Wall Street Protests

[Lamplighter]

Cold rain (33 / 48) here in PDX has'nt affected Occupy Portland.

[Aliantha]

I think they are Sam. It's been going on here for about or almost as long as in the US.

Most of the ones in Brisbane seem like hippies with no jobs to begin with though, so not sure if they're anything more than the usual suspects at this stage. Time will tell.

eta: no snow here. I think they should all go for a swim though.

[Undertoad]

Apparently Denver is occupied by three tents and six tarps.

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Apparently Denver is occupied by three tents and six tarps.

But we continue to hold the line. And today it was business as usual with everyone back in force.

I really don't believe we will give up so easily. Especially once the ax falls on November 23. Congress is out to destroy the entire fabric of the social safety net. Food stamps, housing, and medical care especially via Medicare and Medicaid are under attack.

A major redistribution of wealth is going to occur and it will be from the poor, the working class, and the lower middle class to the wealthy few and the corporate criminals.

How dare Congress dismantle Medicaid while they have voted themselves permanent free medical care for the rest of their sorry lives? The hypocrisy is simply stunning. The millionaires in Congress continue to feed at the so-called government teat at the same time as they write off millions of Americans as collateral damage.

The grab for money and power by the wealthy few at the expense of the many, facilitated by the bought and paid for congress has finally been too much for America. Rural Colorado has traditionally been a Conservative stronghold, yet tonight I saw a flier advertising a meeting to protest the corporate take over of Congress in the little town of Mancos, Colorado, population 1,500. If that's not grass roots, I don't know what is.

How dare Congress take food from the children of the unemployed who have been forced to go on food stamps? Meanwhile, our president met with corporate executives today for a $195.00 a plate lunch. GOP stands for guardians of privilege and the Democrats are no better despite all their pretenses. How dare our own government consign a significant portion of our children to eat nothing but ramen noodles? How dare they?

How dare Congress take the slender housing assistance of low income disabled Americans and low income seniors and turn us out on the streets while they remain royally aloof from the rest of us in their million dollar gated communities? Do you know how much impact housing assistance for seniors and the disabled has on the national debt? Perhaps one percent. If that. How dare Congress place ideology over human beings? How dare they?

Corporate Government is rapidly creating an ever expanding class of Americans with nothing to lose. Where are we going to go? Where else but the streets? Occupy America!

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by SamIam

The grab for money and power by the wealthy few at the expense of the many, facilitated by the bought and paid for congress has finally been too much for America. Rural Colorado has traditionally been a Conservative stronghold, yet tonight I saw a flier advertising a meeting to protest the corporate take over of Congress in the little town of Mancos, Colorado, population 1,500. If that's not grass roots, I don't know what is.

How dare Congress take food from the children of the unemployed who have been forced to go on food stamps? Meanwhile, our president met with corporate executives today for a $195.00 a plate lunch. GOP stands for guardians of privilege and the Democrats are no better despite all their pretenses. How dare our own government consign a significant portion of our children to eat nothing but ramen noodles? How dare they?

How dare Congress take the slender housing assistance of low income disabled Americans and low income seniors and turn us out on the streets while they remain royally aloof from the rest of us in their million dollar gated communities? Do you know how much impact housing assistance for seniors and the disabled has on the national debt? Perhaps one percent. If that. How dare Congress place ideology over human beings? How dare they?

Corporate Government is rapidly creating an ever expanding class of Americans with nothing to lose. Where are we going to go? Where else but the streets? Occupy America!

The entire post is excellent but this last portion stood out for me.

I have long advocated guilliotines in Washington. I think the mere presence of one or two has the potential to remind these fukkers who they are responsible to.

My state, currently being run by a man who helped tank Lehman brothers, is a perfect storm of crazy state sell-offs and privatizations that will lead no where good. It will, however, line the pockets of Kasichk and his cronies. I don't know how these people sleep at night.

[elSicomoro]

Apparently, Occupy KC is at the Liberty Memorial, which is by a humongous IRS building. I dunno...it seems like they could have picked a better spot, but I'm not out there, so I don't really have shit to say about it.

[DanaC]

Beautifully put Sam.

[ZenGum]

People with nothing to loose are dangerous.

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

People with nothing to loose are dangerous.

Yes, and corporate congress is making a mistake by putting people in that position. Americans want to work. The people of this country have always had a strong work ethic. But so many have been put out of work completely or forced to into part time jobs by the sour economy created by the greed of the huge financial outfits and the resulting collapse of the whole financial house of cards.

