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What if the Tea Party Occupied Wall Street?
Corporate media skip anti-corporate protests
In an action called Occupy Wall Street, thousands of activists took to the streets of Lower Manhattan on September 17.
The protests are continuing, with demonstrators camped out on the Financial District's Liberty Street in support of U.S. democratization and against corporate domination of politics (Adbusters, 9/19/11). 
You wouldn't know much about the continued occupation of Wall Street by thousands of activists from the corporate media--outlets that seem much more interested in protests of the Tea Party variety. (photo: pweiskel08)
But you wouldn't know much about any of this from the corporate media--outlets that seem much more interested in protests of the Tea Party variety.
The anti-corporate protests have been lightly covered in the hometown New York Times: One piece (9/18/11) largely about how the police blocked access to Wall Street, and one photo (9/22/11) with the caption "Wall Street Protest Whirls On."
The protests have been treated with brief mentions on CNN, like this one from host Wolf Blitzer (9/19/11): "Protests here in New York on Wall Street entering a third day. Should New Yorkers be worried at all about what's going on?"
From the ABC, CBS and NBC network news, we could find nothing at all in the Nexis news database. On the PBS NewsHour (9/19/11), the protests got a brief reference, tacked on to the end of the stock market report:
Away from the trading floor, some 200 protesters marched for a third day, charging the financial system favors corporations. At least six people were arrested.
Some voices in the media have noted the lack of coverage. On the Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, 9/19/11), Michael Moore said, "People are down on Wall Street right now, holding a sit-in and a camp-in down there--virtually no news about this protest."
At the top of his Current TV show (9/21/11), Keith Olberman said:
So five days of clogging downtown Manhattan, protesting corporate control of the economy, and you haven't heard a word about it on the news?
He later remarked, "If that's a Tea Party protest in front of Wall Street about Ben Bernanke...it's the lead story on every network newscast."
The media preference for Tea Party gatherings over progressive activism is well-documented. A September 2009 Tea Party rally in Washington, D.C., garnered far more coverage than a similar gay rights rally the following month (Extra!, 12/09). Thousands of activists at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit in June 2010 did not merit anywhere near the coverage accorded to 600 attendees at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville (Extra!, 9/10). The One Nation Working Together rally (10/2/10) brought thousands to Washington-- but little media attention (FAIR Media Advisory, 10/6/10).
And even the size of a given Tea Party gathering does not seem to much matter. When about 200 Tea Partiers gathered in Washington earlier this year (FAIR Blog, 4/1/11), an account in Slate (3/31/11) noted, "There was at least one reporter for every three or four activists."
The answer to the problem of non-coverage would seem to be simple: If the people occupying Wall Street want more media attention, they should just call themselves Tea Party activists.
ACTION:
Ask the nightly newscasts why they have decided to give little to no coverage to the Occupy Wall Street protests-- especially given their interest in Tea Party demonstrations.
CONTACT:
NBC Nightly News
nightly@nbc.com
212-664-4971
ABC World News
Feedback form
CBS Evening News
evening@cbsnews.com
212-975-3247
PBS NewsHour
onlineda@newshour.org
703-998-2138
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114 Comments so far
Show AllSorry - I gotta disagree on this one. I was there yesterday and the day before. the turnout is pathetic in both numbers and content. It looks like a tailgate party from a grateful dead concert, hairy stinky white kids complete with drum circle and a bunch of self-appointed "leaders" with absolutely no organizing experience. There's a "battle station" of laptops manned by techheads and I still can't figure out what they're doing. Making a website? Great! There's apparently not enough websites out there on the left. Every new website that goes up only serves to fracture the left even more. The no-nukes rally 30 years ago was 2 million strong - without internet or cellphones. Just an issue that everyone could rally around. People pass by "Liberty Square" now and ask what the protesters want - and no one can answer, because it's all about "process" instead of a platform. I've never been so embarassed to be a liberal. Everybody has to echo what the speaker is saying, so he/she can say exactly half of what they would normally do in the same amount of time of normal oratory. I realize that 15 tea party protesters would probably draw Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper, but just stop whining already and show me something - ANYTHING - that average people that wear a button-down shirt to work can grab hold of. How about a primary challenge to Obama? Reinstatement of Glas-Steagall? Taxing capital gains at 35%? You won't hear anything like that at Liberty Plaza, just a bunch of annoying "mike checks."
You've summed it up nicely.
Its not an occupation either. Its people on the sidewalk. Something that's quite common. I mean, so what?
