Protests in America 0.o

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A large rally of dissenters have gathered around Wall Street to protest against corporate greed, and social inequality. And this is only the beginning, the movement has grown and spread to 12 american cities. Although the demonstrations are largely peaceful, the protestors have been met with severe police brutality in scenes that can remind one of the demonstrations of "the arab spring", but it has not hindered the efforts of the dissenters. Mainstream american media have been pretty silent about it, however the movement has gained so much momentum that even the president of the united states has been forced to address the issue in a conference. Are we seeing the beginning of an american revolution?

I certainly hope so, it feels really good to know that americans are finally recognizing the real enemies, and have begun to rise up. If this spreads to my town, ill be the first to sign up. Power to the people!

 

My next essay is about Anonymous' role in this movement.

 

Yes, just like arab spring, except the killing of unarmed civilians, decades of discontent and protests against the government.


wait, what?


Honestly, this is just people screwed by the crisis sticking it to the people who they think caused it (which probably isn't the investors on wall street, but rather bank higher-ups), nothing more, nothing less. It's not the start of a rebellion.

 

I dont think you quite understand the significance of these protests. You would think that normal demonstrations in america usually blow over, but this movement has started since september, and has already spread to many cities across america including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle. Naturally, demonstrating your frustration isn't going to truly solve the issues, but at least americans are gathering with a unified purpose to voice their anger at the U.S. banking and political system. According to CBS news, sparked by the "occupy wall street" movement as it is called, other demonstrations are appearing in 25 different cities as of recently. So I dont think this is going to end anytime soon. I am hopeful that these demonstrations continue.

 

I am hopeful that they adopt an argument that suits them more.

 

Except that the protests are against wall street, aka investors, not against management or the political system.

 

Wall Street is a highly recognisible symbol of corporate America, by 'occupying Wall Street' they are protesting corporatism.

 

Nay, the movement does not specifically target wall street investors. If you read on their website it is directed to the U.S. banking and political system as a whole. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the federal reserve, has also been shouted at aswell.

 

@Ijff:

What he said.

Wall street is the symbol of corporate America ****ing people in the ***.
AA made a good video today about the people who still try to defend the establishment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN2LZ8N2uj0&feature=feedu

 

That video was pretty entertaining, although very obscene. I don't think AA managed to not say the f word for every other sentence. He did make some good points though.

 

I loved that video. That is AA at his best. That is what his subscribers like him for. Good points mixed with a whole lot of rage.

 

A revolution? I highly doubt that.

Politicians are elected by those very same people that are fed up with them. Not only that, but those politicians that are in office now, probably got there by special interest groups (i.e. banks, corporations, business, etc) by giving money to their campaigns and by regular people who believed their bull****. So before a revolution can happen, people need to take a step back, and either blame themselves or start voting.

You will have two avenues from the american people. 1) I will vote or 2) I will not vote becuase all politicians are full of BS. The 1st avenue is actually full of people who actually are into the democratic political process or who vote by popularity. The second avenue is full of people who complain about the situation in america but will not at all vote and strive to make the change through the democratic process.

Yes it sucks people are screwed over and go into debt, but it also sucks that people who worked their whole lives to get to where they are, are getting overran by people living outside their doors and being mad that they arent as rich as them.

Its just my opinion that america needs to take the money out of politics, and if people want to see a change with all this occupy (city) bs, than they need to start voting and going the political route, instead of skipping school, work, life to occupy some park for a week than wonder why they have no money in the bank.

Policies regarding banks and all that good stuff are the way they are becuase of those very same interest groups. Remove them from the electing/campaigning process and leave it to the American people to do the voting, not wallstreet. Dont blame wallstreet entirely, blame the people voting on those policies for you, hold them accountable for their actions.

If this creates a flame war, by all means, bash and bash hard. I think the movement is full of hipsters, people who gambled their money away and didnt plan at all or made horrible decisions in their life and thats how they are where they are and college students who dont know a damn thing but want to be apart of something cause its the 'big' thing on facebook. I attended a rally and asked someone what was going on, and they didnt have a ****ing clue, they were just there with their friends yelling chants they didnt even understand. Shape up.

 

May I ask what attacking the banks would possibly accomplish?

I've heard bits and pieces about them wanting to bring down the large banks, which in the slim chance they succeed, would only ruin the economy. Causing the banks to fail now would make the 1930's look normal in comparison to what would happen next.

These protests just look like an excuse for people who lost their job to sit around rather than find something else to sustain themselves on.

 

****ing spot on. I hate how these people are blocking traffic, ruining peoples days - hard working peoples days.

Sure, lets take down the banks that people went into debt with when they bought that 2011 BMW and decided to take a loan out for their house that costs 1 million dollars.

