Forum Post: We. Need. To. Produce. A. Result.
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 12, 2011, 2:29 p.m. EST by rustyshackleford
(10)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Mic check.
So I'm sure you all have noticed that this movement is starting to get media attention, and a lot of that attention is focused on the notion that Occupy does not have a cohesive list of demands, which has generated some negative responses to the movement as it is inferred that the Occupiers are "rebels without a cause" and "don't know what they're protesting about". I saw a Facebook post by Occupy Wall St. today which attempted to explain why the movement is "not about demands".
I would like to propose the idea that this is complete BS. This movement has absolutely NO intrinsic value if it does not have a realistic goal and if a RESULT is not achieved, then it is completely futile. A RESULT cannot be achieved without a cogent list of solutions to the problems which we are protesting. SOLUTIONS are what separate a movement from an angry mob.
Results don't just happen out of thin air, you have to make them happen. I see that a list of demands is being made on something of an open forum; this is a very good start. However, I would suggest to EVERY Occupier that he/she make a list of his/her own grievances and, more importantly, proposed solutions. That way, EVERY Occupier will have something to say when they are asked, "Why are you protesting?" or "What are you looking to DO?" Also, PUT THESE SOLUTIONS ON YOUR SIGNS. Media perception is big here, if we have photos of people with solutions (i.e. on their signs) then we work toward dispelling the increasingly widespread notion that we don't have any idea why we are doing what we are doing.
Also, your proposed solution matters. In my opinion and in the opinion of many other educated people REINSTATE GLASS-STEAGALL needs to be at the TOP of EVERY SINGLE solution list WITHOUT EXCEPTION. This is the big one. If we do this alone, this whole movement will be worth it. Obviously other solutions need to be proposed such as (throwing stuff out there) a cap on campaign contributions for politicians, etc.
HOWEVER. In policy analysis, you must examine the socioeconomic ramifications for implementing a new policy AS WELL AS the political feasibility of implementing the policy. If our demands are too lofty (such as End The Fed) we will be laughed at. We must be reasonable. This is why demands such as ending the Fed, reinstating the gold standard, converting to instant runoff election, etc. are not quite so wise because A. Not everyone agrees with these huge overhauls (A nation needs a central bank, and reverting to the gold standard is simply a terrible idea and promoting it implies a stark lack of understanding of global economics) and B. We need to be self-aware and think of what we can actually achieve or else we will not be taken seriously.
I realize the way this works: People get angry, people get together, and THEN people work out a solution. But it's been too long. We have a window of time to make something happen so let's MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN because it WON'T JUST UP AND HAPPEN BY ITSELF.
Thank you.
Well said, and although I'm all in favor of taking down today's ineffective and inefficient Top 10% Management Group of Business & Government, there's only one way to do it – by fighting bankers as bankers ourselves. Consequently, I have posted a 1-page Summary of the Strategic Legal Policies, Organizational Operating Structures, and Tactical Investment Procedures necessary to do this at:
http://getsatisfaction.com/americanselect/topics/on_strategic_legal_policy_organizational_operational_structures_tactical_investment_procedures
Join
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/StrategicInternationalSystems/
if you want to support a Presidential Candidate – myself – at AmericansElect.org in support of the above bank-focused platform.
Human beings are not inherently greedy.
Human beings are a product of their environment.
Human beings reflect their environment.
The human race is suffering from a value system disorder.
We, as a society cannot seem to denote wrong from right.
This must change.
The world must evolve.
The government must evolve.
The economic system must evolve.
Peace, Love, and Unity.
I-Addressing current and past Wall Street misbehavior:
Civil suits by DOJ against all the main investment banks, criminal investigations against any and all higher-ups at these banks. Penalties to include confiscation of all assets, physical and otherwise.
II-Preventing further Wall Street misbehavior:
Restoration of Depression-era bank legislation beginning with Glass-Steagall. Breaking up of all financial conglomerates; each division becomes an independent company with a new CEO, directors, etc. Compensation limits on financial higher-ups, including the end of golden parachutes. Federal regulation of the derivatives market, either ban CDOs outright or subject them to special scrutiny. Expand fraud legislation to include conflicts of interest; no more short-selling someone whom you’re financing or advising, no more staple financing or similar practices. Full disclosure of asset portfolios to federal regulators, regulators to retain independent analysts to rate portfolio elements and assign value to overall portfolio. Leveraging regulations; the ratio of exotic assets (including but not limited to CDOs) to hard cash capped at 5 to 1. Redesignate PACs, political organizations, etc. as for-profit corproations and regulate them as such. Eliminate the 501(c)(4) designation and redesignate its current members as for-profit institutions.
III-Tax reform:
Uncap the FICA; all income subject to Social Security and Medicare taxation, not just the first $106,000. New income tax brackets starting at $250,000 annual income, $500,000 annual income, and $1,000,000 annual income, taxed at 45%, 55%, and 65% respectively. Restore the estate tax for all estates/trust funds/portfolios over $1 million in value and set it to 70%. Set tariffs on all imported goods in order to give companies an impetus to begin manufacturing in America. Reexamine both the income tax code and the corporate tax code with the goal of sealing as many loopholes as possible.