Just like Moore, Maddow and Olbermann to be making excuses & whining about the TP. They should have their asses down on the street instead of the usual BS of giving 'direction' and 'inspiration' from the top of the Professional Left heap in the confines of an AC studio owned by GE and the like, who ALL are making money on the argument itself. (Frankly, you've gotta love the beauty of it all.)
I ask yet again: why doesn't Moore confine himself to film? A expose' on the MSM News & Entertainment Complex would be a timely subject. Or would that be stepping on the wrong toe$?
You too, they need some help.
Restoration of FDR's New Deal financial industry regulation (which includes Glass-Steagall) and adding regulation that addresses financial "products" that have been introduced post-FDR should be the minimum action the Wall Street protestors should be demanding.
Not surprised to read this.
One day the "left" in this country will remember that having the right ideas isn't enough, we need organization to get something done.
A fantastic idea for a new omelette gets you nowhere if you never learned how to cook an egg.
And all too often today no one even HAS an idea for a new omelette, they just know they don't like the one put on their plate now.
Yes, and that means we will have to accept the evicted, the hungry, old people with no pensions, sick people without medical care and those that don't want to become one of them. It is going to be messy. Almost forgot, students with thousands of dollars of debt and no opportunity.
I'm not sure what you mean?
Who is not accepting these folks?
What does that have to do with the need for organization?
The idea is, if people were informed and organized they would have healthcare, an alternative to home eviction, education would not be framed in a discussion of debt that leaves them few opportunities or choice. If people knew how to speak for themselves this wouldn't be an issue. I think this protest is more diverse than people think. I've seen some very articulate people speaking from experience about this system that corrupts individuals and institutions. You have to start somewhere and that is a matter of perspective.
The somewhere that we start from isn't going to be there.
The entire idea that we need a "Phase 1" or "start" is false.
This fight started centuries ago.
I'm glad that some people are now noticing, are now getting excited, and want now to do something.
But such folks are actually quite late to the game and should review what has gone before them prior to taking action. This way their actions would be better and more effective.
I can understand that the folks on the ground are in the situation and won't be able to reflect on lessons learned until afterwards.
But we at home should be well into reflection mode by now.
I'm not seeing much of that yet, which is not good.
They are using the power of unity in hostile environment. One thing I learned from watching the live feed is this: When police were arresting people and not in a very nice way, the crowd chanted in unity "the whole world is watching" and that changed things.
They are more of a witness as a agent for change. The rest of America will have to get over the fact they are young and some of them have blue hair. :)
You are not getting what I'm saying.
I have personally been to at least one dozen actions where that same chant was chanted in that same situation.
This action is VERY far from the beginning, but you and many others are talking to the rest of us as if it is.
I guess I should ask you then what you see the beginning to be? My experience could be defined as historical at this point, but I am not without experience in social change. Additionally, I sat on a few human rights committees that were very well organized. I edited this to include a link about community building.
http://www.artdrum.com/ESSAY_DRUM_CIRCLES.HTM
The beginning is at least over 40 years ago in the various movements that became the Movement of the late '60s-early'70s.
But the basic critique of capitalism employed here and the vague images of a better way spoken by the participants go back further, to the Socialist and Communist philosophers (and revolutionaries!) of the 19th century and earlier.
The power, justice and utility of corporations were key issues in the Presidential Election of 1828.
The notion of a Constitutional Republic where the collective People are sovereign AND the individual is as free as possible of course goes back to the 18th Century and the rise of capital, trade, industry, and the expansive State (and the resistance to this) in the 17th.
And none of the above could have happened without the emergence of the State and the raison d'etre of "New World" and other colonialism arising from the trade voyages and resultant exploitation and slavery of the 16th Century.
So where's the beginning?
That's hard to say.
But it is sure as hell long before anyone today was born, and it may well be centuries in the past.
The point is that mistakes are being made now, today, in this action and its reaction, that have been made many times now over quite some period of time.
It is understandable that people are excited and feel that this is the beginning of something new.
But we need to keep that enthusiasm while simultaneously correcting that misunderstanding.
Otherwise the next action, and the next, and the next, will ALL turn into haphazard "speak-ins" paired with spontaneous "teach-ins" like this one.
Understand that this is constructive criticism from an ally and friend. :)
I see it this way, this is a call for change. (no more-no less) It is something we can all learn from on either side. By process, it just means it is not over and of course it isn't and won't be as a result of this action. It causes us to look at the historical roots of injustice in this country, but it demands a new set of values for current abuses. I think this group has effectively taped into the power of unity and change and are pointing a finger to say look at this place and see what it does when some truth is applied. This is change and it happens weather we direct it or not. Teach-ins and speak-ins should be happening on a daily basis, involvement. This is saying we are not the silent majority and we are here to take responsibility for that decision.