This occupy city bs really makes me mad, they are going about it all wrong, sure they have politicians eyes and ears, but they are still going, and now in other parts of the world, businesses, mom and pops, are being destroyed by protestors, cars being destroyed, peoples dreams are being destroyed cause some protestor wants to blame them for their ****.

Screw the 99%, 80% of them dont even know wtf they are crying about.

 

I think it is you who needs to take a step back, and examine what you just said because its highly contradictory. You propose the protestors should either blame themselves or start voting when you said it was those same politicians they voted for in the first place that they are now fed up with...hmm. So in other words, what you believe is instead of protesting they should collaborate with the system to produce the same results that they protested in the first place, it doesn't make sense.

You also stated these politicians got there by these regular people who believed their bull****. I agree with the amazing atheist on this in the video that higgs posted. Just because someone is "stupid" enough to believe the scammer doesn't justify why the scammer should be allowed to get away with it, and why these people shouldn’t be angry and protest.

I don’t understand what is so democratic about electing “representatives” from a small choice of other “representatives” who, which history has shown, don’t ever compromise with the will of the people as promised in their speeches. Most of the time, it’s the special interests groups who financed their campaigns that get all the favoritism. In a true democratic society, people would be able to vote for the implementation or modification of everything, from laws, to representatives, social programs, etc etc. Here in America however, we only get to choose from a group of rich politicians who decide everything for us (and truly, the people's vote isnt always what decides who the representitives will be). Even worse when corporations have the power to lobby representatives. Some democratic process.

Yes because getting rich by cheating the system is so hard working and honorable.

This is nonsense, the political route fails because we only a select few to vote for who don’t even uphold their promises. So I guess the civil rights movement was bs too right, because they skipped school, work, and life to protest against something unjustly as well… hmm

And that is what they are protesting for, they want those people to be held accountable. This is not a protest directed towards just wall street, they are protesting against corporate greed and social inequality.

I don’t know which rally you’re talking about, but you must have also missed the veterans, and lawyers there too who have also been attending occupy wall street, and support it whole heartedly.

This is a load of bull****. You have little understanding to what this is about. People’s dreams being destroyed because of the protests, are you kidding me? So I guess the French revolution was meaningless too then right? You know, after all it was those people who protested against social inequality as well. I for one support this movement, and would even go as far as to donate to their cause. Power to the people!

 

No, it makes perfect sense. This country is run by people who people voted for. Am I wrong? No. And then there are those people who cry and complain at every corner, but wont for a minute, take a 20 minute ride to town hall to register and vote. How is this contradictory? People need to get off their sad asses and write their politicians and their congressmen and complain about it. Not occupy some damn park for 7 days.

Screw the AA, I did agree on some points, but so what? People should read the damn contract before signing their life away.

TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS. As I stated, then you will see a much more robust politician who wont have special interests controlling him. the equation is simple, More money = higher chance of election. Its true today as it ever was, and guess who gives the most money, the interest groups.

"Yes because getting rich by cheating the system is so hard working and honorable."

So your calling my friend, who dropped out of college and is now making 90,000 a year in his own auto body shop a cheat? Your calling the owners of large businesses who came to this country with 100$ in their pocket from some bumb**** country cheats? No, they are smart people who knew how to conduct business and got to where they are. What about all those people on welfare that just live off of it? Why does business people, my tax money, have to go to their lazy asses?


"I don’t know which rally you’re talking about, but you must have also missed the veterans, and lawyers there too who have also been attending occupy wall street, and support it whole heartedly."

I was at occupy boston, to see wtf everything was about, and there were college students, and people who didnt have a god damn opinion or even the knowledge of what was transpiring, all they knew was they were taking the fight to the 'big bad man'. Screw them.

"This is a load of bull****. You have little understanding to what this is about. People’s dreams being destroyed because of the protests, are you kidding me? So I guess the French revolution was meaningless too then right? You know, after all it was those people who protested against social inequality as well. I for one support this movement, and would even go as far as to donate to their cause. Power to the people! "

No, I dont have little understanding, your probably just ignorant and make assumptions. I read occupywallst.com, i know where they are coming from, but my opinion still stays the same. In other parts of the country. protestors for this bs are destroying properties. How is this progress? How would you like it if the 'people' came to your house and ****ed it up? What about your mom and dad? What if they came and totaled you car? Screw that, what if they burned your house down cuase you lived in a rich neighborhood?

Power to the people? Im all for the people, but the people arent all smart and knowing. If you donate to that cause, more power to you, go for it, I will not donate or support this.

"This is nonsense, the political route fails because we only a select few to vote for who don’t even uphold their promises. So I guess the civil rights movement was bs too right, because they skipped school, work, and life to protest against something unjustly as well… hmm"

Now your mixing things up. People talk about equality and social classes all the damn time, if you want equality go to communist korea or communist china. And its one thing to protest, but its another thing to protest for 7 days straight, than cry that you have NO MONEY in your paycheck.

