Occupy As A Means To Financial Reform

[flying]

Starting this thread so those inclined to

left/right rhetoric have a place rather than clutter the Financial Crisis thread

with their rhetoric.

Would be nice if instead it would be used for actual

reporting of the Occupy Wall Street & other Occupy events.

Rather than this silly attempt to claim left/right ownership/glory of the event.

But I do not hold out much hope as it seems those who would try to

turn this event into a label have nothing of substance to add.

Edited October 5, 2011 by flying

[craigt3365]

It's sure being reported in the mainstream media:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/06/news/companies/occupy_wall_street_park/index.htm?iid=A_BN_News

[Jingthing]

People have been wondering what the movement stands for. Well, for the first time a collectively written statement from them has been broadcast --

http://current.com/shows/countdown/blog/complete-transcript-for-oct-05-2011

So with that as preamble, here is formerly and finally, what Occupy Wall Street says and wants. It is, in essence, their special comment:

“As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies. As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members. That our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors. That a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people, and the Earth, and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

We come to you at a time when corporations — which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality — run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here as is our right to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.

They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give executives exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in workplaces based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have profited off the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.

They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is, itself, a human right.

They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut worker’s health care and pay.

They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams, but look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.

They have sold our privacy as a commodity.

They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.

They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products, endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.

They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.

They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives, or provide relief in order to protect investments that have

already turned a substantial profit.

They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.

They purposefully kept people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners, even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.

They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.

They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.

They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City general assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble, occupy public space, create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard.”

The statement issued from Zuccotti Park by the general assembly at Occupy Wall Street. We will continue, and we’ll continue to update you on the events and the violence that ensued this evening.

[waza]

This to me is the key issues

"According to the I.R.S.;

There are 235,413 persons earning $1,000,000.00 or more a year.

8,274 earning $10,000,000.00 a year or more.

1,470 worth $100,000,000.00 or more.

959 billionaires.

These people own 80% of all publicly traded stock and make 40% of all the money annually.

...and half of the United States doesn't earn enough income to pay taxes. 1 in 3 children live in poverty. 1 in 6 adults live in poverty. 40% of households are receiving some form of government assistance. 46 million adults are on food stamps.

308 million people never get bailed out when they make a bet and it doesn't pay off.

308 million people don't get loans directly from the Federal Reserve.

308 million people don't get free health care, guaranteed pensions, government backed insurance on business deals, government back loan guarantees, tax subsidies, government financing, legislation protecting markets. The current Congress and Senate are the richest in the nation's history with 90% of them in the top ten percent of wealth. The news media finds nothing wrong with this, your government can't figure out what is wrong with this, the rich feel like they deserve free tax payer bail outs, loans, guarantees because that is what capitalism is...free money for those who already have more than they will ever need. America has failed as a democracy." (david mowers, 2011)

My link

[flying]

It's sure being reported in the mainstream media:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/06/news/companies/occupy_wall_street_park/index.htm?iid=A_BN_News

Yes it is now deemed not to be ignored.

Yet it seems only after a few have pointed it out.

Now they jump on the bandwagon so as to not be left out of it & deemed controlled.

Yet many of these early attempts to report still do not address issues just fluff

like....Oh they are on private property or their sanitary conditions are at unacceptable levels.

Not unlike what they will claim as more tent cities pop up due to the downward spiral.

Hey at least its a start eh?

[serenitynow]

While I don't agree with every one of their assertions, I do agree with most of them. It would appear to be a true grassroots movement. Hopefully they will have better success than the Tea Party in preventing themselves being co-opted. The former by Right Wing Republicans and the latter by trade unionists.

[flying]

While I don't agree with every one of their assertions, I do agree with most of them. It would appear to be a true grassroots movement. Hopefully they will have better success than the Tea Party in preventing themselves being co-opted. The former by Right Wing Republicans and the latter by trade unionists.

Yes lets hope the glory hounds do not do the same to this movement & try to ride their coat-tails.

It is obvious this movement is neither right nor left....

[Jingthing]

Nope! This is definitely an ORGANIC left wing movement. The tea party was astroturf. It was artificially manufactured by right wing propaganda organ -- Fox News.

While the group doesn’t have a specific agenda, many members have said they oppose the outsized role of corporate money in politics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/occupy-dc-to-protest-on-freedom-plaza-thursday/2011/10/06/gIQA6TAiPL_blog.html

Come on now.

What kind of people think corporations are the cats meow, deserve to buy elections, and cheered on when corporations became recognized as people? Right wing people.

Did you read the statement? Like it or not (I like it) this is a left wing movement.

Edited October 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[waza]

Nobody Can Predict The Moment Of Revolution ( Occupy Wall Street )

Welcome to OCCUPY TOGETHER, an unofficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall St. As we have followed the news on facebook, twitter, and the various live feeds across the internet, we felt compelled to build a site that would help spread the word as more protests organize across the country. Occupy Together Meetups

in 648 cities

My link

If you want to get involved heres your chance My link

Edited October 6, 2011 by waza

[flying]

Nope! This is definitely an ORGANIC left wing movement. The tea party was astroturf. It was artificially manufactured by right wing propaganda organ -- Fox News.