I'm not questioning your character. :)
You conveniently left out 150 years of anarchists who critique BOTH state power and capitalist accumulation, telling IMO
Sounds like you need to get down there and help formulate a plan for participation. It is an open forum, if you are part of the 99 percent you have an obligation to do something about corruption or just sit back and take it.
right on clearbluesky,this ALL TALK VERY LITTLE ACTYION GENERATION,needs to move on from talking on the computer&get there ass out to whatever protest is against this totally evil/insane system!!!!!! NO MORE TIME OR EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!!!! ho ka hey/it is a good time to live
Heyoka hey keeperofthefire
I agree we must all be vigilant and speak the truth here. Peace along the spirit path.
Good post, and I agree, a set of very well defined, and persistent talking points must be hammered on over and over and over and over again (yes, that many overs).
Reinstatement of Glass Steagall and the taxing of capital gains is an excellent start. I'd like to add a few more proposals:
* * * * *
Stronger and more stringent enforcement of the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies and trusts, as well as industry consolidation as exemplified by the US'
* * * * *
Overturn the findings from Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad that provide the basis for corporate entities being treated as 'persons' by the US justice system. Additionally, the US constitution must be amended so corporations can no longer claim to be 'natural', or 'biological' persons.
* * * * *
Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913: This act created and set up the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States of America, granting it the [sole] legal authority to issue Federal Reserve Notes (US dollars).
The constitution must be amended so that printed money, commercial loans as well as coins be allowed to be issued directly by the Federal gov't through a nationalize central bank, administered by a democratically elected, and publicly accountable board of directors. With this power restored to the people, the gov't can begin issuing Federal Greenback notes to provide low-to-zero interest loans for projects that provide desperately needed employment and national infrastructure upgrades.
But before the Fed's duties can be turned over to the people, they must be audited, and the tangled web of debt and financial insolvency can be properly unraveled. I also believe it is within the power of a the US Treasury to issue a coin which can be used to pay off the Federal Debt in one fell swoop. This option needs to be more seriously considered.
The above issues regarding the Fed and our national debt would never have arisen if we had stuck with our 'American System' of banking and finance all along. This system of state issued credit, not privately doled out debt (along with a concomitant system of protective tariffs) was originally intended to benefit the developing colonies, not the old-world colonizers.... and sought emancipation from the usurious and fraudulent 'British/International System'.
* * * * *
Closing of tax loopholes, by eliminating the ability of corporations and financial entities to form offshore 'shell companies' with no more than a mailbox in places like the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, or by hiding behind secrecy laws as seen in Switzerland. Currently, the IRS has begun deeper investigations into exposing some key tax havens and loopholes, but my inclination is to believe they are in damage control mode, and working to appear more effective than they even expect to be.
* * * * *
The following is pulled directly from Ellen Brown's 'Web Of Debt', a book that should be read by all those who want to fight against the abuses of Wall Street, but aren't 100% why. For the most part, the above proposals are also represented in her book, but not in as truncated a form as I have presented them.
Initiation of a new round of international agreements modeled on the Brenton Woods Accords, addressing the following monetary issues, among others:
• The pegging of national currency exchange rates to the value either of an agreed-upon standardized price index or an agreed upon "basket" of commodities
• International regulation of, or elimination of, speculation in derivatives, short sales, and other forms of trading that are used to manipulate markets;
• Interest-free loans of a global currency issued Greenback-style by a truly democratic international congress, on the model of the Special Drawing Rightd of the IMF; and
• The elimination of burdensome and unfair international debts. This can be done by simply writing the debts off the books of the issuing banks, reversing the sleight of hand by which the loan money was created in the first place.
* * * * *
Other domestic reforms that might be addressed include publicly-financed elections, verifiable paper trails for all voting machines, media reform to break up monopoly ownership, lobby reform, sustainable energy development, basic universal health coverage, reinstating form parity pricing, and reinstating and strengthening the securities laws. (From Web of Debt. pg 456-457)
* * * * *
"These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America. What they really complain of is that we seek to take away their power. Our allegiance to American institutions requires the overthrow of this kind of power. In vain they seek to hide behind the flag and the Constitution. In their blindness they forget what the flag and the Constitution stand for. Now, as always, they stand for democracy, not tyranny; for freedom, not subjection; and against a dictatorship by mob rule and the over-privileged alike."
—FDR
"Reviving the 'American system' of government-issued money would not represent a radical departure from the American tradition. It would represent a radical return."
—Ellen Brown in Web of Debt
Excellent comments: You can send a copy of that to the Occupy Wall Street group at this link. Click on general assembly.
