Occupy Wall Street, man!

[Silent]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread here about this already so I figured I'd start one.  The whole thing reminds me of this South Park episode.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s09e02-die-hippie-die

I get a little chuckle when I see them on the news and then imagine them as cardboard cutout South Park characters.

Not that I necessarily disagree with some of their message, but overall I think they're wasting their time.  Discuss!

[Frys Girl]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread here about this already so I figured I'd start one.  The whole thing reminds me of this South Park episode.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s09e02-die-hippie-die

I get a little chuckle when I see them on the news and then imagine them as cardboard cutout South Park characters.

Not that I necessarily disagree with some of their message, but overall I think they're wasting their time.  Discuss!

Until black people spill into the streets, ain't nothing gonna happen. These people are just blowing smoke.

[Eddie Coyle]

     Most off putting aspects...(1) Those clowns wearing V for Vendetta masks.
                                                (2) off-topic imbeciles with "Free Mumia" signs.

[analog kid]

The lie that the whole thing is funded by George Soros is pretty funny.

[Silent]

     Most off putting aspects...(1) Those clowns wearing V for Vendetta masks.

I'll have to look for that one, I havn't seen it.  One of my favorite movies but not sure it applies here.  Now that I think of it November 5th is coming up which is the date that movie revolves around.  Better watch out.   

[The General]

This thread just made me laugh harder than I've laughed for a long time.  Awesome.

[Vatar]

Thank God everyone in my state is too stoned to take a few weeks off work to "protest"

[analog kid]

Here's some pics from around the world. I do see a few long hairs and tie dyes in there, which of course invalidates the whole movement.

[Frys Girl]

Let me take a wild guess and say that Alex Jones is taking credit for this.

[analog kid]

Let me take a wild guess and say that Alex Jones is taking credit for this.

The Democrats are desperate to take credit for it, but everyone knows they're miserable opportunistic shitsacks.

[Silent]

They won't be taken seriously without some self immolation.



Americans put on some weak ass demonstrations compared to the rest of the world.

[The General]

These demonstrations just go to show that the democrat power structure and the CPUSA are on the exact same page when it comes right down to it.  All Obama's talk about how evil the rich are, HA!  What the fuck is he, poor?  And all his friends?  And all his donors?  All the people that are paying 35000 dollars just for the privilege of breaking bread with him?  How are these wealthy aristocrats anti-wealth?  It's such an obvious ruse.  Class warfare, street demonstrations, blame the rich.... we've seen this before in history, and it never ends well.  It usually ends up with some prison camps somewhere.

[analog kid]

These demonstrations just go to show that the democrat power structure and the CPUSA are on the exact same page when it comes right down to it.  All Obama's talk about how evil the rich are, HA!  What the fuck is he, poor?  And all his friends?  And all his donors?  All the people that are paying 35000 dollars just for the privilege of breaking bread with him?  How are these wealthy aristocrats anti-wealth?  It's such an obvious ruse.  Class warfare, street demonstrations, blame the rich.... we've seen this before in history, and it never ends well.  It usually ends up with some prison camps somewhere.

There's no connection with the protests and the "democrat power structure," just as there's no connection with the Democratic party and communism. Obama doesn't suggest that rich people are "evil," or that being rich is a bad thing. It's simply the Buffet Rule, and the people who are most vehemently apposed to it seem to be middle class people on the right, strangely. Doubt anyone is "anti-wealth," and the "class warfare" canard is a meaningless Fox News talking point. Why "street demonstrations" are suddenly a bad thing is a mystery, and the protesters aren't "blaming the rich," they're blaming Wallstreet greed.

[The General]

There's no connection with the protests and the "democrat power structure," just as there's no connection with the Democratic party and communism. Obama doesn't suggest that rich people are "evil," or that being rich is a bad thing. It's simply the Buffet Rule, and the people who are most vehemently apposed* to it seem to be middle class people on the right, strangely. Doubt anyone is "anti-wealth," and the "class warfare" canard is a meaningless Fox News talking point. Why "street demonstrations" are suddenly a bad thing is a mystery, and the protesters aren't "blaming the rich," they're blaming Wallstreet greed.

Opposed. 

Anyway, in my opinion, it's echoes of the 1917 October Revolution all over again.  Or the Wiemar Republic disintegration of the 30's.  All were marked by hyperinflation, high unemployment, street protesters egged on by wealthy revolutionaries, class warfare, crushing national debt... the parallels are unfortunately all there.  Let's hope this doesn't turn out similar.

