Since its beginnings way back in September, the Occupy Wall Street has repeatedly faced a pointed criticism, mainly from righties- “if you’re so mad, why don’t you occupy the government instead?”
Indeed, it is somewhat naive to gloss over the role of the government in getting America to a place where robber barons rule and the little guy has to pick up the tab, time and again, for their gambling addiction. (Don’t believe me? Check out the Bloomberg piece from last week that made some waves but was largely ignored by most media sources in favor of news that one of the Kardashians got knocked up- sure, Congress didn’t know about the secret bailout, but laws made the deception possible.) There are a thousand reasons why it doesn’t matter that the government has been a smaller target of the Occupy Wall Street protests- mainly that if you reported a crime against you and the police don’t investigate, it’s pretty reasonable your first grievance would be with the criminal and not the cops.
But it’s not like lawmakers are entirely off the hook. Occupy protests have moved away from public squares for the time being- one of the current actions being Occupy Goes Home, involving localized efforts to protect homeowners from foreclosures- but all that is set to change on January 17th. Calls are being put out for a “million tents” and corresponding protesters to Occupy Congress and petition the government for a redress of grievances. Although the Occupy Congress movement doesn’t officially have a website yet, there is a Reddit thread that currently has 911 replies with users across the country voicing support and making plans to attend the rally.
It’s interesting reading over the thread because I keep hearing from mainstream media sources that the Occupy movement lacks a single, cohesive message- that it’s like Burning Man in Zucotti Park. But over and over, in every discussion among actual Occupy protesters, the same refrain echoes: “Get money out of politics. Our democracy is not for sale.” Even if the message isn’t as across-the-board as some would like, one has to wonder why this single message, repeated over and over, has been largely ignored by the media of this country. Is it not loud enough? Do you plan to Occupy Congress on the 17th, and do you think that the occupation of the Capital will finally garner the Occupy movement the attention it deserves from the government?
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The Occupy Movement is NECESSARY for our citizens to expose the corruption which Big Business has infected our Government with. Every single person occupying the streets and protesting Corporations is a hero and a patriot. I was compelled to lend a hand and create some new posters for the movement which you can download for free on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/11/propaganda-for-occupy-movement.html.
Right on, and Amen1.
HEY PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF WANTING TO OCCUPY WALL ST. CITY PARKS, ETC, WHY DON'T WE OCCUPY THE FRONT LAWNS OF OUR CARING POLITICANS AND MAKE THEM AND THIER FAMLIES LIVES A LIVING HELL FOR A FEW WEEKS.THAN MAYBE JUST MAYBE THEY WILL DO SOMETHING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.INSTEAD OF THEMSELVES.
The occupy movement is a complete waste of time. You have wasted time, money, and resources, and have achieved absolutely nothing. Hell, some of your idiot counterparts have deposited large donation checks into the same institutions in which your protesting. Your status updating from iphones and droids, supporting the "1%" as you go along. What did us hard working middle class folks do? We continued to go to work and we TOOK our MONEY out of the large institutions and MOVED it into a Local Credit Union…that is DOING SOMETHING. OCCUPY MOVEMENT is NOT necessary, it's a fkin waste.
I don't totally agree brandt. Its not big business infecting our govt its our politions and not all but a vast magority of them that ade big business right after they purchased tons of stock in that company. A hero and patriot doesn't destroy public property , a patriot and hero don't commit crimes against his fellow man , actually this can go on for a bit and I feel I got my point across. These politions allow all that is bad happen! they allow jobs to go over seas and give tax breaks to those who do. What needs to happen is politions and the president need to remember they are public servents they are to represent and listen to the public. Not do the opposite. Obama care should not have been up to congress to decide it should have been up to the public it is our tax dollars they want to take a gamble on. I don't care much for the wall street protest because that wont and will never change a thing but protesting in dc at the capitol can do far more. And every you tube video or interview I saw with the occupy movement the main message wasnt get money out of the govts hands it was the opposite. most want more govt and more hand outs which will not close no gap in the rich and poor. less govt period. I will never support any idiot that wants communism and more govt. Look at europe they are falling apart doing the same thing our govt is doing and what people want more of govt. So if the movement is to make politions accountable for their greed and evils then I totally support it. If its politions should live by the same rules as the rest of us I support. Supporting more govt is not patriotic , trying to do nothing and live off the backs of people who are working is not a hero , thomas jefferson said too much governing can and will kill this country!
