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Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images
Demonstrators with 'Occupy Wall Street' protest at Zuccotti Park.
It began as Occupy Wall Street in New York, and now it's going global -- inspiring protests around the world planned this weekend from Detroit to London, and Frankfurt to New Zealand. Thousands are fed up, not taking it anymore and are taking it to the streets.
But which streets? When? And for how long? How does an angry, seemingly disorganized and leaderless group of people ever get anything done?
The angry protestors who call themselves the “99 percent” have started a movement, but to many it’s unclear what their demands are except to shine a spotlight on the “greedy and corrupt” rich -- especially bankers -- and politicians who have lost touch with the people. Critics of the largely unstructured demonstration point to examples like Detroit's take on the matter: protesters had planned for their city's occupation and march to begin today, but as of late last night, no permit had been filed.
But the group likely has more leadership than meets the eyes, says Violent Arnold, who heads Company Works, a multicultural leadership development firm in St. Paul, Minn.
“Every group that comes together has some form of leadership,” Arnold says. “But the current leadership of top-bottom is not working, and that’s why they’re protesting. We are looking for the organized group being the CEO, middle management and workers. If you walked into one of these groups, the leaders are there; you just won’t be able to identify them.”
In the book, “The Horizontal Organization: What the Organizations of the Future Actually Looks Like and How it Delivers Value to Customers,” Frank Ostroff explained more American organizations may begin looking more like this movement, where no leader is apparent.
The protestors may be able to get some goals accomplished, but with so many people coming together from all walks of life with different viewpoints and no apparent agenda, it all can quickly come unglued, says Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist in New York City.
“Horizontally-structured organizations or movements have the best morale because there’s less red tape and less leadership. That’s the way most small organizations start off,” he says. “They can reach people through the Internet, but if you don’t have some sense of what the staged goals are, you can start to have spin-offs that can carry the agenda to smaller, more organized vertical structures that will feed off the general anger.”
Psychologically speaking, these protests are mentally healthy -- whether they accomplish anything or not, Manevitz says.
“Unemployment rates have remained high, and people are feeling demoralized, despondent and desperate. They need an outlet,” he says. “If people turn their feelings inward, they get depressed. If they turn it outward, they get angry. Right now, there’s this healthy pro-activism in protest. Where it’s going remains to be determined.”
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What a biased and misleading piece of journalism. Kimberly Hayes Taylor, have you even been to a protest?
The protest has leaders and they have consistently been posting updates and distributing literature to the media and social networking. They are clearly getting quite a bit done and are very well organized, since they protests have been going on for almost a month and have spread to dozens of cities around the country and attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters.
What the hell do you mean it's unclear what their demands are? Is demanding accountability from the greedy and and corrupt banking industry and politicians beyond your comprehension? Pretty damn obvious if you ask me. And as I indicated above, clearly you don't know the specific expectations we have for said corrupt leaders because you didn't realize that this movement has leaders who have been publishing literature outlining said expectations. That's a lack of research on your part, and I hope you're ashamed of yourself.
And why the hell you interviewed a psychiatrist to shed some light on this story for you, I don't know. Perhaps it's because you, Kimberly Hayes Taylor, like the rest of the media, are perpetuating the horribly ill-conceived stereotype that it's only crazy, dirty, college-aged hippies out there. After all, that's all your pictures and videos show. Those are the only people you ever want to interview.
Maybe you should try actually going to a protest, or, I don't know... DOING A BIT OF RESEARCH. You would see that there are, in fact, leaders who have been very capable of organizing a sustainable, meaningful movement. You would see that there are more people out there besides the token dirty hippies that show up at ever protest. Grandparents, veterans, parents, teachers, doctors, lawyers even, low class, middle class, even some upper class people who aren't afraid to speak up for the rights of those less fortunate. There is such a varied demographic out there... you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to fit these people into a the box of crazy you keep trying to contain them in, because whether you like or not, even if you're threatened by it--those are the facts.
PrecededByNone,
Not to rain on your parade, but they are not getting anything done, or are well organized. I have been to the protests here in Dallas. Very few people at the OWS Dallas had the same objectives. Some are just there because they have nothing better to do.
This is not an organized " movement ". If you have not been to one of the protests, look at You Tube. People have taken video cameras of protesters, asked many many questions. A simple question of why are you here protesting, does not get an answer, they end up walking away.
I understand you like this protesting, you agree with this protest. There is nothing wrong with that, but to say this is an organized movement is silly.
Jeremy watches fox news.
