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Friday, November 4, 2011

OCCUPY WALL STREET

OCCUPY WALL STREET


I try not to get political on my blog.  Politics is too polarizing.  I do not hide that I am basically fiscally conservative and socially liberal but I also do not want to flaunt my positions, I aim to be entertaining.  On the Occupy Wall Street movement, I must comment.

It seems to me, that for the most part this movement is without direction.  Some of these people are angry.  Most do not have jobs, most do not have money.  They want to blame someone.  Some are just protesting because protesting is the in thing to do. 

In my day we had the Viet Nam war to protest.  There was one simple demand, get out of that horrible war which had no real possible benefit for our country regardless of the outcome.  That protest was clearly legitimate, yet many of those protestors were in it just because it was the “thing” to do.

Viet Nam protestors were prepared to protest until our troops all came home.  What do the Occupy Wall Street protestors demand? 

I have heard they want the bankers and brokers who are responsible for our economic woes to be prosecuted.  If you can identify these people (along with many in government who stuck their heads in the sand), and you can identify what laws they broke, then I am all for it.  Clearly there were bad business practices that led to our problems today.  Financial instruments were invented and sold which were not fully understood and ultimately caused our current recession.  Many of those responsible escaped with multi-million dollar packages. 

Would I like to see these people pay for their transgressions?  Yes, I am all for it.  If you are protesting for justice for those people, name them, explain their crime, I will be with you. 

Many protestors want the rich to pay a greater share of taxes.  This may or may not be legitimate.  If the wealthy can pay more without creating negative incentive for expanding business, I am all for it; as long as I’m not identified as one of the wealthy. (I think I’m pretty safe.)

Many protestors, from the interviews I have heard, are just plain stupid.

 “Like dude, these rich guys need to give up their money.  They got lots, why not share?”

“Capitalism sucks man, like we need to end that shit.”

“These people need to like hire more people you know.  They need to give up some of they money.  Just because they got educatedist they don’t got to get all the moneys.”

Well if we are going to end capitalism, what system are the protestors proposing to replace it with?  I am willing to listen.  If there is an economic model or has ever been an economic model which has created more wealth and less poverty than capitalism let’s look into it.

In the meantime all these protestors are accomplishing is to mess up a nice public-use park.  I worked for many years at 1 Liberty Plaza, the building whose management owns the park and maintains it for public use (The greedy bastards).  I spent many lunch times in that park which served many functions.  Comedians tested their material entertaining lunchtime crowds in the park.  Chess and backgammon tables were set up and dozens played at lunchtime.  If you wanted a joint or a nickel bag of pot, the park was the place to find a friendly dealer.  Wealthy bankers and brokers spent no time in that park.  It was used by hard working, lower paid, far from the 1%, employees of the surrounding buildings

Now this park is littered with wrappers, bottles, urine, and smelly people chanting their chants and drumming their drums, but offering no real demands and certainly no solutions.   

Mayor Bloomberg is being cool letting the protestors occupy Zuccotti Park.  He knows that what these protestors really want is some good old fashion police brutality.  A few crushed sculls and videos of unjust unprovoked mace attacks would garner them sympathy, greater support, and disguise the fact that they have no real list of demands. 

The protestors have made their point.  They are pissed off.  They want jobs (or at least money) they want justice (not fully defined) they want those that have to have less. They want new cars, free drugs, unlimited sex, they want free stuff.  Dammit!

You made your point, now go home.  Go home and continue your protests in a productive democratic way.  Define your views.  Find candidates for office that support your views, and support them and vote for them.  If your cause is just, your views viable, our system allows for change.        

11 comments:

  1. Have to say that all of this Occupy stuff is new to me Cranky, but reading what you have put here it certainly seems like it is a protest without proper reasoning.
    Haven't they also moved in on Oakland - I heard they had managed to close off the port or something!

    I am not the most political person on the planet, but I do believe that if you are going to preotest about something, at least make sure that it is crystal clear what you are protesting about!

    Lou :-)

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  2. Criminal: Stan O'Neal
    Offense: Criminal Negligence n addtion to being an SOB. In July 2007 he sent an interoffice memo to all employees ensuring them they need not worry about the impending doom hanging over the industry. Merrill Lynch operated from a position of integrity. Too bad if you bet you 401k.

