Occupy Wall Street: Brilliant or Incompetent?

[rocklin]

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Occupy Wall Street: Brilliant or Incompetent?


I get opinions on both sides.

Please post your opinion and, most importantly, why you believe what you do.


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If you think there should be some changes in Occupy's style or management of the movement, please post what you believe those changes to be.

Thank you to all,

roc

(leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again)

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[Slinky]

Frankly, despite being disorganized, I appreciate those willing to brave the elements, etc. to peacefully let the greedy buzzards on Wall Street and in government know that we, the people, are getting close to being pushed to the limit. Its given me the hope that maybe Americans haven't become the mindless sheep I was afraid we'd become. Its time the 99% started pushing back. Let the 1% be forewarned!

[jimnsc]

Incompetent for many reasons but one that stands out when participants are interviewed by news personnel is the dumb answers they give for being there. Many are just there to protest. That's a spoiled generation out there with most caring less what sorts of havoc they create where they set up camp. They don't like the rich and fully expect it is okay that the rich should share with them. One interviewed said he just wanted somebody to pay his tuition.

You know? It's our country's fault for giving them too much. When I came along, if your parents couldn't afford college tuition you got a J-O-B and worked your way through school. How many of these protestors have a J-O-B? None or they couldn't live in parks for weeks on end without getting fired.

The ironic thing is they share a trait with Wall Street - GREED! Their problems began in their homes when they were children - no discipline!

[Elle]

I think it is a great movement and cause but many are distracted (or want to focus on) those who join just because they are combative and have not researched the meaning of the cause.

Many complain about the homeless using it as an opportunity to set up tents but that just amplifies the situation of homelessness in my view. Homeless people are trying to find "community".

There are many different reasons for people being there and the media will hone in on the people who either give them ratings or confirm their agenda either for or against.

I too am grateful for those who really believe enough is enough and stand up for it. I am much too selfish but I sure do appreciate the brave souls who take the time to try to make a difference.

[chunkyfrog]

Peaceful demonstration is the first step.
If that fails, some may feel obligated to step it up a bit'.
History is rife with examples of really bad outcomes to that.
Let's pray that change occurs before frustration reaches dangerous levels.

[Slinky]

I agree, Chunky.

[Resister]

I am not sure what they want, just that they oppose greed. Energies might be better spent protesting the gov't that enabled the unsustainable greed to continue through bailouts. Had some too-big-to-fail businesses been allowed to fail, some of the "redistribution" would have occured naturally.

[dogluvr]

It's kind of funny that when the people of Egypt and Libya were protesting, our government said let them protest and complained about the harsh tactics being used against the people over there. But now, we are having our people, peacefully protesting, getting pepper sprayed in the face while they're sitting there and getting clubbed when they have shown no aggression. Yes, there's always a few on the fringe, but let them protest. They say, "get a job" but there are NO jobs to get. They've all been outsourced!!

[ems]

Unfortunately, these people don't see a way out. They feel helpless and rightly so. Many of them are college grads, yet can't find a job. I can't say this is a "brilliant" move, but the frustration they feel is totally understandable. Is it the answer... I doubt it. But, maybe if this continues around the country, congress will sit up and take notice and something will finally get done. I just hope that more people, on both sides, don't get hurt.

[idamtnboy]

You know? It's our country's fault for giving them too much. When I came along, if your parents couldn't afford college tuition you got a J-O-B and worked your way through school. How many of these protestors have a J-O-B? None or they couldn't live in parks for weeks on end without getting fired.

Oh that the answer were that simple. When I went to college in the 60s the cost of a good university education per year was on the order of being equal to one year of average wages. Today, I believe it's on the order of 3 to 4 times an average annual wage. Complicate that with the reduction in jobs and it's no wonder there are angry people out there.