I also like how the seemingly Liberal media source of MSNBC shows it's true colors when @!$%# starts up. That's why I watch Current TV
Jeremy, I totally understand your thought process. My wife and many friends are in your shoes. You are comfortable with the current system, you may have some gripes, but I'm sure they are different than my wife's gripes, or others for that matter. But all and all, this kinda scares you, and there does not seem to be a goal line... just a crazy stadium... right? If I am close, this makes you a "Giver". Most Christians are Givers. I am mostly a Giver, but understand that The United States of America, is "OUR LAND"... not the "governments land".... or for that matter, the "FEDS LAND" or "Foreign Money" or whomever buys it right out from under us. There are many things people don't know, or don't want to know because it's a downer conversation... those people trust others to do the right thing for them.... "Givers".... So for all of you "Givers" out there, simply ignore the TV and avoid going to any cities for awhile, and vote for Ron Paul as President in 2012. It's that simple. Now for the rest of those people, focus your energy toward the election of our new leader. If he is able to do what he thinks he can do, you get, no more income tax, no more wars, and many other great restored liberties. I am willing to save young Americans from dying overseas, focusing our military on our boarders. This is a WIN WIN.
Thanks Everyone!
Out here in CA, we had a protest in our city of 400,000+. Somewhere between 60-150 showed up depending on what you read. It lasted 1 hour.
They scheduled a second one. Last Saturday. At the mall. At 1pm so they could sleep in. It was also for 1 hour. I guess they wanted to go shopping.
This silly protest is a joke. They keep amping it up online, but seriously, the Tea Party has a better turn out in any major city than these dimwits are getting nationwide. They look like they mostly need to go get a job, and they are pissed because they cannot pay their student loans.
Our kids didn't go to college, because we couldn't afford it and did not believe in debt for education. Both are doing fine, and are not saddled with this insane debt. This is a lot more about a bunch of stupid parents and teachers who sold these ding dongs on mortgaging their lives for an education than it is Wall St. Hell, if they want to fix Wall St, they need to protest in DC - I guess their education did not include our economic and political systems.
I have to agree with Jeremy. They can peacefully protest all they want as long as they follow the law. The big problem I see is the only way to achieve a goal is to make it a S.M.A.R.T. goal. It needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and have a time to be met and if not met what next? How can you achieve a goal without at least some of those traits.
Tell me a Specific Goal - CEO's and boards of trustees of banks leading up to the melt down get jail time, heavily fined, sent to the chair what? We know you hate them, but what is it exactly you want done to them?
How are you going to measure it? The aforementioned group of people all inclusive, just from banks that took Government bailouts, ...?
Is it attainable? I don't think direct action against these individuals is something that is attainable, but you might. You would have better look going against the financial institutions themselves, but then you would be destroying any money anyone else had invested in these companies via 401K and other savings plans. Is that what you want?
Is it realistic? Well we don't have anything specific enough to say it is realistic. We have a list of things various members see as issues, but not what needs to be done about them. Also looking at their list I don't think everyone is their due to economic issues or issues with Wall Street. What does not pumping more Government money into failing solar companies have to do with Wall Street?
How soon do they expect the non-existent goal to be reached?
I mean come on, give us something we can use here. I'm not going to donate to a cause I know nothing about and I really hope other people are not that naive. Why would someone give money to a group whose goal could be to occupy your home next. We have no direction for this group and just giving them money is like playing Russian Roulette. What happens if they want a Socialist society and you don't believe in that?
Gloryhound - I only use you as a foil -
They don't want the Trillions wasted and squandered by Wall Street and the Giant Hedge Funds and the intermingled financial conglomerates around the world to pay for the balance of the Trillions run up for Bail Outs and the cost of two unfunded wars. They also don't go along with special interest purchasing the American Government, a bought congress which is evident to everyone. To them this picture seems to be as a fact and not a fiction, I think for the large part and i mean the very large part they are bought.
The run of up of the deficit they do not feel should be laid on their generation they never were asked to mortgage their future lives so America could produce in ten short years more BILLIONAIRES than in anytime in human history and the logical question they ask is how with the economy in the dumps for so long can millions upon millions be paid out in bonus money to those we bailed out? Remember these kids where only barely teenagers when you sold them out sold them down the river you stole their future with out asking permission but now ten years and counting they are now young adults and can see what you did to them......not very nice!
Why do the Giant Hedge Funds and the Big Wall Street Banks get to borrow up now to just above zero percent interest of taxpayer dollars to invest in off-shore and emerging markets with the taxpayers dollars? Plus lend back to the taxpayer at 15% to 29% how do they get away with that? The kids want to know they feel as if they are getting had again? The system is for the 1% and the 99% can just die.
