Forum Post: OWS is nothing but a bunch of pot smoking hippies with no central cause
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 18, 2011, 10:36 a.m. EST by Need4speed1717
(9)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
This has been the ranting of the oligarchical controlled media since the beginning of the protests. Yet as the movement grows, and after the tremendous success of the global day of action, many people are left wondering how various members of the media are still able to make these farcical claims. Such blatant fallacies have led to the reinforcement of a popular belief that the media is a puppet used to further the 1% controlled agenda. I for one believe in the decency of the human condition, and find myself looking for additional explanations rooted less in conspiracy and more in logic. A sound explanation lies in a psychological experiment conducted in 1961 by Stanley Milgram.
The Stanley Milgram Experiment was an attempt to explain the participation of so many Germans during the holocaust. It asked the question, “For how long will someone continue to give shocks to another person if they are told to do so, even if they thought they could be seriously hurt?” Briefly, an actor simulated pain as the participant administered shocks based upon the instruction of the researchers. As the intensity of the shocks supposedly increased, so did the actors response. Before the experiment began, researchers anticipated 1-3% of the participants would not stop giving shocks until the end, citing a pathological or psychopathic requirement. Ultimately, 65% never stopped until the limit of 375 volts was reached, with 100% of the participants obeying up to 300 volts.
At this point you may be wondering what connection I am attempting to draw between the Milgram experiment and the actions of the press/Wall Street. As the Milgram experiment shows, the effect of social pressure is evident, clear, and powerful. I believe there are many who are not as evil as we may think; they are just drinking the preverbal Kool Aid. There is almost certainly a population of those among the 99%, which are against the 99%. Those working for the media and Wall Street are undoubtedly affected by this phenomenon.
It is due to the popularity of OWS and the conversations now taking place around the world that I issue this warning. In our frustration it is VITAL that we remember not to demonize everyone on Wall Street. That course of action will only risk alienating many, and weakening our collective influence. Some of these people are just like you and me. As the movement grows in strength and numbers we must remain vigilant in our convictions, but not become so radical we are no better than those we oppose.
I hope you all stay safe, be careful, and stay the course. Dave
For those who would like additional information about the Stanley Milgram Experiment I cited, refer to the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIzju84v24&feature=related http://www.experiment-resources.com/stanley-milgram-experiment.html
Love your sensibility. What a crazy experiment!! I watched a documentary on it one time in class. I agree whole-heartedly that the way in which this protest is progressing will be very alienating to certain individuals who could be assets of this cause. As we progress, we must find ways to remain united as opposed to "demonizing" wall-street. We can only blame the 1% for so much, 99% of us have been following along with them for years...This is as much our fault as it the 1%s.
Thank you for the kind complement. And you are right, there is a shared responsibility. Fortunately for the country, we are now doing something about it.
We are actually here to save the 1%, because they have set their action in motion and have lost the ability to change course, and their current course is killing us all, even them. This is a necessarry intervention. They are addicted to the ride and cannot get off without our help.
Mcc you highlight my point. I am no more a "1% goon" then you are. And I agree with a lot of your two cents. However, all of the financial atrocities would not be possible without support staff, management at all levels, and many other people within the 99%. Because of their involvement are they as you say, "1% goons" as well? I personally, don't think so. In my opinion we need to be careful not to encompass those people with those we are fighting. In law, they train you to see all sides of an issue to avoid being blindsided by your opponent. The protests should continue, they MUST continue. My statement above is only meant to serve as word of caution as we move forward. If I was the 1% looking for ways to reevaluate my tactics to combat OWS, that is the first place i'd go.
On an aside, I consider myself a free market capitalist with traditional values; values I learned from my Public School teacher mom Justice4All :o) Once I make my fortune I intend to give back to the world, not just take from it. Yet another shortcoming of many of the financial fat cats today.
Just to clarify, Justice4All is not my public school teacher mom. I was addressing her with that comment. When I reread this it was a little confusing.
Yes. A teacher I know was forced into two part-time jobs after being laid off from her special-needs children position. Her husband was laid off several years ago as a computer tech, and he does jobs here and there when he can find them. Both of them plan to attend Occupy Chicago.
THIS IS A MIDDLE-CLASS and WORKING-CLASS UPRISING!
Make no mistake about that!
And I would add.... a WORLD-CLASS Movement! God Bless the Patriots of OWS!
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 political 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, sanitation 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.