Occupy Wall Street PROTESTERS Not Letting Up - Nationwide

[Alan]

They didn't organize it, that is all spin.

Somehow, someone has given them credit on their Wikipedia page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adbusters

Adbusters has launched numerous international campaigns, including Buy Nothing Day, TV Turnoff Week and Occupy Wall Street, and is known for their "subvertisements" that spoof popular advertisements.

And they seem to be seriously promoting it on their website. http://www.adbusters.org/

[Dharma Bum]

As I understand it the protest was initially organized by Adbusters.

I like Adbusters, but this is out of their sweet spot.

"The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."

There will always be a 1%. It's a matter of statistics, and there is nothing about having a 1% that implies greed or corruption. It's just spurious jingosim. Be specific about what corruption exists and how you want to fix it. And solutions should apply to all 100% of us.

Suggested ideas include: revoking corporate personhood;

I don't think this is really enough to get people out in the street.

reinstating Glass-Steagall, decoupling commercial from investment banks and insurers, among other provisions to curb speculation;

creating a similar commission for banking to assure for starters too-big-to-fail banks don't exist;

May be a good idea and is already under discussion in many circles. Again, I don't think this is what people are protesting.

making corporations and rich Americans pay their fair share;

By many measures they already pay more than their fair share.

demanding Obama establish an "American Democracy Reform Commission" to end "monied corruption in Washington;" in other words, get money out of politics;

Then they ought to make it "Occupy K Street". But would they lose their union backers?


I don't think the plan should be to pick on the bankers. Politics had as much to do with the financial crisis as finance. And hammering the banks is like swatting the fly on your face with a brick- you need good banking to have a good economy, if you mess up the banking system it is going to hurt everyone.

I do think some reforms are necessary, but it's not the type of thing that people would be interested in protesting on the street. The real issue is how do we as a society stay competitive in a global economy. The credit bubble masked some of our growing problems, and when it burst, as they say, "when the tide goes out you can see who is swimming naked." We should have a public conversation about how we maximize our long term competitiveness and productivity, and it may be fair to look for a way to be sure we take the harsh edges off for those who have problems competing. But have an honest conversation about it, there are not going to be free lunches. The key is fixing the competitiveness issue. If you just try to hand out benefits- jobs, healthcare, education, whatever- without regard to how that affects productivity, all you are going to end up with is Greece writ large.

[peggy]

Don't you find it slightly ironic that the people who want to restrain, if not destroy, capitalism are asking for capitalist support for their venture?

no more ironic than people who want to shrink government to where they can drown it in a bath tub want SS, Medicare, good roads, libraries, schools, safe food, clean water, fire protection, police protection, armies.......

[Dharma Bum]

Best, er, Ziggy, did you come visit us in NY this week?

Sign I saw at OWS: WEED NOT GREED

[Maxamillion]

Democracy for everyone, not just the 1%. I'm so glad to see Americans waking up and doing something, and exercising their first amendment rights.

[Zigzagman]

Best, er, Ziggy, did you come visit us in NY this week?

Sign I saw at OWS: WEED NOT GREED

I read where that could be the largest untapped voting bloc (marijuana smokers) in the US - 100 million. I'm hoping to attend Occupy Austin tomorrow - too lazy to fight the Texas/OU traffic today.

Peace

[redfox]

Since the companies that are at the heart of the complaints are transnationals, as is capital, that Adbusters is Canadian is irrelevant. Wall Street has been the center of international finance for some generations.

[Lainey]

Best sign I saw: "Tear down this Wall Street"

[jp1]

The protesters have sent out requests (pleas?) for everything from poster printing to medical assistance to sleeping bags to caterers. I find it fascinating that the people who would provide such goods and services are the very capitalists that the 'occupants' are protesting against. To move beyond the first round volley of discussion on that idea, yes, I will concede that the donations will likely not come directly from the capitalists, but from donors who purchased the goods and services from the capitalists.

My impression is that they're not necessarily protesting capitalism in total (at least not all of them, since it's a large group of individuals, each with their own opinions and ideas), but rather the non-capitalistic aspect of our capitalism where the too big to fail banks and wall street have been bailed out, saving them from that unfortunate part of capitalism called bankruptcy and failure. Hence the 'we're the 99%' phrase. Although in actuality it could/should be "we're the 99.9%"

[creaker]

no more ironic than people who want to shrink government to where they can drown it in a bath tub want SS, Medicare, good roads, libraries, schools, safe food, clean water, fire protection, police protection, armies.......

This is interesting - in Topeka, KA apparently if you commit domestic battery, or any other misdemeanor you won't be charged - since they don't have the funds to. "Topeka police Capt. Brian Desch said Wednesday that 18 arrests had been made in Topeka in connection with misdemeanor domestic battery since Sept. 8, but all of those taken into custody were released from the Shawnee County Jail after charges weren’t filed." It looks like the county tried to drop the job on the city after budget cuts and the city just doesn't have the money for it. Smaller government at work. Seriously, it must be terrifying for those knowing their attackers will just be released.

http://cjonline.com/news/2011-10-06/...e#.To5a-EAjjxE