The basic necessities of life are food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Once you met the minimum in obtaining them you then worked on enhancing your standard of living. Sixty to eighty years ago those needs were filled by American labor, in many cases quite high labor input. I don't remember the figures, but the average car required a few hundred man hours to build, and the car was lucky to last more than 80,000 miles. Today, because of automation and quality improvements, the equivalent car is built with 1/10 the man hours and lasts two to three times as long. Combine that with the export of those car manufacturing jobs and we now have thousands of people walking around whose labor is not needed for car manufacturing. Compound that with similar actions in all aspects of American consumerism and you now have much of our food, shelter, clothing, and transportation needs being supplied to us by foreign workers in forms that last much longer. Sixty years ago car tires wore out in 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Now they last 50,000 to 70,000 miles. But the foreign suppliers are not buying our labor in return. That's the real problem.

Corporate heads can't be faulted for wanting to maximize profits by reducing labor cost. But they can be faulted for not recognizing that the labor they no longer employ is the labor that enabled consumers to buy the products in the first place. American corporate leaders have failed to sell American labor output to those from whom they buy. The buyers take the money we send them to buy their products and turn around and loan it back to us so we can buy more. The balance of trade deficit causes American workers to no longer have jobs, and has driven us into terrible debt at the same time.

That's why the Occupy Wall Street protesters are out there. Sadly, most of them probably don't really know what the underlying reason for them being out there is. That's why they come across badly during media interviews.

[soul_power]

I fully support the occupy wall street, and am fairly certain it won't be going anywhere until some change happens within the government. Our country has been taken corporate greed, so it no longer represents the people anymore. The fact that our elected officials can be bought out is just pathetic and has to change.

The people who say this movement is unorganized are completely right, but the reason it is so unorganized is because there are so many things wrong that have to change. I personally think the root of the issue is money in the political system. It shouldn't take millions of dollars to run for office. Elected officials should not receive any kickbacks at all whatsoever. They should have the citizens best interests in mind at all times.

America is on a tipping point right now and something has to give. The people are realizing were being duped and are sick of it. There isn't any quick fix out there, and I highly doubt the changes that need to be made will come from Congress. The fact that were even debating whether or not we should engage in torture shows what troubled times we live in. Pepper spraying peaceful protesters like in this video should not happen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjnR7xET7Uo

I realize this post is all over the place and probably hard to follow. I did my best to summarize my scattered thoughts

[Cuda]

First Amendment, mostly young people, I'm for it. I still believe in freedom though, you know...old school.

[Slinky]

The graft in this government is as pervasive as in any government in the world including those of the third world dictators altho for the time being at least "they" don't rule by force and cruelty. Instead they con the American public into giving up their rights in the name of combating terrorism in this country. Patriot Act my arse!!!

[nanwilson]

They have no idea why they are protesting....
There was an interview on the Calgary news the other night, where a young fellow when asked why he was protesting...answered that all he wanted was a job. WELL......one of the bystanders offered him a job and told him he would pick him up at 7 am next morning to start work. There was cheering from all around and it was all caught on camera. The next day the guy that offered the job was there at 6:45 to pick up the young fellow....waited for 45 minutes... he never showed up!!!!!.
So what was he protesting for???? He wanted a job, was offered one, but never showed up to take the job...and it was all captured on camera He didn't want a job at all, he was just protesting for the hell of it.........they have no idea why they are protesting.....Our younger generation has gone to hell in a hand basket, they want what they can GET for free..............but work for it...NEVER!!!!!!!

[Emilia]

Anyone who thinks the few protesters being interviewed by the mainstream press is an accurate reflection of the movement, is truly naive. They choose to run those interviews because the media are owned by the corporations and it is to their advantage to showcase the least articulate among the protesters. On news programs outside the mainstream -- mainly found on the web -- you will hear the voices of incredibly well educated and articulate folks who express the movement well.

I think, in light of the weekend thuggery and brutality shown on college campuses in CA, we will see a huge increase in demonstrations on college campuses across the country. This is not going to go away anytime soon. Yes, the focus is diverse and fractured due to so many issues at play. From unemployment, disappearing middle class, the financial meltdown, personal debt, the disparity of wealth distribution, etc.... it isn't the 60's when the focus was on civil rights or Vietnam. It is because of the many issues at hand that it seems so unorganized.

I fully support OWS and its hundreds of co-Occupy branches. If I was 40 yrs younger and in better health, I'd be out there with them!