Supporting the “ Occupy Movement ” , another’s comment !

Winter riding in the Tirol until today has been 100% sunshine this past month so heading out today in the gloomy overcast was a novelty . Returning from Schwaz was in drizzle but mostly on the cycle paths so little interaction with traffic .

Forecast was for rain that only started mid morning but there is little sign of a drop in temperature to allow snow so that is why I am here adding to my blogs !

Make an effort to encourage me by “ following on the blogs , twitter and face book !

Daily reading following the “ Occupy Movement ” turns up some interesting comments and this item is certainly worth a read ! The article where this was posted even pointed out that some US States are proposing to increase Taxes on those earning more than a mere $US ¼ million , some will see their 10.3% rate increased to 11.3% , certainly not a hardship for those in this income bracket !

“ The following is my message supporting the occupy Wall Street movement. I do not pretend to represent the opinions of each citizen engaged in this constitutional right to protest, this my opinion. Having been to Zuccotti Park, seeing and hearing the participants of this brave exercise in democracy I do believe that I am on the same page as they and the following is my message. if you choose to print in its entirety than you ,who claim to represent the fourth estate are too participating in what our democracy is supposed to be. If not so be it.


We have come to a point in modern history where we, America have been taken over by the oligarchs. People of extreme wealth and influence have overwhelmed our democracy. Access to our representatives, our senators, our governors at local, state and federal levels have been hijacked by the rich and powerful. The middle and working class citizens of this country, the people that have built this country, the people that have taught us, clothed us, built our roads, healed us, protected us and worked in offices for those in power have been ignored and swept aside. The poor are not even a thought to those in power.

The rich and powerful have figured out a way to earn their wealth with out us. The rich and powerful have figured out how to make a profit on the cheap. They have exported our jobs and taken advantage of cheap labor over seas and here at home. They have found a way to exclude the middle class and make lots of money doing so. They contribute nothing to society, they make nothing and they give nothing back. They think they can continue on this course without consequence. They are wrong.

There are two different groups of this wealthy class, those that are the money managers and those that are the product peddlers. The money managers think they are independent of the working class and think they don’t need us. The product peddlers use us and our common space without contributing to it. The money managers have created an artificial world of selling debt without good conscience in doing so. They have set up a system with little or no rules. The product peddlers use our roads, air and tunnels to transport their goods that we buy; all supported and paid for by taxpaying citizens. Yes, we buy and use their products. We are not against corporations, we are not against capitalism, we are not against earning an honest wage and profit. One could argue that this movement could not have grown without the use of products like the computer and cell phone crucial for communication; clothes and sleeping bags keeping those brave enough to sleep in the parks battling the elements and exercising their constitutional rights; products often manufactured by people in far away countries paid poorly for their efforts. Americans have grown accustomed to buying and using many products that have in many ways eased their lives, but at what price? We get that, but I don’t think those in power do. We are a community; we share a common space and common tools to exist. We the working and middle class are being used and stretched beyond our means so that those at the top can stay there, without shared sacrifice. What we ask for is fairness and right now, it is extremely clear that those at the top of the economic ladder have a tremendous advantage that has hurt this country deeply.

There are 46.2 million people in America living in poverty in the richest country on earth. One million of them are seniors, one and half million are children. More than one hundred thousand are veterans. How did that happen? What do we do about the poorest among us? What kind of nation is this that does not look after it’s weakest, its sickest, its disabled, its children, its elders and its veterans? What does that say about who we are as a nation?


We realize that the vote has been bought and suppressed. The idea that corporations have individual rights as expressed recently by the Supreme Court tells just how far corruption in our system has come. The allowance of corporate interests to anonymously pay for opinion to sway voters however they see fit is an injustice of our democracy and needs to be changed. The oppressive monetary influence has got to be stopped.

We the people are here to speak truth to power. We are here to tell our representatives, our senators, our governors and our president that we have had enough. We are fed up with trying to just get by. We are fed up with being ignored. We are fed up with health insurance companies price gouging us. We are fed up with choosing one child on our health insurance plan because we can’t afford two. We are fed up with oil companies price gouging us and then polluting our water, our earth and sky. We are fed up with men dying in coal mines. We are fed up with college being affordable to only the rich. We are fed up with undocumented workers being used like slaves. We are fed up with being told to buy things because that’s what makes the rich richer. We are fed up with leaders who lie us into wars to make a profit. We are fed up with those who complain government is the problem and then beg the government and the tax payers to save them when they act foolish. We are fed up with those in government who complain about government. We are fed up with government officials being auctioned off to the highest bidder and our voices snuffed out as a result. We are fed up with being told that we are the problem.

