Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Monday, October 17, 2011
T, 5:40pm
24 comments:
Eddie
said...
It is pretty astonishing how much of a global movement this "OWS" has become. It is also in a sense a sign of society's last gasp of air; for lack of better words. What else can the general public do to these corporations and the governments who protect them? All we can do is sit here and whine while the big corporate guys sit at there $12 million dollar homes and laugh at the "nothing" we as a public are doing. Yeah I can agree that all of these protests have opened the publics eyes a little. But the corporations will keep doing what they want to do, and the governments will be there by their sides freeloading off of all of the power and money these corporations are in control of. It is sad how in todays economy these corporations can pretty much tell the government what to do. Whos the real boss? As for us? The little guys? Were not going to overthrow any government any time soon. Nor will we stop consuming products from all of these corporations. I dont see my neighbor making his clothes in his garage, or designing a new form of transportation in his backyard. Just food for thought. EN
The opportunities the capitalism has given everybody are undeniable. The way we live today is far more safe and comfortable than before capitalism. What’s the problem then? There are some problems, and problems born out of those problems, but what is the core? Hypocrisy and selfishness. People may be healthier, and happier in many ways, but we have learned to be more and more selfish and hypocrite! The authority is not the exception. Knowing there are people whom possess monetary power, wouldn’t be logic to think they influence the authority? It is easy for them to do it; they just have to make-up a good excuse or hide it (hypocrisy). They are actually really bad pretending they are good; we can see it on the everyday news (if you watch television. I stopped doing that 3 years ago). So, if we all know the government is doing bad things, wasting money to get elected and re-elected, making us going to war (A.K.A killing people + they get money for that!). Why are we protesting just now? Well, the answer to that cannot be given by me. I think people are more aware of the situation thanks to the alternate media (Internet is not controlled by the government in the same way the radio and television is). There is also a false recovery from the recession, which made a lot of people irritated since they never got their jobs back. I’ve being listening to music that approaches this problem since I’m 12 years old. And what if I did? Marx said that capitalism would collapse someday, and people would take over the government. This had to happen. As I said, this is the core problem. There are dozens of problems that rise from this. Finally, I went to the protest on Saturday, October 15 (Also on Tuesday night by myself, after class). I stayed there from 2:00PM to 8:30PM I believe. I have seen some lack of order. I attribute this to the fact that the facilitators don’t want to be the leaders. At least, they don’t want the people to take them as leaders. I got the chance to talk privately with two of them after the assembly. In my opinion, they are good guys who are fighting for that I want to fight to: a better world, which would only be achieved by reducing corporate greed (since it sounds impossible to completely eliminate it). Did somebody say change? Ready!
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5271/oct15th008.jpg (myself carrying a banner somebody gave me)
Its about time a movement like the Occupy Wall Street movement happened, and people finally started paying attention to what’s going on around them and standing up for their rights. Because of a general stability of the economy in the United States throughout history (nobody really starving to death and being able to get by with a general sense of comfort) the American people placed too much faith in the government and in the capitalistic system itself, believing that voting for the right people in government would solve all problems. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. For example, President Obama has been trying his hardest to bring about real change in the country, and help the people with everything from jobs to healthcare to education, but even being the president of the strongest nation in the world does not guarantee you get what you want. Those who stand in his way and fight him tooth and nail on everything, mainly republicans, have a lot of power and are backed by corporations and major money resources to ensure he will not succeed because this would mean the top 1% of the rich and powerful in the nation would lose out on money. So it’s about time the people stand up and do something to take away some of that power this 1% has, because Obama can’t do it by himself. There may be slight differences among those protesting in what exactly they want to see happen, but the consensus is- something better than this. The unethical, immoral, illegal, and just plain wrong behavior of the corporations and the CEO’s and legislators behind them has to stop. The people have to be given back the rights and opportunities to live again, think about the future without fear and provide for their families without unreasonable hardship.
Occupy Wall Street is really gaining momentum and is likely to pick up steam in the weeks and months ahead.I feel the American people are angry but they are not sure what to be angry about. I feel its easy for Americans to point their finger at Wall Street but Wall Street is not the problem. The Federal Reserve and their policies of creating massive monetary inflation are the root cause of all our economic problems, including the destruction of the middle class. I believe a prosperous Wall Street is important for the future of the U.S. economy. Occupy Wall Street protesters need to educate themselves to the facts and truth about what is truly causing the economic problems in the U.S. economy. Michael Guelbenzu
"To denounce corporate excess, i.e., unethical corporate-friendly legislation, unfair corporate tax breaks, irresponsible corporate deregulation and its dramatic aftermath: lack of opportunities, unemployment, the crumbling of American manufacturing and organized labor, urban blight ...."(We've dwelt in the wrong places for to long). Our world has to realize of the real objective of why we are here on this Earth. In my opinion and other believers- the human race is the species that is suppose to nurture the planet. As the superior race on this Earth we have to be in tuned with nature. Follow the ways of the native Indians. The people that first nurtured the planet until greedy men became disastrous. Technology and the desire to expane lead to a massive population increase. while all of this happens the earth will slowly die. Over consumption and pollution caused by man is the source of the abuse being made- frustrating the planet and will rid of those doing harm the most. Even though our world is faster, more fashionable, hygienically superior in most parts of the world- a portion of the world's population that still has no idea of technology or anything that you and I know. My point go back to a certain point of human existence time line and not rely on corporations. Make your own shirt, walk to your location or even run, hunt your food, ride a horse. Basically be in tuned and preserve your Earth because that is the reason why we are here. It's not a product, nurture the Earth. These metropolitan cities around the world have to go.
