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Forum Post: Clear Goals and Ideas for the Movement

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 7, 2011, 10:28 p.m. EST by mrbojangles (3)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

The reasons to demonstrate are clear, and the goals are clear as well, though are not able to be articulated by a decentralized group. Here are my thoughts:

  1. We need a fairer tax system. The ultra wealthy need to be taxed a higher rate so we can re-balance the social contract.

  2. Re-balance the social contract. Social safety nets are important and should not be abolished. The real obstacles to solvency for these programs comes from the skyrocketing costs of health care. Costs should be regulated so as to allow for solvency of the system.

  3. Educate. Instead of back pedaling on education, this is the time to double down, even if it means taking on more Chinese debt to do it. We need an educated workforce in order to compete.

  4. Reinvest in infrastructure to create jobs and to remain competitive. Tied in with education and R&D, we need to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and continue subsidies to the renewable energy industry. This means jobs and energy security while mitigating climate change.

  5. Reduce war spending. Work needs to be done to reduce the clout and spending of the military industrial complex if this country is too survive.

  6. Congress should fix with legislation the hole that the Supreme court punched in the freedom of the people to elect our leaders when they allowed corporations to fund 3rd party groups with no caps during campaigns.

What do you think about that?

7 Comments

7 Comments


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[-] 2 points by mrbojangles (3) 13 years ago

bump for peace love and understanding

[-] 2 points by xJackx (9) 13 years ago

WOW. Somebody who actually has a clear understanding and knows both the issues AND the common sense solutions. Faith in Humanity RESTORED.

[-] 1 points by earthdancer (2) 13 years ago

Great job, concise, do-able What kills me is that I owe taxes from being unemployed last year, and GE pays 0???? What the hell kind of sense is that. Corporations and unions both need deep reform.

[-] 1 points by earthdancer (2) 13 years ago

Great job, concise, do-able What kills me is that I owe taxes from being unemployed last year, and GE pays 0???? What the hell kind of sense is that. Corporations and unions both need deep reform.

[-] 1 points by schnitzlefritz (225) 13 years ago
  1. The top 10% pay 70% of personal income taxes. Of the remaining 90%, 43% pay no income taxes at all. You are right, it's not fair. Everyone should have some skin in the game.

  2. No one is talking about abolishing safety net programs. Reigning in growth and trying to preserve the programs in interpreted and gutting or killing the program.

  3. I agree that education is important. Unfortunately, government/union schools are not performing, in spite of the fact that we are at the top in spending and near the bottom in results when compared to the rest of the world. Money is not the answer.

  4. Infrastructure spending creates temporary jobs. We need to become energy independent and use the resources we currently have while continuing to encourage the development of alternate fuels. Development of our own energy resources will put people to work and increase revenues to the government, while reducing the amount of money sent to places that don't even like us or our way of life. With a strong economy providing revenue, infrastructure can be accommodated.

  5. Reduce, but do not decimate the military. We must remain strong, but not get involved in every uprising.

  6. If you want corporations and corporate money out of the picture, you must outlaw the other big money sources as well, including union money.

I think that very little of this has anything to do with Wall Street. If this is what it's all about, move it to DC.

[-] 1 points by dynamicsheep (17) 13 years ago
  1. I make less than $15,000/year and I still pay income tax, so I believe your numbers have been fudged.
  2. People most certainly are talking about abolishing safety net programs. Rick Perry said that Social Security is a ponzi scheme and should be abolished. Until recently, he was the right's golden boy. I'm certain that there are others.
  3. Restructuring the public school system is the only way to get better results, and doing that will take money.
  4. This is a chicken/egg situation. Both need to be maintained in order to flourish. Citizens in rural areas who live on roadways that are literally sliding off of a cliff can't get to work to provide the foundation for a strong economy.
  5. We must reduce the clout of the military industrial complex as stated by the OP. The problem isn't the military itself, it's the spending associated with military-based industries. What I mean is local economies become so dependent on manufacturing arms that politicians can't stop production of obsolete military equipment simply because it would have a catastrophic effect on local economies. In order to prevent this ordeal in the future, we MUST reduce the clout held by the industries created by the military. Trimming the fat of actual military costs would help as well, but not substantially; again a change to the existing structure of the military industrial complex is needed.
  6. Agreed. Political campaign contributions should be strictly monitored, whether they be from individuals or organizations. Additionally, every dollar contributed should be accounted for by the campaign staff as having been spent on something that was absolutely necessary for the campaign to be run in a competitive fashion.

Finally, in response to your statement, as far as I know, the next step is to occupy the capital. Wall Street is just the beginning. Wall Street is symbolic of corrupt greed, which is the primary force being protested against. The goals or demands are simply ways of trying to precisely define what is meant by "end corporate greed". Apparently, these people are good with money, but bad with words. Whodathunk?

[-] 1 points by schnitzlefritz (225) 13 years ago
  1. My numbers are not fudged. The information is published in many places, including the IRS.

  2. Social Security is, by definition, a ponzi scheme. It depends on current revenues to pay current retirees. The money was never saved and invested, it was spent and replaced by IOUs. Rick Perry is right, even though it is considered extreme to speak the truth. He and many others want to find a way to save the system so it doesn't bankrupt the country and is there for those who need it.

  3. It does not take massive amounts of money to fix a broken school system. Barrow ideas from the 20 other countries that are exceeding our results. If you look at the rise in school spending you will see a corresponding drop in school performance. The schools did just fine before the federal government and unions transformed the best education system in the would to the sorry condition it is in today. Money isn't always the answer.

  4. I didn't say that infrastructure projects are not necessary. However, many of the projects are rewarded as political favors and really help no one. If the economy is healthy revenues will be available to do necessary projects. Get rid of the union requirement on most government projects and much more could be done for less.

  5. In a nutshell, the defense of out country must be maintained. There are many things that can be cut, just don't reduce our capacity to respond decisively to a real threat.

  6. OK

Again, nothing here really has anything to do with wall street. Take it to DC and into the coming elections.