In my opinion, it won't.  But it might.  What will probably happen here is that the protests will usher in a conservative republican president.  The occupy Wall Street gang is a turn-off to most independents, moderates, and swing voters, and they will likely vote to the right.  The same kind of street rabble inadvertently helped elect Nixon.

[analog kid]

Opposed. 

Anyway, in my opinion, it's echoes of the 1917 October Revolution all over again.  Or the Wiemar Republic disintegration of the 30's.  All were marked by hyperinflation, high unemployment, street protesters egged on by wealthy revolutionaries, class warfare, crushing national debt... the parallels are unfortunately all there.  Let's hope this doesn't turn out similar.

In my opinion, it won't.  But it might.  What will probably happen here is that the protests will usher in a conservative republican president.  The occupy Wall Street gang is a turn-off to most independents, moderates, and swing voters, and they will likely vote to the right.  The same kind of street rabble inadvertently helped elect Nixon.

OWS is twice as popular as the Tea Party. I don't know where you're getting the information that the protests are unpopular, but that's simply not the case. The Tea Party on the other hand, are less popular to Americans than atheists and Muslims.

All were marked by hyperinflation, high unemployment, street protesters egged on by wealthy revolutionaries, class warfare, crushing national debt...

Funny, I could say the same about the Tea Party protests, depending on what your definition of a "wealthy revolutionary" is, and I like how you continually put a negative connotation on people expressing their first amendment right to assemble. You have to go all the way back to the early 1900s to find negative parallels. (Oh no - people protesting corruption. What has the country come to?)

[The General]

The Tea Party and the OWS movements stem from similar frustrations, but that is where the similarity ends.  Their goals, tactics, and demands are very different.  The Tea Party is protesting high taxation, oppressive government regulation, and political corruption.  The OWS, in short, is protesting capitalism.  Look at who is in solidarity with them: the CPUSA, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, etc... Their message is not resonating with middle America.

[The General]

     Most off putting aspects...(1) Those clowns wearing V for Vendetta masks.
                                                (2) off-topic imbeciles with "Free Mumia" signs.

God, I'm still laughing about this a day later.
FREE MUMIA!  ha ha ha ha.

[Eddie Coyle]

 
    I believe these protests are going to be largely feckless endeavors...now, if it crossed into widespread strikes- well, then we're talking serious business. Then it would really comparable to Paris in May,1968.

   But to go on strike in 2011...it's suicide. Unless, you're a truly "skilled" worker, you'll be instantly replaced by that endless(cheap) labor pool that's imported daily.

   My feeling..protests linger, strikes don't occur. Next...

[Eddie Coyle]

God, I'm still laughing about this a day later.
FREE MUMIA!  ha ha ha ha.

Free Mumia guy is often standing between "Free Leonard Peltier" girl and "No Blood For Oil" fellow.

[analog kid]

The OWS, in short, is protesting capitalism.  Look at who is in solidarity with them: the CPUSA, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, etc... Their message is not resonating with middle America.

Another untrue Fox News talking point, and I seem to remember the white supremacists showing up at Tea Party rallies. Remember how the left tried to pin that as the Tea Party's racist ties? That's just as ridiculous as trying to equate OWS with the CPUSA and Ahmadinejad. You can't seem to discuss the protests with any criticisms that are grounded in reality, and again, OWS is more popular with Americans than the Tea Party.

[The General]

Another untrue Fox News talking point, and I seem to remember the white supremacists showing up at Tea Party rallies. Remember how the left tried to pin that as the Tea Party's racist ties? That's just as ridiculous as trying to equate OWS with the CPUSA and Ahmadinejad. You can't seem to discuss the protests with any criticisms that are grounded in reality, and again, OWS is more popular with Americans than the Tea Party.

I wouldn't know, I don't watch FOX news, but I DO see plenty of signs denouncing capitalism and I do hear PLENTY of communist and socialist rhetoric coming from the OWS camp.  The rest is my opinion, and we each have one.

[M Knight]

I wouldn't know, I don't watch FOX news, but I DO see plenty of signs denouncing capitalism and I do hear PLENTY of communist and socialist rhetoric coming from the OWS camp.  The rest is my opinion, and we each have one.

Opinions will soon be taxable under the Obama Administration.  The further away from the hard left your opinion is, the higher your tax will be.  