To Mr. President and all of our public officials, listen up: we are not the problem, greed is the problem, hubris is the problem, deregulation is the problem, no accountability is the problem, no rules are the problem. We have had enough.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said:
“We stand for a living wage. Wages are subnormal if they fail to provide a living for those who devote their time and energy to industrial occupations. The monetary equivalent of a living wage varies according to local conditions, but must include enough to secure the elements of a normal standard of living--a standard high enough to make morality possible, to provide for education and recreation, to care for immature members of the family, to maintain the family during periods of sickness, and to permit of reasonable saving for old age.”
May I remind all those listening that our standard of living and our ability to earn a living wage has been diminished. We are earning less, and for the first time in decades our younger generation is being deprived the right to aspire to a better life than their parents. We as a people are losing our capacity to earn a living wage as described by Theodore Roosevelt.

We the people want you to listen to us now. We want our voices to be heard. All we have left is this moment this time here together, out in the streets. Making our voices heard is all we have left as we have no money to pay for the privilege which should be our right. We invite you to come here to talk with us, to listen to us, to find out what needs to be done to make our country great again.

We fear that our democracy is at risk, we fear that the many soldiers throughout our history may have given their lives for naught. We fear that the gilded age of robber barons, which ill served this country has returned to bring great harm to this great nation only to serve a few. We fear that a plutocracy is replacing our democratic system of governance.

We want fairness, we want the power of the people, we want a democratic system of government that insures that the people’s voices will be heard and not bought. We want equal access. We want to be able to earn a living wage. If you want our support, if you want our vote then you must listen to us. Because we shall not be moved until you do. Just like the tree standing by the water we shall not be moved”


More comments to be found in the article , should you have the time to read and enjoy :

http://www.truth-out.org/finally-higher-taxes-1-occupy-behind-governors-moves-make-wealthy-pay-their-share/1323456503



Dissension is also discussed in this following article , essentially there are “ founding members of the “ Occupy Movement ” suffering difficulties now that “ Zuccotti Park ” has been vacated by the NYPD’s use of force .

http://www.thenation.com/article/165087/fracturing-occupy-wall-street

So many who began the occupation are finding themselves passed by as the “ Occupy Movement ” grows into an International and Office based situation . Surely some of these people must recognise that the “ movement ” whilst acknowledging their commitment does not “ OWE THEM " !

OAF of Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street continues to dominate the " Foreign News items" on the Austrian Broadcaster " FN4 " ! " Reality Check " , the programme broadcasts from noon each day and thus english speakers are able to keep abreast of the latest happenings of the " Occupy Movement ". Seems to be a fairly unbiased presentation with " Live Reporting " by a variety of their American Correspondents .

Clearly there is an agenda running in the New York City Administration and the " Oaf of Wall Street " sometimes described as a Billionaire and residing at City Hall as the Mayor of New York is either ill advised or " Blundering around like the proverbial "bull in a china shop " ! Had the " Oaf " done as he is insisting and allowed people to practice their " 1st Amandment rights " it is doubtful that this movement would have gained a lot of recognition . Now of course it is big news in all those parts of the world that the USA has been pointing the finger at as " REPRESSIVE REGIMES " ! China has some pretty repressive legisltion in place to deal with dissension and we continuall hear of the fate of " Dissenters " who suddenly have defrauded their government of Taxes ! These same people were paupers or below the poverty line until the spoke out , where did the untaxed income come from ? Will the US resort to " Stitching up " those that they identify as leaders of the "Occupy Movement "?

The " Oaf of Wall Street " is the " patsy " tasked with the job of helping the " 1% " to stay in control of the 99% who we all know are not entirely in agreement with what is happening . Continual " Polce Harassment " is turning the " silent Majority " into those who will start to consider their situation and it will soon reach a tipping point where they are forced to side with their " fellow downtrodden citizens "!

President Obama sat through a musical session at the Convention in Hawaii recently and the 5 1/2 minute tune went 45 mins before the artist left the stage ! " We are the many " will no doubt go viral and become a No 1 hit with even those with no " political interests " . That this tune was allowed to continually repeat says that there are many who side with the 99% and are uncomfortable with the aggressive and greedy behaviour of the 1% of this world . Too many Democracies are lip service entities and we all know that there is more untaxed and unaccounted for money " Hidden " outside the Swiss Banking system than hld intheir " Secret Accounts "!

