Amy Goodman: 99 Percenters Occupy Wall Street

[marmar]

from Truthdig:




99 Percenters Occupy Wall Street

Posted on Sep 20, 2011
By Amy Goodman


If 2,000 tea party activists descended on Wall Street, you would probably have an equal number of reporters there covering them. Yet 2,000 people did occupy Wall Street on Saturday. They weren’t carrying the banner of the tea party, the Gadsden flag with its coiled snake and the threat “Don’t Tread on Me.” Yet their message was clear: “We are the 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.” They were there, mostly young, protesting the virtually unregulated speculation of Wall Street that caused the global financial meltdown.

One of New York’s better-known billionaires, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, commented on the protests: “You have a lot of kids graduating college, can’t find jobs. That’s what happened in Cairo. That’s what happened in Madrid. You don’t want those kinds of riots here.” Riots? Is that really what the Arab Spring and the European protests are about?

Perhaps to the chagrin of Mayor Bloomberg, that is exactly what inspired many who occupied Wall Street. In its most recent communique, the Wall Street protest umbrella group said: “On Saturday we held a general assembly, two thousand strong. ... By 8 p.m. on Monday we still held the plaza, despite constant police presence. ... We are building the world that we want to see, based on human need and sustainability, not corporate greed.”

Speaking of the tea party, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has caused a continuous fracas in the Republican presidential debates with his declaration that the U.S.’ revered Social Security system is a “Ponzi scheme.” Charles Ponzi was the con artist who swindled thousands in 1920 with a fraudulent promise for high returns on investments. A typical Ponzi scheme involves taking money from investors, then paying them off with money taken from new investors, rather than paying them from actual earnings. Social Security is actually solvent, with a trust fund of more than $2.6 trillion. The real Ponzi scheme threatening the U.S. public is the voracious greed of Wall Street banks. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/99_percenters_occupy_wall_street_20110920/

[Overseas]

1. K&R.

[femrap]

2. Banksters deserve JAIL. nt

[PotatoChip]

3. Thank you Amy Goodman and Truthdig for covering this

with more then just a paragraph long blurb. K&R.

[ancianita]

4. Seriously. What The Hell Is Wrong With DU?

I have never seen so much hypocritically LOUD SILENCE over the actions taken by the Occupy Wall Street protesters. What is wrong with you all? Don't you appreciate activism? Or is this site all about impotent liberal rage? I'm starting to rethink my membership on this site.

[kooljerk666]

11. I agree this is one of the most important thing to.......

happen in years.

I don't know how feasible Arab Spring is during the "American Fall" but every action starts small.

When funds avail, I may take SEPTA to Trenton & then the local to NYC or catch a cheap bus out of Philly.

One thing I fear is a good beat-down, i had the shit stomped out off me by Nassau cops (at the dead show at LI arena) black & blue face for a few weeks.


This whole thing took me by surprise cause I though this would be the start of the revolution http://october2011.org/

Now i want to listen to Jefferson Airplane Volunteers & get ready to rock. "we are voices of chaos & anarchy everything they say we are, we are..."

great J-Starship SBD http://www.archive.org/details/js2002-04-13.sbd.flac16


On an unrelated note Dead fans who have not heard 7 Walkers need to check them at archive.org i saw them w/ NRPS and lost my socks!

http://www.archive.org/details/7Walkers

[truedelphi]

13. Thanks for suggesting this music group I hadn't heard them.

"7 Walkers."

And one of m y few big thrills abut living in Marin County CA was how one night, while stumbling around after a few beers over at Sweetwater, Marty Balin was just an arm's length away from me.

I refrained from running up and hugging him - much of my teenage years of rebellion had to do with playing the band's songs at levels my poor father found appalling.

"And everything they say we are, we are!"

[truedelphi]

15. Should you go the the event "occupy Wall Street" pls have the info

They suggest at hand:

http://usdayofrage.org/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-nyc-sept17.html

They suggest you ink on your arm, the contact number they provide in case of arrest. Paper and notebooks are often not accessible during arrest.

Much other good info there as well.

Sorry some cop took it upon himself to leave you black and blue.

[ancianita]

5. It's Not Up To These Kids To Save America's Jobs!

Come ON, DU! Get in on the OWS (Occupy Wall Street) streamed conversation! Show support -- donate! Go there! HOLLA!

http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

[dotymed]

8. I keep hearing "it is the kids" but most of the footage that

I have seen, shows middle-aged Americans occupying wall street. Either way, I am proud of them and support them 100%. Can we (those who can't travel there) hold sympathy rallies in our area's? Are there any occurring or planned?

Wall Street is the "hub" of financial activity but every financial district in America is populated by the same merchants of greed.

[xchrom]

6. recommend

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, marmmar.

[stormpilot]

9. The protests started Sept 17th, and barely seems to gain any traction

Even here.

[stormpilot]

10. Are we lying down and taking it, or going to take action?

I commend everyone who is there now, and am working on plans to get myself there. There are carpools forming to get people there if you can commit some of your time and show your support in ending the status quo.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carpool-to-Occupy-Wallstreet/222614057794752?sk=wall

TheAnonPress's FB page -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheAnonPress/194464753933126

[sabrina 1]

12. We are not lying down and taking it; The more they censor it

the more necessary it is for us to keep it in the public consciousness. Like this OP and others which we will continue to do.

The numbers are already growing despite the lack of media coverage.

And today, Keith Olbermann is going to be covering, according to his twitter acct.

I agree with you, and have told my friends in NY who hopefully will go there also. I am in CA but hope to get to NY before the end of the year.

[truedelphi]

14. I heard Dylan Rattigan is covering it also. n/t

[tcaudilllg]

16. Someone call the Unions!

[sabrina 1]

17. I think they are doing that. Good idea though and I have a feeling

they will join this movement.

[w0nderer]

18. k&r for reading later n/t