Occupy Wall Street's Success: Even Republicans Are Talking About Income Inequality | ThinkProgress

"While critics deride the Occupy Wall Street protests for lacking clear policy goals or accomplishments, if the movement accomplishes nothing beyond fundamentally shifting the political discourse away from trumped up fears about the debt to real issues like inequality and jobs, then it has already succeeded. "

But to make lasting change, the deleterious effects of the buying of elections must end. When money talks, democracy walks the plank.

Buying the spectrum is as absurd as buying the right to possess all the water, or to buy the air; Bolivians didn't put up with it, and neither should we.

 

http://mises.org/daily/1662

 

When money talks, democracy walks the plank.

 

I totally agree! And do you know what the wealthiest institution in North America is? Hint: It'll have over $2.3 trillion in revenue this year.

 

In order to equalize things, I think we should shrink this institution down to the size of, say, Apple Computer. ;) And that's being generous!

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-H6McV6oUs]The Emergent State - YouTube[/ame]

Dear Friends,

 

IIt's unbelievable. The G20 -- the most powerful summit of world governments -- meets tomorrow to discuss the global economic crisis, and who is sponsoring the meeting? Banks and corporations!

 

No wonder the site of the meeting -- the French city of Cannes -- is completely locked down to any ordinary citizens, while banks and large corporate CEOs have all access passes to tell our governments what to do.

 

Corporations and banks have captured our governments, winning vast corporate bailouts after helping to create the crisis. Now they are buying their way into the very meeting that could decide the world's future. Together we can persuade summit President Nicolas Sarkozy to cancel the sponsorship -- let's build a massive public outcry that causes a media firestorm and forces Sarkozy to kick out the corporate sponsors and clean up the G20. Sign the petition and forward widely:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/occupy_g20/?tta

 

The line between corporate power and responsible government has steadily blurred, undermining our democracies and our economy. Politicians take money from corporations for their campaigns, make policies that reward them when in office, and then take high-paid jobs with them after they leave. It's corruption, plain and simple.

 

Now Société Générale, a French bank that received a public bailout and has a vested interest in Europe's financial policy, is an official sponsor of the summit. Insiders have told Avaaz that this bank and 20 other corporations have paid large sums of money in sponsorship for a seat at the table of our governments.

 

The only way to get policies that protect jobs, tackle speculators and guarantee a fair future for us all is to kick back against the lobbies and prise our leaders away from corporate interests. Let’s tell Nicolas Sarkozy and the other leaders that their future depends on ditching the sponsors now and agreeing to no more corporate capture of our governments. Sign the petition and send to everyone:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/occupy_g20/?tta

 

The global economic crisis resulted in large part from reckless banks that were no longer regulated effectively by governments because they controlled them. This corporate capture of government is the major threat today, both to democracy, and to an efficient and fair economy. Across the world, people are taking to the streets to take back our democracies. In the next 48 hours, let's start with the G20.

 

With hope and determination,

 

Alex, Maria Paz, Emma, Ricken, Morgan, Wissam and the rest of the Avaaz team

 

SOURCES

 

Business leaders press G20 (Financial Times)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21ccfea6-02e6-11e1-899a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1cMLOw7GP

 

Business 20 summit parallel to the G20

http://www.b20businesssummit.com/guests/business-organizations

 

Ottawa Steered Clear of Corporate Sponsorships for G20 (Globe and Mail)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/news/ottawa-steered-clear-of-corporate-sponsorships-for-g8-g20/article1608401/

 

List of G20 Cannes Sponsors

http://www.g20-g8.com/g8-g20/g20/english/the-2011-summit/partnerships/partnerships.69.html

 

Société Générale gets $12 billion in AIG bailout (New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/16rescue.html

Are all these people who are protesting against corporate bailouts ready to accept the consequences of that?

 

There will be a cascade of bankruptcies and massive job-losses, and it'll be very scary. But it will be temporary.

Here in the area called America..

It has been my experience that when a given agency, such as the DMV, gives bad service, it's because its budget has been cut, so the service centers cannot offer all the services they should, and the hours are trimmed. Of course, you've heard of the attempts by the powerful corporatists to hobble the services offered by the government, in order to make various agencies appear inefficient, in order to justify privatizing them? It's quite the gimmick, and it is being done.

As for politicians not doing what their constituents want, bribery isn't the only way it is done - it is done through the buying of elections, through offering lucrative lobbying jobs to politicians once they leave office, and through insider investments.

