Occupy Wall Street PROTESTERS Not Letting Up - Nationwide

[Zoebird]

It's already a legitimate movement, and was from the beginning. It doesn't need Obama to be legitimate.

[Catwoman]

Sorry, once you invoke Alan Grayson, all rationality goes out the window, credibility vanishes and it basically hurts your side. The guy is toxic.

[Zoebird]

oh, and it was started, btw, by a canadian magazine. Adbusters put out the call, and people responded. Adbusters is an international social activist magazine.

Once there, a planning group was formed, and occupy wall st went national. One of my friends attended during her lunch break on Day one, and has attended before and after work ever since. others helped organize in other towns, and are now actively part of the movement.

I don't really think this has anything to do with Obama, and I have no problem if Obama gets behind it. I have no problem if the TEa Party gets behind it. I have no problem if Fox news gets behind it. So long as everyone holds to the vision -- which at it's core is social justice.

It's coming together. I'm proud to support it.

[Zoebird]

Really, an unsubstantiated claim?

The only thing a google search kicked up was 1. how Grayson repeatedly points out corporate and government bail outs fraud and corruption; 2. an anderson cooper spot on how one of his campaign ads was misrespresenting some facts about his opponent, and in the same segment how a republican in the elections was doing the same thing (i thought this was common knowledge/practice -- perhaps i'm too cynical?).

So, you are going to continue to just lob complaints without actually finding evidence or supporting your side?

I guess the old addage is true "Don't confuse me with facts, my mind is already made up!"

You are right. I'm just an ignorant, dirty, good-for-nothing hippie who wants to create a mess for you to clean up and i quote "toxic" politicians (unlike tea party politicians who honestly believe that the constitution sets up a theocracy -- as if that's not "toxic" to americans.)

[Zoebird]

Likewise, what it is about has already been posted NYT op-ed Confronting the Malefactors, OccupyWallSt unofficial, and Adbusters (who started the call before it was what it is now). Grayson's statement is simply a statement that *rehashes* what has already been said, but you STILL seem to think that it's a pointless, childish, and needless movement.

And, if you want a Tea Party person's perspective, here is a letter from a self-proclaimed member of the original tea-party movement, and how it got completely screwed over by the media and republican party.

And here, for good measure, my friend's efforts in West Papua -- where he dedicates his work, time, and effort to free people from a tyrannical government. You know, what we good for nothing, dirty hippies like to do in our spare time.

Just so you know that we not so boring and myopic as to think that there aren't other parts in the world.

[Zoebird]

right, after reading that letter again, perhaps i don't want obama or anyone to 'get behind it' -- i want the movement to take root and hold it's course, and not get undone by corporate interests. how about that? LOL

[mtnlaurel]

Catwoman - Seriously, look at the Alan Grayson link Zoebird put up - whether or not he in and of himself is toxic, I do not know, but he very succinctly puts forth the WHY Of OWS --- and why I support OWS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhrwmJcsfT0

And Kenh on page 5 of this thread put up umpteen individual reasons behind OWS -- I'm not sure how much traction 'Sex Workers Against Capitalism' is getting

Now - what in the world is to be done about it - I haven't the slightest clue. I bet there are solutions on all sides of the coin, if we'd open up our minds, put our thinking caps on and look for answers.
But we must stop throttling each other and get our leaders to sit down (stop being pansies walking away from negotiations) and get to work solving it. Like today, not Jan 2013.
I don't think pat answers like Tax the Rich, Lower Taxes, in and of themselves are going to solve it - the problem is like a seven layer dip of dog dung.

LDAHL asked what I thought 'righting the ship' meant - I think people that have gone to the trouble to do 'all the right things' should have a fair shake at meaningful employment and decent standard of living for a country of our overall wealth. And those that are just down on their luck shouldn't go to bed hungry or live in a war zone - And those that make crappy choices, well at least we'll try to give your kids a quality education, food at their school and some sense of hope.
LDAHL - from your posts in reaction to mine - in the first one you seemed to chide me for bringing up the moral aspect of 'greed' - then in your second entry, if I read it correctly, you see individual morality vs. policy as the solution. To get a nation of Big Mac eaters to see their own personal responsibility in all matters seems equally as futile.

So wouldn't it stand to reason that there is something in between getting greedy people to be less greedy and getting the masses to all take responsibility for themselves that could work? --
The gov. is there to represent the people and help create an atmosphere for a beneficial economy - if gov really, truly can't affect some positive change in this situation, then we really should consider dismantling it and retreat to our well stocked bunkers.

I am kind of a Santelli Teapartier myself until the Moral Majority latched on and Palin totally ruined that whole gig for me.
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=1039849853

At least those of us on this board stand at least half a chance in this new mean, cruel world - we all know how to cook a pot of beans and are seekers

[Rogar]

I loved the Greyson talk. Also +1 for Mtnlaurel. Good discussion.

[Zoebird]

also, we have to recognize something. our gen and the gen just behind us, we do have trickster energy. it's a vibrant kind of playfulness, where we kinda jab at ourselves and use humor (usually self-depricating or ironic) to try to get our point across.

it's actually beneficial, even if it confuses people. the idea is to recognize that even amidst our serious claims and taking ourselves and our concerns seriously, we can still have a sense of humor about it, and about ourselves. We use it to cut pressure for ourselves, and it is MUCH nicer than dealing with the dark joker (see Heath Ledger's brilliant turn as the beautifully written and directed version of the dark joker archetype Nolan's The Dark Knight).

Trust me, if our joker energy goes Dark Joker on you, Heath Ledger isn't the only one of us capable of channeling that.

and If you can't recognize Trickster energy (or archetypes) in some of those signs or responses (and that those sound bytes would be chosen to keep the movement from being seen as legitimate), then time to read some campbell and brush up.

because we are getting old enough to come into power, and we're going to do it whether you like it or not. And we'll either do it Fun Trickster or Dark Trickster.

And I think we would all prefer Fun Trickster.

[Catwoman]

More good works from the Occupy Wall St. people:

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on the Mall was abruptly closed Saturday afternoon after a “large group of protesters” tried to push past security guards and enter the museum, Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said.

At least one demonstrator was pepper-sprayed by a museum guard in the confrontation, St. Thomas said. Several witnesses said that more than a dozen people were affected by the spray.

The museum was closed at about 3:15 p.m., St. Thomas said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...g.html?hpid=z2