#M31 European Day of Action Against Capitalism
Posted 12 years ago on March 31, 2012, 12:47 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
#OccupyPiazzaAffari protesters today in Milan
Today, just days after a General Strike against austerity in Spain, protesters are again taking to the streets in Europe. In a press release, organizers say, ¨there will be simultaneous demonstrations, rallies and assemblies in many European cities. Protests have been organized by anti-capitalist groups and libertarian grassroots unions from all over Europe. The initiative is labeled M31 – European Day of Action against Capitalism. Members of M31 want to send a clear signal against current austerity policies and authoritarian labour reforms by national governments and the Troika (European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) on the backs of wageworkers, migrants and the unemployed.¨ Occupiers from Union Square, New York to Business Square in Milan and elsewhere in Europe are joining the initiative toward our shared goal of challenging economic inequality and fighting for real democracy.
via March31.net:
Events are planned in Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Slovania, Croatia, and Greece. In solidarity with M31, anti-capitalist groups within Occupy Wall Street will hold a rally in New York City. Parallel to M31, anti-capitalist groups in Moscow and in many cities of the United Kingdom will take to the streets against neoliberal labour reform. Check our M31 – What’s going on? page.
To stay up-to-date during tomorrow’s day of action, check Twitter: @m31dayofaction & #m31 or #31m
This is only a start – as we said in our Call for Action: “Simultaneous demonstrations in many European countries are more than just a signal of solidarity. They’re already sparking transnational discussion and cooperation. We invite all emancipatory initiatives to join this process. We strive to grow independent of official institutions, and are prepared for a persistent struggle. The crisis may manifest in varying ways in different countries, but we all share a common goal: We don’t want to save capitalism, we want to overcome it. We oppose nationalism. It is crucial to fight against the continued erosion of social standards, but we need to aim higher. We want to get rid of the fatal constraints of capitalism and its political institutions. That’s the only way the widespread demand for ‘real democracy’ can be fulfilled.“
Why would the Europeans be protesting Capitalism when their systems of government are Socialist, Europe proves that Socalism can't work for long because both their economies and their currency are defaulting.
Well Copper12.how about capitalistic corporate free trade=all jobs go to China.People lost their jobs and now their houses.200 a day in Spain alone.Capitalism has gone rampant and has morphed into full blown kleptocracy.
Capitalism is only effective insofar as it depends on avarice and greed. The only flaw of the socialist systems of Europe is that it depends on the wealthy paying their share of taxes, but unfortunately tax evasion is rampant in many parts of Europe. In northern Europe, however, socialism works beautifully, and Scandinavians enjoy the highest standards of living in the world.
They are not only "defaulting" they are completely broke and the only way out is to take away "freebies" but that isn't going over very well because the vast majority are dependent on someone else for their support instead of learning to be self sufficient.
Oh wait, they can't be self sufficient because of the government system they created. Now they are complaing about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJnX96id-xI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YftlB3AxBws
The monetary system is obsolete, it doesn't matter what currency is being used, or with which socio-political system it is paired with. It simply doesn't work nor serve the needs of humanity anymore.
Here's an alternative: http://www.thevenusproject.com/en/the-venus-project/resource-based-economy
there are way too many capitalism apologists here. what's the matter? afraid that the system you were educated to believe is the 'one true path to freedom' isn't as great as they told you? I went through the education system in america too, at least I outgrew the bullshit they tried to make me believe.
...seriousness...that you see...a long hour...raising awareness...arguments..."anti-capitalist". ...components..."Fighting capitalism head-on"... I really should proof-read before I post.
