Wall Street Protests

[tw]

Pew Research provides numbers that say American workers have suffered sharp income decreases in the past ten years.

For example, in 2000, the percent of under 35 and over 65 in poverty had decreased to the lowest numbers of 15% and 12%. Poverty among those under 35 had decreased from 20% (after years of voodoo economics). Now that extremists have changed taxes and other economic parameters to 'fix' this economy, poverty among older Americans only decreased to 11%. While poverty of Americans under 35 has increased from 15% to 22%. Highest poverty numbers in 60 years.

Trickle down economics as been so successful that the average net worth of an American homeowner decreased 28% between 2005 and 2009 - during the end of the so called boom economy. Among those under 35, net worth decreased 55%.

Not only have the average Americans suffered as the expense of the rich. The under 35 Americans have never seen such massive income decreases.

Due to economic miracles created by extremists, in 2009, the average net worth of an American under 35 was only $3,662. Under 35 Americans with a net worth of zero or less was up to 37%. This was before the George Jr's voodoo economics caused increasing debt and unemployment. What do these wacko extremists advocate? "We want Obama to fail." Harming Americans under 35 works because those dumb enough to listen to Limbaugh (ie Tea Party) say these numbers are good. Yes. Economic numbers like this also brought the Nazi party to power.

During Clinton's time, the average income of an under 35 year old increased from $45K in 1992 to $55 in 1999. In 2009, an under 35 year old American only earned a decreased $49K. With inflation, $49K in 2009 was only $32K in 1992 or $38K in 1999. With inflation, real incomes of America's under 35 year olds have dropped about 30% since the days of Clinton. Or did our wacko extremists forget to first learn from the numbers?

Simplify those numbers into 1992 dollars. Under 35 year olds averaged $45K in 1992 dollars in 1992. And earned $47K 1992 dollars in 1999. By 2009, the average under 35 year olds in 2009 was only earning $32K 1992 dollars. Meanwhile, the richest American saw their incomes triple by something like 300%. Clearly wacko extremists economics is the perfect formula to make both Obama and America fail. Did TheMercenary et al forget to learn these numbers?

Pew is blunt about income disparity.

In 1984, the age-based wealth gap had been 10:1. By 2009, it had ballooned to 47:1.

We know that the world's worst recessions were preceded by increasing income disparity. Everyone knows income disparities between the richest and the average Americans preceded both great American recessions. Pew Research demonstrates that that increasing income disparities between older and younger Americans also indicates (or maybe promotes) recessions.

Welfare for the rich created jobs just as Limbaugh, Hannity, Fox News, and George Jr predicted. Cheney told us that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter. Therefore it must be true. Pew Research must be wrong. Wacko extremist economics clearly has been good for all Americans. A 30% decrease in incomes (with inflation) must be good.

Obama told us it would take at ten years to undo the disasters created by Beck hate and Fox News. These numbers suggest that Obama was being too optimistic. America was even worse when wackos ran the government into massive debts and changed the laws.

[TheMercenary]

The Occupy Movement's Penchant for Inflicting Collateral Damage Isn't Winning it Any Friends

http://reason.com/blog/2011/11/08/th...ant-for-friend

[TheMercenary]

Occupy Oakland Protesters Deposit Funds At Wells Fargo After Bank Attacks

OAKLAND (CBS/AP) — A group of Oakland anti-Wall Street protesters who blame large banks for the economic downturn have decided that one of those institutions is the best place to stash their money for now.

Protesters at an Occupy Oakland meeting Monday voted to deposit a $20,000 donation into a Wells Fargo account. The move comes just days after one of Wells Fargo’s branches was vandalized during a massive downtown demonstration.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/201...-bank-attacks/

[infinite monkey]

Something occurred to me: isn't it ironic, doncha think, that people who cry about "big government" think the Occupiers will fail because they don't have their own "big government."

'They don't have any unity! They're all scattered about! There's no one in charge! What are they DOING?'

[TheMercenary]

Well that didn't take long.......

Occupy protests face new issue in deaths

OAKLAND, California (AP) – City leaders across the U.S. are feeling increasing pressure to shut down Occupy protest encampments after two men died in shootings and two others were found dead inside their tents this week.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...0/1?csp=34news

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Well that didn't take long.......

Occupy protests face new issue in deaths

That's a "new issue"? Did anyone think that camping caused immortality?

[TheMercenary]

Yes, shootings are a "new issue" at the mob gatherings.

[Happy Monkey]

Not at the locations, though.

[TheMercenary]

What do you mean, "Not at the locations"?

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

What do you mean, "Not at the locations"?

Not to speak for HM, but none of the reports of violence that I've read have actually said a violent act was at or inside the Occupy encampments.
Certainly for PDX, the news reports have always said "near"

Maybe it's a small point, but for PDX news that is a major concession.
Our news media have taken the Police Association's hard line descriptors on every occasion.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Not to speak for HM, but none of the reports of violence that I've read have actually said a violent act was at or inside the Occupy encampments.
Certainly for PDX, the news reports have always said "near"

Maybe it's a small point, but for PDX news that is a major concession.
Our news media have taken the Police Association's hard line descriptors on every occasion.

