Welcome login | signup
Language en es fr
We are the 99 percent

We are the 146% - Russians Refuse to be Rooked as 120,000 March in Moscow

Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 24, 2011, 12:20 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

© Антон Тушин/Ridus.ru

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of Russians marched in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and several other cities decrying the recent parliamentary election results. In the largest series of protests since the fall of the Soviet Union 20 years ago people have united across political affiliations shouting, “We exist! We exist!”

The protests began December 4th - shortly after election results were released showing in some instances returns that totaled as high as 146% of the popular vote. Russians took to the streets, chanting, “Putin is a thief” and “Russia without Putin.” By the following Saturday, people turned out en masse (estimates range from 25,000-100,000) for a protest in Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square. It was accompanied by dozens of smaller rallies across Russia’s nine time zones.

During the election, ballot boxes were stuffed; monitors shooed away; voter registrations bought, sold, and forged; and teams of United Russia activists bussed from precinct to precinct to vote early and often, in a process called "The Carousel."

The elections were not a surprise. Last September the current President Dmitry Medvedev announced Vladimir Putin would run again for the presidency, a post that he held from 2000 to 2008 and an impossibility until a recent amendment to the Russian Constitution.

This revealed a level of cronyism, long suspected - Medvedev has been cast as “Robin to Putin’s Batman”. Some Russians now snidely refer to this political maneuvering as “rokirovka” - the Russian word for castling in chess, the move in which a rook and the king are moved at the same time, to shelter the king. This “castling move” will allow Mr. Medvedev to assume Mr. Putin’s job as prime minister after the elections March 4th - an agreement according to Putin that was reached “a long time ago, several years back.”

This announcement was understandably met with public outrage and frustration. Putin’s approval ratings went down. Vladimir Aristarkhov, a local publishing house employee, explained, “Our local version of Dr. Evil and his Mini-Me will stay in power as long as they can.” At the time there were a few small protests but nothing compared with the magnitude of crowds post-election, inspired by people-powered movements across the globe.

The demonstrations are a welcoming sign of a popular social movement organizing in opposition to the self-described "Putin regime". They also countered a long-standing belief that the only groups capable of mass mobilization in Russia are extreme nationalists.

"I guess I just got tired of whining about Putin on my blog," says Sergei, 31, an IT engineer. "I felt like I had to actually do something, something real."

As of November 2011, Russia has more Internet users than any other country in Europe, and the country's blogosphere, with about 5 million blogs and 30 million monthly readers, has become the last truly free space for political discourse in Russia's tightly controlled media.

In a departure from “business as usual” Russian national television actually covered the uprisings. Newspaper reports claimed a veteran news anchor, Alexei Pivovarov, refused broadcast if he could not cover the protests, thereby, forcing media outlets to cover the December 24th protests as well.

During a recent four and half hour radio interview Putin suggested that the protesters were being paid and ridiculed them. But Putin’s hubris and glib mockery seem to have gone a step too far. "They let the genie out of the bottle on Sept. 24,” said Ilya Ponomaryov, one of the protest organizers. A Muscovite tweeter, Aafinogen, stated that during Mr. Putin's speech the number of people signed up on Facebook for the protest December 24th rose by 3,500 people, totaling 21,500.

The December 24th demonstration in Moscow, Ралли За честные выборы (Rally For Fair Elections) or #D24, took place at Sakharov Avenue around 2pm (MSD, UTC+4) with an estimated 120,000 protesters present. “We have enough people here to take the Kremlin … but we are peaceful people and we won't do that – yet. But if these crooks and thieves keep cheating us, we will take what is ours." said activist, anti-corruption lawyer and blogger Alexei Navalny who spent 15 days in jail for his participation in demonstrations on Dec. 5th.

Blatant fraud during the Dec. 4th parliamentary elections was critical in mobilizing the middle class, who for years has remained otherwise apathetic or silent about the political climate. The rally today was larger than previous demonstrations, and along with several protests held in other cities and towns throughout Russia, indicates that this is indeed a growing protest movement. "There are so many of us here, and they [the government] are few … They are huddled up in fear behind police cordons," said former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, one of many speakers at today’s rally.

In the Pacific port of Vladivostok, demonstrators carried posters calling for Mr. Putin to be put on trial and regional MP Artyom Samsonov said the election results should be cancelled. Novosibirsk, Siberia held a rally of 800-1,500 peaceful demonstrators. About 100 marched bravely in Orenburg, on the Kazakhstan border, despite a heavy frost and temperatures of -15C. Chelyabinsk, a city in the southern Urals, held protests of about 500 under the slogan “These elections were a farce! We want honest elections!”

President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally and long-standing member of Putin’s regime, promised those and other changes, including the restoration of direct elections for half of parliamentary seats and easing impartial rules for presidential elections, during a national address given Thursday. However, many have expressed discontent with what they perceive as false promises. "These measures are insufficient. They are intended to calm people down and prevent them from showing up at rallies.”, says Arina Zhukova, 45, who attended today’s demonstration in Moscow. Protest organizers have also made it clear that they will keep fighting for a re-election and the punishment of government officials who played a part in the recent election fraud.

A resolution to create the Moscow Voters’ Association to monitor elections for fraud was passed at today’s rally based on concerns expressed during the demonstrations December 10th, when fifty thousand people assembled in Moscow.

At today’s rally, 22 speakers were expected to attend, where the opposition addressed a politically diverse crowd. Yury Shevchuk, a Russian rock musician, told protesters to keep their dignity and avoid “competing in hatred for the authorities” by video message. Grigory Yavlinsky, presidential candidate and veteran liberal, spoke in person, calling for a free electoral system. Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader, was unable to attend, but sent a message of support for the protesters instead.

Russia has long been known as a hot bed of oligarchic cronyism and corruption – Putin was a member of the KGB – but until now opposition and dissent has been limited to predominantly Internet activity. However, with new insight into how national politics are cavalierly decided in secrecy, Russians are incensed. Finding inspiration in people-powered movements across the globe, they are using the virtual space they have created to capture the physical.

Links:
24dec.ru </br> 24dec.ru (translated - english) </br>

253 Comments

253 Comments


Read the Rules
[-] 14 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

It's fairly clear that there is MORE freedom to protest in the streets of Russia than in the streets of the USA.

But anybody that travels already knows that the only FREEDOM in the USA is the freedom to shop at walmart, if you have money.

[-] 7 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

In Japan you can walk up to a cop with an open beer and ask directions. It makes sense. I mean if you are on foot and asking for directions to a train station what negative effect are you having on others? If you become so intoxicated that you begin to fight or cause a disturbance, you get arrested for fighting or causing a disturbance. Not for drinking which is a legal activity. We have been conditioned to accept the police as being allowed to be a complainant in non-violent crimes. The Japanese cops respond to citizen complaints rather than deciding themselves which laws to enforce. If we did that people would rarely get arrested for offenses that did not cause direct harm or inconvenience to other citizens. Crimes like drugs, gambling, voluntary prostitution, public intoxication not involving the use of a motor vehicle. No one calls the cops to complain, then that means the community in that area does not want that particular law enforced. The cops taking it upon themselves to decide a law that the community never calls them about needs to be enforced is just plain wrong. If you disagree then tell me about a time you knew a person was walking home drunk, or playing a game of poker, and you called the cops.

[-] 7 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

I agree. Cops in America will do everything they can to try to bust people. Even if that means deceiving citizens and then stabbing them in the back once said citizen exposes too much information. Cops ARE TRAINED and encouraged to take information out of context and piece it back together in a way that can be used to incriminate citizens, even if the citizens have committed no illegal act. I see it all the time in every city or town I have ever lived in. The entire law enforcement and justice system in America is just another huge corrupt money making scheme. It's yet another way the 1% use authority and power to drain rights, liberties and money from the 99%. (Especially the lower steps of the class pyramid)

The government implements social programs to take poor children away from their poor parents and poor parents away from their poor children. Children can be taken away from their families (under the pretense of abuse) if their parents choose to smoke cigarettes, cigars, or joints in the privacy of their own homes. Children can be taken away from their parents (under the pretense of abuse) if their children are more prone to accidents or are not doing well in school. Children can be taken away from their homes if their parents cannot afford or refuse to 'medicate' their children. And yeah, I know some parents are negligent and abusive. But the problem is really not as bad as the system would like you to think.

Rather than lay off a bunch of useless workers--because the county or state decides there has been a decline in crime rates--the heads of these organizations (who do not want a cut in funding) begin making up reasons (or implementing new 'programs') to fuck their own citizens over. These conniving people start fabricating and contextualizing stories to take children away from their parents. Because if they did not meet a set 'quota' for the month or quarter, they may be liable to lose their jobs. And most people will do whatever they can to keep their jobs and maintain living fat happy lives even if that means fucking total strangers over. Fucking mere acquaintances over. And yes, even fucking close friends and family members over :

(telemarketers, recruiters, salespeople, military, politicians, phone companies, recruiters, utility companies, retail managers, contractors, insurance agents, recruiters, policemen, bankers, travel agents, stock traders, doctors, lawyers, taxi drivers, realtors, recruiters etc, etc, etc.)

[-] 6 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Well said, the main point is cops should not be allowed to be the complainant in any case where the so called victim is still alive. For example: Lisa needs some extra cash, and decides to sell her ass to Joe. Joe is happy, and so is Lisa, both of them got what they wanted from the deal no one was forced to do anything they did not want to do. Why then can a person who is supposed to be serving and protecting both parties arrest both of them even though no one anywhere is asking them to do anything? no complaint has been made by anyone involved in the transaction. No third party has come forward and said that it offended them. WHY? Money is why they want to regulate every money making enterprise there is. If they could find a way to count the number of times a person has sex, prostitution would be legal the next day. Drugs are the same thing, they don't want us growing money on trees.

[-] 8 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

"Drugs are the same thing, they don't want us growing money on trees."

Yeah, and then they'll confiscate the drugs and sell them back to citizens undercover, and keep/use both the money and the drugs while making a good name for themselves in the public eye. It's fucking criminal yet legal. Whatever happened to the courageous mindset of the mid 60's through early 90's when people weren't afraid to stand up to crooked authoritarians???

Today, We're just a bunch of sloths. We're VERY poorly educated. Our rights are being stripped away from us each and every day. People still seem to think there is a difference between the right and left; between the liberals and conservatives, between repelicans and democraps. It's the same fucking shit every four fucking years. No matter who wins the elections, we're still going to continue to regress into the downward spiral of fascism and insanity.

The only difference there really is between right and wrong...between good and evil. WE the People need to wake the fuck up and start fighting for our rights. Stop waiting for someone else to do it for you. Take back your houses, take back your land, take back your communities, take back your towns, your cities, your states. TAKE BACK YOUR COUNTRY! TAKE BACK YOUR WORLD!I

It's not too late to make a change. It's never too late, But the longer we sit around waiting for something to happen, the more obstacles the 1% are going to throw in our way. I know it's Christmas and everyone needs their one day of greedification and family hoohaha. But start fighting today... hit these fuckers hard and hit them where and when they least expect it.

[-] 5 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I knew guys 20 years back, they BOUGHT coke off an undercover for over a year. One day the fucking pig says: "My supplier got busted, can you get me some product?" They agreed. The cop had all the times he bought from them on tape. They of course had no proof he had ever sold to them. It was a small town. Prior to the arrival of the cop, virtually no market for coke existed. they created a local drug market for the purpose of arresting people and making money.

[-] 4 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M2ndwlmBOY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fLIKS-xqe70

What is kept a tight secret is how these DICE/ICE guys KNOW who has cash on them.........

From the most corrupt state in the Union

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/05/09/the-most-corrupt-states.html#

[-] 3 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

Thanks for the links

[-] 3 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

It's happening all over the US. Tennessee was one of the first states to have TSA's federal air marshals setting up searches at truck weigh stations and pretty much intimidating many into giving consent to be searched, with a huge and public desenstizing media campaign brainwashing people into not even thinking about how wrong it is, but, skating right past that and programming people with the catchy phrase and charging them with, "if you see something, say something".

So therefore, the next step is, 'we had an anonymous call about you so now we have probable cause to search you and your rig.'

My answer to such has always been, 'let's see the search warrant.'

Anyhow, I thought you'd have no problem connecting the dots and showing the amazing abuse of high tech intel for the true purpose of extracting cash and taking their chances that most of the street dispensed drugs, on the other end, would also end up in lucrative arrests and problems for many others.

[-] 1 points by maksims (5) 12 years ago

and I use this tool to download youtube video.http://www.doremisoft.net/free-mac-youtube-downloader/

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Brigands, attacking trade routs with the authority of the state to back them. Fifth amendment requires due compensation for private property sieze for public use. No conviction has occurred, therefore the money still belongs to the man they found it on.

[-] 2 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

Spoken like a person who has never had anything illegally seized by police. It would be nice if it were that simple or economically feasible. However, I totally agree with your summary, this is happening in many states, the question you want to ask is, how do they know who has large amounts of cash on them.

[-] 3 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Simple look at the magnetic strip in your money. Hold the money up to a light you will see a black line. That line is a magnetic strip. It can be detected (according to rumors I have heard} at a distance. They can tell how many and what denomination. Informants are also used. The main gripe that I have is the money is being taken without trial or conviction for any crime. You have too much money so we are confiscating it. These guys should go to the Koch brothers or Goldman Sachs or the FED if having money automatically makes a person a criminal.

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

10K in cash would trip the scanners at the airport over 10 years ago, they'd pull you aside and send the sheet to the treasury department.

I think how they know is far more insidious than metal detection as it doesn't work well for such relatively small amounts being carried in metal vehicles.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Microscopic (or nearly microscopic) RFID?

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

More realistic, real time monitoring of all communications, especially electronically transmitted. And in the cases where those who walk away from their cash, due to stooges on both ends of the deal, not wanting to have to explain to the IRS or anyone else the wheres and whys of having the cash.

The fact that the DICE guys sit with their backs to the drugs allegedly coming in and only pounce on the money, with surgical precision tells me you can't be too careful with handling cash.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Electronic monitoring is a fact they can locate your cell phone even if you are not talking. They can use the mic on your phone to listen to you even when you are not calling anyone. the same goes for your computer. The webcams too. Go to Wikileaks if you doubt it.