The Occupy movement is long overdue, and I hope it is not too late to fix the massive amount of harm caused by the unethical practices on both wall street and in the board rooms. Currently, there is a massive extraction of money taking place daily from the United States. This is not an opinion, it is a mathematical fact. Republicans aren't doing it, and the democrats aren't doing it. There is an entire integrated financial system at work, including the trading and taxing system that is sucking the US dry. This system was put into place by both parties over the past couple decades, and we are now seeing the effects of that irresponsible legislation. There is only one person in the position to fix the current problems, the President. He needs to go to the American people and tell them that their congress is bought. Congress is incapable of making, let alone passing, legislation on healthcare, banking, trade, or taxes because if they do it they will lose their political funding. Those that fund our politicians get preferential tax treatment, and I could give you a list of examples but I'll try and keep it short. Money in politics is the root of all political evil, it is corruption at its worst. People must understand that until we get the money out of politics, we will have the same system in place. Therefore, until we have a President willing to stand up to this so called 1%, the American people are going to walk around with blindfolds on, getting their information from corporate media outlets telling them it's the wealthy / greedy republicans fault or the it's the under-educated / socialists democrats fault.
I have a sincere fondness for debate and this has become a hot topic for me to use. The people I discuss this with have a an apparent hatred for capitalism, yet when I ask them to define capitalism, they cannot. They instead describe the problems they find with capitalism, including corporate greed and unfair wages. I do not think these people are wrong in protesting. The cause is a just one. There IS corporate greed and we DO need to make changes. But many people refuse to read the information that is there for them to read. I found an interesting analysis on the current economic state: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTzMqm2TwgE
The problem with hating capitalism is that it is the very core of which our greatest belief is founded on. Freedom of the people. We are free to run ourselves instead of the government doing so. We can start our own business and be our own masters. We pick who leads us and we can get rid of them if we so choose. We don't appreciate this power and instead of wielding it, we let others wield it for us in a paradoxical way. This protest is a great way to start wielding this power again. I just hope that we us it like a knife, with intelligent precision, instead of an axe, with unrestrained gusto.
I usually avoid the first person point of view but, “We’ve dwelt in the wrong place for too long”, is very personal to me. Like many others I watched the Occupy Wall Street movement grow while the main stream media gave specious sound bite coverage. Like many others I reasoned that Wall Street was far away while I flipped the channel to something more entertaining. Then the Occupy movement came to Miami and I continued to sit on my couch. Like live frogs boiled slow we sit disconnected from Miami’s 26 percent poverty rate, 12 percent unemployment rate and 30 percent uninsured rate. I was finally forced off my perch of disconnect by the lure of extra credit and headed down to Government Center. There were tents everywhere and people hanging around in small groups. I tried to blend in but Joanna noticed me. She used to work as a medical assistant before she was laid off. I used to work for Bank of America before I was laid off. Now she was waiting tables at a local restaurant when not occupying the square. Her tent was converted into the medical tent for the Occupy Miami Movement. I learned that one man had come by and donated first aid supplies. Another woman, a lawyer, paid for the maintenance of the portable potties. The police had even allowed the use of their restrooms nearby before the arrival of the portable potties and were helpful in removing discreditable elements. I thanked Joanna, declined the offer to eat, and moved on. Nestor and Patti had been there since the movement began. They helped with publicity among other things. Patti was from Argentina and I asked her why the Hispanic turnout was so low. She said that many people did not identify with the problems facing Americans. They didn’t view themselves as Americans, still having strong ties to their birth countries. Seventy-two year old Fernando from Cuba, who assisted immigrants in Little Havana, said that many people were fearful of arrest and what that might do to their immigration status. I had the same fear. Alicia told me that her friend Anna got her out from off her couch. Anna works as a school teacher. She held a sign which said, “Bailout education, not banks.” Alicia’s sign read, “United Citizens against Citizens United.” Citizens United had opened the door for corporations like banks to undermine the integrity of elected institutions without limit. Meanwhile, the ordinary working class suffers in a soup of corruption made legal by our elected institutions. I looked around the Occupy Miami movement and knew that I belonged with this group. If they fail, I fail. I refuse to dwell on my couch any longer. I encourage all of you to take a long hard look at yourselves. Ten years from now when your children are dying in poverty or living the American dream, you want to remember that you dwelled on the right side of history.
President Clinton, have compared the Occupy Wall Street and similar groups around the country with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the anti-war movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The redistribution of wealth in this country, regardless of what one thinks of its origins and how or if it reflects on morality or justice or other important dimensions, is a documented phenomenon, so I'm not surprised that there will be protests. There are many ways of effecting change, and one of them is to raise consciousness about issues of concern. This is not the sole way to change anything (if one thinks that change is needed), but it is a time-honored method.
