Occupy movement - I'm in the 100%

[FourPawz]

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Thank you for your service to this country. In addition, thank you for protecting the rights of all American citizens to speak their minds, even if you disagree with what they say.

 

[easttxchick]

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That's a VERY interesting thought considering the political bent of the majority of the people involved in the OWS movement.
I guess you would consider that bunch of people "enlightened", right? Not hypocritical AT ALL!
Insult accepted, thank you very much..

 

[Q9]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Well Q You are not wrong. And in particular the veterans for peace placed themselves between the protestors and the police to remind the police that they should not fire upon unarmed protestors. In Oakland some protestors did throw rocks and paint at police. But, there are dozens of videos out there. The police turned that crowd into a battle scene, severe over use of force and aiming straight at people, throwing grenades at people coming in to retrieve the injured etc.

Intelligent people like yourself should actually consider getting involved in Occupy. It has a significant on-line life and those who have solid viable ideas for how this energy should or could be utilized in a positive way should get in and try to help steer. It taps into too many people's anger and some of their complaints cross lines. Too many people think "something" is wrong and "something" needs to be done but they don't really know what.

OK there they are, motivated and energized what would you like them to do? You might not be able to make it go exactly as you want, but I can guarantee you one thing - if you fight it, it will go exactly where you don't want it.

You and I do not often agree, but I tremendously respect your thoughtful approach to the issues of the world. I am old. You are the generation that will create the world my children will inhabit.

I have noticed a lot of people more aligned with my viewpoints blatantly hijacking OWS, marching out with "End the Fed" signs. As far as I can see, OWS for the most part has spotted the problem - crony capitalism/corporatism - but completely screwed up the solution. It's GOOD that they're out there doing something, but I'm not sure they actually know what they're protesting when they say "crony capitalism," especially looking at their "solutions."​

 

[Ridgerunner]

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I love it!!! I don't totally agree with your assessment. I don't agree that they are all bible-thumping.

Would you mind posting why you are going? I'm not convinced the movement has a direction yet but I'd really like your take on it.

A request from an ex-Army. And I am a definite ex from the early 70's.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

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I have noticed a lot of people more aligned with my viewpoints blatantly hijacking OWS, marching out with "End the Fed" signs. As far as I can see, OWS for the most part has spotted the problem - crony capitalism/corporatism - but completely screwed up the solution. It's GOOD that they're out there doing something, but I'm not sure they actually know what they're protesting when they say "crony capitalism," especially looking at their "solutions."

I agree, so go do some 'splaining. They have teach ins.

 

[chickened]

The police are the tool being used by the cities, they do not do what they do because "they" want to they do what the city tells them to do, quite effectively sometimes.

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Well Q You are not wrong. And in particular the veterans for peace placed themselves between the protestors and the police to remind the police that they should not fire upon unarmed protestors. In Oakland some protestors did throw rocks and paint at police. But, there are dozens of videos out there. The police turned that crowd into a battle scene, severe over use of force and aiming straight at people, throwing grenades at people coming in to retrieve the injured etc.

Intelligent people like yourself should actually consider getting involved in Occupy. It has a significant on-line life and those who have solid viable ideas for how this energy should or could be utilized in a positive way should get in and try to help steer. It taps into too many people's anger and some of their complaints cross lines. Too many people think "something" is wrong and "something" needs to be done but they don't really know what.

OK there they are, motivated and energized what would you like them to do? You might not be able to make it go exactly as you want, but I can guarantee you one thing - if you fight it, it will go exactly where you don't want it.

You and I do not often agree, but I tremendously respect your thoughtful approach to the issues of the world. I am old. You are the generation that will create the world my children will inhabit.​

 

[Zinnia-Hen]

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Thank you for your service to this country. In addition, thank you for protecting the rights of all American citizens to speak their minds, even if you disagree with what they say.

x2.

 

[ivan3]

Well, until we, as individual citizens, decide to occupy the facts and demand accountability from those we have placed in positions of leadership, we can pretty much just keep our fingers crossed that those represenative's biggest donor's/sponsor's needs, desires and actions parallel ours (the general welfare and the common good isn't usually at the top of their lists, however).

I have no political affiliation. Being a social libertarian who thinks Tom Paine got it right, and a fiscal conservative with no use for casinos, I'm the odd guy out. That is O.K. If the Republic is being run for the Republic's sake by those with honesty and integrity I can live with the others who would have it do otherwise. What I can't stomach is the willingness for those who swear an oath to the Republic only to serve those masters who have no regard to the safety and well being of the Republic. Being greedy as a pig is no mortal sin, to me. Anyone who desires such lucre as they can acquire seems a somewhat narrow interest and avocation but, hey, whatever floats one's boat, yes? What is treasonous is using the leverage afforded by the cash to outfit the boat with a full compliment of congressional swabbos and collateralized debt cannons to go forth and sink the rest of us.

