Wall Street Protests

[glatt]

Why does that matter? Being a ditto head isn't something to aspire to.

[DanaC]

I'm just watching last night's Daily Show. Stewart completely nails the hypocrisy of leading republican figures calling for their supporters to take back America, fight for democracy and the soul of the country, and take to the streets, then condemning the Wall St protestors for the same thing.

Amongst other things.

Jon Stewart rocks.

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

But they don't agree on the issues.

I see the OWS thing as being much like the speech in Network. They're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. It's difficult to fit anger about the credit default swap thing onto a poster.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

Am I mistaken in assuming that 401k programs are voluntary?

I think it depends on where you work and what level your income is. All the companies I have worked for (3) it was voluntary and I chose to just send money to my own investment plans. I still do that.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

I see the OWS thing as being much like the speech in Network. They're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. It's difficult to fit anger about the credit default swap thing onto a poster.

It would be funny to see someone try to put all the different issues on one poster board.

[DanaC]

Here's one of the 99%

[DanaC]

Apparently, if the 99% can't agree on a nailed down demand that will encapsulate all their grievances, set forth a solution and still fit onto a placard, then their voices aren't worth listening to.

[DanaC]

I think this introduction, taken from the We Are the 99 Percent website gives a fairly clear picture of the movement's central concerns:

Who are we? Well, who are you? If you’re reading this, there’s a 99 percent chance that you’re one of us.

You’re someone who doesn’t know whether there’s going to be enough money to make this month’s rent. You’re someone who gets sick and toughs it out because you’ll never afford the hospital bills. You’re someone who’s trying to move a mountain of debt that never seems to get any smaller no matter how hard you try. You do all the things you’re supposed to do. You buy store brands. You get a second job. You take classes to improve your skills. But it’s not enough. It’s never enough. The anxiety, the frustration, the powerlessness is still there, hovering like a storm crow. Every month you make it is a victory, but a Pyrrhic one — once you’re over the hump, all you can do is think about the next one and how much harder it’s all going to be.

They say it’s because you’re lazy. They say it’s because you make poor choices. They say it’s because you’re spoiled. If you’d only apply yourself a little more, worked a little harder, planned a little better, things would go well for you. Why do you need more help? Haven’t they helped you enough? They say you have no one to blame but yourself. They say it’s all your fault.

They are the 1 percent. They are the banks, the mortgage industry, the insurance industry. They are the important ones. They need help and get bailed out and are praised as job creators. We need help and get nothing and are called entitled. We live in a society made for them, not for us. It’s their world, not ours. If we’re lucky, they’ll let us work in it so long as we don’t question the extent of their charity.

We are the 99 percent. We are everyone else. And we will no longer be silent. It’s time the 1 percent got to know us a little better. On Sept. 17, 2011, the 99 percent will converge on Wall Street to let the 1 percent know just how frustrated they are with living in a world made for someone else. Let us know why you’ll be there. Let us know how you are the 99 percent.

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/Introduction

[Undertoad]

MBA failure dude wanted to be in the 1%, and if shit turns around he will be right back fighting for it.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Apparently, if the 99% can't agree on a nailed down demand that will encapsulate all their grievances, set forth a solution and still fit onto a placard, then their voices aren't worth listening to.

Not sure I would go that far as much as I would make the point that whatever they are saying quickly becomes white noise. As I have said before it reminds me more of WTO protests. XY&Z makes more money than we do and we want them to give it to us or give power to the government to take it from them and give it to us. It is a failed process of change. And now as I watch Obama and his mouthpieces begin to try to co-opt the protests for re-election I am even less interested in their demands.

[DanaC]

I know what you mean about the 'white noise' effect. But to me that doesn't make it meaningless, it makes it all the more meaningful. It is a primal yell of discontent from an unhappy populace.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Here's one of the 99%

He should have done his home work. That situation is his fault. Plenty of advanced degrees will get you a nominal increase in pay. Often what it may do is open other avenues, for example the chance to teach graduate level or less. Many professions are using Masters prepared educations as entry level now, esp for specialty work. If he did it for pay he was mistaken. Lots of people go back to schools for many reasons and they don't have anything to do with more pay. Did you get a huge pay raise after all the hard work you did in the completion of your recent education?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I know what you mean about the 'white noise' effect. But to me that doesn't make it meaningless, it makes it all the more meaningful. It is a primal yell of discontent from an unhappy populace.

White noise never the less. It makes people turn away and they no longer hear you, regardless of the importance of the message or urgency. They should be marching on Congress, not Wall St. Do they think the bankers and investors are going to run down one day and write them all a personal check?

[DanaC]

Ha!

I ain't completed it yet babe:P

And, in fairness, I got a combination loan and grant for my undergrad course (including maintenance grant/loan combo) which I will not need to pay back a penny of until my earnings rise above the threshold (currently 15k p/a). I also got my MA fully funded via scholarship, along with a maintenance grant of £10k for the year. I am currently doing a PhD, the fees for which are entirely covered by a scholarship and again I am on a maintenance grant, this time 13k per annum for the three years o fthe course.

I have sacrificed time yes. But it isn't that much of a sacrifice. I wasnlt doing anything better before. I was paid a similar amount for working full-time as I now get in maintenance from the scholarship.

And, I fully expect to get a hike in earnings when I get my phD, assuming I can get a job in academia. But seriously, a payrise on what I am used to for a week's work wouldn't need to be a big wage :p



The truth is, I have in many ways, breezed through higher education without a financial care in the world. If at the end of this I can't get work in my field and end up stacking shelves at tescos, well, I'll have enjoyed the last 7 years of delving into a subject i love and be no worse off than I was before. I'm not sure how sanguine I'd be about that if I'd had to pay my own course fees, or been saddled with the levels of debt that my nieces are likely to accrue when they do their undergraduate degrees.

[Undertoad]

I have a plan for disrupting OWS.

If you were an original Trek fan you'll remember the I, Mudd episode, where a bunch of robots could not handle Kirk's divide-by-zero logic and simply shut down.

I am going to drive through the streets with one of those megaphone cars, playing a recorded message:

"Your iPhone was made by the richest corporation in the world."

It would take a while, but once they heard this message, I think you could just pick them up with pitchforks and load them into dump trucks.