality), and deregulation which allowed lending institutions to become investment banks, thereby incentivizing (in the short term) bad loans. The rest is ashes.
Amtrak started service in 1971, but it never made it to many remote and rural areas. Deregulation a few years later meant that railroads no longer had to offer passenger service in addition to freight. Most dropped it and soon pulled up unused tracks. That left rural people without service. Eventually, high fuel prices and global warming made Americans think about alternatives to automobiles. But by then, much of the passenger rail service was history.
Some regulations require various industries to serve rural areas where business isn't as profitable. Deregulation can mean rural folks get left out. When Americans began the massive shift to cell phones instead of landlines after telephone deregulation, people in areas with poor cell phone coverage were out of luck. Those may be the same areas where deregulated cable TV companies won't venture. And that can mean no affordable broadband Internet.
Want a little entertainment? Thanks to deregulation, just a little is what you might get.
From the NYTIMES article today:
“Who do you think pays the taxes?” said one longtime money manager. “Financial services are one of the last things we do in this country and do it well. Let’s embrace it. If you want to keep having jobs outsourced, keep attacking financial services. This is just disgruntled people.”
He added that he was disappointed that members of Congress from New York, especially Senator Charles E. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, had not come out swinging for an industry that donates heavily to their campaigns. “They need to understand who their constituency is,” he said.
“Most people view it as a ragtag group looking for sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll,” said one top hedge fund manager.
“It’s not a middle-class uprising,” adds another veteran bank executive. “It’s fringe groups. It’s people who have the time to do this.”
Reform our gamed electoral process: Call for a Constitutional Convention!! Eliminate the electoral college, money in politics, gerrymandering, etc..
According to Article V, Congress must call for an amendment-proposing convention, “on the application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States”, and therefore 34 state legislatures would have to submit applications. Once an Article V convention has proposed amendments, then each of those amendments would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states (i.e. 38 states) in order to become part of the Constitution. Congress has the power to choose between two methods of ratification: ratification by the state legislatures, or instead ratification by state conventions called for that purpose. In contrast to those separate state ratification conventions, a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution would be a single federal convention. Even though the Article V convention process has never been used to amend the Constitution, the number of states applying for a convention has nearly reached the required threshold several times. Congress has proposed amendments to the Constitution on several occasions, at least in part, because of the threat of an Article V convention. Rather than risk such a convention taking control of the amendment process away from it, Congress acted pre-emptively to propose the amendments instead. At least four amendments (the Seventeenth, Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, and Twenty-Fifth Amendments) have been identified as being proposed by Congress at least partly in response to the threat of an Article V convention. Wikipedia
The bankers are threatening to outsource more jobs because of OWS
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/business/in-private-conversation-wall-street-is-more-critical-of-protesters.html?hp
I read through the entire article, and I'm just floored. Those guys really have no idea of the damage they caused. They keep thinking that this movement is just a circus, and they'll be surprised when they wind up swinging from the light poles. We're nonviolent now, but patience doesn't last forever.
From the article, a damning quote.
“Most people view it as a ragtag group looking for sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll,” said one top hedge fund manager.
“It’s not a middle-class uprising,” adds another veteran bank executive. “It’s fringe groups. It’s people who have the time to do this.”
Wow, are they living in the 9th dimension or something? They're so out of touch with reality!
yep, this is what they think just like Erin Burnett on CNN
The article is a peek into the heads of hedge fund leeches. It's scary in there. No trace of human soul at all.
greeting from Jordan, the middle-east.. 2 hours left for our big protest today..
An international day of strike will cripple the banking elite immediately. Coordinate to have people default on their credit cards, mortgages and withdraw cash from their bank accounts. Liquidity is the problem, as Bernanke knows, and is bailing banksters out with more currency debasement. PULL YOUR CASH OUT OF PRIVATE BANKS!
The Chairman of the Privately owned bank The Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has debased the U.S. currency with his money counterfeiting Quantitiative Easing programs. This has exported inflation around the world, and its coming home to roost. According to Section 19 of the Coinage Act of 1792, this currency debasement is punishable by death. Bernanke is treasonous. Inflation is the hidden tax in the US. Your dollar is worth 80 percent less since 2000 because of this! Thomas Jefferson warned against this private bank despotism. Get rid of the private banks and Bernanke and you get rid of the 1 percent elite controlling the world.
“We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, fear of getting down-sized or fired because of the plunging economy, fear of getting evicted for bad debts or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer.” ― Hunter S. Thompson
That is for the questioners that are out there asking what this movement is really about. We are the 99%
Neoliberalism is globalization to exploit workers in foreign countries for profit. Profit that is outsourcing our jobs in the USA. Fight this by purchasing Made in USA products only.
Plus, Obama just signed off on three new trade agreements. It all started with NAFTA, which with cheap US corporate corn destroyed Mexican corn farmers' livelihoods, forcing them to come north to the U.S. Now we make them villains, and in Alabama, crops are rotting in the fields because there is no one to pick them. Justice for these people! All people!
Yes, buy local. It creates jobs. Look at Argentina, they created lots of cottage industries after its collapse, and have a stronger economy now and make exports hard to come in to support the domestic product consumption. Also, barter or trade. Subvert the system. Do not pay taxes anymore. Why should you? The rich don't!
On that note, why pay taxes if we 99%ers aren't being represented? Who's representing us? Us! The guys we voted for sure aren't, but they're happy to take our tax money. Taxation without representation: Wrong and illegal.
America first buy Made in USA
Boycott Wells Fargo bank. Its the parent company of Wachovia, who laundered billions in Mexican drug money and Wells Fargo GOT OFF THE HOOK. Demand justice for this crime. Demand justice for all bankster crimes, like Countrywide's Angelo Mozillo. That was all fraud, and our government allows them off scott free.
Two pigs wearing suits Brought the news That I'm wanted by the bank
They say the rent is due Caesar's onto you So you better remember your place
Then they outsourced my job And gave a raise to my boss
Bailed out the banks But billed me for the loss
They say we must submit And be one with the Machine
Because the Kingdom of Fear Needs compliance to succeed
So waterboard the kids for fun It's all the rage
And play born-again American Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Happy little slaves for minimum wage
(The revolution will be monetized And streamed live via renegade WiFi)
The clinic said I'm sick Toxic..... and impure
But there isn't any cure For the poor or uninsured
So we live our digital lives On multiple screens
And we forget that The blood of the workers Grease the machines
In the Psalm of the Fiends Love ...... discriminates
While the fat cats feed the rats Their daily dose of cake
So waterboard the kids for fun It's all the rage
And play born-again American Resistance is the game
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Happy little slaves for minimum wage
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Haters, betrayers, liars, and thieves
(America)
She sold her soul For designer clothes
For the perfect lips And the perfect nose
The winner in the end Always owns the most
Reality tv told her so!
(Mammonites)
Money changer! Greedy bankers!
This is the Peoples House!
My minister has a sinister plan To save my soul with a credit card scam
Exploitation is contagious For the selfish & self-inflated
Start a war, use the poor, Watch our profits soar & soar
We've become a nation of wolves Ruled by sheep
Owned by swine Overfed & put to sleep
And while the media's elite Decrees what to think
I am wide awake On the edge And on the brink
So when Atlas shrugs And The Fountainhead bleeds And when Wallstreet Apostles Preach a gospel of greed
I'll renounce the fame of this gluttonous age And be a Born-again American Resistance is to blame!
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Work, buy, consume, die
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE Haters, betrayers, liars, and theives
SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE A nation of wolves - ruled by sheep! -OTEP
We did miss a great opportunity in nationalizing the banks back in 2008. Why did we allow the banks to continue their usury practices with billions in bonuses, while profits could have gone to education and health care. Usury was historically looked down on, and now banksters rule the rule with it! Pull out of private banks, create local, people owned banks or bank with local credit unions, etc.
There's a lot of debate about left versus right ideals, we should do this or we should do that, which is all good, but there is a lack of guiding principles yet, and principles that are inclusive of the 99%. You could argue that the US constitution achives a set of principles to follow, but this had been so trashed by amendments, and abuse or ignored that there needs to be space to re-write it and allow it to be reclaimed for our future.
Ulimately corruption won't be flushed from the system without a set of principles that can guide us.
I'd like to suggest three ideas that can inform our principles. These I feel can help us: Freedom (individually and collectively). Diversity. Sustainability.
These are qualities that are harmonious with nature. They are three qualities that are fundemental for nature to function.
Sustainability needs diversity to make it robust and adaptable to outside and changing forces. Diversity needs freedom to be able to adapt, make choices and grow and diversity will only tolerate that can be sustained. For freedom to flourish it needs both diversity, if there are no options of choices there is no diversity, and sustainablity; you can't really be free if it only lasts a week.
I think these qualities lend itself to integrity.
