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Old 09-29-2011, 03:20 PM   #1
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Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

I think there is enough interest to start a discussion here about the #occupywallstreet #occupyamerica #occupychicago #occupyboston and the other movements that are popping up around the country in every major city. It is hard to pin down exactly what this movement is about, but it looks like it is gaining momentum and building itself from the ground up. This movement is largely being ignored by the mainstream media because there is a lack of prominent people and cohesive goals. Although I think at this point some of the apparent goals are coming to light. I am sure those goals will develop as the movement matures. Or perhaps the movement will fizzle and everything will return to as it was.

Now time for the police brutality!



Here is an article from a journalist who was arrested while covering #occupywallstreet.

Quote:
I don't know what's going to happen to Occupy Wall Street as a movement. Maybe it will fizzle out, maybe it will grow. I do know that whatever happens will be documented. And I know that there's a history of activist movements being bolstered when leaders and followers alike are jailed together.
So, what do you guys think? Is this going to fizzle out and die? Or is there a possibility that we could be watching a major grassroots movement live on the internet?

I am hoping for the latter.
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Old 09-29-2011, 03:45 PM   #2
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

The way the ALPA was walking their line today was pretty cool. They had something like 700 pilots out there.
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Old 09-29-2011, 03:53 PM   #3
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

NYC Transit Union Joins Occupy Wall Street

The Local 100 New York chapter consists of 38,000 members actively working and 26,000 retirees. Whether or not Friday will bring out the Union's thousands of members remains to be seen. However if successful, the results could be the real push needed to regain momentum.





My crazy prediction: This will all fizzle out in 2 months, and everything will be back to **** as normal.
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Old 09-29-2011, 03:58 PM   #4
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

If the elite are lucky this thing will "get out of control" and they will get another step closer to their global Socialist police state.
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Old 09-29-2011, 03:59 PM   #5
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Lots of people protesting nothing with no goals. Sigh at my generation.
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:15 PM   #6
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Farley
of Metro Focus...

Multiple videos from Sept. 24 show police arresting people holding cameras and audio equipment. An NYPD spokesperson told ABC News that the police were not targeting camera operators...

And I know that there's a history of activist movements being bolstered when leaders and followers alike are jailed together.

My cellmate Daniel Gross, a protester who volunteers as an organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World Union, helped create the first union for Starbucks employees.

"I think the NYPD is really going to try to spin what happened today," Gross told the group, as he handed out his contact information. "I think that we should organize our own press conference."...
I was blogging about police targeting peeps with cameras just recently on this BBS. I don't personally know Mr. Gross mentioned above, but I have met him. I haven't been paying attention to the #occupies. But he's 100% legit, so I will start to now.

The point isn't if the protests fizzle out. The point is 1000s, hopefully 1000000s will experience something truly wonderful and amazing... direct action. And every one of those people will have experiences that will change how they look at solving any problem... do it yourself! Organize, Organize, Emancipate, as us IWWs say.

And people need practice at NVDA. That's the most important thing. Because direct action truly get's the goods. Because we don't forget, and we learn from our mistakes. Even if a strike, protest, or other action "fails" it is still a success, because of the experience gained for next time. Another saying: every successful strike is a partial expropriation.
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:41 PM   #7
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Quote:
Originally Posted by [Phill] View Post
Lots of people protesting nothing with no goals. Sigh at my generation.
There is not a concrete organization but there are definitely common themes amongst those protesting. Number 1 seems to be a movement towards limiting the monetary control large corporations have over the political structures around the globe. The 2nd being a push for some type of shared sacrifice during the recession.

Your generation, my generation, is not something to sigh over. If you choose not to act you're the one who should be pitied, not the other way around.
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:45 PM   #8
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

You mean as the countries politicians, and many other speakers in leadership positions, continue the rhetoric of the exceptional nature of the American people, there is disharmony around the corner?

Nah, that could never occur in the land of milk & honey. Must be a bunch of college kids on summer break....................
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:52 PM   #9
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Two things:

1) I'm disgusted at that cop pepper spraying those women doing nothing wrong. The same guy (Anthony Bologna, I guess being called Tony Baloney all your life can create some pent up aggression) is also in another video using his pepper spray to spray random people, including some cops. He is also involved in a law suit for his role in the 2004 RNC convention. The NYPD should probably investigate this dude and take him off the street for now.

2) Lol at this getting exactly zero mainstream media attention while a random tea party protest with 16 people attending gets a few hours worth of coverage. There goes this liberal media theory.
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:55 PM   #10
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brons View Post
Two things:

1) I'm disgusted at that cop pepper spraying those women doing nothing wrong. The same guy (Anthony Bologna, I guess being called Tony Baloney all your life can create some pent up aggression) is also in another video using his pepper spray to spray random people, including some cops. He is also involved in a law suit for his role in the 2004 RNC convention. The NYPD should probably investigate this dude and take him off the street for now.

2) Lol at this getting exactly zero mainstream media attention while a random tea party protest with 16 people attending gets a few hours worth of coverage. There goes this liberal media theory.
The funny part is, when the tea party first started, before it got co-opted by Hannity and those dickskins, their message was pretty much inline with a lot of what the the #occupy protesters are there for.