First off I want to say that, in all serious, I am an OWS supporter, and don't see that changing anytime soon. I am not employing the cowardly tactic of "I used to agree with OWS, but..." or anything similar that you se so often on these and other forums. I have spent many along hour battling it out with the trolls who repeat the same 4 or 5 talking points tirelessly and refuse to acknowledge OWS on a rational level. However, my intended goal of rasing awareness and support for OWS becomes a lot tougher when encountered with the standard arguements that "OWS is communism" and "OWS is anti-capitalist" In the eyes of the average American, these statements carry considerable weight. Capitalism and meritocracy are fundamental compnents of the American psyche. The founding fathers were virtually self-indoctrinated in the ideologies of individualism and that people are solely motivated by personal gain. These are the keystones of Classic Liberal philosophy. We're also battling basic human psychology on these issues. Generations of Americans have been heavily vested in the Cold War struggle of capitalism vs. communism. Right or wrong, people will cling tenaciously to that which they are heavily vested in: the more effort applied, the less willing they are to change their outlook on the matter (see cult / military brainwashing). Arguments stating that capitalism has provided great things for humanity carry weight. Retorting that "it could be better" seems weak by comparison. A bird in the hand beats two in the bush. Fighting capitalism is a battle OWS can't win, no more than the US can win the war on terrorism. Both are natural consequences of the human condition. Fighting capitalism is bad PR for OWS, and sadly the average American has much higher regard for PR than the best-laid logic. I'm not being a capitalist apologist, as you say, but I'm strongly recommending that, in its own interest, OWS needs to pick fights it can win. I would suggest the following: Address and attack corporate abuses. Provide viable alternatives and demonstrate that they are feasible. Give a higher priority to addressing alternative/renewable energy. If OWS wants to really do capitalism in, please give careful consideration to that last point about alternative/ renewable energy. Rather than attack capitalism head on, render the basic tenet of capitalism, Supply and Demand, obsolete. "Pull the Plug on Capitalism", as it were. In an era of post-scarcity economics, I don't see how capitalism would be able to maintain its feasibility.
First off, I completely agree with everything you wrote. I've had many discussions with people who dogmatically insist the problem isn't capitalism but rather 'corporatism', as if corporations and differential advatange aren't totally natural byproducts of a monetary market system. the very same people that believe USSR and China are examples of communism despite the rational argument that by definition of communism, they are as far away from communism as the US. Communism was defined as a 1) Stateless 2) Classless 3) Moneyless society, which through a very quick review, we can all verify that none of those nations complied with. Moreover people are quick to say 'Capitalism' is responsible for all advents and social progress and think that the reason for the US's economic surge post WWII was all due to capitalism, and not say because all the bombing and destruction took place everywhere else in the world and all other countries' industrial infrastructure was literally reduced to rubble, and the only one in shape to produce anything was the US. It's not hard to understand why so many Americans identify so strongly with Capitalism. Growing up and going to school all we are taught is "how great capitalism is" and that it is the only system of 'true freedom' and our enemies for decades we the 'evil communists'. It is essentially just like programming a computer, you input only the information you desire for it to process and that's all it will know how to do. We are endocrinated into believing that "freedom" means the freedom to profit of others' needs and wants and the freedom to acquire as much wealth as we please, without regarding the fact that we live in a finite world and excessive accumulation by one directly results in depravation to another. Our most popular programs are those that glorify excessive consumption and our value system is shaped accordingly. All our advertising tells us that we need whatever they're selling to feel complete and content and our value system is shaped accordingly. So it feels like an almost insurmountable task to overcome the capitalist stranglehold on american society, which is all the more reason to stress real education about what shapes a healthy society and a healthy individual that values helping their community and not just self-maximization. And I believe this education is paramount, because it's not a recent idea to try to render the destructive corporation obsolete by providing humane alternatives to the products they hock. The hydrocarbon companies have tried their hardest to dissuade the public from preferring clean, renewable, and essentially free, energy, and they've largely succeeded thus far, because they've convinced the public that alternative energy such as solar, wind, wave, and geothermal are weak, inefficient, and expensive to harness, which is no more than a blatant lie. What makes it even more of a struggle is the fact that this system works so that people need money just to survive, so say once a machine is invented that can do a task that is repetitive, boring, and most likely dangerous and produce a product quicker and faster and more precisely and which should be lauded as it frees humans from having to do that, it's actually condemned because it displaces workers who need an income to feed themselves and their families. What I'm trying to say is that the system works in such a way, that any attempt to reform it is fought every step of the way and the media does what they can to make society actually regress (for example the american health care system), that reform might not suceed. I see it as an imperative that we educate and overthrow altogether. Capitalism does nothing but destroy for profit and teaches us that it's okay because all we need to value is profit.
