Thread: Occupy Wall Street

FIFTEEN ISSUES, EIGHT DEMANDS, ONE PEOPLE, ONE REVOLUTION
Global Revolution 1: American Revolution 2: Day 22: Communication 1
8 Oct 2011 (g1a2d0022c1)

The steering committee of the "October 2011 Movement" - the patriots presently occupying Freedom Plaza in Washington DC - published a summary of the 15 issues which are the focus of their protest here:

http://october2011.org/issues

The 8 demands which are the focus of my personal protest are these:

1. End the Fed.
2. Reverse Citizens United.
3. Repeal PATRIOT Act.
4. Expose 9/11 Truth.
5. End Profit Wars.
6. Refund Taxpayer Trillions.
7. Imprison the Kleptocrats.
8. Single Term Limits.

To highlight the fact that addressing their 15 issues would go a long way towards meeting these demands and vice-versa, over the past 15 days I have posted 15 articles - one per issue, and each with an associated image and video - which I recap below:

ISSUE #1. "Corporatism – firmly establish that money is not speech, corporations are not people, only people have Constitutional rights, end corporate influence over the political process, protect people and the environment from damage by corporations."

Article: Corporatism: "Sold Glory", the U.S. Flag After Citizens United v. FEC (g1a2d0009c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-corporatism
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/images/Sold_Glory.jpg
Video: http://www.hulu.com/watch/118169/the-corporation


ISSUE #2. "Wars and Militarism – end wars and occupations, end private for-profit military contractors, reduce the national security state and end the weapons export industry. War crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace must be addressed and those responsible held accountable under international law."

Article: Wars & Militarism: The Real Cause of the Debt Crisis (g1a2d0006c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-wars
Image: http://ironboltbruce.files.wordpress...boondoggle.jpg
Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...8826421983682#


ISSUE #3. "Human Rights – end exploitation of people in the US and abroad, end discrimination in all forms, equal civil rights and due process for all people."

Article: Human Rights: No Flame Burns Hotter Than A Human Torch (g1a2d0012c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-humanrights
Image: http://images.democracyreview.com/Tu...d-Bouazizi.png
Video: http://www.hulu.com/watch/151119/the-end-of-poverty


ISSUE #4. "Worker Rights and jobs – all working-age people have the right to safe, just, non-discriminatory and dignified working conditions, a sustainable living wage, paid leave and economic protection."

Article: U.S. Corporations Firing At Home While Hiring Abroad (g1a2d0016c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-jobs
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...rican_Jobs.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2em1x2j9-o


ISSUE #5. "Government – all processes of the three branches of government should be accountable to international law, transparent and follow the rule of law, people have the right to participate in decisions which affect them."

Article: Government: The Kleptocracy and You (g1a2d0007c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-government
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...cy_and_You.jpg
Video: http://vforvendetta.warnerbros.com/


ISSUE #6. "Elections – all citizens 18 and older have the right to vote without barriers, all candidates have the right to be heard and to run and all votes should be counted."

Article: Elections: Vote All You Want. The Flight Plan Doesn't Change. (g1a2d0011c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-elections
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag..._same_bird.jpg
Video: http://www.hulu.com/watch/177439/peace


ISSUE #7. "Criminal justice and prisons – end private for-profit prisons, adopt evidence-based drug policy, prisoners have the right to humane and just conditions with a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration into society, abolish the death penalty."

Article: Prison for Profit: CCA, GEO et al Put Revenues Ahead of Rehabilitation (g1a2d0018c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-prisons
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...al_Complex.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHVu4ZD9XQE


ISSUE #8. "Healthcare – create a national, universal and publicly financed comprehensive health system."

Article: Healthcare in America: Who's Paying Who? And Who's Getting What? (g1a2d0014c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-healthcare
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/images/Big_Pharma.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKP_ISD3rvQ


ISSUE #9. "Education – all people have the right to a high quality, publicly-funded and broad education from pre-school through vocational training or university."

Article: Students Drown in Debt as Predatory Lenders Bank Billions (g1a2d0017c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-education
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...ry_Lending.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZtX32sKVE


ISSUE #10. "Housing – all people have the right to affordable and safe housing."

Article: HAMP Disaster Shows U.S. Treasury is "Fully Captured by the Big Banks" (g1a2d0021c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-housing
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...Rothschild.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXt1cayx0hs


ISSUE #11. "Environment – adopt policies which effectively create a carbon-free and radio-active free energy economy and that respects the rights of nature."