[-] 1 points by superjudgebunny (4) from Cedar Rapids, IA 12 years ago

To FrogWithWings cause apparently I couldn't reply to it. Google was never founded by the NSA staff, that's just stupid. Where the crap do you people get this information? out your....?

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

No reason for me to doubt it. I root my phones and clip all intrusive and enabling connections.

Google's Android platform, which is in fact, an actual platform for the NSA to perfect many of the TIA objectives, is amazing, yet, highly watered down compared to the actual capabilities of big secret America.

Google was was actually founded by NSA staff.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

That blatant abuse of power is typical and is disgusting!

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by 4TheHumanSocietyProject (504) 12 years ago

Amen brother!

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

the american people ain't never gonna wake up to take back our homes and the rest of our country..........that is why the government gets away with ripping us off by taxing the shit out of us............going on vacation then telling us the country is going bankrupt when they come back

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

I call Bullshit, what do you think the whole occupy movement is all about? I guarantee you this is just the beginning of a much needed revolution. Our camps in the northern U.S. and Canada might be getting evicted for 'safety reasons' especially because worries about hypothermia and the spread of 'disease' during the colder seasons. But there is going to be a great thaw come springtime not just of the earth but of mass consciousness and things are going to start heating up whether anyone wants them to or not.

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

i think we need a revolution too but do you really think the american people have enough balls to show these tea bags who really runs this mother fucker like they did during the LA riots?

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

Amen !

[-] 4 points by radicalhumility (56) 12 years ago

The truth, is that as citizens we've been dumb'd down so much that we do not know that we have the right to contract with who we choose. If we educate ourselves we can educate authority. Congress shall make no law prohibiting the right to contract. Learn that, learn that you are not your straw man (your fictitious entity - aka what's on your drivers license) and learn to provide honor and remedy in all commerce situations, which is in fact, EVERY situation with authority... criminal or civil offenses. All about commerce.

[-] 3 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

This is very true.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

"WHY?" Maybe because prostitution is against the law... and some of these ladies (or men) don't use protection and can spread STDs ? Maybe because many of these ladies are underage and are not "selfemployed" but are in fact slaves of someone who keeps the money they do make? Maybe because many of these ladies are abused or even killed by the very people that "hire" them?

It isn't as simple as you'd like to make it out to be.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

In regards to prostitution I am referring to adults only and those who have chosen to do the work. Few people truly choose to be a prostitute, it almost always due to hard times. That being said, all sex paid or not involves a risk of STDs even when protection is used. Adults have the right to choose to use or not use that protection. If prostitution is legal people doing it will be able to go to the police for protection and not be taken advantage of by pimps. Clients can be required by a business to undergo screening. The transaction can take place in a safe place. A brothel next to the police station. That should discourage would be rapists thieves and murderers.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

You keep right on dreaming.....

There are always those that will do what they have to, to circumvent the law. Quite frankly if it wasn't for drug addiction there would probably be less women involved in prostitution... but then you all think that drugs should be legalized as well........ so there you go, your vicious circle.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I think adults should have the right to do anything they like as long as it does not harm another person or animal. Unless of course the other person is into some freaky SM and wants to be hurt and then it is okay. I am not a child and no government or industry has the right to act as my parent. If you oppose drugs and prostitution then don't use them and leave the rest of us out of it. Your silly ghost in the sky is no more real than the Easter Bunny. You are not going to heaven or hell. you are simply going to die and be food for worms.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

It's funny how you assume that my stance on prostitution and drugs is rooted in my religious beliefs.. (which you know nothing about and that is even more amusing)

Whether or not you are an adult that can make responsible decisions in drug use really isn't the issue. It is the many that are not capable of doing those things. Perhaps you have never been close to anyone with a drug addiction... I have, I was married to a man with a cocaine addiction. Not only did it destroy a 16 year marriage that until the drug use was a good one, but it left it's affects on our son...he would spend every dime of his pay check for drugs, leaving me to try to find extra working hours to pay rent and feed the 3 of us.... and eventually "it" took his life.

Whether you believe in a "God" or not destroying the life you have because you feel you have a right to use drugs is just stupid.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Just imagine legal cocaine for a moment. He goes to the bar, or porn shop, or other place children may not enter and buys a gram of coke for $5, that is about what it would cost if it was legal. The financial cost of the problem nearly vanishes. !f the addiction becomes a health problem (under universal health care which I also support) He would be able to go get help from a doctor without fear of arrest or additional costs beyond what have already been paid in taxes.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Really? and who pays for this man's help? We do..... Meanwhile he is still an addict and would have to chose to seek that help. How many addicts do you know that voluntarily seek addiction help? And I really doubt that legalizing cocaine will result in $5 grams.....

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

It currently goes for about $1 per gram on the Bolivian frontier. The transportation costs, a small tax, and profit would not result in a significant cost increase. the costs are multiplied 20 times by the risk of jail time at each changing of hands. Nearly no addicts in a legal or illegal system go for help unless they hit rock bottom, or have to go for help to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The payment for his help would come from or perhaps only in part from the taxation of the product helping to pay for universal health care. The reason I assumed you were religious before is that almost all people that support prohibition of any kind are religious or at least claim to be. Legislating morality is another way to push religious practices on those who do not share your beliefs. Those who also are pro-prohibition need no legislation. They abstain or claim to abstain from use.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Your proposal as to how the "help" would be paid for is an old idea that has never worked.

I am not pro-prohibition for the purpose of legislating morality. My opposition comes from the experience of what drugs can do not only to the person who becomes addicted but what it does to the people intimately involved with them and society as a whole. Believe it or not religion is not always the reason for peoples opinions on what they believe to be immoral ............

And quite frankly, with all the things that need changing in this country the legalization of drugs should be the last thing OWS should be working towards.

[-] 1 points by superjudgebunny (4) from Cedar Rapids, IA 12 years ago

Drug abuse is rampant because of the defined social beliefs behind it. We make people believe that an addict is always an addict and has to abstain from all mood altering substances.

The problem is the science doesn't back that up. If we were made aware of what addiction is, what cravings are, the entire back end of addiction, things would change. The problem is that the people who are there to teach about addiction aren't generally qualified.

Take ASAC, it's nationally known as well as backed by the Govt. What does it take to be a counselor? It takes nothing but being a previous addict, then quickly working the ranks until you can "counsel" people.

That's like saying you can work your way to being a doctor just by getting injured and quickly "working the ranks".

Problem? Yes.

I could go on and on about addiction, how it works, how we have been lied too. The problem is it's too easy for people to go online and read the "counter" arguments, that for the most part are not written under peer review in the science world.

Something even a simple psych book would tell you, only 10% of people who try drugs get addicted. So think about that for a second. If most known addicts are only 10% of the people who tried the drug, how many people try it and go "that's not for me". That is a lot of people, and the numbers would be (roughly) the same whether or not it's legal. (this is for the hard drugs, softer drugs like THC, Caffeine, nicotine, differ due to the mentality behind them as well as the illusion of control)

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I agree that drug legalization is not high on the list though it does need to be fixed. My original post was about cops deciding which laws to enforce rather than letting the public come to them with complaints. Drugs just kind of came up as a result. the big problem is a bank controlled nation.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

Your Funny! ;) But the truth of your words ring out!!!

[-] 4 points by FatThumb (3) 12 years ago

Right on Jimmy-crack-corn! Cheers, mate! Check out this link to the Antidote out of SD. A great publication, and detailed analysis of the abuses being suffered by Native families in the state. http://www.sdallianceforprogress.com/E-Edition/TheAntidote11-8-2011.pdf

[-] 4 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

Thanks for sharing this PDF! I have saved it to my important documents and will definitely read it more thoroughly when I get some time. I did some Wikipedia 'research' several months ago about how Native Americans have been continuously getting the short-end of the stick. I was led right to South Dakota and was appalled by the suicide rates and how hopeless some of these teens and adults really feel about their situations. It is ridiculous how the authorities can keep herding these people like livestock and force them to live in so called indian reservations when our entire country should be an indian reservation

[-] 4 points by genanmer (822) 12 years ago

It's part of the pathocracy we live in.

[-] 1 points by DYLANDIRT (44) 12 years ago

I was in a phone booth minding my own business when a couple of LEO's started to harass me. When they ordered me out of the booth, I wet all over myself putting it away.

[-] 2 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

I live in China now, and I can tell you I never deal with cops and never see cops for that matter everyone just does as they wish.

Years ago back in the early 1980's I used to soldiers with guns everywhere in China, but now the people have made it clear they don't want a police presence, even traffic police are little seen now.

The problem with USA cops is like the movie Blade Runner, your either COP or little people, and the USA cops know they're Praetorian's and everyone else is shit. I think in Asia the cops don't really have that attitude they're just glad to have a job.

The USA is FUCKING HELL, THE USA government takes your children, they have more people in prison than anywhere else in the world, they stick their fingers in your asshole when you go through airports, nobody else in the world would put up with this shit but ameriKKKan's, ... thus IMHO the USA citizenry are the most cowardly sheep on the planet, and deserve their government and their cops.

[-] 4 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

I don't understand why there aren't as many mass jailbreaks and prison riots as there could or should be. People need start researching on freeing our people on both sides of the bars. I know there some sick bastards who definitely deserve to be locked up, but the majority of the incarcerated are locked up for some pretty petty shit compared to the white collar criminals. I think one reason why there is not so much support for OWS and the 99% as there should be is because 3% of our people are trapped in the prison system.

It blows my mind how the elites can get away ANYTHING because the have money and assets. They can get away with strategically and maliciously bringing entire economic systems to ruins. Turning first-world countries into second-world countries and second-world countries into third-world countries. And then hiring paid thugs to fuck with people in the poor communities who were dealt horrible hands to begin with.

Do you wonder why poor people seem to get into so much trouble? It's because they grow up getting shit on by rich kids and getting fucked over by predators who have more education and common sense than poor kids. The rich take advantage of the poor and the poor have very little resources to counteract other than digging deep within and resorting to violence. If a poor kid tries to pull the same shit on the rich kids, all the little snots have to do is tell their mommy and daddy so they can sue the fuck out of homeboy's parents.

[-] 1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

The US citizen has had 18,000 hours of TV by the time they're 20 years old, so its a day late and a dollar short to do anything, all you can do for your family is "KILL YOU TV", ...

Get the fuck out of the USA, and quick, IMHO its already too late, know your history, today is already 1939 in US HISTORY in terms of the NAZI machine 1928-1944, .. by 1938 it was already too late for Jews to flee.

WRT to the prisons, its all quite simple like california the prison guards are the #1 union in the country and best paid, over $100k/year with over-time, when the US-DOLLAR collapses so will the prison-industrial-complex, in the meantime there is NO justification to live in the USA.

The convicts in all prisons are fed TV 24/7 just the same as the 'free convicts' ( citizens) on the street, ORWELLIAN brain food is TV.

Lastly, OWS 100% supports the USA prison union system. So clearly understand that the entire OWS movement is just a mechanism to control the LEFT and make them fear the system.

[-] 6 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

We shouldn't have to go run and hide from our oppressors. We've been doing it for far too long and it has gotten us nowhere.We need to stand up and fight against corruption. We need to fight against the kings who would use citizens as pawns, police and military as knights, religious leaders as bishops, greedy businessmen as rooks, and politicians as queens to play games with people's lives.

Shouting and screaming cute catch phrases, and holding up artistically clever signs, may send a message, but it not accomplishing much in the way of our rights.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

-Thomas Jefferson

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

it is too late............the american people are afraid of the government and ain't got the balls to make the government afraid of us

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

Well I'm not afraid of the gubbermint...they can kiss my ass. And I know for damn sure there are many people who feel the same way as I do.

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

if you can find people to stand up to the tea bags and are ready to rip shit up then I am with you........I can't wait to go to the golf courses and shove their golf clubs up their asses.........but I am only one person........united we stand....divided we fall

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

lol, That's funny you say that... I used to ride my bike to work in Salt Lake City, and along the way, the bike trail along the Jordan River took me through a golf course. I used to fuck with those pricks so bad. I'd act like I was appreciating their game, then when they weren't paying attention to me, I'd take off with their golf balls and ride away. Sometimes they'd notice, and start chasing me with their carts on the trail. But once I got to the bridge--with these metal poles that stick up in the middle to prevent motorized vehicles from crossing, there was nothing they could do, and I was already long gone...hahahaha

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

that is what I'm talking about..........I wish there was more people like you ............your alright

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

LIBERTY!!!

[Removed]

[Removed]

[Removed]

[+] -5 points by Farleymowat (415) 12 years ago

Hahahahahahaha. Blame the rich for a poor boy being a crook. A crook is a crook because it is the path they choose. Your an idiot. Probably a loser crook too.

[-] 2 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

"your an idiot"

That is what you wrote...lmao

If Robin Hood is a crook, then I'd rather be a crook than some pansy-ass pampered rich kid. Robin Hood chose his targets carefully. He didn't blindly attack every member of the upper class out of a sense of jealousy. No, he specifically targeted those who would use their authority to suppress those of less fortunate backgrounds.

[-] 2 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I am an American, and unfortunately I agree with you. We have been programed by television and an education system that teaches us nothing of value. We were told from the beginning of our public educations, that America is the greatest and the freest country on Earth, by teachers who had never left the country even on a vacation. That is the definition of brainwashing. How can you claim to have more freedom than a country you have never even been to?

[-] 1 points by SwissMiss (2435) from Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI 12 years ago

"We were told from the beginning of our public educations, that America is the greatest and the freest country on Earth, by teachers who had never left the country even on a vacation."

You are so right. I went to four public schools growing up, and I was told the same thing. Luckily, I got a little wiser as I got older and figure out what a bunch of B.S. it is.

I was just talking with a lady from Austria yesterday, and she was commenting on how citizens are treated so much better in Europe than they are here. The USA is only concerned about money.

And I've been to several countries and know a lot of people in other countries.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

Yeah, okay World Traveler! Some of us broke folk cant afford to leave their house let alone the country! Your superior attitude stinks...

