occupy wall street

[gsxr117]

anyone particpating in this event downtown as well across the nation supposedly its going to go on for few months. honestly i dont vote because the government is owned by the corporation/corporations with most money, no longer in the hands of the people. imo. what do yall think?

[Who's Your Daddy]

I'm still trying to figure out what they are protesting about

[austin_voy]

I usually vote for Lib. Not everything I like, but more than enough. Mostly a protest vote. I might vote in the Rep primary just to vote against Perry.

WYD, they're protesting about this&that. No organization and now it's been co-opted by lots of people. BUT you can protest all you want, but in this situation you need a solution, too.

[unagi]

Not sure how much political stuff is supposed to go here, but here's my take. One percent of the population owns something like 40% of the wealth in the US. That number has risen significantly in the last 20 years or so. The "other 99%" feel that the government furthers the interests of the 1% at their expense (bank bailout, low tax rates on the super wealthy,continuing policies that increase wealth concentration, etc.) Naturally, other groups that feel dissaffected are showing up as well (drug legalization, gay marriage, environmentalists, etc.)

I think another issue is that they believe the rules of the free market and capitalism do not apply to the banking industry. If a business screws up, it's supposed to be punished monetarily. The banks and banking execs were rewarded (or at least not harmed) when they blew it. The top five banks are actually larger now than they were pre-economic meltdown. And their exec compensation is essentially the same.

Occupy Wall St. is not an organized movement because it arose naturally. Not many political groups, except single issue groups, have a cohesive message. Look at the upheaval in the Rep. party from the Tea Party, and the Dem party in general.

I can see how some people want to mock them, but I think they are right that most of us are getting screwed by the wealthiest Americans and the government is just helping them. I think the Tea Party is full of loons and I guess some will think the same of Occupy Wall St.

Before you ask, I work in the private sector and worked at a hedge fund for four years.

[unagi]

Originally Posted by austin_voy

WYD, they're protesting about this&that. No organization and now it's been co-opted by lots of people. BUT you can protest all you want, but in this situation you need a solution, too.

I think they are offering solutions: Stop bank bailouts, punish those that were criminally fraudulent, raise taxes on the super wealthy, break up the banks so they are not "too big to fail," reinstate Glass-Steagal, pass the Volker bill, repeal many of the laws that led to concentration in the financial industry (Todd-something is one of them).

[WyldemanATX]

I am part of the 53% that actually pays taxes...

These occupy wall st people should get rid of all the materials that they own that these corporations produce. Examples cell phones, designer clothes.

I am not for Government Bailouts. I am for the free market and when the government bails out big business that is not how the free market works. Reward success not failure.

[unagi]

Wall St. doesn't produce cell phones or clothing. It's arguable if they produce much of economic value and what services they do provide have been perverted beyond recognition.

[Mike_5150]

Why is people believe that there is an attack on free markets? It becomes painfully obvious that people don't really know what a free market is. Corporate funding of political campaigns has nothing to do with a free market and only serves to create a "fixed" market. A true free market can be goverened with rules and regulations that applies to everyone, and still be a free market, but when the Corporations control the media and the government, then it is no longer free market.

Wow, talk about missing the forest for the trees...

[Mike_5150]

Originally Posted by unagi

I think they are offering solutions: Stop bank bailouts, punish those that were criminally fraudulent, raise taxes on the super wealthy, break up the banks so they are not "too big to fail," reinstate Glass-Steagal, pass the Volker bill, repeal many of the laws that led to concentration in the financial industry (Todd-something is one of them).

I agree the poeple would love to see all that you mention, but I think the number one most important message is to end Corporate influence in government through campaign contributions, PACs, Super PACs, and of course lobbyist.

[GneissGuy]

[Sensia]

for those who continue to claim they don't get it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-...b_1014824.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinio...eet/index.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/busin...ts2_10-17.html

[Spacemtn]

Not hobby related. Moving to proper Forum.


Spacemtn
AustinModStaff

[theaustinescorts]

In the 1980s banking problem 1,000 bankers went to jail for various forms of dishonesty.

This time no one's been prosecuted, or even seriously investigated.

That's why people are dismayed.

The values and standards of this country have gone totally down the drain in the last thirty years.

Last week Lady Gaga performed for Bill Clinton at his b-day party!
Clinton loves Lady Gaga, and so does his wife and Chelsea! Totally awesome!

I'm getting ready to buy my first iphone too! Maybe I can download some Little Wayne! Such a cool Dude...hope he beats all those criminal charges. Funny how all the cool guys are in and out of jail these days. Being in jail is SO COOL.

[WyldemanATX]

Wall St does not make cell phones, but corporations like Apple do. Apple is a publicly traded company.

Companies use stock to help generate capital to grow their business.

[budman33]

Except the way they grow is why some Americans are pissed off. The news is doing a terrible job of explaining away why corporations are posting huge fucking profits but unemployment rates aren't budging much. It's good economic sense if they can meet customer demand while still making a shitload of money used for dividends, stock buyback, and more foreign cash parking. The economy is on a slow grow, there is no double dip coming except they are using it as a leverage to further grow their assets and cash reserves.

Sucks for the rest of us.. but that's corporate America.

What I absolutely find pathetic is this Tax Holiday shit they are getting support from both sides of the aisle. I personally think the IRS should for once audit those that deserve it.. And force them to return those trillions to American Soil if only to pay their rightfully owed tax bill. Apple above all others makes me throw up a little in my mouth each time they claim to be for good things, but instead build everything somewhere else.

But they wont. Politicians after all don't spend 7+ figures to get elected to a 6 figure jobs. That's why I generally always vote against incumbents in every election.

I wonder what the unemployment rate would be if we pulled back jobs to the USA and let the border flow for both tech jobs and the jobs we think we're too good to do but need to be done. hmmm