    Here's what I think--corporate criminals have to go to real prison.

    Corporations that send jobs overseas should be boycotted.

    We should go ou of our way to Buy American if you can!

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  3. Now, now!
    Protesting is the only thing that brings the problem/problems to everyone's consciousness. Banks and big businesses are not hiring, though they have money and resources, and were bailed out by the rest of the people. What capitalism relies on is exactly this balance act, those who have resources hire and spend and move the engine forward.

    The engine is stuck.
    Small business people can't get loans. Ordinary folks can't get loans. Now banks are upping fees, wanting even more cash out of the 99%

    Every one bares the cost.
    Why can't we expect the 1% to pay their fair share?

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  4. DAve Ramsey said it best when he opened the phone linse to these people.

    "If you have a legitimate complaint- let's hear it. But let's also hear YOUR idea on how to change, fix or remedy the issue."


    Fair enough I though, otherwise you have no real reason to bitch.

    When he allowed some of the callers to speak their piece, Holy Crikey they sounded like like raving lunatards.

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  5. To Anon If Stan O. can be proven guilty of breaking any laws, and went to jail, it would not upset me. He is guilty at the least of setting the tone of profirs at any cost which blew up in ML's face. I guarantee none of this would have happened on the watch of Dave Komansky.

    To Roasrio I hope you do not interpret this post as an objection to protests in general. I only want to know specifically what they are protesting and what are their demands so I can agree or disagree.

    Cranky

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  6. I agree with you Cranky... Exactly what the hell do the protesters want what is your solution to the matter? I am seeing what is going on in Oakland and it is a disgrace. That is all I want to say politics and this situation gets my blood pressure up

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  7. When you buy a $400 tv, you pay a sales tax. When you buy a $4,000 tv, you pay the same sales tax, it's just taxed on a larger amount, so you pay more sales tax. I think it should be that way when we tax the earnings of the rich, the poor, the middle class. Everyone should have the same tax % to pay...and if they make more they then naturally pay more in taxes, if they make less then they pay less in taxes. I don't like the rule that if you make over a certain amount of money, then your tax % goes UP. The people who make more money generally have worked hard to get there, have paid a lot for college to get there, etc. Why should people get punished for their success and hard work? Wouldn't you be upset if you went to buy that $400 tv and when the sales guy rang you up you found that you were taxed on the $4,000 tv???!! You'd be like, "Why is my sales tax so much? I just bought the $400 tv!" and the sales guy would say, "Well, when we entered your telephone number, it shows that your annual income is higher than $100,000 a year" and you'd say, "Yeah, so?" and the sales guy would say, "Well, Sir...since you make more money than the average person, you do not pay the 8.75% sales tax. You pay the 15.75% sales tax. That's only fair, Sir. Because not all of us can make what you make each year." and you'd be all, "But...but...I spent four years at Harvard, studying and working hard. I ate rice and beans for those 4 years and I lived with my parents to save money and to pay for my tuition! I rode my bike to school and work so that I wouldn't have a car payment!" and the guy would stand there, shaking his head, "Doesn't matter how you got rich, Sir. It just matters that you are. And the rest of us aren't. And so...well, we need to tax you more to make up for what we aren't paying."

    I'm sorry, but I just don't like it. But I'm sure many disagree with me.

    As far as those in the Occupy-thing...most are there just to be there. You are right about that. They have no solutions.

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  8. You're pretty right about that- if you're going to protest something, at least have some basis and reasoning for it. Have a reason, back it up, have an idea for a solution. Camping out saying that you want something to change isn't going to do anything about the situation unless someone has a plan on how to get there and a reason for the change.

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  9. Well said and I tend to agree on all points.
    It's funny, my husband and I define ourselves politically much like you do - fiscally conservative, but socially liberal. Too bad there isn't a political party out there that comes even close to supporting our point of view.
    p.s. not sure how you fared in the storm, but we lost power from saturday until thursday. I'm very glad to have my laptop back and be back 'on the grid'. ha ha ;-)

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  10. Well done, Joe! This Occupy thing is a perplexing phenom -- and you've got some worthwhile insights.

    Give my best to the bros who are occupying Jupiter Beach!

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