There may be more qualities that I've not included. Truth also comes to mind, but Truth means different things to different people. And I think truth is contained within the three qualities.
But at least from these three, a sense of order emerges that can be applied to different areas of law.
Thanks to everyone who is here and part of this beautiful movement.
Peace.
There's a lot of debate about left versus right ideals, we should do this or we should do that, which is all good, but there is a lack of guiding principles yet, and principles that are inclusive of the 99%. You could argue that the US constitution achives a set of principles to follow, but this had been so trashed by amendments, and abuse or ignored that there needs to be space to re-write it and allow it to be reclaimed for our future.
Ulimately corruption won't be flushed from the system without a set of principles that can guide us.
I'd like to suggest three ideas that can inform our principles. These I feel can help us: Freedom (individually and collectively). Diversity. Sustainability.
These are qualities that are harmonious with nature. They are three qualities that are fundemental for nature to function.
Sustainability needs diversity to make it robust and adaptable to outside and changing forces. Diversity needs freedom to be able to adapt, make choices and grow and diversity will only tolerate that can be sustained. For freedom to flourish it needs both diversity, if there are no options of choices there is no diversity, and sustainablity; you can't really be free if it only lasts a week.
I think these qualities lend itself to integrity.
There may be more qualities that I've not included. Truth also comes to mind, but Truth means different things to different people. And I think truth is contained within the three qualities.
But at least from these three, a sense of order emerges that can be applied to different areas of law.
Thanks to everyone who is here and part of this beautiful movement.
Peace.
"It is a system that ravages the global south and creates global financial crisis - crisis in Spain, in Greece, in the United States."
Grammatical error! Either add an article and change it to past-tense or make it plural! 'created the global financial crisis' / 'crises'
There's a lot of debate about left versus right ideals, we should do this or we should do that, but there is a lack of guiding principles yet, and principles that are inclusive of the 99%. You could argue that the US constitution achives a set of principles to follow, but this had been so trashed by amendments, and abuse or ignored that there needs to be space to re-write it and allow it to be reclaimed for our future.
Ulimately corruption won't be flushed from the system without a set of principles that can guide us.
I'd like to suggest three ideas that can inform our principles. These I feel can help us: Freedom (individually and collectively). Diversity. Sustainability.
These are qualities that are harmonious with nature. They are three qualities that are fundemental for nature to function.
Sustainability needs diversity to make it robust and adaptable to outside and changing forces. Diversity needs freedom to be able to adapt, make choices and grow and diversity will only tolerate that can be sustained. For freedom to flourish it needs both diversity, if there are no options of choices there is no diversity, and sustainablity; you can really be free if
There may be more. Truth also comes to mind, but Truth means different things to different people.
I have an idea, make a real difference. Pack your shit and move your coddled, unwashed, trustafarian hipster asses to Cuna or Venezuela. If you don't like the system here get the fuck out. Nobody wants to hear a bunch of spoiled and whining little liberal-arts students trying to be "socially aware" when really they haven't got a clue about what they are saying. Sick of consumerism and corporations? Then stop supporting them. Throw your fucking I-phones and other bullshit away, start asking yourself why you are not protesting the president, who buy the way has taken more wall street money than any other politician in the country. I can only hope to see more of you on the recieving end of nypd nightsticks, especially since word is out that your ilk have taken to spitting at and thowing shit at uniformed military personnel in Boston. The only young people in this country that are making a real difference are those in uniform. They serve their country. You only serve yourselves.
How, exactly, is your immature rant making a difference, hmm? Clue time, Sherlock, it's not. Shut up, adults are speaking here.
Not sure if there is any need to take any political side on this by using words like "neoliberalism", but the last words of the statement, "shared prosperity, respect, mutual aid, and dignity" perhaps combined with empathy (especially when respect or tolerance are harder to muster sometimes), are what we truly must advocate. Those individuals who have managed to create wealth and share it with the ethics advocated by this movement deserve our support. Others, who have trodden carelessly and thoughtlessly on the backs of shareholders, consumers, and ordinary citizens need to wake up (if they have truly been able to sleep at night) and take note.
I advise the working class of US to take over the economy and establish a economic democracy as a new system..Let the Corporation and big business never emerge, ever
Honestly, we've had the same idea in our minds for quite some time now, transfering the power to apply changes to the working force, instead of keeping it in the hands of a few. When Yugoslavia fell appart many people were chearing for it, but now 20 years later we keep hearing different opinions over it. People were actually living better in those days, because the system was build on an idea of a world in which everyone had everything, even if the system went astray. We could say the same about the communism, the idea of it had a great potential, but a piss poor execution.
Some of the 53% posts on tumblr are fake!
PROOF: //i.imgur.com/yarZ7.jpg
Only some? Since it's a site created by a wannabe journalist not even Faux News would hire, for the sole purpose of mocking the movement, it's safe to assume almost all posts there are fakes.
Apart from that, what else is new?
http://ihuanedo.ning.com/group/spanish-nigerian-updates/forum/topics/the-spanish-crisis-from-an-immigrant-point-of-view
Read the article.
Yeah - it's anti corruption and the guy has lived in Spain for a decade. What are you wanting me to see?
I see an interesting correlation between their corruption and ours. It started at the same time - 2008. And in the same way - fraudulent housing loan scams, leading to a busting morgage bubble and massive forclosures. As we know from experiencing it, shit just rolled downhill from there, with a lot of blame the victioms bullshit and the real perps being unchallenged.
The banksters' crimes go worldwide.
Remember that old thing called United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSSR). They nationalized the banks, provided jobs, spread the wealth, fed their people...I wonder what happened to that old country...oh yeah, it couldn't support itself and collapsed. If you don't like what's going on, VOTE to change it. You think things should just get handed to you just because...let me tell you, NOTHING IS FREE. Work hard for what you want and achieve it. Don't mope around and complain. I'm 28, I graduated with a decent gpa and went on to get my master's and put myself in 75k in student loans...that was a calculated risk that is paying off since I HAVE A JOB, I work for what I want. I still live at home because I want to pay off my debt, I live below my means because I'm RESPONSIBLE. Stop complaining and if you don't like it, MOVE TO VENEZUELA OR CUBA...I hear it's warm this time of year!...damn hippies.
Rant rant rant.
Remember Obama's promise to change shit? We did vote for change, and got shafted. You too by the way. Roll that up in your worthless diploma that'll never get your hired except maybe at Wal-mart if you're lucky, and smoke it. Oh, and give up any hope of ever paying off that debt, unless we succeed.
So just sit there on your mother's couch and stew. We're trying to fix a broken world, and that's a big job. What the fuck are you doing?
Remember that old thing called United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSSR). They nationalized the banks, provided jobs, spread the wealth, fed their people...I wonder what happened to that old country...oh yeah, it couldn't support itself and collapsed. If you don't like what's going on, VOTE to change it. You think things should just get handed to you just because...let me tell you, NOTHING IS FREE. Work hard for what you want and achieve it. Don't mope around and complain. I'm 28, I graduated with a decent gpa and went on to get my master's and put myself in 75k in student loans...that was a calculated risk that is paying off since I HAVE A JOB, I work for what I want. I still live at home because I want to pay off my debt, I live below my means because I'm RESPONSIBLE. Stop complaining and if you don't like it, MOVE TO VENEZUELA OR CUBA...I hear it's warm this time of year!...damn hippies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibmcsEGLKo (Song: Window by The Album Leaf) One of the most inspirational speeches in recorded history was given by a comedian by the name of Charlie Chaplin. If you like what you see please share the video any way you can and pass the message on. Spanish - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEAp8HRyjxo Chinese - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBTKbGBvHc French - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhiMZIh3XiA Hungarian - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J0D1cHARMc Dutch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPmRsEsISE8 Greek - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0ZRMZ9y_I Slovenian - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXnmyhVcsBg Polish - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuqbony9RiE Finnish - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN93hUdVT2g Korean - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR8Y7tO8yrI Portuguese - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CE35ka2daM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGpCds0e-kg German - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMwYhgoHUVM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zlNXO25-kc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PZwi89dgn4
People finally realized what THE BLACK HOLES really are!
THE BANKS.....
LMAO!
I'll have to email Stephen Hawking and tell him he was looking in the wrong direction all along!
People finally realized what THE BLACK HOLES really are!
THE BANKS.....
Keep going!
Many of us in Germany have been following the developments in the US closely. What happens in the US affects us and every single person on this planet.
What a relief to see OWS evolve as a counter balance to this weired remote-controlled Teaparty freak show.
Occupy Melbourne today: http://i53.tinypic.com/21l3l84.jpg
Historic words Keep it real and keep it peaceful
cheers to OWS, i was worried for y'all on Thursday night. when i woke up Friday i was overjoyed to hear (on NPR) that y'all had stayed steadfast & solid, & that Bloomberg/NYPD had stood down.
