Forum Post: President Obama and The Occupy Wall St. Protesters: Common Ground in Liberty Park?
Posted 12 years ago on Sept. 21, 2011, 12:15 a.m. EST by Paaatriot101
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President Obama and The Occupy Wall St. Protesters: Common Ground in Liberty Park? Posted 2011-09-21 04:06:54 UTC by Paaatriot101 | edit | delete
It is actually amazing to me that no one is trying to bring these two together.
I cannot believe that President Obama has not made an effort himself to reach out to organizers, to the people participating in Occupy Wall st.. since he is showing such veracity lately going after these big corps in all of his speeches. Insert sarcasm if you want ... maybe he is saying what he thinks we want to hear, to mollify, but, over the past 3 days he has said a lot about corporations, and we should make him stick to it.
If we can ever break this media blackout .
The President is promoting and pushing for this current tax increase initiative, aimed at eliminating some of the loopholes and perks within the 10,000 page tax code, loopholes enjoyed by so many of these ultra uber rich mega corporations; loopholes used to avoid paying into the system... the same system that is so broke right now.
NO elected official member of our Congress should be allowed to : Have personal holdings or be CEO of or in a corporation that has any dealings AT ALL with the US Govt> (CAN WE SAY CHENEY/HALLBURTON?) incl research and pharmaceutical companies.
Elected officials should not be allowed to own and or trade stocks in the corporations they are SUPPOSED to be regulating IN THE BEST INTEREST of the people. (Talk about insider trading:)
That is and has been a BLATANT conflict of interest, and the root of many problems. Sure they know what stock to buy, they plan to approve the product next month>
Take away the trough and the pigs will disperse. DO THAT AND MANY THINGS WILL RIGHT THEMSELVES>
Obama was right in his speech when he mentions the 10,000 page tax code> There are Too many perks, and loopholes and too many corrupt greedy people that create and use them>
These corporations know how to work it, and contribute nothing back to the country they feed off of. We are consumers and nothing more to these companies.
Big Corps work the system and its time to put a stop to it.
At the same time President Obama presents this tax increase for corporations initiative, We the People are actively trying to be heard, gathering in New York for Occupy Wall St.. and one of the biggest concerns voiced is corporate monopolies.
Many have been speaking out more and more against these mega monopolistic giants. The inequality between the have and the have nots. The corruption The unsafe practices and products. These corporations have run roughshod over legislation, including all aspects of the Sherman Anti Trust act that should have protected the people from, and prevented the formation of, companies like AT&T and financial institutions and manufacturers that are called " Too big to fail". These are Companies who have one goal, one purpose and one mission> to make money...
The people are speaking out against these corporations, and here we have a President echoing some of these same sentiments, and we do not discuss? Are we missing a golden opportunity?
Yes there is definitely some common ground to be found between the energized Occupy Wall St. crowd and President Obama, namely; calling these Big Corporations out onto the carpet, and flushing all the rotten lobbyist out and purging the system while we are at it.
CORPORATIONS NEED TO PAY JUST LIKE THE COMMON CITIZEN DOES< AND THEY NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE NOT ONLY FOR THEIR ACTIONS, but for the consequences of their actions as well. Am I the only one who feels that there is a great opportunity being missed here? Let's get active and interested and include President Obama and the White House in our online occupy Wall St. email and comments campaign. Let the President know that yes we are interested in seeing corporations pay up... get conversation begun, a foot in the door, and maybe we can broaden concerns to include many of the other issues we would like to address.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/Inside-the-White-House-Letters-to-the-President
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Personally I am sending a PAPER letter through our almost bankrupt not government owned post office. I Think we NEED to send real PAPER letters> think like the old movie Miracle on 34th st> But it will be our letters to the President and members of congress instead of children to Santa> Get busy copy, paste, print, share, mail>
Do not re-elect George Bush III! No!
Running the government is like running a three legged two person race. If one of the two people in the race refuses to move forward then the racers aren't going anywhere. We the people have to elect people to our government that will move our country forward, not put it into eternal gridlock. Read my web page at www.mybetteramericaplan.com to see how the RepubliCONS have been destroying America for the last 40 years are are doing their best to destroy President Obama's presidency even if it means that they will destroy America too. Don't be upset with President Obame for not giving you everything that you want. He can only give you what the Congress and the Republicans will allow him to do. If you want him to give you more than you have to elect people to Congress that will allow him to give you more. Congress makes the laws, President Obama only signs them!