The illusions we're dealing with are those created by image crafters at work in the political - TV world, the spin doctors who cajole us into believing in the honesty and integrity of their candidates, or even more effectively, into believing all the negative things about all the other candidates.

To Paraphrase the situation:

 

"The line between corporate power and responsible government has steadily blurred, undermining our democracies and our economy. Politicians take money from corporations for their campaigns, make policies that reward them when in office, and then take high-paid jobs with them after they leave. It's corruption, plain and simple.

 

The only way to get policies that protect jobs, tackle speculators and guarantee a fair future for us all is to kick back against the lobbies and pry our leaders away from corporate interests. Let’s tell all leaders that their future depends on ditching the sponsors now and agreeing to no more corporate capture of our governments."

 

And so, we need to make it clear that money is not free speech, it can and must be regulated in campaigns to reduce the buying of elections and of elected officials.

The public squares today are the modern broadcast media - TV & Radio - and each of these has exclusive use of the broadcast frequencies taken from our commons. And in return for granting that privilege, we have a right to have candidate airtime, equal and at no charge, for all registered candidates vying for office.

For we are not choosing between which brand of corn chips we like best, we are selecting those individuals who will best represent us and protect our shared rights as citizens. To allow unlimited expenditures to dominate the political process is to reduce our democracy as a system for sale to the highest bidder. It is unethical, immoral, dysfunctional, and that is the crux of the matter plaguing us today.

Dear Friends,

 

IIt's unbelievable. The G20 -- the most powerful summit of world governments -- meets tomorrow to discuss the global economic crisis, and who is sponsoring the meeting? Banks and corporations!

 

No wonder the site of the meeting -- the French city of Cannes -- is completely locked down to any ordinary citizens, while banks and large corporate CEOs have all access passes to tell our governments what to do.

 

Corporations and banks have captured our governments, winning vast corporate bailouts after helping to create the crisis. Now they are buying their way into the very meeting that could decide the world's future. Together we can persuade summit President Nicolas Sarkozy to cancel the sponsorship -- let's build a massive public outcry that causes a media firestorm and forces Sarkozy to kick out the corporate sponsors and clean up the G20. Sign the petition and forward widely:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/occupy_g20/?tta

 

The line between corporate power and responsible government has steadily blurred, undermining our democracies and our economy. Politicians take money from corporations for their campaigns, make policies that reward them when in office, and then take high-paid jobs with them after they leave. It's corruption, plain and simple.

 

Now Société Générale, a French bank that received a public bailout and has a vested interest in Europe's financial policy, is an official sponsor of the summit. Insiders have told Avaaz that this bank and 20 other corporations have paid large sums of money in sponsorship for a seat at the table of our governments.

 

The only way to get policies that protect jobs, tackle speculators and guarantee a fair future for us all is to kick back against the lobbies and prise our leaders away from corporate interests. Let’s tell Nicolas Sarkozy and the other leaders that their future depends on ditching the sponsors now and agreeing to no more corporate capture of our governments. Sign the petition and send to everyone:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/occupy_g20/?tta

 

The global economic crisis resulted in large part from reckless banks that were no longer regulated effectively by governments because they controlled them. This corporate capture of government is the major threat today, both to democracy, and to an efficient and fair economy. Across the world, people are taking to the streets to take back our democracies. In the next 48 hours, let's start with the G20.

 

With hope and determination,

 

Alex, Maria Paz, Emma, Ricken, Morgan, Wissam and the rest of the Avaaz team

 

SOURCES

 

Business leaders press G20 (Financial Times)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21ccfea6-02e6-11e1-899a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1cMLOw7GP

 

Business 20 summit parallel to the G20

http://www.b20businesssummit.com/guests/business-organizations

 

Ottawa Steered Clear of Corporate Sponsorships for G20 (Globe and Mail)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/news/ottawa-steered-clear-of-corporate-sponsorships-for-g8-g20/article1608401/

 

List of G20 Cannes Sponsors

http://www.g20-g8.com/g8-g20/g20/english/the-2011-summit/partnerships/partnerships.69.html

 

Société Générale gets $12 billion in AIG bailout (New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/16rescue.html

Good Work Nancy, for putting this up for all to see!

I just wanted to add some images from Occupy Wall Street, the protesters and what signs they are holding:

These are your Occupy Wall Street protestors [PICS] | Matador Network

Live Coverage and Twitter of Occupy Wall Street Occupy Wall Street | September 17th | #OCCUPYWALLSTREET | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

 

> To Make Trade Fair we need a government which is accountable to us, for policy to follow sensible ethical thinking we must regain control of our government. We are the 99.9 %.