Saturday 10/15, we begin here in Pittsburgh, PA w/ a permitted march, to be followed by an attempted occupation. thanks to all at OWS, you're an inspiration, we hope to join your movement & add our bit to your achievements.
Neoliberalism - the canary in the coal mine (to borrow a phrase from global climate change reports.)
Theocracy - to be governed by divine guidance, or by officials who are divinely guided to the doctine of a particular religious sect or religion.
Who are we opposing? Who owns Wall Street? Who control most of the private wealth? Who have the most influencial lobbyists? Which people sit on the boards of most defense contractors and are awarded the most lucrative contracts?
Warning signs - phrases like "Balanced Budget", "Small Government" " Overturn the repeal of DADT", "Proposition 8", "dismantle the EPA and Dept of Education", "intelligent design" (as a test of political worthiness), "Right to Work", and others.
I for one am happy to have been educated in a period that allowed free expression of ideas. I was a dual Finance and Anthropology major in the late 70's. I am able to appreciate what difference means to the bigger picture and have absolute faith in it's value. I feel sorry for most of the emerging workforce in that they must pursue a life of conformity to prescribed ideals.
Homework assignment and extra credit to the first 10 people who can really identify the root cause of this "economic class warfare". Hint -You are given clues.
I am the 99%. I work for an engineering firm and specialize in procuring military bids for work in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have seen first hand the American tax dollars wasted on bribes, graft and corruption. Not only in foreign countries but within our own military machine. I have children and I care about the future. I have aging parents and I care that they were lied to.
I will never be rich, but I will have my dignity.
'phrases like "Balanced Budget", "Small Government" " Overturn the repeal of DADT", "Proposition 8", "dismantle the EPA and Dept of Education", "intelligent design" (as a test of political worthiness), "Right to Work", and others.'
I have heard these catchphrases many many times, and they all came out of Republican mouths and aggressive extremist Christian mouths. Those same mouths also want to force our kids to pray in school, and replace science classes with dogmatic brainwashing. They also openly scorn the very idea of global warming, and make up shit like pollution controls are bad for the economy. And they looooove blowing up shit and killing people; any excuse would do to blow up shit and kill people for them. Then after the shit is blown up and the people are killed, they move in like vultures to steal what's left.
Oh, and don't you dare question them! If you question them, they'll rant and rail, call you an anti-American, liberal, socialist, commie, hippie, fag, satanist, accuse you of mass murder and warfare, then go into attack mode, call the cops, and try anything to shut you up. Does that sound familiar, OWS?
So, those mouths are either puppets of the powermongers, or the powermongers themselves. I'm guessing the latter.
Maybe I missed the clues, or maybe not. You tell me, Prof.
Can we built a new nation like combined capitalism and socialism???
Commie idiots, neoliberalism gave you rights, freedom a flourishing economy! It's extremely obvious for anyone who's not half brained that you're lazy commie bastards who don't want to work but who want money and lots of "free" benefits...
So you should seriously consider emigirating to North Korea or Cuba... because if you really insist, one day you might be forcibly exiled to a place like those!
way to spread such a positive message. No no, don't get up from ur couch/armchair. We will fight for your rights.
Can we built a new nation like combined capitalism and socialism???
Can we built a new nation like combined capitalism and socialism???
neomarxist unite
Greetings parasites, its a shame to see that you jobless, hipster idiots, who got stupid degrees and expect jobs from them can protest about how you spent all your welfare money on macbooks and fucking cameras instead of shit you actually need, if you werent so fucking lazy and stupid you'd realise that protesting against corporations, who by the way provide EVERYTHING you use, eat and wear, is pointless. The sooner you can get some fucking JOBS. SERIOUSLY GROW THE FUCK UP, no wonder your country is screwed, its because of leeches like YOU!
Stupid trolls. With such open hatred, such a fake air of self-appointed superiority, such easily sensed hypocrisy while trying, and failing, to disguise their fear behind false bravado, it can mean only one thing: A direct slur campaign perpetrated by sociopathic, batshit insane Republicans. Indeed, easily detected and called. This is always how they respond to threats to their powergrabbing, both real and imagined. This has been predicted.
You, my friends and fellows of the Occupancy, attract such vitriol simply because you resist their madness, and shine a beacon of hope that inspires others to resist. You also expose their lies to the harsh light of truth, something else they can't stand.
Trolls, trying to slay this particular dragon with pinpricks of crude insults and smatterings of frothing rhetoric, only amuses the dragon and betrays your fear. The dragon isn't scared of you, you are afraid of the dragon. The dragon is bigger than you, it's smarter than you, it's stronger than you, it's tougher than you, it's in your face, and it's not going away. It grows stronger and ever more powerful by the day. It's merely biding it's time, and announcing it's presence with the mighty roar of it's People's Voice, while it's patiently waiting for you to make a fatal mistake. Then, it shall pounce and eat you alive.
This great purple dragon is your creation, birthed of the blood of your crimes, and your abuses as a bully. This dragon is your greatest nightmare come to life, and it knows your weaknesses better than you do. It smells your fear, and it finds the scent delicious.
Know the name of your failure! This dragon is called OWS, and formally, Unity. It is legion, yet one, and it can't be conquered, divided, or diminished.
Troll, instead of being a crude, insignificant jester before this mighty, virtuous beast, go out and pick a fight with a "faggot", "wetback", or a "nigger", or beat up on a "bitch". After all, abusing others always makes you feel better about your sad pathetic existence as a batshit insane leech upon the world, doesn't it? Be sure to thump a bible real hard while you're doing that, too. The dragon thinks that's real funny.
way to be an automaton.
I applaud this united effort. I have been saying that this need to happen for ten years. A revolution of the masses. My father told me it was not right to say because revolution is ugly, war. As I told him it does not need to be and everyone around the world is proving it. One point I want to make we need to be clear in our message as I think every one is aware of. Unfortunately this is just the first step to this movement. I think to keep this movement going and send a clear message, that we are the 99% we need to pick, A bank, Such as Bank of America, an Oil company,, such as BP, etc and boycott them till fall to their knees and do this one by one until they all see that we are the 99% and they are in our hands and we are not in theirs. At that point they will understand they have no choice but to change. We need to come up with a clear set of actions, compromises, and tolerants. We can do this peacefully.
"It is virtue alone that entitles a ruler to rule, and when he sets aside virtue, he sets aside the right to call himself sovereign" - Watson Burton
The power of the masses will unite - under virtue - you are free - imagine you have the opportunity to ammend the constitution - pick your words wisely and write them...a nation wide petition...it is no small task ..
"It is virtue alone that entitles a ruler to rule, and when he sets aside virtue, he sets aside the right to call himself sovereign" - Watson Burton
The power of the masses will unite - under virtue - you are free - imagine you have the opportunity to ammend the constitution - pick your words wisely and write them...a nation wide petition...it is no small task ..
Occupy THIS statement and stop whining, 70 hour work weeks make most millionares. They never slow down, or want things handed to them.
In my opinion, we need to export more than we import, do away with income tax, property tax, and school taxes. Keep state sales tax if your state has it, and have a 10% use tax on everything anyone buys. Deport anyone that is in our prisons and not a citizen of the USA. Scrap the healthcare bill and have a plan that works replace it. Bring 80% of the troops home to protect our borders, airports, and coasts. Give super support to the 20% of our troops in the sandbox and around the globe, while they slowly turn over the countries to the people there, or do their jobs in the world. Cut the 35% corperate tax, get rid of some of the EPA rules and regs that prohibit factories from being even considered in the USA. Prosecute some of the politicians and bankers who sold us down the river in too many ways to name them all. From wars to terrorist plots, to race cards, and now class wars. Give it up people see through the distractions. Do something besides try and throw blame on everyone. Prosecute all inside traders, manipulaters, and con-artists, algorythims and quantitative easing that make trades today so crazy. The sooner people wake up to the fact that Banks, and Corperations run more of our country than politicians do the better. All Politicians need to be for the people, but it has become twisted and they line their pockets while they are in other pockets. They represent the rot we see in America now. Get rid of lobby scum that line their pockets. Cutting deals at our expense. Cut all their pay in half, benifits in half, and see who stays in Washington for the people..
Also have more checks and balances for the systems we have in place. Welfare, Medicaid, and Medicare, Unemployment benifits, and any handouts paid for by taxes are necessary. The system is abused all the way around. Make what we have work, and the 10% use tax will cover it easily. Every thing you buy .10 goes to fund needed programs.
Then and only then will we start to fix what is broke. Because policies in place now are a joke. How can you grow as a nation if policies and taxes stunt your growth? We need policies that encourage new ideas, technology, and services. So people can work hard save and get ahead. No big government, no programs, no status quo. We need the freedom to grow.
