Forum Post: I've realized what a joke Occupy Wall Street is
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 26, 2011, 5:15 p.m. EST by IAmBanker
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I used to support the movement, but now I've realized what a joke this is.
There are no demands and no organization, but it's just a bunch people whining about how they have no money.
Because there are no specific demands, protests probably won't do "remind" our government to actually do something to narrow the 99% vs 1% wealth gap.
Something meaningful / forceful is required to show how serious this movement is and can be. One suggestion is to boycott Wall Street. Responses? "No, we don't want to boycott because it could disrupt the banking system". One word comes to my head when I saw that response - Spineless.
OWS protesters got man-handled a bit in Oakland. Again, OWS people are doing nothing but whining about it. I am sure the government will really listen on your next protesting event.
Lastly for now. On today's CNBC article: "On every corner of the [Zuccotti] park, vendors sell buttons, T-shirts, wristbands and artwork, leading some to complain that the merchandising". That pretty much sums it up - what a joke.
How are demands for pussies or a useless strategy? I've been watching this website for awhile, trying to see if anything realistic and worthwhile would come forward...something cohesive to throw my hat behind.
Frankly, I see a lot of disgruntled people with no focus and a wide array of complaints but no real plan besides (to paraphrase from various posts on this website):
1) Take money from the rich by force. 2) Write letters to CEOs that will never actually make it to them. 3) Have celebrities (who are IN the 1% and also take a ton of tax write offs) endorse you. 4) Yell loudly in my local town in front of a bank branch.
And before you refer to me as a troll, one of the sheeple, aiding and abetting the 1%, etc, hear me out.
The more you become divisive in your protests (which many seem to advocate, sadly), the more that regular American people will discredit what you are doing.
It has been brought up more than once on this website that perhaps instead of railing against CEOs, 'Banksters', etc, you should MOVE your occupation to D.C., since those people actually care what you think of them. Do you really think that Jamie Dimon gives a rat's ass at this moment in time? Nope.
I get excited when I see the rare poster who brings up points like the fact that while it may not be morally correct for a CEO to take a huge bonus, it's not illegal. It also wasn't the banks who gave the more toxic of the mortgage-backed securities and cdos the rating that allowed them to be purchased - it was the rating companies. It wasn't Big Banks who started the push toward sub-prime lending, it was Fannie and Freddie, at the urging of Clinton and HUD. They underwrote the bulk of the low-income or sub-prime mortgages that got bundled and sold. The bundling of mortgages and selling them as investment vehicles to generate income for the buyer has been around for decades. GNMAs are still good purchases. The fact is that most corporate charters require that investments purchased have a certain rating or they are not permissable. Part of the reason these CDOs had the rating they did was the implicit guarantee that, while Fannie and Freddie were technically private, they would be backed by the government.
When will you realize that you could win the hearts and minds of most Americans (not to mention their support) by shifting your focus to politicians? The argument I see the most in response to that is "Wall Street OWNS our government!" So, you only blame businesses for that? Politicians who not only accept bribes in the form of PAC contributions and back room deals but who also then write legislation that allows businesses to utilize even more loopholes shouldn't get the lion's share of the blame?
That's backward thinking to me. The FIRST target should be Washington. Business activities are a by-product of legislation, not the other way around.
The only way you will EVER EVER EVER get Wall Street to take action is to start with Washington. Continuing along the vein you are now will just continue to be an exercise in futility.
Go ahead and blast me if you want, but you can't genuinely claim to speak for the 99% if you write off what individuals say because you disagree with them.
So please, be specific. Tell me what you are specifically going to do to get these Wall Street Thugs you lambast constantly to do what you want? And what, specifically, do you want them to do?
While "we are our demands" is cute, you won't get widespread American support by hiding behind vague catch phrases. We don't like that from the government, so don't do the same thing they do.
The thing that struck me most about Zucotti Park is how the media images make the site and numbers of people seem much, MUCH bigger than it is in real life. There is a sense of "you mean THIS is IT?" Kinda makes me wonder how many people are actually on the ground over all at these occupy events.
This isn't intended as a knock on the Occupy movement, I'm just relaying my unexpected finding. I was blown away by how much smaller the thing is on real life than the media images suggest, which I'm sure anyone whose checked the scene out after seeing it on TV can testify to.
