Wall Street Protests and the Media Blackout

If ever you needed irrefutable proof that the mainstream media in America today exists exclusively to protect and defend the rights of the rich elites that run the country, here it is.

 

This isn't about partisan politics or media - this is about the real power that controls America and what those that have it will do to keep it even while the country burns down around their ears.

 

Is that a fiddle I hear? 

Right you are, RD. Can't sweep this stuff under the rug forever though. By totally ignoring the basic needs and rights of the underclass and the serfs, the nobility in America only risk serious discontent down the line (... Or is that already an eventuality they've considered? Do they assume the police would back them amidst more serious protests and unrest?). There is a reason America never went fully "red" during the depression, and it's because the rich met the poor half way with the WPA and social security ETC. The government understood "let them eat cake" wasn't an option. Roosevelt understood the necessity of such measures, but the elites of 2011 seem unconcerned about the consequences of inaction.. and sadly they've successfully weakened and demonized government - the institution of the people - to where they can order the people's house to indulge their every whim and fancy

Brilliantly said RD. Shit hasn't really hit the fan yet. Wait for next summer and the dollar to slide into total oblivion but when it does watch what kind of riots and protests sprout up then.

The West really needs an enema. And by enema I mean something shoved deep inside our asses to force all the old shit out. The Renaissance and the Enlightenment were messy, messy periods but we got out of them immeasurably stronger. It sucks that we have to live it instead of just reaping the eventual rewards but you can't choose when you are born.

Some of the videos of police attacking people, reaching across barricades to pull women out of the crowd and beat them.. it's effing chilling. Is this what we're to expect now, America?

Lawrence O'Donnell had a great REWRITE (a segment he does on his show) about this, I'd advise everyone interested in the issue to check it out. I posted a link on the thread for THE LAST WORD (his show)

700 Arrested at the Brooklyn bridge?

 

something tells me this isn't going to slow down anytime soon.

Apparently there are sister protests popping up in other cities, too. I wish I had more contacts, it'd be totally awesome to occupy the Chamber of Commerce building with a thousand or so people for as long as possible. With today's technology, you probably couldn't shut down their lobby or press operations, but it'd be a hell of a statement.

 

Oh, and I've finally started hearing little blurbs about OWS on the radio.

Wednesday is a massive walk-out day for jobs and schools. I'm tempted.

And of course you all heard about the massive occupy protests that occurred in Israel this summer, right?  Right?

Half of these kids will be applying to these firms in eight years.

Whats pathetic is it seems many of these youths want to live in a totalitarian police state. 1984 anyone?

I'm constantly amazed by people who have such a simpleminded view of the world that that they've turned 'your either for us or against us' into 'you're either an MBA or a barrista.'

Finally going down to experience it for myself.

Seems like such a fabfunkian thing to say.

Chemtrails, dude.

 

Chemtrails.

 

EDIT: Also, fuck you.

I took a few photos of the event, if anyone wants to check them out, they can click here.

 

Highlight was Victoria Jackson showing up to do her Tea Party shtick, then Mike fucking Myers showing up, and neither of them acknowledging each other.

Herman Cain: "If you're not rich, it's your own fault."

He's right. If I worked 116 hours every week instead of only 58 that I lazily do now I'd be set for life. I blame my poor work ethic for my lot in life.

 

 

THE BUMS WILL ALWAYS LOSE!!!

Here are the "Top 10" signs as per a Financial rag (beginning with a nice belly):

 

http://www.advancedtrading.com/slideshows/regulations/231900193?pgno=1

 

There were some protesters at the SF Fed building this afternoon. If I were Rush Limbaugh and I wanted to hire actors to portray the scruffiest, smelliest, Hippyest right wing's caricature of a left wing protest, I'd have hired these cats.

Supposedly there's a protest organized in Long Beach's Bluff Park tonight, same as last night. A few of my friends are excited and attending, I'll probably stop by for a bit after work and see what's up. According to someone I know, and I have no verification of this outside of her trusted word, this marks the first time in history the Los Angeles city government has come out officially supporting a protest movement. These are some insane times we're in. 

Look, I think there's a lot of corruption and abuse in government and in Wall Street, but end the Fed?  Really?  Do any of these people even know what the Fed actually does?

 

Why end the Fed?  What's the alternative?  No central bank?  The gold standard?

You ever work a 100 hour week? Sweet jesus I wish that on NO MAN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhEBCWMe44&feature=channel_video_title

 

And the leftist media doesn't put this man on TV hardly any more, which would probably mean Chomsky sold-out (so I think it's possibly a good thing he isn't). Anyway, it's good to see people demonstrating. I love the mantra, "We're the 99%." Oh, but only if the majority of the 99% could quit fighting each other and organize a peaceful revolution. But the media started labeling and demonizing freedom fighters in the 1950s & '60s by putting labels on people: such as beatniks and hippies. The news coverage I've seen, very little, is quite derisive. People with musical instruments singing, clogging up traffic, using public restrooms without buying anything from stores. Well, so what. It's supposed to be an American right.

 

My God you must be incredibly wealthy! 

Sorry, I don't get wifi on my private yacht/jet so it's taken me awhile to respond..

 

No, im borke. HA

Wall Street watches the protesters, champagne in hand.

Well, can you blame them? They ARE society's Alphas. It's basically their duty to laugh at the plebs.

 

EDIT: They actually look kind of awkward out there. Like they thought it would be this totally awesome, quirky thing to do but then they felt weird while actually doing it.