Why did the and how did (the minutes) Billions and Billions get awarded via no bid contracts? to the pals of Dick Cheney and GWB? Where are the missing hundreds of millions in Iraq? Where did all those millions disappear too?
Why are the minutes to fix our national energy policy with the head of the group the then CEO of Enron (Ken Lay) why are those minutes still under government seal? Why? What is the big secret?
Why is the burden going to be payed by this generation across the world for the excesses of the "war profiteers from many countries of the willing? Yeah willing to become a Billionaires on the blood of the troops for this hoax of a war?
Why no reform of the national health plan? A real reform as a single payer system and instead the monopoly of the Health for Big Profit this monopoly allowed to stay in place? How stupid do you think these kids are? They know when they are getting screwed.
How long will the porous borders be open to lower the price of labor? The good paying construction jobs are now mostly South American workers at half of what the American construction worker used to be paid. The rampant crime that comes with all of this illegal and cold hearted ploy by American employers to keep labor as low as possible by keeping the borders wide open. Now gangs everywhere thanks Congress for making their lives a living hell. All the drugs and two million in jail so many for victimless crimes this is just another scam to rake in Billions and Billions you think these kids don't know of this?
Need we go on? If you were just starting out in life and the world and even the vaunted Democracy is so evidently a pay to play scam that leaves you out how would you feel in your own country.
The rigged trade agreements as China which we charge about 10 cents on the dollar for imports yet they charge us 25 cents on the dollar? How would you feel? Higher fees on everything under the sun even $5 dollars per debit card to access your own money, the big rise in fees just to register your car to get around in? Rising high fees for everything and how to pay with a minimum wage job or no job?Cutting Grandma's Social Security and hiking Grandma's and Grandpa's co-pay for the med's they need to live? Cutting their Medicare that they paid into all their lives?
Do you really want me to go on to higher education and much more? I guess when the real clamp down comes no more food stamps you are on your own the government cannot afford it and don't even dream of asking the top 1% that runs America to pay their fair share or to pay a little extra for the benefit of living in a safe and secure country no they feel they are entitled to all of this security - talk about entitlements?
Would you like to know of wanting real reform of the shadow derivatives and credit default swap unregulated markets? Trillions know one really know the best estimates are at seven TRILLION DOLLARS of unregulated and shadow markets with no risk assignments stretching all around the world. How do you think Iceland went and is broke? Ireland all but broke? Greece ready to topple? Italy beating back riots as I write this? Do you think something this big just gets organized by a couple of college kids? Is that what you think this is all about and just bash enough heads and smash faces and they all will just go home?
How much more do you need to know of why these kids and adults now are just starting to feel real hatred of their own country that turns its back on its own citizens the wealthiest country in the history of the world the richest country on earth......you say you have no idea what they are upset about?
I could go on???????? and on and on??????????????
As far as campaign funding and donations go, Wall Street is going to do what the rules tell it that it can do. Washington makes the rules on campaign funding. OWS might have treed a Chipmunk with all its barking, but the squirrel they were looking for is up the DC tree. I'm sorry, but if the rule makers give me the ability to influence their rule making in my favor I would be a fool to wait and allow someone else to do it in a way that might not be favorable to me.
What are they blaming the banks for? All the big ones paid back their loans with interest except Citi which is now partially owned by the taxpayer. The government still holds some warrants on smaller banks, but as the banking industry has recovered the government has been able to call these in the form of options and actually make money on them. The actual bank loan portion of TARP by itself could have been profitable to the tax payer. It was all the other stuff the Government threw in that left the tax payer holding the bag.
Here is an Article about it if you are really interested:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/242731/did-tarp-money-really-get-paid-back-kevin-d-williamson
Since the ones now paying the big bonuses are publicly traded, but privately owned by the share holders, the only real way to change CEO compensation is by either getting the share holders to oppose it, buy enough shares yourself to stop it, Or get enough people to remove the funds they keep at the bank in the form of Savings, Checking, investing, and loans. Otherwise the Government can not step in and tell an employer (the share holder) "Your paying your employee too much!"
With that said the OWS movement has to be identified as nothing more than thugs trying to hold up the banks in their own back yard with now justification.
Disorganized/ how long should it take to. . . . . .
I posted this on Oct 1 (“This, WORK IN PROGRESS, has yet to be finalized as an official release but this is what they have so far.”)
