Forum Post: Why This Movement Has Failed
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 18, 2011, 10:21 a.m. EST by ArrestAllCEOS
(115)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Everyday you are abandoning more Americans by refusing to protest at the White House and The Capitol. Everyday the demands get more asinine such as wealth redistribution, socialism, income caps, etc. Being taken advantage of by Moveon.org and Obama - making this look like a tool for his reelection.
The average American just wants the government to begin serving the interest of the middle class. They don't want socialism or any other of the ridiculous demands that keep popping up on here.
Another reason it has failed: the participants of this movement look like a bunch of morons...demands that have been made; whether approved or not, have made for a negative public opinion of the movement. When we turn on the tv in the mornings we see a movement that bears a striking resemblance to the Hippy movement of the 60's and 70's. Claims of police brutality if you want to call it that coming from OWS are unfounded. NYPD is trying to do its job in keeping the peace and keeping the city moving. The "99%" (has that statistic been proven? doubtful.) can find the time to leave their jobs and protest the fact that so many Americans are in need of help and freedom from the wall street bankers and the rich (capitalists) yet half of them when asked don't even know what they're protesting. There are videos of protesters being told some of the viewpoints expresses and supported by OWS. Their reactions "I didn't know that..." and they go home. So to the rest of you, please, go home. I'd like to get on with my life without having to listen to your protests that really aren't going to be addressed. If you're going to protest try something a little more action oriented. Try these three terms: Initiative, Referendum, and Recall.
Very well said, I agree
Most Americans blame Wall Street for the nation's economic predicament — but they blame Washington more.
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken last weekend, as the Occupy Wall Street protest movement completed its first month, found that:
•When asked whom they blame more for the poor economy, 64% of Americans name the FEDERAL GOVERNEMTN and only 30% say big financial institutions.
Actually I have to agree but not on the Target,Its time to head down to Wall street and actually occupy it.
Tear Down the Wall
Failure is in the eyes of the beholder. What you see as failure and abandonment is , in fact, just the opposite. Democracy is not limited to "average american" or "middle class". A fine wine needs to ferment to enjoy its earthly and robust taste.
Then there are the rich entertainers that are always supporting the common man. Puleeeze
Protesting at the Capitol = Pointless. The political leaders are never there. We need to take all of this energy and transmute it into policy demands:
(1) moratorium on foreclosures;
(2) loan modification; and
(3) student loan amnesty.
Cool, looks like I better take out a large student loan and buy a house I can't afford before this policy is put in effect
Letting the law aid those who need it is not a reason for you to be an ass.
Is your moral compass so horrible that you only refrain from an action because it's illegal?
http://occupydc.org/
Sorry, Rushbo, but repeating the corporate approved mantra ain't going to cut it. This is a RESPONSE to the bullshit - not a malleable tea-bag, partisan movement.
When you get done getting your talking points and ridiculous accusations you might want to ponder why nearly 75% of the American people support this and why your rightwing-owned "liberal media" is OPPOSED!
Good job, you claim it's not a partisan movement and then you attack conservatives. That is also what I see increasingly with OWS.
This movement has only failed us if we allow it to be understood in terms of the old political categories that have failed us. From my experience, this has been about reinvigorating a democratic life at the ground level -- allowing for conversations between people who would otherwise recite soundbites to one another, and allowing those who have forbid themselves from dreaming of the possibility of a better future to actually let themselves taste the sweet nectar of hope.
Your comment confuses me a bit: on the one hand, you decry the movement for being reduced to a Democratic campaign tool (I don't think its that yet, but it could be at any moment); on the other hand you underestimate the "average American" as not interested or able to pursue anything more radical. But all this shows to me is that you have not yet gotten the point: anything is possible. This movement is proof of that: the idea that there would be worldwide mass protests aimed at the injustices of an economic system that only serves wealthy elites appeared impossible to almost all of us 1 month ago. If we continue to push ourselves, to deepen our understanding of the issues, and, most importantly, to communicate with one another honestly and courageously in the process of making shared decisions at a local level, then more impossible things will happen. All we have to do is stop policing our dreams.
Don't fall for this psychological crap from any one percent goon. It's an obvious attempt to discredit our cause and break our will. Don't fall for it. Just follow the law and keep protesting no matter what the one percent goons say or do. Our message is vital. Below is my two cents:
We have been mislead by Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama, and nearly every other public figure. Economic growth, job creation, and actual prosperity are not necessarily a package deal. In fact, the first two are horribly misunderstood. Economic growth/loss (GDP) is little more than a measure of wealth changing hands. A transfer of currency from one party to another. The rate at which it is traded. This was up until mid ’07′ however, has never been a measure of actual prosperity. Neither has job creation. The phrase itself has been thrown around so often, and in such a generic political manner, that it has come to mean nothing. Of course, we need to have certain things done for the benefit of society as a whole. We need farmers, builders, manufacturers, transporters, teachers, cops, firefighters, soldiers, mechanics, sanitation workers, doctors, managers, and visionaries. Their work is vital. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that we need politicians, attorneys, bankers, investors, and entertainers. In order to keep them productive, we must provide reasonable incentives. We need to compensate each by a fair measure for their actual contributions to society. We need to provide a reasonable scale of income opportunity for every independent adult, every provider, and share responsibility for those who have a legitimate need for aid. In order to achieve and sustain this, we must also address the cost of living and the distribution of wealth. Here, we have failed miserably. The majority have already lost their home equity, their financial security, and their relative buying power. The middle class have actually lost much of their ability to make ends meet, re-pay loans, pay taxes, and support their own economy. The lower class have gone nearly bankrupt. In all, its a multi-trillion dollar loss taken over about 30 years. Millions are under the impression that we need to create more jobs simply to provide more opportunity. as if that would solve the problem. It won’t. Not by a longshot. Jobs don’t necessarily create wealth. In fact, they almost never do. For the mostpart, they only transfer wealth from one party to another. A gain here. A loss there. Appreciation in one community. Depreciation in another. In order to create net wealth, you must harvest a new resource or make more efficient use of one. Either way you must have a reliable and ethical system in place to distribute that newly created wealth in order to benefit society as a whole and prevent a lagging downside. The ‘free market’ just doesn’t cut it. Its a farce. Many of the jobs created are nothing but filler. The promises empty. Sure, unemployment reached an all-time low under Bush. GDP reached an all-time high. But those are both shallow and misleading indicators. In order to gauge actual prosperity, you must consider the economy in human terms. As of ’08′ the average American was working more hours than the previous generation with far less equity to show for it. Consumer debt, forclosure, and bankruptcy were also at all-time highs. As of ’08′, every major American city was riddled with depressed communities, neglected neighborhoods, failing infrastructures, lost revenue, and gang activity. All of this has coincided with massive economic growth and job creation. Meanwhile, the rich have been getting richer and richer and richer even after taxes. Our nation’s wealth has been concentrated. Again, this represents a multi-trillion dollar loss taken by the majority. Its an absolute deal breaker. Bottom line: With or without economic growth or job creation, you must have a system in place to prevent too much wealth from being concentrated at the top. Unfortunately, we don’t. Our economy has become nothing but a giant game of Monopoly. The richest one percent already own nearly 1/2 of all United States wealth. More than double their share before Reagan took office. Still, they want more. They absolutely will not stop. Now, our society as a whole is in serious jeapordy. Greed kills.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=196146 . . . This movement has not failed, and is far from over.