Corportations are only one small aspect of the problem. Nothing less than the healing of the human heart from the emotional plague will stop us from destroying ourselves. Obama is at best a coward or a fool - at worst pure fear and greed. Do not let them buy out the movement with anything less than a fundamental change in the way we run the world.
Good video anology of Obama's debt rate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yxFtTwDcc&feature=player_embedded
"We the people..." The U.S. Constitution is being violated continuously. Perhaps that should be the rallying cry. There needs to be one rule. NO VIOLENCE. Ghandi did it in India and his movement forced the British to leave in the end. The internet has the power to bring people together like never before. Any corporate influence on government should be seen as against "the people" and treated as treason. Obama start legislating, no more speeches.... We the people are wary of words. This movement can only be crushed if it becomes violent. I keep wondering what took so long for people to wake up? I see a future where government is completely decentralised except for National Security. As implausible as it seems, it would be easier than trying to legislate corporations into ethical behaviour. And isn't that what this movement is all about - Doing the right thing? We the people will not go away, what we can do is boycott corporations that blatantly defy all moral and ethical standards. This movement is only just getting started. Where is Noam Chomsky? - he is a man with high moral and ethical standards, he has been espousing the views of this movement for decades. Governments and corporations are hoping this movement will just lose it's focus and dissipate... Not a chance. We the people... Freedom and democracy will finally mean something tangible. We the people... have the power to change the world. We have seen it in the Middle East. It is possible.
Because if he faces the demonstrators, his conscience may remember who he was before selling his moral soul to the highest bidders.
It is naive to think this is the first administration that is motivated by Wall Street or Corporate monies. This has been going on for generations. That's why the layers are so thick. That's why the notoriously apathetic people of America are finally taking to the streets to voice their protest. That's why there is no hope for change unless we can sway the powers to be (regardless of where they were born - really? is that what matters?) to not only relinquish some of their fiscal control, but to legislate and mandate corporate money out of politics and policy. Sleeping in the park is a means for us to make ourselves visible to the politicians, the corporations and the rest of the public. It gets our concerns heard - as we do not otherwise have the money or representation to lobby like a corporation or a PAC. But ultimately, the changes are going to need to be made from the top. The only other way to make the seriously necessary changes in this country (and this world for that matter - ie: Koch Brothers: destroying people, economies and environments all over the world) is by revolution - and that's no solution. 1) The still predominantly apathetic American people have no desire to back a revolution that will rob them of their creature comforts. 2) A revolution topples the government, but will not even scratch the surface of corporations. And isn't that what we're fighting against? Isn't that why we're finally en masse getting angry and fed up? If we fall the government, all the corporations will do is fund a new one. Thus, showing the politicians we have staying power and that we're comprised of incredible numbers and diversity (by the way, we're not only diverse ethnically, racially and by age - there are poor AND rich people siding with Occupy), we can hope to sway and inspire them.
I would also like to add: Let us not lose sight of what the main objective is. For every person participating in this protest, there is an issue that needs to be addressed. That's more than 20,000 issues. I've been a part of major protests and movements before - and the thing that always destroyed them was 1) disorganization and 2) every person having a personal agenda, far from the point (ie: protesting the first Gulf War, and people squabbling and fighting because there weren't enough speakers from one minority or another) It seems the primary objective is to get corporations out of government and return our country to democracy - a more organic democracy - not the grotesque capitalism that reigns over us now. Get corporate money out of elections. Politicians must be held accountable for any violations against a code of ethics that mandates they relinquish stocks and corporate ownership when holding office. The same is true for all oversight committees. Lobbying should be known for what it is: bribery - and thereby treason. If corporations can have "rights and responsibilities of natural persons" then they have to be held accountable in the same ways we should. If they kill someone they need to serve time, fold or dissolve. A succession of fines (mere pennies to the most of them) - that many just altogether refuse to pay - is no answer to the heinous things they are doing to individuals, societies, and the planet. I am certain that if we the people stay on task and get corporations out of government, the 20 thousand other gripes and complaints we have will be greatly minimized.
Don't let the Democratic party hijack OWS, even with Obama's slick rhetoric.
Obama let down. You can only fool me once.
The Sunlight Foundation found that from 1989 to 2010, campaign funding from financial institutes to both Republicans and Democrats totalled $1,188,664,055, while lobbying efforts amounted to $823,559,224. Obama received the most money even exceeding Bush.
The Center for Responsive Politics also reports that the President's biggest contributors in 2008 included Goldman Sachs ($1,013,091); JP Morgan Chase & Co. ($808,799); and Citigroup Inc. ($736,771). For Obama's re-election efforts, 244 elites are directing at least $34,950,000.