Two months have passed since the !7th September occupation of " Liberty Plaza ( zuccotti park ) but whilst this area is supposedly a " Private Park " the terms of allowing the setting up of this facility was that there was " FREE ACCESS " to the Public ! The " OAF " forgets or chooses to ignore this simple fact and so New York Tax Payers are eventually going to find their Taxes will be utilised to settle Legitimate Legal Actions brought by those " Attacked by the Police Department " on the instigation of the administration ! Will there be some way for these Tax Payers to take action to recover some of their losses from the deep pockets of the " Oaf " and his supporters ? Legal action grinds slowly so even though there is an entitlement i wouldn't count on a result any time soon !

Some of the comments i have come across in my readings of recent reports :

Some are negative to the " Occupy movement "!

" I guess maybe now you know that a life of "self-esteem building" and participation trophies hasn't really prepared you for the reality of life, and the "progressive permissiveness" of your parents and teachers have left you thinking you can change the world by doing nothing, and/or not participating....unfortunately, that's not how it works. Many of you reference the American Revolution in your comments, the American revolution was brought about by men of action, not children of leisure, it was not a social movement where people hung out all day beating drums, walking around, chanting, and interrupting the daily lives of others... Because you CHOOSE not to participate, or quit, because times are tough does not mean that your rights are being violated, you have the "right" to attempt, not to be guaranteed success. Freedom from failure and struggle is NOT part of the American culture, it is through the lessons and adjustments of those failures that the course toward success is narrowed. You hold animosity toward the wealthiest 1%, what you should be doing is studying their lives, many (in fact most) of them were in similar positions at some point in their lives too, but rather than demanding support from others, they put their shoulder to the wheel and worked their way through it...they took advantage of small opportunities and waited for their chance at larger ones. The took jobs that were well below their station, sometimes working for free, to get their foot in the door, and then used their own initiative to rise above the crowd.
I read these comments and all I see is give me, give me, give me....give me a job, give me free healthcare, give me free tuition, and THEN I'll begin making an effort....which is nothing but nonsense, it's the effort that brings the reward, not the reward that creates the effort. By-in-large you should be ashamed of yourselves, the squeegee men have more pride than you, for, at least they do something before asking for a handout...you should take what little dignity you have left and go back to wherever you are from and find an opportunity, maybe it's mowing lawns or shoveling snow, maybe it's making lattes, or waiting tables, maybe it's providing some service to people that they need, like delivering dry cleaning or groceries to those who are busy, or unable to do so themselves, whatever it is...go to work, stop sitting around looking for approval and acceptance from other losers and ne'er-do-wells. You are wasting your lives, and wasting the talents and abilities that reside inside you, you are better people than you are demonstrating to the world to be. What is the future of the human race if you choose the path of least resistance and libertine existences instead of rising to your potential and changing the world actively...instead of passively expecting everyone else around you to change it to favor your current state of wretched slothful existence."

Others have proposals :

"

The only way you, OWS, all will make a difference is if you affect the day to day operation or flow of life, commerce, and or government. As i once witnessed in France, their government wanted to raise fines, tolls, taxes, etc. on all commercial truck drivers and trucking companies. What happened next was amazing. All French trucking companies and drivers criss crossed their trucks across all major highways in their country, completely blocking and disabling the transportation of all goods throughout the country. This lasted for about a week or less, until the government backed down and reversed its decision. It worked because it takes a protest of this scale to affect change. Occupying a park, although symbolic, will never ever ever do anything to change how disgustingly our government and the rich control all our lives, and continue to make the rich richer. You need to regroup, and i mean regroup all OWS protesters from across the country to a few very large simultaneous protests because small groups here and there won't really make a statement and can be easily intimidated and disbanded by authorities. You need a board of smart leaders that can effectively communicate a set of real smart ideas and demands and better organize the movement. You need to continue to use social media as a way to communicate as they did in the middle east to oust their dictators. But most of all you need to make one massive statement by protesting and affecting the day to day operation or flow of life, commerce, and or government. It will be the only way that you will get the govt and the rich to stop.......turn around......and stare in awe at the EPIC scale of the movement before them, and realize that the time has come, and that We The People have officially drawn the line in the sand, and are no longer willing to play their game any longer. IT IS THE ONLY WAY. Thank you."

