Forum Post: 99% of 99% are ignorant uneducated tag-a-longs
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 20, 2011, 2:24 a.m. EST by poorexiles
(18)
from Bellingham, WA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
This movement will fail because of the ignorant hate spewed by people who think they know what this movement is about. Isolating the movement from any group that wants to support it. If one section of the 99% likes one supporter, then there is always another member of the 99% who hates that supporter. You will manage to convince everyone who wants to help that they are the problem.
some like moveon - some like ron paul
this movement can easily be fragmented and sabotoged by any outside group with a determined and clear mission.
i know, i'm a waitress and i was sitting with a customer tonight discussing this. i will never bring up this topic to anybody because its not something i like to discuss with strangers bc i feel like people dont get it. she kept repeating, 'im for it, but i still dont understand why occupy wont actually send out their exact goals.' I simply said, they have...if you are interested and check out their website or go down to wall street for yourself, you will see. I'm heading down tomorrow, i signed the S202 act to pass the audit on the feds for ron paul... i'm trying to do as much as i can as one person without being annoying and inflicting my opinions on THOSE who are not in support. its like talking to a brick wall....
That's awesome. I'm trying to be as low key as I can too, but I couldn't help but spill all my thoughts about OWS to my coworkers and boss. Thankfully, I got warm responses.
I would beware of the Ron Paulites though. They're driven mad into thinking they know exactly how things are and what is needed to fix things. Economics are much more complex than their school of thought would like one to believe. As a progressive, I'm happy to align with them on common goals though.
yeah i feel you, i agree with some things but many seem to head strong on like what you said, 'thinking they know exactly how things are ...etc' and yes... i try to stay low key but once i get involved... i spill thoughts and for the most part many ppl are definitely more open into hearing other thoughts now that OWS has become so widespread
Come get some support at http://www.TheMultitude.org . We'd love to have you.
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"If I understand this movement's zeitgeist, there is no such thing as splintering, only appending."
without a wiki and sub forums to address the ignorance problem, the movement is doomed fer sure to fracture into affinity groups.
Don't fall for this psychological crap from any one percent goon. It's an obvious attempt to discredit our cause and break our will. Don't fall for it. Just follow the law and keep protesting no matter what the one percent goons say or do. Our message is vital. Below is my two cents:
We have been mislead by Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama, and nearly every other public figure. Economic growth, job creation, and actual prosperity are not necessarily a package deal. In fact, the first two are horribly misunderstood. Economic growth/loss (GDP) is little more than a measure of wealth changing hands. A transfer of currency from one party to another. The rate at which it is traded. This was up until mid ’07′ however, has never been a measure of actual prosperity. Neither has job creation. The phrase itself has been thrown around so often, and in such a generic politicali manner, that it has come to mean nothing. Of course, we need to have certain things done for the benefit of society as a whole. We need farmers, builders, manufacturers, transporters, teachers, cops, firefighters, soldiers, mechanics, sanitationi workers, doctors, managers, and visionaries. Their work is vital. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that we need politicians, attorneys, bankers, investors, and entertainers. In order to keep them productive, we must provide reasonable incentives. We need to compensate each by a fair measure for their actual contributions to society. We need to provide a reasonable scale of income opportunity for every independent adult, every provider, and share responsibility for those who have a legitimate need for aid. In order to achieve and sustain this, we must also address the cost of living and the distribution of wealth. Here, we have failed miserably. The majority have already lost their home equity, their financial security, and their relative buying power. The middle class have actually lost much of their ability to make ends meet, re-pay loans, pay taxes, and support their own economy. The lower class have gone nearly bankrupt. In all, its a multi-trillion dollar loss taken over about 30 years. Millions are under the impression that we need to create more jobs simply to provide more opportunity. as if that would solve the problem. It won’t. Not by a longshot. Jobs don’t necessarily create wealth. In fact, they almost never do. For the mostpart, they only transfer wealth from one party to another. A gain here. A loss there. Appreciation in one community. Depreciation in another. In order to create net wealth, you must harvest a new resource or make more efficient use of one. Either way you must have a reliable and ethical system in place to distribute that newly created wealth in order to benefit society as a whole and prevent a lagging downside. The ‘free market’ just doesn’t cut it. Its a farce. Many of the jobs created are nothing but filler. The promises empty. Sure, unemployment reached an all-time low under Bush. GDP reached an all-time high. But those are both shallow and misleading indicators. In order to gauge actual prosperity, you must consider the economy in human terms. As of ’08′ the average American was working more hours than the previous generation with far less equity to show for it. Consumer debt, forclosure, and bankruptcy were also at all-time highs. As of ’08′, every major American city was riddled with depressed communities, neglected neighborhoods, failing infrastructures, lost revenue, and gang activity. All of this has coincided with massive economic growth and job creation. Meanwhile, the rich have been getting richer and richer and richer even after taxes. Our nation’s wealth has been concentrated. Again, this represents a multi-trillion dollar loss taken by the majority. Its an absolute deal breaker. Bottom line: With or without economic growth or job creation, you must have a system in place to prevent too much wealth from being concentrated at the top. Unfortunately, we don’t. Our economy has become nothing but a giant game of Monopoly. The richest one percent already own nearly 1/2 of all United States wealth. More than double their share before Reagan took office. Still, they want more. They absolutely will not stop. Now, our society as a whole is in serious jeapordy. Greed kills.
