| Pages:
1
2
3
4 |
DaveMoral
Posting Freak
Posts: 4334
Registered: 1-24-2006
Location: Ardmore PA
Member Is Offline
|
|
http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/10/07/fed-up-and-taking-to-...
From Tahrir to Wall Street
Fed Up and Taking to the Streets, But What are the Demands?
by ESAM AL-AMIN
People across the globe are angry. Fed up with their corrupt and inept governments, people have taken to the streets. The furious protesters have come
from all walks of life: students, workers and farmers, men and women, young and old, urban and rural, the working poor and the struggling middle
class.
Undoubtedly, the Arab Spring has inspired people around the globe to take matters into their own hands. In essence, the masses have given up on their
elected officials, whom they see as selling out to the multinational corporations and the super rich in their societies.
From Chile to Greece and from England to India, people are standing up, demanding their rights, and denouncing corrupt policies and systems that favor
the haves and stick it to the have-nots.
There’s been a global assault by unrestrained capitalism for the past four decades. From Chile and Argentina and other Latin American countries in the
1970s, to Poland, Russia, South Africa, and the Asian crisis in the 1990s, and from post-invasion Iraq to the tsunami-stricken countries in the past
decade, neoliberalism imposed its grand global agenda.
Its main emphasis was on privatization, deregulation, and massive cutbacks of state subsidies that benefit the poor and the middle class. This scheme
was forced on numerous societies by international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), G-8
countries, and the multinationals, through support of military dictatorships, providing questionable massive debts, and sometimes even by direct
military intervention.
Since the 2008 severe global recession, people have witnessed how mega-banks and multinational corporations were bailed out by compliant politicians
with several trillion dollars of public money. In return, the multinationals and the super rich continue to bankroll the campaigns of these same
politicians who voted for the huge bailouts or handed out massive business subsidies, while cutting down programs that help the middle class or aid
the poor. Meanwhile, tens of millions of people were losing their jobs and made impoverished as a result.
In the United States, the richest country on earth, the numbers are staggering:
The top one per cent of Americans own forty-two per cent of all wealth, while the richest twenty per cent hold eighty-seven per cent of the
country’s wealth. Furthermore, the richest 11,000 American households have more income than the bottom 25 million households (over 75 million
Americans.)
According to Forbes magazine, during eight years of the Bush administration, the 400 richest Americans, who now own more than the bottom 150
million Americans, increased their net worth by $700 billion.
In 1955, IRS records indicated that the 400 richest people in the country were each worth an average $12.6 million, adjusted for inflation. Today,
the 400 richest increased their average wealth to $3.45 billion, an increase of 274 fold.
In 1955, the richest tier paid an average 51.2 per cent of their income in taxes that included loopholes. Today the richest Americans pay less
than 17.2 per cent of their income in taxes, almost the same rate as declared by billionaire-investor Warren Buffet.
In 1955, the proportion of federal income from corporate taxes was 33 per cent. Today it decreased to about 7.4 per cent. In 2009, GE generated
$10.3 billion in pre-tax income but ended up owing nothing to Uncle Sam. In fact, it recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion. Big Oil giant Exxon
Mobil, reported in 2009 a record $45.2 billion profit, but paid none of it to the IRS.
Meanwhile, fifty million Americans have no health insurance while 46.2 million (one in six, and twenty-two per cent of all American children) live
in poverty, the most in fifty-two years.
According to the latest labor statistics over 14 million Americans are jobless, while over 30 million are underemployed. Five million people have
already given up looking for work after one year.
But if the Arabs’ anger at the repression and corruption of their governments has led to the popular uprisings and protests throughout this year, will
the greed and unholy alliance between unrestrained capitalism and the political class, produce mass protests across America?
If the answer is yes -as witnessed by the nascent and growing Occupy Wall Street protests in New York and a dozen other cities- then what are their
demands?
Part of the success of the Arab Spring was the lack of central leadership that governments could crack down, as well as its mass appeal, especially
among the youth. Similarly, the American protesters have so far lacked a central leadership that can be manipulated or coerced, but in fact the
protests have grown and spread through the use of social media, especially among the young people.
In the streets of Cairo, Tunisia, Sana’a, Benghazi, and Hama, millions of demonstrators through unyielding determination and sustained efforts have
had clear demands: the fall of the corrupt systems and the call to real democracy and self-determination.
