Why Occupy Wall Street is Now More Popular Than the Tea Party
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-26/why-occupy-wall-street-now-more-popular-tea-party
A new Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll has revealed that more people support the Occupy Wall Street movement than the Tea Party. The spark for the movement came from “Adbusters” – an anti-consumerism magazine based in Vancouver. It proposed an "occupation" of Wall Street on September 17, 2011. The idea caught fire. Since the first protest, “occupy” movements have sprung up in across the country from Seattle to El Paso,Texas. The movement has been accused of being a “mob” and a front for special interests. But progressive politicians are increasingly trying to harness the movement’s support. Join us to discuss the appeal of the movement and its impact on American politics.
Guests
Jim Tankersley
reporter, National Journal
Ken Vogel
chief investigative reporter, POLITICO
Jonathan Smucker
volunteer, Occupy Wall Street
Michele Pendergast
volunteer, Occupy San Francisco
Joshua
volunteer, Occupy Chicago
Corryn Freeman
volunteer, Occupy DC/K Street
Comments
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Wolfburg...at the very least the banks and other Wall Street institutions that were bailed out should pay interest for using tax payers money.
Prosecution of those who have been making billions coming (sub prime loans) and going.
Accountability...what a concept.
The common threads that I heard being repeated by OWS participants what ever their personal beef was justice and accountability. Application of the often repeated falsehood that "no one is above the law"
Participants wanting PROOF OF THIS
Wolfburg...at the very least the banks and other Wall Street institutions that were bailed out should pay interest for using tax payers money.
Prosecution of those who have been making billions coming (sub prime loans) and going.
Accountability...what a concept.
The common threads that I heard being repeated by OWS participants what ever their personal beef was justice and accountability. Application of the often repeated falsehood that "no one is above the law"
Participants wanting PROOF OF THIS
While I support the beliefs, policies, and actions of the Occupy activists, I would like to put a question to them as a group:
How many of you voted in the mid-term elections?
There is no question that the enthusiastic and widespread participation of young voters was a significant factor in the election of Barack Obama. However, hundreds of thousands of these same voters neglected to participate in the 2010 congressional and state-office elections. It was as though the novelty of having political clout had worn off, and the buzz of excitement that characterizes a presidential election wasn't there to motivate them. Or, sadly, they simply don't understand enough about political processes to realize that the composition of Congress has as much to do with government progress as does the person in the White House.
I'm glad that these people are finally standing up for something. But the constant refrain of "making our voices heard" is a bit disingenuous. Those voices could have been put to better -- and earlier -- use getting out the vote in 2010.
The tea party went political from the very beginning, at least in Cincinnati, the first tea party rally was organized by Rep. Con. Stev Chabot, who had just been ousted from office.
Dick Army, a Texas politician, organized it as a pseudo grass roots also organized the Tea Party as a anti- Democratic movement.
Tim Kincaid
Cincinnati
Response to mburrier;
They were not elected by the people. The people have no voice. They were elected by the corporations and elites who own the country. They elect with their money and influence in the media. The vast majority don't have a chance.
I am a member of the 99%. I left American in 1978 for many, many of the societal and political ills that OWS are now voicing. Back in the 70s, in the 60s, we protested and got no where. I decided I wanted to live my life my own way, in a society where I would be morally comfortable. I made my way, and I did okay. I returned to USA about 12 years ago for family reasons, and I feel the same about our 99% inability to change this place. Think Gore-Bush.
The OWS is at least bringing these problems up into the disinfecting light of public awareness. That is a start. If problems remain ignored, they will never get fixed.
I agree with very much what I've heard from OWS and Everywhere. My pet peeve would be money and politics, the latest manifestation of damage to the 99% being Citizen's United.
I will be getting more active with OEverywhere, believe me!