LIST OF PROPOSED "DEMANDS FOR CONGRESS"
1. 1. CONGRESS PASS HR 1489 ("RETURN TO PRUDENT BANKING ACT”). THIS REINSTATES MANY PROVISIONS OF THE GLASS-STEAGALL ACT. --- Wiki entry summary: The repeal of provisions of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933 by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act in 1999 effectively removed the separation that previously existed between investment banking which issued securities and commercial banks which accepted deposits. The deregulation also removed conflict of interest prohibitions between investment bankers serving as officers of commercial banks. Most economists believe this repeal directly contributed to the severity of the financial crisis of 2007–2011 by allowing Wall Street investment banking firms to gamble with their depositors' money that was held in commercial banks owned or created by the investment firms. Here's detail on repeal in 1999 and how it happened: #Repeal.
2. 2. USE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY AND OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES FULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS who clearly broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis in the following notable cases: (insert list of the most clear cut criminal actions). There is a pretty broad consensus that there is a clear group of people who got away with millions / billions illegally and haven't been brought to justice. Boy would this be long overdue and cathartic for millions of Americans. It would also be a shot across the bow for the financial industry. If you watch the solidly researched and award winning documentary film "Inside Job" that was narrated by Matt Damon (pretty brave Matt!) and do other research, it wouldn't take long to develop the list.
3. 3. CONGRESS ENACT LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY BY REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE CITIZENS UNITED SUPREME COURT DECISION which essentially said corporations can spend as much as they want on elections. The result is that corporations can pretty much buy elections. Corporations should be highly limited in ability to contribute to political campaigns no matter what the election and no matter what the form of media. This legislation should also RE-ESTABLISH THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES IN THE U.S. SO THAT POLITICAL CANDIDATES ARE GIVEN EQUAL TIME FOR FREE AT REASONABLE INTERVALS IN DAILY PROGRAMMING DURING CAMPAIGN SEASON. The same should extend to other media.
4. 4. CONGRESS PASS THE BUFFETT RULE ON FAIR TAXATION SO THE RICH AND CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE & CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOP HOLES AND ENACT A PROHIBITION ON HIDING FUNDS OFF SHORE. No more GE paying zero or negative taxes. Pass the Buffet Rule on fair taxation so the rich pay their fair share. (If we have a really had a good negotiating position and have the place surrounded, we could actually dial up taxes on millionaires, billionaires and corporations even higher...back to what they once were in the 50's and 60's.
5. CONGRESS COMPLETELY REVAMP THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION and staff it at all levels with proven professionals who get the job done protecting the integrity of the marketplace so citizens and investors are both protected. This agency needs a large staff and needs to be well-funded. It's currently has a joke of a budget and is run by Wall St. insiders who often leave for high ticket cushy jobs with the corporations they were just regulating. Hmmm.
6. 6. CONGRESS PASS SPECIFIC AND EFFECTIVE LAWS LIMITING THE INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATING THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYISTS WRITING LEGISLATION THAT ENDS UP ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS.
7. 7. CONGRESS PASSING "Revolving Door Legislation" LEGISLATION ELIMINATING THE ABILITY OF FORMER GOVERNMENT REGULATORS GOING TO WORK FOR CORPORATIONS THAT THEY ONCE REGULATED. So, you don't get to work at the FDA for five years playing softball with Pfizer and then go to work for Pfizer making $195,000 a year. While they're at it, Congress should pass specific and effective laws to enforce strict judicial standards of conduct in matters concerning conflicts of interest. So long as judges are culled from the ranks of corporate attorneys the 1% will retain control.
8. 8. ELIMINATE "PERSONHOOD" LEGAL STATUS FOR CORPORATIONS. The film "The Corporation" has a great section on how corporations won "personhood status". . Fast-forward to 2:20. It'll blow your mind. The 14th amendment was supposed to give equal rights to African Americans. It said you "can't deprive a person of life, liberty or property without due process of law". Corporation lawyers wanted corporations to have more power so they basically said "corporations are people." Amazingly, between 1890 and 1910 there were 307 cases brought before the court under the 14th amendment. 288 of these brought by corporations and only 19 by African Americans. 600,000 people were killed to get rights for people and then judges applied those rights to capital and property while stripping them from people. It's time to set this straight.
After I posted this on October 1, I recieved very favorable comments as to “if this is their platform I can see standing behind it”. For reasons that are unclear to me, this list has not resurfaced in any meaningful format. How long does it take for an organic idea to take root? It is clea
It is clear that the global intellectual soil is fertile ground for new ways of approaching the broken institutions we use to organize our world. It is also clear that bringing together a cohesive platform from so many equal voices is extremely difficult. So I guess the question is how long should this take?