Still the best country in the world, but not for long at the rate we are going. We need a leader who will get past the race, creed, religion, and status quo of rot, that will turn the rot into fertilizer for this rich country and planet.
I agree with all that you said, except for this:
"Cut the 35% corperate tax, get rid of some of the EPA rules and regs that prohibit factories from being even considered in the USA."
Arms crossed. BLOCK! I hold this block and will not capitulate.
The tax stays as is. They stole from us through tax dodging, lobbying, illegally exploiting loopholes in tax code, and are demanded to repay it. NO lifting of EPA protections. Strengthen them. The world's environment is damaged almost beyond point of comfortable sustainability. Further pollution does us all grave harm.
Neoliberalism? What the hell? Neoliberalism does not encourage deficit spending. Considering we are in a debt crisis don't your perhaps mean Keynesianism? BTW we do not have capitalism. We have corporatism.
Too bad. Many american people, now screamed about their troubled economic system. Maybe they haven't heard of the Sharia economic system, which is the most fair and square system of economy available in the universe. Will they ever learn ? You don't have to be muslim, to run Sharia economic system. You just have to be honest, fair and trustworthy.
So just yesterday, an ex-NYC cop testifies that there's a widespread practice of arresting innocent people in New York and planting evidence on them in order to get overtime pay AND reach their arrest quota AND Supervisors are involved in this breach of their Oath and blatantly illegal activity. http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/10/stephen_anderso.php http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/ex-nypd-cop-we-planted-ev_n_1009754.html
No wonder the NYPD led protesters onto the Brooklyn Bridge and then arrested 700 - lots of overtime pay and exceeding arrest quotas... and no wonder they're arresting so many innocent people involved in the protests. It's the classic, "2fer."
Please spread the word. The protesters should be handing out leaflets with this information in EVERY city and then chant in front of the police: "USA, USA, USA!"
We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. Winston Churchill
i plan to withdraw $5000.00 from chase tomorrow. i think whoever can afford to should withdraw some token amount to send a message.
greetings from singapore. stand up to the financialization of the global economy and put these bankers in their place. bankers are the same everywhere. Here in singapore, they behave like theyre the kings of the world, party and spend like there's no tomorrow and somehow think that what they do is doing the world a great favour. and its all because of this "too big to fail" mentality. The party will last for these banks as long as main street lets them. hang in there and force the change! OWS is not just signifcant for the US. you can and will have an impact globally. All the best!
In democracy ALL posts should be posted immedieately othersie you are not better than that Fox Newss "Fair and Balanced" crap that half the nation is absorbing...it has come to my attention you are not doing that...START IMMEDIATELY!! or you are not better than the neo naxis trying to silence you
Just a suggestion - stay away from terms like 'neoliberalism'. Use language that people understand. Don't compare yourselves to the Arab uprisings - it is demeaning to them - you're not being shot down in the street, and the oppression here is nothing like the dictatorships there. Just protest the growing inequity of wealth and the influence of wealth on the political system. Make simple and reasonable statements of purpose - corporations are not people, we need progressive tax codes and policies to grow the middle class.
I'm pretty sure if it cost nothing to run for political office, health care and education would also cost nothing.
Think about it.
If capitalism is the choice than I think that Keynesian economics is perhaps the most viable system because it allows bolt sides - private sector and government – to coexist in harmony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynesian
This is the truth.
NEO and Liberalism....conjoined?...not a snowballs chance in hell
Some one please give me a list of names of this 1%. I know bill gates has to be number 1 on the list, sure warrne buffet is on it.. what are the other 3 million plus names.
Why do many middle class people vote against their own economic interest? I've been puzzling over this for years and have come to the conclusion that Americans were SOLD the idea that capitalism EQUALS freedom. So therefore, regulations on capitalism EQUALS a reduction in freedom. And who wants that? Americans vote against their own economic interest because they BELIEVE they are voting IN FAVOR OF freedom. Everybody likes freedom, right? But the truth is, capitalism does NOT equal freedom. Capitalism is merely (only) an economic system and can be associated with any number of POLITICAL systems, from free to tyrannical. It is more helpful to think of capitalism as one form of the money game and like all games, it isn't very much fun if there are no rules. Capitalism without rules benefits only thieves. It was the thieves who SOLD everyone else on the idea that capitalism IS freedom so that we would all acquiesce when they did away with all "those regulations that keep the free market from working". Once all the rules were gone, the thieves robbed us blind.
Capitalism and Corporations should be TOOLS which are USED by HUMAN BEINGS for the accomplishment of HUMAN GOALS.
Not the other way around.
The way to reform our corrupt electoral process: Call for a Constitutional Convention
According to Article V, Congress must call for an amendment-proposing convention, “on the application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States”, and therefore 34 state legislatures would have to submit applications. Once an Article V convention has proposed amendments, then each of those amendments would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states (i.e. 38 states) in order to become part of the Constitution. Congress has the power to choose between two methods of ratification: ratification by the state legislatures, or instead ratification by state conventions called for that purpose. In contrast to those separate state ratification conventions, a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution would be a single federal convention.
Even though the Article V convention process has never been used to amend the Constitution, the number of states applying for a convention has nearly reached the required threshold several times. Congress has proposed amendments to the Constitution on several occasions, at least in part, because of the threat of an Article V convention. Rather than risk such a convention taking control of the amendment process away from it, Congress acted pre-emptively to propose the amendments instead. At least four amendments (the Seventeenth, Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, and Twenty-Fifth Amendments) have been identified as being proposed by Congress at least partly in response to the threat of an Article V convention.[11] From Wikipedia
How is the movement going to translate into actual power to effect change? We should start by always making clear the fundamental righteousness of our cause, and keep It in the forefront in any discussions we have? We should start with conversation with the questions 'What is a fair amount of compensation for an individuals contribution, and how much wealth and therefore power, should an individual be allowed to amass?' We can debate how much is fair, but we cannot debate that the current levels of compensation are justified or fair. Anyone who believes someone has a right to such high level of compensation and wealth is not being consistent with any spiritual teachings that I am aware of. What does the bible say about the chances of a rich man getting into heaven? We will eventually have to transition into a political force, and make the necessary changes in that arena. The electoral college system should be done away with, as it is a major obstacle to real political power. I believe that energy, health-coverage, and housing should be controlled by the government. Too much wealth is concentrated in one segment of the economy (housing). This was a major catalyst for the economic collapse we are in. The gentlemen who said "The rent is too da... High had it right. The cost of housing is too large a percentage of an individuals income. Most have little left over to spend on goods and services. If the cost of housing was much lower, it would free up money to spend on goods and services, which would mean more money circulating to a much broader segment of the economy. This would create more jobs and make the economy less vulnerable.
I want to thank everyone for working so hard to change our world for the better...I'm 55 years old, with a Master's without a pension...I have lost so much money in the stock market ...I was told " DON'T SELL. HANG IN THERE IT WILL TURN AROUND". I wish I did sell....I'm now broke.. although I have a Job ...I'm poor....we have to fight corporation and greed....and thank you....I know there will be better days ahead for us....thank you
Arundhati Roy explains it artfully in Instant Mix Imperial Democracy (Buy One Get One Free) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-108608146798491847
Im Allll In to Win!
Corporate earning are at a record high & CEO's continue with multi million dollar bonus. Yet they are telling the people that taxes are high because of teachers, police, fireman & government workers are at fault. ALL MIDDLE CLASS. We didn't make this mess, endless tax breaks for the wealthy did. The Goverment in NJ took our pension money and spent it now they are making us pay it back. We did our part. Why do I have to pay back money which was stolen?
Arab Spring? Liberation Theology? Antisemitism? Soros? Economic equality? Sexual revolution? Malcolm X? Neoliberalism vs. Socialism? Jeremiah Wright? Marxism? So called "Separation of church and state"? What gate has our president opened anyway? Do we even know what a new "era" might mean? Does this land need "people power" or God's power?
Who was responsible for some of the problems? Was it Obama? Then picket the white house, Was it Geithner? then picket the Treasury in DC; was it George Soros? Then refuse his money; was it Holder? Then picket the Justice Department in DC and each US Attorney; go to the people who are involved with the TARP program giving the money to the banks and stop them from doing it!!! The end user banks are not the ones who have created the mess it was Congress and the White House!!! They did this by giving them the money...Show me the money!!!