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I don't claim to be well traveled or rich. I moved out of America with $100 in my pocket and a plane ticket I was homeless in another country. I went there because I knew I had a better chance of getting a job than if I stayed here. It was hard for the first 2 years. I made it through.

[-] 1 points by SwissMiss (2435) from Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI 12 years ago

That's fine if you can't leave. Just don't have the "America is the greatest country ever" attitude if you've never been out of the country. THAT'S what they are criticizing.... not whether people can travel or not.

Apparently, you didn't get the point.

[-] 1 points by alexrai (851) 12 years ago

Probably helps that they've never been anywhere else, otherwise they'd have trouble saying it with a straight face. :p

[-] 1 points by i8jomomma (80) 12 years ago

you are right............american people are weak and deserve everything the government does to us cause we ain't gonna do anything about it.........we like it when they tax the shit out of us........go on vacation ...........come back and tell us the country is going bankrupt........we believe everything our government tells us and it ain't never gonna change.......that is just the way we are

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

must be nice....sounds like you have more freedom than the "Land of the Free" does! Ha! Funny! The irony!

[-] 1 points by maplehead74 (60) from Brooksville, FL 12 years ago

Amen, but also with some of your savings on incarceration , put in place some strong support systems. Rehabs that are free and your free to enter and leave. Safe houses for prostitutes that want to get out. Free health services for all the above.

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

I had a friend that grew up in England. He told me that when he was a child drugs were treated as a medical issue rather than a criminal one. addicts could get high for free at drug treatment clinics and would lose their privilege if caught breaking the law. each time they came in they were offered help to quit the drugs. This put drug dealers out of business. Drugs seized in raids were tested and used to treat drug addiction.

[-] 0 points by amesa (11) 12 years ago

not just safe houses, sex workers have a right to a safe work environment too. one that isn't inaccessible to only those with privilege (i.e., white cis people), and one that isn't criminalized.

[Removed]

[-] 5 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

You missed the point. It is not about drinking or drugs or gambling or prostitution. It is about cops or prosecutors being allowed to be the complainant in a crime in which the so called victim is able and has the right to choose whether or not they were wronged. You give me a widget or sell me one. I agree to a price and pay it or receive it as a gift from you. You and i are both happy and have consented to the transaction. What gives any third party including the government or a lowly cop the right to arrest either of us? Show me a person who has been victimized!

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

This must stop! "They" need to be shown (somehow?) that they cannot stick their fingers into everyone's pie...

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

The answer is to make the pie go away. Nothing you are using to speak to the rest of us is made by MONEY it is all made by HUMAN HANDS. We need to evolve. Get rid of money and property. Find other ways to motivate people than profit. Do this and we eliminate class forever. The problem Is how do we get people to do the nasty stuff that no one wants to do?

[-] 0 points by BlueRose (1437) 12 years ago

Tell that to someone paralyzed because a drunk went through their windshield.

[-] 4 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

In civilized nations, the drunk would be on a train or a bus. Also it matters not how drunk a pedestrian is, they still have the right of way. If someone hits a pedestrian with a motorized vehicle I refuse to feel pity for the driver.

[-] 4 points by alouis (1511) from New York, NY 12 years ago

Drive at night in the city. Assholes dressed all in black, with their cell phones in their ears and their heads up their asses. Walking backwards, looking at the ground. Yeah, great idea to do that. Sometimes it is not the driver's fault.

[-] 3 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Though I agree that drivers do not always shoulder all blame, the city should also look at infrastructure. If the speed limit on a road in a populated area exceeds a certain limit, then fences should prevent pedestrians from entering the road except at crosswalks. Areas with heavy foot traffic should have pedestrian overpasses or tunnels.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

That's right, the city, or other governmental agency, should be responsible for people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time.....

There is an old saying: "You can't fix stupid"

What ever happened to personal responsibility?

[-] 1 points by alouis (1511) from New York, NY 12 years ago

Yes, but ultimately it still comes down to common sense. It just isn't smart to turn oneself into a black clad distracted space cadet and then go and play in nighttime traffic.

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

Easy to judge from your armchair. Tell that to the person who stupidly darts into a busy street because they are too tired of waiting for the light to change. Tis the seasons to do stupid things http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/drunk-driving-food-cravings-and-the-other-dangers-of-the-holidays/250429/

[-] 1 points by SwissMiss (2435) from Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI 12 years ago

And that happens so often, I'm sure <eyeroll>.

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

More than you know. Especially around the holidays when people drink and walk. People just don't really pay attention. I nearly missed someone this past week when they stepped off the curb into the middle of the street, luckily I was cruising at 25 mph or I might he accidentally clipped them. Keep in mind they were nowhere near an intersection/crosswalk.

[-] -3 points by Farleymowat (415) 12 years ago

Huh? You serious bitch?

[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Just thought I'd point out TEF included the phrase "not involving the use of a motor vehicle".

[-] 2 points by BlueRose (1437) 12 years ago

My friend hit a drunk pedestrian, his jaw ended up on her lap. I wish the cops would have taken him off the street sooner. I will always report a drunk pedestrian.

[-] 3 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

In that case (I'm assuming the pedestrian was in a non-pedestrian area), you would be justified in reporting the intoxicated person because it's a safety issue. My issue with restrictions of freedoms is that they wage a war against personal choice and attempt to make most of our life decisions by law. That's not my idea of freedom. A blatant safety issue is one thing, policing personal choice that happens behind closed doors is another.

[-] 2 points by NewEnglandPatriot (916) from Dartmouth, MA 12 years ago

Yes good point, there is a social acceptable amount of a beer or two, but outright drunk/trashed/intoxicated is unacceptable.

[-] 0 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

And actual pigs, the kind of cops that brutalize peaceful protesters, love cop sucking holster sniffers like you, yet, would take a baton to your skull the net time you turn your back.

[Removed]

[-] -1 points by SmithGoesWashington (72) 12 years ago

This is rather a complicated debate. For example, in the US judicial system, in most cases, the defendant's social skill's put into investigation rather than the case. Hence, if you employ a more expensive skil to defend you, you can bypass the punishment, and vice versa, being punished unjustly. Police and people's attorney do not spend for investigation.

[-] 4 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

The poor have no recourse for the law. The rich have no obligation to it.

[-] 7 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

That's a great observation about Americans and Walmart.

Russians are showing Americans how free and powerful they are becoming without resorting to similar strategies US uses, things like the Zionist Media Mafia in US or flaunting Tear Gasing Pepper Spraying US Riot Police for the whole world to see.

American government is now viewed as Stalinist whereas the Russian government futurist.

When Americans celebrate Christmas uncertain of the future of their political system Russians are moving ahead with certainty in a different direction.

[-] 2 points by struggleforfreedom80 (6584) 12 years ago

Please don´t get caught up in conspiracies. It´s the finacial elite in general who run most things now a days - that has to be our focus, not one specific group. There are powerful people who are zionists, yes, but their power is nothing compared to the powerful corporations and the superwealthy.

If you want to know how the media is operating, watch "Manufacturing Consent"

yours s. struggleforfreedom

[-] 1 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

Russian oligarchs cracking down on freedom are no better than Western oligarchs.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/08/15/russia-pussy-riot-tolokonnikova-vinzavod/

https://ru-ru.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Russia/269785629711187

https://twitter.com/OccupyRussia2

The Russian peoples struggle for freedom is ours. We stand with them against their oligarchic oppressive leaders.

[-] 1 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

"Putin is a thief" From our previous post

"Russia has long been known as a hot bed of oligarchic cronyism and corruption – Putin was a member of the KGB – but until now opposition and dissent has been limited to predominantly Internet activity. However, with new insight into how national politics are cavalierly decided in secrecy, Russians are incensed. Finding inspiration in people-powered movements across the globe, they are using the virtual space they have created to capture the physical."

https://occupywallst.org/forum/we-are-the-146-russians-refuse-to-be-rooked/

Just a bump & reiteration of Occupies position on the wounded bear makin trouble these days.

Peace. (Golden oldie huh?)

[-] -2 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

Zionism is their main tool. Their idea is that United States is free only for those who align themselves with that niche. Most people think when you say Zionism it is something real. On the contrary, it is something that is made up, except since it is backed up by big money it has become a platform for Corporations to escape punishment by the Constitution and to distract people into believing that they can get away with it.

By using the media and the government simultaneously in a very coordinated manner they have sucked up ordinary people's lives and earnings and treated them like trash without people realizing the gravity of the situation.

If you tell me that is done solely through money schemes I know for sure you have not been living on this planet or would like to treat these International criminals as if they were homie ponzy pullers like Bernie Madoff.

As for Chomsky and his UG theory my belief is that he has a very narrow view on language.

For instance he doesn't mention things like poetry which are often child like simple words put together in a different manner, and they might not even be punctual when it comes to grammer, or that children are better poets and painters than grown ups because they see things purely out of their own interpretation rather than a scholastic, refined, or filtered one.

But we don't read child poetry or don't take it seriously because we feel we see much more and know more than they do and to a large extent it is true.

Our experiences are more important than our grammar. Grammar is just a conventional agreement within an environment, and you find one in any environment because you need to communicate in that environment. What makes that environment different is the experience not the grammar. Chomsky wants to create a UG for all these environments that each have their own experience. This won't work. What happens is that if you introduce a UG to any environment that environment modifies it to fit its own experience.
But he is not referring to children in that sense. He is saying children learn regardless of the environment. Yes, but they are experiencing a different environment. So if you put them in a different environment with the same UG they find that they have to modify it like others have.

I call this the Chomsky Paradox. If he ignores this reality he is not a scientist rather a programmer who wants to find a way to make his idea work which imo will be a failure.

I give you an example:

The Japanese when they want to describe the fallen Samurai syndrome in 18th century they don't say The Samurai were decommisioned, instead they say "nomu, utsu, kau" which means "booze, gambling and womanizing" which is what the Samurai did after they were no longer Samurai. But it is also a hidden reference to the way a Katana is swung or three positions of Katana.

Now how can you UG that?

Stay away from these people who want to make everything Universal like ANSI standard. It is rubbish.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

anyway...

[-] -1 points by nachosrulz (63) from Eureka, CA 12 years ago

i was outside during xmass marching on the streets evn till i tore my knee and had to go home

[+] -5 points by mee44 (71) 12 years ago

Zionist media? Hoooooooo doggey! Whatever.

[-] 1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

Well its true, that AIPAC owns the US CONGRESS, and US media.

Anybody that doesn't know this has been asleep since the 1920's when JDL/ADL purchased US media, and then in 1960's when AIPAC purchased US CONGRESS, but hey its ameriKKKa and everything is for-sale, including your un-born child, ... into slavery.

[-] 3 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

Thank god for contraceptives. My wife an I both agree that we will not bring forth a child into such an evil environment as America. But then again, some assholes decided to cut funding on Planned Parenthood so they could funnel more money into the Department of Offense.

[-] 3 points by owstag (508) 12 years ago

The number of protesters isn't an indication of the freedom to protest but rather the reason to protest and what is being protested. By your reasoning there must have been more freedom to protest in Mubarak's Egypt or under the present regime in Syria. If Obama stuffed the ballot boxes in 2012 and got 146% of the vote you can be sure you'd see similar crowds.

I can definitely understand why one would read about the events in Russia and say "Damn! If only we could have those numbers here!" But the fact is the grievances of the Russian people are a lot clearer and more dire than those faced in the US and could not be reasonably expected generate as we are seeing in Russia.

In my opinion, OWS lost its opportunity to gain a wider following for a number of reasons, among them a lack of focus and clear goals, other than the ill-conceived focus on 'occupying' public spaces and disrupting transportation, which alienated many potential supporters. It's also way too leftist for most Americans' tastes.

They want reform, not 'revolution'. The 'Free Mumia' left, which came to dominate the occupy movement, will never have mass appeal.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Great post! I agree, if American's found a message within the OWS that they could support the protests here would grow in numbers. With the myriad of "grievances " of the OWS and most of them far from the concerns of "main stream" America, there isn't much of a reason for people to support it.

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

I saw a very anti-occupy news story, last night, about the 3 million dollars Occupy LA has allegedly cost on cleaning, repairs and of course, police overtime.

[-] -1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

Yes, by my thinking there is MORE freedom in Egypt in the USA.

Where the fuck do you fucking idiots get the idea that the the USA is a 'free' country, from Portland, Oregon, to NYC the DHS/HomeLand Security Nazi-Police State has shutdown the protests and protesters with federal powers. They have terrified the masses with images of beatings and chem-spraying. No such apparatus exists to control the masses in China, Egypt, ... or Russia. The ONLY country on earth that is NOT free is the USA.

Do you people understand?

[-] 2 points by SayNO2GovInc (99) 12 years ago

wtf? China is free? Hardly, NO country is truly free... but China, really? You are sadly mistaken when you say they have no apparatus to control the masses... China has more military troops than any country in the world... about a million more than US. They spray protesters in China too...
Guess you missed this, SINO DAILY - Police fire tear gas at crowd in south China http://www.sinodaily.com/reports/Police_fire_tear_gas_at_crowd_in_south_China_999.html

Look, I'm not saying the US is free. I know it's fascist Police State that is headed towards a real totalitarian state... Egypt is already a military state, "MORE freedom in Egypt than in US, get real! USA could be any day now, but we are not yet because not all of us shopping at WalMart, We ARE fighting for Liberty and Peace, not running to China!

The images of pepper-spraying jack-boot cops BUILDS the People's Movement, Passing bullshit laws like NDAA wakes up the sheep... it ALL motivates. The thing to fear is what happens if we do nothing... We have not lost unless we give up.

I could have left years ago, but decided to stay and fight for my homeland, my People... most people are good and most accept the truth after they go through the process... but most STAY and fight for Liberty and Peace because WE deserve it... we deserve better than the fascist gov we have!!!

I don't like paying the price for other people's ignorance, so I wake em up. If they choose to deny, maybe they deserve the fascism, not all of us do. We are just beginning to fight and we sheep are just beginning to wake up... some never will but at least the [MSM], Mind-Sucking-Manipulators are losing their propaganda power.