You are late to this movement like you were obviously late to the Real Tea Party movement.

By the time it was fox news it had long since been hijacked by Republican Neocons.

Now you basically are part of the same type of hijackers. Except this time it is towards the other useless wing of the same corrupt bird.

It is sad that folks like you jump on & try to steer never having been a part nor understanding the roots of either.

Folks like you only like to try to steal the thunder of grass roots movements after they have gained notice. Then you would like to label it to somehow represent what you back....Yet by its very nature these types of movements both Occupy & Tea party as originally formed want nothing to do with either left nor right.

They know it is two wings of the same corrupt bird. Which is why even Ron Paul recently told the current hijacked tea party followers that they were being taken for a ride by the likes of Palin & Beck

Same will likely happen to this movement...hopefully not but with folks like yourself who add nothing to discussing the issues but only see it as a possible chance to claim party ties it follows the same possible course of being hijacked by the problem makers.

Especially funny considering the chants that Obama is part of the 1% they want to topple.

It is neither left nor right...it is angry Americans speaking out & saying they are mad as he11 & aren't going to take it anymore.

Hopefully they succeed

Edited October 6, 2011 by flying

[Jingthing]

Not about me or being late or early to a party. Did you read the statement? It's very left wing. Sorry if that bothers some people who have a phobia about progressive politics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-week-that-transformed-the-2012-story-line/2011/10/05/gIQAM2K1NL_story.html

Finally, the anti-Wall Street demonstrators have created a new pole in politics. Americans have always been wary of concentrated power. The Tea Party had great success in focusing anxieties on what it argues is an excessively powerful federal government. Now an active and angry band of citizens is insisting that the concentrated power Americans most need to fear exists on Wall Street and in the financial system.

Note that both Obama’s initiative and the revolt against Wall Street mark a shift on the progressive side from defense to ­offense. Over the past several weeks, talk about the deficit and spending has receded, replaced by a new dialogue on job creation, fairer taxes and the abuses by financiers that got the country into economic difficulty in the first place. And the Tea Party has come under heightened scrutiny, thanks to members of Republican crowds who booed a gay soldier and cheered at the mention of both executions and the prospect that an uninsured citizen might be left to die for failing to buy health coverage.

Edited October 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[flying]

Not about me or being late or early to a party. Did you read the statement? It's very left wing.

You may remain alone in your fantasies & Left/Right rhetoric.

All the while the disenchanted will drive the stake right down the middle

of the two useless sides.

If you had kept up for the past 3 years you would know.

Take that statement & go line by line...try to comprehend

Then perhaps comment on the issues as we have these past years instead

of trying to label something to extend party rhetoric.

Edited October 6, 2011 by flying

[Jingthing]

Not about me or being late or early to a party. Did you read the statement? It's very left wing.

You may remain alone in your fantasies & Left/Right rhetoric.

If you had kept up for the past 3 years you would know.

Take that statement & go line by line...try to comprehend

I am hardly alone. It is rather you that are not facing the political reality perceived by most people about this movement. You remind me of people who whine that a tourist destination isn't like it was 20 years ago, not relevant to people right now. I know you have a weird reaction to labels, but do you have any historical context about an organic people's movement rebelling against unfair economic inequality? This is silly now. We'll agree to disagree.

Edited October 6, 2011 by Jingthing

[midas]

Not about me or being late or early to a party. Did you read the statement? It's very left wing.

You may remain alone in your fantasies & Left/Right rhetoric.

If you had kept up for the past 3 years you would know.

Take that statement & go line by line...try to comprehend

I am hardly alone. It is rather you that are not facing the political reality perceived by most people about this movement. You remind me of people who whine that a tourist destination isn't like it was 20 years ago, not relevant to people right now. I know you have a weird reaction to labels, but do you have any historical context about an organic people's movement rebelling against unfair economic inequality? This is silly now. We'll agree to disagree.

END THE FED !!! end fractional reserve banking

[midas]

Nobody Can Predict The Moment Of Revolution ( Occupy Wall Street )

Welcome to OCCUPY TOGETHER, an unofficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall St. As we have followed the news on facebook, twitter, and the various live feeds across the internet, we felt compelled to build a site that would help spread the word as more protests organize across the country. Occupy Together Meetups

in 648 cities

My link

If you want to get involved heres your chance My link

this is unbelievable waza.......... from less than 100 in Wall Street to a potentially global movement

in less than a month!

[midas]

Now Jingthing , can you please tell me why they have to go to these extraordinary lengths ?