I did a little research on the Occupy Wall Street Demostration, as far as I see it this could be for more publicity than really anything. The movement has been criticized for having no goals or formal demands. Alot of things are the way they are, cause it is what it is. Everyone cant be wealthy. Is that really the aim of this movement? What people dont seem to understand is that the government does what they want to do and will continue to do so. Unfortuately, that is the world that we live in. The government will allow you to have your demostrations and protest, but at the end of the day they have the last say so.
I personally believe that the Occupy Wall Street movement is a commendable protest. Growing up in an American family, I have felt the wrath of poverty and the unjust financial inequality that the middle class faces. It is not surprising to me how much of a response this protest has received. However, I believe that the protesters expectations may be a little high, considering that our 1% isn’t exactly about to raise their white flag. I recently sat in on an interesting conversation that was similar to what Hinderaker is depicting in his picture. A friend of mine has become very involved in Occupy Miami has been protesting corporations and yet works for Apple at the genius bar. He was ignorantly confronted by someone about it and explained (possibly more eloquently than I could) that being employed and providing for his family by anyone willing to hire him was commendable at best. He explained how he never wanted to bring down the corporation, yet modify it. I agree with him in the sense that many protesters are becoming a little overzealous and that without corporations, the majority of Miami would be out of a job. It has nothing to do with what the corporations provide us with, whether it be a job or a product, but it is how the corporation runs itself and how the company is affecting us as American citizens.
I would have to say it take guts for people to stand for what they believe in and protest against big shot companies. Reason why I admire these people, because they are protest for what they believe in and making a change not only for themselves but for others in the process. Yet, it not being too effective since big companies only see is money in their eyes, leading to unfairness toward us all. It’s not far that we buy items from big companies just for us to get the short end of the stick in the long run and have to come out of pocket. For instance, how now all banks want to follow Bank of American method of using debt card and being charge $5 for your hard earned money. All these cooperation are out for our money. They don’t want to give us more for our dollar, they just want to find a way to get dollars out of us. -Alexandra Acevedo
Statistic after statistic shows the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Government spending is out of control, and government officials continue to spend thousands of dollars per second, increasing our debt when there's no money coming into the government. There is a lot of blame to spread around, and we can talk about whose fault it is, but it wouldn't really make a difference now. The truth is that the world is going through a hard economic downturn and instead of letting it fix itself like it did in the past, people seem to finally be voicing their opinions.
Occupy Wall Street has been a movement I have seen grow since it was in the process of becoming an organized protest. It a movement I personally have mixed feelings about but I believe it is about time people open up to have a discussion. Have a debate and face the problems that this country. I love it when I see people rally like this to and hopefully push the government to pass sound legislation. I support the half of the movement that protest government bailouts, the fed, and want some sort of legislation that does not give corporations the same rights as an American citizen, but there are also stances I disagree with. That is the true beauty about this movement, its not just one ideological view. It is many people, from different parts of the country that come from different back rounds and careers, that come together to stand up to a problem. I only hope that this movement doesn’t get cooped or bought. I hope it stays true to its values and keeps us engaged in this conversation.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is a very lively and concientious movement. It is quite amazing the amout of money the very large corporations and conglomerates have made and it would be scary to think about if this money were to be cruelly used. We know that the power is behind the money in this country meaning who ever has it has the power to persuade. Large corporations posses a large amount of money and therefore it would be wise to believe that they have a large say in what happens as far as rules and regulations go. Governments hold regulations on corporations and those regulations are being lessened from corporations funding the government. I agree in many cases that corporations have went out of their way to save and make money in the most disgusting ways. One very good example is Union Carbide India Limited; they had plants and factorys in India that were making pesticides and very harmfull chemicals. Their plant released extremely toxic chemicals to hundreds of thousands of people, and of those hundreds of thousands of people thousands of them died and thousands were permanently injurred. On top of that the company did not properly clean up the mess and gave absolutly no aid to the people. People that were in serious need and whos future seemed doomed. What is interesting in this case is that the company was owned by about fifty percent Union Carbide and fifty percent the Indian Government. How could the government defy their people this way and why have they not compensated them for their losses? The fact of the matter is these events are happening all over the world. Big corporations are taking their business to other countries because they have less regulation and also so that we the people do not see what is happening. I garuntee you the American company that opened up its pant in Inida would never have been able to create that factory here in America becuase of how unsafe and contaminating it would be. So maybe if the companies keep buying their freedom from the government, the government will no longer have any regulation on factories like the one mentioned before. This would probably end in disaster and the suffering of many people. What we need to do is become aware of where the money is; where it is coming from and where it is going in, only then will we know exactly what is happening politically. I give the people the people attending these functions more power and hope they succeed in finding the truth.
