They should just all give up.

[HughBeaumont]

They should all just go home now.

They have no coherent message. They have no solidified goal.

“Waaaaah! I hate the banksters! I want them to be prosecuted! I want Justice!!!”

News Flash, people: Greed isn’t a crime. The “banksters” didn’t commit defined crimes, they’re not going to be prosecuted and they’re not going to make things fairer. Making things fairer is anathema to all that they and their businesses are.

The protesters should just accept this zero-sum life for what it is: The rich will get exponentially richer because THEY are the productive class while the poor get ever poorer, all because the poor want something for nothing and because they refuse to work ridiculously harder than they already are for something better. Don’t grab a sign, grab some work ethic.

They should just accept that capitalism is the greatest, most benevolent, most equally distributive and fairest economic system America could ever have and we should never even think about toying with anything different.

They need to just all wake up and accept that in this modern era, protests don't do an OUNCE of good. They're futile, a complete waste of time that can otherwise be spent doing something monetarily productive and quantifiable. They should just kill this movement before it even starts, go home and watch Jersey Shore . . . because unless it’s March on Washington Part II, writing to your Congresspersons, sit-ins at corporations or attempts at executive arrests, ain't no one going to listen. Go full-on or don't go at all.

Really, what are people protesting FOR anyway? This is a mere burp we're all experiencing, part of a normal economic cycle; doesn't even warrant the overblown hyperbole of "economic catastrophe". Does everything have to require a bunch of unwashed know-nothing college kids gather up and be MAD?

I noticed they're all wearing corporate products made overseas and consuming corporate foodstuffs. So doesn't that make them kind of hypocritical that they didn't weave/knit their own clothes or farm their own food? Walk the walk, don't talk the talk.

America's poor really don't know how good they have it anyway. They have TVs. They have a car, sometimes even two. They still eat. Even the homeless of Cleveland get to sleep under the piss-encrusted lobbies of abandoned buildings . . . I mean, THAT'S a roof. The occasional passerby will give them money and/or leftover food. THAT'S sustenance. I see them all the time wearing stuff. THAT'S clothing. Africa's poor live in mud huts and don't even EAT. How can these food-chillin m'er f'ers insist that they have it bad?

Let's call this for what it is: a bunch of directionless, sad, financially-lull and ill-informed slackers spouting sour grapes for losing at the economic game of life, venting with a losing cause towards an unstoppable capitalist machine run by the successful winners.

If they really want to impress me, they should write a complete dossier with specific goals, specific instructions/details on how they’re going to accomplish those goals and a serious end game plan for when the inevitable fallout happens. Otherwise, this is just more material for Republican TV ads . . . more fodder for Middle America’s already sullied image of our side and since the media doesn’t care anyway; it’s virtually hopeless to continue on.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

So, all you OWS disparagers . . . did I cover everything? :eyes:

[vi5]

1. God, I was hoping to find that sarcasm tag.....

But given how things are on here sometimes I was seriously worried I wouldn't.

The only criticism I've heard of OWS that I give some merit to (some, but still not a whole lot), is the fact that these protests would be better done in DC, since that's where the laws are made and that's where we stand a better chance of changing minds. Let's face it none of the Wall Street types are going to willingly change anything.

That being said, I think if these things spread and DC is on the list then having started it at Wall Street makes sense and is a good idea.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Popular movements in the US do not start in DC

[stockholmer]

25. +1000 (on so many levels)

:hi:

[HughBeaumont]

3. The DC Occupy is Oct 6th, but I think that's an anti-war protest.

Trust me, the spill-over's going to happen. It's not a matter of if, but WHEN. You can't keep people down this long and expect no repercussions.

I know exactly what you mean . . . supposed liberals disparaging other liberals on a Democratic board. It's sickening. Speaking your mind now sucks, apparently. Protests now have to be goal-oriented presentations.

[midnight]

26. Great post by the way... Here is a link and an excerpt of the event

being discussed for the Oct occupation:http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/08/event-6-oct-freedom-plaza-dc-occupation-resistance/
We are the October2011 Movement, individuals and groups who advocate for peace, human rights and social, economic and environmental justice. Already thousands have taken the pledge to join us at our web site . People are arranging carpools and buses from across the country. All are welcome. Some will arrive on Oct. 6 and some will arrive when they are able.

[ClassWarrior]

32. The protesters aren't there to change minds on Wall Street. They're there to win hearts...

...on Main Street.

NGU.

[Quantess]

34. They've won my heart.

[markbark]

35. Correction:

"these protests would be better done in DC, since that's where the laws are made"

Point of order: The laws may be PASSED in DC, but they're WRITTEN on Wall Street and Madison Avenue.

--MAB

[truedelphi]

46. LOL for your utter simple statement that carries so much weight.

Congress is owned by these F___wads, and so is the Oval Office.

The laws really and truly are written on Wall Street, to be passed a bit later in DC.