Good post. How would you address the argument that China floundered under Maoist socialism/communism, but prospered when it adopted a more capitalistic model? I'm anticipating a counter-argument I may get when I venture into that territory in debate.
well first off I'd like to make it clear that 'Communist China' was really a state capitalist form of control, that also used wealth and classes and state control, so I would not call it true communism. But as far China prospering, I would not agree with that characterization. It's certainly become more profitable, but you can't really say the majority of people are living happy fulfilling lives. China has 350,000 millionaires, and 115 billionaires, yet 700 Million of the chinese people live on just 4 Dolllars A Day. Their purchasing power is heavily limited, and if we've learned anything from here at home, is that people are only as free as their purchasing power. China has gotten good at capitalism, which is seeking ways to extract profits from people. It creates problems for profits, and if it can find some way to profit by addressing the problems it creates, that is the only way those problems would get addressed, which is another social problem in and of itself. China is just a mirror of the US, where the wealthy control everything and the monetary system is used to hold people down and keep them uneducated through lack of accessibility and forces them to submit to wage labor to pool enough resources just to survive, and a meager survival at that for a huge portion of its rural population, as well as poor urban communities. Opening its doors to 'free-enterprise' has certainly increased the net worth of China, but it hasn't done anything to increase the living conditions of its 99%. Now I am not suggesting we all label ourselves communist and march down the streets calling for the proletariat revolution. The western propoganda and the pervesion of the word by those pseudo-communists has made the majority of americans believe communism is an evil force we must fight. But we have to educate people that the monetary system is a front for class stratification and consolidation of power for those that have the most money. And no matter how one tries to reform the money system, it will still inevitably create a state of power by those who have the most. And I would love to discuss that along with the myth that the 'profit motive' is the only way people would feel intivized contribute to society.
What I'm seeing in this thread is a call to communism in Europe. Is this what you are saying?
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First, let me qualify myself as a staunch OWS supporter. This is why I am a bit concerned about the anti-capitalist ideology we often see espoused so often by fellow OWS supporters and in OWS literature. I'm worried that OWS risks marginalizing itself by taking this stance, and risk catering to so much of the criticism offered by those who oppose OWS. I had thought, long ago, that we were in agreement that OWS wasn't an anti-capitalist movement, but rather an anti-corporatist one. Capitalism, although flawed as its subscribers, has yielded great things for society. It's the juncture where capitalism has failed, resulting in corporatism and the pursuant abuses, that we need to focus our efforts. Otherwise, how do we deflect criticism that OWS is a front for the communist party?
Agree. They are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Capitalism is the baby, corporate influence is the bathwater. No matter what form of government we choose, human selfishness will always be it's greatest threat. A proper government will be constructed with this in mind.
How can there be capitalism, democracy government w/o money? What the banks print is impressive but unfortunately is not money. You know that right. Just checking...
The cops need a good Ass kickin from the US military and the financial system needs overthrown. The US congress is being ran out of town. Direct Democracy has good results such as the highest standard of living in the world, reduced poverty, health care, and education for everyone. More people should consider Libertarian Socialism and Anarchism as well as more strains of violent Anarchism to achieve our means.
This movement has to stay peaceful and non violent to achieve the required outcome.Consideration of violent means are the talk of 'agent provocateur' and must be quelled quickly.For the great change needed the "Ghandi" approach is the only one to pursue.RonHamilton.
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Yes, people have had enough and are waking up in a growing and accelerating manner. I encourage everyone to watch and share Paradise or Oblivion. It's a relatively short 48 minute document that summarizes the state of humanity and the world we live in, but more importantly it presents solutions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KphWsnhZ4Ag
Humanity must be willing to let go of ALL of the old failing systems and values if we wish to evolve further. It will be challenging and it will take time but it is necessary, otherwise manking will destroy itself.