It's a safe bet that US 2012 elections WILL be rigged so we need to be proactive BEFORE the elections... BE the solution or be part of the problem.

'HACKING DEMOCRACY' and 'Testimony of Rigged USA Elections' here; 'HACKING FREEDOM FOR FASCISM' http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/hacking-freedom-for-fascism.html

'The People's Congress', where all movements can unite in solidarity. "The Will of the People shall be the Law of the Land" http://peoplescongress.org/ Peace

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by owstag (508) 12 years ago

It is precisely THIS sort of tin foill hat lunacy that was the death knell of OWS. Congratulations, you're officially a fringe loon.

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

There you go again. The Christmas Eve protests in Moscow had 40 trucks full of policemen ready to go IF the protest became violent or if the permits given for the gatherings were not followed.

December 5 - 7th Protests: Over 250 arrests were made, with police using buses to transport the suspects to police stations to be charged. At least one Russian journalist claimed he was beaten by police officers who stamped on him and hit his legs with batons. Another 200 arrests were reported in St. Petersburg and in Rostov the same night as anti-government demonstrations took place. Some sources report only 100 arrests nationwide on 10 December due to the protests, mostly outside Moscow, which is a significantly smaller number than previous protests. In Kazan, however, at least 100 protesters, mainly in their early 20s, were detained for failure to disperse.

Students in Moscow were ordered to report Saturday during the time scheduled for the demonstration to an exam followed by a special class conducted by headmasters regarding "rules of safe behavior in the city."

Egypt is now under Sharia Law - you do understand that that is law based upon religion right? That under it - in some countries - women can't drive or go to school or hold a job or go out in public without a burka right? You call that "freedom"? In other Sharia Law countries, a woman has to have 3 male witnesses to rape to prove that she didn't invite fornication - and can be stoned to death if she can't prove it. That is freedom in your eyes?

And China...let's see. Women are "free" to have one child and one child only unless they live in area where the government allows them to have a second child IF the first child is a girl - if they get pregnant again they are forced to have an abortion. 63% of China is under the one child only policy.

China routinely blocks its people's access to the internet, has a Department of Propaganda; blocks the word "democracy" from it internet chat rooms and so on........

Your facts are simply wrong...again.

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

caca mouth

[-] 1 points by shifty2 (117) 12 years ago

I believe you are the owsleader , Now I'm finally beginning to understand what is wrong with the movement. By the way for your information, Profanity Is A Week Mind Trying To Express Itself, So have at it.

[-] 1 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

In China it is called State Run News. I worked in Beijing and Shanghai. Freedom of the press is what you can find on the Internet. Even that is regulated. Facebook? Forget about it.

[-] -1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

FaceBOOK is a CIA front to collect BIO's

The only reason china ban's GOOGLE-BLOGGER and FACEBOOK is that the CIA refuses to share the data with the chinese gov,

CHINA has its own facebook and blogger so who gives a fuck?

Facebook is just another WHORE to steal privacy, anybody that supports or uses facebook is a fucking fascist.

[-] 2 points by owstag (508) 12 years ago

"FaceBOOK is a CIA front to collect BIO's"

Actually, THIS website is.

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

Keep going. Your "facts" are just sending more people running from OWS.

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by uncertainty (15) 12 years ago

More freedom in the street of Russia should be asked to the russians who would all disagree with it. Just ask the number of dissidents who have just disappeared mysteriously in the last few years. Putin and his cronies will not allow any movement to grow in Russia and the Iron fist will soon strike. Lets all re-read what I wrote afew months from now and then you can all thank me.

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by SayNO2GovInc (99) 12 years ago

It's a good thing we're not all shopping at WalMart then. I remember when WalMart was 'Made in USA" but now we see no reason to buy the useless junk and send our [fiat] dollars to China.

A lot of us are in the streets of US, fighting for Liberty and Peace and besides bail money, that doesn't cost a thing. The price of doing nothing is everything! We've been too apathetic or asleep too long but we have just begun to fight, and we will grow. OWS, the Police State and NDAA's military state are getting the masses to wake up. I think we will have millions in the streets of DC in the coming months... because WE HAVE TO!

US Rigged Elections are not as obvious as 146%, but they are rigged!!! And unless we solve it, the way things are looking, we should expect 2012 to be rigged throughout the federal level... DC is voting like they think they'll win regardless of our opinion of them... which is worsening daily. The corps they work for OWN the system. Getting money out of elections and paper ballots are not enough.

PLEASE watch and share these important and motivating videos, 'HACKING DEMOCRACY' - the Diebold vote/count ~
and 'Testimony of Rigged USA Elections' here;

'HACKING FREEDOM FOR FASCISM' http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/hacking-freedom-for-fascism.html

BE the Solution, "This is not a drill" 'The People's Congress', Where all movements can unite in solidarity. "The Will of the People shall be the Law of the Land" http://peoplescongress.org/ Peace

TPTB rely on the police and military to quell dissent, but they are 'The People' too. Please share this
OPEN MESSAGE TO POLICE and MILITARY http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/open-message-to-police-military.html

The oligarchs do not underestimate the Power of the People, they fear our unity... Rigged Elections is a good way to unite and grow our Power.
Do NOT underestimate the Power of the People! http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/john-lennon-people-have-power.html

PEACE PEACE PEACE PEACE PEACE

[-] 2 points by GarnetMoon (424) 12 years ago

Agreed. We have never been free. We have only had the illusion of freedom...freedom to shop!

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

and go further into debt!

[-] 1 points by GarnetMoon (424) 12 years ago

Yes, I am beholden to Miss Salliie Mae...

We are free only to the extent that our acts of courage, protest, altruism, heroism against injustice do not challenge the economic structure responsible for creating/perpetuating them. Beyond that we are labeled communist, socialist, spoiled, hippie, whiner, subversive, un-American,etc. Long live OWS and the 99%...Viva Los Indignados!!!

[-] 1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose - Janis Joplin

Funny how much ameriKKKans' talk about freedom so much, when in fact theyre' the worlds self appointed policeman, and have more people in prison than the rest of the world combined.

[-] 2 points by shifty2 (117) 12 years ago

Yes that is what's wrong with America to many crooks, Stealing, Killing , etc etc. People worrying about what cop killers have to say, Worrying about other countries that pretend to be our allies so they can keep our money flowing to them, While we go bankrupt . Maby the OWS leaders should take some of the donated fund's and go help Russia, Like they had planed to take donated fund's to go to Egypt to help negotiate peace. I guess this is a leaderless movement, No leader could come up with these kind's of ideas, Chicken with it's head cut off. I'll be back when you get on the right track. And don't worry they have plenty of room to lock you up. Oh yea don't bother to reply I'm not interested.

[-] 2 points by SwissMiss (2435) from Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI 12 years ago

Other countries haven't bankrupted us. Our own banking sector and financial sector have bankrupted us. Quit blaming those who aren't responsible. The only reason our government gives money to other countries is so it has more power and control over them.

[-] 1 points by GarnetMoon (424) 12 years ago

Get off the site...

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

See this is an example of what is wrong with some portions of this movement and why you'll have a hard time getting the real "99%" behind you. ...you wrote that the US has more people in prison than "the rest of the world COMBINED". That is simply false.

"Still, it is the length of sentences that truly distinguishes American prison policy. Indeed, the mere number of sentences imposed here would not place the United States at the top of the incarceration lists. If lists were compiled based on annual admissions to prison per capita, several European countries would outpace the United States. But American prison stays are much longer, so the total incarceration rate is higher. ... "Rises and falls in Canada's crime rate have closely paralleled America's for 40 years," Mr. Tonry wrote last year. "But its imprisonment rate has remained stable."

Mandatory Sentencing and Three Strike Laws have increased prison population. Protest those policies. Don't lie about the reality..you only alienate folks who might join you.

[-] 2 points by thefutureisnow (223) from Newark, NJ 12 years ago

they will never stop us there are just to many of us they cannot lock us all up they do not have room or resources like people think they do , states all over the nation barely have enough space for real criminals , they are cutting budgets in court and jail systems every day , don,t give up hope on freedom man because its still here and is not going to die , and the OWS movement need to get together internationally with other movements across the globe and create a giant network of occupiers and protestors, happy holiday,s bro ,

[Removed]

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

Wow such hate and bile on Christmas Day. Focus all that energy on something positive. Go do something good for the community. Volunteer at a shelter or serve food for the homeless.

[-] 0 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

Where I live we don't play xmas, its just a Walmart icon,

xmas was yesterday, and nobody cares, 90% of the world don't care about USA commercial shopping holiday

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

I just realized when I read your other posts, it's all satire. Sorry for thinking you were serious.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

I couldn't agree more. I used to argue that while the USA had lesser day to day freedoms, we could still openly speak out against our leadership. The overwhelming efforts to suppress the dissent of OWS has me doubting the one freedom that distinguished our country. After NDAA, I'm considering seeking dual citizenship in another country.

[-] 3 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

@divineright- Good move.

Imagine the next generations having to wear gps devises and later get one implanted in their arm! otherwise they will not be able to live in US. $10000 citation for those who are caught not wearing or carrying their device. This is where this thing is going,You know how it works.

I can't believe that Americans are treating these laws like it is a seat belt law. Whoever is voting for these reps and senators must be either mentally sick or Ultra paranoid to the nth degree.

This secures the fact that 9/11 was a CIA plot whether directly or indirectly.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

It's definitely going in a bad direction. I'm not sure if so many people are standing idly by because the bus is only edging up to the cliff and they aren't yet convinced the sleeping driver won't wake up. I really am dumbfounded by the apathy. I didn't even like the seat belt laws. I understand they are for safety, but I still want to make those calls for myself. Eating a cheeseburger and drinking a soda may not be good for me either, but I don't need police contact to scare and oppress me into a better diet thank you. The scare tactics the government has been using has worked though and I think people are paranoid to the nth degree (and direct those paranoid delusions at the wrong sources). I hope more people can muster up some backbone and stand up for their rights--stand up for the real America.

[-] 2 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

I think they have figured out the seat belts, then air bags, then radar, then register your car's automatic guiding system with the central command at dmv!!

There goes your Car too.

I thought Americans sorta had the capability to foresee something like this, because they have made sci-fi movies on it where the bad guys are robots! but looks like the new nerd generation doesn't mind all this freedom killing gadgetry. In fact they are willing to stand in line for it at your nearby apple store when it comes out and get depressed and kill themselves if they don't get their hands on one!

[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

I'm hoping that if anything, OWS is creating a greater consciousness among the public about how and where they spend their money. And if you do like a product, but don't like a political point (i.e. SOPA), write/email/call and let them know!

[-] 2 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

It will eventually be the products and services (apps) that facilitate these technologies working for the 1%. It's all planned out like a domino without people realizing where it is going and who gets the most out of it.

In the past this concept of herding people was through ideology now that ideology is mostly a matter of third world "reconstruction project" phenomenon, these type of new age "laws" are in themselves becoming a new phenomenon which need to be analyzed, categorized, and addressed as to what degree they interfere with your freedom.

If someone can write an app that restricts your freedoms you can also write one or design something to counteract. That's the only solution. it can't be done politically because political process is either too slow or non-existent.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Good points. Things like cell phones and Facebook already provide the government with a good deal of information about you. It's only going to get worse unless people really have a change of heart and demand privacy from their products.

[-] 2 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

ATTENTION U.S. government!!! get your head out of your fellow citizens ass!!! Buzz Off!

[-] 1 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

These devices have to be able to use some other technology, and I'm sure it is possible, which cannot be monitored by government or corporations.

That's the tragedy of it. There's no one who can pull it off. What happened to all these inventor / innovator/ nerd types? Are they all bought by companies or they just don't have the cash to do it.

How could some college drop outs make giant corporations that monitor communication or internet and others who finish their school can't do a thing to at least protect privacy?

Corporations are not on the consumer side. Somehow our world has turned into a "spies have more fun" kind of a deal where consumers are looked upon as the "victim/enemy is all the same just give us the money" instead of those who want to use a product as a product for convenience and productivity.

The best recent example is the wireless-hacking by Murdock's News of the World. But I think this is to convince the public that the British government is doing its job of protecting its citizens against corporate hacking.

So they decide who gets screwed up and when. It's all like a game of monopoly gone bad with criminal corporations leading the game.

Ultimately, it isn't the software or the device as they can be redesigned. It's the facebook/Murdock and the wireless carrier that is corrupt- government too for allowing the mechanism to exist.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Well, let's hope we see some interest sparked in developing alternative products that exist outside the current corporate-customer model. If there has ever been a time in decades for such a mindset to drive new innovation, it's now. Any inventive minds out there ready to spring into action?

[-] 1 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

I believe these are the things OWS should focus on first like Technology and the relation between Technology and Privacy.

Find some real solutions instead of simply ignoring it which will force the government and corporations to stop hacking and controlling people.

These are the tools Corporate Media and Wall Street have used all along to, if not totally screw everyone, at least stream line their schemes and they have succeeded in it.

[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

I agree this is an important issue...along with the psychological warfare behind such technology.

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M2ndwlmBOY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fLIKS-xqe70

What is kept a tight secret is how these DICE/ICE guys KNOW who has cash on them.........

From the most corrupt state in the Union

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/05/09/the-most-corrupt-states.html#

Research Total Infomation Awareness and all it's since broken bits which have been forcefully and vulgarly funded by it's very captives.

Google was started by the NSA and has gone very far to obtain all the original objectives, such as gait printing, facial recognition at 300+ yards, voice printing, etc...... just check out any android phone, what they can do is amazing, yet is nothing compared to the big picture of what such technology does for big secret America.

Apple signed on in exchange for a few choice financial bones being tossed their way and all of the large online ecommerce sites will hand all your private info over to any barney fife having access to any police department fax machine.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

Insightful observation about our abusive government who continues to lie to us while smiling and while this 1% secretly Laugh Up Their Sleeve at the people's ignorance...(Which Is NOT Bliss!!!)