But it is not clear what the American protest movement’s objectives are beyond the general expression of anger of the 99 per cent against the greed
and indifference of the super rich and the multinationals in the country.
In short, the movement needs to articulate specific demands that will fundamentally alter the power structure in this country, not only by restraining
unchecked capitalism but also by returning the decision-making powers back to the people. While some of these demands might be short-term, others
should be long-term, so that decades of reckless policies are reversed and dangerous military adventures are rolled back.
As for such demands, here are a few suggestions:
1) Paying a fair share of taxes. The Bush-Obama free lunch for the super rich should be declared over. Moreover, to address social security
insolvency, payroll taxes should be applied on all income over $250,000 with no cap. For the long term, the country must tax not only income, but also
wealth over $10 million at perhaps one-half per cent per year. This revenue could be split between local, state, and federal governments, if only to
address the deterioration of the country’s basic infrastructure. If a person is to enjoy the country’s security and prosperity, one needs to
contribute to that through a small surtax on that wealth.
2) The right to healthcare, education, and a living wage must be guaranteed rights to every citizen. They are not privileges. A person or a family
should be afforded health coverage and a decent education, without incurring debts or becoming poor.
3) The end of the police and surveillance state. Constitutional principles and civil rights, which have been encroached upon by the PATRIOT Act and
other aggressive and intrusive federal statutes, must be restored. There is nothing more threatening to the American way of life than the undermining
of basic rights and freedoms in the name of security.
If a president has the power to declare an American citizen an enemy of the state, and order his execution without the constitutional guarantee of due
process of law, then no one is protected.
4) Comprehensive electoral reform that includes the following: Congressional seats must be drawn by independent federal judges according to fair and
rational standards. Money in congressional districts and political elections should be capped and limited to individuals from the same districts or
states. The media must be required to give equal access to all viable candidates. Elections should be held over multiple days, including a weekend.
The archaic Electoral College must be abolished. Presidential as well as senatorial and congressional elections must allow for first and second
choices on the ballot so that voting for third party candidates would not be considered a “wasted vote.” In essence, the fate and future of American
democracy depends on implementing such reforms.
5) An end to the empire. The policies of funding unrestrained defense budgets, hundreds of military bases and costly adventures around the globe must
come to an end. There are over 750 military bases around the globe costing hundreds of billions every year.
The late Chalmers Johnson convincingly made the case in his Blowback trilogy when he said, “To maintain our empire abroad requires resources and
commitments that will inevitably undercut our domestic democracy and in the end produce a military dictatorship or its civilian equivalent. The
founders of our nation understood this well and tried to create a form of government – a republic – that would prevent this from occurring. But the
combination of huge standing armies, almost continuous wars, military Keynesianism, and ruinous military expenses have destroyed our republican
structure in favor of an imperial presidency. We are on the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire. Once a nation is started
down that path, the dynamics that apply to all empires come into play – isolation, overstretch, the uniting of forces opposed to imperialism, and
bankruptcy.”
In the long term, one of the best policies to democratize the country is to reinstate the draft. Multinational corporations, politicians, and the
super rich in this country have no qualms about sending the American military (the overwhelming majority of which is comprised of the poor and middle
class) to places around the world to secure their interests. If they knew that their sons and daughters may have to serve and face the ultimate
sacrifice, they would think ten times before entangling America in an unnecessary military adventures.
In effect, each American, rich or poor, should be required to serve his or her country for a designated period of 12-15 months. Some could serve in
the military, while others could work to rebuild the infrastructure in this country. Still others could serve around the world in a peaceful capacity,
for the betterment of humanity.
If the anger and disgust of the American people with the status quo continues to grow and spread, the insistence on these demands will ultimately
produce real changes and reforms. As Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
Esam Al-Amin can be reached at alamin1919@gmail.com
|
|
|
Discipline
* DRUNKEN MONKEY *
Posts: 11900
Registered: 9-8-2004
Location: Over here
Member Is Offline
Mood: The Alley Dukes
|
|
Waiting to hear about government foot soldiers taking to the streets.