How long did it take for the core concepts, that brought this country together, take to get from Boston to Philadelphia? Well it certainly didn’t happen in less than 30 days. The current Tea Party spent months as was little more than a bug bite on the rump of the Democratic agenda until it burst like a boil months later. It is shortsighted, at best, to assume that a movement of this type should burst forth in full bloom.
I stand behind those how call for more organization. But, let’s not forget that even though most of our world, (left and right), is a predigested sound bite that very few swallow whole. These people are there because of their willingness to take a chance on the democratic process and let the best idea’s come to the surface and prevail.
So yes by all means call them hippies, malcontents, socialists, dirty, disorganized, and influenced by a media in the hands of corporate idealists (again… left and right). But please, for the sake of us all, put your preconceived notions of how this is suppose to work on the back burner. Give it a chance to become what we all so desperately need. An opportunity to rethink and reorganize a system that has proven time and time again, that it is broken on a very fundamental level. And if nothing else remember that you will not find the word capitalism in the constitution. Also, if politicians cannot be trusted because someone put too much money in their pockets; that someone is likely to be a corporate lackey doing what is best for their shareholders. So in effect, it not the FED or the MAN or the Government itself that are ruining our lives but the people they truly represent. the ones who pull their purse strings, Big Business, and they certainly are not the 99%.
Conservatives are so scared of this movement, seals on their mason jars they use to store their pickled brains are popping like popcorn. Here is a hint for you: No one has ever been able to stop a tide by calling it names or by pretending that it does not exist.
The protesters have many objectives because all across the board individuals are being attacked from different angles and cannot fight the government or corporate america alone.
We want our personal freedoms back!!!
RIGHT TO CHOOSE FOR SELF!!!! "what to eat, smoke, wear, etc...
We want fair wages.
We want an equal opportunity for all.
We want fair education standards.
We want transparent transactions in business.
We want transparency in government.
We want more control over our political leaders to follow through on their promises.
or ELSE....
YOU CAN NO LONGER GOVERN US!!!!
WE WILL DIVORCE OURSELVES FROM THIS NATION AND CREATE THE REAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!
nO MORE MONEY NO MORE COOPERATION
JUST LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!
These protests seem to me just like Congress: A lot of crying and wailing about those "evil ones" without any effort to define what needs to be done to right this perceived wrong. Questionable Intentions, that is something that can be worked with, however, needs some refining. Peel-Layer. What's a fair wage? What personal freedoms were taken from you? Who doesn't get equal opportunity, why, and who is preventing them from getting it? What are fair education standards? How is transparency in business transactions lacking? How do you resolve that? Same questions for Government. How do you propose giving people more control over political leaders beyond the threat of failure to re elect? You'll divorce yourselves from the nation? Yeah, because then you'll really be able to affect change - not.
The 99's are protesting the ineffectiveness and the inequity of the Economy, because it is not working for 99% of the people Globally.
#1 poster:
1. Give us names of the leaders
2. Give us platform demands
3. Articulate how you want/hope they can be implemented
Your vague rant is indicative of what most others are saying: "What the hell are you all about? Or do YOU even know?"
the MSM is trying their best to make this protest look like a clown show, a bunch of nobodies getting together who want to make their 15 minutes of fame, with a mindless agenda. People!!!! MSM are a bunch of nobodies with a reality show who want their 15 minutes of fame. Look at the type of news they report 24/7, it's a JOKE, and they are a JOKE. No INTELLIGENT PERSON listen to the MSM talking heads, and take them seriously anymore. TRUE JOURNALISM DIED YEARS AGO. I am hoping this movement will put alot people in JAIL for the collape of the US Economy. I am hoping alot of people in upper management will be fire. I'm an ex-Felon or I would be out there with you believe me. I HATE INJUSTICE IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, that is why I'm an ex-Felon, because of there is NO TRUE JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Judges, DA's and Public Defenders are ALL CORRUPT and they DO NOT CARE IF YOU ARE INNOCENT, ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS A CONVICTION. That is why over 400 people have been freed from prison because of DNA. How many INNOCENT PEOPLE has the USA MURDERED that were INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!!!