Hah, Fabfunk is exactly the kind of person I'd assume would be part of this.

I wish I could come up with something witty and insightful, but all I have is what a bunch of douche bags.

 

A similar protest is coming to Pittsburgh October 15th.

Edited by Chaz - 10/8/11 at 12:28pm

 

I went and did some work with Occupy Asheville yesterday. As of last night this movement has spread to 1000 cities.

I'd feel better about this if there was some more actual focus on what they're trying to accomplish here. If they'd unite behind something like "reinstate Glass-Seagall" (as a few signs seemed to indicate) or, hell, "raise corporate taxes and close loopholes", they could really make a difference. Right now, though, the only real message seems to be "we're mad at Wall Street!"

 

I can't help thinking that as soon as either the Wall Streeters or the politicos make some token gesture in their direction, there'll be some back-patting and the ranks will deflate. There needs to be some strong leadership promoting a clear idea and keeping track of how effective they're actually being.

Reinstate Glass Steagal what a concept. So very needed.

 

As I said before many seem to want the Stormtrooper capital of the world where the Government is the be all end all. I don't get that mentality at all.

IMO, the repeal of the Citizens United SCOTUS decision should be a mandatory demand....

 

I've been a few times already. Here are photos I took from this past  Wednesday's march and rally, which had 15,000 people in attendance.

 

While a lot has been made about police brutality, I do want to go on record saying that for the most part the cops were very nice. If anything, they were bored because they weren't allowed to speak to the protestors. They just stood in one spot all day long. The higher ups (white shirts), they definitely looked out for blood. And in many of the videos documenting police brutality, its those guys caught in the act. This video shows the white shirts wailing on protestors and only got coverage because Fox News reporters got caught in the mix.

 

As for the Brooklyn Bridge incident, there was some debate whether protestors stormed the roadway or were lead there by police. Despite NYPD making an official statement that they warned people they would be arrested if they marched on the roadway, there is video proof that this was not the case. At :45 seconds, you can clearly see the protestors stopping at the base of the bridge, and then the cops leading them onto the road where cars were still driving. Then once the protestors were about 1/3 up the bridge, the cops roped them all in with the dreaded orange netting and arrested everyone (including 12 year old kids)!

 

My friend shot video of the bridge incident as well, and her youtube account has so many hits she now gets revenue from them. If you in any way want to support the movement, please click on her links as she is donating all proceeds to the cause. You can click on her links here:

 

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt79mzhuSLI

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYJqFPVcXA

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsJYocr0mHE

 

For those who say there is no unifying message, these are the chants that people are saying. They all share a unifying message: get corporate money out of our government.

 

All day, all week, occupy Wall Street!

We. Are. The. 99%!
 

Hey Hey! Ho Ho!

Corporate greed has got to go!

What does democracy look like?
This is what democracy looks like!

Banks got bailed out,
We got sold out!

How do we end the deficit?
End the war, tax the rich!

Who's street?
Our street!

 

The people united

Will never be defeated!

 

I don't know if the movement will have legs, but it is clear that people's frustrations with the current US system and feelings of disenfranchisement are being heard loud and clear. People are tired with "business as usual" and something has got to change. Will this be the impetus for that change? I don't know. But I have hope that it does.

Edited by Diva - 10/8/11 at 8:18pm

It's really been amazing to see solidarity within the movement all across the country (and the world). All those chants are the ones the Occupy Asheville group uses. I posted pictures on my facebook from the picket yesterday. They've been doing this every day for the last two weeks.

Someone make a sign and bring it to the rally.

 

Goldman Sachs presidential donations to both Obama and McCain in the last election.

 

You can't lose if you bet on both horses winning the race.

 

End the swiss banks and cayman islands offshore nontaxable accounts today.

 

Focus on the natural resources that have been bought with the money they know isn't worth anything.

 

They have already prepared for the collapse.

 

1 Bernie Madoff. Wow if only the SEC did their jobs.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/business/14prosecute.html

 

Enron prosecutions might just be a thing of the past. Whats justice in 2011? Apparently if you are lower, lowest or middle class its higher standards of living (Gas, toliet paper, food, payments, higher credit card rates), losing your job and your house.

 

Who on Wall Street at the top or at the corporate level has lost?

...and it spreads here. Not surprising, the same power structures ruining America are all in play here...

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQow0Fhua1A

Aaaand, here's where the rest of the country turns on this ridiculous movement.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/10/07/do-occupy-wall-street-protests-represent-your-views-economy/?intcmp=trending

 

Either Fox viewers are getting wiser, or Anonymous ftw?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/opinion/panic-of-the-plutocrats.html?_r=1

 

 

What the fuck is up with the speak and repeat stuff.

You can't set up sound systems at these things.

Play spot Diva in the crowd! (Hint: I can be see at 1:13)

 

 

Co-worker and I brought a dozen Lou Malnati's pizzas to the folks here in Chicago a few hours back.  Apparently we had roughly 1,000 people marching on Sunday.  There were maybe less than 100 there earlier today - apparently the crowd bulks up a bit in the early evening. 

 

That "We are the 1%" sign in the board of trade was taken down, by the way.  I'm really hoping the folks remember and therefore dont hassle me when I show up there for a meeting tomorrow.

Yay for the purple & grey!

I'd bet a million bucks that the people who put up that sign on the CBOT aren't part of the 1%.