‘Do you know what a love letter is? It’s a bullet from a fucking gun. Straight through your heart.’
|
|
|
Colin
Posting Freak
Posts: 1128
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
|
|
I'd just love to see the American military completely turn on the government & join the people. I'd also love to see every single greedy lying
cocksucker in power shot in the face too. I have my fingers crossed
record collectors are pretentious assholes
|
|
|
BDx13
|
|
Bank Transfer Day
Just read about this. Interesting way to express your frustration with the man or show your support for the movement if you're not into standing in
the rain for weeks at a time.
Info:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=281139538577206
http://www.facebook.com/Nov.Fifth
Coverage:
http://gawker.com/5848966/new-holiday-for-the-99-percent-ban...
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11274526/1/bank-transfer-day-...
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/10/kristen_c...
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113658/ba...
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
|
|
|
Johnny_Whistle
Senior Member
Posts: 741
Registered: 5-26-2010
Location: Location, Location
Member Is Offline
Mood: the voices
|
|
"If you decide to celebrate Bank Transfer Day, but also celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, don't wear your mask to the bank! Bank tellers don't like it when
customers wear masks of any sort."
You'd think this would be obvious, but there's always that one dope...
|
|
|
Six66Mike
Posting Freak
Posts: 3090
Registered: 11-20-2003
Location: Queensland Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dead Hearts
|
|
I've already done that almost annually since I moved here. I've been with most of the big banks and local credit unions here. Currently with NAB
which is a big bank, they slashed/cancelled all account keeping fees etc and I get cashback every time I use my credit card, where my credit union
started charging me annual fees to have one so I got rid of them.
2 more interesting stories:
Bloomberg moving to end the occupation - http://occupywallst.org/
And in the Occupy Brisbane group, Facebook started deleting events and removing custom graphics as copyright material and changes access to the group.
A lot of people ask me what kind of music I like. I love "soul music". My "soul music" isn’t a style, genre or niche. It’s music that is genuine. It’s
a painful lyric, a dirty bassline, it’s a harrowing vocal, it’s feedback, it’s an anthem, it’s a love song, it’s anarchy. I’ve got my personal
favourites but in the end it doesn’t matter who or where it comes from... so long as it’s good and it's real.
- Paul Morris, music director at 97.7 HTZ-FM
|
|
|
BDx13
|
|
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
|
|
|
BDx13
|
|
World War II Veteran, 94 Year Old Sylvia Jordan, Occupy Wall Street:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25478784@N03/6216774973/in/phot...
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
|
|
|
CR83
Moderator
Posts: 5221
Registered: 1-23-2004
Location: STL!
Member Is Offline
Mood: Harm's Way
|
|
Go St. Louis!
Wait, never mind....
|
|
|
Johnny_Whistle
Senior Member
Posts: 741
Registered: 5-26-2010
Location: Location, Location
Member Is Offline
Mood: the voices
|
|
That can't be real, because Rush Limbaugh told me yesterday that none of the protesters have ever contributed anything to society. Could he possibly
have been lying?
|
|
|
clevohardcore
* Kick\'n ass on the wild side *
Posts: 12937
Registered: 9-19-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sick Of It All, Youth Of Today
|
|
I know from what I hear on conservtive radio is that its all blown out of perportion and the only people protesting are unemployed rich kids who live
with mom and dad. Not people who protect society and been construtive individuals. That would make no sense. Why would normal individuals who only
want the ebst for everyone want to protest against the rich out of control powers that be?
Each aspect of the soul has it's own part to play, but the ideal is harmonious agreement with reason and control.
|
|
|
JawnDiablo
Posting Freak
Posts: 12139
Registered: 4-21-2005
Location: 1902666
Member Is Offline
|
|
that's because conservative radio is run by the same shitbags who will not give it any time on the evening news...
|
|
|
Six66Mike
Posting Freak
Posts: 3090
Registered: 11-20-2003
Location: Queensland Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dead Hearts
|
|
I watched the weekend morning show today and the top news story was the Occupy movement in all the capital cities here today. Hoping to see some good
coverage on the 6pm news. The Courier Mail (Murdoch paper), Brisbane MX (free transit paper) and the Brisbane Times have all run stories in the last
couple days about the Occupy Brisbane event which started 33 minutes ago.