we are a game of monopoly and those who don't see it are ignorant. it frustrates me because ... yes, i have not stopped my life for this but i am in FULL support... i've been down to OWS many many times... multiple times a day and have printed flyers for my own interest on certain capitlistic shitty things going on and people DO not see outside the god damn box. it's as if i'm crazy and am just 'angry at the government' no, that is not true, i've always felt this way but always lived my life because....what is there to do when you are a single person???? nothing. but now that we can speak out and actually make a point, im thrilled too. everything in this world is backwards!! i used to go on rants about education, we CUT education, teachers, close schools to what... INCREASE jail times, incarcarations, but how much does it cost to keep ONE person in jail for only ONE year... over $90,000. so does it make sense to cut education and spend OUR money to lock someone up for one year???? like that will help them become more educated to come out of jail and start a new life... no. thats just one thing but there are plenty more. They make more money on arrests, jail, etc then educating us... so they INCREASE tuition on those that remain in college. THANK you.
Thank you for the great post. Excellent points. I can tell you care.
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I like the "bag of cats" description. The left has always had this problem, and always will, unless dissent is purged, like Stalin, and then you have a whole new problem.
As of 2010
Estimated Wealth of U.S.A. is 56.8 trillion Estimated population of U.S.A is 280,218,971 people for 2011
If wealth where evenly split, everyone would have an estimated $2,026,986.24
The points you listed are true - in that so far our democracy has been powerless due to the Divide and Rule strategy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_and_rule
However, this movement will not fail because it does not fall into those very traps you mentioned. It seeks to unify us rather than divide us. As it goes on, it continues to remind us of our own unity rather than of our divisions. Thanks for the warning though ;)
http://www.TheMultitude.org
It's like shampoo with bugs in it, only we picked the bugs out for you.
Don't need a mission statement to kick your ass!
It's more likely the movement will co-op other other organizations like Moveon. It tends to turn out that way most of the time.
This movement will never fail. This is a truly organic movement that have been fomenting for years in the heart of the oppressed people. We did not have the vehicle to express our anger and frustration until now. This thing is going to explode like a nuclear bomb. This is a world wide rise up movement of the underclass. Every revolution will start peaceful but will turn violent when the ruling class tries to quash its citizen to retain power and control. I only have one comment for the elitist of this world. OUR TIME HAS COME. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!
Yet they havent managed to yet despite numerous attempts since it began.
everyone sits and listens to what we are told because its fed thru news on tv, interenet, radio, etc... when things are repeated over and over and thats all you hear... you begin to believe. Therefore, pulling yourself out of society and looking at it will help you see what really is going on. believe NOTHING you hear... half of what you see and make your own opinion ;)
i believe nothing without sources and i have to determine if those sources are credible or not to me. Though sometimes i wish i still lived with the wool over my eyes. I kind of feel like im in the matrix and i woke up.
yeah like we've heard before, 'ignorance is bliss.' in a way i wish i never put my mind to work and thought of all these different things because then i wouldn't be annoyed/frustrated bc we wudn't know any better. On the flip side, that would be terrible to be that ignorant foooo'
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we want no mission!!!!
You know what this movement will fail because fuck you buddy!
What fool?
So what.