Am I the only one who doesn't get the "Occupy Wallstreet" movements

[leahjade]

It's about stopping corporations from exerting their will onto the government. It's about stopping corporations from treating their labor as expendable items

Stop buying their products then -how is camping out in a park going to make a corporation change their business policies???

 

[OceanAnnie]

I've seen that sentiment before.

It is disgusting.

The entire OWS movement is about corporate greed and corporate/lobbyist takeover of the government. It's about the disparity of wealth that is worse now than it was in 1929 before the Great Depression. It's about reigning in the mutation that is called capitalism and returning it to its true form. It's about protecting workers' rights, consumers' rights, the environment, etc. all while corporations can still make a profit.

Many of these people involved in the movement would LOVE to have a job! Some even do have jobs and join the movement to sleep there or spend time there during the day.

The ones in NY have created a bicycle-powered generator after the NYPD took away their gas-powered ones.

The movement is for real, it's a true grassroots movement, not funded by billionaires like another recent movement which got quite a bit of positive press over the last couple of years.

The first bolded sounds good on paper. How is this going to be done? Protecting worker's rights, the environment, etc. has corruption throughout. So what is the answer?

The second bolded, I'm not so sure about. Where is OWS getting it's funding?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

But I bet 90% of those protesters will vote for Obama again even though he pushed many more bailouts through. Guess some people don't learn from history.

I don't know if I would bet that high if I were you......

This is not about Democrats or Republicans.. it is about the middle income disappearing from society. It doesn't matter what lever you pull on election day, the Donkey or the Elephant... it is a matter of Corporate Greed.... Just looking at what has happened, both parties are responsible and have been responsible.. Bush started it, O'Bama continued it.. no different. This economic downfall started way before O'Bama took office. As I have stated in a previous post, the worst month and year in history for housing was Dec 2008 and that was before O'Bama took office. The free food lines were around for many many many years.. longer than I have been around.. and I will be 55 this year. This is nothing new, but just getting worse. It is at it's boiling point right now.. and about to burst.. it is not the Donkey or the Elephant.. it is Greedy Corporate America... Society needs to change.. I guess some people don't know history.....

 

[dngnb8]

OWS News

Occupy ‘ball’ street
Rush for STD tests
By LAURA ITALIANO, FRANK ROSARIO and BOB FREDERICKS
Last Updated: 10:39 AM, November 1, 2011

It’s the Autumn of Love!

Occupy Wall Street protesters are flocking to nearby health clinics for STD and HIV testing after getting their freak on in ’60s-style hookups with crusty strangers, sources told The Post yesterday.

“Last week was free love,” said a medical professional at a clinic located a short walk from Zuccotti Park, referring to the number of people who organizers have referred for sexually transmitted disease testing.

A volunteer at the park admitted concern among protesters about STDs.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/occupy_ball_street_aIoZXVqZ3hU8Zm9oX5aGWM#ixzz1cZoKomWN

---

Occupy Wall Street kitchen staff protesting fixing food for freeloaders

By SELIM ALGAR and BOB FREDERICKS

The Occupy Wall Street volunteer kitchen staff launched a “counter” revolution yesterday -- because they’re angry about working 18-hour days to provide food for “professional homeless” people and ex-cons masquerading as protesters.

For three days beginning tomorrow, the cooks will serve only brown rice and other spartan grub instead of the usual menu of organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad.

They will also provide directions to local soup kitchens for the vagrants, criminals and other freeloaders who have been descending on Zuccotti Park in increasing numbers every day.

OWS News

----
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems – OWS has $500K In The Bank…

Money, one of the main issues that sparked the Occupation of Wall Street, is now causing tension among the ranks of protesters.

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) may not have a unified goal, or a confirmed set of demands, or even an official leader… but the rag-tag group assembled in Zuccotti Park has a half-million dollars in the bank.

According to the New York Post, OWS has deposited five hundred thousand dollars into an account and is using the money to fund the daily operations in Lower Manhattan. They also have physical assets substantial enough to require significant storage space. CBS News reports that the protesters are filling a large storage space around the corner from the park they occupy.

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems – OWS has $500K In The Bank…
----
More to come

 

[dngnb8]

Over the past couple weeks, The Blaze has received reports that some NYC Occupy protesters have been leaving their tents at night and fleeing to a local hotel for better accommodations. And while we’re still investigating those claims, it seems now there’s evidence of something similar going on in London.