I think that the 2008 `crash' is still in the process of occurring. I keep seeing those slo-mo films by the National Highway Safety Administration - yeah, there I am, another crash test dummy. I keep hearing the constant plaints about `too much regulation/uncertainty!' Let me tell you that there was SO much regulation in place, in 2008 that, when Lehman's exposures (CDO's and other accounting hijinks) threatened to stop the world's credit markets in their tracks (and it was a close thing), Geithner, then the head of the New York Fed, sent only two `regulators' to the firm and, they did nothing but make a couple reports. And that `genius' (who couldn't get his own taxes right) is now the Secretary of the Treasury - pretty much doing nothing. Chariman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep Bachus (R ALA), shortly after the midterm elections forwarded a letter from Goldman Sachs to the banking regulators demanding that they not interfere with their `innovation' or they'd move their business offshore. Chairman Bachus stated "We're here to serve the banks". I think there is sufficient reason for disgust by all citizens regardless of their politics.

Remember, we still don't know how much bad paper is floating through the system (or still remains unreported by those institutions that hold it - Financial Services lobby got a change made to FASB - Acccounting Standards- so they don't have to admit to the debt they hold until they sell it - who know how much debt is left by the barons to be `socialized'. And, what do they care? They skimmed the froth off the `Sour Cream' on the front end, i.e., use a subsidiary to originate as many subprimes as humanly possible, get a compliant ratings agency to stamp it AAA (you get what you pay for, right?) and sell the trash to your Aunt Sallie's pension fund (privatize the profit/socialize the debt). This is exactly what Lehman did (and they were not alone - hey, did any of those left standing thank us for propping them up? Exhibit a little humility? Nope, more hubris). One of the reasons that Obama's mortgage plan is so popular with Wall Street: when an entity sells a mortgage to Freddy they swear that it meets acceptable standards - not fraudulent - if it is the `paper hanger' has to eat the whole loss and pay Uncle Sam - refinancing the mortgage wipes the slate clean - pretty sweet, huh?).

Bank of America, just last week, injected multiple trillions of dollars of `uncertainty' (Merrill Lynch derivatives from their Bank Holding Company into their FDIC backed depository - FDIC protested but the FED said, `do it') into our lives, guess who will get to eat the trash if the stuff is as bad as it probably is:

Precis: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/20/idUS347712244020111020 (link in report to in-depth examination by William Black).

The proposed Republican House budget cuts IT/pers. upgrade money from the Banking Regulatory Agencies (More over the counter contortions in the `level playing field' - hey, buy yourself a congressman who talks dereg. and is looking for money to run some more ads to get reelected. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/300630-1 (at 1:20).

If you have a few minutes I'd suggest watching these two hearings held by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission:

The first includes Dick Fuld of Lehman, but he's worthless. Watch William Black's testimony (brief bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_K._Black ). http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/LehmanBro
The second includes Kyle Bass. He tried to warn his former employers at Bear Stearns, as well as the Federal Reserve that bottom was rushing up - they blew him off. He then took the appropriate positions and made a billion dollars (listen closely when he discusses Freddie and Fannie http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/MarketPa

The FBI warned of the Subprime Mortgage Fraud epidemic in 2004. 2011? Not a single indictment of anyone directly connected. That is primarily because the perps are `directly connected' to Congressional hands in their pockets (don't forget prez and candidates for).

Write your Sen. Reps: ONLY PUBLIC FINANCING of elections or, `one dollar one vote'. Any and all mtgs with/information transmitted by any lobbyist must be posted as vid/document to congessperson's web site within 24hr. of said mtg./transfer - any office holder circumventing the law? 5 yr. mandatory minimum. That's simple, concrete and utterly reasonable (I'd also suggest demanding that William Black be brought back from UMKC to oversee the people's rebooting of the `free market' wiping away the virus of crony capitalism and regulatory capture).

Can't tolerate Cain's Social Conservatism but, if he had a come to jesus moment and said he'd appoint Black to sweep the decks I'd be most forgiving at the ballot box. Gotta have serious structural reform or my dream of liberty will remain just that, in perpetuity...

We do a lot so right: http://www.internet2.edu/ we need to purge the Republic of the wrong (gotta quit paying for gambler's criminally inspired and facilitated side bets on the productive economy)

ed: link correction

 

[Capvin]

Your detailed assesment, although difficult for the average person to comprehend, rings true to me. For the average person it may be difficult to understand all of the nuances of the many economic problems, but we all know when something stinks. And it does really smell bad and that is why the approval rating for congress is at a miserable 9%. Also agree with you about William Black!!

 

[goldtopper]

It shouldn't last too much longer. Cold weather's coming. These committed protestors wouldn't want to support corporations like Walmart and buy cold weather gear.