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

May want to read about it before you do it http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html

[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Thanks for the link. I think the following excerpt is key:

"Department has a uniform administrative standard of evidence based on the premise that U.S. citizens intend to retain United States citizenship when they obtain naturalization in a foreign state, subscribe to a declaration of allegiance to a foreign state, serve in the armed forces of a foreign state not engaged in hostilities with the United States, or accept non-policy level employment with a foreign government."

[-] 1 points by FrogWithWings (1367) 12 years ago

What countries are you considering? I've considered Panama, Switzerland and Greece.

[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

I'm drawn to SE Asia myself.

[-] -1 points by owsleader2011 (304) 12 years ago

Any place but USA, any where is in SE-ASIA is good, and any where in Mexico of south is good, its good to be where its warm, Kenya (Africa) has the best weather in the world 70F all year round. The USA is WALMART, the USA is an ugly fucking shit-hole of UGLY people the USA is like a large UK, but with the convicts blood of Austrailian's. Go live where people are real.

It's NOT even natural to live in the USA to fucking cold and you need artificial energy source for warmth in 10 months of the year in most places that are like the Canadian Artic,

The best places are tropical where you can grow food all year.

What I like best about NOT living in the fucking USA is I pay about 1/100 for my health care, and normal shit. I grow my own food. I truly live on $5/day just fucking fine. In the USA I can't live on $500/day.

Living on $5/day means I don't have to work. In the USA you must work your entire life and die. The retirement gig is up the POLICE-STATE is broke and the 56% of the USA public that get a check every month from the US government will soon get a rude fucking wake-up call, but the worst part is that its ALREADY too late to leave the USA, you should have left years ago. Today is already past 1938 Nazi-Germany.

Study your fucking history of collapsing governments.

[-] 1 points by nikilister (109) 12 years ago

Go to Israel. You'll feel the Zionist 1938 feeling.

[Removed]

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

True that! Signed, Broke as a Joke

[-] 1 points by AndrewWiseman (2) 12 years ago

What you talking about?!Ther is now FREEDOM in street protests in Russia,this become possible just because the russian authorities allow this all,and this is just a temporay concessions by a russian government,that is just a part of deffensive strategy!Yes,they are really scared and confused by people's anger!And this thousands of people it's minority,its' just about 5 percent of all population of Russia,just think about it,this is the reason why they are do not puting down this rebels!

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by Rico (3027) 12 years ago

The Russians have a government issued permit. According to the news last night, they were disappointed they were not allowed to protest in front of the Kremlin, but they still felt they could get their message across from the permit site.

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

Good point. I read somewhere you need to file for a permit to protect in Russia or it is illegal. At least in the US we not have to do that.

[-] 1 points by Rico (3027) 12 years ago

Yep. Furthermore, we have not been banned from protesting, we have been banned from protesting in a fashion that impacts the rights of others; We can't occupy a public park and thus deny others the ability to use it, we can't block people from attending class, we can't prevent folks from using the streets, etc. To the best of my knowledge, the police have given folks every opportunity possible to peacably disperse before employing pepper spray, and most 'violence' results from resistance.

I'm not saying I oppose the movement or civil disobedience, etc. All I'm saying is we need to recognize we have broken laws and accept the consequences of our choice to do so without demonizing those tasked to enforce them.

[-] 2 points by SwissMiss (2435) from Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI 12 years ago

Protesting in public spaces IS NOT breaking the law. I'm so sick and tired of hearing/reading this. It's pathetic.

[-] 1 points by Rico (3027) 12 years ago

Likewise, I'm sick of hearing people justify their actions according to their own rights without regard for the rights of others. This seems to be part of a growing trend toward selfishness in America; "my rights and desires are supreme, and everyone else should just get out of my way."

You have a right to exercise your religion, but I assume you agree we shouldn't allow the sacrifice of virgins even when it is central to the tenants of someone's religion.

You have a right to free speech, but I assume you agree that slander and libel are rightfully punishable as offenses.

You have freedom of the press, but I assume you agree we shouldn't allow publication of kiddie-porn.

You have the right to keep and bear arms, but I assume you agree we should regulate what types of arms are sold and who can buy them.

You have a right to assemble, but you can't 'occupy' public spaces owned by all citizens without their permission. That permission is granted by the People via a permit issued by their duly elected representatives.

The people around you have rights as well, and you can't interpret your rights as being supreme over theirs. My right to use the spaces owned by all of us in order to get to work, visit my friends, or simply enjoy some peaceful rest is just as important as your right to assemble. You can't commandeer the spaces owned by all citizens for your own exclusive use no matter how noble your cause.

Try thinking about the rights of others now and then rather than just your own.

[-] 0 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Well said!

[-] 0 points by BystanderDC (91) 12 years ago

So is it ok to protest in the middle of a public road or by a public bridge?

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

Willymart is so easy to steal from, well at least that's what I hear. I have a friend of a friend of a friend's cousin, and her grandpa buys at mom and pop stores and gets other 'hard to find' items from willymart at everyday no prices.

[Removed]

[-] 5 points by struggleforfreedom80 (6584) 12 years ago

It´s just wonderful to see people all over the world rising up against tyranny and undemocratic power.

Occupy everywhere

http://struggleforfreedom.blogg.no/

[-] 4 points by alnyc2011 (32) 12 years ago

Dear Occupy Wall Street NYC,

I'm a daily occupier since the beginning of the movement; there are drastic changes that we have to look at. Many supporters of the movement feel the same way as I do, which is why the issue is brung up. It's not well on how some things are going. I spoken to a lot facilitators of the OWS movement, and most of you aren't able to deliver me valid information. This isn't in anyway to bash or exploit the movement but rather constructive criticism to think about.

For instance, when there were tents in Zuccotti Park, we had much more weight of energy and momentum, even drummers were making noise. Now that's gone because we only allowed it to happen. We're not fighting hard enough. There were many facilitators and people in the park that were pro-active and were able to deliver updated information about the movement, aside from the panhandlers. Now there is little to none.

Different individuals come from all over the world to Zuccotti Park for inspiration. A place for different individuals to interact and spread ideas on how we can make a change for the future. Now keep in mind, if it weren't for us. There wouldn't be any occupation worldwide.

I had heard many people say that this movement touched them deeply from the bottom of their hearts.

Even when the park got raided, there were still massive amount of people holding down the symbolic area of the movement. This only showed true dedication.

Remember when over 10,000 people showed up at the General Assembly after the park got raided? This was the same time the barricades were set up around the park. The police put the barricades there because the Government felt the movement was growing too rapidly, that showed an instant sign of fear.

They even put yellow tapes inside the park, against the walls where the benches are, made bogus conceptions about how it was to protect the plants. Bloomberg sent in NYPD and the Sanitation to trash and destroy books.

Ask yourself why?

In order to make a real difference we have to continue and maintain this energy, keep sending these vial energies. To not only show we are a serious movement but to show we're fighting for what we believe in.

Millions of dollars are put into the NYPD force. Guess who’s paying for it? All of the police at Zuccotti park are being paid to stand around and do absolutely nothing and go home with big bonuses. We mind as well give them a reason for them to stand around.

Every-time a peaceful protester gets arrested and beaten down, it only makes the movement stronger. Keep in mind that we also have to play smarter, work in a fashionable matter without having to get arrested and working towards the goal.

A lot of different rallies are planned and thousands of brave souls are out there participating and risking their freedoms. But do they all have a reasonable-purpose and is it getting closer to obtaining the primary goal?

Also all these planned rallies is one thing but are the facilitators out there with the participants? Only a very few.

Back to the space.

It’s not the space that matters, but the fact that thousands of different faces come to Zuccotti park every single day. The whole world is watching and questioning. Even one supporter can make a major difference.

They need our presence, we're all in this together.

When people come and try to look for information, interact, share ideas and not a soul is to be found. How do you think that looks reflecting upon the movement? People that pass by daily are being sent off to "60 Wall Street". When they arrive at "60 Wall Street" in regards of finding information, they’re told to go on NYCGA.NET. We need a valid information structure to point people in the right direction.

It's unbelievable to have people come from across all over the country / states to be told that they should visit a website for information. The individual may not be computer literate and would much rather prefer to interact physically, besides the website has all type of things going on at the same time.

Now from my understanding there's 2 spaces "60 Wall Street" And an office at "52 Broadway".

What I would think is that a lot of individuals are starting to get way too comfortable and off-task. A lot of excuses are being made.

Just take as minute to look and open your eyes on what's going. Look at the other movements throughout the world where, people are dying, getting shot, getting killed for fighting what they believe in.

Do they receive the same luxury as we do? definitely not.

I think it’s time for major improvements to take in place. The Occupation isn’t at 60 Wall Street. Change isn't going to happen overnight, but we can start by taking little steps such as going to Zuccotti Park, going to different communities. Interacting with different individuals, sharing information updates, and simply give them a reason why they should be part of the movement.

Even if it's only one or two hours a day.

Seems like a majority of the Spokes council meeting nothing ever gets done, from the fact that some working groups have tension towards each other. There are over 80+ working groups, which is unnecessary. We have way more things to be worrying about then just argue about who takes control of what, and who has the power to do such.

The website Occupywallst.org needs major improvements as well. It's a source of network connecting worldwide. It’s affecting a lot of viewers negatively. There’s a lot of bogus content. As if there were nothing real and important to post about. Just random videos and content talking about how well the movement is doing maybe we shouldn’t credit ourselves just yet.

I’d advise you to start posting more serious information, like the new bill that’s being passed NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and SOPA.

Let our people who don't already know how it can affect this movement, our rights and freedom. The reason for a lot of the downfall in this country is that we wait to get things done at the last second or when it's too late. This movement is still at its early baby stage. On top of that the NDAA bill passed on $663 billion dollars. Most of us that are aware of this are just watching it fly right by us, allowing it to happen as if it was nothing.

There was a chance for Congress to vote on a millionaire's tax last week - a tax most people support - and if OWS had organized against it something could have actually been done. Instead - people picked a fight with a generally supportive Church and sat in an atrium drinking coffee, eating, argued about how to celebrate the holidays (People didn't donate money for this). People argued about bureaucratic points, deciding which politicians to shout down. We protest against the banks instead of the politicians who write the tax laws that allow the banks to get away with paying no US Federal Income Tax ; they protest the banks that give campaign donations instead of the politicians who accept them; we protest verbally against the lobbying done by big business but don't protest the Congress that the lobbyists are influencing.

We are squatting in places that are private property instead of marching on the White House which set the Loan Modification program in motion that was supposed to help 7 - 9 million people keep their homes. Instead of protesting the "feel good but do nothing" modification program - they seek to block access to the banks. This all comes back to the people we elected to represent us in DC and locally - yet we are protesting those who are only following the rules laid down by those election persons.

We need a real tax reform

Why are local marches ignored in favor of supporting a union only based on its early support of OWS?

Yes we have supporters, but nearly not enough. People are still debating If the movement is on the right track. Half of the people don’t even know what’s going on.

We have to continue to keep up the vigorous energy. Keep in mind again, this movement is still at it’s early stage and there’s so much more to progress in. We cannot afford to lose the energy and slack off.

I’ve been bringing this topic daily to OWS, and speaking of the behalf of many others and feel our voices been neglected and ignored.

Part of this movement is that everybody needs be welcomed and that everybody needs to work together.

The real change has to start within yourself.

There are a lot that needs to be done before we can say there was actual change. We have to find a realistic demand and specific goal we're aiming at. In order to do so we can start by taking steps such as working with other occupations, etc.

We need serious planning, direction, discipline, focus, coordination among all the Occupy camps, coordinated local strategies, Start local in our communities showing that we care, etc. I know that's going on to an extent, but it needs to be more organized and purposeful.

Remember, everyone is entitled to have a voice and say.

Sincerely,

The 99% that wants economic and social reform

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

This is one of the best posts I have seen on this forum......

I hope there are many more within OWS that think the way you do...... I pray you will be able to be a force to move OWS in the right direction.

Best wishes

[-] 1 points by juanainez (27) 12 years ago

"We need a real tax reform".

Of course! Stop relying on "earned income" and tax WEALTH, HAVING IT! not how much it generated last year. Bring Netherland's Wealth Tax to USA! (assumes 4% return on all assets owned and taxes that 4% at 40%). Also, tax inheritances like there's no tomorrow. That way wage-earners can get a permanent tax break.

