[sunnykerr]

ATTENTION ALL OCCUPIERS OF THIS THREAD

I've been asked to open a centralized discussion zone for this topic, which is of interest to me and others as well. This thread is thus devoted to the whole Occupy movement, at large. Not just Occupy Wall Street. Not just the U.S. part of it. The worldwide presence/movement.

Of course, I cannot maintain such a thread on my own, so the survival of this thread depends on you all, and your level of interest. No one's obligated to participate, but bear in mind that it's not my job to keep anything alive if no one participates.

The other key aspect to the survical of this thread is mutual respect. As with any thread on this board, I reserve the right, as moderator, to shut it down if it ever seizes to be about the topic at hand and devolves into personal attacks.

Bearing that in mind, have at it!

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'Unequal' US sees Occupy Wall Street clashes Income inequality in the US has sharply increased in recent decades, a bipartisan analysis has revealed. The Congressional Budget Office said income had trebled for the richest 1% between 1979 and 2007. Meanwhile, a major poll shows anxiety for the future is high, with a majority saying the US is "on the wrong track". The findings emerged as police used tear gas and mass arrests to force Occupy Wall Street protesters out of their camps in Atlanta and Oakland. Some 50 people were arrested in Atlanta and 85 were held overnight in Oakland, California. Occupy Oakland protesters are insisting they will return to their protest site only a few hours after police forced hundreds of people to clear out of the camp. Distrust of government Many Occupy Wall Street protesters say they are making a stand against corporate greed and income inequality in the US. As rallies continued, the report from the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office indicated the nation's highest earners saw their household income almost triple in the years between 1979 and 2007. After tax income increased by 275% for the wealthiest 1% of Americans but by just 18% for the poorest 20%, the report said. In addition, the report revealed that in 2005-2007, the years immediately preceding the financial crisis, the top 20% of the population earned more after-tax income than the entire bottom 80%. Democratic House Representative Sander Levin said the findings confirm what Americans already knew. "The rules have been changed by the unfair tax policies of the last decade and our tax code is doing less to level the playing field than it was in the past." The poll, conducted by the New York Times and CBS News, shows distrust of government is at its highest level ever. Almost half of those asked said they thought the sentiment behind the Occupy Wall Street protests reflected the views of most Americans. Two-thirds said wealth should be more evenly distributed in the US. Some 28% of respondents believe the policies of President Barack Obama favour the rich, although a strong majority - 69% - said that was the effect of Republican policies. Baton rounds The violence in Georgia and California comes as the Occupy Wall Street movement prepares to mark its sixth week of continuous protest. In the early hours of Wednesday morning police moved into Woodruff Park in Atlanta, Georgia, after issuing warnings that demonstrators should leave. Around 50 protesters were arrested after midnight, as helicopters circled overhead and trained spotlights into the city square. In Oakland, California, riot police used tear gas and baton rounds and made around 85 arrests to clear protesters from Frank Ogawa Plaza. One protester, 24-year-old Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen, received a head injury from an object thrown during the demonstration on Tuesday. Doctors said he was in a critical condition. Protest organisers said he had been hit by a tear gas canister - police have not yet commented. Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort was among those arrested in Atlanta. Referring to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, he said: "He's using all these resources ... This is the most peaceful place in Georgia. "At the urging of the business community, he's moving people out. Shame on him." One protest organiser, Tim Franzen, said the city was facing a "crisis of priorities". The mayor told the Associated Press news agency he was upset that a hip-hop concert with a crowd of 600 people was held over the weekend without a permit or security guards. He said he also had security concerns after hearing reports that a man in the park was carrying an assault rifle.

Source

We haven't talked about the Occupy Wall Street movement yet, have we? What do you all think?

They're in the square in front of the building where I work, here in Montreal, and I have to say that they really haven't made a nuisance out of themselves. They're polite, but very clear about their goals.

Of course, who's going to disagree with them?

[Tomorrow's skies]

We haven't talked about the Occupy Wall Street movement yet, have we? What do you all think? They're in the square in front of the building where I work, here in Montreal, and I have to say that they really haven't made a nuisance out of themselves. They're polite, but very clear about their goals. Of course, who's going to disagree with them?

I proudly support the movement! My city is pretty small, so the protests here were pretty minimal but I think our city agrees with the movement generally. It just seems against the tents and camping.

[sunnykerr]

Well, the timing is odd because they "evacuated" the Montreal site today.

