I don't think it's just the banking industry that needs tighter regulation, I think corporations need to bring the jobs home or pay a penalty (in taxes).

Oh you say you can't make money paying Americans to do the jobs? Well, we (the 99%) are expected to make it here in America, you, the corporations, need to find a way to do it also.

Stormie, that's worth printing on a sign. :)

Another great post Stormie.

They want us, no they expect us to purchase their products. How the hell is that going to happen if we don't have jobs?

On Have I Got News For You, this weekend one of the guests, Louise Mensch, who is a Conservative MP made a comment about having seen protestors queing to get into Starbucks and playing with their i-phones.

The other guests all picked up on that. Paul Merton asked 'So, if they buy a cup of coffee their opinion is worthless?'

A) Yep just like his.
B) Why/with what are they buying Starbucks for if they are "so poor"?

a) I don't understand this. Just like whose what?

b) Who said anything about them being 'poor'?

The stereotypers.

Ahhh. Ok. I misunderstood your point entirely ;P

:facepalm:

What, because I work 2 jobs and have a nice house, does that mean I have to STFU? :mad2::mad:

I'm not poor and I'm one of the 99%'ers. I don't think this country is heading in the right direction, so I'm all for speaking up about it (ie: protests). These people who imply that just because we have nice things (that we worked our asses off for) we don't have a right to bitch about money in politics, the unfair state of our tax system, the financial rape of our country and the lack of concern from our leaders over it? Excuuuuuuuse me??:eyebrow:

(not you guys, the stereotyping observers)

I think it's important to find a good way to convince people who really want to be part of the 1% that they're getting boned. That seems to be the demographic who is most unreceptive to the idea, anyway.

Is the point of all this that "rich" = bad person? When I listen to some people talk, this seems to be an implicit assumption they have. This is, by the way, a horrible, horrible, destructive idea. And one that falls apart on even the slightest examination. But, critical thinking is never really "popular" is it?

Y'know, i really don't think that's the point at all. If it were then the protests and the Occupy movement would have kicked off years ago. This isn't abour rich people and poor people. It's about the way some of the very richest in society are controlling the whole picture, and sacrificing the health and well-being of the rest of the nation (in each instance) for their own financial gain.

I hear far more unpleasant and judgemental things from the right about the 'poor', or indeed about anybody who expresses a problem with the current tax system, or with the current grotesque levels of inequality in society, than anything I've heard about 'the rich'.

That is why I liked that NYT op-ed so much. The plutocrats are doing anything they can to deflect attention away from the real criticism of plutocracy itself.

Here is my first draft of an OWS manifesto.

We're not demanding the end of capitalism. We're not demanding that everyone gets an iphone. We don't want to take the iphones or even the Ferraris away from those who have them.

We want political power brought back to a more democratic level, from the massive bias in favour of the rich we have now. We want the tax loopholes and other financial advantages closed off, and we want politicians who are not too spineless to do this. We want reckless casino capitalism regulated so that international financiers can no longer gamble with the fate of the whole economy, keeping the winnings and dumping the losses on the tax payer.



Thoughts?

I'd sign up for that.