[-] 0 points by Zealwriter (5) 12 years ago

I HOPE TO SEE THIS YEAR BE MORE THAN MERE PROTEST, BUT ACTION THAT EMPTIES THE OFFICES OF WALL STREET INTO THE HOME BASED BUSINESS CREATING MILLIONAIRES THAT DON'T NEED CORPORATE VOTES TO ALLOW IT!!!! This is still the land of OPPORTUNITY. People sit around puzzled when immigrants come to this country and prosper. There is no magic potion and its not simply tax breaks, it has more to do with mindset. For those that tune their eyes it is obvious the opportunity that we're all surrounded by-perception is everything. There are mechanisms in place where people combine their resources and as they duplicate this process they create WEALTH! These are things that Dems and Repubs lightly touch on, if at all, but it's a proven process for helping people become Financially FREE while in my company people are getting wealthy and healthy at the same time. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED YOUR WELL BEFORE YOU START TO DIG! Today your job is secure and tomorrow you could get a pink slip but if you build supplemental residual income now it won't matter what your boss does--invest 3-5yrs doing what others won't do and then you'll be positioned to do what they can't do for the rest of your life. Whiners and handout seekers need not bother----- JOIN HERE: http://ceburns.mymonavie.com Note:This company made a billion dollars faster than Google in just 3 yrs. The company has been around since 2005 and has the strongest surge of growth in its segment of Health and Wellness. Scientifically validated products, all natural and non-duplicatable. CEO recieved Ernst & Young prestigious award two years in a row. Currently in over 20 countries. Debuted in inc500 magazine in 2009 at number 18 (as opposed to Microsoft's debut in 1984 @ #80). Featured on CBS The Doctors, Rachel Ray, The Today Show w/ Kathy Lee, etc. Simply complain on blogs like this one and be accused of loitering rather than occupying or Join a growing movement and return here to lead others to water! Consumer Networks are the way to go for people to make minimal investments collectively combining resources to generate wealth. The first person that signs on signs up the next under themselves and this process being duplicated over and over is how everyone builds individual wealth collectively. I've shared this with those in the "Occupy" Movement where if they implemented this with their combined pursuit they all would be independently wealthy or moving rapidly for it due to their astounding numbers but I guess they only want to loiter and not take action. As a proof!!!! I'M AM GETTING PAID as a result of THIS (ceburns.mymonavie.com) and being proactive to take advantage of the opportunity instead of waiting for the next government program to arrive to create another J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) for me. Real Wealth and Real Health Results. OVER 150 millionaires from this company and counting!!! What decision to take charge of you and your family's future will you decide? BE PROACTIVE and Respond instead of continuing to live REACTIONARY as the rest of the cattle-like population. Whether you JOIN now to have a business write-off in the coming tax year or JOIN in the beginning of Next year to do something NEW for the New Year, Just JOIN for you and your family's new beginning....Or just Ignore it and keep getting what you been getting living at the mercy of someone else to determine your job security and standard of living. [Instructions: Click JOIN and enter information to become a 1099 Independent distributor. Make an initial order of 500 point volume (for product to share with friends{sharp people looking for an opportunity who have the ability to take advantage of the opportunity}. Enroll on "Autoship"{remaining active makes you eligible for commissions}. Personally Sponsor One person for your right team and One person for your left team and then help/encourage each of them to duplicate the same action. Drink it. Feel it. Share it and watch the wealth build residually for you and your family]

[-] 3 points by SuzannahBeeTroy (14) 12 years ago

In NYC we were rooked by Bloomberg and his mini-me Christine Quinn who must never ever be mayor -- they denied us a vote on term limits and pushed thru an illegal 3rd term. A reminder last night was a 24 hour protest outside St. Vincent’s hospital now empty about to be made condos. OWS healthcare was there. Our socialite city planner mega millionaire Amanda Burden the People’s Burden commissioner of city planning, as usual will not give us protective zoning. http://youtu.be/sRbWwWVWMQg

Note from Suzannah B. Troy: FYI: Amanda the People’s Burden is an evil witch who refuses to give the People of NYC protective zoning only always rules in the favor of the rich, greedy and stupid.

http://youtu.be/-y9yZaL2zWM

http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-eve-hospital-west-village.html

[-] 3 points by alexrai (851) 12 years ago

What's funny is I remember Bloomberg being quite unhappy with the suggestion that Rudy Giuliani might stay for a 3rd term after 9/11 tragedy... and then he does a 180 and decides its ok to have third terms provided he's the one taking advantage of the system. What a hypocritical ass.

[-] -2 points by capella (199) 12 years ago

you were only "rooked" by bloomberg if you didnt pay attention to his political history. you have no one to blame but yourself.

[-] 3 points by turboglo (6) 12 years ago

Things are rarely what they seem in Time Magazine. You're supposed to think: "Putin bad; protests good." The U. S. is involved all over the world in fomenting trouble for any power that dares to challenge its hegemony. Read here about the U. S. government influence over the Russian protests: http://deadlinelive.info/2011/12/10/russian-protests-western-media-lies-analysis/ The octopus of the U. S. ruling elite has its arms anywhere there is a potential threat to its domination. They are very crafty and know how to wrap themselves in the robes of Liberty and Progress. I'm not defending anybody's authoritarian rule including Putin's, but unless we start understanding how the U. S. manipulates events under the GUISE of anti-authoritarianism, and in order to maintain and expand its ideological, military and economic domination, we will continually play into the hands of the 1%.

[-] 1 points by GarnetMoon (424) 12 years ago

So true!!

[-] 0 points by timir (183) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

good observations turboglo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU1atFs4kVA western media like to do applique. here just one piece: http://lenta.ru/photo/2011/12/24/sakharova/#pic039

[-] 3 points by infonomics (393) 12 years ago

Now that's revolutionary-type numbers! Watch as American politicians embrace this protest while at the same time ignoring OWS.

[-] 0 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Maybe because OWS has no clear direction or message?

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by Justice4all (133) 12 years ago

For all those in the world preaching fear of socialism. Saying oh well, hes a socialist or shes a socialist and we cant have that here. This is America where Capitalism is the only one and true way. Ask yourselves this. Why is it those top earners in this country and their minions preach that message, but actually practice socialism amongst themselves?? Is that the great secret they dont want us to know. That if the masses truly saw past the fear and paranoia said over and over and over again about socialism, that maybe the masses would see it as the wealthiest of the wealthiest truly see it as. And thats each persons chance to be free and not owned!!

[-] 2 points by SayNO2GovInc (99) 12 years ago

Great piece! Rigged USA Elections may not be as obvious as 146%... who do they think they're kidding?... Rigged elections are a huge problem, and number one reason [75%] of eligible voters don't vote.

A vote that counts is an issue every person and every activist group should agree on so it is something that might unite all of us. Unity is Power for any People's movement.

Every American Voter Should Watch "HACKING DEMOCRACY" - Rigged US elections, the Diebold Vote. Watch the whole thing because they demonstrate paper ballots can still be changed.

Also Watch - 'RIGGED USA ELECTIONS EXPOSED' - Testimony of Computer Programmer - Secret programs we "would never see"

There's no reason for federal officials to do what 'We the People' want when they have the Diebold vote/count. They know we're fed up and they still do whatever they or the globalists want. It's like they have no fear of losing when they pass BS laws like NDAA 2012. Why would they when the corporations they work for OWN the voting system?!

We won't get money out of politics or fair elections with the people in charge... they keep it rigged! Heck, we can't even get most of them to guarantee Due Process. We need more than paper ballots because the counting machine is rigged. I want a system that prints voter's choice at the voting booth. That makes it hard to cheat and easy to catch if they do. There are solutions for the problems from corruption, it's up to The People. None of the problems will be solved until we out the oligarchs!

If we don't get fair elections, we should just expect 2012 will be rigged, throughout the federal level anyway. I believe most of us are unwilling to accept that... "Refuse to be Rooked!". I think most of us believe 2012 may be our last chance to take the path to Democracy. Hopefully we can tackle this problem so Russia's story won't be repeated in the USA.

'HACKING DEMOCRACY' and 'Testimony of Rigged USA Elections' here; 'HACKING FREEDOM FOR FASCISM' http://saynotocorporateamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/hacking-freedom-for-fascism.html BE THE SOLUTION!!!

'The People's Congress',
where all movements can unite in solidarity.
"The Will of the People shall be the Law of the Land"
http://peoplescongress.org/ Peace

[-] 2 points by podbelski (9) 12 years ago

HEY EVERYONE!

Just to clarify what's happening in Russia: these protests are directed from the Kremlin itself, by corrupt politics who wants Putin dead and Russian Federation collapse. US Government stands behind the scene, it's so obvious I can't express it... Ordinary people just don't realize their protest is going to be used against them in the end, that's so sad I can't express it... There are laternative TRUE protests, but they just start to grow in numbers, as people begin to realize they are going to be tricked once again, as in 1991

I'm from Russia, and I know what I'm talking about.

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by SuzannahBeeTroy (14) 12 years ago

Tonight West Village NYC Christmas Eve in front of St. Vincent’s http://youtu.be/-y9yZaL2zWM protest which will go on throughout the night until tomorrow morning. http://mayorbloombergkingofnewyork.blogspot.com/2011/12/hospital-protest-christmas-eve-west.html

[-] 2 points by Arditum (37) 12 years ago

I think the article should include that Mikhail Gorbachev was the person who allowed the soviet union to end in favor of democracy and allowed the cold war to end thanks to open dialogue with the US and domestic ban of nuclear weapons.

[-] 1 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

Flipinoff? Read this & respond if you dare

[-] 1 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

Flipinoff? Read this post!

[-] 1 points by nachosrulz (63) from Eureka, CA 12 years ago

they got more balls than us.

[-] 1 points by castro9mm (1) from Campo Magro, PR 12 years ago

Comunist made one big mistake... Stalin and burocratization.. where the solution was easy... pointed by Trostky and Lenin...

Capitalism is making mistakes year after year... killing people, and washing the people's brain... They Lie... They are lying during the last 60 years.....

Socialism is the only option... Let's wake up ... Let's rebuild the People Republic of Russia...

We are the 99 % !!!!!!We have the Power... Let's show them what we can do!!!!!

[-] 1 points by cchUNAM (2) from Ciudad de México, DF 12 years ago

there´re mexican citizens that´re part of the 99% have suppot here !many minds as them wakes! fight for freedom against this shitty elite class & politician that want to hold this shit forever stop priviligies for televisa & tv azteca elite telecomunications censsourship companies alied with this politician that sells mexico patrimonio I also want to denounce the president chair sell is clear uppon this robber ex president called salinas de gortari from the party called PRI, he appear recently in mexico, & is paying dirty way Peña Nieto to win this next elections, no matters what people thinks . SALUT MATES we need support.

[-] 1 points by cchUNAM (2) from Ciudad de México, DF 12 years ago

all this elite class is enjoying privatizing mexico territory with US contractors, & they will do anything to make it constantly, when they gonna stop?? Realy We Are Many But We Need Help We Dont Want US soldiers, marines & airforce interveiw Mexico territory for a aliance against the cartels, obiously that will be the Legal Report but we know what they gonna do

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

Hang him! Hang all the oligarchs world wide. Then we can start over and go down the road to a time when we have new oligarchs. Nothing will change. We must find a way to evolve beyond using money for trade. when we use money for trade the money becomes our master instead of a tool for trade. I am not saying I know HOW but I know what we need to do. Evolve beyond money.

[-] 1 points by OurTimes2011 (377) from Arlington, VA 12 years ago

We support Occupy Russia!

[-] 1 points by AndrewWiseman (2) 12 years ago

Gentlemen,here is one more interesting article by VOA Moscow bureau chief James Brooke-http://blogs.voanews.com/russia-watch/

[-] 1 points by burke7 (8) 12 years ago

Mic Check!! The work done by everyone here is already in full effect in the culture. Its just a matter of staying with it and going with the flow. Remember.. what we are doing is not easy. We are making a serious change in the world. Be happy and proud and dont take yourself too seriously. We got this, as does the rest of the world. It is happening and many many good things will happen because we are together as one movement. Take initiative and kick some ass!!! love and respect- Brendan

[-] 1 points by jangirke (1) 12 years ago

This Article has no punch. If you want to get people to support the movement you have to write the article in a different manner.

[-] 1 points by KarenB (15) 12 years ago

I hope this continues until a global government forms (and Im not talking about Fantasyland either! ha-ha!) whose platform and #1 mandate is the upliftment & enlightenment of ALL people & is the priority; and where all financial burdens\profits are shared equally with ALL the people--and not the just select few who monopolize everything ...the repulsive 1%. I Demand Equality & Accoutability from the mighty Tyrants running our country now!!! For example; Sign the Kyoto Protocols before your selfish actions (currently responsible for global warming) pushes the entire planet past the Point of No Return!!! Where's your ROI in that? Rise Up People! Rise and be heard! Reform!

[-] 1 points by jolpaz (2) from Beograd, Central Serbia 12 years ago

Be ashamed!!! Where are you to protest against your politicians???

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by uncertainty (15) 12 years ago

The Irony of this thread is that ows seems to love rt.com (Russia Today News) for their coverage on the movement in the US. But if you go to rt.com and try to find stories about the 100,000+ marching in Russia you find very little information. Just proves, as the wiki for rt.com truely shows, how in the pocket of Putin rt.com is. Wake up ows and stop riding the rt.com bandwagon as its just looking out for Putin and not the movement.

[-] 1 points by Gerhard31337 (1) 12 years ago

Hello everybody! I live in Moscow and I protested on Bolotnaya square last weekend. I have one serious quastion to everyone here. Did you ever think that it is more effective to investigate the actual facts of corruption and then to blackmail the actual capitalists and officials.

[-] 1 points by dbartone1 (1) 12 years ago

Beautiful........................nice...........................UNITED........................We ...................Stand...............................andGrowing..............................and Growing.................................Stronger...............................and Stronger........and Stronger.....................................

[-] 1 points by nth (21) 12 years ago

Those protests in Moscow is a CIA project. The zionists Hate Putin.

[-] 1 points by freeows (84) 12 years ago

I am glad to see this huge protest happening in Russia. This is a big heads-up to all other countries' politicians who planning to do voting frauds! Yes, even a warning heads-up to elections in USA!

[-] 1 points by riethc (1149) 12 years ago

How can Occupy Wall Street affiliate itself with these protests? It is clearly being provoked by US intelligence agencies and others. John McCain even twittered about this weeks before it exploded:

“Dear Vlad [Putin], The #ArabSpring is coming to a neighborhood near you,”

Don't be damned fools.

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

I'm surprised the republicans haven't advocated selling them hanging chads for their elections.

It worked for them.

[-] 0 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

Uhm...it was the democrats who wanted the hanging chads counted. Not the GOP. It was the democrats who wanted to count "dimples". It was the democrats who wanted to "discern" who someone who voted twice for the Presidential Candidates actually wanted to be President. You might want to do a bit of research. All the contested votes were in counties run by ....guess who democrats who crafted ballots that confused their voters (butterfly etc.).

And independent agencies "recounted" those votes - using every conceivable idea the democrats had tried to us before the SC decision - and guess what? Bush won in all but the most liberal recounts.

Grow up and get all the facts. You have access to the internet - read about it.

[-] 1 points by Jumphrey (106) 12 years ago

You're highly incorrect on almost all of your points. Look up the Brennan Center of Research, they'll give you alot more on just how opposite of the truth you are.

Please note- Brennan= Harvard University release. Peer reviewed. Non-controversial.

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

How about you provide a link to the exact documents you refer to. I did as you suggested and found only the "opinion" of the Brennan Center of Research which filed briefs for the upholding of the original SC decision on behalf of Gore who did not want a statewide recount. That "opinion" itself speaks to the "intent" of the voter i.e. "dimples" and so on...so I think you might want to read it yourself before you claim that I was "highly incorrect'.