Labor stands with Occupy Oakland, a planned general strike to shut down the port: A daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 900 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the United States.

:facepalm:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoX7oS6H01c&feature=feedf]American Attack Drones coming to all cities soon! - YouTube[/ame]

:stunned:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0dcb7d3d860d0cf5c7d1a0b3866f2f13.ad1&show_article=1

 

And here they are testing a national "emergency" system that allows them to shut down radio and TV broadcasts simultaneously.

 

The US government is preparing for something big, no doubt. And I don't want to be around to see it firsthand.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0dcb7d3d860d0cf5c7d1a0b3866f2f13.ad1&show_article=1

 

And here they are testing a national "emergency" system that allows them to shut down radio and TV broadcasts simultaneously.

 

The US government is preparing for something big, no doubt. And I don't want to be around to see it firsthand.

WOW, is that for real? And that's pretty short notice, less than a week to get the word around. And I'll bet word won't get around nearly enough.

 

The two main things that are going to freak out some people are:

• Emergency tests are usually Local in nature... not National.
  
• People are used to emergency tests lasting half a minute; if it gets much longer than that, people will likely think it is a real emergency.
  

 

eeek

The key to a fascist government growing and gaining more power is to instill a constant "state of fear" on the people. When people are constantly afraid, they are more willing to allow the government to have new power over them.

 

The statistical reality is that you're 8x more likely to be killed by a police officer in the US than a terrorist.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEGyTTaRpj0]Porter Robinson - The State - YouTube[/ame]

The statistical reality is that you're 8x more likely to be killed by a police officer in the US than a terrorist.

 

I can totally believe that as long as the statistics are within the last decade. But if you have accurate statistics, I would like to see those.

 

I would hope at this point even among the right wingers a 'terrorist threat' is now a complete joke, from day 1 (Essentially September 12th 2001) there has been no reason at all for the American public to need to be made aware of any terrorist threat. It has always been a national security issue and yet you get bombarded with these insane public surveys such as "Is America likely to be under a terrorist attack soon?". How can a regular, boring citizen possibly know that? You get these vague messages about 'remaining vigilant' towards a terrorist threat, and this has been going on for years, what is a person to look for exactly? Well if you work in a tall building, and you see a plane heading directly for your 50th floor window, call Fox News.

 

The only other thing you can look for in day to day life are brown people, but the news can't broadcast racism.

 

The key to a fascist government growing and gaining more power is to instill a constant "state of fear" on the people. When people are constantly afraid, they are more willing to allow the government to have new power over them.

 

Right now I do agree that Saffire may be correct (This is a strange feeling, no offence) that although I don't feel there will be some huge American upheaval of a police state on the 9th, I do think this unmitigated and unannounced SAFETY TEST is the American government re-affirming it's control on people in very important times.

Well it would serve the interests that are in control to keep the fear going, even if we're not even under a yellow alert. What would Captain Kirk do?

It does feel more and more Orwellian these days, and 3 minutes for a test, that is a ridiculously long test. The whole country, a continent across and then some - it seems so unlikely anything that drastic would affect the entire nation; I wonder if it's more of an excuse to keep the agency, and its attendant industries, looking important so they continue to get full funding? Perhaps just in case the citizens rise up, the people that pull the strings want one last tug on their way out of power?

What the occupy movement stands for is broader than what anyone can put down on paper, but this from Oakland is illuminating:

 

 

 

• Remember these four common points that the General Strike Assembly has agreed upon:
  

 

1. Solidarity with the world-wide Occupy movement!
   
2. End police attacks on our communities!
   
3. Defend Oakland schools and libraries!
   
4. Against an economic system built on colonialism, inequality and corporate power that perpetuates all forms of oppression and the destruction of the environment!
   

What Occupy Wall Street Is:

 

 

Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

This #ows movement empowers real people to create real change from the bottom up. We want to see a general assembly in every backyard, on every street corner because we don't need Wall Street and we don't need politicians to build a better society.