Article: The General Electric Company ("GE"): Misinformation at Work (g1a2d0020c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-environment
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...on_At_Work.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf0khstYDLA


ISSUE #12. "Finance and the economy – end policies which foster a wealth divide and move to a localized and democratic financial system, reform taxes so that they are progressive and provide goods, monetary gain and services for the people."

Article: Finance & The Economy: A Kleptocracy Tutorial Video in 12 Parts (g1a2d0008c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-finance
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/imag...okenSystem.gif
Video: http://www.hulu.com/watch/235716/trading-on-thin-air


ISSUE #13. "Media – airwaves and the internet are public goods, require that media be honest, accurate and accountable to the people."

Article: Media: Only Part of What We See is Real, Only Part of What is Real We See (g1a2d0010c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-media
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/images/Psywar.jpg
Video: http://www.openfilm.com/videos/psywar


ISSUE #14. "Food and water – create systems that protect the land and water, create local and sustainable food networks and practices."

Article: Mighty Monsanto, King Corn & The End of Family Farms (g1a2d0015c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-food
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/images/Monsanto.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4OwBYDQe8


ISSUE #15. "Transportation – provide affordable, clean and convenient public transportation and safe spaces for pedestrian and non-automobile travel."

Article: Gasholes: Every Oil Shortage/Crisis/War Could Have Been Averted (g1a2d0019c1)
URL: http://tinyurl.com/ironboltbruce-transportation
Image: http://ldrlongdistancerider.com/images/Gashole.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzJhlvtDms


###

LABELS (A POEM OF PROTEST)

"Democrat", "Republican",
The parties of the system;
Puppets both, for sale their votes,
No character or wisdom.

"Liberal", "Conservative",
For change or status quo?
Pick either one, the change is none,
All charlatans and whores.

Far "Left" we place the Anarchists,
Libertarians claim far "Right";
Yet both decry the government:
False continuum brought to light.

For oil, "We" bomb their mud huts,
Strip them bare, then offer "Aid";
And fake their retribution as
Pretext--a false flag raised.

Unarmed hundred thousands killed
By weapons of "Defense",
While rights are lost for "Freedom" sake--
On profit, all depends.

With stroke of pen, the "Patriot" Act,
And patriots' gifts are taken;
Then "Citizens United" leaves
Our citizens forsaken.

We protest loss of liberties,
Put "World Wide Web" to use;
Cloudmark Authority censors us
For "messaging abuse".

They label us to finger-point,
With labels, "They" deride us;
Their labels keep us all at bay,
For with labels, "They" divide us.

IronBoltBruce


###

PUBLIC NOTICE: No talking heads on Comcast/GE's NBC/CNBC/MSNBC speak for us. No talking heads on Murdoch's Faux News speak for us. No talking heads at the Kleptocracy's Compliant News Network (CNN) speak for us (no matter how dull, deliberate or subtle their delivery). No talking heads in the lamestream media speak for us, period. And neither do ANY of the 537 bought-and-paid-for Kleptocracy puppets in Washington DC who will soon be joining our legions of unemployed!

Originally Posted by ironboltbruce

FIFTEEN ISSUES, EIGHT DEMANDS, ONE PEOPLE, ONE REVOLUTION
Global Revolution 1: American Revolution 2: Day 22: Communication 1
8 Oct 2011 (g1a2d0022c1)

The steering committee of the "October 2011 Movement" - the patriots presently occupying Freedom Plaza in Washington DC - published a summary of the 15 issues which are the focus of their protest here:.....

A picture tells a thousand words....

Raw sewer: An unidentified man seen defecates on a NYPD patrol car in downtown Manhattan

Pic and caption from Stinking up Wall Street: Protesters accused of living in filth as shocking pictures show one demonstrator defecating on a POLICE CAR

The problem with the OWS agenda is that they are catering to the lowest values in society and that's what they're getting.

It's possible to protest without getting arrested. It's possible to get your point across without leaving a trail of destruction behind you.

Let's talk about some of the issues brought up in the post above. From the link:

1. Corporatism– firmly establish that money is not speech, corporations are not people, only people have Constitutional rights, end corporate influence over the political process, protect people and the environment from damage by corporations

There's some good and some bad in this. Corporate influence in the political process does need to be reduced but not simply because corporations are corporations. That's simply an anti-capitalist rant.

Corporations are an amalgam of people with a certain unified agenda....not substantially different than a Union, a Church or a charitable organization. The purpose of the corporation is to provide a structure within which the participants can choose their level of participation, produce their product/service, reap mutual reward from that productivity and spread the risk of negative consequences among the group rather than having to take on that burden personally. In many respects it's like a government on a small scale but there is one significant factor which differentiates a corporation from a government....the participants are allowed to choose whether to participate or not and non-participants are allowed to choose whether or not to deal with that corporation.