PLEASE READ - The END to COLONIAL and CORPORATE RULE - The shift to a perfect beginning - Please feel free to tag yourselves and your friends...Pass this information far and wide - This can be done world wide. IN NORTH AMERICA AS EASILY AS 2 MONTHS TIME LIKE WE DO IN CANADA...it's a simple changing of the guard BUT by the people and not political parties. The people protesting need to know this information. Now let's be CLEAR... the indigenous had no human rights until 2007...and the USA and Canada did their own little spiel on decolonization and only once you apply can it be done via the UN BUT given that both countries agreed to negotiate directly with the peoples their self determination and self governing on reserves, without educating them about the truth of what decolonization means on the international level, was a sick ploy ... so...now that the truth is KNOWN, they can proceed and take what is rightfully theirs as long as it doesn't hurt the country as a whole... And yes, the North American Indians (which was never their name but mistaken for people from India) know that no one can own land anywhere on earth..and that YES...everyone is responsible for treating the earth with love and respect for Creator as it feeds us etc... The word INDIGENOUS according to the United nations means `Indigenous to the lands/ territories where people lived that were INVADED by colonies" - treaties were created as negotiation tools for relocation of their families, lands they cultivated ( some grew corn, beans and squash etc) others fished and hunted...and so on so according to the UN resolution of 1949 - decolonization of those who where invaded was finalized in 1960. Canada and US regarded these people as having no HUMAN rights....therefore they hardly had a voice due to political interests of the crown and others... now they DO have rights!! 80 invaded countries applied for decolonization since 1960. 16 are left to decolonize... Research Gibraltar and Sahara, and you will understand what the USA and Canada did to avoid the North American indigenous peoples to truly decolonize...they offered them self determination and self government of their reservations but FAILED to let them know as their caretakers of their true rights on the international level. Now this can change simply by them filing their application and ensuring that all they want to do is to simply return the lands to the people/ ...all peoples under Creator that they were entrusted with; by overseeing that all natural resources of the lands are shared amongst everyone within these lands. as well as protected from corporate greed by bringing to the people and government; the decision making like their clan system which is to make the PEOPLES of Canada and the USA - decide what happens on these lands without hurting those who are innocent. Let this be a reminder that our ego needs to be in check and as long as the wrongs are not righted...we are doomed.... At present Samoa, Guam. Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands are also decolonizing and with that...their natural resources and lands are to be remitted...and this is FACT. People can bitch all they want...but as it stands, they are the ONLY way out of this mess and we should support them.. This so far is the best and only solution for all world wide...think about it! here is the link.. http://www.un.org/en/decolonization/ . This is the link for Puerto Rico Decolonization: 20 June, 2011 - GA/COL/3224 Special Committee on Decolonization Calls on United States, in Consensus Text, to Speed up Process Allowing Puerto Rico to Exercise Self-Determination http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/gacol3224.doc.htm Much love and blessings,
Occupations on Oct. 15th 2:00p.m on Cape Cod MA. One in Provincetown and one in Hyannis. United We Stand, divided we Fall! Stick together!
The problem starts with reaganomics,read John Galbraith of Princton U. his opionion on Bill Lauffer and reagan , idiots,my father in law was in service with reagan and simply he was filth. Now look at bush ,Phil Graham and his wife. They destroyed the up-tick rule that caused most of todays problems. There should be a trial and there are others in texas. I'm a presbyterian and the church is opposed to masons as anti-christian. To the moron anti-semetic remarks. Look at how many masonic bankers and banks,MANY How many jewish banks??? Get staRTED IN TEXAS AND MASONIC BANKERS.
What exactly is going to happen on October 15th? What are the goals of the OWS movement? And what constitutes a victory for OWS. I am a little confused, because no one participating in OWS seems to know what they are fighting for. There is no unified idea or theme or goal here in OWS. Can anyone fill me in?
george carlin said it 40 years ago , there is no morality in big business , the only kind of " morality " they understand is keeping the companies books in the black . regardless of the cost to people , communities , countries , the planet . they dont care about you . they dont think like we do . make them listen , if you still have money in one of the big banks , go there tomorrow and close your accounts , flood their lobbies with people closing their accounts , that'll scare the crap out of them .heeheehee :)
george carlin said it 40 years ago , there is no morality in big business , the only kind of " morality " they understand is keeping the companies books in the black . regardless of the cost to people , communities , countries , the planet . they dont care about you . they dont think like we do . make them listen , if you still have money in one of the big banks , go there tomorrow and close your accounts , flood their lobbies with people closing their accounts , that'll scare the crap out of them .heeheehee :)
george carlin said it 40 years ago , there is no morality in big business , the only kind of " morality " they understand is keeping the companies books in the black . regardless of the cost to people , communities , countries , the planet . they dont care about you . they dont think like we do . make them listen , if you still have money in one of the big banks , go there tomorrow and close your accounts , flood their lobbies with people closing their accounts , that'll scare the crap out of them .heeheehee :)
I haven't found work because there are competing people who have beaten me to employment and because the current economy, perpetuated by corruption at the government (not corporate) level has stunted job growth. I deserve nothing other than the fruits of my successful labor. Entitlement is for toddlers. Responsibility is for adults. Bridge the gap and mature.
may I suggest that everyone try to get an american flag to take to times square.
Remember, we want to reach the tens of millions of our fellow citizens that are being told by some media that we're all a bunch of american hating bastards.
If some moron on fox tries to say that a bunch of flag waving people are out to destroy america, his message will fail
Let's show them we love this country so much we're gonna fight to save it.
Let's invite, in the most telegenic way possible, everyone in this country to join this revolution.
Robin Hood is a populist tale but the Marxism you are suggesting scares the shit out of the average human. You may want to tone down the absurd labor union, environment, and living wage bullshit. I wouldn't mention Greece either as it's agreat example of the results of what you want.
So that we will not be fooled again
As everyone knows the middle class has been losing ground now for decades and the divide between rich and the middle class has become larger and larger. The middle class finds itself under assaulted from both political parties. The Demarcates spend money that we do not have and the Republicans carter to the rich. And to top this all off, the best and brightest of our society often work for the very forces that continue to take money from middle class Americans and send it to the powers brokers whether they be union bosses, politicians, or Wall Street insiders. So how do we fight back? A simple message to politicians regarding what to do to balance the budget…DO NOT RAISE MY TAXES AND DO NOT CUT MY SERVICES (social security, Medicare, Medicaid). GO FIND THE MONEY! It is a simple message but think about what it does to address corruption and waste in government and stop the slide to the middle class safety net. If they cannot get the money from the middle class to bail them out of the mess they got us into, then finally they will be forced to come up with real reform that does not come at the expense of the middle class. DO NOT RAISE MY TAXES AND DO NOT CUT MY SERVICES. GO FIND THE MONEY!
Excellent.
I am glad people are protesting however they need to go to Washington to the government buildings i.e. White House, Congress and protest there. There should be one day where millions of people would be gathered - how about the movement sell white t-shirts with 99% in large black letters on the front of it (like a football jersey) to raise some money - or better yet get a sponsor to make the t-shirts and have a printer put on the 99%. This would make a great statement (who would wear a 1%). ASk some of the celebrities to throw in the money for the t-shirts (i.e. Michael Moore) as well as get some big names organizing the event. The international press would be all over it and the government couldn’t ignore it.
I will be there, in stout opposition of the lobbyists and other vampire squids.
These "isms" we try to blame for our current and past crises have been so manipulated and twisted by corrupt forces that they've lost their meaning (communism and capitalism being prime examples -- when people can use these terms as a both a badge of honor and an epithet, you know they have become useless). We need to give ourselves an "ism"-ectomy and start looking at what the real problem is: Corruption of the economy and government by a very few looking to distract us with all manner of bickering over what's the right "ism" so they can steal everything not nailed down.
Go after the corrupt, the power-hungry, the greedy. Make laws that keep them in check -- and make transparency a hard and fast rule for your lawmakers. You might find that a whole new ideology emerges--one that actually means something, mends the nation and one that the corrupt can't bend to their own destructive ends.
Democratize the economy!
I Use to live in Socialist Yugoslavia..No taxes, free healthcare, free to educate yourself, Socialized welfare, Socialized Enterprises, no boss to fuckin' yell on you! Profits were shared by the workers and certain amount reinvested, GDP Growth was the highest in Europe..Paradise until the American government and corporate interests caused the civil war and destroyed our dreams! And now..we lost everything and became corporate slaves....:(((((((((((((((((((((((((
Join Democratic Socialists of America. Make all the money you want, just take care of your fellow citizen with freeeducation and healthcare. Those put all on equal settings. http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html. There is a major meeting coming up in Washington.
" If we dont stop the special interests, Wall Street Banksters, and lobbyist, this country will cease as a Republic and Democracy as our founding fathers had intended it." I am paraphrasing a little know quote by Warren Beatty way back in 2000 when he was considering running for President . I added the "wall street banksters" line to update. Point is he was so right over 11 years ago.
Cheers to all who are in this fight. We in the rest of the country love you guys.
Where is the great protest music like the 60s? Has this generation artists been bought out, or fear reprisals? Are they cowards? Hope I am wrong but their silence is deafening. "Something happening Here"
None of this matters unless we ORGANIZE:
https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
I just hope that everyone has realistic goals.