Occupy Wall Street coverage:

Special Coverage: OCCUPY WALL STREET | AlterNet

WikiLeaks gets in on the action:

 

The following cable from US ambassador to Germany Philip Murphy (Ambassador Murphy spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs and held a variety of senior positions, including in Frankfurt, New York and Hong Kong, before becoming a Senior Director of the firm in 2003, a position he held until his retirement in 2006) "CONFIDENTIAL: 10BERLIN181" tells us all we need to know about what has been really happening behind the smooth, calm and collected German facade vis-a-vis not only Greece, but all of Europe, and what the next steps are: "A EUROZONE CHAPTER 11: DB Chief Economist Thomas Mayer told Ambassador Murphy he was pessimistic Greece would take the difficult steps needed to put its house in order. A worst case scenario, says Mayer, could be that Germany pulls out of the Eurozone altogether in 20 years time. In 1990, Germany's Constitutional Court ruled that the country could withdraw from the Euro if: 1) the currency union became an "inflationary zone," or 2) the German taxpayer became the Eurozone's "de facto bailout provider." Mayer proposes a "Chapter 11 for Eurozone countries," which would place troubled members under economic supervision until they put their house in order. Unfortunately, there is no serious discussion of this underway, he lamented." This was In February 2010. The discussion has since commenced.

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/wikileaks-exposes-german-preparations-eurozone-chapter-11

 

"by raising the possibility that a country might (be forced to) leave the euro, core European governments may have set in motion a sequence of events which could potentially lead to runs on sovereigns and banks in peripheral countries that make everything we have seen so far in this crisis look benign." And when a major investment bank, itself susceptible to bank runs warns of, well, bank runs, you listen.

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/morgan-stanley-says-europes-pandoras-box-has-been-opened

Interesting news Jay, Al Jazeera had a piece on the economic trouble in Europe, looks like things have already spread to Italy and to other countries, which may make the failure of Lehman Brothers look tiny by comparison. Interesting but perhaps perilous times.

http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/economic-324884-welfare-state.html

 

Tibor Machan: ‘Occupy’ protests predictably misguided

 

Thousands of Greeks have been violently protesting that the freebies they had taken for granted may have to be reduced, even completely cut. Few of them seemed to have a clue about how one cannot get blood out of a turnip. After decades of living off the work and incomes of other people and future generations – via borrowed funds – their gravy train is very likely to reach its termination point.

 

In much of Europe the attitudes of these Greek protesters is routine. Europeans have welfare states in spades, and few have ever warned them about the hazards of living in such systems. These past few years may finally have produced such a warning but only by creating hardship for those who have become completely dependent on the system.

 

Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain are just the more drastic examples, but the entire continent is experiencing the consequences of decades of profligacy. Instead of testing a truly revolutionary alternative to socialism – which, of course, crashed with the demise of the old USSR and its colonies – namely a truly consistent free-market, capitalist economic order (with its proper constitutional framework intact) – what most Western European politicians chose to do is to turn toward "socialism with a human face," of the democratic kind (i.e., without outright or explicit police-state measures).

 

This has been a strategy largely adopted in America as well. Promoters of more and more entitlement programs and top-down federal and state government economic regulations have been clamoring for America to become a so-called compassionate system.

 

These and similar ways were meant to accommodate the moral and political sentiments of the former Soviet system of reckless forced wealth redistribution and egalitarianism. The only difference is that, while the Soviets realized that their planned economy requires a police state and met their demise by applying its policies, the Western welfare states try to square the circle by preaching compassion and kindness while enacting laws and regulations that, in fact, require a firm hand by the government.

 

So, as it has become clear that no system can survive with the reckless economic policies of the welfare state, what is left? We see the answer on the streets of New York and many other cities with the attacks on "Wall Street." Just as Germans in the 1930s turned upon Jews, whom they irrationally held responsible for their economic woes, the Occupy protesters are scapegoating a segment of the American population that not only does not deserve their scorn but may actually be the last hope of the American and even world economies.

 

What these people are calling for is just a bit short of stringing up or liquidating the very people who are mostly hard at work trying to earn a living for themselves and their clients. (No doubt some on Wall Street are cads but if that warrants picking on them en mass, then the protesters ought to descend upon Washington, D.C.)

 

Yet given the mainly mindless commentaries on the Greek, Portuguese, and Italian economic situations, given how so very few mainstream observers pick the correct culprit – namely, the welfare state and its coercive wealth redistribution and punishment of productivity – it isn't surprising that young Americans tend to turn on those who are managing to make it in this economy. They feel, having been so urged to feel, that they are owed an education and a living.

