Occupy Wall Street

[holmes435]

So I've seen a few people on here regurgitate the vitriol against the Wall Street Protesters, but it seems to continue to gain steam. I have a feeling it will keep being played down much like the Iraq War protests even though more and more people are joining in from both sides of the aisle and have had a decent message since the beginning (do a little research before you ask "what message"). It has much more support and followers than many smaller protests that have received much more coverage (see: Tea Party). Thoughts?

[LadyLaker]

Hey people are ticked off.

This is what we've been seeing happen in Europe so why be surprised that it's happening here?

Frankly I think the guys who cooked up and then promoted/sold the derivitive scheme should all be in jail, along with most of the Wall Street gurus...sadly most of them are working for our government trying to figure out how to get us out of the mess they helped put us in.

If it's still going on in B-more next week, I'll be joining them.

LL

[Trinity]

They should Occupy K Street while they're at it. It's not capitalism the protestors oppose as much as corporations running what is supposed to belong to the people--Washington DC and all the state capitols.

[JPSartre]

"people who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made." - FDR

The fact is the long term effects of reductions in living standards, lower wealth, social hardship are unpredictable. Telling people it is their fault because they are victims of layoffs and cannot find work is going to create a lot of anger especially when the pols want to let the creators of the problem off the hook and some don't want the behaviors that created the problem to be addressed even as they are lectured for creating their own situation.

[foreverlax]

If this thing gets real traction it will make the Tea Party rallies look like, well, a tea party.

[Paesan33]

Read the stories. Or go visit for yourselves. The consensus is that while there is anger, there isnt a unified front. What, exactly, are the goals?

[cradleandshoot]

Funny how some of this stuff goes around in a circle. Many of these protesters probably have tuition's for their education being paid for by parents making money off their various accounts, off of profits being made by wall street investment firms they invested in for their kids education. That has been the case for the money I have been able to supply my 2 sons. Sort of like biting the hand that is feeding you.

[foreverlax]

cradle that is almost right...

Funny how some of this stuff goes around in a circle. Many of these protesters probably have tuition's for their education being paid for by parents making money off their various accounts, off of profits being made by wall street investment firms they invested in for their kids education. That has been the case for the money I have been able to supply my 2 sons. Sort of like biting the hand that is feeding you

Unless you are a direct investor in Morgan Stanley, Goldman BofA etc, your college fund had little bearing on the profits/losses generated by the firms.

You did benefit from those Wall Street firms who helped other companies get listed on the NYSE, as well as other exchanges, and when Wall Street created packaged products (mutual funds) that didn't explode.

[JPSartre]

From what I can read the goals are to express anger. If the movement continues to grow goals will come. Civil unrest accompanies the kind of economy we have now. At some point if the movement grows someone will come up with the idea of creating another tent city in DC. I expect.

[Strannywastheman]

These future baristas were in Washington a year or so ago for World Bank/IMF meetings. Purportedly there to rail against those 2 organizations, it ultimately was an amalgam of causes including anti-capitalism, anti-U.S. imperialism, anti climate change, gender rights, anti-NAFTA, legalize weed, open immigration, increase the minimum wage and a number of other perceived crimes against humanity. Basically, if you had a sign, you were in. Now the labor unions and college kids are jumping in. I wonder how many iPhones of the protesters are being paid for by mommy & daddy?

A few wood shampoos would not hurt to thin the ranks a bit.

Though he denies it, the class warfare component has been deliberately stirred up by President Obama and his supporters.
Shameful.

[6ftstick]

Check the websites for protests GLOBALLY.

Most of the same players are sponsors and have linked websites—d*mn those commies don't they know they aren't a threat.

[6ftstick]

I've also heard the protestors are asking "Capitalists" like doctors, nurses, lawyers, restaurants etc to DONATE their services.

[Paesan33]

JPS- Agreed. And from the people asking questions down there, there doesnt seem to be a unified message. If there was a clearer message, i think it would help them and their cause.

[otr]

at some point I either read or heard that Obama received more Wall Street donations than any president in history? if so, and if many of these protesters are Obama supporters, add THAT to the hypocrisy/ignorance list.

[Paesan33]

Actually i read the opposite- people down there have been reporting that the protest has sometimes been anti-O. Well, at least among other things...

But yes, I agree.

[holmes435]

Not a lot of intelligent conversation in here I see, guess that was to be expected.

What seems to be a common thread:
1. Regulate banks (like Glass-Steagall), separate the investing arms of banks, don't let them get "too big to fail" and don't bail them out with taxpayer money.
2. Investigate and prosecute bank executives for wrongdoing where it occurred
3. Eliminate corporate "personhood", limit lobbying and reform campaign financing
4. Fix the massive income inequality that has not been this high since just before the great depression (executive pay continues to grow by leaps and bounds compared with worker pay.)

Did the tea party protests have common goals aside from getting rid of Obama? I never seemed to hear a coherent list of demands from them.

Most of you fail to see that this isn't a "leftist" or "anti-capitalist" protest, and involves many on the right and libertarians. But keep on pushing out those soundbites, it makes for a fun read!

[Paesan33]

I think there is intelligent conversation here on this thread- I already have others on this forum telling me im not intellectual or part of the super-educated intelligentsia, so i cant appreciate certain aspects of life, etc. Doesnt bother me here either.

I think better of the WC crowd, and unlike you, i did expect intelligent conversation. I think we have it.

How's this for intelligent conversation? http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-w ... ds-2011-10

[Brkfstclub101]

I think there is intelligent conversation here on this thread- I already have others on this forum telling me im not intellectual or part of the super-educated intelligentsia, so i cant appreciate certain aspects of life, etc. Doesnt bother me here either.

I think better of the WC crowd, and unlike you, i did expect intelligent conversation. I think we have it.

How's this for intelligent conversation? http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-w ... ds-2011-10

Thanks for the link Paesan - very nice read.

As far as holmes' comparison of this whine party protest to a tea party protest - lets start with hoping the NYC WP protestors are able to keep the demonstrations peaceful. Although, making trouble and getting having arrests on the news would elevate the WP'ers status as the oppressed - or as JJ would say, disenfranchised.

[Trinity]

This won't get violent. The protestors know what NYPD stand for. (kNock Your PunkA$$ Down). Their fight is not with cops or firemen.

[Brkfstclub101]

This won't get violent. The protestors know what NYPD stand for. (kNock Your PunkA$$ Down). Their fight is not with cops or firemen.

I agree - their fight is not with the cops or firemen. Although, its very apparent that many of us, and most of them, are still figuring out exactly who it is they ARE fighting against. The longer they go unorganized, the more likely it is that violence will eventually happen. I saw the 'snippet' of a police officer swinging his baton. Was he instigating the confrontation, or defending himself. I submit that watching his wild, 360 degree, flailing - he looked more like a person in a defensive posture. Didn't look anything like the old videos of race riots in Alabama. Just my opinion. I sure would like to see the video before and after that little clip, but for now, I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the police officer.