Don't settle for Obama's change, we dictate to him-this is democracy and the 99% needs to be finally heard.
obama and the democratic party are NOT our allies. they have shown that they are just as opportunist and in thrall to corporate interest as the republicans. the sudden appearance of this pro reform/anti corporate rhetoric is pure posturing in the run up to an elections year. republicrats are not interested in structural change, they are interested in staying in power. don't be fooled, reject the supposed support of the democratic party. we cannot be coopted by these opportunists or our message and effort will be wasted
Most congressman and senators are multi millionaires....,
President Obama, his Administration and Congress, with both their Democratic and Republican majorities are a part of the problem. They are all loyal to the corporate interests which dominate this nation's politics.
Unless the President and Congress work to eliminate corporate and private financing of elections, and continue taking Wall Street and corporate money to fund their elections, nothing will change.
Do not try to spam this movement with your partisan message.
Obama has to recognize that the Occupy Wall Street movement has more to do with his failures in office than anything the GOP has done. http://mediapoliticsinperspective.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/obama-misunderstands-the-wall-street-movement/
Obama has to recognize that the Occupy Wall Street movement has more to do with his failures in office than anything the GOP has done. http://mediapoliticsinperspective.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/obama-misunderstands-the-wall-street-movement/
The revolving door between his administration, the SEC, and the finance houses themselves is ridiculous.
//Let's get active and interested and include President Obama and the White House//
That is the worst possible idea, let's invite Cheney while we're at it, he wouldn't have even had the gaul to drone strike an American citizen.
If this movement gets swallowed by the political machinery, it will be rendered impotent.
For the record I would just like to point out to all of the posters attempting to educate "me"> not necessary< I have been a protester before there was a protest< The POINT made in the article was merely about USING tools to forward our movement> and IT DID WORK> Obama mentions Occupy Wall St> and we are NOW Main stream news< just like we told CNN and FOX weeks ago< cover us< or look stupid 2,3,4,5,6,weeks, months down the road when we are still going strong:)
Don't you get a coffee break or anything?
lol :) I haven't had time to get on here in a bit, just catching up on some comments> lol I love my coffee> peace:)
If Obama goes down there, throws one of his fake speeches and everyone applauds, then this movement is DEAD for me.
agree 1000%
lol no I don't think he would go that far:) But by stating an opinion < he sure made the press talk about it more
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/166599-pelosis-net-worth-rises-62-percent-
Pelosi one of the weathiest members of congress. Her money came from Wall Street
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/166599-pelosis-net-worth-rises-62-percent-
Pelosi one of the weathiest members of congress. Her money came from Wall Street
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/166599-pelosis-net-worth-rises-62-percent-
BULLSHIT! Barack Obama is one of the slickest Wall Street shills to come along in decades. he was prepped long before taking office.
OCCUPY WALL STREET should not be become sock puppet hand-maidens of MoveOn, George Soros, Barack Obama and kind.
you want TAX REFORM?-- ABOLISH THE PERSONAL PAYROLL/PASSIVE INCOME TAX. -- Let the CORPORATIONS pay INCOME taxes and institute pay as you go Consumption tax.
Also if you do not dismantle/nationalize the Federal Researve and stop issuing debt-based fiat currency, no reform, financial, political or otherwise will be possible.
YES! I was searching online to find anything regarding the President acknowledging Occupy Wall Street & found this-- I was thinking we need to write letters to the President & here you are saying that!
Please, all of you, keep wasting your time. Its quite amusing... - guy who works on Wall. St.
To the guy who works on Wall St. who, by the way, is taking the time to read all this, it's ok to feel guilt and fear and express that as mockery. Cheer up, it is never to late to transform yourself and restore your integrity. What job could you have that would inspire you and make a difference?
good comment> you should write an article around this sentiment:)
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WOOOOOOOTZ http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution facebook like button over 41 k NOW and counting:)
Natalie Rothschild's very snarky commentary is the number one result when you search for "occupy wall street." She claims there is plenty of media coverage... obviously because the mainstream media is all linking to her story.
EXACTLY and did you hear Michell Malkin> A pointless sleepover? WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO CHANGE THAT< CNN AND FOX AND MSNBC ARE GOING TO LOOK REALLY STUPID A MONTH OR TWO FROM NOW WHEN WE THE PEOPLE & OCCUPY WALL St. are STILL GOING AND GROWING STRONG:)
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I worked for the Post Office for 21 years as a letter carrier. I totally agree send paper letters. The Post Office is a great American Institution that Congress has been trying to privatize as long as I was there. I believe that 'universal mail service' is provided for in the Constitution but I'll have to double check.