The Occupiers had received two eviction notices (the last one last night) and today the city moved cops and blue-collar workers in to dismantle the site.

I don't think anyone can argue against the values here... but there were concerns about how they were going to physically make it through the winter. And about the fact that it was a lightening rod for all the homeless and perhaps mentally unstable elements of the city.

[Tomorrow's skies]

Our Occupiers were "evicted" too, but are encouraged to do flash protests

I think the movement has only begun and will continue on. I do think they will have to try differing tactics, but their voices are making an impact.

[_vega_]

I think these are people with real concerns and whose lives have been affected by macroeconomic mistakes and they have a right to complain.

But while I understand the sentiment, I don't see how much this strategy will work on the face of the economical troubles of today. It's not like those working on the markets and the governments can shake a magical wand and make things better overnight.

It is pressure for the government but I think that works better when there's only one type of solution for the issues at hand (like when dealing with human rights issues). What's happening today is not that simple and such meassures may even be counterproductive as it could be used for some powerful groups to further their own agenda (like in Spain with the indignados and the PP).

Still, protesting is fine as long as people don't spend their lives doing just that.

[sunnykerr]

I think the lack of expressed objectives is also a hinderance to the realization of achievements.



Like I said, it's hard to argue against more economic fairness, but it's also hard to understand what is the goal of this movement.

[Tomorrow's skies]

Thanks for starting!

I think the movement so far is about awareness and putting the word out there right now. I agree that it can't make much headway if this is the only facet, but so many people didn't realized the depth of people worldwide all hating and being done with this system of operation--so perhaps this will unite and educate people.

It's actually pretty interesting because I'd been starting to really question the status quo just weeks before I'd heard about the movement. It was quite momentous for me

[Gray Ghost]

Kinda late making a thread about this huh?


This whole thing is a joke. These people are hypocrites. They basically want the federal government to wipe their butts and give them a paycheck for doing nothing. Why aren't these people working? Seriously, why aren't they working?
And why don't they go whine and complain to the people that let Wall Street do what they did? Congress is the real bad guy. They and Bush let Wall Street do whatever they wanted.
You have Michael Moore as one of your spokespersons? Are you serious? That guy lives in a fancy house and his movies have made millions of dollars. He isn't part of the 99%. He is an evil 1 percenter.
This whole thing is just a joke. It's a fad and trendy thing that the kids think is cool.

[Tomorrow's skies]

The occupy movement is all over the world, it's not just in the US.

David Suzuki pretty much sums up my feelings on it

[ceilirose]

The thread was started on October 26th unless I can't read right. It's an interesting movement though and frankly (and regretably) I've been too busy working lately to really keep up with everthing. Just one of those 99% people.

If the "liberal" media and the usual gaggle of talking heads don't understand it then these protestors must be up to something good.

Michael Moore isn't one of my favorites but the Koch Brothers (billionaires, millionaires?) bankrolling parts of the Tea Party movement sort of cancel each other out.

[Gray Ghost]

So you can admit that Michael Moore is a hypocrite right? Occupy Wall Street is stupid because the people protesting against the wrong group. They should be protesting in Washington D.C. against this epic fail that we call Congress. Congress is one of the main groups responsible for the economy crapping out.

[sunnykerr]

Oh, I just started the thread.

I had posted the OP article last month in the Business section, because that's usually how we deal with stories on here, but no one responded to it. So, when someone asked me to start a whole thread for the topic, I was hesitant, but certainly enthusiastic for it.

The response it's gotten so far seems to indicate it was the right choice to make.

I wasn't aware, mind you, that the Occupy people from all over the world had to focus their indignation at the American government. I suppose it makes sense, insofar as there is an undeniable trickle down effect. But, believe it or not, other people have reasons to be pissed off, too.

[Tomorrow's skies]

I can see the US being a focus simply because so many of the large corporations are headed by US companies. They may be elsewhere in the world but that's the issue, them going to these so-called undeveloped countries and taking advantage of that.

[_vega_]

Wasn't this done first in Spain though? In Spanish speaking news, every movement that came after the indignados have been called indignados too. The Occupy Wall Street is being called the Indignados de Wall Street.

I don't know if the people all over the world are agains the US or US corporations. It's a very small thing over here right now but it seems to be going against everybody who is in the position of power over the economy of the world and their country.

[Tomorrow's skies]

I don't think every country is against the US specifically, but the US is pretty much a poster child for the corporatism and corruption that the movement defies