I think that sparking discourse in all public and private spaces is a more important goal than physical occupation, myself. However, some Occupy Boston marches I've participated in have stopped at John Kerry's home, etc. I know Occupy Wall St. has held drum circles outside Bloomberg's house, and I'm sure if you wanted to plan an action in your community or school you'd find plenty of willing supporters. Good luck!
This is going to be interesting…….
The politicians are biting the hand that feeds them, anyone with one percent of common sense knows or should know you don't do that, reality is comming for them, and they fear.
The facts you are dismissing in their overall 'message' is that they marched first. The intent was to disrupt. As far as what they were protesting, it's like Jimmy Dean said 'what have you got'. Most of the ringleaders are the types that protest the WMF meetings, UN meetings, nuclear weapons transports etc. It is stunningly obvious that many of them are either anarchists or communists. They share disruption as their goal. All you have to do is see the interviews posted on You Tube. No filters baby. Just a bunch of idiots….
Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance on display.
It's true that many of those participating in these protests are anarchists. Anarchists have been around for over a hundred years, and they are always ineffectual. Compared to the power of the corporations in this country, anarchists are like little gnats trying to bring down an elephant. So far as I can tell (and believe me I'm as anticommunist as they come) there are no communists in this movement. There aren't many communists left, anyway, now that the collapse of communism has discredited those ideas. And, by the way, it was a character played by Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" who replied "Whatta ya got?" when asked what he was rebelling against. Ignorance on display is always embarrassing.
The politicians who are the problem are being fed by the major corporations, and I see no sign they have any intention of biting that hand.
I've been following the movement since before it started and it was not started as a random disruption- it was specifically to protest corruption and theft from America. And there were plenty of inarticulate videos on YouTube of the Tea Party, too.
Finally, an Occupy idea that makes sense. Yes, Occupy Congress. Occupy every politician's house that voted for the bank bailout or profited from insider info. Occupy the palaces of the financial "geniuses" who created and underwrote and made billions from junk mortgage certificates or from non-economically productive derivatives. But recognize that Occupying public parks in San Francisco or Oakland or Boston or New York only disrupts life and livelihood for the 99% that Occupiers are supposed to be fighting for. Enough of that already. Please.
"they wont and will never change a thing" I wonder how many people said that to MLK in 1962… I know it hurts being a right winger that understands that the positions he grew up with are pretty stupid, but your stance needs as much revision as your spelling, because you are contradicing yourself in and out on this…
And who said anything about "more government" if youre implying that healthcare is more government, then I say I'd rather be able to vote out those in control of my health, and raising my premiums… thats what I mean when I say your political stance… you have a "righty" perspective and not a "realist" one, so anyone saying "businessmen on top are putting their greed before the good of the people, and using their wealth to take over influence in politics" sounds like "we need a communist revolution" in your eyes…. no one wants to give either side more power, we just want money out of politics, and real people for real people back in it… if you need another lesson… understand that the 1% started gaining wealth AFTER deregulation… so government was BIGGER when people had more money, and now that the banks know the govt will subsidize them, they got rid of the regulations, while the fact remains that those regulations ("government") were put in place after the great depression… So BEFORE government, the top had all the wealth and led to a crash the people at the bottom had to bear, AFTER DEregulation, there was another crash that the people on the bottom had to bear (about 3 years ago) soooooo….. explain why regulation doesn't work again (unless your on the top, which is where the only smart republicans are.. smh)
Byron SongDesigner Crite for one not a righty , just because i dont like the idea of more govt , the govt spending more money , and trying to raise taxes . Were regulation needs to be its not . MLK did things right wall street movement is far from Mr. King type . King marched on washington and boycotted things . The people that hate big business yet protest with cell phones in hand and laptops . What sense does that make ! Just remember what communism is govt controls the banks , healthcare , giving people work , not caring what the people say , and sure as hell wouldnt be blogging about them no freedom of speech . Now with more govt , where does that money come from Byron , govt dont make money so it got to get it somewhere to pay these people . govt should have never bailed out banks or car industry either . govt got bigger just before the great depression so what does that tell ya .
This is the absolutely necessary next step for the Occupy Movement. Occupying Wall Street and other public squares got everyone's attention. Occupying Congress will shed the light where it really belongs: Washington. Our government at least allowed and at worst aided the banksters in robbing the rest of us. They create the wars which drive this broken economy. Government is supposed to protect us, nothing more, nothing less. We need to tell them to do their jobs!