Yes Maureen, very good input< Our POST OFFICE WAS PRIVATIZED in 2006 < Maureen and a its damn shame< OUR Govt. has sold and given away most of our infrastructure and many are unaware:( THIS IS WHY IT IS US POSTAL SERVICE .com now instead of ,gov> and now we hear the postal service is what? 500 billion in debt? Craziness all around us> I still say LETS SEND OUR LETTERS< I HAVE MAILED PAPER LETTERS TO THE WHITEHOUSE MANY TIMES< But they are lonely little envelopes easily discarded< IMAGINE A TRUCK LOAD OF ENVELOPES:)
And a truckload of envelopes to Mayor Bloombergs office:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg City Hall New York, NY 10007 PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
MOST DEFINITELY:)
I mentioned posting on Obama's Facebook page to tell him that he has proven to NOT be for the people by not responding/helping with this protest. I did post although I doubt very much if he reads it.
Don't GIVE UP> COMMUNICATION IS THE WAY TO GO> :)
Obama is the elite, wake up!
Nah, not hearing from Obama is no big deal. I wouldn't expect anything else and it's certainly no missed opportunity. Yes, corporations need to be held accountable but so do the lawmakers that continually let them off the hook. Don't expect any support from GOV Inc., and Obama's tax-talk is just talk. Just trying to look like the 'lesser evil' but the two-party system is a false paradigm. Ignore the talk, watch what they do, very carefully. I do. Obama appointed about 40 CEO's/lobbyists to top gov positions, including JP Morgan's man as his Chief of Staff, Monsanto man to head up USDA, another Monsanto man to head up Food Safety at USDA and despite the fact GE shipped out 200,000 US jobs, Obama appointed GE's CEO for JobCzar. Obama appointed Feinberg to handle claims for the victims of the Gulf oil disaster but Feinberg's usual clients include EXXON, DOW, DuPont, Raytheon, Citibank and dozens of other corporations, all just a greedy. It's no wonder some fishermen have not seen a penny; now they're broke and sick from the poisonous dispersant.
Obama did not speak up for, or walk, with the workers in Wisconsin like he promised he would, because he doesn't stand up for regular People at all. Obama went out of his way to protect BP when he told the world the Gulf is safe. IT IS NOT as millions of gallons of POISON were sprayed on it (oil is still leaking so poison is spraying still). Corexit, the dispersant has one 'Environmental Precaution: Do not contaminate surface water" and the main ingredient of Corexit 9527A, is classified as "POISONOUS MATERIAL" by the gov... this is about so much more than taxes! Third party is the only way to go; we should only support TRUTH. MSM is a tool owned by the oligarchs (6 corps own it all). TPTB use MSM to tell the People what TPTB want the People to hear. They hide the shifty Executive orders, truth about wars, drones in Pakistan, Yemen, Syria and humanitarian bombing in Libya (shhh, it's a coup). The hide the fact oil is still leaking from BP's well and they hide this movement.
Just remember the corporate appointments by this 'Let them eat poison' POTUS and I hope you realize it's best not to waste a minute counting on Obama, or 99% of federal lawmakers! Save the stamp or better yet, send a letter to a soldier and tell him/her you're doing what you can to bring them home. Everyone knows the GOP are owned by the Corporation, but look around, Dems are too. Less evil is just a more effective evil... they play that good cop-o-bad cop routine and too many people have fallen for it. We deserve better but anyone from Uniparty Inc is not the solution. Do not expect change from the ones who brought us here!
The worst opportunity missed would be if 'We the People' do not use this occupation as an opportunity to demand real change (like a voting system that is not rigged so we can out the oligarchs). The real government is the [shadow government of] banksters and warmongers and their agenda is pushed by the White House and Congress. I support the People and this movement but do not count on government to make any real improvements for us. It is up to us. WE are the only hope to implement the solutions they ignore. They say they can, but they don't. WE WILL. Look, it won't be easy but WE OUTNUMBER THEM and they fear our unity. TPTB work hard to divide us so this is the hardest step... we win if we unite.
Occupy Wall Street! STAY STRONG!!!
PEACE to all, Say NO to Corporate America
important facts throughout, http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/
Write letters, write updates/stats on blogs and websites and to newspapers, and refuse to use the products of corporations which contribute to this consumer nation. INCLUDING THE OIL!