The Daily Mail has published thermal imaging pictures showing that the tents at the Occupy camp near St. Paul’s Cathedral are nearly empty at night. The Daily Mail commissioned the photographs itself after images from a police helicopter showed similar findings. Here’s how it explains the photos:

These are the damning images that prove the anti-capitalist protest that has closed St Paul’s Cathedral is all but deserted at night.
Footage from a thermal imaging camera taken late at night reveals just a fraction of the makeshift camp was occupied.

An independent thermal imaging company, commissioned by the Daily Mail, captured these pictures after similar footage from a police helicopter found only one in ten tents were occupied after dark.
In these shots, taken late on Monday night, the presence of body heat from humans is represented by yellow and red inside the tents.

The tents that are coloured purple indicate they are colder and thus empty. The buildings behind are also yellow and red because of the higher temperatures inside.

Here are some of the photos the Daily Mail captured:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bus...eals-many-occupy-london-tents-empty-at-night/

---

Not as occupied as we thought...

 

[dngnb8]

#OccupyBaltimore Discourages Sexual Assault Victims From Contacting Police, Offers Counseling for Perpetrators
by Derek Hunter

I was in downtown Baltimore Monday morning taking care of some business, so I thought I’d stroll a block over and check out the “Occupy Baltimore” crowd. Well, the word “crowd” might be an overstatement. There were about as many people as there would be homeless people on a normal day, only with tents and literature rather than Starbucks cups for holding spare change. And it’s the literature I found most interesting.

Among the literature I picked up off of their table was one titled “Security Statement.”

What it said, and what it implied, was rather disturbing:

As the Security Committee of Occupy Baltimore, we release this statement to ensure the safety of our newly forming, delicate yet strong community.

Sexual abuse and assault are dehumanizing acts for the survivor as well as the abuser. It strips people of their right to safety, dignity, and respect, basic values which embody many of the intentions behind Occupy Baltimore. As a vibrant community, we recognize and give power to these values and the rights of survivors.​

OK, saying you’re against “sexual abuse and assault” isn’t controversial, but do you really have to say it? Why isn’t it understood? As it turns out, that’s just the beginning of the weird. The entire “Security Statement” is about sexual assault and abuse.

Sexual abuse or assault at Occupy Baltimore is in violation of our values, and will not be tolerated. It is an explicit policy of Occupy Baltimore to prohibit abuse by any members of the community upon another person. Violation of this policy will result in the abuser no longer being welcome at the occupation.​

So sexual abuse or assault are against “explicit policy” and will get you shunned? What about arrested? Those things are crimes, after all. Shouldn’t Occupy Baltimore, like every other group or individual, encourage people to contact the police to get these predators off the street? You’d think so, but you’d think wrong:

Though we do not encourage the involvement of the police in our community, the survivor has every right, and the support of Occupy Baltimore, to report the abuse to the appropriate law enforcement.
​

So if someone were sexually assaulted, a horrible experience, they wouldn’t be discouraged to contact the police, the “occupy community” would rather handle it internally. That’s just perverse.

The “Reporting Procedure”:

Any member of the Occupy Baltimore community who believes he/she/they have been a victim of, are aware of, or suspect a commission of sexual abuse, are encouraged to immediately report the incident to the Security Committee. T (sic)

The point person for dealing with these situations will be Koala! (sic) Largess, (443) 642-XXXX.

Survivors of Sexual Abuse will be given the support, resources, and assistance needed for their emotional and physical health.​

So if you’ve been raped or sexually assaulted, don’t call the police; call someone named “Koala.” You can’t make this up, mostly because women’s groups would be protesting you if you did.

And that’s just side one:

The Occupy Baltimore prohibits retaliation against any member, survivor, or outside person who reports in good faith a complaint of an abuser or who participates in any related inquiries. False accusations of sexual abuse in bad faith can have serious consequences for those who are wrongly accused. Occupy Baltimore prohibits making false and/or malicious sexual abuse allegations, as well as providing false information during an inquiry. Anyone who violates any part of this policy will not be welcome at Occupy Baltimore.​

They’re setting up their own court system here, where the ultimate punishment, no matter the severity of the offense, is banishment from a tent city. This is sexual assault we’re talking about here, not taking someone’s cupcake out of their lunch in the fridge.

The last part is “Investigation and Follow-Up”:

Occupy Baltimore’s Security Committee will make every reasonable effort to keep the matters involved in the allegation as confidential as possible while still allowing for a prompt and thorough inquiry. All allegations of abuse will be treated seriously and thoroughly investigated.