Palm Beach county was one of the contested counties; the "butterfly ballot" which was blamed for voter confusion was designed by Theresa LePore the Supervisor of Elections in 2000 - she was a registered DEMOCRAT. 62.99% of the vote went for Gore, making it a Democrat County.......run by a Democrat Supervisor of Elections.

Broward County, despite having a Republican serving as Supervisor of Elections, had 177, 339 Registered Republicans in 2000 and 387,760 Registered Democrats, making it a Democrat County. The vote was 64.7 for Gore...making it a Democrat county.

Miami Dade County - 52.72% for Gore....another Democrat County.

Volusia County - 53.3% for Gore - another one....

Funny how Gore only wanted hand counts done in the counties he WON. Not any of the other counties, including Duval, where he lost.

Democratic lawyer Mark Herron authored a memo distributed to Democratic election canvassers on how to invalidate military absentee ballots. The Herron Memo stated postmark and "point of origin" criteria Herron maintained could be used to invalidate military ballots. However, the Herron Memo was in line with a letter sent out by Secretary of State Kathryn Harris which stated that if a postmark was not present on the military ballots that the ballots had to be thrown out. Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth, a Gore backer, later told the counties to go back and reconsider those ballots without a postmark.

Facts are facts and the following media outlets all recounted the ballots:

Associated Press The New York Times The Wall Street Journal CNN St. Petersburg Times The Palm Beach Post The Washington Post Tribune Company Los Angeles Times Chicago Tribune Orlando Sentinel The Baltimore Sun

The media reported the results of the study during the week after November 12, 2001. The results of the study showed that had the limited county by county recounts requested by the Gore team been completed, Bush would still have been the winner of the election.

Note these figures also do not take into account a dispute over 500 asbentee ballots that Bush requested to be added to the certified totals. If found to be legal votes that would put Gore totally out of reach regardless of any manual recount standard. Most of these ballots were military and Gore tried to get them thrown out based upon post dates....shenanigans indeed.

[-] 1 points by Jumphrey (106) 12 years ago

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/policy_brief_on_voter_identification/

and it's primary predecessor, http://www.truthaboutfraud.org/pdf/TruthAboutVoterFraud.pdf

So, he asked for a recount, and they recounted... Where is the scandal? I see none. Sure, suspicion, but nothing a little patience didn't solve.

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

Then what was your point to me? I was responding to the following:

"[-] shooz 0 points 4 days ago

I'm surprised the republicans haven't advocated selling them hanging chads for their elections. "

Letting that poster know that it was NOT the Republicans who wanted "hanging chads" counted but the Gore Democrats.........

I happen to live in Florida and was fully on board for a STATE WIDE recount and in fact despite not voting for Gore wrote him a letter asking him to abandon his suit for a limited three county recount (off counties he already had won - which was obviously a fishing expedition for enough extra votes to take the state) and instead push for a state wide recount using a set of standards which were the same county by county....

[-] 1 points by Jumphrey (106) 12 years ago

Then I apologize for focusing my overall efforts on you- it was misplaced.

I agree- the recount should have been beyond a few counties.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

I consider conspiracy sites for what they are.

Results are much more important.

You should try a little growing up yourself.

There were a lot of republican shenanigans in both Bush elections.

Now they're pulling Jim Crow shenanigans all over the place.

Republicans, are very nasty, Anti_Americans.

They have been since Nixon.

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

LOL...."results are more important" - the results were that the recounts were done under every counting method conceived - hanging chads, dimples, over votes etc. and Bush won except under the most liberal counting methods.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/media_watch/jan-june01/recount_4-3.html

I made no mention of "conspiracy sites". Do you consider PBS, the Miami Herald and USA today "conspiracy sites"? Or the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago "conspiracy sites"?

Facts are facts and the following media outlets all recounted the ballots:

Associated Press
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
CNN
St. Petersburg Times
The Palm Beach Post
The Washington Post
Tribune Company
    Los Angeles Times
    Chicago Tribune
    Orlando Sentinel
    The Baltimore Sun

The media reported the results of the study during the week after November 12, 2001. The results of the study showed that had the limited county by county recounts requested by the Gore team been completed, Bush would still have been the winner of the election.

Note these figures also do not take into account a dispute over 500 asbentee ballots that Bush requested to be added to the certified totals. If found to be legal votes that would put Gore totally out of reach regardless of any manual recount standard. Most of these ballots were military and Gore tried to get them thrown out based upon post dates....shenanigans indeed.

I repeat...grow up and get the facts...you have the internet read about it instead of blindly listening to the conspiracy theories of how the Bush Brothers "stole" the election.

[-] 1 points by alouis (1511) from New York, NY 12 years ago

Please, OW, don't get involved in trying to destabilize a government that allows more freedom than ours does.

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by freeows (84) 12 years ago

Yup, we should look up to Russia and to catch up with their number of protesters!! Yes, we need to work on that!!

[-] 1 points by bigbangbilly (594) 12 years ago
[-] 1 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

If corporations can push global agendas and exert worldwide power...so can we!

[-] 1 points by TheEvilFuckaire (208) 12 years ago

The problem our leaders have is privilege. "Russia's problems are real because Russian people do not have Democracy. These OWS protests make no sense, after all I am rich, have been my whole life, if I can be rich so can they, they are just lazy or stupid. Anyone can be rich if they work hard enough, and then they can buy access to their government too." This is what the 1% believe they have no concept of not being able to afford something. The fact that you do not own a corporation is a product of your laziness. They think a man making $6000 a year should stop eating for a few months and start a restaurant.

[-] 4 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

I'd be interested to know the percentage of the 1% that made it there from beginnings in poverty. It's easy to throw out names with shock value like lazy or stupid, they can get response even though it's obvious that over 99% of America is not lazy/stupid. There is a great delusion in this country's top down mentality and many who still believe in the divine right of kings.

[-] 2 points by Arditum (37) 12 years ago

What's intriguing is that many middle class people believe the same. That unfounded pride in having had middle class parents and thus decent schooling and support, or an inherited business is what has kept the system going for so long. It's typical american middle class pride what doesn't allow them to realize there is an unfair system in place.

The political fraud in russia made people worried about their future, which is what prompted them to act, thus i believe awareness should be spread about the future of american middle class as well. They must be shown that it's not a matter based exclusively upon current living conditions, but mostly on the direction the american economy is taking, where the 1% profit more and more, while the 99% experience progressive pejoration of their life styles.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Being too proud can be quite an obstacle to facing the truth (and acting according to the subsequent revelations). People cling to a dying dream that the next big break is going to lift them up into the rungs of the 1%. For some it's the next lottery ticket, for some it's their hard work at a struggling small business. I'll give the US this, it is still possible. What people need to realize however is that the target range one can shoot for to obtain success is shrinking every day our current systems operate untamed. Let's hope that the decaying middle class sees the direction of this economic and political bullet train while their lifestyles are still salvageable.

[-] 1 points by independentmind (227) 12 years ago

I think you over simplify things.

People are not clinging to a dream of being part of the 1%, so much (although, I can't think of anyone who'd turn down the offer)... but people are still convinced that stability and happiness are attainable.

I believe so, myself.

I don't need to be "uber rich" to be self sustaining and happy. I'm not sure I even qualify for middle class with my $30K/yr salary. But I provide a stable home (owned), food, clothing, vacations... for me and my son on this salary. Yes, with sacrifice and yes, we go through tough times now and again... but in my opinion, I am a productive, successful American. As are the countless other people who are living the same lifestyle I am.

I am not saying there are not issues in this country. There are. Some of the whoppers. But stating that the problem with the middle class is they are too blinded by their desires and greed to see their own demise approaching isn't quite accurate.

Hope you had a nice holiday.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Hi independentmind. I was referencing a select group mentioned in Arditum's post, particularly those with "unfounded pride". You seem to be living a reasonable lifestyle that you work for and understand (free of large sums of inherited money or business privileges). I agree that not many people would turn down the money the 1% has, but I have faith that many would turn down a lot of the common behavior that would help propel you there. I'm sure you share concerns about the diminishing middle class, especially for your son. I'm hoping enough people aren't blinded and do see the demise coming...enough to act to stop it. Hope you had a nice holiday as well.

[-] 1 points by independentmind (227) 12 years ago

I am concerned about the fate of the middle class. At my age, my father was supporting 4 children, a home, 2 cars and a wife on his single income. I struggle as hard has he did to support just me and my one child on mine.

It is greatly concerning. I hope we can turn things around as well. Level the field a bit where we can. I do not look to destroy the rich, or feel I am entitled to any of their wealth... at all. I do think the tax codes are extremely lopsided and that no business should ever be deemed too big to fail or ruled as "people". But being rich, in and of itself, is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should it be. I'd just like to see the opportunities to be truly successful... the tradition of being more successful than the generation before you... return.

[-] 2 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

Part of the problem is that the middle class is being squeezed by things hidden from view unless really looked for...I'm speaking to all the taxes and fees that are in all the services and products we purchase.

Our income is static in that even though we may receive a raise or a cost of living increase, the increases in our home, auto and health insurance premiums as well as increased cost of energy and food eat up the increase in income.

Buried in all of these are up to 31% in taxes and fees that are required that we pay on top of our property and sales taxes, our vehicle registrations, and our payroll and income taxes. Most people aren't aware of these fees and taxes which are hidden - even when they are not hidden on our cell and land line bills and our cable or satellite bills most folks are not aware of it.

How many people know that there is a 143% excise tax on a jar of peanut butter? That is an American staple is it not? We send our children to school with peanut butter sandwiches in their lunch box - the schools feed children who forgot their lunch money a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

My husband and I - through lowered consumption - have paid off all our bills but our mortgage. We thought we'd be sitting pretty good when the final checks were sent out last December and we were officially "debt free" in all but that mortgage. Yet, increases in our home, auto and health insurance took $200.00 dollars a month of the money freed up by the paying off of our credit cards and all other loans. The 6% increase in the cost of food and the average increase in the cost of a gallon of gas of $.51 and increases in the cost of heating and cooling our home ate up another $200 a month.

Each time our government gives another tax break to a group of people, they slam hidden taxes and fees onto the services that we have become dependent on (like electricity and gas and vehicles) or that have been mandated by law (auto and home owners insurance and soon health insurance). They hide taxes in the cost of our food - they allow corporations to "pass through" to us the taxes imposed upon them.

It is this that we need to wake up to. They are giving to Peter by robbing Paul with Paul being the middle class.

[-] 1 points by independentmind (227) 12 years ago

I've argued this point before (I didn't realize the absurdity in the amount of the peanut butter tax, however) as well. When you factor in these "hidden" taxes, it takes a much, much bigger toll on someone like me than it does someone with triple my income. I remember, just a few years ago, frugal grocery shopping could provide 2 weeks of groceries for about $110. Now, double that. At least. And don't get me started on my gas and electric bill...

More people do need to be aware of these factors. It would change the focus of some of these protests, I believe. It is not BoA's fault my gas and electric bill has doubled in the past 3 years.

Very good points. All of them.

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

It is my personal opinion that that experienced activists who are really behind this movement - the ones who helped plan and set up for the original August 17 occupation - know all of this.

IF this movement really was about the middle class being squeezed out of existence, it would be these things that the protests were protesting. It is all very well to shout that the middle class is disappearing because of stagnant wages and blame it on the corporations but the reality is that it is the politicians who are squeezing us - not those corporations.

But, if you go back and read the August postings on this very site, you'll see that the ultimate goal was to "smash capitalism" not reform a tax code that falls almost completely on the middle class because of all the hidden taxes and fees in our goods and services.

[-] 1 points by independentmind (227) 12 years ago

I've been arguing from day one that the protesters should be focusing on the politicians. Granted, the stunts Wall Street has pulled over the past several years... and their reward for said stunts... are infuriating... but what I don't understand is what the protesters hope to accomplish by continuing to focus on Wall Street and Big Business.

They will never be successful enough to "smash capitalism", there are too many who believe in it still. I can't say I'm not one of them. I do not think that capitalism is to blame for the state this country is in... crony capitalism, maybe... but not capitalism by definition. I also do not believe we can simply blame Wall Street and be done with it.

Our elected officials wrote the codes and policies that made everything we have see come to pass a reality. Wall Street broke no laws because Washington said so. The middle class is being squeezed out of existence because Washington wrote the tax codes to make it so. Our politicians are in the pockets of corporations because our government has allowed it to be so. You cannot "shame" Wall Street out of Washington. You cannot threaten them. Shutting down ports for a day barely registers with them. And even if it did, there will be no lasting effect from these actions.

I just wish I would see some real focus and progress within this movement. They saved a house for a family about to be cast into the streets the other day, I have to applaud that effort... but for the most part, I can't say I'm on board with much that goes on here.

Anyway, it sounds like you and I would get along swimmingly. At least, in this regard. Hope today finds you well.

[-] 2 points by divineright (664) 12 years ago

Sounds like we are on the same page and just want to see the pendulum swing back toward reasonable a bit. Let's keep doing what we can to make that happen!

[-] 1 points by Concerned (455) 12 years ago

81% of the millionaires in the US are "self made".

http://www.intelligenius.net/rich-people-who-were-born-poor/

[-] 1 points by enough (587) 12 years ago

Putin's power grab is sorta like the endless parade of Wall Street flunkies who get appointed and confirmed as Federal Reserve Chairman and U.S. Treasury Secretary no matter who becomes President of the United States. It's America's answer to Russia's castling of its President and Prime Minister. In America, it's the castling of crony capitalists or crony crooks, if you will, between Wall Street and our government.

[Removed]

[-] 0 points by johiles (4) 12 years ago

OWS has been taken over by undercover police agents. They are calling the shots. Face it, democracy is about as real as santa claus. It is a fictious catastrophe that was unleashed upon the unwitting world. Polymorph kids! Poof Emerge anew!