I am an Applied Behavioral Scientist who has specialized in complex self-organizing social systems with an emphasis on orality and literacy across cultures. I am also one of many, many individuals who have been marching and protesting and occupying as often as I am able to. I can not begin to tell you how culturally important this movement is, in particular because of its' use of oral communication reinforcement and flat (and therefore truly democratic) organizing structures. It is essential for those of us who have a current call to conscience to work not from the center, but rather, at the farthest margins from the center and by employing truly marginal means to support the socially marginalized and politically dispossessed. Our democracy is faltering badly in serving the needs of everyone as capitalism has become the main goal and democracy a secondary consideration. Flower power was also dismissed; and eventually appropriated by the center. This is the way it always happens. But maybe not any time soon. Until then, please come join us.
Sajeela Ramsey, Falls Church VA
I am an Applied Behavioral Scientist who has specialized in complex self-organizing social systems with an emphasis on orality and literacy across cultures. I am also one of many, many individuals who have been marching and protesting and occupying as often as I am able to. I can not begin to tell you how culturally important this movement is, in particular because of its' use of oral communication reinforcement and flat (and therefore truly democratic) organizing structures. It is essential for those of us who have a current call to conscience to work not from the center, but rather, at the farthest margins from the center and by employing truly marginal means to support the socially marginalized and politically dispossessed. Our democracy is faltering badly in serving the needs of everyone as capitalism has become the main goal and democracy a secondary consideration. Flower power was also dismissed; and eventually appropriated by the center. This is the way it always happens. But maybe not any time soon. Until then, please come join us.
Sajeela Ramsey, Falls Church VA
Finding a job is a job, it's not easy, but we all have to do it. In this economy, Americans don't have the luxury of being picky and looking for the job that we feel whole and warm and fuzzy in. We need to worry about jobs, our futures, and our families. We have to pay the bills and live. I am in my early 30s, I have been in the workforce for 10 years. I feel like these protesters need to be a little more realistic. I am not sending my money to provide these protesters food or pizzas, I will take all of that cash and put it in my retirement fund!! They need to get a clue!
Haveaheart: Putting one's body and prospects on the line is a much higher and more sacred form of voting than picking the lesser of two evils in some rigged mock two-business party elections. You resemble the old lady who told me during Vietnam War protests that I should go fight drunk driving instead because it was also killing people. There are many better ways of voting than the booth. Try voting with all your resources, all your choices, and every fiber of your being. Try joining a general assembly and you may taste democracy (unadulterated) for the first time. It feels way better than texting Barack a tenner.
Let's take a look at a contemporary example of what the Occupy Movements are talking about. In this mornings New York Times there is an article about how lobbyists, executives affiliated with venture capital funds and their spouses are putting money into the campaign coffers of Minnesota congressman Erik Paulsen because he is proposing legislation that would make it easier to bring new medical products to market by affecting current policies at the FDA. Legislation that would directly benefit their businesses.
The United States has become a pay-to-play plutocracy where 99% of the people have no say in the affairs of State. This is what the Occupy Movement is about.
Grady...putting your body on the line is a right. But not contacting your Reps, not voting etc. I talked with lots of folks who had never even contacted a rep...never ever.
Kathleen
Could not agree more.
So, Grady, did you vote in the 2010 mid-terms?
Diane,
You opened the show with by saying that some people say Occupy Wall Street is no more than a collection of college dropouts and homeless people. As the guests illustrated, it is obviously much more diverse than that, but it was dismissive to use the phrase, "no more than" in regard to college dropouts and homeless people. Many fine people have dropped out of college or lost their homes because of the very economic climate OWS is challenging. Even if the movement was "no more than" than college dropouts and homeless people, at least they would be standing up for themselves.
Not going away. By the spring OWS will be as big as the anti invasion of Iraq marches (before the invasion) that the MSM barely covered
Emd140: Under current law you have every right to remain a worker bee conservative. But you may wonder later when the Beekeeper needs the honey from your retirement fund. Looking for a job is a folly in this economy. Some unemployed people have transcended the work world.
I pity your latent jealousy. Like the master said to the dog,"Stay! Stay home!"