Stay strong, stay peaceful.
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IT is time to put an end to Capitalist Corruption, Public Corruption! How it "The American - USA - Economy" was "Setup to Fail"............. 1st It took the Bush's Family's main man in Congress Phil Gramm of Texas to introduce the Bill "Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act" that would deliberately destroy the "Glass-Steagall Act", the act that protected our financial system & our economy. This happened in 1999. They had Clinton over a barrel in 1998-99...threatening him with further criminal charges in regards to the lies about the "Blue Dress"and his other whore............Clinton Caved! Watch the tape of him signing the "Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act" Gramm acts as if he just stabbed Ceasar and got away with it! 2nd Then in March of 2000 Goldman-Sachs with Board members from Intel, Bill Gates' The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GE and Oil set about "unloading from the Top." Meaning the top executives at Goldman were getting out of Tech, yet every piece of Investment Recommendation out of Goldman to it's mid to small cap investors said to "BUY." Why would Goldman destroy the Tech Boom, a $17 Trillion dollar segment of the Global economy. An industry with America's brightest minds, the greatest advancements to the Global Society since the Industrial Revolution over 100 yrs. earlier. WHY? Why destroy millions of the best paying jobs ever created by innovation? Why destroy 100's of billions of dollars in retirement funds, stock value, jobs for Tech Empolyees? Why derail America's future? 3rd So that The Political Playing Field between Gore & Bush would be economically leveled. Thus giving the Bush Family an even chance ...and several corrupt actions in Florida to bring George Jr. to power. With George Jr. in they: Goldman, Bill Gates, GE & Oil would get what they wanted... even at the Cost of destroying millions of jobs and destroying trillions of dollars of investments in the Tech Market, the future of America, the World. I come from a huge Political Family in California both Republican and Democrat...I have watched my entire life just how groups level the Political Playing Field. Now with Bush in Bill Gates who had contributed with his executives 3 times more money to the Republicans' effort, would have Bush Jr. stop the break up of Microsoft>>remember<<... Intel and Mircosoft would destroy start up competitors and in some cases even buy their technology for next to nothing. GE & Big Oil would get another Bush War, that would raise oil prices as they had during the first Bush War by 4 times, and GE would get contracts for increased Defense Spending. (Bush Wars and financial terrorism has actually destroyed long term value see below.)
Goldman was to receive "The Privatization of Social Security", Goldman was as the " Wall Street Journal" stated and I quote "stood to gain the most from Bush's Privatization of Social Security." But Goldman never got it.
4th Now with Bush in the Financial Institutions that committed Investor Fraud by not telling their Mid to Small Cap Investors they were getting out at the Top which included after Goldman started it: Merrill Lynch, and even Charles Schwab. They were never going to be put on trial, never prosecuted, Goldman was even Eliot Spitzer's biggest financial backer as stated by the "Wall Street Journal"............. Thanks to George Jr. they were never going to be convicted!