[-] 0 points by alnyc2011 (32) 12 years ago

Dear Occupy Wall Street NYC, I'm a daily occupier since the beginning of the movement; there are drastic changes that we have to look at. Many supporters of the movement feel the same way as I do, which is why the issue is brung up. It's not well on how some things are going. I spoken to a lot facilitators of the OWS movement, and most of you aren't able to deliver me valid information. This isn't in anyway to bash or exploit the movement but rather constructive criticism to think about. For instance, when there were tents in Zuccotti Park, we had much more weight of energy and momentum, even drummers were making noise. Now that's gone because we only allowed it to happen. We're not fighting hard enough. There were many facilitators and people in the park that were pro-active and were able to deliver updated information about the movement, aside from the panhandlers. Now there is little to none. Different individuals come from all over the world to Zuccotti Park for inspiration. A place for different individuals to interact and spread ideas on how we can make a change for the future. Now keep in mind, if it weren't for us. There wouldn't be any occupation worldwide. I had heard many people say that this movement touched them deeply from the bottom of their hearts. Even when the park got raided, there were still massive amount of people holding down the symbolic area of the movement. This only showed true dedication. Remember when over 10,000 people showed up at the General Assembly after the park got raided? This was the same time the barricades were set up around the park. The police put the barricades there because the Government felt the movement was growing too rapidly, that showed an instant sign of fear. They even put yellow tapes inside the park, against the walls where the benches are, made bogus conceptions about how it was to protect the plants. Bloomberg sent in NYPD and the Sanitation to trash and destroy books. Ask yourself why? In order to make a real difference we have to continue and maintain this energy, keep sending these vial energies. To not only show we are a serious movement but to show we're fighting for what we believe in. Millions of dollars are put into the NYPD force. Guess who’s paying for it? All of the police at Zuccotti park are being paid to stand around and do absolutely nothing and go home with big bonuses. We mind as well give them a reason for them to stand around. Every-time a peaceful protester gets arrested and beaten down, it only makes the movement stronger. Keep in mind that we also have to play smarter, work in a fashionable matter without having to get arrested and working towards the goal. A lot of different rallies are planned and thousands of brave souls are out there participating and risking their freedoms. But do they all have a reasonable-purpose and is it getting closer to obtaining the primary goal? Also all these planned rallies is one thing but are the facilitators out there with the participants? Only a very few. Back to the space. It’s not the space that matters, but the fact that thousands of different faces come to Zuccotti park every single day. The whole world is watching and questioning. Even one supporter can make a major difference. They need our presence, we're all in this together. When people come and try to look for information, interact, share ideas and not a soul is to be found. How do you think that looks reflecting upon the movement? People that pass by daily are being sent off to "60 Wall Street". When they arrive at "60 Wall Street" in regards of finding information, they’re told to go on NYCGA.NET. We need a valid information structure to point people in the right direction. It's unbelievable to have people come from across all over the country / states to be told that they should visit a website for information. The individual may not be computer literate and would much rather prefer to interact physically, besides the website has all type of things going on at the same time. Now from my understanding there's 2 spaces "60 Wall Street" And an office at "52 Broadway". What I would think is that a lot of individuals are starting to get way too comfortable and off-task. A lot of excuses are being made. Just take as minute to look and open your eyes on what's going. Look at the other movements throughout the world where, people are dying, getting shot, getting killed for fighting what they believe in. Do they receive the same luxury as we do? definitely not. I think it’s time for major improvements to take in place. The Occupation isn’t at 60 Wall Street. Change isn't going to happen overnight, but we can start by taking little steps such as going to Zuccotti Park, going to different communities. Interacting with different individuals, sharing information updates, and simply give them a reason why they should be part of the movement. Even if it's only one or two hours a day. Seems like a majority of the Spokes council meeting nothing ever gets done, from the fact that some working groups have tension towards each other. There are over 80+ working groups, which is unnecessary. We have way more things to be worrying about then just argue about who takes control of what, and who has the power to do such. The website Occupywallst.org needs major improvements as well. It's a source of network connecting worldwide. It’s affecting a lot of viewers negatively. There’s a lot of bogus content. As if there were nothing real and important to post about. Just random videos and content talking about how well the movement is doing maybe we shouldn’t credit ourselves just yet. I’d advise you to start posting more serious information, like the new bill that’s being passed NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and SOPA. Let our people who don't already know how it can affect this movement, our rights and freedom. The reason for a lot of the downfall in this country is that we wait to get things done at the last second or when it's too late. This movement is still at its early baby stage. On top of that the NDAA bill passed on $663 billion dollars. Most of us that are aware of this are just watching it fly right by us, allowing it to happen as if it was nothing. There was a chance for Congress to vote on a millionaire's tax last week - a tax most people support - and if OWS had organized against it something could have actually been done. Instead - people picked a fight with a generally supportive Church and sat in an atrium drinking coffee, eating, argued about how to celebrate the holidays (People didn't donate money for this). People argued about bureaucratic points, deciding which politicians to shout down. We protest against the banks instead of the politicians who write the tax laws that allow the banks to get away with paying no US Federal Income Tax ; they protest the banks that give campaign donations instead of the politicians who accept them; we protest verbally against the lobbying done by big business but don't protest the Congress that the lobbyists are influencing. We are squatting in places that are private property instead of marching on the White House which set the Loan Modification program in motion that was supposed to help 7 - 9 million people keep their homes. Instead of protesting the "feel good but do nothing" modification program - they seek to block access to the banks. This all comes back to the people we elected to represent us in DC and locally - yet we are protesting those who are only following the rules laid down by those election persons. We need a real tax reform Why are local marches ignored in favor of supporting a union only based on its early support of OWS? Yes we have supporters, but nearly not enough. People are still debating If the movement is on the right track. Half of the people don’t even know what’s going on. We have to continue to keep up the vigorous energy. Keep in mind again, this movement is still at it’s early stage and there’s so much more to progress in. We cannot afford to lose the energy and slack off. I’ve been bringing this topic daily to OWS, and speaking of the behalf of many others and feel our voices been neglected and ignored. Part of this movement is that everybody needs be welcomed and that everybody needs to work together. The real change has to start within yourself. There are a lot that needs to be done before we can say there was actual change. We have to find a realistic demand and specific goal we're aiming at. In order to do so we can start by taking steps such as working with other occupations, etc. We need serious planning, direction, discipline, focus, coordination among all the Occupy camps, coordinated local strategies, Start local in our communities showing that we care, etc. I know that's going on to an extent, but it needs to be more organized and purposeful. Remember, everyone is entitled to have a voice and say. Sincerely, The 99% that wants economic and social reform

[-] 0 points by timir (183) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

good words. This movement needs generator team who independent off them greedy bustards. A'yo when I say pump that, y'all say shit up Pump that! (Shit up) Pump that! (Shit up) When I say stand up, y'all say get up Stand up! (Get Up) Stand up! (Get Up) When I say rise up, y'all say now Rise up! (Now) Rise up! (Now) When I say lick a shot, say blaow Lick a shot! (blaow) Lick a shot! (blaow) just like in the song: road to the promise land is close. Open your arms, and let, the wisdom fall. Run For ahhh

[-] 0 points by johiles (4) 12 years ago

Movements grow, diminish, fail, succeed, hurt, harm, heal, create, destroy, kill, give life, just like the people they are made up of. The current political climate reminds me of another time in history: just after the first world war, when people felt humiliated and shamed. That period gave us Nazism, Stalinism, Mussilinism. The people in the end gave in to the same raw emotions of anger and rage that is fueling this movement. Be careful what voices you heed in your struggle, and watch your own feelings and motives. You may unwiittingly boot out a villian only to usher in a tyrant.

[-] 1 points by alnyc2011 (32) 12 years ago

It's gonna be the time like the Nazi if people don't start speaking up.

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] 0 points by rebel9999 (24) 12 years ago

People from around the world are shouting out loud and clear that they are angrier than hell and aren't going to take it anymore. The world is engulfed in revolutions and changes needs to made in order to satisfy the protesters. Ideas, plans and goals must be adapted to get results. The oppressers must be tumbeled by the oppressed. On my web page www.mybetteramericaplan.com are ideas that will show how to win the revolution you are in no matter which country you are fighting in. Viva la victory!

[Removed]

[-] 0 points by Par (27) 12 years ago

The question is, why is this happening in Russia. If it is because of the Bilberberg plan for world domination, then it is bad.

Bilderberg wants to build a world government that appears democratic but whose policies are feudalistic, putting everyone in debt slavery.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Bilderberg? Really???? C'mon this conspiracy theory is older than I am.... If there was such a group they could have done something to "dominate" the world long ago....

Smoke another one

[-] 0 points by Par (27) 12 years ago

Your IQ appears to be rather low.

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Bilderberg meetings have been taking place yearly since 1954. I would think that if they were intent on world domination it wouldn't take them 57 years to make a move toward that goal......

I may not have a Mensa IQ but at least mine is high enough to allow me to discern reality from fantasy ..... too bad yours doesn't.

[-] 0 points by Par (27) 12 years ago

If I could make a recommendation, the book Confessions of an Economic Hitman explains the gory details of what's going on behind the scenes.

In addition the film Shock Doctrine.

Take what those have to say in, and you will begin to understand what's going on.

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] 2 points by podbelski (9) 12 years ago

and BTW people who took part in protests WERE NOT BREAKING THE LAW, so they don't risk anything :) KGB, Siberia... it's 21st century man, nothing like that is possible

Putin is not as autocratic as US government are....

[-] 2 points by podbelski (9) 12 years ago

The reality is way more complex than wide known paradigm "Putin is evil. Democracy is good. God bless America!"

The real game is about the future of Russia: will it take its historical path, alternative to US and Europe "modernity", or will go the "orange" way, leading to the inavitable collapse of the whole country... It's called "Perestroika 2.0", and sane people DO NOT want it.

[-] 0 points by timir (183) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

it was hard to bring ass down here: http://lenta.ru/photo/2011/12/24/sakharova/#pic028

[Removed]

[Removed]

[-] -1 points by mikePac (52) 12 years ago

Other Countries have already ousted better leaders than the dog chit we have right now

[-] 1 points by sinead (474) 12 years ago

Maybe if Americans would actually use their voting rights we'd have better people in office.

Even in 2008 only 56% of the register voters turned out.....

[-] -1 points by Jumphrey (106) 12 years ago

Bravo to Russia, for showing what a people oppressed for too long can do! Watch out America. If you try and pull the same tricks on your people, we too will rise up.

Perhaps this will be taken in bad taste, but oh well. "In Russia, Protestors evict YOU!"

[-] 4 points by alouis (1511) from New York, NY 12 years ago

Um we had two stolen presidential elections and there ws no discernible protest.

[-] 0 points by Farleymowat (415) 12 years ago

Oh really? According to who? AlGore?

[-] 0 points by alouis (1511) from New York, NY 12 years ago

He didn't have the balls to say it and act like it mattered. Too bad.

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by Jumphrey (106) 12 years ago

We certainly dont invent 46% surplus of voters. Sure, we have the highly moronic electoral system, but it doesn't downright cheat, since it plays the same tricks on both sides.

Mind you, with all of the attempts at voter suppression coming from the GOP, we may see some very clear "cheating" next year.

[Removed]

[Removed]

[+] -4 points by Zealwriter (5) 12 years ago

THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT MORE THAN CHANTS!!!!

This is still the land of OPPORTUNITY. People sit around puzzled when immigrants come to this country and prosper. There is no magic potion and its not simply tax breaks, it has more to do with mindset. For those that tune their eyes it is obvious the opportunity that we're all surrounded by-perception is everything. There are mechanisms in place where people combine their resources and as they duplicate this process they create WEALTH! These are things that Dems and Repubs lightly touch on, if at all, but it's a proven process for helping people become Financially FREE while in my company people are getting wealthy and healthy at the same time. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED YOUR WELL BEFORE YOU START TO DIG! Today your job is secure and tomorrow you could get a pink slip but if you build supplemental residual income now it won't matter what your boss does--invest 3-5yrs doing what others won't do and then you'll be positioned to do what they can't do for the rest of your life. Whiners and handout seekers need not bother----- JOIN HERE: http://ceburns.mymonavie.com

Note:This company made a billion dollars faster than Google in just 3 yrs. The company has been around since 2005 and has the strongest surge of growth in its segment of Health and Wellness. Scientifically validated products, all natural and non-duplicatable. CEO recieved Ernst & Young prestigious award two years in a row. Currently in over 20 countries. Debuted in inc500 magazine in 2009 at number 18 (as opposed to Microsoft's debut in 1984 @ #80). Featured on CBS The Doctors, Rachel Ray, The Today Show w/ Kathy Lee, etc.

Simply complain on blogs like this one and be accused of loitering rather than occupying or Join a growing movement and return here to lead others to water! Consumer Networks are the way to go for people to make minimal investments collectively combining resources to generate wealth. The first person that signs on signs up the next under themselves and this process being duplicated over and over is how everyone builds individual wealth collectively.

I've shared this with those in the "Occupy" Movement where if they implemented this with their combined pursuit they all would be independently wealthy or moving rapidly for it due to their astounding numbers but I guess they only want to loiter and not take action.

As a proof!!!! I'M AM GETTING PAID as a result of THIS (ceburns.mymonavie.com) and being proactive to take advantage of the opportunity instead of waiting for the next government program to arrive to create another J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) for me. Real Wealth and Real Health Results. 166 millionaires from this company and counting!!! What decision to take charge of you and your family's future will you decide? BE PROACTIVE and Respond instead of continuing to live REACTIONARY as the rest of the cattle-like population. Whether you JOIN now to have a business write-off in the coming tax year or JOIN in the beginning of Next year to do something NEW for the New Year, Just JOIN for you and your family's new beginning....Or just Ignore it and keep getting what you been getting living at the mercy of someone else to determine your job security and standard of living. [Instructions: Click JOIN and enter information to become a 1099 Independent distributor. Make an initial order of 500 point volume (for product to share with friends{sharp people looking for an opportunity who have the ability to take advantage of the opportunity}. Enroll on "Autoship"{remaining active makes you eligible for commissions}. Personally Sponsor One person for your right team and One person for your left team and then help/encourage each of them to duplicate the same action. Drink it. Feel it. Share it and watch the wealth build residually for you and your family]

[-] 1 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

are you nuts? your on the bottom of the pyramid fool!

[Removed]