Guess we will have to stop eating, using condoms and wiping our ass with toilet paper, since all are products of oil. With oil and gas we could not come close to feeding the 7 billion mouths each and every day. Takes about 10 calories oil hydrocarbon energy to produce 1 cal. Of food we put in our moths each day. Without oil all the wall street bankers would be farmers, or maybe poachers.
Wake Up!
Are you telling me that the CIA and all of the law enforcement that the Federal Government has failed to tell the President or the White House Staff.
Please...They Know the demonstrations are going on.
What you fail to realize is Obama is a front man for Wall Street despite his rhetoric. Do your research and you will find that they were the largest contributors to his campaign. Bill Daley, the President's Chief of Staff, was a Wall Street minion before joining the White House. He was either employed by JP Morgan or Goldman Sachs.
Obama's administration is full of Wall Street figures. They are the largest background group of any in the deputy secretaries and secretaries of the cabinet.
WALL STREET OWNS OBAMA. HE'S COMPROMISED. THEY KNOW THAT HE HAS A REAL ISSUE ABOUT HIS CITIZENSHIP. ASSUMING THAT HE WAS BORN IN HAWAII,HIS MOTHER GAVE UP OBAMA'S US CITIZENSHIP FOR HIM TO BE ADOPTED BY HIS STEPFATHER AND ATTEND INDONESIAN SCHOOLS.
Indonesia DOES NOT ALLOW DUAL CITIZENSHIP. Even if Obama later reclaimed his citizenship, he lost the "natural born citizen" status and became a "naturalized" citizen, thus making him Constitutionally ineligible for the Presidency.
His mother worked for the Rockefeller Foundation as a CIA operative in Southeast Asia. His grandmother helped launder CIA money at the bank she worked at as head of the Trusts Department for the bank. Her bank was frequently used by the CIA to launder money.
Obama is a Manchurian type candidate. For all you know, David Rockefeller or David Rockefeller Jr. knowing his mother had a mixed race child designated Obama to cultivate him for times such as these.
Haven't you wondered about Obama's background and how he really made a living? He was only a part-time constitutional law professor (which probably the Ford Foundation, another CIA tool, helped create the University of Chicago), a state legislator and DID NOT PRACTICE LAW ALL THOSE YEARS HE WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND DOING PART TIME TEACHING. Those incomes from two part time jobs in no way helped Obama buy his expensive mansion he and Michelle bought. So where did his money come from?
There are many within the black community that believed Obama worked secretly for the government.
So with someone like this, how can you expect him to deliver the "hope and change" you want? Get real.
The only one who can help us and the world out of this horrendous mess, which will get worse if not changed, is God. Put your faith in the Lord. However keep in mind that He must increase and we must decrease. Read Romans Chapter 1 and you will see where we are at. If you turn your back on HIm, He will turn you over to the world and let you get the licking you deserve. He's gracious but He does not force Himself on us. We must choose, repent personally and for this nation and pray. Chronicles says when enough cries out with sincerity He will heal the nation and the land.
So make your choice. Are you going to rely on flawed man like Obama? Or are you going to choose the Lord?
The time of decision is arriving....
For the record I would just like to point out to all of the posters attempting to educate "me"> not necessary< I have been a protester before there was a protest< The POINT made in the article was merely about USING tools to forward our movement> and IT DID WORK> Obama mentions Occupy Wall St> and we are NOW Main stream news< just like we told CNN and FOX weeks ago< cover us< or look stupid 2,3,4,5,6,weeks, months down the road when we are still going strong:)
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FLOOD THE WHITEHOUSE WEBSITE WITH THE INFORMATION.....ALL CONTACTS, THEY WILL BE INQUIRING THEN HUH.....
we need to utilize every resource and pass up on no opportunities> The Revolution Will Not Be Televised UNLESS we make sure it is> It is up to us:)
Obama is a great man ! obama is a man of peace ! obama loves us all equally ! Obama Obama Obama. Vomit Vomit Vomit ! Are we all 3 years old this guy is owned and paid for, and has no time for non-billioniairs. He keeps all the awrs going eventhough he a nobel peace prize winner. this keeps the wepons companys happy, bails out the banks and wall street with your iou, because you have no money and never will, neither wil your offsprings. He murders or through the drone program anybody that he or his buddies call terrorist. Sends even more troops to Uganda to try to secure the new found oil. Keeps people like manning locked up in tiny cell naked 23 hours aday. Goooood Morning Gauntanamo ! obama love you all and give you greetings from God. List goes on but this little message will never penatrate the poping and cracking sound you brain washed skulls. So go back and watch some more MTV slime.
Why in heaven would we try to get the support of a politician who thinks Reagan is an adequate example of his politics?