FOLKS SHOULD GO TO THE WEBSITE
GET MONEY OUT...SIGN AND SPREAD FAR AND WIDE
I am proud of the people who are bringing attention to the disparity in these United States. It boggles the mind to think that there are those out here in the general public wishing that they would go away and are applauding the police brutality. We are not in Syria or one of the countries where protesters are beaten and murdered. We tell young people that they must get an education. We saddle them with mountains of debt to do so. And, now we tell them there is nothing for you here, while the CEO's at the major U. S. Corporations are making millions of dollars to send the potential jobs for these young people to other lower wage countries.
I am hopeful that the riots of the late 60's and early 70's don't come back. That wasn't very pleasant. The powers that be ought to pay attention and create a means to put America back to work.
Even President Obama has referred to Tea Party members as teabaggers.
Does the OWS rep mind if they are referred to as 'fleabaggers?'
If you are Anti-Plutocracy, pro liberty, pro true democracy, you should support the Occupy movement. If you are pro plutocracy, you may not be human.
The program referred to a billionaire whose cash was enabling Tea Party sentiments, referring to the Koch brothers.
Isn't the OWS crowd backed if indirectly by billionaire George Soros?
If you're neither Pro or Anti Plutocracy, then you must have no idea that the U.S. system is the definition of a Plutocracy
When I was a high school senior, Mother told me: You can go to college anywhere you like as long as you work for your father, live at home, and pay for it yourself.
Which is what I did.
Now come these OWS kids with student loans which have sent them to prestigious colleges but left them with large debts. They want the rest of us to pay off their debts.
Aren't they really just a bunch of spoiled kids who want stuff, as long as someone else pays for it?
What ever happened to the self reliant American?
Video on Pajamas Media suggests that violence on Oakland police was what triggered a police response.
Which is what the protestors wanted anyway.
People care whether I vote. People care whether I flatter my representatives.
People care whether I write a check. Wowee!
I can see you don't know Grady.
I was a Senate Legislative aide for 18 years (Republican-nominally progressive) and I know the system barely worked back then. It is a travesty now. Loyalty to either of the two business parties is parallel to the dying out of men's service (drinking, carousing) clubs. Just because I'm an unusual little guy does not mean I benefit myself or society by joining the Oddfellows. Our failed democracy is disconnected: It is procedural: And it is so corrupt that campaigning and contributing approaches treason against the People. Why give legitimacy to a fraud? Notice how the Elite is more threatened by OWS than any party activity. You old fogeys just don't get it. Maybe you'll wake up when Koch Youth Corps knocks on your door looking for me. Don't forget to order a pizza because that's a higher form of voting than choosing between Romneyobombney and Dr. Chickenpay.
wealth got ultra concentrated and harder to obtain....the system became super advantageous to a select few...pre existing conditions such as your parents socio-economic status/where you were born etc, began to matter more and more, inequalities in education grew larger and larger...
Little Rock, AR Occupy Little Rock PEACEFUL relocate to park away from Clinton Library. This could be a good model for other cities who are rioting with police!
Great show! Sorry I couldn't get through to let the audience know about "The 99% Declaration" which went online October 7, 2011, posted by *The Ninety-Nine Percent*. The document has been drafted by the 99PercentDeclaration Working Group. It is based on the Constitution's First Amendment concerning the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. There are 20 points proposing a way to proceed to organize the movement, and suggesting content of specific petitions. Access is at facebook.com/people/Ninety-Nine-Percent-Declaration. One can register one's "vote"; last week, 146,782 had done so.
Jeffrey Manor does not know what happened to homes like his nativity where Mommy could make you promise to work for Daddy until you were a big boy. I think he may be the entitled party in his own story.
Move forward to a contemporary situation where Mommy and Daddy are underwater on their mortgage and have no resources or pull to help little Jeff. There is not even a p/t job grilling at Buger King to help him slave for a used Honda Civic with spinners and a tuned muffler. OK, back to the X-box lifestyle: Grand Theft Auto IV.
Talking about political consciousness,
"God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own."