As Venezuelan I've participated in several street manifestations and for years we've stand our ground to prove our point, to prove that there are wrong to be fixed in our government in many areas. The truth is that to carry on a manifestation of this type is not easy and it must be done by people that are truly committed to its cause. To answer Romell McLeod I'm a Hispanic and as International student I would love to do something about the situation but I don't think this is the most efficient way to do so, the movements need to be more calculated from a legal and political point of view so it will have the effect that is needed, we need to "dwelt in the right place". To follow John Hinderaker point of view and not buy from the corporations will need a bigger participation for it to make an impact of some type, and is not real that this will change something.
I think that OWS movement was something that was bound to happen. However, while looking at the picture on this post, it is obvious that a whole lot of people do not exactly know where they stand. At least when it comes to the whole “company” being the enemy. I for one, do not have a problem with companies. In fact, companies if they were to function the proper way, are extremely beneficial to society. They provide jobs, with it we have a reduction of crime, and less poverty. Nevertheless, I was able to a part of the movement, at least for one day. I met amazing people that were part of the Occupy movement for the right reasons. The point that they made clear to me is not that they have a direct problem against the companies, but the way the money is being distributed, spent, and collected. It is not fair that, that 1% of the population pays taxes at the same rate, and not only they pay at the rate, most of them get countless tax cuts. I do believe that people should pay what is appropriate in proportion to what they earn. The people that get the most tax cuts are actually the billionaires, and now more than ever, we are divided into the very rich, and the very poor. This is bad news for any society. The disappearance of the middle class is a sign of the country losing its financial stability.
Occupy Miami, Wall Street and similar movements have a noble cause yet the lack of organization and a way to make specific demands may be a fatal flaw in the movement. I been criticizing corporations in previous post that were not focused on the topic and now that the topic is about it, I can go a little into the problems I see in corporations. First as I have said before money is number one, no matter if they ruined a city by outsourcing all jobs to India. And government can allow this kind of behavior in corporations. There is no limit for the profit a corporation can make and the one that does more money will always be praised better than the rest, as long as we keep this way of seeing thing the problem will remain.
As somebody said before the radical position of elimination corporations is a mistake, regulating them is for me a more accurate solution. The leaders of this corporations may not care about what anyone has to say but the 99% of USA has to be taken into account one way or another.
I believe that people are fed up of the same thing, rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. But basically they don’t even know where to begin the fight and place a complaint. Occupy Miami and wall street had been criticized for being movements with no target, no goal. The problem is not Wall Street, is the government that allows inflation. They must act and do something about it because if these manifestations continue they will raise people anger and will end in a tragedy movement.
I am happy to see that such movements are taking place, whether it is in New York, Miami or anywhere in the world. It is great to see people voicing their opinion and especially in a country where the first three words of the constitution says: We the people… Hinderaker's point of view is interesting but kind of absurd. Not using anything made from these corporations now a days would be like trying to go in a pool without getting wet. It’s impossible. The “99 percent” is just tired of being seen as numbers and statists while the 1 percent that rules the nation’s money gets richer and more and more powerful. These movements are essential for getting the facts out to the people who are blinded by their everyday routines. It is not a solution yet, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. It is a start that can lead to great and better changes for the American people and possibly the world. How can we forget what happened in Egypt, and all due to a few brave people who decided that they were going to fight for a better country.
Occupy Wall Street was eventually going to arise. It was about time that people got together and decide to take a stand for such a meaningful movement. Social and economical inequality by corporate greed is at an all time high. These protests have opened the eyes of many americans and force them to understand that the middle class is society is now in-exsistent. About 54% of americans have a favorable impression of the protest but in reality we share some of the blame for the success of these powerful corporations. Just like the picture in the post, everyday we give more and more money to the corporations we are standing up against. The problems in Wall Street isnt something that will change overnight, they will keep making money and laying people off for their own selfish greed but as american we have to start somewhere. Every morning instead of going to starbucks and getting your daily latte, go to your local corner cafeteria. You will spend less money and help support the protests.
The movement seems non-focused to some people but its truly an incredible response related to the economic problems we are currently facing in the US. I don’t think it is as s random as people think. Most of the protesters are expressing their concerns regarding loan debt, health care cost and debt, and jobs insecurity. People are out of jobs and have no prospect for new jobs. I think is time to step up and take the challenge.