 

What you stated made no sense because of the contradiction. You stated that politicians are elected by those very same people who are fed up with them, so instead of protesting they should just continue voting. Huh? Here’s an allegory of our political system for you: you are about to attend a dinner party where the meal that will be served is decided by a majority vote, however all the choices available are foods you don’t like.

Haha… oh brother. Get off their asses? That is exactly what they did, except they took it to the next level. Nothing gets the attention of congressmen like protesting and demonstrating in mass.

Absolutely not. That’s not even what I was talking about, and that’s not even what the demonstrators are protesting against. You seem to be taking this out of context here. Occupy wall street is about making things fair for everyone and eliminating the restraints on the people that is being perpetuated by the system.

Hmm, well maybe if corporations didn’t outsource jobs to foreigners they can exploit easier then maybe this problem wouldn’t be as prevalent, did you ever think about that? Jobs aren’t so easy to find in most places bucko, look at the unemployment rate.

What other parts of the country? The protests here in America have been peaceful, the only thing I have seen violent is the police’s reaction to the demonstrations. But even assuming there was you can’t blame occupy wall street. That would be like blaming evolution for social Darwinism or Christianity for the crusades.

 

You identified the problem right here but then acted like it is inconsequential. Lobbying (legal bribing) is so pervalent in the political system no representive is going to vote to change it, no matter how many letters from constituents they recieve and don't read, it would be throwing away their money and ending their political career if they weren't successful. And you can't just elect new politicians who will change it when you have a special interest group pre-approved list of candidates to vote for and voting for anyone else is throwing your vote away because of the first-past-the-post system that nueters third parties.

The US democratic process is fundamentally broken and nothing short of a revolution will change that.

For perspective the top 1% are "those who take in $1.3 million per year on average". Your friend is well in the 99%, as are you [most likely] and the well-off immigrants.

Also you can't live off welfare in the US, people able to work only get 3 months of food stamps every 3 years. But I suppose even then they should just get a job, it's not like they're hard to find with almost 10% involuntary unemployment. :wacko:

 

Welcome to the democratic REPUBLIC of America. Where we elect representatives to do our bidding, if they dont, than its time to move on the next candidate. Ask how many people actually vote who attend these occupations of areas, I can garuntee that the % is very very low, or they are just lying.

Ok, mission accomplished, congrats, now what? Lets keep staying in the park and blocking traffic and dampering business. Good job, lets do it tomorrow and the next day. Congress is aware of it, so now what? There isnt even a friggin single voice, let alone a committee for the occupy city movement. What good is protesting, if they arent even going to progress anything besides sit ins and demonstrations? You expect banks and politicians to just nullify acts in a few days, let alone a week? You expect banks to just re-roll their policies and regulations in a few hours? Get real.

"Fair for everyone". So why are people so damn againt Obama's healthcare? Why are people against cheaper insurance for the single mother and 4 kids? Oh thats right, cuase that would be socialism right? According to most people who label Obama and his policies as socialism In mainstream media. So that is why I wont give two damn cents to this movement. If people couldnt give a rats *** or second thought to Obama's health care plan, than screw this movement.

Its called Free Trade Agreements, and if you didnt already know, America thrives on corporations, its economy lives off of corporations and business's. SO if a private business wants to move jobs, as much as it sucks, its their right to. Hell, I would be pissed about that too. But at the same time, a company (if private) should have the rights to change locations. Not only that, but those jobs that left, have made your APPLE IPOD, and all that gadget bull**** much cheaper becuase the companies are able to do that. If those items were made in America, god forbid you have to pay 500$ for a ipod touch, thats tooo damn much right?

Other parts of the world is what I meant, I should have been clearer. Other parts of the world are having riots now becuase of this. So much for peaceful resolutions when cars and shops are on fire set by protestors.

 

Oh, believe me, people can and do, for generations, live off of welfare. If you dont believe me, you need to visit Compton CA, look at the 'hoods', they basically live off that.

I'm sorry, but I love America. Yes, she is a little ****ed up, yes some things are out of the ordinary and her citizens are in trouble, but for someone to say revolution, that is going to far. If America is to see better change, they need to, again, get money out of politics. Of course there is a MAJORITY VOTE in this country through representatives, but lemme restate, WHO ACTUALLY VOTES THESE DAYS?

Most americans are content with not giving a **** about the political process and ***** and moan about everything, while others are too lazy to get to city hall and register.

Than, you have the other american who votes, but that vote is either based on true beliefs or based on a popularity vote.

I strongly believe that this country, wouldnt all vote on issues despite having the chance to. If they did, passing a bill would take way to damn long. Not to mention everyone wouldnt vote.

Switzerland is the only country i know of, that makes it mandatory to vote.