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[BrainDrain]

99. Wow.....

are we done stomping our feet and showing all the adults our street creds so we can all try and take you seriously?

And please could you be a little more specific about what bullshit you are calling and what "the most basic" is that I don't know. (Last paragraph, first incoherent sentence.)

And as far as the first summer goes, I will explain. I have VERY good friends who have a daughter that is an activist lawyer in New York City. Her parents live in Kansas, and we see their daughter whenever we go up to NYC, to look in on her for her parents and because we enjoy her company very much. That late summer we participated in some of the first actions and meetings. If you want to say that my use of the word "summer" somehow transgresses on the calender for the month of September, then I will bow to the delimiter of Labor Day as the OFFICIAL end of "summer", weather not withstanding.

I never once said anywhere that the actions and protests of the 1800 did not have an effect, do not extrapolate or project without proof. (I believe that is a rule of analysis..I think i read that somewhere...) I said they did not have the success that the actions of the 20th century did. So while you, and others, may believe that OCCUPY (USA) may have provided some seismic shift, I must repeat myself and disagree. OCCUPY had the golden OPPORTUNITY to do so, and missed it.

And by the way you should go back and restudy Toynbee, he is largely discredited in serious academic circles as mixing his facts with fantasy. Not the best choice of people to quote I'm afraid.

Also the longue duree is an interesting concept and was in particular favor among historians especially in the 1800's based upon the belief that change to structure takes a great deal of time. However, this has also come into academic question recently due to the fact that modern events tend to accelerate structural change due to a number of factors, most notably the ability for information and causes to jump historical boundaries because of the speed and saturation of communications and the ease of travel. But that is a discussion for another time.

Now, while I am very happy that the folks in Spain have gotten a corrupt mining company in the cross hairs, I am more concerned with what has happened and what is happening here. Since this is the country I live in and it is the topic of this conversation and NOT what might be occurring in Spain. And somehow I doubt that getting one union in California a better deal is all that OCCUPY was about.

While you may not believe that I have "walked the streets", I don't have to prove to you or anyone else what I have done in defense of my beliefs. I know, and the people in this world closest to me know, and those I have marched with know, and that is all that matters.

You are like so many other members of what I call the "designer left". You don't know when you have been beaten and how to recover from it and do something better the next time. You never learn how to recognize the moment that needs to be seized, and you never forgive yourself the ones you missed. You never learn and you try and justify the loss with irrational defiance.

What the shadow of OCCUPY has done for the folks of Sandy Hook and the folks being foreclosed on is all very highly commendable. But it was NOT what OCCUPY reached for.

And for your information, I NEVER put my fingers in my ears, because if I do I might miss something important. I always listen, even if I disagree.