In order for any protest to succeed, protestors need to be very big on their actions. In my opinion just sitting there in from of the “1%” and pulling up signs will get us nothing but looks. If you look back on our history, how we became the nation we are today, we rebelled on Britain on several factors. One of the big factors was “taxation without representation”. Getting taxed on every little thing without any say on the peoples part tip the balance from civilized way of doing things to, well a revolution.200 some years later and we have history repeating itself more or less. The 1% getting away with what I like to call it “murder” while the rest of us (99%) get to pay their bills (lots of taxes). I know this is one of many reasons why the protestors are protesting, I’m just saying if one expects to see results in this type of situation we got to think on whom we should demand the change. Setting on down with signs on Wall Street will get us no where. Having people setting outside the Whitehouse and on congress demanding regulation for the crimes Wall Street has done will prove fruitful. People will take so much abuse before a riot breaks out; history shows this time and time again. (Fernando Fragoso TT class phi2010)
24 comments:
It is pretty astonishing how much of a global movement this "OWS" has become. It is also in a sense a sign of society's last gasp of air; for lack of better words. What else can the general public do to these corporations and the governments who protect them? All we can do is sit here and whine while the big corporate guys sit at there $12 million dollar homes and laugh at the "nothing" we as a public are doing. Yeah I can agree that all of these protests have opened the publics eyes a little. But the corporations will keep doing what they want to do, and the governments will be there by their sides freeloading off of all of the power and money these corporations are in control of. It is sad how in todays economy these corporations can pretty much tell the government what to do. Whos the real boss? As for us? The little guys? Were not going to overthrow any government any time soon. Nor will we stop consuming products from all of these corporations. I dont see my neighbor making his clothes in his garage, or designing a new form of transportation in his backyard. Just food for thought. EN
The opportunities the capitalism has given everybody are undeniable. The way we live today is far more safe and comfortable than before capitalism. What’s the problem then? There are some problems, and problems born out of those problems, but what is the core? Hypocrisy and selfishness. People may be healthier, and happier in many ways, but we have learned to be more and more selfish and hypocrite! The authority is not the exception. Knowing there are people whom possess monetary power, wouldn’t be logic to think they influence the authority? It is easy for them to do it; they just have to make-up a good excuse or hide it (hypocrisy). They are actually really bad pretending they are good; we can see it on the everyday news (if you watch television. I stopped doing that 3 years ago). So, if we all know the government is doing bad things, wasting money to get elected and re-elected, making us going to war (A.K.A killing people + they get money for that!). Why are we protesting just now? Well, the answer to that cannot be given by me. I think people are more aware of the situation thanks to the alternate media (Internet is not controlled by the government in the same way the radio and television is). There is also a false recovery from the recession, which made a lot of people irritated since they never got their jobs back. I’ve being listening to music that approaches this problem since I’m 12 years old. And what if I did? Marx said that capitalism would collapse someday, and people would take over the government. This had to happen. As I said, this is the core problem. There are dozens of problems that rise from this. Finally, I went to the protest on Saturday, October 15 (Also on Tuesday night by myself, after class). I stayed there from 2:00PM to 8:30PM I believe. I have seen some lack of order. I attribute this to the fact that the facilitators don’t want to be the leaders. At least, they don’t want the people to take them as leaders. I got the chance to talk privately with two of them after the assembly. In my opinion, they are good guys who are fighting for that I want to fight to: a better world, which would only be achieved by reducing corporate greed (since it sounds impossible to completely eliminate it). Did somebody say change? Ready!
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5271/oct15th008.jpg
(myself carrying a banner somebody gave me)
Kevin Caro
Its about time a movement like the Occupy Wall Street movement happened, and people finally started paying attention to what’s going on around them and standing up for their rights. Because of a general stability of the economy in the United States throughout history (nobody really starving to death and being able to get by with a general sense of comfort) the American people placed too much faith in the government and in the capitalistic system itself, believing that voting for the right people in government would solve all problems. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. For example, President Obama has been trying his hardest to bring about real change in the country, and help the people with everything from jobs to healthcare to education, but even being the president of the strongest nation in the world does not guarantee you get what you want. Those who stand in his way and fight him tooth and nail on everything, mainly republicans, have a lot of power and are backed by corporations and major money resources to ensure he will not succeed because this would mean the top 1% of the rich and powerful in the nation would lose out on money. So it’s about time the people stand up and do something to take away some of that power this 1% has, because Obama can’t do it by himself. There may be slight differences among those protesting in what exactly they want to see happen, but the consensus is- something better than this. The unethical, immoral, illegal, and just plain wrong behavior of the corporations and the CEO’s and legislators behind them has to stop. The people have to be given back the rights and opportunities to live again, think about the future without fear and provide for their families without unreasonable hardship.
Occupy Wall Street is really gaining momentum and is likely to pick up steam in the weeks and months ahead.I feel the American people are angry but they are not sure what to be angry about. I feel its easy for Americans to point their finger at Wall Street but Wall Street is not the problem. The Federal Reserve and their policies of creating massive monetary inflation are the root cause of all our economic problems, including the destruction of the middle class. I believe a prosperous Wall Street is important for the future of the U.S. economy. Occupy Wall Street protesters need to educate themselves to the facts and truth about what is truly causing the economic problems in the U.S. economy. Michael Guelbenzu
"To denounce corporate excess, i.e., unethical corporate-friendly legislation, unfair corporate tax breaks, irresponsible corporate deregulation and its dramatic aftermath: lack of opportunities, unemployment, the crumbling of American manufacturing and organized labor, urban blight ...."(We've dwelt in the wrong places for to long).