5th Our Financial System was now going to be raped "plain and simple" for the next 8 yrs. Was it obvious, absolutely if you Knew: Real Estate, I did through my Father's company, If you Knew: Politics, I did through my Family's long history in politics, and if you Knew: someone in high places say the Headquarters of Merrill Lynch in March of 2000, I did. Marcus and I watched from Merrill Headquarters, we watched Goldman-Sachs, then Merrill Lynch get out from the Top. We let Eliot Spitzer's office (he was the Attorney General of NY at the time) know the details (twice) and nothing came of it. Spitzer only convicted two low level traders and that was it. He is as dirty as Bush & Goldman. 6th Now the Bush Family and Goldman needed one more person and that person was Alan Greenspan...........the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, a man who de-regulated the entire Financial Industry..............now the gates of fraud and corruption of the People's Money was all theirs as well. Greenspan would be wined and dined at Enron Headquarters in Texas and they would even give him an award, and he was wined and dined in Jackson Hole Wyoming by the Jackson Hole Gang....which included Dick Cheney, Dan Cook the III, Max C. Chapman Jr. and Walter Scott Jr. and a dozen others. Jackson Hole the most corrupt Community that I have ever lived, with Community Leaders who are all friends of Cheney and 90% of them Mormon. Again I lived there and saw first hand the parties and Greenspan becoming the Uncle Tom for Goldman, the Bush Family and deliberate destruction and Chaos for the 99%. 7th With un-regulated financial markets-no checks and balances what so ever, further debt spending by Bush Jr., into the trillions, Greenspan and the S.E.C not doing their Jobs as prescribed by legislation, Goldman, Lehman Bros, AIG, and the ratings companies had a field day ripping off the World. Again >>remember<< every Real Estate Boom starts to collapse in its 4th year, that would have been 2006. Remember the number of Sub-Prime Loans going out tells You the end is here. All Wall Street Investment Firms work off of industry charts going back decades, 20, 50 yrs. They absolutely knew The Real Estate Boom was crashing and that is WHY the top executives at Goldman and their Former Partners like Dan Cook the III sold their holding either in the markets relating to real estate or Goldman's own Stock...it is all on absolutely on record. Later, why hasn't Obama, Pelosi or Reid convicted Wall Street? Because they are part of the 1%. <FACT> The biggest rip off in Global History!
8th They needed a President that would continue the Corruption of Our Financial Systems, protect them from prosecution, as CBS 60 minutes stated to the Head of the FBI in Los Angeles on National Television, they needed another Uncle Tom, a President owned by individuals owing favors to Bush, or Goldman Sachs itself, like the Pritzkers. They got just that in Obama. 8th As we sit here March 26th, 2012 and see Romney owned by Wall Street PACS and the Mormon so called Church,actually a cult. Obama owned by Wall Street executives and the Pritzker Family, they are currently Our only choices for President of the United States of America...& "We the People"... Are we OCCUPY going to let this happen again and again until there is nothing left but poverty for the 99%. As China lives for decade after decade with correct financial and economic management, checks and balances that protect the entire society, not just the ruling class, the entire society all 1.3 billion citizens......... "We the People of the USA" are getting raped by the Bush Family and their cronies: Goldman-Sachs and the failed Presidency of Obama. Finally: Who leads the World economically and financially? It is no longer the USA, the USA has to borrow 40 cent of every dollar the government spends. Our government is in current debt of over $15.5 Trillion, and overall long term debt of $57 Trillion and growing. See: www.usdebtclock.com The Bush Family and Goldman since their journey of Social and Financial Chaos started has destroyed globally since the mid 1980's over $300 trillion in assets, retirement funds, stock value, economic out put nationally and globally, millions of businesses put under, millions of homes lost globally, individuals credit ratings destroyed and they may never recover, the future of higher education for our children basically stripped from most,........These are the Facts........ GE & Big Oil may profit short term from Bush Created Wars & Financial Chaos but over the long term they have lost 100's of billions....JUST DO THE MATH! So does Goldman Suck.......... big time, big time treason in my view! James P. Evanhoe
I am not against "capitalism" per se. It is the engine of economic growth around the world.
I am against the form of unregulated, toxic capitalism abuses workers, creates chaos in nations, and has no soul.
We need both government and the free market.
If free markets and the private sector cannot police themselves, Government should be the conscience of the private sector. Someone needs to draw a line in the sand. We already have seen the disaster that comes from a lack of regulation.
Capitalism is awful, you've said so your self.
Don't put words in my mouth. We need capitalism and free markets. But we don't need a pathological capitalism.
The problem isn't capitalism. It's the 99%'s lack of standing up for decent wages. The average income in the US is roughly $100,000+ a year. 50% earn less than $26,000 or less a year. We deserve a fair share of the pie. Not a quarter or less of an equal share. Supply and demand is the golden rule of capitalism. In order to receive a fair share, we must cut off our supply of labor until wages rise to a level that we are content with.
