Wall St. Protests are Nothing New.....What matters is if Democratic Pols pick up the ball

[Armstead]

The Wall St. (and elsewhere) protests are great. But they're nothing new.

Remember the protests -- especially the Battle in Seattle -- of the late 1990's for example, that were trying to draw attention to the then-emerging Free Trade Con Job?

Those were very similar in the cause and message to what is happenong now -- especially the growing concentration of corporate wealth and power, and the unwillingness of the political system to stop that.

But Bill Clinton and the other "centrist" Democrats either ignored or deliberately marginalized the message of the protests. They joined in the media portrayals of them as naive hippie leftists or dangerous anarchists.

Because the politicians turned their backs, we got the Race to the Bottom,,,Everything Made in Foreign Sweatshops.....Free Trade on Steroids....MORE Corporate power.....etc. Etc. Etc

The Big Question today is how the Democratic Party and its politicians respond to the same message and warnings. Will they do another DLC/Clinton and just ignore and help to marginalize the causes for the protests? Will they join the Big Media in characterizing them as naive and silly...or destructive?

OR will they actually help to legitimize the message of the protestors, and help to point out the socially and economically destructive forces that are the real causes of our problems?

The protestors are doing their part to shift the dialogue. Now the ball is in the court of President Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party to support their message and actually bring into the mainstream political debate and translate it into policy that actually supports the "other 99 percent."

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[monmouth]

2. I'd like to hear the President at least incorporate the OWS people

in one of his speeches, their reasoning behind their occupation and his "understanding" of their plight. Of course it would work...

[formercia]

3. I want to see the Pols get in line with everyone else.

This is our Revolution, not theirs. If they want to participate, they can make a sign and join the march.

Put on them walkin' shoes, Baby.

[tcaudilllg]

4. You are wrong.

This is sustained disobedience. This is sustained obstruction of the system. Granted it's not got to that point yet, but it's headed that way.

[Armstead]

13. What the hell do youvthink the Fat Cats have been doing for years?

Sustained disobdience and obstruction of the democratic system.

[tcaudilllg]

25. That's what I love about the protests: they are democratic but

they deny the legitimacy of Tea Party views. And they should.

Progressive democracy works... national democracy does not.

[Moostache]

5. The Party will not come within 10 miles of getting involved.

They fear Fox News so much that they pressure their own appointees to pull off the highway and send in resignations from the goddamn road to avoid negative coverage....you think that they are going to DARE be seen with the protestors or worse (for them anyway) actually go down their an TALK to the crowds, and get the message directly??? Yeah, Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight....that will happen real soon...((sarcasm))

The Democratic Party of the past MIGHT have been a player in this movement, but I invite anyone hoping that is still the case to sit down, hold your breath and wait...I am guaranteeing you that you will pass out looooooooooooooooooong before the DLC/Third Way crowd embrace the OWS movement. The only way the party gets involved is with new party leadership that is willing to ally itself with the people and not the power brokers and monied elites or campaign slave masters (they really do not DONATE anything, they EXTORT control in exchange for pennies on the dollar of economic consequence of their 'issues'....)

[Mr Deltoid]

7. They will wait til a side is clearly winning

...then step in, 'On the side of history.'

They are part of the problem. They are entrenched in the system, and thus paralyzed. Change will have to come from outside the system.

[a simple pattern]

6. Why would they?

They aren't the 99%.

[chill_wind]

8. Numerous pol statements coming out here:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/185681-dems-rally-behind-occupy-wall-street-movement

Grijalva, Ellison, Larson, Slaughter, Kucinich, Lee, Sanders

No surprises.

[Armstead]

14. Those are the ones who would come out...Now what is needed are some others.

[Yavin4]

9. Why Do You Want The Dems Involved?

The protests are fighting for reform, no matter what party joins in.

We keep letting party politics interfere with the agenda. The labor and civil rights movements didn't give a damn about parties when they were protesting and marching.

[Armstead]

24. I agree about the distractions, but we need Reverse Reaganism too

The rifht wing moved from The fringes to dominate politics -- and the economy and everything else -- and handed the power to the weakthy and powerful because the GOP and Reagan carried the ball for them in the political sphere.

We need a similar political movement in the opposite direction, to channel the message and goals of the protests, so it doesn't simply be a glorified form of impotent venting.

[chill_wind]

10. WH Staff Chief Bill Daley: 'Not Sure' If Occupy Wall St. Protests Are Helpful

Daley 'Not Sure' If Occupy Wall St. Protests Are Helpful

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/902

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

11. What a douche. nt

[Avalux]

12. It's not necessary for politicians to be involved. The protestors will be legitimized

by our numbers, persistence and goal to shift the status quo.

WE will influence the politicians by our actions.

[Armstead]

23. I hope so.....But politicians ultimately have to carry the ball to make supportive policies

[quaker bill]

15. Still upside down

When the pols pick up the ball, the game changes from protest into political campaign. It is far too soon. Politics needs to the changed by the protest instead of the protest being changed into politics. No, the ball is not yet in the court of President Obama, not even close. Nothing about OWS has created any sort of national emergency that the President must attend to. He is already pushing a jobs bill that includes raising the taxes on the 1%'ers.

When the movement gets large enough that a general strike threatens the overall economy, then the President would have to act, the ball would then be in his court. OWS is not close to this threshold yet.

[Armstead]

They can support their Message, which is ultimately mainstream, but needs unity

The biggest hinderence is the feeling of isolation and powerlessness many people feel. IF the WH and otger pols actually showed and started proving support, it would do a lot to makevinto an actual pilitical force.....much like the GOP did with the right wkng over the years

[Armstead]

18. They can support their Message, which is ultimately mainstream, but needs unity

The biggest hinderence is the feeling of isolation and powerlessness many people feel. IF the WH and otger pols actually showed and started proving support, it would do a lot to makevinto an actual pilitical force.....much like the GOP did with the right wkng over the years

[Armstead]

19. Dupe

My machine went haywire

[Armstead]

20. Duplicate post

[mother earth]

22. but needs to be. I agree.

[Enrique]

16. they're going after Bank of America

Durbin is telling people to close their accounts, which is a very strong move imo. it reminds me of one of the best things Obama has done, also involving Bank of America, right after he got elected he took a stand against Bank of America in the Republic Windows case. He didn't do anything official, he just took the side of the workers and called out Bank of America, and BOA ended up giving the protesters what they wanted. I think that's how it could end up this time, with BOA dropping their new fee.

[Armstead]

17. Two Words -- Credit Union

If a significant number of people moved their money from the robber banks into credit unions, that would be a big startl

[mother earth]

21. OWS is not going to be enough, it's nice that this is

spreading, it shows a united 99%, but more action needs to follow & evolve.