[salin]

4. New livestream addy - for OWS-LA

they aren't live at the moment - but the chat is going. Small viewership. They need some love! http://www.livestream.com/owslosangeles

And of course the OWS live feed: http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

(not yet live this morning, but there are video of some interesting answer sessions from occupiers early this morning.)

I am very impressed. To the nay-sayers: whatever!

[Tsiyu]

5. You forgot: "If you were really accomplishing anything,

the Media would be covering it."

Because, you know, American media are not owned by a few corporations benefiting mightily from endless wars, cheap foreign (and domestic prison) labor, and providing no revenue, income or benefits to any but a select few greedy pig Americans.

[HughBeaumont]

6. It's funny. . .

. . . even people on here believe that there were no protests during the Bewsh years. Gee, those all must have been hi-def hallucinations with multiple thousands of people that I attended during that time.

It's all because the media blacked it all out, all of the anti-war protests with 250-400 thousand people . . . "didn't happen if it weren't on TV." They only showed certain portions of Bewsh's Inaugural parade as well, because it was loaded with more protesters than you can shake a stick at (I was one of them).

[Tsiyu]

17. They can't get away with it now

Not with Facebook and Twitter and live streaming all over the planet.

So the media will do the next best thing: downplay it and talk about Pakistan and an Italian murder trial.

While the rest of the world ignores American media.

They will bury themselves this time; too many people are hurting, broke and backed into corners.

[dotymed]

43. Well, at least we have "Free Speech Zones."

:sarcasm:

[pipi_k]

7. Just wondering...

"They should just accept that capitalism is the greatest, most benevolent, most equally distributive and fairest economic system America could ever have and we should never even think about toying with anything different."


Is there a concrete plan in place for what would replace capitalism? Or just some vague, "We should replace it but we don't know with what yet".

?

Because I'll tell you what...I don't want my way of life to be someone else's "toy", no matter who it is. Government, or people who don't like Plan A but can't come up with a Plan B. Just a big hole.

That's what makes me :eyes:

And the offensive attitude..."If you're not WITH us, then you must be a fascist". This "us vs. them" bullshit.

I was just telling someone this morning that I would probably have a better opinion of the whole thing but for the shitty attitudes of some who think it's a black and white issue and there are ONLY two sides to this, and one of those sides is WRONG.

Anyway, if this is still going on in January and there are six or more inches of snow on the ground, we'll get a better idea of just how important this is to all of those out there today. It's all fine and dandy to protest when the weather is decent, but we'll see who the real diehards are out there when the weather isn't so pleasant anymore.

[HughBeaumont]

8. It's a protest, not a presentation.

Is it up to protestors to correct something they see is painfully wrong? This is why we elect leaders, provided they aren't corporately compromised from the start. This is why we put our trust in leaders private and public - to preside over complicated issues. If they're in over their head or using the system to blatantly enhance their own coffers instead of working for the greater good, then what do you do with that? Do you continue to put your trust in and defend failure?

I would think that, learning from history, you don't keep attempting what obviously does not work.

I mean, if you want an answer on what capitalism would be "replaced" with, I say more regulation should be introduced along with more Democratic Socialism . . . to begin with. This would allow for a WPA in case of an emergency (which, by all rights, THIS IS) and greater expansion of the social safety net so millions of people's lives won't come to a failed dead halt.

Whether the greed-poisoned MIC and Wall Street will allow this to happen remains to be seen.

[saras]

22. Replace capitalism? How about free enterprise? Or regulated enterprise?

The people make the large-scale decisions without passing them through corporations first. They pass them through a wide variety of organizations, from governments on all scales to existing organizations such as coops, nonprofits, for-profit corporations, foundations, alliances of various groups. And within that framework business attempts to make money providing people with what they want.

If the conservatives like the 1950s so much, we can go back to a 91% maximum tax, no derivatives at all, separate investment and commercial banks, and a whole bunch of other things that produce a simpler, fairer economic system.

And maybe even a little bit of socialism slipped in here and there. Like a GI bill or something, maybe some medical coverage, maybe fix some of the profiteering in medicine that gets in the way of universal coverage. Nothing we haven't done before, nothing that hasn't been shown to work, or at least not fail spectacularly, like "supply-side".

[Little Star]

9. I agree HughBeaumont! Good OP! k&r

[HughBeaumont]

10. Kick.

:kick:

[salin]

11. we are the 99%!

[HughBeaumont]

12. The Eternally Screwn.

Telling . . . amidst all the chaos, New York-based CNBC, which we have on at work, has been surprisingly silent about OWS. :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Zorra]

13. No, you forgot to pass the grey poupon.

Recommended

[OhioChick]

14. Thought someone hacked your acct at first...

:D

K&R

[HughBeaumont]

24. You know me, always out to encourage the workers and the poor to remain under the BOOT!

:rofl:

[gratuitous]

15. Pretty comprehensive critique

You should probably have an unrealistic deadline in there, like "by the end of next week" as well as reserving the right to criticize and therefore ignore anything that isn't airtight, as the perfect is the mortal enemy of any alternative to the status quo.