Our world has to realize of the real objective of why we are here on this Earth. In my opinion and other believers- the human race is the species that is suppose to nurture the planet. As the superior race on this Earth we have to be in tuned with nature. Follow the ways of the native Indians. The people that first nurtured the planet until greedy men became disastrous. Technology and the desire to expane lead to a massive population increase. while all of this happens the earth will slowly die. Over consumption and pollution caused by man is the source of the abuse being made- frustrating the planet and will rid of those doing harm the most. Even though our world is faster, more fashionable, hygienically superior in most parts of the world- a portion of the world's population that still has no idea of technology or anything that you and I know. My point go back to a certain point of human existence time line and not rely on corporations. Make your own shirt, walk to your location or even run, hunt your food, ride a horse. Basically be in tuned and preserve your Earth because that is the reason why we are here. It's not a product, nurture the Earth. These metropolitan cities around the world have to go.
The Occupy movement is long overdue, and I hope it is not too late to fix the massive amount of harm caused by the unethical practices on both wall street and in the board rooms. Currently, there is a massive extraction of money taking place daily from the United States. This is not an opinion, it is a mathematical fact. Republicans aren't doing it, and the democrats aren't doing it. There is an entire integrated financial system at work, including the trading and taxing system that is sucking the US dry. This system was put into place by both parties over the past couple decades, and we are now seeing the effects of that irresponsible legislation. There is only one person in the position to fix the current problems, the President. He needs to go to the American people and tell them that their congress is bought. Congress is incapable of making, let alone passing, legislation on healthcare, banking, trade, or taxes because if they do it they will lose their political funding. Those that fund our politicians get preferential tax treatment, and I could give you a list of examples but I'll try and keep it short. Money in politics is the root of all political evil, it is corruption at its worst. People must understand that until we get the money out of politics, we will have the same system in place. Therefore, until we have a President willing to stand up to this so called 1%, the American people are going to walk around with blindfolds on, getting their information from corporate media outlets telling them it's the wealthy / greedy republicans fault or the it's the under-educated / socialists democrats fault.
-Robert Brown
I have a sincere fondness for debate and this has become a hot topic for me to use. The people I discuss this with have a an apparent hatred for capitalism, yet when I ask them to define capitalism, they cannot. They instead describe the problems they find with capitalism, including corporate greed and unfair wages.
I do not think these people are wrong in protesting. The cause is a just one. There IS corporate greed and we DO need to make changes. But many people refuse to read the information that is there for them to read. I found an interesting analysis on the current economic state: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTzMqm2TwgE
The problem with hating capitalism is that it is the very core of which our greatest belief is founded on. Freedom of the people. We are free to run ourselves instead of the government doing so. We can start our own business and be our own masters. We pick who leads us and we can get rid of them if we so choose. We don't appreciate this power and instead of wielding it, we let others wield it for us in a paradoxical way. This protest is a great way to start wielding this power again. I just hope that we us it like a knife, with intelligent precision, instead of an axe, with unrestrained gusto.
I usually avoid the first person point of view but, “We’ve dwelt in the wrong place for too long”, is very personal to me. Like many others I watched the Occupy Wall Street movement grow while the main stream media gave specious sound bite coverage. Like many others I reasoned that Wall Street was far away while I flipped the channel to something more entertaining. Then the Occupy movement came to Miami and I continued to sit on my couch. Like live frogs boiled slow we sit disconnected from Miami’s 26 percent poverty rate, 12 percent unemployment rate and 30 percent uninsured rate.
I was finally forced off my perch of disconnect by the lure of extra credit and headed down to Government Center. There were tents everywhere and people hanging around in small groups. I tried to blend in but Joanna noticed me. She used to work as a medical assistant before she was laid off. I used to work for Bank of America before I was laid off. Now she was waiting tables at a local restaurant when not occupying the square. Her tent was converted into the medical tent for the Occupy Miami Movement. I learned that one man had come by and donated first aid supplies. Another woman, a lawyer, paid for the maintenance of the portable potties. The police had even allowed the use of their restrooms nearby before the arrival of the portable potties and were helpful in removing discreditable elements. I thanked Joanna, declined the offer to eat, and moved on.
Nestor and Patti had been there since the movement began. They helped with publicity among other things. Patti was from Argentina and I asked her why the Hispanic turnout was so low. She said that many people did not identify with the problems facing Americans. They didn’t view themselves as Americans, still having strong ties to their birth countries. Seventy-two year old Fernando from Cuba, who assisted immigrants in Little Havana, said that many people were fearful of arrest and what that might do to their immigration status. I had the same fear.
Alicia told me that her friend Anna got her out from off her couch. Anna works as a school teacher. She held a sign which said, “Bailout education, not banks.” Alicia’s sign read, “United Citizens against Citizens United.” Citizens United had opened the door for corporations like banks to undermine the integrity of elected institutions without limit. Meanwhile, the ordinary working class suffers in a soup of corruption made legal by our elected institutions.
I looked around the Occupy Miami movement and knew that I belonged with this group. If they fail, I fail. I refuse to dwell on my couch any longer. I encourage all of you to take a long hard look at yourselves. Ten years from now when your children are dying in poverty or living the American dream, you want to remember that you dwelled on the right side of history.
President Clinton, have compared the Occupy Wall Street and similar groups around the country with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the anti-war movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The redistribution of wealth in this country, regardless of what one thinks of its origins and how or if it reflects on morality or justice or other important dimensions, is a documented phenomenon, so I'm not surprised that there will be protests. There are many ways of effecting change, and one of them is to raise consciousness about issues of concern. This is not the sole way to change anything (if one thinks that change is needed), but it is a time-honored method.
