Forum Post: WHAT'S THE MESSAGE? Here's a Simple and Concise List of Demands:
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 19, 2011, 9:50 p.m. EST by 53PercentDude
(29)
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The MSM is characterizing OWS as an unorganized mob with no clear message other than they "hate the wealthy." Simple, clear and concise demands need to be communicated in the form of "sound bites" for this movement to gain momentum. I would like to suggest four points for all to adopt and communicate with a loud voice as follows:
1. END THE FEDERAL RESERVE.
Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution gives power to Congress to “coin money and regulate the value thereof.” John F. Kennedy was the last President that attempted to restore this power back to where it belonged. The Federal Reserve is a private bank that is owned by powerful international banking families. The “Federal Reserve” is as “Federal” as is “Federal Express.”
2. END THE FEDERAL INCOME TAX AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.
Adopt a Federal value added tax (VAT) OR a flat tax that is fair to all.
A VAT would fairly tax all individuals and corporations based on consumption with unprepared food and medicines being exempted from taxation. Those who can afford to purchase a luxury yacht, a private jet, a mansion with an ocean view and lavish dining at an exquisite restaurant would pay a much higher amount in consumption taxes whereas those who can only afford a picture of a yacht, a round-trip airline ticket to go to visit grandma for Christmas, a studio apartment with a parking lot view and an occasional meal at McDonalds would pay much lower taxes for their consumption. It would take very few federal employees to administer this form of taxation.
A flat tax would tax all individuals and corporations at the same percentage of their income with no deductions and no exemptions, regardless of how the income is derived. A federal tax return, regardless of the amount of income should be no longer than one page and the corresponding regulations should be no longer than 25 to 30 pages.
Either one of these forms of taxation would serve to eliminate lobbyists and corrupt politicians.
3. END ALL WARS AND ALL FOREIGN OCCUPATIONS THAT UTILIZE OUR MILITARY.
Our military should continue to be the best and most well equipped in the world but should be utilized to protect our borders from illegal invaders. Bring the troops home and see how quickly we can begin to reduce our federal debt.
4. IMPOSE SUBSTANTIAL TARIFFS ON GOODS AND SERVICES THAT ARE PRODUCED BY U.S. CORPORATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
The United States is still the biggest market in the world. U.S. Corporations that have manufacturing operations in China, Mexico, India and other countries so as to exploit lower labor costs should be required to pay high tariffs to sell their products in the United States. I have no doubt that most of those manufacturing jobs would move back to the United States if those high tariffs were to be imposed! Let’s once again be proud of the “MADE IN THE U.S.A.” label on products that we use!
Need to End Corporate Personhood. And General Strike to achieve our goals.
You missed the most important one - CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM!!! We won't end the wars, reform tax policy or make any other meaningful reform unless we, the American people, first have a real venue to do so. Right now your vote or $50 campaign contribution has to compete with millions of dollars of legal bribes by corporations (many of which are multinational with boards or directors full controlled by non-U.S. citizens). The American people need to demand that their representatives actually represent them! Right now, the candidate with the most money wins about 95% of the time. We are being marketed candidates like they are a new box of detergent. Get the corporate and special interest influence out, first and foremost!!!
I'm with you all the way!
You know what? It only took me two hours of searching through paragraph after paragraph of Socialist rhetoric to actually find this list. If this were the actual argument being held, I'd probably support this effort. Unfortunately, THIS is not the message that the average American is receiving.
The only message we are receiving from the millions of video footage, the "mouthpiece" speeches and the media (both liberal and conservative outlets) is that OWS wants to see the end of Capitalism and Free Enterprise and a bunch of non-sense that I won't even bother to repeat.
Dump the celebrities (actors, "preachers", entertainers, etc) because they certainly aren't going to help you on #2. Especially since a few of them are nothing more than public hate mongers that have the gift of being able to "pretty up" their disregard for humanity with a smile.
Print this by the thousands and staple it to the foreheads of 99% of the boneheads on the street and maybe you'd stand a chance.
Thank you for clearing up the question I've been asking for weeks: If the OWS crowd got EXACTLY what they wanted, what would they have accomplished?
This is just my main focus right now...your 4 ideas are all fantastic ones though. I just think that getting the $ out of the political process has to come first.
In my opinion, the heart of the issue is campaign finance reform. We need to have all political campaigns funded by the taxpayers from a separate fund. An amount would be designated say: 50 million dollars or 25 or whatever is a reasonable amount to actually travel and give speeches, and provide security for the candidates etc. And that NO OTHER MONEY be used, and that any contribution from ANY private donor big or small be made unlawful. THEN we can begin to recenter American Democracy around the electoral process and the actual WILL of the people. Right now, politicians tell their "constituents" what they want to hear and make all of the promises they need to make, and then, newly elected (or re-elected) arrive in Washington and are immediately cornered and overwhelmed by all of the special interests that actually funded their campaign, and these politicians no longer connect "doing the will of the people" with "being a successful politician." THAT is the straw that is stirring this corrupt drink right now. Our leaders no longer need to act in the interests of the people they serve. Moreover, it is actually political suicide for them to do so. THAT, I feel, is a good "starting point" for one of this beautiful and exhilarating movement's central demands. REFORM CAMPAIGN FINANCE now...
5. REFORM CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS.
I'm with you brother or sister (can't tell by your user name)!
Does it matter?...a good idea's a good idea...keep it movin ;)