 

Why are so many surprised with this? Almost all of the teachers, from elementary to graduate schools, have preached the welfare statist mantra that we all have a right to be taken care of. So what is one to expect?

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/financial-big-lies/

Gautama, everything Krugman predicted hasn't come to pass. Everything he's called for (endless money printing) is insane and hasn't worked. He's a statist ideologue whose entire belief system flies in the face of reality.

>I feel I need to respond to this, for it grates hard against the working citizens everywhere. I will answer within the framework of the text:

 

 

Tibor Machan: ‘Occupy’ protests predictably misguided

 

Thousands of Greeks have been violently protesting that the freebies they had taken for granted may have to be reduced, even completely cut. Few of them seemed to have a clue about how one cannot get blood out of a turnip. After decades of living off the work and incomes of other people and future generations – via borrowed funds – their gravy train is very likely to reach its termination point.

> Assuming this to be the case misses the mark - I believe the Greeks are protesting austerity measures, slashed wages, and job cuts. If the elites running the banking system and the Greek government had the citizenry in mind, these huge mistakes would not have been made. Jobs need to meet the demand for what is desired, I agree, but blaming the citizens for misguided policies is absurd. And I believe, globally and here in the US, the focus by the media and the power elite is on cutting wages and benefits for working class citizens, while the super rich get even richer off the backs of everyone else. That is the problem, and the richer they get, the more money they plow into politics to steer even more money and power their way - it's the fat at the top that needs to be trimmed. Benefits that create healthy citizens are not bad investments, so allowing families time off for early childhood development and bonding is essential; the most important investment we can make is in the health and wellness of the citizens.

In much of Europe the attitudes of these Greek protesters is routine. Europeans have welfare states in spades, and few have ever warned them about the hazards of living in such systems. These past few years may finally have produced such a warning but only by creating hardship for those who have become completely dependent on the system.

> The European experience is far superior to what we have in the US - a real social safety net, time off to raise a family, some guarantees in life; that's a plus for society. Welfare is the bad label pasted on all social programs - better to see these things are social improvements, building a healthier and more vibrant society so that markets and the economy can function properly.

Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain are just the more drastic examples, but the entire continent is experiencing the consequences of decades of profligacy. Instead of testing a truly revolutionary alternative to socialism – which, of course, crashed with the demise of the old USSR and its colonies – namely a truly consistent free-market, capitalist economic order (with its proper constitutional framework intact) – what most Western European politicians chose to do is to turn toward "socialism with a human face," of the democratic kind (i.e., without outright or explicit police-state measures).

> We've seen what the extremes of Capitalism can produce here, I find that a poor choice to make if one wants to progress. Socialism wasn't the case in the USSR, one might better term that Stalinism using the mask of Communism; basically a totalitarian state unlike what Karl Marx had proposed and envisioned. Free market is just another label for unregulated and unfair market practices, the kind of corporatocracy we have seen enough of. But when there isn't sufficient wise thinking in government about debt and market stability, what we see is what we get.

This has been a strategy largely adopted in America as well. Promoters of more and more entitlement programs and top-down federal and state government economic regulations have been clamoring for America to become a so-called compassionate system.

> Barely adopted, for how poor the poor are here - it's truly unfair, and how hard they must work just to stay afloat, how the men with the top hats see the men in the mines is appallingly unjust. To see the working class neighborhoods in such poor shape, and all the working poor who can't get medical help because the insurers drop them while raising rates, to improve their profit margins and then buy off the whole political process. Entitlements? Social Security isn't an entitlement, like some handout - it's a government run insurance program which we pay into, a means of ensuring at least some income in old age to prevent the elderly from becoming destitute as was the case in the "good old days". And regulations are there as a result of unscrupulous business practices that have severely hurt the public, harm which led to the introduction of the Glass-Steagall act to provide a firewall between banks and the marketplace. Compassion is where it's at - for without that, it's back to the barbarism of corporate lords and working class slaves. Never again!

These and similar ways were meant to accommodate the moral and political sentiments of the former Soviet system of reckless forced wealth redistribution and egalitarianism. The only difference is that, while the Soviets realized that their planned economy requires a police state and met their demise by applying its policies, the Western welfare states try to square the circle by preaching compassion and kindness while enacting laws and regulations that, in fact, require a firm hand by the government.