The goal of a corporation is profit but it is not to achieve profit at the expense of others. It is to achieve profit by earning the good will of its employees and its customers. Ultimately, the success or failure of a corporation is determined by its ability to meet the needs of those who are involved with it. Some of the problems we now witness with corporations are due to the incestuous relationship that has developed between government and corporation. When this relationship becomes more pronounced the objective to gain profit by meeting individual needs is corrupted by the political influence (or directive) to focus on political needs. This happens because the political structure is one of monopoly. The people of the corporation have nowhere to turn but to government to protect their interests even when that government is making demands which are contrary to those interests.

So, how do we correct this undue influence? We need to begin the de-coupling at the government level rather than at the corporate level. We need to hold our politicians accountable for the decisions that they make just as we hold corporations accountable for their decisions. We elect our political officials every 2, 4 or 6 years but we choose our corporate affiliations every time we write a check. We already have tremendous influence over corporations but we are losing our grip on our control of politicians.

Originally Posted by lutherf

A picture tells a thousand words....

Raw sewer: An unidentified man seen defecates on a NYPD patrol car in downtown Manhattan

Pic and caption from Stinking up Wall Street: Protesters accused of living in filth as shocking pictures show one demonstrator defecating on a POLICE CAR

The problem with the OWS agenda is that they are catering to the lowest values in society and that's what they're getting.

It's possible to protest without getting arrested. It's possible to get your point across without leaving a trail of destruction behind you.

Yeah, and was probably sent there by some right wingnut group who wants to mold perceptions of these people. OR, it was just another wino, doper, panhandling the crowd of liberals as he knew if they were cons, he would not get a handout!

Originally Posted by thanatos144

I disagree. I think they are several million individuals who will listen and make up their own mind. Because someone is a republican does not mean he shouldn't be a tea party person. Same goes for a democrat. As long as they hold to certain ideals.

You have a right to your opinion, you have no right whatsoever to speak my opinion of which your assessment is incorrect:

You see things in context of party and that's one of the things that is hurting the country.

Originally Posted by jviehe

Any thoughts on the socialists occupying wall street and protesting against...something? One guy on CNN today was talking about how he had to lie and call in sick to go, and hoped he didnt get fired. So he could go protest corporations who hired him. And another was talking about how they were uploading stuff constantly using the Mac, made by a corporation.

I hate to give these guys any attention, but they are quite entertaining. Apparently this is Arab Fall and theres going to be a revolution to overthrow capitalism, according to the media that supports them.

Perhaps some there don't want to overthrow capitalism, just to make it work once again for the masses instead of a few elites maxmizing their profits by taking advantage of poor communists, as they leave us jobless.

I think this is healthy stuff here for a representative republic. Fox and right wing talk radio has their own campaign against these common rabble. Watch Fox then MSNBC and note the vast difference in perceptions. Or propaganda from both sides. With Fox being the worse offender of such. It is actually amusing and funny to me personally, to watch Bill O, soften his take on the demonstrators although he still has a right wing slant to his take.

Originally Posted by JDJarvis

You have a right to your opinion, you have no right whatsoever to speak my opinion of which your assessment is incorrect:

if you say so but that's not how I read it.

Originally Posted by lutherf

spread the risk of negative consequences among the group rather than having to take on that burden personally.................The goal of a corporation is profit but it is not to achieve profit at the expense of others. It is to achieve profit by earning the good will of its employees and its customers.

I think it might be more accurate to say the corporation protects shareholders from liability for financial, civil, and criminal misbehavior by the corporation. While the risk is "spread" that same goal is acheived by a partnership. It's the protection from liability - the lack of personal responsibility if you will - that distinguishes the corporation.

And it is entirely irrelevant whether profit is achieved at the expense of others or not. The goodwill of employees is less and less important when new employees can be found in another state or another country in short order. The goodwill of customers, while sometimes valuable, is more valuable to the small local business and is less important in an economy where the makers of goods are more and more often anonymous and interchangeable. It's also less important when brand loyalty is achieved mostly through the incessant pounding of ads than by superior product.

Holding politicians accountable is exactly what we need to do. But it's made difficult by the fact that there are no politicians who are not owned by corporate interests. Eliminating the influence of corporate money from electoral politics is the only way to make third parties and independent candidates possible.