I need to write this some of you may be writing or saying that what I wrote about me not being able to join the protest because I'm an ex-Felon is a cop out. I live in California, the state that has the THREE STIKES LAW, if I am arrested the CORRUPT DISTRICT ATTORNEY will stike that misdemeanor to a FELON and put be in prison for 25 years, and the CORRUPT JUDGE will let him get away with it. You can thank that worthless POS Mark Klass for that LAW.
The purpose of a peaceful protest is to draw attention and start a discussion of the issues. All of the comments in this forum alone tells me that it is working well. Keep up the good work, OWS. You are now world wide. You've come a long way in a very short time and and I have a feeling that the sky is the limit. I would give anything to be free of my physical disabilities and publicly stand at your side.
We will right this wrong and put our country back into the hands of it's rightful owners. Jesus chased the money changers out of the Temple. We can do the same in banishing them from our lawfully elected government. Just as His brave actions are well remembered after thousands of years, so shall yours be recorded in history as a courageous act to restore the American dream and restore hope to free people throughout the world.
Most people would agree with this, but then other people complain about their freedoms are being trampled on if they have to smell cigarette smoke, pay for others poor health choices... So who's freedoms are more important?
What is a fair wage? $10, $20 or more. In the end wage increases across the board equal inflation. Unfortunately significant numbers of middle class workers do not get a proportional raise. This pulls more into the poor class. If anything minimum wage increases cause more poverty. In order to have a middle class you have to have a poor class and a wealthy class. Bringing everyone into one catagory normally results in one large group of poor people.
What stops you from equal opportunity? Many people born to very poor families have went on to be very wealthy business men/women. Opportunity is only good if you go after it. I only have an Associates degree, but I do a lot better than a lot of my friends that have BS/BA degrees and higher. Does that make it wrong? Am I less deserving of a high wage than a college grad?
And just who is going to right up fair education standards? The teachers making a living off of education or the politicians that fund it?
If a business is privately owned what right do the people have to know about its transactions. If you don't like it don't take your business to them.
Sitting on Wall Street helps this how?
That is what we have elections for. If they don't follow through don't re-elect them. The bigger problem is in Dem or Rep leaning districts no one of the same party runs a primary against the incumbant leading to the same people always getting elected. Until we force primaries for currently elected officials that will not happen. For all those Tea Party haters, this is what the Tea party did. In a lot of cases it ran a primary against an incumbent standard. If OWS wants to make a difference they need to target incumbants that get elected just because of party and get someone of the same party to run a primary against them.
Are you ready to carry through with this? How are you going to carry through with this? (election or violence?) Are enough people ready to carry through with this?
Do they? Have they? Will they?
No. Yes. No.
Remember what George Patton said to his soldiers "We are not asking to to give up your life for your Country, we asking you to TAKE the other Bastards life for their Country".
Real change always, always comes through violence. I am not advocating violence just stating Historical Facts!
The Europeans because of their customs are used to being addressed in a violent way by their police. Americas are to spoiled and soft.
Our Constitution pretends to protect our rights to "peacefully" redress grievances, however they ALWAYS allow the police to beat and arrest a few people to instill fear in everyone else.....VERY SLICK on America's part.
The United States of America is NOT the GREATEST COUNTRY in this world, and they DO NOT HATE US FOR OUR FREEDOM. FREEDOM in The United States of America is an ILLUSION, AND ONLY EXIST IN THE FEEBLE MINDS OF THE BELIEVER.
Move to Cuba Christopher you'll be much happier... they share the wealth there.. Meanwhile I'll continue to work hard, provide for my family, contribute to society and live in the Greatest Nation on the planet. The only illusion going on here is in your head .. the entitlement illusion.
Chrs you are definitely living proof that the New IPhone 4s voice features work but I am still trying to figure out how you were able turn the damn phone on while in straight jacket?
I still don't know exactly what their message/plan/goals are, other than they're dissatisfied and angry at some vague notion of capitalism.
Then visit their website (http://occupywallst.org/), Facebook page,Twitter page, or Google it.
Paid for by Soros
if so, roger rainhat, it just another of the good, charitable things he's done in his life.
Thankfully, we do NOT have a socialist government. Seems like the protestors want one but are the socialist governments thriving? No, they are not. These protestors are not achieving a damn thing other than making fools of themselves. Most Americans do not support their agenda, for the most part!
angel how do u know??? u know how every american feels..back it up with data.....do not use faux news et al..
(LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!) Please! Please! OMG Angel your killing me, I am in tears. Thank You for making my evening.
It is also for protection; for they never know how the CEOs and corporates may pair up the politicians and they may be against them later.
If for speaking to the media, take a random choice of teams members and train them.