If the survivor wishes to involve law enforcement, in order to obtain physical evidence of the assault, you must report the incident within 72 hours or the assault as collection and preservation of evidence is critical. Occupy Baltimore will also work to supply the abuser with counseling resources to deal with their issues.

The Occupy Baltimore Community has a Zero-Tolerance policy for any sexual, physical, or mental abuse of or by a community member.​

So allegations of sexual assault will be kept from authorities. They “do not encourage the involvement of the police,” but if you’re gonna do it, do it within 3 days. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen enough episodes of “Dateline” to know you report these things immediately, not after seeking guidance from the Hippie Council. And, in typical liberal fashion, they offer counseling not only to the victim but the perp as well.
Maybe everyone can join together for a nice drum circle at the end of the day and let bygones be bygones.

It’s rather disturbing that this group of semi-organized (at best) amateurs would set up a parallel, internal system of justice that discourages involving law enforcement like they were their own country. What’s more disturbing is that assault victims might abide by these suggestions, and perpetrators of such a crime could get away with only a shunning by this small group and some counseling.

So, where's the MSM? Are the rights of women (or is it "womyn" when you are dealing with, what, gynecological-Americans?) being violated? For that matter, are the womyn being violated? Shouldn't some feminist group be counter-protesting and demanding an accounting? Beuller? Beuller?

http://biggovernment.com/dhunter/20...fers-counseling-for-perpetrators/#more-353488

 

[leahjade]

Sounds like the movement is getting as big and greedy as the corporations it is fighting.

Occupy Wall Street has raised more than $500,000 in New York alone to support anti-greed demonstrations.

The challenges have included how to become a non-profit entity, how to deal with credit card companies withholding donations, choosing a bank that shares the movement's philosophy and budgeting what to spend cash on. Occupy Wall Street pays 7 percent of its takings for AFGJ's support — bookkeeping, tax returns and donation processing AFGJ is a non-profit group with roots in Nicaraguan solidarity activism of the 1970s that has since used its tax-exempt status to be a financial umbrella for other groups.

The movement is keeping its money at Amalgamated Bank, which was started in the 1920s by a garment-workers union and was until recently 100 percent union-owned.

That sole union ownership ended in September just as the protests were starting. Nine days after the demonstrations began, Amalgamated sold 40 percent of its stock to two of America's best-known investors, Wilbur Ross and Ron Burkle.

Ross buys and merges distressed companies in industries such as steel, coal and auto parts. Burkle is best known for his investments in grocery companies and has good relations with unions. Both Ross and Burkle are billionaires.
.

Reuters News

 

[leahjade]

it's a true grassroots movement, not funded by billionaires like another recent movement which got quite a bit of positive press over the last couple of years.

WRONG -it's being funded by an organization owned by billionaires

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Maybe better spelling skills would help you get a higher paying position. Most manufacturing jobs are a thing of the past - if you want higher wages, go back to school or learn a trade.

I actually DO HAVE A DEGREE thank you.. didn't realize I had to watch my spelling and grammar here.. I am so very sorry, do you accept my apology

and as I said.. some do not know their HISTORY... learn your history before commenting on where fault lies... just saying A good History lesson & maybe an Economics lesson may come in handy....

Manufacturing jobs are a thing of the past? Wow... really? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35769753/ns/business-us_business/t/yes-we-do-still-make-things-america/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-manufacturers-still-key-to-economy-2011-02-20

 

[A Mickeyfan]

WRONG -it's being funded by an organization owned by billionaires

can you list the billionaires.. and are these billionaires of those greedy corporations or are they just billionaires... there is also a difference there too.. there are those with money who have earned it, and not asking the government for a hand out, then handing out bonus checks to their high salaried CEO's...then you have those that did... so which are the ones funding OWS The ones with the hand out to take or the ones with the hand out to give?

 

[eliza61]

can you list the billionaires.. and are these billionaires of those greedy corporations or are they just billionaires... there is also a difference there too.. there are those with money who have earned it, and not asking the government for a hand out, then handing out bonus checks to their high salaried CEO's...then you have those that did... so which are the ones funding OWS The ones with the hand out to take or the ones with the hand out to give?

