OWS isn't a Relevant Movement to Change Society and May Hurt Us More then It Helps Us

[CBHagman]

302. Over the years the president has frequently addressed inequality, income gaps, etc.

Address to Congress, February 24th, 2009:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-President-Barack-Obama-Address-to-Joint-Session-of-Congress/

...we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market.

From the 2010 State of the Union:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-state-union-address

But the devastation remains. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. And for those who'd already known poverty, life has become that much harder.

This recession has also compounded the burdens that America's families have been dealing with for decades –- the burden of working harder and longer for less; of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college.

So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They're not new.

From the 2011 State of the Union:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/25/remarks-president-state-union-address

To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations. We must do it without putting at risk current retirees, the most vulnerable, or people with disabilities; without slashing benefits for future generations; and without subjecting Americans’ guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market.

And if we truly care about our deficit, we simply can’t afford a permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Before we take money away from our schools or scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their tax break. It’s not a matter of punishing their success. It’s about promoting America’s success.

As for the Occupy movement, the protests specifically in that category date to September of last year. See the following two timelines:

Slate:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/features/2011/occupy_wall_street/what_is_ows_a_complete_timeline.html

The Week:

http://theweek.com/article/index/220100/occupy-wall-street-a-protest-timeline