Still contemplating taking the bus in with my 2 youngest kids for a bit but it's probably not gonna happen with nap time coming up soon. Wife won't
be back from her gigs til late this afternoon.
A lot of people ask me what kind of music I like. I love "soul music". My "soul music" isn’t a style, genre or niche. It’s music that is genuine. It’s
a painful lyric, a dirty bassline, it’s a harrowing vocal, it’s feedback, it’s an anthem, it’s a love song, it’s anarchy. I’ve got my personal
favourites but in the end it doesn’t matter who or where it comes from... so long as it’s good and it's real.
- Paul Morris, music director at 97.7 HTZ-FM
|
|
|
DaveMoral
Posting Freak
Posts: 4334
Registered: 1-24-2006
Location: Ardmore PA
Member Is Offline
|
|
RT, a Russian English-language news network, is covering the shit out of OWS. Good stuff too. On the ground, talking to real folks. They have a pretty
good interview with Immortal Technique.
|
|
|
BDx13
|
|
24 people arrested in greenwich village citibank fro trying to close their accounts:
http://theintelhub.com/2011/10/15/nypd-criminals-arrest-prot...
http://www.correntewire.com/no_orange_jumpsuits_for_bankster...
considering jp morgan chase just made a $4.6M contribution to the NYPD, this has left a lot of people scratching their head.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/03/jpmorgan-chase-buys-...
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
|
|
|
Six66Mike
Posting Freak
Posts: 3090
Registered: 11-20-2003
Location: Queensland Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dead Hearts
|
|
Australia had a few thousand spread out over the cities. Brisbane & Sydney reported around 50 campers overnight to start things off, apparently
that's more than NY had when they first started. Nothing like the scale of turnout around the world on the 15th though.
Madrid was massive, Barcelona, Rome, Santiago, Brussels... tens of thousands (some in the hundred(s) of thousands) in every location. The video
footage from Madrid shows a huge crowd of people.
People protested in a Citibank, all of them got arrested including a customer, video is part of this story - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/oct/15/occupy-wall...
A lot of people ask me what kind of music I like. I love "soul music". My "soul music" isn’t a style, genre or niche. It’s music that is genuine. It’s
a painful lyric, a dirty bassline, it’s a harrowing vocal, it’s feedback, it’s an anthem, it’s a love song, it’s anarchy. I’ve got my personal
favourites but in the end it doesn’t matter who or where it comes from... so long as it’s good and it's real.
- Paul Morris, music director at 97.7 HTZ-FM
|
|
|
DaveMoral
Posting Freak
Posts: 4334
Registered: 1-24-2006
Location: Ardmore PA
Member Is Offline
|
|
^I thought the people protesting in Citibank were all customers who were originally trying to cash out their bank accounts as a form of protest, and
when they were refused they started protesting.
This is the same shit that happened during the Great Depression. Banks refused to give people their money from their accounts.
|
|
|
Colin
Posting Freak
Posts: 1128
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by DaveMoral  | | RT, a Russian English-language news network, is covering the shit out of OWS. Good stuff too. On the ground, talking to real folks. They have a pretty
good interview with Immortal Technique. |
I'd like to check this out
record collectors are pretentious assholes
|
|
|
DaveMoral
Posting Freak
Posts: 4334
Registered: 1-24-2006
Location: Ardmore PA
Member Is Offline
|
|
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlBg8GtoHR0
|
|
|
Six66Mike
Posting Freak
Posts: 3090
Registered: 11-20-2003
Location: Queensland Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: Dead Hearts
|
|
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyTheMusic/
I made a page to try & collect musicians, band pages etc to a common group. Primary to grab the musicians/performers/bands but the fans are welcome
as well.
If you're on Facebook and have a band/personal profile, or just wanna follow it go like this page & help me spread the word.
Need an icon/logo or other design too, I'm terrible at that shit.
A lot of people ask me what kind of music I like. I love "soul music". My "soul music" isn’t a style, genre or niche. It’s music that is genuine. It’s
a painful lyric, a dirty bassline, it’s a harrowing vocal, it’s feedback, it’s an anthem, it’s a love song, it’s anarchy. I’ve got my personal
favourites but in the end it doesn’t matter who or where it comes from... so long as it’s good and it's real.