IV-Mortgage relief:
Funds obtained through procedures outlined in Section I against financial conglomerates used to take all struggling mortgages out of the hands of the banks. Fannie and Freddie unwound and replaced by a new government loan/mortgage agency with entirely new staff. The new agency takes struggling mortgages and refinances them in such a manner that homeowners can reasonably expect to pay the balances on time. In cases where that is clearly not possible (i.e. both adults in household unemployed), the agency forgives the mortgage.
V-Student loan relief:
Same process for student loans as for mortgages. In order to attract talent to the federal government, set up a sponsorship program: high-performing students in qualifying programs of study will have their education paid for by Uncle Sam in return for five years’ service in the government agency corresponding to their area of study (i.e. economics and finance majors would do their time in the Fed or in financial regulatory agencies).
VI-Unemployment relief:
Use the funds garnered through tax reform as per Section III to begin actual projects that put people to work. No disbursement of the money to states, all relief-eligible projects to be initiated and overseen at the federal level. All parts for infrastructure projects to be obtained in America (i.e. a bridge replacement would only purchase steel manufactured in a plant in America). Project staff (excluding federal overseers) to be exclusively hired from the unemployed (where it is possible to find unemployed people with the necessary qualifications), all the way from the construction worker to the project manager.
VII-Campaign finance reform:
Ban all campaign contributions by corporations, for-profit or otherwise. Ban group contributions in general. Cap donations by individuals at $500 per candidate. Personal and family wealth disallowed: you may “donate” up to $500 to yourself and each family member over 18 may donate up to $500 to you, but other than that nothing. Cap total donations at $100 million. Provide a base public fund from tax dollars to each candidate to work from.
VIII-Lobbying reform:
Create an open forum setting in which all interest groups and/or citizens may express their views. All open forum sessions to be taped, and both tapes and transcripts to be made publicly available on paper and on the Internet within 24 hours of such a session. Forbid access to politicians by interest groups and their representatives outside the open forum. Forbid any and all gifts from interest group representatives to politicians. Forbid regulators from working at corporations in the field they were responsible for overseeing for twenty years from end of time in office. Forbid any politician from taking private-sector lobbying or consulting employment for five years from the end of their term. Apply the same rules to lobbyists wishing to enter politics (five year cooldown period, twenty if you want to oversee the same field your company worked in).
This is excellent. It is cogent, succinct, and feasible. Please promote this.
Though more and more people have realized the injustice of the society, and protested, most still don't know what is the right way. voice, if diverse, will be weakened and hardly be effective. so, here, we suggest a possible way for your consideration.
People's voice should be consistently like this:
1) To the government and the capitalists: you are elits and were granted the capital and power based on our trust on you. However you abuse your wisdom for gathering your own wealth; you abuse your power and military force for maintaining your governing. So, you have no right anymore to control the capital and materials, and to lead the army. You should either whole-heartedly serve the people, or give up and let those who have a higher wisdom as well as mercy to lead us and control the capital.
2) To all the monopoly : you should give up the aim of pursuing maximum profits, and change the aim into minimizing the costs and the labor time but should not fire the workers or reduce the payment for the reason of improved productivity and reduced costs. the enterprises are not yours, but us all human beings. If you feel reluctant to serve us all, you should leave your position and let all the people to chose the managers of the enterprises.
3) To all the citizens on the Earth: We should be united. We should all be benevolent and selfless, should advocate virtue and high spiritual pursuit. We should make the global enlightment and the global material and spiritual freedom our common goal and struggle for it whole-heartedly.
Rusty, the demands will come with time. Over time a collective voice will rise up out of the cacophony of noise demanding change that we can be proud of. I think some of the resonating voices are end the wars, tax the rich, and create a system which benefits the 99% of Americans. All of these issues run head first into a political system which is controlled by the corporations. Once we end corporate/Wall Street control of our government, then we can bring forth some demands. Until that time, it is pointless because the politicians will talk the talk but not walk the walk.
All due respect, how are we going to "end corporate/Wall Street control of our government" without actually DOING anything i.e. working toward an observable goal? I feel that this movement will fail if we get the chicken and the egg backward.
We have a long time before demands need to be posted. The observable goal should be to spread the movement and bring more disgruntled people into the movement.
I respectfully disagree. We are now getting media attention, so anyone who would be a part of the movement at least knows about it. The fact that we are getting media attention is very big, because it defines how the public perceives us. If the public believes we are protesting with no rhyme or reason, they will see no reason to join in, and people (like myself) will leave the movement because they will become frustrated with the lack of forward-motion when the ability to move forward is right in front of us. RIGHT NOW is the time to make demands. Public opinion of our movement is still malleable, for now, which is why this time window is so important. The #1 problem we have is our lack of a cohesive set of goals. If we have that, then no one can say we don't have a goal or a reason. I say the forums working out demands are extremely important, and they should converge to make a unified document. Every Occupier is able to put in their two cents on the issue.