Forum Post: I Have A Few Quick Questions I Would Really Like Answered!!!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 11, 2011, 10:15 p.m. EST by confused
(3)
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All right I won't lie i'm not a big supporter of this protest.
But I am just sort of curious about a few things that you guys are protesting.
1) First, is this protest completely anti- capitalist. In that I mean are you in complete support of communism. OR do you just want reform of the current system?
2) Second, what are your goals. I continue to hear how you won't leave until your demands are met BUT I have yet to actually get a hold of any specific demands. I am just wondering if you could list them. IF you have not thought of your demands PLEASE state that.
3) Why are you protesting ALL bankers? 85% of bankers are well in the middle class. Plus only the top few make 6 figures (no where near the 1%). And even out of that small group at the top only a hand full of them make over a million. So in short I am no sure you can call these people the 1% if even the guys at the very top of these banks aren't even in the same ballpark of the real men at the top?
4) Finally, why did you go protest at John Paulson's house today? I mean he runs a hedge fund that is in no way connected to the banks. Plus he never at any point received a bailout. Just curious?
PLEASE JUST GIVE ME STRAIGHT ANSWERS.
THANKS
1) No, not at all. There are anti-capitalists and socialists in the movement, but they have the same voice as anyone else.
2) This one's harder. The protest is centered around people being angry about corporate corruption of the American government. Everyone has a different solution though. What's yours?
3) We aren't protesting all bankers, this is just a shortening, hence why the protest is in front of Wall St. (the corporate financial epicenter of NYC where it started) and not in front of bank branches.
4) I particularly wasn't in favor of that, so you may need to ask someone else.
Thanks more of what I was looking for.
It can be hard to sort through. Americans are not used to a populist, leaderless movement like this, be they the public, the media, those opposing and even those protesting.
Regardless of your opinions, I salute you for taking the initiative to come here and find out for yourself.
I just didn't really trust the different news sources that put up articles about these protests. Thought I had to come to the source if I wanted straight answers that weren't biased.
Thanks again I have a little more understanding now for you guys.
Speaking for myself. 1 - not anticapitalist 2- goal, to end the monied corruption in government. 1% buys their representation, 99% are left with the scraps. This is by far the largest single problem. Money speaks too loudly in our government and the voices of 99% are not heard. We need to take our democracy back and have fair and equal representation in government. The way to do this is through enacting meaningful 100% publicly financed election reform. Oh, and we'll have to amend the constitution for that because of a little Supreme Ct decision that decided that corporations are people and can make unlimited contributions to campaigns and elections. Citizens United v FEC 3 - I am not protesting bankers. Don't like them though. Think they should go to jail for their crimes in the financial crises. To answer your question, Wall Street is a symbol of money. Money in the political system is the problem. Wall Street has a big hand in this too. 4 - don't know anything about John Paulson. Doubt that I care to.
Speaking for myself, but there are many out here that feel pretty much the same. Especially about Election Reform. Money in the political process is the root cause of many of this country's problems. Hope this helps!
the current system is corporate oligarchy. we are against corporate oligarchy. we are not against capitalism because thats something which does not exist. we are for a free market system, but that is not possible inside of corporate oligarchy or capitalism. We are FOR DEMOCRACY. with a free market system.
end the corporate oligarchy, have genuine democracy.
we aren't protesting all bankers, but there woudl be good reason to do so since the banking system is patently corrupt ten different ways.
paulson is an oligarch and his hedge fund and etc system is an entirely parasitic enterprise, giving no real value to the economy.
http://www.oligarchyusa.com/
http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/5390832/some-fascinating-stats-about-our-corporate-oligarchy
http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/category/21st-century-challenges/ethicsandeconomics/
According to a 2008 article by David Rothkopf, the world’s 1,100 richest people have almost twice the assets of the poorest 2.5 billion (Rothkopf, 2008). Aside from the obvious problem – that this global elite has their hands in everything from politics to financial institutions – …
http://theprogressiveplaybook.com/2011/09/occupywallstreet-an-american-tahrir/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ght22PnCXy0
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/wisconsin-is-ground-zero_b_825321.html
http://last-lost-empire.com/blog/?tag=global-corporate-oligarchy
To the extent that we, the people, are removed from control over our lands, marketplaces, central banks, and media we are no longer empowered. In practice, those few who do control the land, central bank, media and "free market" are the real rulers of our corrupt and declining "democracy."
Due to propaganda from a corporate-owned and edited media we are kept from knowing, much less debating, the nature of our system. Due to a central bank owned by bankers, media owned by a few global concerns, and trade regime controlled by global corporations (i.e., one designed to remove the people from control over their markets and environments) the vast majority have become little more than latter-day serfs and neo-slaves upon a corporate latifundia.
To restore a semblance of effective democracy and true freedom Americans, and people around the world, need to re-educate themselves as to the true nature of their political and economic systems. Toward this end, OligarchyUSA.com is dedicated to providing old and new information, books, links, reform ideas and debates not easily found or accessed today in establishment media.
OligarchyUSA.com is but one more site and sign of the times as ground-up counter-revolutions arise around the world... all in response to a forced and freedomless globalization courtesy of a ruling global elite perfecting their top-down plutocracy and revolutions of the rich against the poor. In short, democracy is no longer effective today. For this reason, it is toward a restoration of truly effective and representative democracies, and natural freedom, that this site is dedicated.
1) some people want a more socialist/communist system in place, but personally, I think they are just completely jaded with what our great republic has become. With true reform, I think all of these would be happy with a democratic/capitalist system where the govt works FOR the people, and the economic system (capitalism) is again fair, and promoting excellence.
2) There are plenty of demands out there, but some are a little "out there". I think it's fair to say that we want the change we were promised :P Personally, I want to see:
-Big money OUT of politics. Capitalism policing itself is the cancer that has doomed us all to the "99%"
-Big money off "welfare" (they don't need all those tax breaks if politics aren't such a drain on funds, right?).
-Simplification of the political system, combined with more representation. Our current system allows bills that are not even intelligible anymore. To get those last few votes, ridiculous "trades" are made; pork and special interests are injected right and left. Deny it. ONE issue per bill, vote, move on. Many people have suggested that more reps in the house and senate are in order, and IF the system were "fast tracked" like this, we could do well with 1 representative per 30,000 citizens.
-Jobs brought back home. There are so many incentives to hire overseas cheap labor. Make it not so cheap, and watch America get back to work.
3) Eh, personally I'm not qualified to answer this one. My goals focus more on government reform than financial reform. Cart before the horse if you ask me.
4) Couldn't tell you, wasn't there. One of the quirky things about a movement without leadership, I suppose? Might be as simple as wanting to make any and ALL of the 1% a little nervous/humble/aware. Their reign will end, because it HAS to. How long can we go on like this before yet another of history's bloody revolutions?
You don't have to agree with everything you hear from every voice in this movement, but you ARE one of the 99%, like it or not. You DO have a voice, you SHOULD be pissed, and you should be part of this. We need all the reasonable voices we can get. We are what our "owners" fear and hate; democracy finally waking up.
This is a no ism zone but very few are anti capitalists. They are anti laissez-faire economy people.Except for the Ron Paul contingent. And they are strict Libertarian, for the most part.
No one is protesting all bankers, the grievances are spelled out.
Hedge funds are part of the problem.
The grievances are spelled out.
My straightest answer: I demand only to exercise my right to peacefully assemble in a public and accessible location and to voice my dissent. Everything else is incidental.
So pretty much you gave me nothing there.
Thanks for waisting your time though.
I gave you the only thing that truly matters :) But no I didn't give you any reason to think you aren't one of us so I'll consider myself successful.