Recent college graduates can't find jobs and often have a huge educational loans they must repay. The men and women who served this country in the Middle East come home to no jobs and a VA system which is just as likely to kill then as help them. Just ask Big Sarge.

Yet, today the GOP will vote against another jobs bill yet again. I do not understand what makes people think that "producers" need tax breaks before they will create jobs. Remember the huge expansion in the economy, the corporations vying with each other to hire workers, the excellent wages employees received back in W.'s administration when he cut all those taxes on the corporations and the wealthy? Me neither.

Americans don't want to be on food stamps. Its shameful. Its a personal defeat. In Colorado, able-bodied people must do a certain amount of civic work in exchange for their food stamp card. That's a great idea. Why not implement this program nation wide and have everyone doing useful work? It would make the food stamp program less costly and the recipients could get a little of their self respect back. Scrapping the food stamp program will only cause even more demoralization and children will be denied things like milk and fresh vegetables and a little meat - foods a child needs for healthy growth.

This is the kind of stuff that turns citizens into people with nothing to lose. And it is completely unnecessary.

There is a wonderful statement by Bill Moyers explaining what has and is happening in the US today. It's a little long but the content is outstanding.

@ Dana and Brianna - Thank you for your kind replies. When I posted that, I had just finished sending a bunch of e-mails to Congress and the energy sort of overlapped here.

[Lamplighter]

It's early in the news reporting on Occupy Oakland, but I'm thinking
the events of yesterday are getting a bad rap in the news media.

I've been reading as many news reports as I can,
and the text of reports do say demonstrations were calm and non-violent.
There were large crowds of marchers in various parts of Oakland,
and the Port of Oakland was blocked... with no violence.
Yes, there was some vandalism and a few broken windows,
which was condemned by Occupy Oakland leaders.
When police cleared those areas, it was done peacefully.
Only one person was injured... a marcher hit by a passenger car.

But the headlines are, almost without exception, portraying the events
as deteriorating into "violence and chaos".

The main "violence" seems to have been a nightime bonfire that was lit
at an intersection - in groups of metal trash cans that had been pushed together.
OK, that makes for a dangerous situation,
and the police were justified in ordering the crowd to disperse.

It reported that order was given police close to the bonfire,
speaking directly to people in the immediate vicinity.
But almost immediately the area was filled with teargas and flashbombs.

Several people report they were not aware of the order to disperse.
Further, they report that when people ran from the teargas,
they were beaten by the police and ordered to remain still.
When people stayed in place, they were arrested.

If the general public reads only today's headlines, I'm convinced
they will be mislead to believe the entire Occupy Oakland went badly.

[tw]

I was amused by (if I remember correctly) a news report on Nightly Business Report. Bloomberg wanted to remove the Occupy Wall Street encampment for health and sanitary reasons. The report on his concern and intent showed people sweeping and cleaning around and inside their tents. The audio from Mayor Bloomberg completely contradicted what almost all the video showed. Bloomberg later conceded. The encampment remains.

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

If the general public reads only today's headlines, I'm convinced
they will be mislead to believe the entire Occupy Oakland went badly.

I think the general public has learned to be skeptical of the media. People who are opposed to the Occupy movement will point to the headline with glee (think Merc), but many others will read the entire story.

And Occupy Denver is doing some great stuff (hate to disappoint you, UT). They are moving the occupation to the front of the Federal Building on Saturday so as not to impede the Veteran's Parade which is scheduled for that day. Very many appreciative comments and thanks to the vets on the Occupy Denver blog. After the parade, Occupy will return to their regular place.

And best of all, Michael Moore is coming to give a talk to the Occupy Denver folks today! I'd love to be there for that.

However, I have a tentative plan to drive over to Denver the week of November 23rd. Hell, its only 400 miles and It feels like the right thing to do. I'll be with a group advocating the end of corporate government on the same day that government announces my and many other's fate.

Camping in downtown Denver at the age of 60 - I'm insane! But everyone here is aware of that already.

[Trilby]

/janis/Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose/joplin/

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Brianna

/janis/Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose/joplin/

I woke up singing this song in my head today.

[tw]

Never forget why the government must cut a $trilllion from the budget. We are now paying a $trillion for Mission Accomplished. Who lied about that war? Who gets to suffer for it?