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Thanks cbs, it's not a complete list (and has a few typos to boot) but it's a good staring point from which we can begin to consolidate and concentrate our collective message.
Only after the wider populace comes to see that these issues are a) Their own issues and b) easy to comprehend in ethical terms, and worthy of moral and popular outrage, and c) solved by systems and proposals which are practical, reasonable, and fully in accordance with what should be our national values,
will this valid and necessary action really take hold and begin to tranform our nation in the ways it so desperately requires transformation. The answers don't need to come from a deep and esoteric understanding of Wall Street's crooked game and how it's played. All that needs to be understood, is that the game is crooked, essentially works against our core interests, and can be fixed by rules that simply make good sense.
Fighting Wall Street just needs to make sense to the common American. And really, that shouldn't be such a hard task to do, considering the flagrant insanity of maintaining the current systems.
Cheers clearbluesky, I'll look into your link and send my thoughts on to the appropriate recipients.
I agree with all of your comments here as relevant to all Americans. These people have started something. The bull on Wall Street is corralled, but protected by police, to me that sends a very strong message. I hope your message is sent to them for consideration. Thank you for the fine points you've brought here.
"NO MORE WALL STREET BULL!"
Soooo True!!!
Crappy CA reception causing multiple posts.
duplicate post
.
How about no Federal government solutions, and no canned talking points? Appealing to D.C. which is the empires power center is worse than useless at this point IMO. How about local currency and credit unions? Replacing the big bankster controlled Federal Reserve with a big government issuing money in the heart of empire is just switching bosses IMO. Rather than trying to fix the Corinthian columned center of empire D.C., we ought to be trying to smash it, and return power to people directly both in town meetings, and in consensus oriented processes in co-ops.
'Talking points' are one of most powerful tools the people can have to dismantle the lies and the system we both abhor. What other purpose do you assume chants and songs serve during protests?
But I still believe in replacing our current system with another, one which fulfills its obligations to serve the community, not a narrow percentage of elites sitting like kings upon their mountain of wealth, mostly stolen from the commons. A big part of this must be collectives and workers syndicates, but there also must be a platform and basis for infrastructural cohesion which allows local systems to integrate into the whole. If not on the global level, there at least must be levels of coordination and cooperation within sovereign states. This entails rules, regulations, laws, and to some degree, decentralized systems.
We both agree that systems contain inherent dangers/pitfalls within their structure. Our difference seems to be that I am willing to support a system, bearing in mind that some safeguards must be consistently and perennially employed to maintain its beneficial use and its efficiency. I believe in systems that utilize powerful engines, so long as their use can be contained, and rendered relatively harmless through oversight and regulation.
You seem to espouse a position that accepts no systems, and one which assumes humanity is well-informed enough, and/or ready for this type of revolutionary advance. As of now, and considering our current place in the evolution of civilization and society, I cannot concur that humanity is ready to embrace, or successfully practice such a political ideology.
The founding fathers thought they had safeguards and look what happened. What is it that you fear about worker self management and community based polity?
Be specific!
That sounds tribal to me, just saying. The power you have is unity but as this expands through out society you have to be vigilant and do the right thing. Otherwise your neighborhood will be flooded with cheap drugs (the old way) it is different now but the same tactic. And there are many more, keep your compass with you.
I don't even know what you are getting at, are you claiming local self rule leads to drug addiction? Non sequitur much?
We evolved for most of our existence on earth as tribal people, it's the natural sized social unit IMO. If we have tribal level governance combined with a global internet then people can take care of their local bio-region and ALL the people embedded within it, and also have news and culture from the outside world to keep them from becoming parochial. Sorry but I DO think we have the intelligence and tools to have it all if we can break our dependency from corporations, large governments and other forms of biggism.
There was one crucial different between this admittedly disorganized, incoherent and too small protest and your 2 million anti-nuke rally. At that earlier action, people showed up, rallied, marched... and went home. You can't go home! You have to stay and occupy a space, to be a thorn in the side of the powers-that-be. Nobody would be talking about Tahrir Square today if the protesters had shown up only for a day. You have to stay and disrupt the system until your demands are met!
That march was part of a large, multi-faceted, long-term campaign to end the Cold War and the nuke arms race.
Occupation-style actions like you mention have also failed many times in the past.
And take another look at Egypt.
Tahrir Square may be the flashpoint and what people talk about, but it is only a small part of a society-spanning and decades-spanning effort that STILL has yet to achieve its goals.
Occupy Wall Street's most positive aspect is as a learning experience for new fighters in the struggle. If these newbies -or their supporters- think they are the teachers, they will fail to either change things or learn.