[Silent]

The only thing I can agree with that I've seen come from OWS is stopping private businesses from having influence on government, which seems to be a minority opinion.  It's at least not at the top of the list of things I get from their message.  Private business should have no influence over government and there certainly should be no money going back and forth between the two.  The sad part is I think these motivated people could actually accomplish something if they rallied around this and directed their protests at the government itself.  Protests can threaten politicians jobs unlike CEO's.

Other than that I mostly hear the "99% vs. 1%" argument which I don't really get maybe.  I get the impression there's an underlying belief that businesses should care about people, and used to in the past, which is laughable.  Any CEO or business owner, big or small, from any period in history, will tell you flat out they exist to make money, period.  The more the better.  To get upset at these people for being sucessful seems silly.  Demanding  a redistribution of wealth is worse than silly.  They won't redistribute, and shouldn't, for the same reason the 99% don't take their disposable income (of which there's much more than they admit) and give it all away to homeless people.  There's people all over the country hurting much worse than your average person at OWS is.  Why don't they redistribute some of their wealth and help a stranger out?  Oh that's something someone else should do instead??  Riiight.

Actually a second thing I agree with is being against the bailouts that happened.  The banks and car companies should've been allowed to fail and go under.  Regardless of economic consequences.  Fuck em, that's not how this country should work.  But that's far in the past at this point and protesting it won't do anything.  They missed their chance on that one.  And again this seems to be a minority priority.

[The General]

The fact that the protesters are not in front of the White House says a lot.

[999]

These demonstrations just go to show that the democrat power structure and the CPUSA are on the exact same page when it comes right down to it.  All Obama's talk about how evil the rich are, HA!  What the fuck is he, poor?  And all his friends?  And all his donors?  All the people that are paying 35000 dollars just for the privilege of breaking bread with him?  How are these wealthy aristocrats anti-wealth?  It's such an obvious ruse.  Class warfare, street demonstrations, blame the rich.... we've seen this before in history, and it never ends well.  It usually ends up with some prison camps somewhere.

The Guardian, Friday 7 November 2008

"Barack Obama owes Wall Street bankers a debt of gratitude for generous campaign donations as he ponders how to cope with a financial crisis that poses challenges over government aid and regulation for the banking industry."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/08/barackobama-wallstreet-bankers-campaign-donations-goldmansachs

LMAO

[The General]

The Guardian, Friday 7 November 2008

"Barack Obama owes Wall Street bankers a debt of gratitude for generous campaign donations as he ponders how to cope with a financial crisis that poses challenges over government aid and regulation for the banking industry."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/08/barackobama-wallstreet-bankers-campaign-donations-goldmansachs

LMAO

I hope wealthy people and businesses have learned their God damned lesson and won't give millions of dollars to any more Socialists campaigning for the white house.  I doubt it though.

[TaoOfLuxLisbon]

I hope wealthy people and businesses have learned their God damned lesson and won't give millions of dollars to any more Socialists campaigning for the white house.  I doubt it though.

I'm pretty sure Eisenhower wouldn't get a dime if he were around today.

[SgtRocko]

The BIGGEST difference between OWS and the Tea Baggers is that OWS isn't completely sponsored and directed by the Koch brothers, Dick Armey, et al.

The other lie the right is spreading is the anti-semitism. At least in NYC, that is completely untrue.  My brother is a policeman, as are many of the officers AND OWS protestors.  Whenever some of the peace groups try to spout anti Israel crap, the OWS organisers quash it; trust me, the Jewish members and cops are going to stomp anyone having a HitlerJugend rally.  My brother and friends have all TO A MAN said that the only anti semitic signs they've seen have been LaRouchies, Alex Jonesies, and Ron Paulists - and the usual nutjobs.  They're escorted out of the park immediately.

As for it not having any affect - already the banks which where going to charge fees for debit card usage have announced they are stopping; the Democratic Party is reeling - they were heading further and further to the right, now their base is calling them on it and they're having to stop running to the right.

Whether you agree with what they say or not, they are well within their rights to protest - that IS in the Constitution... something tells me the Founding Fathers didn't have permits in mind when they wrote about freedom of assembly, etc.  Can't see a Crown Governor issuing those.

[Lunger]

Occupy Wall Street....  Just a buch of assholes with their hand out.

[TaoOfLuxLisbon]

Occupy Wall Street....  Just a buch of assholes with their hand out.

I don't think you could describe Goldman/Sachs, Chase, Bank of America, any better than that....

.....well, except their hands usually ends up in someone's pocket if it's out too long.