- Paul Morris, music director at 97.7 HTZ-FM
|
|
|
Jason the Magnificent
Posting Freak
Posts: 3880
Registered: 8-2-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by DaveMoral | ^I thought the people protesting in Citibank were all customers who were originally trying to cash out their bank accounts as a form of protest, and
when they were refused they started protesting.
This is the same shit that happened during the Great Depression. Banks refused to give people their money from their accounts. |
I just closed out an account the other day (to move it to another bank for my convenience) they asked me why...I said I was moving and no one made a
peep and they cut me a check w/n 5 minutes.
I'm not going to pretend to be surprised at these sensationalistic news stories where people can't take their money out of a bank that they walk into
with protest signs and video cameras. I'm just not that naive.
You want to walk into a bank or any place of business and cause a scene, then act like you're surprised that you cant get service because you're
acting like you've been raised by wolves?
|
|
|
DaveMoral
Posting Freak
Posts: 4334
Registered: 1-24-2006
Location: Ardmore PA
Member Is Offline
|
|
^I don't think that's the case at all, and frankly the bank shouldn't be denying their account holders any service even if they are walking in with a
political point to make. More to the point, the police shouldn't be cracking heads to assist in denying people their own money.
|
|
|
Jason the Magnificent
Posting Freak
Posts: 3880
Registered: 8-2-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
To elaborate on that point...the whole bank thing just further displays the disgusting sense of entitlement Americans have about everything.
We want our cake and we want to eat it to. It's walking into a McDonalds screaming about how meat is murder then stepping up to the counter with
cameras in tow (so you can post it to your social media site so everyone know's you did it) and demanding a Big Mac.
If you're at "war" with corporate America and the 1% then BE at war. Go into the bank and by any means necessary, get your money. I don't want to hear
how "I should'nt have to lie" to get my money out...you know who thinks like that? People who think everything in life belongs to them and they
deserve things because they're entitled. You know what difference they make in the end. None. They post their blogs and facebook rants about the evil
empire and that's it.
If "everyone" went into the bank as polite customers, withdrew their funds and left, the banks wouldn't be able to turn people away. Is there a law
about protestors not being customers...probably not...but a bank is a business and businesses have a right to refuse service under any muddy
circumstances they can come up with...so go ahead and give them a reason to push you out of the door and a loophole to keep your money.
So please America, lets all keep waving signs and pretending like we're offended by WHAT WE LET corporate America do to us while they fed us Snickers
and Wonder Years then drive in our fucking SUV's with our 10 babies after the protest to Target.
|
|
|
Jason the Magnificent
Posting Freak
Posts: 3880
Registered: 8-2-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by DaveMoral | | ^I don't think that's the case at all, and frankly the bank shouldn't be denying their account holders any service even if they are walking in with a
political point to make. More to the point, the police shouldn't be cracking heads to assist in denying people their own money.
|
I watched the bank of America video. Police didn't "crack" anyones head. They said it sounded like an issue for lawyers.
|
|
|
Colin
Posting Freak
Posts: 1128
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Jason the Magnificent | To elaborate on that point...the whole bank thing just further displays the disgusting sense of entitlement Americans have about everything.
We want our cake and we want to eat it to. It's walking into a McDonalds screaming about how meat is murder then stepping up to the counter with
cameras in tow (so you can post it to your social media site so everyone know's you did it) and demanding a Big Mac.
If you're at "war" with corporate America and the 1% then BE at war. Go into the bank and by any means necessary, get your money. I don't want to hear
how "I should'nt have to lie" to get my money out...you know who thinks like that? People who think everything in life belongs to them and they
deserve things because they're entitled. You know what difference they make in the end. None. They post their blogs and facebook rants about the evil
empire and that's it.
If "everyone" went into the bank as polite customers, withdrew their funds and left, the banks wouldn't be able to turn people away. Is there a law
about protestors not being customers...probably not...but a bank is a business and businesses have a right to refuse service under any muddy
circumstances they can come up with...so go ahead and give them a reason to push you out of the door and a loophole to keep your money.
So please America, lets all keep waving signs and pretending like we're offended by WHAT WE LET corporate America do to us while they fed us Snickers
and Wonder Years then drive in our fucking SUV's with our 10 babies after the protest to Target. |
well put
record collectors are pretentious assholes
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3
4 |
![[*]](images/thorp/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