I get that they're protesting corporate greed.
I guess this means they are a religious group trying to enforce prohibition of one of the Judeo-Christian seven deadly sins on the corporate world.
They are George Soro's Puppets
Roger, Really? I guess that makes you a koch brother puppet.
Tear the fascist down - Woody Guthrie
Youtube
Greed and corruption is the Elephant in the room.
My reason for protesting is different. I have a very specific direction. I want American tax dollars to NOT be sent to every other country's catastrophe. I want American tax dollars to stay in America and take care of our own catastrophies. Louisiana and Mississippi are still messes, MANY Americans are going hungry (both children and adults). One of Gramma's favorite sayings was "Charity begins at home." We need a lot of charity right here in the good old U.S.A.. Let some of the other nations (Canada, U.K., Framce) pony up larger amounts and let us stop taking the brunt of the load for all the world's catastrophies. KEEP U.S. TAX DOLLARS IN THE UNITED STATES! I'll get off my soap box now. Thank you.
They hate wall street and the big corporations, but yet they continue supporting them by buying and using their products. Hypocrites
sorry i dont buy dirvitives..nor to i speculate on oil.....so how am i using their products?
While it may be obscure at the moment, one of the objectives I've read is to limit corporate contributions to political campaigns, which in turn would limit corporate influence in government. A worthy cause in my opinion, since our Congressional representatives and senators are elected to represent the interests of the people rather than those of corporations. If you were to include partisanship as at least a portion of corporate influence, when was the last time Congress really acted for the people rather than political interests? What are the issues at the level of the people, and how is Congress responding?
I like the image presented in this article. A stoned looking, greasy haired tramp; a vagrant wrapped in an aluminum blanket; what appears to be a female with nasty dreadlocks; and a vacant man wearing a home made knit cap. The 99% or the useless, spoiled minority of the 99% that have nothing better to do?
It will be very satisfying to see most of them go home when winter hits. Keep sticking it to the man, fools!
Only sheep need a shepherd.
(LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!) CHRISTIANS (sheep)
Ragequitter - your name says it all. You get mad at everything and stomp around and quit because you cant PERSIST and SUCCEED.
Geeez. Load a few thousand on busses and take them for Alabama to help harvest crops. That would be organization and productive. They would get exercise and have a feeling of accomplishment.
Bugger Alabama. Let them deal with their own problems.
I bet if half of these people were drug tested they would test positive for something. What a bunch of dopes!
I'll be if half the people trading on wall street were drug tested, they would test positive for all sorts of stimulants. What's your point, exactly? I bet if your were drug tested you would test positive for something.
It is all about the media elevating to a level that allows for advertisers to pay for the shows that cover such drivel...just another news item created by the newsgroups...
Who are the participants ?
I believe that it is ANYONE that has a gripe about anything, who eventually fall into the hands of the politicians and unions who try to feed off of this "bowel movement"...here are a group of people that do not respect individual property rights; and, would rather utter a "sound byte" to the media than actually offer a reason for why each one of them are there, in the first place...
They should gather at their own homes, sit in a circle, singing "Kumbaya", and protest the bombing of Hanoi...
You would know that, as an avid republican posting tool, right?
(LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!) Please! Please! FUHE your killing me, I am in tears. What can't you Christians understand that doesn't have the words Jesus Christ or 9/11 in it?? Have you been reading anything the OWS people been posting??? Come on Man!! your not that shallow are you???
Jeremy, you are so right.
There isn't any direction with this protest other than to be squatters on private property and clog right of ways, not to mention the trash and debris that they have the nerve to deny its property owner the RIGHT to clean at HIS expense.
Get a firm directive people if you want to be taken seriously.
Because now you have become nothing more than humorous fodder for the late night talk shows.
But it is OK for the Tea Party protesters to "squat on private property and clog right of ways"? The majority of Americans don't support Occupy Wall Street. The majority of Americans don't support the Tea Party.
I was watching the NEWS and it showed the OWS People cleaning the park and trash cans. You need to get out of your cave or out from under your rock and watch what is going on around you, instead of repeating hearsay. That is why Christains are MORONS they repeat sh+t knowledge (hearsay) from their leaders.
Lestweforget, ROFL! Now Christopher AND I are both laughing at you..