> The exact thing I was thinking, the idea that Socialism and Fair Markets, Honest Government somehow = Communism which must be destroyed is alive and well. Well, I've got news - the Soviet System wasn't communism, and it failed because there were no Fair Elections, and the economy was completely planned by insider cronies. What I and others advocate is honest government, sensible market regulations, and government where it should be - for schools, roads, basic research, safety nets, peace initiatives, small defense, and sensible regulation and oversight of things which on an individual level, no one else can do. The laws that regulate can be sensible and fair if we get a process in place to make the elections fair.

So, as it has become clear that no system can survive with the reckless economic policies of the welfare state, what is left? We see the answer on the streets of New York and many other cities with the attacks on "Wall Street." Just as Germans in the 1930s turned upon Jews, whom they irrationally held responsible for their economic woes, the Occupy protesters are scapegoating a segment of the American population that not only does not deserve their scorn but may actually be the last hope of the American and even world economies.

> So, as it becomes clear that no system can survive when it doesn't allow for fair elections and panders to the top .1%, what is left? We see the answer in enacting what those protesting are asking for - accountability, ecological wisdom, fair markets, fair elections, and the like. Unlike Germany in the 1930's, the US has responded to economic failures from the unregulated marketplace with programs to put citizens back to work, sensible market oversight, and social safety nets. But Germany today is well ahead of us in terms of having a sensible system! We could use a lessen or two from the German model today. And if those Wall Street gamblers had been so wise, then why did the collapse happen? I think all games require rules, require some adult supervision by the citizens at large, lest they get out of hand and lead to calamities.

What these people are calling for is just a bit short of stringing up or liquidating the very people who are mostly hard at work trying to earn a living for themselves and their clients. (No doubt some on Wall Street are cads but if that warrants picking on them en mass, then the protesters ought to descend upon Washington, D.C.)

> Bullshit! The people hard at work go unseen by the media, those are the workers, the managers, the educators, the people who are not the plutocrats! The majority of people working in the investment houses are workers too! The problem is, and justly so, with a small minority of extremely wealthy con artists and schemers, who have set things up on such a precipice as it is. But there is some culpability for the failings down the line as well, since choices were made to just keep quiet and keep busy, rather than blowing the whistle on it all. But if there is careful intelligent oversight, and promotion of worker-owned businesses, a restoration of real democracy in fair elections, then less is the urge to try some trickery. Promote the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

Yet given the mainly mindless commentaries on the Greek, Portuguese, and Italian economic situations, given how so very few mainstream observers pick the correct culprit – namely, the welfare state and its coercive wealth redistribution and punishment of productivity – it isn't surprising that young Americans tend to turn on those who are managing to make it in this economy. They feel, having been so urged to feel, that they are owed an education and a living.

We are the society we make possible, and to get a good start creates the engine for the economy. If saddling the students with unbearable debts, degrading working wages, and waging class war is Tibor's idea of justifiable, I wish him well on some island of his own to turn into his private plutocracy. No more rule by iron fists from up on high. We the People run this land. Send the blue meanies packing!:smug:

Skip to 21:12 for the relevant parts.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzsER-T-QPU&t=21m12s]Eric Sprott talks to James Turk in Munich - YouTube[/ame]

Stories about unruly behavior from Occupy protestors are popping up at astonishing speeds: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/occupiers_terrorize_us_eatery_o4dKzxi3n03WyJWAJu4AhO

 

And on Friday, she said, a crazed squatter burst into the shop and demanded that workers fill a 10-gallon container of water.

 

When they refused, “he banged it on the ground and started yelling” and threatened the staff, she said.

 

“He said he was entitled to have it for free.”

Tzortzatos said the unsafe conditions begin at around 5 p.m. every day, when “they come from the park drunk, under the influence of something.

 

“They use one of our doorways as a bathroom, and we have to scrub it down every morning.

 

“I’ve had people come in here and yell, ‘Boycott! Boycott!’

 

“They unplugged my ATM machine and plugged in their computers,” Tzortzatos said.

 

Another businessman, who complained to The Post about the squatters’ behavior last week, said yesterday that the situation has since deteriorated, adding, “You don’t know the half of it.”

 

Meanwhile, public opinion of Occupy protests continue to deteriorate as these protests drag on without any results. Polling shows now that just 35% have a favorable opinion while 40% have an unfavorable opinion toward this "movement." http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1378932

 

Keep in mind public support was over 50% just a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely embarrassing.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzSpa47x8TM]Occupy DC storms White House - "People will hear my voice!"/"I'm drunk as fuck!" - YouTube[/ame]

 

"WHERE IS THE RED TAMBOURINE?"