Thoughtful Thug
Deity
They need to simplify it a bit more. Weed out some of the stuff that doesn't fit in there, and keep the bulk of reforming our federal election laws, which I think is the core issue that they are trying to change.
The 99% Declaration
- Thread starter Integral
- Start date
At least one of your Senators is. Who is your congressman? We could look at who gives him money.
Patroklos
Deity
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2003
- Messages
- 12,721
Does this "99%" included the 20% through 80% of Americans who knowingly colluded with that 1% to enter untenable home loans that were far above a healthy income to debt ratio directly leading the housing bubble and subsequent collapse? Oh...
Does this "99%" include the 1% though 99% of Americans that have increased our consumer debt from 50% to 140% of GDP over the last three decades while saving less and less for their own retirement in the same period? Oh...
Does this “99%” include the baby boomers that voted themselves benefits and lived off of deficit spending for their entire time in power without any plan to pay for any of it? Oh…
The reason this movement is ridiculous is they refuse to accept their own culpability as willing participants in the very things they object to. They act like they are clean wind driven snow of society when in fact they are just trying to foist their responsibility on a visible denouncable minority.
That 1% is not blameless mind you, but neither is this supposed 99% of wannabe oppressed angels.
Does this "99%" include the 1% though 99% of Americans that have increased our consumer debt from 50% to 140% of GDP over the last three decades while saving less and less for their own retirement in the same period? Oh...
Does this “99%” include the baby boomers that voted themselves benefits and lived off of deficit spending for their entire time in power without any plan to pay for any of it? Oh…
The reason this movement is ridiculous is they refuse to accept their own culpability as willing participants in the very things they object to. They act like they are clean wind driven snow of society when in fact they are just trying to foist their responsibility on a visible denouncable minority.
That 1% is not blameless mind you, but neither is this supposed 99% of wannabe oppressed angels.
Thoughtful Thug
Deity
You should go to the "ask a Red" thread and ask what is a typical bolshie-populist actually mean. Trust me, you may get your head examined instead.
If you are an elected official and I approach you and say to you "Vote my way, and your wife gets a $1mill/year job. Don't vote my way and she doesn't." How is that not a bribe aimed at you?
Everything in financial services. Make a bank a bank and nothing but a bank. No integration with other companies. No company allowed to be so large that it cannot be allowed to fail. Investment banks can only be partnership owned. No stock issues. Formalize bailout rules so that any company that the government bails out do to systemic risk, the stock of that company is 100% nullified, regardless of how much money the government has to put in. If that doesn't cover it, the bonds are nullified as well. Executives and board members are cut off from any further income from the company, permanently.
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
Other than the gender requirements. I'd go with this declaration.
What? I mean, I really wish you were right, but this is empirically not the case. Some laws affect women exclusively, or affect women more than they affect men.
On topic: I agree that #17 is a bad idea, but other than that, I can get behind most of this. I do worry that the document won't be widely disseminated enough (93,000 hits in the past two weeks is good, but it's a fraction of the number of people they need to be reaching) and the media will keep right on concern trolling (or just trolling, depending on political proclivities) about the Occupy movement's "lack of a central message."
Welcome to the forums! You picked a hell of a place (I mean anywhere in OT) for a first post.
I think that's what they are going for with this declaration--the entire OWS movement has been rather directionless, and this list shows that. It's all over the place. I'm backing them on the electoral reform ideas (especially challenging the Citizens United ruling, which I think is garbage).
Thoughtful Thug
Deity
I think the case of why there are a lack of hits is because the majority of the people are too busy working extremely long hours a day, handling their kids, and trying to make ends meets.
The bottom of the totem pole, which is a lot btw, do not own a computer or have internet access, nor have the time and energy to become jaded by the usual feeds of traditional news. And some that don't, stick to the traditional means of news from television and newspapers, instead of what we regularly digest on the WWW.
You can count out a lot of prisoners (2 million there). Drug addicts. And etc...
I agree with the previous posters who said that they should put more focus on the electoral reform and campaign funding aspects. It's what really sets them apart from the established parties. The rest is basically a set of stock left demands, which I don't mind, but I fear it's going to water down their main message and open dozens of fronts that can't be fought.
I'm a little surprised that none of their points were concerned with how the finance sector operates, which seems to be a very obvious topic for a movement called Occupy Wall Street.
I'm a little surprised that none of their points were concerned with how the finance sector operates, which seems to be a very obvious topic for a movement called Occupy Wall Street.
That does not mean he/she is 'bought'. That's incredibly cynical to assume that.
Depends on what legislation they supported.
kochman
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2009
- Messages
- 10,818
Would you say Obama is bought, based upon him receiving more money from Wall St than anyone else and giving back to the big banks on the flip side?
To me, it's incredibly naive not to assume it.
ParkCungHee
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2006
- Messages
- 12,921
Indeed. If we applied the same standard of those who enforce the law to those who make the law, wouldn't it be pretty well required that they recuse themselves in anything involving their contributors?
Even if a politician isn't "bought," per se, the access and good graces that big contributors get could influence him/her.
Core Imposter
Felon
- Joined
- May 13, 2011
- Messages
- 5,402
LOL at the idiocy of all of that claptrap. That exhibt would be a pretty good argument for an absolute monarchy.