Drastic campaign finance and lobbying reform is a good goal. Foreclosure protection is a good goal. More of a tax burden on the rich is a good goal. A public health option is a good goal. Jobs spending (a bailout for the poor) is a good goal. Steeper penalties and investigations for wall street is a good goal.
All the things I just listed will require the social fight of our lives to attain and should be fought for through peaceful resistance and political action. Things I see people writing like the end of corporate personhood and socialized banks and even anarchy are dumb, unrealistic goals that will only get this movement laughed at. Right now realistic, attainable goals are the things that can really help push this movement forward and help a lot of people through these hard times.
show the world NY!!
I believe in what you all stand for this is a long time coming..bless you all...best to this movement!!!! we stand behind you...
You censor this site just like the media censors alternate views.
Censoring this site!
30 hour work week are you joking. There are no free lunches. Success takes hard work. Motivation and incentive. You losers are totalitarian fools. I would rather be poor than work for the collective and not be free to chooses my own destiny. As they say in New Hampshire live free or die.
Where is the N.H. event, if any? I'd also like to see actions against not only the Fed directly at their Regional sites, but also indirectly against their member banks, and in particular TD BANK along the Eastern seaboard.
You already are in a "collective" - you're in a slave class, and you don't even know it.
Here is a great idea! Let's equalize the wealth of the entire planet! That way we can all live in tents!
" usher in an era of shared prosperity, respect, mutual aid, and dignity."
We can practice this now .....individually......it starts with the individual.
Tithing is a biblical concept that I practice........do you?
We should move to Washington DC where laws are actually made. These banks didn't just one day decide to leverage their balance sheets 30 and 40 to 1, laws were created that allowed them to do that.
We are in the wrong place fighting the wrong war.
I wish I was in NY- would have joined the group. Keep up the protest.
In search of a fairer society...
Hi protesters.I'm from IRAN.I want to say that "We are with you and we are helping you."good luck.
You cannot mistake capitalism for neoliberalism(modern term for mercentilism). Neoliberalism is not free market as it is a partnership between big business and government. Government by coercion of regulations maintain business cartels and knocks out competition;this is no capitalism.
Thanks. You named the beast.
The book After Capitalism, by David Schweickart, outlines capitalism as an economic model and proposes an alternative economic model: Economic Democracy. It is the answer to "what is the alternative then?" It is sound and possible. The movement of Occupy Wallstreet should adopt this theory as their guide and unite themselves under one movement and goal to end global hegemony and replace the corrupt exploitative capitalist regime with a new market based on humanistic, democratic principles.
thx folks for starting the movement ... i will attend tomorrov in munich / germany ... http://jarogruber.blogspot.com/2011/10/united.html
we are the 99% jaro g.
You cannot un-ring the bell, Mowing the grass makes it grow back thicker, The walls of Jericho were brought down by the sound of horns, and A 350-foot redwood tree starts out as a seed that is almost to small to see.
The seed is planted, the roots are firm, the horns are sounding, and the tree is reaching for the sky.
You are misguided fools. You deserve freedom not justice. You do not deserve to be agreed with. You deserve the right to disagree and not be oppressed by the statists and the corporatists. You deserve nothing if you do not work for it or if you are not responsible for your failures. Too big to fail is too big to exist. Your profits are yours and your losses are mine. Take a hike you socialist totalitarian fools.
Wow, that's incoherent.
not so ........ social, economic justice, against the fraud of wild capitalism. .......... fair wages is necessary. no more elite rulers robbery.
and its too big to succeed.
This is not capitalism gone a rye it is socialism gone a rye.
the word is "awry", get it right.
that is the most awesome video i have ever seen! :)
Agreed!
"This has to stop!"
This has stopped. Neoliberalism is a failure. Keep pushing your brooms a couple of more blocks down to Wall Street. We are counting on you guys for a new start!
There is no stopping until the unfairly advantaged are forced to share one level income field with everyone else.
URGENT Leadership needs to step up NOW! Demands need to be clarified so that reforms can be formulated. -Fair tax code for all. -Moratorium on all foreclosures. -Universal healthcare so that all citizens are able to receive the same care as the rich. -Establish real regulations on financial instituations. -Limit profit for corporations that provide essential services, i.e. oil/gas/electric, etc. -Prosecute parties involved in the economic meltdown that we are experiencing -Ban lobbyists for paying for legislation that benefits them Stay on Topic! Occupy Detroit's message is being diluted with personal agendas while important, cloud the real message of this growing movement. Do not let our sacrifices be for naught! Be Safe. Greed can be a powerful motivater for people that don't want to see their income decline, or their wealth fairly taxed. For those of you that are not on board with this movement, most are a paycheck, illness or lost job away from homelessness. We are all equally in peril.
Those who control the media control the minds around you. This is an organized identifyable group. They also control Govt They also control banking, wars, munitions, slumps contractions and fear. Boycott them. name them. demolish their fortress of legal sanctions against the people. Stop paying them and the home states they have forged. Three Starts - Demands Corporations are not people, undo the ruling that allows people rights to corporations, such was illegal before courts were controlled to allow it. Kill fractional banking. Kill Privately owned Federal Reserve.
Open up the voting with non corporate supported candidates. Use the net, voice, local networks. Boucott anyone who uses money to campaign. Name them, avoid them.
State banking is not anything except common sense.
Yes, let's call it the Global Union of Labor and Progress and find a capable leader please.. Before the energy of this movement dissipates!
we need to demand an amendment for the separation of business and state, starting with: corporations aren't people, and money isn't free speech
Agreed! Amendment: A corporate entity, in and of itself, is not a person and, therefore, is not entitled to the rights and protections afforded to a person as set forth in this Constitution of the United States of America.
I agree that there is at minimum the appearance of quid pro quo with corporate donations to political campaigns. But I believe that a free association of individuals should maintain those rights recognized to be held by the individuals themselves. Otherwise, there would be no press. There would be no ACLU. As these organizations survive through the enjoyment of the right to free speech. As for money not being speech; You have the right to labor for any cause or campaign that you wish. Spending money on a cause or campaign is, in effect, your devoting your labor (in absentia) and would therefore qualify as your expression or speech. That's not to say that the right to free speech is absolute. It's not and this has been recognized for quite some time. Hence, limits on direct campaign donations, etc..
For anyone wondering about what an alternative economic system would look like, I highly recommend you read the book below (or just about anything else) by Michael Lebowitz. The folks at Monthly Review would probably give anyone at OWS copies for free. But the basic idea is economic democracy: we should all have a say in what gets produced and how it gets produced. http://monthlyreview.org/press/books/pb2143/
Occupy THIS statement and stop whining, 70 hour work weeks make most millionares. They never slow down, or want things handed to them.
In my opinion, we need to export more than we import, do away with income tax, property tax, and school taxes. Keep state sales tax if your state has it, and have a 10% use tax on everything anyone buys. Deport anyone that is in our prisons and not a citizen of the USA. Scrap the healthcare bill and have a plan that works replace it. Bring 80% of the troops home to protect our borders, airports, and coasts. Give super support to the 20% of our troops in the sandbox and around the globe, while they slowly turn over the countries to the people there, or do their jobs in the world. Cut the 35% corperate tax, get rid of some of the EPA rules and regs that prohibit factories from being even considered in the USA. Prosecute some of the politicians and bankers who sold us down the river in too many ways to name them all. From wars to terrorist plots, to race cards, and now class wars. Give it up people see through the distractions. Do something besides try and throw blame on everyone. Prosecute all inside traders, manipulaters, and con-artists, algorythims and quantitative easing that make trades today so crazy. The sooner people wake up to the fact that Banks, and Corperations run more of our country than politicians do the better. All Politicians need to be for the people, but it has become twisted and they line their pockets while they are in other pockets. They represent the rot we see in America now. Get rid of lobby scum that line their pockets. Cutting deals at our expense. Cut all their pay in half, benifits in half, and see who stays in Washington for the people..
Also have more checks and balances for the systems we have in place. Welfare, Medicaid, and Medicare, Unemployment benifits, and any handouts paid for by taxes are necessary. The system is abused all the way around. Make what we have work, and the 10% use tax will cover it easily. Every thing you buy .10 goes to fund needed programs.
Then and only then will we start to fix what is broke. Because policies in place now are a joke. How can you grow as a nation if policies and taxes stunt your growth? We need policies that encourage new ideas, technology, and services. So people can work hard save and get ahead. No big government, no programs, no status quo. We need the freedom to grow.
Still the best country in the world, but not for long at the rate we are going. We need a leader who will get past the race, creed, religion, and status quo of rot, that will turn the rot into fertilizer for this rich country and planet.