I did a little research on the Occupy Wall Street Demostration, as far as I see it this could be for more publicity than really anything. The movement has been criticized for having no goals or formal demands. Alot of things are the way they are, cause it is what it is. Everyone cant be wealthy. Is that really the aim of this movement? What people dont seem to understand is that the government does what they want to do and will continue to do so. Unfortuately, that is the world that we live in. The government will allow you to have your demostrations and protest, but at the end of the day they have the last say so.
I personally believe that the Occupy Wall Street movement is a commendable protest. Growing up in an American family, I have felt the wrath of poverty and the unjust financial inequality that the middle class faces. It is not surprising to me how much of a response this protest has received. However, I believe that the protesters expectations may be a little high, considering that our 1% isn’t exactly about to raise their white flag. I recently sat in on an interesting conversation that was similar to what Hinderaker is depicting in his picture. A friend of mine has become very involved in Occupy Miami has been protesting corporations and yet works for Apple at the genius bar. He was ignorantly confronted by someone about it and explained (possibly more eloquently than I could) that being employed and providing for his family by anyone willing to hire him was commendable at best. He explained how he never wanted to bring down the corporation, yet modify it. I agree with him in the sense that many protesters are becoming a little overzealous and that without corporations, the majority of Miami would be out of a job. It has nothing to do with what the corporations provide us with, whether it be a job or a product, but it is how the corporation runs itself and how the company is affecting us as American citizens.
I would have to say it take guts for people to stand for what they believe in and protest against big shot companies. Reason why I admire these people, because they are protest for what they believe in and making a change not only for themselves but for others in the process. Yet, it not being too effective since big companies only see is money in their eyes, leading to unfairness toward us all. It’s not far that we buy items from big companies just for us to get the short end of the stick in the long run and have to come out of pocket. For instance, how now all banks want to follow Bank of American method of using debt card and being charge $5 for your hard earned money. All these cooperation are out for our money. They don’t want to give us more for our dollar, they just want to find a way to get dollars out of us.
-Alexandra Acevedo
Statistic after statistic shows the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Government spending is out of control, and government officials continue to spend thousands of dollars per second, increasing our debt when there's no money coming into the government.
There is a lot of blame to spread around, and we can talk about whose fault it is, but it wouldn't really make a difference now. The truth is that the world is going through a hard economic downturn and instead of letting it fix itself like it did in the past, people seem to finally be voicing their opinions.
Occupy Wall Street has been a movement I have seen grow since it was in the process of becoming an organized protest. It a movement I personally have mixed feelings about but I believe it is about time people open up to have a discussion. Have a debate and face the problems that this country. I love it when I see people rally like this to and hopefully push the government to pass sound legislation. I support the half of the movement that protest government bailouts, the fed, and want some sort of legislation that does not give corporations the same rights as an American citizen, but there are also stances I disagree with. That is the true beauty about this movement, its not just one ideological view. It is many people, from different parts of the country that come from different back rounds and careers, that come together to stand up to a problem. I only hope that this movement doesn’t get cooped or bought. I hope it stays true to its values and keeps us engaged in this conversation.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is a very lively and concientious movement. It is quite amazing the amout of money the very large corporations and conglomerates have made and it would be scary to think about if this money were to be cruelly used. We know that the power is behind the money in this country meaning who ever has it has the power to persuade. Large corporations posses a large amount of money and therefore it would be wise to believe that they have a large say in what happens as far as rules and regulations go. Governments hold regulations on corporations and those regulations are being lessened from corporations funding the government. I agree in many cases that corporations have went out of their way to save and make money in the most disgusting ways. One very good example is Union Carbide India Limited; they had plants and factorys in India that were making pesticides and very harmfull chemicals. Their plant released extremely toxic chemicals to hundreds of thousands of people, and of those hundreds of thousands of people thousands of them died and thousands were permanently injurred. On top of that the company did not properly clean up the mess and gave absolutly no aid to the people. People that were in serious need and whos future seemed doomed. What is interesting in this case is that the company was owned by about fifty percent Union Carbide and fifty percent the Indian Government. How could the government defy their people this way and why have they not compensated them for their losses? The fact of the matter is these events are happening all over the world. Big corporations are taking their business to other countries because they have less regulation and also so that we the people do not see what is happening. I garuntee you the American company that opened up its pant in Inida would never have been able to create that factory here in America becuase of how unsafe and contaminating it would be. So maybe if the companies keep buying their freedom from the government, the government will no longer have any regulation on factories like the one mentioned before. This would probably end in disaster and the suffering of many people. What we need to do is become aware of where the money is; where it is coming from and where it is going in, only then will we know exactly what is happening politically. I give the people the people attending these functions more power and hope they succeed in finding the truth.
