Forum Post: WSJ Article about how banking lobby plans on 'discrediting' OWS
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 19, 2011, 12:26 p.m. EST by annoybot
(38)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
An exceprt from the article:
"[...] a memo from a prominent corporate lobbying firm to the American Bankers Association proposed an extensive public relations campaign — including opposition research into key movement figures and an elaborate media strategy — designed to discredit the movement, and Dems who embrace it."
More important quote, I think: "The research will also identify opportunities to construct fact based negative narratives of the OWS for high impact media placement to expose the backers behind this movement." The question is, does this merely mean getting the picture of some guy crapping on an American flag ... or does it mean paying him in the first place?
People here keep suspecting police or other government employees to be agents provocateurs as is remembered from the days of COINTELPRO, but perhaps this activity has been privatized. If so, however ... it puts the banks at great risk. If people at the Occupy rallies do their own opposition research and manage to prove one of these outrageous people was paid by a corporate lobbying firm ... this could all backfire very badly on its perpetrators.
[Removed]
The American Bankers Association has disavowed the memo. they say they received it from the Republicans and didn't act on it.
"Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association got the memo. “Our Government Relations staff did receive the proposal – it was unsolicited and we chose not to act on it in any way,” he said in a statement to "Up." http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/19/8884405-lobbying-firms-memo-spells-out-plan-to-undermine-occupy-wall-street
This is a memo generated by Republican political hacks looking for ways to get outside groups to fund their political activity. the bankers association represents small and large banks beyond Wall Street banks. At least for now it seems like they prefer to keep their heads down and not alienate consumers anymore than they already have.
It goes to the fact that OWS is making progress, and big bankers are worried.
Vote petition on the Internet : http://wh.gov/jkl
Why must this be a surprise? The exact same thing could be said about Occupy.
Example: "OWS is colluding with unions, the media and high-ranking politicians within the Obama administration to destroy the financial institutions."
Just as ridiculous, right? The point is, we all act in our own interest.
The Occupy Movement is not colluding with anyone. We are non political. We are the 99%.
Definition of "collusion":
"collusion n. where two persons (or business entities through their officers or other employees) enter into a deceitful agreement, usually secret, to defraud and/or gain an unfair advantage over a third party, competitors, consumers or those with whom they are negotiating. Collusion can include secret price or wage fixing, secret rebates, or pretending to be independent of each other when actually conspiring together for their joint ends. It can range from small-town shopkeepers or heirs to a grandma's estate, to gigantic electronics companies or big league baseball team owners."
The definition works both ways.
Fair enough. It does work both ways. There may be some individuals in the Occupy Movement who have their own agenda. I am in the movement, and it certainly isn't our intention to "destroy financial institutions". We just want to get rid of the bad eggs in them, and ensure that their greedy bosses do not get these huge bonuses.
[Removed]