But, in all reality, these protests have been very small so far, even from accounts of protesters themselves.
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Old 09-29-2011, 04:58 PM   #11
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

the almost complete MSM blackout is really a bummer, makes me sad
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Old 09-29-2011, 05:06 PM   #12
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

I've seen reports of a few hundred people at some points. If you take into account that they're there for several days, including nights, it's probably noteworthy. Especially if you cover (footage, interview, analysis after the fact, etc) a Tea Party meeting at a local Denny's with <50 people attending.
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Old 09-29-2011, 05:08 PM   #13
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brons View Post
Two things:

1) ...The NYPD should probably investigate this dude and take him off the street for now.
2)...There goes this liberal media theory.
Although I'm sure the dude's out of control, and probably needs help. That's not the real issue. What is going on in the streets is not a matter of "a few bad apples" or an "isolated lapse in training and supervision", or "unfortunate but honest mistakes". BTW, I'm claiming inb4 on these upcoming police rationalizations. It's the suppression of the ability to associate, speak, and organize. And it's a calculated exercise in projecting power.

As for the "liberal media myth", that always gives me a chuckle.
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Old 09-29-2011, 05:15 PM   #14
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Chalk me up as someone who is happy to see this going and thinks its for the best that there be no one, single goal at this point.
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Old 09-29-2011, 05:19 PM   #15
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Re: Occupy America and the Approaching American Spring

Seems like a mess, but I guess that's how these things work. Just a bunch of angry people so far, claiming to represent 99% vs the 1%. Both numbers make me think they suck at basic math, but 99% vs 1% is easier to promote than being accurate.

Here's a few tidbits from site:
https://occupywallst.org/forum/

Here's a couple of the most popular posts, by # of responses.

99% or the 97%?
Posted 1 hour ago by DemandTheGoodLifeDotCom
Quote:
The average income in the US (total income per worker) is $127,000 per year. That is more than what 97% of all workers make.

That is the problem: inequality. When 97% of the workforce make a below average income, there is a problem with the economic system!

Capitalism is a system of inequality: unequal income and unequal power. It is the opposite of democracy.

Capitalism should be replaced with democracy so that society works well for the other 97%.

Democracy is a system where power rests with everyone equally. Equal power means equal votes, equal treatment under the law, equal ownership in the economy, and equal pay for equal effort.

Democracy is the only rational and humane way to organize society.

There's nothing wrong with socialism
Posted 3 hours ago by shinyheart
Quote:

The working class in this country has been brainwashed by MSM, Fox News, and the right wing propaganda machine against "socialism," but there is nothing wrong with "socialism," which the working class can't even define - they have just been emotionally brainwashed against it.

We are protesting deep inequality in this country, the non-socially productive people on Wall Street, and the ability of the super-wealthy to buy politicians who then funnel them more money.

We need to de-program people against the brainwashing they've experienced over the past several decades against the idea of socialism, because that is exactly what this country needs.
......(more)

Current official demand list and my reaction: care to give yours?
Posted 21 hours ago by npowell85 (Montana City, Mt)
Quote:
13 Prosecutions of the guilty: You offer no evidence or names. Are we to just have a witch hunt of the rich people and assume they did something because they have lots of money?

12 Rights of victims must take precedent in courts: No specific example have been given, and even if they did take you seriously and want to enact these changes, where are we to get the money to retro-fit every courtroom in the US with recording and dubbing equipment? You offer no solution to pay for the entitlements you request.

11 The United States must sign and ratify all human rights agreements with all other countries: Thats not asking much, just for global consensus. No big deal, they can knock that out next week. Also, the description and the title don't ask for the same thing so I don't know which one to argue...

10 Office of the Citizen: You want to create a giant new bureaucracy that is to independently investigate every accusation of local corruption. How do you pay for it? You accuse 60% of police of falsifying police reports and provide no evidence to back it up. And what does that have to do with Wall Street?

9 Equal rights for women: Women have equal rights now. You again offer nothing specific to base your claims on. Women's rights activists have been beating that drum for 200 years. If there is a problem you are not going to fix it by demanding it from this government, and you definitely aren't going to fix it by demanding it from Wall Street.

8 National Repeal of Capital Punishment: Has nothing to do with Wall Street or the financial meltdown. Can we please try and stay on topic?

7 Free Education Kindergarten Through College: You already have free education K-12 and theres no way to pay for every bodies college. Best we can do is guarantee that everyone will have the ability to get a government backed loan to go, and give them some extra cash to help with books, housing, and food. Oh yeah... we do.

6 End the War on Drugs: Great Idea! would save the country lots of money and create new tax revenue and jobs, and probably have more success driving down addiction rates than the drug war does. But, again, this is off topic and will likely drive away many potential supporters of your cause who agree with changing financial inequality but disagree with drug reform. Remember, not everybody is a hippie, but everybody is affected by the financial crisis.

5 Forgive Student Loan Debt and re construct the education system: You offer no specific way to pay for all the debt of the students or ideas for improving schools. The government is just suppose to take it upon itself to see that this is done to your satisfaction? How do we pay the massive student loan debt that the people currently have? That money has to come from somewhere. You are advocating that we take your student loan debt and spread it around to everybody then? So after I've paid off my student loans and my wife's, you want me to pay yours too? Thats not fair.

4 Restructure Campaign Finance Legislation: Very important for the future success of our country. But remove the word "****" from your vocabulary while talking about the changes we need to improve our collective lives. Seriously? Who wrote this stuff?

3 Forced Acquisition of the Federal Reserve for $1Billion USD by the US Congress: This doesn't fix the problem. The FED being private is not the issue. The issue is we have a debt based monetary system rather than a fiat one. Do some checking, I'm sure you will agree.

2 Repeal of the Patriot Act: Individual liberties are very important and this piece of legislation has set us further back than anything the government has done in recent times. However, it is not the fault of Wall Street, and it does not speak to the current problem. PLEASE PLEASE stay on topic

1 Eliminate Corporate Rights as Persons: This is what we need to be talking about. Only this. Start small and you could possibly make some kind of measurable progress.
Lastly, I hope they don't compare themselves too much to the Arab Spring. Having a cop be rough with you, is at least an order of magnitude less than being beaten, tortured, and shot.
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