[HughBeaumont]

18. No, TOMORROW!!1!!

:rofl:

I think back to when I was at the 2005 Coronati . . . er . . . inaugural parade, after the second Electoral theft, and I remember all of us telling the rows and rows and rows of riot-gear-clad troopers that whoever would arrest the two war criminals-in-chief would have schools named after them.

With this, and all of the anti-war demonstrations in the 2000s, we didn't need a presentation, we just knew something was wrong and spoke up about it. That's all of a sudden bad?

[Solly Mack]

16. k/r

[lunatica]

19. I was getting all ready to slap you upside the head with a frying pan

LOL!

[malthaussen]

20. The Title Made Me Think

The post would be about the Republican Presidential candidates...

-- Mal

[JoeyT]

21. You forgot the people that are pitching a fit

anytime anyone says anything bad about any cop. We should get the cops on our side! They're brave and heroic and stop being mean to them!

[HughBeaumont]

36. Yes, even when they're breaking our legs . . .

. . . or harassing us and leaving the TeaKlanners alone . . . or watching idly and make no arrests as Freepers beat up a Gold Star Dad in broad daylight . . . or pepper spray unarmed female and deaf protesters . . . and of course, give zero fucks about "citizens" brandishing side-arms and rifles where the President is (And if anyone thinks that's nitpicking . . . think about how much that'd be allowed if the President were white and Republican. You'd never be heard from again).

[DeSwiss]

23. K&R n/t

[Octafish]

27. Yooooouuuuu!!!!

So only you knows your half of the secret, Blondie?



Heh heh heh heh!

[Fuddnik]

28. I'm putting my ass where my mouth is.

I'm leaving for DC on Wed. We had a General Assembly in Tampa on Sat., and it will be ongoing.

I'll stay in DC for at least a week. Maybe longer. This could be just the spark we're looking for!

[Fire Walk With Me]

29. Yeah, well-said :)

[Honeycombe8]

30. I think there should be a more cohesive statement about what they are protesting.

I mean, that's a pretty basic thing. If you're protesting, you want people to know what you're protesting, right?

[Whisp]

31. erm, Wall Street?

the message is clear enough.

[deacon_sephiroth]

33. the clear message revealed below

STOP FUCKING US

[Honeycombe8]

45. But if you go carryin' pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't gonna make it w/anyone anyhow.

Famous words.

You can't just be a hating, hostile mass of people, hating anyone and everyone who works on Wall Street. Not if you want to be considered legit. Otherwise, it's just another loony batwing group of people hating, hating, hating. You know, like those hateful rightwingnut emails that make the rounds. Only other haters pay attention to them. Or the Teaparty parties, where the nuts walk around in face paint carrying "hate" signs.

These protesters are better than that. They have a mission. They just don't know how to put it into words.

But I did hear a Bernanke opinion on their cause today. Maybe the protesters should use his words. They sounded pretty cohesive, and what I was thinking the protesters were protesting about.

[dogmoma56]

37. just go for ENDING CAMPAIGN BRIBES BY CORPORATIONS

[HughBeaumont]

38. And drastically reduce the number of corporate lobbyists.

Particularly those of Big Pharm and Big Insurance.

[dogmoma56]

42. if there is no money to BRIBE Politicians with the Lobbyists will have to get a real job

[truedelphi]

48. The Hon Edwards, (D) of Maryland has

been on TV talking about how she is going to put all her energy into seeing that Corporate Ownership of Election Campaign Monies is ended.

That is one of the only steps we need to take to ensure that we get our democracy back.

[w0nderer]

39. kickety kick and reccity rec n/t

[chrisa]

40. lol I said in the beginning these protests would be a massive failure.

I was 100% wrong. These protests have been more successful than in anyone's wildest dreams.

I was shocked when I saw, this morning, that Occupy Wall Street was on the front page of my morning paper. I don't know how anyone now could say they aren't working. All it took was a little dedication.

[malaise]

41. Love your OP

Rec

[countryjake]

44. Bravo! Great presentation!

I came in here wondering, and the more I read, the madder I got, had my response already in mind...

you're saved by the bloody red line!


One thing you might have touched on...

They seem to actually be having FUN out there...every MSM report that I've seen about any of the protests has always focused on the dancing, laughing, youngest participants who are clearly enjoying the spectacle...an age-old tactic to keep things like this from gaining strength, make it look foolish or silly, as tho anyone with a smile on their face should not be taken seriously.

[Kurovski]

47. They need to be spanked, too.

Except for the ones that get all-horned-up over spanking.


EDIT: DUzy!!!

[Skip Intro]

49. Oh, the poor things. Media attention without a clear message is a wasted opportunity imho.

Saying those who point that out or offer similar views are defeatists and monsters, and the protesters victims, is unhelpful and drama for the sake of drama. Again, imho.

[Myrina]

50. K&R

:kick: