Forum Post: Our True Focus - from a real protester
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 9, 2011, 12:05 p.m. EST by MrVMAC1776
(62)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
You guys want to know what we need?
1.) Smaller Central Government
The federal government has more power than ever, with the absolutely unchecked beurocracy, with agencies like the NSA ,CIA, FBI all with unlimited resources stomping all over our constitutional rights.
2.) Larger state and local Governments
With the 10th amendment restored, our states will have much more say over the laws in each state. When government and law is controlled more locally, it is easier to elect someone who actually represents your views. It's also easier to hold that person accountable
3.) repeal of the PATRIOT ACT and Looser Gun laws
The patriot act, since t2001 ( regardless of your 9/11 beliefs) has been effectively taking about our constitutional rights. By allowing the government into your computer for any time, into your home at any time, we are setting ourselves up for what is already becoming a tyrannical power in the united states. Yes, in theory it may do good to stop"terrorism" but at the cost of our own freedom. (and its already been used against people that decent from the status quo(hactivists))
In addition to this, having to register our weapons through the government lets the government know EXACTLY who has weapons. In our constitution, if you want to overthrow the government, you have the RIGHT. the Government should be afraid of its people, not the other way around.
4.) End the Federal Reserve +REGULATE WALL STREET.
IF you haven't seen the OSCAR WINNING 2010 Documentary : INSIDE JOB about wall street and our government, i suggest you do as soon as possible. (available by torrents or iTunes)
This bulletin needs no explanation.
5.) End the wars/ end the 900 military bases we have. Right now the US is more vulnerable to a foreign attack than ever. we have THOUSANDS of troops stretched out in over 900 foreign military bases. These UNCONSTITUTIONAL WARS ( not approved by congress) are yet ANOTHER EXAMPLE of how our Constitutional rights are being TRAMPLED ON. Our Polititons have way too many special interests, and that is why power needs to be taken away from the central government. We start these wars so that we manufacture weapons, and the people in our government own stock in those military companies. Its Deep and widespread corruption. And in addition, they believe that by fighting wars, it will stimulate our economy (ie:WWII) When in fact, it wasn't until AFTER WWII (1950's) that we began to be prosperous, when we had all our troops home, and there was a lot more people, with a lot more money to spend in the US. BRING OUR TROUPS HOME. There here to DEFEND THER COUNTRY, not imperialize others.
6.) Fair tax Either a FAIR TAX system, or equal percentages THROUGHOUT America.
THIS is what Occupy wall street is about DONT let the media tell you other wise
AMEN!...especially #1
With stronger state governments, Corruption is much easier to control! People's vote has a much larger impact!
I hate to disagree. Here in Pa we have one of the most corrupt governments in the US. We try and change it, but the party machines are so large, and (bonusgate) shows how they manipulate the system. Even now while there is a trial going on for corruption in our government, we have those in office trying to gerrymander in the Reps favor, while trying to change the Electorial College to favor them also. They are still at it. And it is hard to get them out when no one runs against them. People don't vote principal, they vote party.
i see what your saying with the corrupt state government, but the thing is is that no one pays attention to state governments right now! The thing is, is that most of the power lies in the central government. if PROPER power was restored to the states, people would pay more attention to the state governments. This in terms, will account for the "party loyalty" you're talking about. I know So many democrats that are NOT voting for Obama. The last generation loves turning a blind eye and letting politics continue on and on. Thats the POINT of this movement. Our generation wont allow this any longer.
Agree, we won't allow this anymore. I still think it has a lot to do with social media, able to find that others feel the same way. I am so surprised with people starting their comments with I have been waiting for this............... Apparently we all have.
!!!!!!!!!!!
keep posting on this page! Bump for justice!
Until genuine campaign finance reform is put in place the corruption will continue. This should be the main goal of these protests. Without it the rest will be in vain.
i agree, but were going for an entire change of the whole, not just 1 little part. we want to spread the message, once all of america hears it, (right or left) they will join. and NOT just the main stream medias Skewed version.
Yes we all want radical change, but it has to start with one singular step. Taking the money out of politics will help to get the ball rolling in the direction you wish to go.
yes of corse, but how can you garuntee this? it must be all at once! without all this at once, the courution can easily seap back in.
If politicians are not being manipulated by corporate interests (and their money), they become more like us. They can speak for us, rather than the corporations. They can become our puppets, and not theirs.
It would require the American people to be ever vigilant to keep the corruption from coming back. It would certainly have similarities to the cold war arms races, and we could never let our guard down. When I talk to people at work about this, most of them look confused and then go back to talking about sports. Then I realize how the legalized bribery had a chance to take hold - the previous generation was not being vigilant.
Let's put the money with the mouth. Get your friends and family to drop thier bank of America accounts to get thier attention. Pass it on!
Im doing this shortly. Fuck you bank of america
let's put ALL our want/needs in one place and get the job done: http://www.JeffBlock2012.com
sorry dude, why do we want someone "apolitical" in charge of politics? If you're not in touch with this movement, why should we vote for you? or give you money?
What would stop YOU from becoming just as corrupt as any other politician?
spend some time at http://www.JeffBlock2012.com what I've created is a platform for a revolution, not a platform for a candidate. I would make no policy decisions nor operate as typical President. My role is "merely" to pass the torch from the old way to the new way as created by 65,000,000 voters. I won't be "in charge of politics"
This movement you refer to, seem to seek people within the broken system to change their behavior, so you seek to change people. I seek to fix the broken system.
In a typical "messy" revolution, when the revolutionaries win they create a new government and either write a new Constitution or modify the old one. My view is to skip the messy part.
I'm not for smaller government
I'm for control of the government by the people
If this is true you are more aligned withe the right than the left.
However I would prefer smaller govt all around including local. I feel there is more corruption on a local level than there is at the fed.
A question though.... What do you mean looser gun laws?
I'm not concerned about the media I can think for myself, and I have to say that looking on this site over the last few days, most of the posts seem to be from the radical left. How can you explain that?
By looser gun laws, i mean not registering them.
there is NOT more couruption on the local level by ANY means!!! please explain that!
and coming from the "radical left" thats not the case. This movement is not aligned with any Party. Its almost to an extent anti party. with parties come special interests and median voter therom's. This movement is most associated with the "Libertarian party" if any.
EXTREMELY LOOSE domestic policy (including gun policy, rights, drug laws, everything.) And Loose economic. Fair, low taxes. Taxes will not be high with a smaller fed government. Basically without america Invading counties to make money, or federal taxes drop dramatically.
Wow I'm surprised by your response. So you mean let the good guys have some guns for a change?
I understand that the "Movement" is not supposed to be aligned with a party but it seems to be anyway, Obama and Moore supporting etc. Seeing some of the posts here seem radical, not yours buy the way!
I agree lower taxes, legalize some drugs, smaller govt.
Here's what I mean about local govt. Here in NY we pay more taxes than any other state. Yet the state govt is broke. we are funding all kinds of ridiculous social welfare programs and get nothing back.
School taxes are out of control. I pay Income tax, Fed, State, NYC. I pay sales tax county, city, I pay village property tax. And to top it off I pay School tax. There are far too many school districts. School districts should be merged together to cut costs and lower taxes. Three teachers in a classroom. WTF?
Where I live the Town Supervisor is currently trying to buy through "Eminent Domain", a portion of a private golf course that is financial distress. So the Town can have another park? Is he serious? Corruption is everywhere.
Almost sounds like Rick Perry's agenda.
more like RON PAUL's
It is one thing to support OWS, which I do completely, but another to set down what they want. I don't think that has been determined yet, has it, or is this from the general assembly?
PEOPLE this IS the movement^^^^
I'm all in favor of taking down today's ineffective and inefficient Top 10% Management Group of Business & Government, but there's only one way to do it – by fighting bankers as bankers yourselves. Consequently, I have posted the Strategic Legal Policies, Organizational Operating Structures, and Tactical Investment Procedures necessary to do this at:
http://getsatisfaction.com/americanselect/topics/on_strategic_legal_policy_organizational_operational_structures_tactical_investment_procedures
Join
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/StrategicInternationalSystems/
if you want to support a Presidential Candidate Committee at AmericansElect.org in support of the above bank-focused platform.
This is not remotely the focus of the overwhelming majority of OWS. Their focus is properly on reform of the mechanisms that have caused the distribution of our economic gains to become so distorted.
No, this IS the focus. THIS IS NOT THE FOCUS THE MEDIA tells you. GET REAL. get some profile info. where are you from? have you ever been to a protest?