Come to Western North Dakota or Eastern Montana. Not for protest; but to get a job. Employers are crying for people who want to work. Both big business and small mom and Pop business are hiring at extremely high wages. Both technical and no job skill people are being hired. Truck drivers can earn $125000/year. MCDonalds will pay from 15 to 20 dollars/hour plus full benefits. Do you really want to work? Or do you wanr everything given to you?
moving to another state is not an option for a lot of people, and you have said this before, but it doesn't make it true.
endeavor to keep in mind: be mindfull.
1) the basic dialectic is between optimism and struggle a) the one informs the other
That's really insightful; thanks.
b) the struggle is against hierarchy-- - in the first instance, and in the last - the struggle will be further defined. c) the optimism is for equality - in the first instance: a thoughtful ideal, in the end: that is what the struggle is all about.
History is a tautology, by which i mean the names within the hierarchy change, but the hierarchy remains the same.
(thank you for the reply. i am new to all this, i am old school)
On centralized hierarchy and decentralized meshwork, see my comment on this page above, mentioning Manuel De Landa's suggestion of a need for on open attitude to what the right balance is between meshwork and hierarchy for any real system in a particular situation; a link to that comment: http://occupywallst.org/article/10-15-call-to-action/#comment-106428
But I'd agree right now we have a pretty dysfunctional hierarchy in a lot of ways to struggle against.
More on optimism and beyond, from Howard Zinn: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1108-21.htm http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncomrev24.html
I am with you because I am one of the 99er.
Let's try to convince the world.
Greetings from Germany
I love it!!!! Call for global awareness and action.
Aloha! So many of us out here in Hawaii have been occupying the jungle, we are with you OWS. I'm so glad to see social consciousness reaching that critical mass. Much of the petty vitriol on the public political scene is built on the illusion of separateness. Don't care for the elderly, children, or the sick? This is not someone else, this is me and you, JUST AT A DIFFERENT TIME IN LIFE. The child who will suffer in the heat of climate change is your child, Mr. Muckety-Muck. The minimum wage worker who is uninsured and angry will be wiping your elderly butt in the nursing home, Ms. Angry Talking Head. Is that how you want it? As the wealthiest country in the world, it seems like the least we could do is insure that our citizens are given the opportunity to lead healthy, peaceful, dignified lives. And that corporations are not given a free pass to degrade the planet we all live on. I want all children to have fresh food and loving care. I want no one in my community to die or sicken for lack of care. I want to buy products made by people who feel respected. I want to see older people treated with dignity and even reverence, if they've earned it. I want people who scrub toilets to know that I am so thankful for the crucial service they provide. Let a well-regulated free market wrestle out the rest, if it must, but can we start from a bottom line where every American is at least given the opportunity to eat good food, learn, be healthy, and pursue happiness? Oh yeah, and can we, as the richest nation ever, also refrain from exporting slavery, environmental degradation, war, and climate change? If all our American successes and ingenuity can't elevate the poorer among us from this brutish battle to survive, then are we really all that ingenious and successful? Let's build solidarity into the system. Make industry pay for the community resources that they take (clean watersheds, topsoil, community health), and suddenly sustainable industry will be the cheapest. Link CEO pay to the pay of all their employees. Make a minimum wage that could actually support a small family. Decriminalize personal sovereignty and prosecute real criminals, those who victimize others and take away their personal sovereignty. I hope and believe most of the 99% share my feelings of solidarity. Thank you for being out there and being peaceful and wise. I left Mayor Bloomberg my message tonight.
So true. Those with the power to change the stocks have the power to exploit them.
"globalization" and 'free trade" have been euphemisms for rape and pillage the world as you please... 1%ers, the world is not yours to rape and pillage as you please, we are not your livestock... you have sold us false advertising, we are not buying it anymore... WE WANT MAIN STREET CAPITALISM, NO MORE WALL STREET CAPITALISM!
Love the line about shocks, makes me think of the Shock Doctrine, the "gripping story of how America’s “free market” policies have come to dominate the world-- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries" http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine
Count me in - in solidarity from California.
Don't give up!
What do you think if turned this movement into a Global Labor Union Movement. This is how we make the governments meet our demands? Our demands can be better wages and all but we need a leader like Elizabeth Warren? I don't think the Government cares what we say unless the corporations cave to our demands first. If we stop say all Smartphone companies from production.. They would definitely have to increase working conditions for us and the Chinese.
It would be more realistic to stick to a US labor movement. Please research Neoliberalism folks. This explains most of why our standard of living is in decline. By "our" I mean the 99%.
FYI for anyone not yet aware: Occupy Wall Street is now in over 1000 American cities. Tomorrow protests in 868 cities will be held all around the world in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. Anyone who still thinks this is just a hippy shindig, is seriously mistaken. Tea Party, why aren't you protesting right alongside with us? The only reason your party was formed to begin with, was to right the wrongs done by Wall Street.
"Wall Street has sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. That no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other people to come. Tell them Occupy Wall Street calls to them! You fly now, with me! My brothers! Sisters! And we will show Wall Street... that they cannot take whatever they want! And that this... this is our land!" =) If no one recognizes what movie this is from I'm going to cry.
I agree. Neocons and Neo liberals are basically Corporate sell out fascists that pretend they have societal integrity but in reality think corporate profits and donations first. I place Sarkozy, Tony Blair, Obama, Merkel in this category. Bush 2 was a neocon-but transparent in his sociopathology. People have to stop thinking about what "winning side they are on" or we will get stuck in the European death spiral of socialist, rightwing pissante arguing while the corporate anarchists step into the vacuum. Neoliberalism is not being LIBERAL. It's socialism for the middle working classes to the poor. The upper classes do not pay their fair share in neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a firewall between social democratic engineering and elitist capitalism. Don't vote Democrat or Republican ANYMORE-step 1
Amen. Neoliberalism is just the old failed lassez-faire policies of the past wrapped in Randian justification.
Which is especially sad, since Ayn Rand would abhor the actions of the profit-blinded megacorps almost as strongly as the actions of the communist seizure of her family's wealth. Rand believed that all immorality stems from coercing another's actions or inhibiting another's thoughts, and that the balanced self-interested will is the highest virtue men can reasonably pursue. Only a narcissist or sociopath would incorrectly interpret objectivism to mean you are allowed to do whatever you want for whatever reason.
I had many discussions about Rand this evening, so it is fresh on my noggin. in many ways, her objectivism is more correct than any other paradigm of morality, however difficult it may be to accept.
But what do you do about "Externalities" in a free market without a government of some sort, or some other broad social consensus, about what is acceptable behavior? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externality
Links to some criticism of Ayn Rand's writings: http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/critics/personal.html
That said, to the extent the "free market" works, it supports Ayn Rand's points. Abstractly, Ayn Rand does have a great point about coercion and evil. And even she herself says that if she knew something better than capitalism she would support it. But, there are lots of ways markets can fail.
Here is an example: "Greenspan Destroys Deregulation in 16 Seconds " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAH-o7oEiyY
And a deeper criticism (indirectly) by Marshall Sahlins: http://www.primitivism.com/original-affluent.htm "The world's most primitive people have few possessions. but they are not poor. Poverty is not a certain small amount of goods, nor is it just a relation between means and ends; above all it is a relation between people. Poverty is a social status. As such it is the invention of civilisation. It has grown with civilisation, at once as an invidious distinction between classes and more importantly as a tributary relation that can render agrarian peasants more susceptible to natural catastrophes than any winter camp of Alaskan Eskimo."
Lawrence Lessig says in the book "Code 2.0" that there are at least four ways to get human to behave a certain way: rules, norms, prices, and architecture. (He mostly is writing about computer architecture as in computer code, but it applies to physical architecture as well, like the design of Wall Street, the buildings, and Liberty Plaza itself and the effects on occupants -- what if Liberty Plaza was twice as big, or had integrated bathrooms and showers, and so on?) We are always setting and negotiating those four things of rules, norms, prices, and architecture. To that extent, some degree of "coercion" is fundamental to humans living together. Ayn Rand just chooses to focus narrowly on coercion from rules. Ironically, a main character in the Fountainhead, Howard Roark, is an "architect", so essentially, he designs architecture like skyscrapers that coerces people to behave in a certain way -- come to one place, go up and down in elevators, be separated from nature, take on risks of not being able to escape in a fire, and so on. Perhaps she did not see the irony.
What about coercion from the cheap electricity from cheap coal prices in the Midwest USA causing a lot of health problems (externalities) in the Northeast USA, or polluting the waters with mercury so people elsewhere can't eat the fish? It's not the coercion of a "rule" but it does change behavior. If coal was priced to take in account pollution, we would have been using renewables since the 1970s.