Where there is smoke there is fire...........a bit like the " Fast and Furious " and Solyndra "

Democrats Introduce Bill to Seal Up Obama’s Presidential Records

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/10/05/democrats-introduce-bill-to-seal-up-obamas-presidential-records/

[Pakboong]

It would be difficult but we all have the choice to not use banks. If we do not borrow their money, they cannot survive.

[midas]

Nope! This is definitely an ORGANIC left wing movement. The tea party was astroturf. It was artificially manufactured by right wing propaganda organ -- Fox News.

Did you read the statement? Like it or not (I like it) this is a left wing movement.

Great !!! Mission accomplished !

Occupy the Federal Reserve Movement Launched

http://www.infowars.com/occupy-the-federal-reserve-movement-launched/

[midas]

Bernanke Begs Don't Audit the Fed

[midas]

Audit The Fed Phone Bomb

Click here to look up your representative and make your phone call.

View the hit list of congresspersons who still need to sign on to this bill

All week long we’re calling our representatives to let them know we want them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 459 [full text] and S. 202 [full text], the legislation that will give the American people a full audit of the Federal Reserve system.

The momentum is on our side. There are already over 182 Congresspersons and 8 Senators onboard, but we need more. That’s an increase of 14 sponsors for the bill during the past month. We know that calling works we just have to do more of it and we win!

http://auditthefedphonebomb.com/

Edited October 7, 2011 by midas

[Naam]

Not about me or being late or early to a party. Did you read the statement? It's very left wing.

You may remain alone in your fantasies & Left/Right rhetoric.

If you had kept up for the past 3 years you would know.

Take that statement & go line by line...try to comprehend

I am hardly alone. It is rather you that are not facing the political reality perceived by most people about this movement. You remind me of people who whine that a tourist destination isn't like it was 20 years ago, not relevant to people right now. I know you have a weird reaction to labels, but do you have any historical context about an organic people's movement rebelling against unfair economic inequality? This is silly now. We'll agree to disagree.

END THE FED !!! end fractional reserve banking

hang 'em high!

[midas]

The Revolution Against the Federal Reserve Starts Now

[flying]

Personally I would also like to see a occupy Fort Knox

Make them do an independent audit of the peoples gold & see

what actually exists. No audit by any independent firm has been done in over 50 years.

There was a program on last night where various folks in Washington said it would be

easier to get the US to release the plans to nuclear warheads than an audit of Fort Knox

[Jingthing]

So this is now a spam thread about ending the federal reserve/Ron Paul worship, when CLEARLY the occupy movement consensus is not favoring any such thing? Only on thaivisa!

Edited October 7, 2011 by Jingthing

[midas]

So this is now a spam thread about ending the federal reserve/Ron Paul worship, when CLEARLY the occupy movement consensus is not favoring any such thing? Only on thaivisa!

only in your mind Jingthing

You should have seen this coming since way back last December

Majority of Americans Say Fed Should Be Reined In or Abolished, Poll Shows ( excluding Jingthing )

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-09/more-than-half-of-americans-want-fed-reined-in-or-abolished.html

Edited October 7, 2011 by midas

[Jingthing]

Read the actual article folk which was blatantly misrepresented. No consensus at all to end the fed, not in the poll, not from the people, and certainly not from this new progressive political movement.

16 percent that it should be abolished

Of course there is a passionate minority advocating whacked out destructive ideas like ending the fed and going back to the gold standard, but don't for a minute fall for the lie that these absurd ideas are at the core of the Occupy Wallstreet/99 movement.

Edited October 7, 2011 by Jingthing

[cloudhopper]

Here's a review of some of Occupy's financial reform issues from a somewhat liberal economic blogger -

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/10/why-occupywallstreet-doesnt-support-obama-his-nothing-to-see-here-stance-on-bank-looting.html

[midas]

Here's a review of some of Occupy's financial reform issues from a somewhat liberal economic blogger -

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/10/why-occupywallstreet-doesnt-support-obama-his-nothing-to-see-here-stance-on-bank-looting.html

interesting !

And here is a " somewhat liberal " Congressman

[craigt3365]

OK, enough with links from sites like www.tinfoilhat.com. There's lots of other websites where discussions like these can be had, Thaivisa is not one of them.

2 posts have been removed. Please stay on topic and keep the conversations intelligent.

[flying]

Here's a review of some of Occupy's financial reform issues from a somewhat liberal economic blogger -

That is a good article & explains the common sense approach to why many are in the streets.

Most people these days are smart enough to look at public campaign contribution records.

Doing so compounds the fact that Left & Right are an illusion of choice.

Both are fueled by the same.

Just the mere fact that the current president can claim he will have ONE BILLION dollars in campaign

contributions for his next run! That tells thinking folks something in this economy.

Once again that article & interviews of the people on the street show this is a movement seeking

real change...something other than the status quo

The system has been broken for decades. Change.....real change not a slogan is what is needed.

It will not be found in the status quo.

In that regard Occupy as a means to financial/political reform has legs.

Let them run

Edited October 8, 2011 by flying