If this were the focus, I would staunchly oppose the movement. Luckily, it is not the focus.
well, then you should vote for obama gain, because this IS what the movement is about, deny it all you want. Get real sir, get to a protest.
I did not vote for Obama. And, again, you are wrong. I do support the movement being a big tent, but to do so it must be narrowly focused on what we agree upon. Most people do not support reducing the size of the federal government, "states rights" rhetoric, less gun control, or ending the Fed. Those are pet right-wing issues that have nothing to do with what this movement is about, which is restoring equity in the distribution of economic gains and ending pervasive corporation influence over our government.
Yes but it is all connected don't you see? There is no Right winged and left winged when it comes to this stuff. It comes down to constitutional freedoms. These are all freedoms that are being trampled on. The reason the the government has been able to put in place economic policy that effects the "distribution" of economic gains is because of the corruption. Im proposing a solution. Just saying "HEY THERE, DONT DO THAT AGAIN" wont solve anything. This is 1 huge central issue, It starts gaining people attention because now their wallets are directly effected because of the corruption, but its the Overly powerful CORRUPT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, that is the Cause! you need to stop these things at the CAUSE!
There is indeed differences of opinion about this stuff. I believe reducing the size of the federal government will only exacerbate the inequities within our currently dysfunctional economic system. Likewise, I don't give a shit about the Fed (which is just a tool, albeit one currently captured by the financial industry it is supposed to be regulating).
What I do care about--and what I think many people right and left care about--is getting corporate influence out of government. Once that is done, and our democracy is restored, we can fairly debate about all those other things.
Amen, but how do we get corporate influence out of government? simply by now allowing privet financing of campaigns? Are there not still ways for there to be corruption through the federal agencies (FDA members owning stocks in the drug companies hey approve?)
To me, all this is linked together. It all needs to be brought down together, but i guess it cant. This is where the "hippies" failed. we cant do it all at once, but we need to start somewhere. and somewhere more dramatic than a few new rules on campaign finance.
Then why do the people want regulations to prohibit corporate greed? One of the biggest complaints i've heard. That's big government. And you want wealthy people taxed more, and an equal percentage tax? Those are opposites.
Right now, this is STILL LEAGAL! there are NO regulations on Derivatives (betting on weather a company will do good or not). THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE REGULATED.
It's called investment. Why should that be illegal? It's my money, let me use it how I want.
NO, investment is when you buy stock in a growing company, not when you hand over your life savings to a "AAA" investor and they buy stocks the KNOW will fail, then bet AGAINST your money that they WILL FAIL. Thats FRAUD. not investment.
You said yourself, it's a bet. If you don't trust your broker, find a different one, but you make the decision on your money, put it where you want.
sorry for the hostility, but thats the point sir. there rating agencies are on the pay roll of the investing companies. The investing companies are say," hey this company is AAA" so you feel comfortable putting your money in an investment account.
were not talking about personal investors, where you sit and meet with him/.her thrice a week. you sign up for an investment account and thats all you know. next thing you know, there using oyur money to make twice what they would if they invested it fairly
It's your choice to use such a system. You know the risks and accept them. If you don't like it, don't do it.
no they are not. The TOP percentage of americans are taxed at a SMALLER percent! Regardless, its not about Corporate greed, its to prohibit FRAUD. The way that these banks had been making all their money is that they would invest your savings into companies that they knew were bad investments, then they bet against those same investments!(derivatives) they get your money from you as the investor, and they get the profit from the derivatives I suggest you watch that documentary. It won every major film festival including Cannes and it won an OSCAR.
Look at the tax brackets again. And don't mention loopholes, the tax code is available to all, and anyone can find the same loopholes.
Banks can do what they want with my money, they promise me my 4%, and I get it. And by the way, fraud is already illegal. There are tons of former executives in jail already, and the FHFA has filed a lawsuit against 27 banks and 130 executives for $190 billion. But you wouldn't know about that, because then you wouldn't have a reason to protest. You are protesting when the problems are already being addressed in court. Read the news.
This is an excellent example of "They've got you right where they want you"
hahaha sir, you need a reality check. The ex CEO of AIG is now obamas treasury secretary. The ELETE are Still Free. Stop watching FOX, asshole
I got that particular piece of info from fhfa.gov, and I read the legal filing. I don't watch fox news. Nice ad hominem, though. Mind if I do one? Learn to spell. I'm pretty sure I could spell elite in the second grade.