Interesting opinion IAmBanker... would you like to write a full length article about this? Please email me at OccupyUnveiled@live.com | #OccupyUnveiled is an independent news source regarding OWS and its affiliates. Neither for nor against OWS, we seek truth where ever it may lead us.
Hey, we just handle the peaceful stuff. The action stuff will come from the inevitable domestic terror groups, inspired by a lack of lawful means to vent and combat corruption, criminality and joblessness, assuming that is the game plan. Then the bankers and the execs will get plenty of action, dealing with domestic terrorists, coming back from foreign wars, with years of urban warfare experience, fighting teror groups and what not. [rolls eyes]
Well, instead let's do this:
Here's how we can easily Reform Wall Street: Take away their powers "Once Again." And the best way to get this done is a Million People March to Capitol Hill!
For example, "We are here Congress because we want you to REINSTATE the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp#axzz1aPEc3wX which was created to help save our country from the Great Depression by preventing investment companies, banks, and insurance companies from merging and becoming large brokerage firms; instead of just being Banks and Insurance companies -- Congress why can't you learn a history lesson from 1929? The current system doesn't work, except for the 1%, twice again. Btw, why did most of you vote for the major repeal of G-S Act in 1999? Shattering The Glass-Steagall Act: http://www.counterpunch.org/2008/09/19/shattering-the-glass-steagall-act (2nd story here)
Think about where we are now, it all started in 1999 with lawmakers like Senator Phil Gramm who helped create legal gambling casinos for our banks: CNN's The Ten Most Responsible for Economy Collapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQOxr2wBZQ&feature=related
Furthermore Congress, we also want you to CHANGE the Commodities Future Modernization Act of 2000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_Futures_Modernization_Act_of_2000 BACK to where it was before 2000, which since has deregulated energy markets and consequently allowed for such scams as The Enron Loophole; whereas in the early 2000's Enron Corp. was charging 250 bucks plus for a kilowatt hour...They all when to jail for this. But, the Enron loophole is still not completely closed, for example, allowing speculators to resell barrels of oil over and over again before it reaches the gas station owner. It's basically legal gambling at our expense. What were those lawmakers thinking then? What are you thinking now? Either do the right thing, or you're part of the 1%."
So why are oil prices high? The Enron Loophole. Former Head of U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Professor Michael Greenberger, speaks to Congress on the high price of oil--and he's not happy about Energy Deregulations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbdtTGYQBMU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNp0y0SjOkY&feature=related
Rolling Stones Reporter Matt Taibbi: Truth about Goldman Sachs--how they have cornered the markets--basically, The Enron Loophole and the Shattering of Glass-Steagall Act in 1999. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waL5UxScgUw
Let's get focused and bring back The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, they got it right 1933, so we don't need to REINVENT the wheel because bringing this Act back will help create an even playing field once again....and let's finally Close the Enron Loophole, which allowed Enron to charge what they wanted for energy; they went to jail for this; but no one completely closed the loophole, why? Re-Election Monies from the big brokerage firms and oil companies! The writing is on the wall.
Let's get organized and reinstate these critical financial reforms with a Million People March to Capitol Hill!
And considering we need a strong central focus/goal, maybe call it: "The Million People March to Capital Hill to Reinstate The Glass-Steagall Act and to Finally Close The Enron Loophole"
That will get their attention!
we don't need demands. as for organization, that is happening.
demands are not useful as a strategy.
obvious troll is obvious.
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/THE_99%25_POLITICAL_PARTY
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.followthemoney.org/?gclid=CMbY87bB-qsCFUPt7Qod9HE8mQ
http://maplight.org/us-congress/guide/data/money?9gtype=search&9gkw=list%20of%20campaign%20donations&9gad=6213192521.1&9gag=1786513361&gclid=CP61oYbB-qsCFQFZ7AodcTF0jw
http://www.opensecrets.org/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/our-new-wiki/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/non-violence-evolution-by-paradigm-shift/
organization is for pussies
the whining is the point...we cannot protest the white house, because those of us who plan to vote, will vote for the status quo...so, all we can do is stand around a park all day eating pork and beans, complaining that MBAs from Stanford makes you a lot of money and MAs in English Lit don't..