As Venezuelan I've participated in several street manifestations and for years we've stand our ground to prove our point, to prove that there are wrong to be fixed in our government in many areas. The truth is that to carry on a manifestation of this type is not easy and it must be done by people that are truly committed to its cause. To answer Romell McLeod I'm a Hispanic and as International student I would love to do something about the situation but I don't think this is the most efficient way to do so, the movements need to be more calculated from a legal and political point of view so it will have the effect that is needed, we need to "dwelt in the right place". To follow John Hinderaker point of view and not buy from the corporations will need a bigger participation for it to make an impact of some type, and is not real that this will change something.
I think that OWS movement was something that was bound to happen. However, while looking at the picture on this post, it is obvious that a whole lot of people do not exactly know where they stand. At least when it comes to the whole “company” being the enemy. I for one, do not have a problem with companies. In fact, companies if they were to function the proper way, are extremely beneficial to society. They provide jobs, with it we have a reduction of crime, and less poverty. Nevertheless, I was able to a part of the movement, at least for one day. I met amazing people that were part of the Occupy movement for the right reasons. The point that they made clear to me is not that they have a direct problem against the companies, but the way the money is being distributed, spent, and collected. It is not fair that, that 1% of the population pays taxes at the same rate, and not only they pay at the rate, most of them get countless tax cuts. I do believe that people should pay what is appropriate in proportion to what they earn. The people that get the most tax cuts are actually the billionaires, and now more than ever, we are divided into the very rich, and the very poor. This is bad news for any society. The disappearance of the middle class is a sign of the country losing its financial stability.
Alejandro Gonzalvez
Occupy Miami, Wall Street and similar movements have a noble cause yet the lack of organization and a way to make specific demands may be a fatal flaw in the movement. I been criticizing corporations in previous post that were not focused on the topic and now that the topic is about it, I can go a little into the problems I see in corporations. First as I have said before money is number one, no matter if they ruined a city by outsourcing all jobs to India. And government can allow this kind of behavior in corporations. There is no limit for the profit a corporation can make and the one that does more money will always be praised better than the rest, as long as we keep this way of seeing thing the problem will remain.
As somebody said before the radical position of elimination corporations is a mistake, regulating them is for me a more accurate solution. The leaders of this corporations may not care about what anyone has to say but the 99% of USA has to be taken into account one way or another.
I believe that people are fed up of the same thing, rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. But basically they don’t even know where to begin the fight and place a complaint. Occupy Miami and wall street had been criticized for being movements with no target, no goal. The problem is not Wall Street, is the government that allows inflation. They must act and do something about it because if these manifestations continue they will raise people anger and will end in a tragedy movement.
I am happy to see that such movements are taking place, whether it is in New York, Miami or anywhere in the world. It is great to see people voicing their opinion and especially in a country where the first three words of the constitution says: We the people… Hinderaker's point of view is interesting but kind of absurd. Not using anything made from these corporations now a days would be like trying to go in a pool without getting wet. It’s impossible. The “99 percent” is just tired of being seen as numbers and statists while the 1 percent that rules the nation’s money gets richer and more and more powerful. These movements are essential for getting the facts out to the people who are blinded by their everyday routines. It is not a solution yet, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. It is a start that can lead to great and better changes for the American people and possibly the world. How can we forget what happened in Egypt, and all due to a few brave people who decided that they were going to fight for a better country.
Occupy Wall Street was eventually going to arise. It was about time that people got together and decide to take a stand for such a meaningful movement. Social and economical inequality by corporate greed is at an all time high. These protests have opened the eyes of many americans and force them to understand that the middle class is society is now in-exsistent. About 54% of americans have a favorable impression of the protest but in reality we share some of the blame for the success of these powerful corporations. Just like the picture in the post, everyday we give more and more money to the corporations we are standing up against. The problems in Wall Street isnt something that will change overnight, they will keep making money and laying people off for their own selfish greed but as american we have to start somewhere. Every morning instead of going to starbucks and getting your daily latte, go to your local corner cafeteria. You will spend less money and help support the protests.
-Jessenia Paez
The movement seems non-focused to some people but its truly an incredible response related to the economic problems we are currently facing in the US. I don’t think it is as s random as people think. Most of the protesters are expressing their concerns regarding loan debt, health care cost and debt, and jobs insecurity. People are out of jobs and have no prospect for new jobs. I think is time to step up and take the challenge.
Andrea Calderon
In order for any protest to succeed, protestors need to be very big on their actions. In my opinion just sitting there in from of the “1%” and pulling up signs will get us nothing but looks. If you look back on our history, how we became the nation we are today, we rebelled on Britain on several factors. One of the big factors was “taxation without representation”. Getting taxed on every little thing without any say on the peoples part tip the balance from civilized way of doing things to, well a revolution.200 some years later and we have history repeating itself more or less. The 1% getting away with what I like to call it “murder” while the rest of us (99%) get to pay their bills (lots of taxes).
I know this is one of many reasons why the protestors are protesting, I’m just saying if one expects to see results in this type of situation we got to think on whom we should demand the change. Setting on down with signs on Wall Street will get us no where. Having people setting outside the Whitehouse and on congress demanding regulation for the crimes Wall Street has done will prove fruitful. People will take so much abuse before a riot breaks out; history shows this time and time again. (Fernando Fragoso TT class phi2010)
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