We know the Banks were " Bailed Out " , but this much ?:

" " GUESS WHO is given help"

this, too, is not what democracy looks like:
First ever Audit of the Federal Reserve came back today, revealing the fed paid out $16 trillion (yes, that's with a 't') in secret bailouts during this financial crisis, to, oh, whomever was on their golfing buddy list.

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=9e2a4ea8-6e73-4be2-a753-62060dcbb3c3

"This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you're-on-your-own individualism for everyone else." - Sanders, VT
May the occupation continue until the situation improves ;-).

SOME PROPOSED SOLUTIONS :

" Just list your fucking demands and let the pieces fall where they may. Without demands, the world thinks you stand for nothing or anything they want you to stand for. There is nothing brave or clever about demonstrating without a firm set of grievances and demands. In fact, it's fucking stupid. It takes more balls to set forth a concrete platform of demands and become a worthy target than to hide behind some vague notion of militating against the influence of the wealthy 1%. And, by the way, stop gathering in one fucking place and camping out there where the man can bust you like they did today. Try flash actions instead of being a sitting duck. Put your fucking computers to good use. Stop telegraphing your local moves unless you intend to make a major march on Washington where everyone is coming from different sections of the country. Even the original American revolutionaries knew better than to line up in rows to avoid getting blown away by the enemy. That's Guerrilla Warfare 101. In fact, change the name Occupy Wall Street to Flash Wall Street or something similar to it that indicates dynamic movement instead of stasis. WTF."

" A list of great ways to strike back immediately: 1. Cease purchasing useless stuff immediately. 2. avoid Black Friday after Thanksgiving 3. Everyone file EXEMPT or for EXTENTIONS on their "2012 Taxes".... This will bring everything to a stand still! All law eforcment will not be receiving checks....no governmental employee will.
Sincerely, Lisa Marie Chadwick "

Who are they blaming for the " State of the Nation "?


" We knew when Ronald Reagan was elected that the nation would come to this. The Republicans have been given their way to rob the nation for more than three decades .... it was WALL STREET that was the problem, NOT government. WALL STREET is STILL the problem. WALL STREET assassinates presidents and international leaders .... these are not peaceful people you are fighting with peaceful protest. They are PROFESSIONAL liars, thieves and murderers."

Referred to the Song " We are the many ":



" Makana "


" The 1% still doesn't understand that we are everywhere. Even Obama at the Hawaii APEC Conference learned that. Search for "Makana" on YouTube and see what happened at the conference. Listen to "We Are The Many" and think about. We intend to occupy the world.



" Correct definition of the Zuccotti Park access "!

" For those above who have said that the park is not
public space - the corporation who own it guaranteed public access to the park in the agreement they made to get planning permission for an associated commercial building. Mayor Bloomberg is breaking the law in denying the public their right to access it."

So people say the Occupy movement is lacking ideas? Well, here's some ideas I've seen from one OWS supporter that I think are excellent:

Time for a reformed movement; Occupy is getting old. I think, now, the Occupiers should use the built-up efforts, energy, and momentum to do something other than occupy. Marching and protesting brings the attention and awareness, and even garners support, but it won't bring change, not at the levels needed. The Wall St. execs will continue to look down from their high-rise office windows sipping their scotch or espresso, and paying off local law enforcement and politicians. Why not have them look down on action, instead of inaction? Why not organize to occupy vacant buildings and set up a school for inner-city kids? Or a free clinic for low-income families? Or a food/clothing drive for the unemployed? Or shelter/housing for the homeless? Or a vocational/job training facility for those displaced workers with limited skills and experience. Heck, why not go so far as to use vacant buildings to set up a new government? Why don't the occupiers do what they are asking Wall St. to do for them, instead of waiting for a change of heart in the heartless? Why not show them that we don't need them, because we out-number them. They are supposed to work for us; if they don't, it's time to let them go. We don't need them to initiate change, we just need to focus and organize. WE are the government, remember?


My recent entries in Facebook :

" TODAY IS 17th NOV ! O W S holds these views :

" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights , That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness , That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among humans, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed , That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to reclaim it , and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness "!

" GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN NEW YORK and elsewhere upholding the " Founding Fathers " values !

To the " Oaf of NEW YORK ( google term)" , desist , you are irrelevant as a result of your own values !

Proud Americans will support the efforts of these people who seek change for the benefit of the 99% of which i am one !

Not being an American i can only stand and watch but there are here similarities to Iran, Eygpt , Tunisia , Libya and the ongoing problems in Syria . Hilary Clinton continues to critcize those regimes BUT what does she have to say in her NIMBY situation ?