Everyone has different skills, just because one person has the title "manager" does not make his job more important than a person who has the title "assembler". The number of workers does not make their jobs any less essential to a company than the few at the top. Don't believe the lie, "that's all you're worth, there's a hundred people to replace you". Fear is their great weapon. Ours greatest weapon is staying united in a common cause.
Some will say the demand for workers will go down, throwing many out of work. That will happen. Instead of asking for wages to rise in one swift swell, we will do it in steps. On May day there is already a strike planned, but only for one day. Let's begin a strike every May day, as long as is necessary, until the minimum wage is raised a dollar. Then we will call off the strike until next May day and again call for a strike until wages rise another dollar. In just 5 years that would be a $5 increase in the current minimum wage of $7.25 to $12.25. Far faster than any legislation will produce and without economic havoc. This is "direct economic democracy". It completely bypasses Congress and puts the power back into the peoples hands. All democracy, economic and political, depends on the peoples willingness to stand up for it. A piece of paper, such as the bill of rights, does not guarantee any freedom. We do!
Borrowing money has hit the wall. What's so hard to understand about that? But here they are, demanding the right to borrow even more money, money they'll never pay back. They're ignorant children that just can't grasp that the checking account finally reached a zero balance.
Who`s demanding to borrow more money?The OWS movement definitely does not demand this.
The unions in Greece, Italy, and Spain, that's who.
You're right, OWS just demands things like keeping the house even though you stopped paying for it and defaulted. It also demands being able to skip-out on student loans even though college students should have the brains to make reasonable judgements about borrowing money.
Sorry,I think you are in the wrong protest.This one is about the Kleptocrats ruling government,hence us,by undemocratic means.This one is about crimes committed by Wall Street via their Insider Trading in the derivative markets they created and stole mega amounts.This one is about getting politicians to represent the people[the 99%] instead of the Kleptocrats[1%].I suggest you watch"Inside Job" if you want to be part of this protest.To me you sound like a disgruntled bank employee,brainwashed by the Republican Party or worse,the Tea Party. Those three countries are not demanding to borrow more money.The status quo is shoving it down their throats so as they do not default causing system meltdown and the eventual AUDIT of crimes committed by the investment bankers and stock and bond traders.A plebiscite in those three countries would see a vote to default because the 99% there did not create the debt.Also when you visit Iceland,you will see three bankers pictures stuck on the backs of male urinals,a fitting response.
Kleptocrats? If you mean to include the unions, I understand your point. Truly, not everyone can work for government or have government dictate the smallest issues regarding their work.
Yeah, they are demanding to borrow more. The unions in particular see no end to the capacity to borrow. And yes, many would like to default. They want default and fresh borrowings. Free money and no consequences. But that isn't possible, so the PIIGS have a problem and the unions now strike and only make it worse. The game is over, the borrowed money is finished. Those living off the state are going to have to adjust.
Borrowed money is over???
For whom? WallStreet borrowing and lending is still going great guns.
It would seem that hit on the head still has you spinning in circles.
Did your see your doctor yet?
What was it hit in the head with? Baseball bat? Brick? Wrecking Ball? Whatever it was seems to have done severe damage to the perception of reality. Do unions really borrow money? Huh. Can't imagine that. Just who exactly is it accusing of wanting to borrow money? Brain damage is a real possibility.
Water on the brain.
Everything seems to be sloshing around in an amalgam of lunacy.
I'm thinking here's the one most in need of heath care, but she "chose" not to.
I guess lunacy is a "choice" too..
Reality is very hard for some to deal with. Yep. It needs medical care and is fighting against it.
Lunacy. It needs a keeper.
I love the smell of burnt troll brain, first thing in the morning................:)
Yep in the morning when many have not yet begun to stir. When the smoke wafts lightly on the breeze. Later in the day when they are more fully active the smoke gets much to thick.
{:-])
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