I guess there haven't been any rapes either. Maybe they were just in the minds of those attacked. They never really happened.

[Undertoad]

What you really want is for the (seemingly large amount of) violent acts to not cloud the message of the overall protest.

But to try to do this by whitewashing the events, attempting to "manage the narrative" is not the right way, I think.

The dude came for the protest, lobbed a molotov cocktail into the PDX WTC, retreated into the camp and was arrested for starting fires there.

Was it better because he didn't lob his grenade into the camp? No... Does the story ring false because the reporter quoted the police involved? No...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...occupy_po.html

It's a sad fact that civil disobedience attracts a lot of scumbags and morons, but that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed. Attempting to manage this problem by saying it doesn't exist will only attract more attention to the next event.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

What you really want is for the (seemingly large amount of)
violent acts to not cloud the message of the overall protest.
But to try to do this by whitewashing the events,
attempting to "manage the narrative" is not the right way, I think.

The dude came for the protest, lobbed a molotov cocktail into the PDX WTC,
retreated into the camp and was arrested for starting fires there.

Was it better because he didn't lob his grenade into the camp?
No...
Does the story ring false because the reporter quoted the police involved? No...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...occupy_po.html

It's a sad fact that civil disobedience attracts a lot of scumbags and morons,
but that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed.
Attempting to manage this problem by saying it doesn't exist
will only attract more attention to the next event.

I take your point in suggesting I'm trying to "manage the narrative",
I don't see it that way. I know I am trying to separate issues when I see
over-reporting of negative events being attributed to the Occupy movement.
I agree that "that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed."
But it does need to be kept in perspective.
For example, why is "(seemingly large amount of)" inserted above ?

Does the news report in your link really sound like an valid, accurate characterization
of the month-long activities of the Occupy Portland protestors ?

A 29-year-old man was arrested this morning inside the Occupy Portland encampment,
police said, on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail onto a staircase at the World Trade Center last night.
No one was injured in the incident, which scorched a staircase between two escalators at the center,
located at 121 Southwest Salmon Street.

Paul Corah, a Portland Fire Bureau spokesman, said Hodson was responsible
for the incendiary device as well as separate act of vandalism to the Smart Park parking structure
at 123 Southwest Jefferson Street.

He said Hodson was arrested and charged with multiple arson related crimes on Sunday evening
in connection with three separate rubbish fires set on Southwest Taylor Street
between Southwest 3rd and 5th avenues.
Agents from the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms assisted in the investigation.

On Monday, Hodson told The Oregonian that he had just gotten into town
over the weekend from Redding, Calif., and decided to join Occupy Portland,
where he had taken it upon himself to greet people as they entered Lownsdale Square.

He said he found “a lack of cohesion” within the encampment,
which had allowed it to become “an eyesore for the community,
instead of something to be celebrated.”

Also today, police said they cited Justin Desantis for having alcohol
inside the Occupy Portland camp at Lownsdale Square and Chapman parks.
Desantis was excluded from the parks.

Another man, Shawn Kimmel, 31, was arrested for disorderly conduct,
possession of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon
after officers contacted him for his aggressive behavior at the camp.
Kimmel was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear
on a criminal trespassing charge out of Clackamas County.

In my opinion, this news report KGW report
entitled "Occupy assembly tries to distance itself from anarchists"
gives a more balanced description of the situation.
But despite the headline, it's title is addressed only in the last few seconds of the report.

And despite the reporter's comment, the PDX General Assembly has NOT put out a request
for others to come from Oakland or Seattle or other areas.
They have, instead, specifically rejected such offers from other groups.

Downtown PDX is not and was not crime free before Oct 1, 2011
We do have homeless, drugs, and some people do commit illegal acts.
Media reports implying that acts of violence within the 10-block radius,
or "near" the encampment are connected to "Occupy Portland,
should be viewed with healthy skepticism.

Unfortunately, I have to predict there will be a confrontation tonight,
and violence will be part of it.
We have to wait to see how the news media reports it all.
.

[Stormieweather]

I don't think one or two or a hundred criminal types represent ALL of the Occupy movement. It's no more accurate to attempt to portray them ALL as losers and bums than it is to portray them ALL as nurses (because some are involved with Occupy) or ALL as union folk (because some unions endorsed it). Not everyone on Wall Street is a bad guy either. Plenty of people that work there are just trying to survive like the rest of us.

There are bad people everywhere. And a heck of a lot more in our government that should be...thus my personal outrage and empathy with OWS.

ETA: All the trespass charges are part and parcel of protesting so you lost me right there, Merc.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Stormieweather

ETA: All the trespass charges are part and parcel of protesting so you lost me right there, Merc.

Not trying to gain you. Trespass charges count.

Major crimes are happening in these places and there are enough reports of the idiots running these things preventing the cops from coming in and doing their jobs.