Generally they've been self made people. Of course they would be considered the "wrong" element. Russell Simmons of Death jams records, Diddy

 

[tazdeb]

So in this scenario who do you want to help Joe and Mary? Should we redistribute the wealth so everyone is saved? I feel sorry for Joe and Mary but the government cant take care of everyone. Russia tried it and we dont want the communist lifestyle. If Joe and Mary didn't save enough for a rainy day and drop to the poverty line the Government does bail them out. When Joe and Mary get back on thier feet do they ever pay the government back like the banks have? One of the core values of this country and the reason people have flocked here for decades is that this is the land of opportunity. If someone works hard and makes a something out of themselves and they rise to be wealthy they have achieved the American dream. Take that inscentive away by redistributing the wealth and there is no reason work hard and make something of yourself. Should everyone pay there fair share...sure, but did you know that 49% of Americans pay no taxes? Those are the people who never work hard, get an education, and try to better themselves. The government has been investing in people like this for decades by offering program after program and where is the payoff? I think someone in the banking sector should be held accountable for the mess and laws should be made to make sure it doesn't happen again. But taking from one and giving to another is not the American way. How about cutting every government program by 5% and raising taxes on everyone by 5% for 5 years. At that time we look at the economy, national debt and see where we stand. If this plan doesn't work we can try something else. At least with this plan every American has skin in the game.

 

[eliza61]

So in this scenario who do you want to help Joe and Mary? Should we redistribute the wealth so everyone is saved? I feel sorry for Joe and Mary but the government cant take care of everyone. Russia tried it and we dont want the communist lifestyle. If Joe and Mary didn't save enough for a rainy day and drop to the poverty line the Government does bail them out. When Joe and Mary get back on thier feet do they ever pay the government back like the banks have? One of the core values of this country and the reason people have flocked here for decades is that this is the land of opportunity. If someone works hard and makes a something out of themselves and they rise to be wealthy they have achieved the American dream. Take that inscentive away by redistributing the wealth and there is no reason work hard and make something of yourself. Should everyone pay there fair share...sure, but did you know that 49% of Americans pay no taxes? Those are the people who never work hard, get an education, and try to better themselves. The government has been investing in people like this for decades by offering program after program and where is the payoff? I think someone in the banking sector should be held accountable for the mess and laws should be made to make sure it doesn't happen again. But taking from one and giving to another is not the American way. How about cutting every government program by 5% and raising taxes on everyone by 5% for 5 years. At that time we look at the economy, national debt and see where we stand. If this plan doesn't work we can try something else. At least with this plan every American has skin in the game.

who is talking about redistributing any thing. Can we please leave these warn out "ism" alone. People have been screaming "communism" since Jesus was a boy and funny how we have yet to become any thing remotely resembling a socialist government. According to some by this time we should have been taken over by muslims and been a socialist country and yet when I got up this morning stock market was humming along fine and walmart made another kazillon bucks.

Whats so hysterically funny about that old argument is that Rich folks don't even remotely worry about that. Do you honestly really believe that Donald Trump will ever be poor due to some government redistribution LOL. Considering every major corporation has lobbyist throwing money like holloween candy at politicians, I would say the chances of that happening are slim to none.

like I said before the day a CEO worries about his salary going anywhere is the day Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley do a reunion tour.

 

[OceanAnnie]

While the OWS is raging goods are going up and the dollar is going down. There is a lot going on. It's going to get harder for us all. I truly believe it.

 

[Planogirl]

I asked some of my coworkers today what they thought about Occupy Wall Street and all I got was blank looks or shrugs. I'm so surprised! I think that it's certainly interesting even if I'm not a fan of all of the tactics.

 

[Geoff_M]

The "1%" has seen income rise 275% from 1979 - 2007 (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-20125589/cbo-top-1-getting-exponentially-richer/) while the average person's income rose 40%. Compared to inflation, the average person's wages have fallen. That's why it's hard to keep a family out of poverty making even twice the minimum wage.

This is incorrect. The figures you cite use comparisons that have already been adjusted for inflation. Here's the first sentence of the executive summary from the CBO document linked to in your article:

From 1979 to 2007, real (inflation-adjusted) average household income, measured after government transfers and federal taxes, grew by 62 percent.

The OWS movement is not about class warfare.

Again, one of the mind boggling things about the "Occupy Parks" movement is that they're one big Rorschach test for supporters. Everyone sees what they want to see in the "movement" and then postulate that most other supporters would agree with them. Your statement above is Exhibit A. In spite of "Class War Ahead!" signs being de rigueur at "Occupy" gatherings all over the place (including some of our local college students), to you the movement's "not about class war"... in spite of clear evidence to the contrary on the part of a very visible segment of the protesters.