What are they? The 99% people, or the Against Wallstreet socialists, or overaged want to live life over again for fun hippies, or the stop the war (even though we are ending it) people, or what? I don't get it at all. I have read about 100 comments from them as to why they are there. I still have no idea. I suppose I will go with the guy who was there with his wife burning off their sick days from their government jobs. They were upset because they had accumulated so much credit card and other debt that they couldn't get a loan for his wife a new car and she had to drive one that was six years old. Or maybe the wanna be hippie girl who was mad at the rich because her parents had cut her off from college money after she flunked out three years ago. Now, after three years of not working and living with her parents, she wants to go back to school and study drama and communication. Unfortunately, no more money from her parents, and only loans from the government. She did say that a college education should be free like in Germany (a lot of them said that, must be handed around like a talking point). They need to check up on how post secondary education works over there. I don't know much, but I would say this is all a mob and not a protest. I think 99% are a bunch of idiots with too much time on their hands, and the 1% are another bunch of morons who have a personal problem and need to blame it on something. They all need to read a little history on what the French Revolution really was, and how the Nazis came to power. There are a lot more examples, but that would be a good start. Oh, and the union people there.... do we really need to think about that? I don't like my union dues going into politics, and I certainly don't like them being shoved into this hole.
and so???? what are you standing for??? What are you saying??? I read your post and I don't understand where you are going with this, you must be a loser.
The protesters look like the people did at Woodstock, and you know that is still talked about as a turning point in America, maybe the media needs to do a better job of looking at this whole thing and quit trying to dismiss it as "dirty hippies"
Yep, a turning point. Lots of new people born 9 mo. later, lots of drugs sold, lots of new users, great mess to clean up. GREAT turning point.
Lemar, I can see that you WON'T see any turning point that doesn't take place in a boardroom and turn to the RIGHT.
People are able to lead themselves. People are led by their ideas.
People do not need to be led by other people.
The world is changing.
Christians do!!!
The protests in Egypt didn't look all that organized to start with. Leaders arise out of movements like this, which is why I see fright written all over these dismissive posts. If we just call them hippies, they'll go away, right? If we just say they don't know what they're doing, we won't have to worry, right?
We'll see. Some movements come to nothing. So far, the President doesn't even want to acknowledge this one. It's well beyond the scope of his plans. The Democrats, and Republicans feed from different sides of the same slop hole, and Wall Street fills it up.
This movement makes all of these people uncomfortable. Campaign finace reform is heart attack serious to politicians, and it's a firm part of the 99% movement: get the money out of politics.
This may lead to a new Tiananmen Square massacre in the end, because both sides of the aisle have something to lose here, but America has everything to gain by holding Wall Street to a level of control that keeps the country safe, moving money out of the hands of a tiny few and into the hands of everyone else, getting politics money free, and taking control of America out of the hands of a runaway financial system.
If this movement doesn't do it, they will have planted the seed. This is just a symptom, and like every illness, symptoms get worse before the infection is expelled, or the patient dies.
The Tea Party Movement did not reach around the WORLD like the OWS.
BINGO! I think you finally GOT it!
70% of Americans feel the country is going in the wrong direction. Who are you clowns that are posting against the protestors? Some day they will come for you too.
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Stand up or Shut up.
Start back to SQUARE ONE then...
The protesters message is skewed at best.
There has been nothing but disorganized actions.
You are being infiltrated by those that are dismantling your efforts.
For your efforts sake, you MUST also separate 'the wheat from the chaff.'
The movement has perhaps another month to reach a critical mass, otherwise the peaceful people's revolution will have to wait for spring. At least in this hemisphere.
Conservatives are in a transparent panic, and for good reason. The jig is up, and it's time to decide who you stand with, the people or the corporations. It's really that simple. For those of you on the fence: everyone who makes this country run, including the police, is in a labor union. This is turning into a labor movement, and labor is with US.
Occupy Justice. Occupy Peace. Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Everywhere. \o
If you are in bed with the labor unions, then you are doomed.
Unions are the BIGGEST reason for the outsourcing of American jobs.
Oh gee, I guess greed has nothing to do with outsourcing does it? The unions may WANT more, and they definitely need to correct their focus and be less greedy, but the corporations, the bankers, wall street, and their bought and paid for politicians are the direct reason for the outsourcing of jobs.
The union has a small piece of the blame compared to the real crooks who have caused outsourcing to be racing this country to 4th world status. We passed below 3rd world status before the current POTUS was in office. Both parties are corrupt and this leads to the main reason behind the OWS protests, getting money out of politics and making greedy criminals accountable for their actions.
don't think that cold weather can stop this movement, that is what the Wall Streeters and Washington DC are hoping for. It could turn to a RIOT. and Glen Beck could be their pig on a stick for LUNCH. I hope not.