2. Wars and Militarism – end wars and occupations, end private for-profit military contractors, reduce the national security state and end the weapons export industry. War crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace must be addressed and those responsible held accountable under international law.

This is tantamount to simply giving up our sovereignty. Why should possibly abdicate our responsibility for maintaining our national security and holding our own citizens responsible for their misdeeds to the international community?

The idea of "ending all wars" is a pipe dream. It just plain isn't going to happen. As long as there are 2 or more people on this earth there are going to be disputes. Being strong is actually a deterrent to use of military force.

Originally Posted by timj219

I think it might be more accurate to say the corporation protects shareholders from liability for financial, civil, and criminal misbehavior by the corporation. While the risk is "spread" that same goal is acheived by a partnership. It's the protection from liability - the lack of personal responsibility if you will - that distinguishes the corporation.

And it is entirely irrelevant whether profit is achieved at the expense of others or not. The goodwill of employees is less and less important when new employees can be found in another state or another country in short order. The goodwill of customers, while sometimes valuable, is more valuable to the small local business and is less important in an economy where the makers of goods are more and more often anonymous and interchangeable. It's also less important when brand loyalty is achieved mostly through the incessant pounding of ads than by superior product.

Holding politicians accountable is exactly what we need to do. But it's made difficult by the fact that there are no politicians who are not owned by corporate interests. Eliminating the influence of corporate money from electoral politics is the only way to make third parties and independent candidates possible.

Being a simple shareholder in a corporation may protect the individual from civil or criminal actions perpetrated by executives of the corporation but it sure doesn't protect you financially and, if you are an executive you most certainly can be held liable for civil and criminal acts committed through your involvement in the corporation. Just ask Jeff Skilling about the legal protections a corporation affords.

Originally Posted by lutherf

Being a simple shareholder in a corporation may protect the individual from civil or criminal actions perpetrated by executives of the corporation but it sure doesn't protect you financially and, if you are an executive you most certainly can be held liable for civil and criminal acts committed through your involvement in the corporation. Just ask Jeff Skilling about the legal protections a corporation affords.

Of course a shareholder is protected financially. If I am found civilly liable as an individual or as a sole proprietor or member of a simple partnership all my assets are at risk. As a shareholder only those assets invested in the corporation are at risk. As for convicting executives of course it's theoretically possible and sometimes happens. But just like with politicians, it's the exception rather than the rule. Who has gone to jail for the gross negligence and reckless greed that has destroyed our economy? Nobody. Because corporate ownership of government means that acts which most people might consider criminal are classified as civil for business executives. And because these corporations are highly organized, executives are strongly motivate to cooperatively obstruct investigation and to hide evidence of criminality, and ownership of government brings these executives into close friendly contact with the very government officials who will encourage or discourage the aggressive investigation of possible crimes. The difficulty of convicting criminals who are part of a powerful and highly organized entity is acknowledged by the existence of RICO laws used against drug cartels.

IMO the lack of personal responsibility and the difficulty of proving criminality when carried out by a highly organized and powerful entity argue for the restriction of rights and for the limiting of political power of corporations.

3. Human Rights – end exploitation of people in the US and abroad, end discrimination in all forms, equal civil rights and due process for all people.

You want to end exploitation? Great! Stop subsidizing "victimhood".

The poor in this country are afforded no cost medical care, no cost education, subsidized housing, subsidized food, financial assistance, subsidized utilities, etc, etc. The only catch to this is that the majority of the social welfare infrastructure has been co-opted by political ideologues who exploit the needy in an effort to establish an even larger government controlled "social safety net". If the goal is really to help needy people then focus on teaching and encouraging people to help themselves. Don't keep on teaching the needy that they are incapable of overcoming adversity and "need" handouts.

If you look around this country you will see pockets of poverty have developed in precisely the areas where "social assistance" most readily doled out. You want it to stop? Start empowering and stop enabling.

Originally Posted by lutherf

This is tantamount to simply giving up our sovereignty. Why should possibly abdicate our responsibility for maintaining our national security and holding our own citizens responsible for their misdeeds to the international community?

The idea of "ending all wars" is a pipe dream. It just plain isn't going to happen. As long as there are 2 or more people on this earth there are going to be disputes. Being strong is actually a deterrent to use of military force.

There is a lot of distance between maintaining national security and the kind of military adventurism, gross overspending, and unlimited spying on american citizens that we have today. Ending war is indeed a pipe dream. But cutting back the surveillance and security state is a goal that should be shared by all who value their freedom and who claim to support reducing the size and expense of government.