 

[OceanAnnie]

This is incorrect. The figures you cite use comparisons that have already been adjusted for inflation. Here's the first sentence of the executive summary from the CBO document linked to in your article:

Again, one of the mind boggling things about the "Occupy Parks" movement is that they're one big Rorschach test for supporters. Everyone sees what they want to see in the "movement" and then postulate that most other supporters would agree with them. Your statement above is Exhibit A. In spite of "Class War Ahead!" signs being de rigueur at "Occupy" gatherings all over the place (including some of our local college students), to you "the movement's "not about class war"... in spite of clear evidence to the contrary on the part of a very visible segment of the protesters.

Very good assessment.

Additionally, what do you think is going to happen when the prices of goods keep going up, the dollar continues to decline, and the anger with the upper class ratchets up. It has the likelihood of exploding.

 

[dngnb8]

Very good assessment.

Additionally, what do you think is going to happen when the prices of goods keep going up, the dollar continues to decline, and the anger with the upper class ratchets up. It has the likelihood of exploding.

People will buy from Wal Mart instead of upscale stores? People will live within their means and not on credit?

 

[eliza61]

People will buy from Wal Mart instead of upscale stores? People will live within their means and not on credit?

Unfortunatley dngnb8, I honestly don't think that will happen. The free and easy money we've created over the past 20-30 years (remember Jimmy Carter warned against this waay back in the 70's) is like crack to the American economy. We literally can't go back. In a way Disney and the airlines industry iare finding this out. They will never ever be able to return to a time when they are not offering deep discounts, we (public) have been conditioned. We also have been conditioned to buy now, pay later and to buy the latest. Our economy is pretty much based on spending. It's not like when I was younger when you brought what you needed. Now shopping is a recreational sport to us. Most americans still have credit card debt and thats not likely to change. Yes, I know everyone here on the dis lives below their means and is totally debt free but you know my mantra "the dis in no way resembles real life".
Also we've gotten used to unsustainable growth. Use to be a time when people got equity out of their home by actually paying down the mortgage. now though since the real estate boom people freak out if the value of their house does not double in 7 years.


The same with social security, I'm probably the only person who believes that ss is here forever. That genie has been let out of the box and there is no going back, there isn't a politician alive who will try to eliminate it so it will be here to stay in some form.

It's like technology, no one is going to go back to records, big cellphones and typewriters.

 

[eliza61]

Again, one of the mind boggling things about the "Occupy Parks" movement is that they're one big Rorschach test for supporters. Everyone sees what they want to see in the "movement" and then postulate that most other supporters would agree with them. Your statement above is Exhibit A. In spite of "Class War Ahead!" signs being de rigueur at "Occupy" gatherings all over the place (including some of our local college students), to you the movement's "not about class war"... in spite of clear evidence to the contrary on the part of a very visible segment of the protesters.

Very true but this could work very much in favor for the Occupy groups. For example, in Oakland last week the police moved in and a Iraqi war vet got seriously hurt.
Last night there was a huge demonstration in Oakland again where they shut down 3 major bank headquaters and this time there was a huge Veteran prescence. The vets came out "strong" to support their "wounded" brother. Now, they may or may not agree or even know what OWS is protesting against but now you've just handed them a very strong additional support group showing solidarity for what "their" cause is.

So once again for those who hope this thing will go away, more and more people joining up for whatever reason can be not be seen as a good thing.

Like I said I think one of the problems you guys are having is that you expect protest to follow "certain" rules. "it should have a leader", "it should have goals" etc etc. Well if any thing Libya just proved is that a bunch of mad folks with a generalized goal (they simply wanted Gadhfi gone) can very much take down a nation and pretty much all they had in common was the fact they felt that they had nothing to lose. Now they have the hard part, trying to get a government together with a lot of different voices.

That's a dangerous mentality to sweep under the rug. I just read an article on abcnews.com stated that the number of poor have hit record highs. And I know every one hear thinks "oh, well thats their fault they are just lazy, yada yada yada" but these are "working poor". So now you've got a growing population who feel they have nothing to lose in this country. They feel whether right or wrong that the growing divide between rich and poor has the decked stacked against them and they are taking their anger to the streets.

Add that to what they see from people like those here who dismissively tell them to " just get a job" or "just go to school" or tell them that they are "welfare professionals who want to live off of my money" and you've got more unhappy campers.