More on the hidden costs of coal: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/tallying-coals-hidden-cost/ "The numbers are startling: simply tallying public health impacts, the study found that coal costs the United States economy $140 billion to $242 billion a year. Much of this burden is borne by mining communities in Appalachia, where premature deaths associated with coal mining cost local economies an estimated $74.6 billion a year. ... Even the study’s most conservative estimate of the uncounted cost of coal — $175 billion a year — would more than double the average cost of coal-fired electricity, the authors found. At this lower range, roughly 80 percent of the costs were from well-documented public health impacts like lung and heart disease, with the rest of the costs attributed to climate change and other environmental impacts as well as local economic effects like lost tourism in coal-mining areas. ... Yet Dr. Epstein maintains that the true costs of coal are probably even higher than the study’s worst-case estimate of more than $500 billion a year. Much remains unknown about the public health dimensions of coal mining, processing and combustion, particularly the effect on groundwater, and with a lack of firm data, the study ignored a host of probable pollution-related health impacts."
What would Ayn Rand say about the coercive effects of pollution?
Ayn Rand's answer to poverty (including poverty resulting from pollution?) seems to be essentially that it is a personal moral failing? But a failing by whom -- the rich or the poor? Or as Anatole France put it: "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
But if poverty is about relationships, there is more to it than that. In fact, what would Ayn Rand say about the "survivor guilt" people like Viktor Frankl talk about after WWII, that the really nice people were the first to go in the concentration camps, as they gave away their small crusts of bread, refused to snitch on other prisoners, would not cooperate with running the gas chambers, and so on?
When we create an absurd extreme situation, whether a concentration camp or a neoliberal economy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Jix4opZuY then we end up punishing some of the best qualities in humans -- generosity, community, free expression, and so on. And that is ultimately the great evil in taking free markets to extremes.
Even American Conservatives can see that (as much as they ignore the value of health and community to human happiness): http://www.theamericanconservative.com/article/2005/mar/14/00017/ "The most fundamental problem with libertarianism is very simple: freedom, though a good thing, is simply not the only good thing in life. Simple physical security, which even a prisoner can possess, is not freedom, but one cannot live without it. Prosperity is connected to freedom, in that it makes us free to consume, but it is not the same thing, in that one can be rich but as unfree as a Victorian tycoon’s wife. A family is in fact one of the least free things imaginable, as the emotional satisfactions of it derive from relations that we are either born into without choice or, once they are chosen, entail obligations that we cannot walk away from with ease or justice. But security, prosperity, and family are in fact the bulk of happiness for most real people and the principal issues that concern governments. "
Very well thought out. I like to think of it as capitalism does not equal freedom, but is instead just one form of the money game; and like all games, it (capitalism) needs to have rules in order to be fun to play.
Thanks. Yes, all markets reflect the values of the society around them. When capitalism was invented in the Netherlands (Holland) in the 1500s or whenever, it was tempered by communities that knew each other face-to-face and common bonds of religion that also promoted charity.
By the way, on games, you might like the notion by James P. Carse of "finite and infinite games": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_and_Infinite_Games "In short, a finite game is played with the purpose of winning (thus ending the game), while an infinite game is played with the purpose of continuing the play."
The problem with the 1% is they are often playing a "finite game" to win in the short term, not an "infinite game" to keep the game going for everyone.
or like a nightmare version of Monopoly where you have to keep playing even after one player has all the money; AND he has bought the rulesbook so he can change the rules to benefit himself whenever he wants, AND he will loan you money at 22% so you can keep playing, AND you MUST borrow and you MUST keep playing.
Good point. :-)
Hey guys I got a great idea!! We need someone to lead THE UNION OF GLOBAL LABOR. Once we make this movement worldwide we can be strong enough to take on the corporate greed by going on a global strike so corporations can't outsource! I can't believe it was that obvious. We get someone like Elizabeth Warren to lead this movement and once we go global to strike against corporations around the world by unionizing global labor. This in turn would stop offshore production and force both countries to raise wages. We would need translators and everyone on the net to organize. And we would need to break through to China's workers as well!
Well above I liked your previous post, but now I have to take issue: "And we would need to break through to China's workers as well!"
--Good luck with that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKYWOwWAguk
Also. If I had the money, I'd be there in the morning, to stand with my real fellow Americans. My thoughts are with you as I attend my own Occupy events at home. Keep it nonviolent-- let the bigwigs show what they really are as you simply stand for what's right.
I just emailed all the Manhattan Council Members and Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez (District 10) emailed me back within minutes, saying he is going to there at 6am to support the movement and resist the "clean". Join him at 6am, if you can.
Email Mayor Bloomberg NOW by clicking here. http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.bd08ee7c7c1ffec87c4b36d501c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fmail%2Fhtml%2Fmayor.html&utm_source=mailoutinteractive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Urgent%3a+Bloomberg+to+%22Clean%22+Occupy+Wall+St+at+7am
No matter what country you live in, email Obama here and tell him New York City needs his help NOW. We don't want this to go down in history as another Tiananmen Square. http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Email Manhattan Council Members now and ask them to support the movement: gbrewer@council.nyc.gov, chin@council.nyc.gov, garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us, rjackson@council.nyc.gov, lappin@council.nyc.gov, rmendez@council.nyc.gov, yrodriguez@council.nyc.gov
Call Manhattan Council Members and leave messages if you have a moment: 212-828-9800, (212) 873-0282, 212-587-3159, 212-678-4505, 212-818-0580, 212-928-1322, 212-980-1808, 212-677-1077, (212) 564-7757, 917-521-2616
You can find links to Council Members in other boroughs here: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml
The movement is not going to be destroyed. All this will do is lead to violence, which we don't need. Occupy Wall Street is a peaceful protest. It's an important movement that can help change the imbalance between the rich and the poor. Please, in the least, send an email to the council members, or email Obama or Bloomberg.
We won Marriage Equality by sending emails and making phone calls. Maybe we can stop Bloomberg by 7am tomorrow.
Lets occupy the homes of people of people fighting eviction--and literally stop the banks from sending in the repo men. That would freak the 1%ers out.
Great idea.
Party of People; Note whether through a third Party or the existing ones, focusing on the following Mandates would be the ticket for change?
Dara’s 10 Mandates “Bill of reason”
Ask for Dara’s principles about Local Governments, Fair Election in defense of liberty, Medical Security, Legal system, MBA and job training, Media, Economy, Nobel’s prize, and International policies.
BEFORE any of that can happen we must address wage inequality. Without better earnings we cannot afford the status quo of today.
AFTER we can move out of squalor THEN we can address each of those points according the the merit the democracy assigns it collectively.
true! here is a rule: for comp with 15+ emp, min wage $15 and diff min max wage no more than 15 times. ..
also,
Break up the monopolies. The so-called "Too Big to Fail" financial companies – now sometimes called by the more accurate term "Systemically Dangerous Institutions" – are a direct threat to national security. They are above the law and above market consequence, making them more dangerous and unaccountable than a thousand mafias combined. There are about 20 such firms in America, and they need to be dismantled; a good start would be to repeal the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and mandate the separation of insurance companies, investment banks and commercial banks.
Pay for your own bailouts. A tax of 0.1 percent on all trades of stocks and bonds and a 0.01 percent tax on all trades of derivatives would generate enough revenue to pay us back for the bailouts, and still have plenty left over to fight the deficits the banks claim to be so worried about. It would also deter the endless chase for instant profits through computerized insider-trading schemes like High Frequency Trading, and force Wall Street to go back to the job it's supposed to be doing, i.e., making sober investments in job-creating businesses and watching them grow.
No public money for private lobbying. A company that receives a public bailout should not be allowed to use the taxpayer's own money to lobby against him. You can either suck on the public teat or influence the next presidential race, but you can't do both. Butt out for once and let the people choose the next president and Congress.
Tax hedge-fund gamblers. For starters, we need an immediate repeal of the preposterous and indefensible carried-interest tax break, which allows hedge-fund titans like Stevie Cohen and John Paulson to pay taxes of only 15 percent on their billions in gambling income, while ordinary Americans pay twice that for teaching kids and putting out fires. I defy any politician to stand up and defend that loophole during an election year.
Change the way bankers get paid. We need new laws preventing Wall Street executives from getting bonuses upfront for deals that might blow up in all of our faces later. It should be: You make a deal today, you get company stock you can redeem two or three years from now. That forces everyone to be invested in his own company's long-term health – no more Joe Cassanos pocketing multimillion-dollar bonuses for destroying the AIGs of the world.
Read more about Taibbi's advice for the Occupy Wall Street crowd at Rolling Stone.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/679920/matt_taibbi%3A_5_things_wall_street_protesters_should_demand_of_the_1
An excellent critique of both austerity and Keynesian measures, from a radical left vantage:
http://endnotes.org.uk/articles/16
http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/berry.cfm
Another good economic article...
Read these two very excellent overviews of the best recent literature on capitalism:
http://lareviewofbooks.org/post/7756129051/autumn-of-the-empire
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v33/n03/benjamin-kunkel/how-much-is-too-much
............
yes, lets fix, democratize capitalism ....... for a capitalism with justice, with a human face!