Though I support total nuclear abolition, and though I have great respect for the anti-nuclear movement, it's only fair to point out that your "large, multi-faceted, long-term campaign" did not achieve its goals either: the world is still full of nuclear weapons, and the U.S. and Russia, which are supposedly no longer enemies, *still* have nukes pointed at each other. As to the "new fighters," as any teacher will tell you, the students can teach the teacher as often as the other way round. I was just down there in Liberty Plaza and the freshness and energy is nothing short of astounding. Occupations doubtless have failed in the past, and maybe this one will, too. But unless and until it does, they have my full support.
Y'know what?
With whatever due respect, I think you plain don't know nuthin' about any Movement stuff that went on before you tuned in.
This occupation action has already failed, or am I wrong as to where Liberty Plaza is located in New York City?
Learn or don't, just don't B.S. yourself. ;)
You are full of condescending "advice," does it ever occur to you that people have their own ideas, and didn't solicit your unwanted advice in the first place? Occupy Wall St. is NOT over by a long shot, and is just the first phase, the second of which is occupy D.C. If you want to tell "war stories" about the good old days of the anti-nuke movement, fine, but don't expect modern activists with different ideas as to how sustainable long change will happen to do anything other than consider you to be a purveyor of not too amusing anecdotes, mmK? Boomer occupation blockers are scarcely more interesting to us than cops or the neo-con/neo-lib ruling class.
Get it yet?
excellent point&right on the money!!!!!!
my reply was to dylanexperts one protest&go home doesn't work ,absolutely true!! & because "the evil powers" never give up, we have to stay awake&be ready to take to the streets our entire life!! ho ka hey/it is a good time to live
remember tiananmen square.... more likely scenario in fascist america than tahrir square. just sayin...apples and oranges. egypt/libya/syria - china/america.
...peace...
Word Dylanexpert, you got that 100% right. Big day long rallies produce no substantive change, at best they produce tiny techno fixes within the establishment system.
You said, “sorry... disagree...”. With respect, I disagree with you. (Though let me note at the onset, since you went there twice, your heart was obviously in the right place.)
But why not join in, sit down and help them, teach them what you know. Why be the frustrated parent who sees their child laboring so hard over drawing a picture (badly) and says: “It’s ugly.” Geez. Sit down and color next to them, let them see you do it “in the lines” with praise for their EFFORT!.
You also said: “Every new website that goes up only serves to fracture the left even more.” If by left you mean independent or progressive, let me be the first to scream we need all the help we can get. (I hope you at least sent an email to the links given at the end of the article? (And yes, I did.))
That is really a shame you feel that way. A really commited core of people occupying a sidewalk is a good start. On the weekend, there were at least 500 people there. I doubt that TPTB will sit still for this much longer. This is a good beginning.
Two hundred protesters with 6 arrested is more than "just a few". "Over" sounds like a corporate spinner. "Just a few" would have been more that enough to be all over the corporate media had they been Tea Partiers.
I find the biggest -- pontificating -- whiners to be many CD commentators who attack folks like these occupying Wall Street, or be it Moore, Olberman, Maddow, etc.. while comfortably seated in front of their computer/laptop screens likely feeding their faces. What are YOU doing?
Wow! Really? Embarrased? You think whats going on there needs "organizing experience". Yours I guess. Or somebody's you think you know about. Whats going on is exaclty what needs to be going on. Stop blocking! If you're now suddenly trying to impart some wisdom, yours I guess, or somebody's you think you know about, at the 11th hour...forget about it...that time has come and gone. We will leave you in the dust if need be...if you continue blocking we won't trample you. We promise we'll just gently set you aside.
Clap, clap, clap! That's what I am talking about.
Your contempt for your fellow "liberals" is what is fracturing this country. You have so many (good) ideas stated here- why not use them to help shape this public outcry instead of smothering it? Why would you debase a group of people who are trying to affect some kind of desperately needed change? Why not offer your ideas, commitment, and experience to help achieve a "platform", instead of shamelessly tooting your own horn about who's the best protestor. It's a shame you can't see your own response as the real "whining" like I do. Why don't you stop and "do" something-ANYTHING - that average people that wear a button-down shirt to work can grab hold of? What's wrong with you?
You utterly fail to understand how networked intelligence works. Process is an absolute necessity if we don't want to become anchored to an ossified platform which is what killed Bolshevism for example. Decentralized, networked, process oriented, revolt CAN work, look at Egypt for example.
At the risk of being agist, I would suggest that most people looking for an old school leadership to tell them what to do are baby boomers. 21st century social change is going to be bottom up and process oriented and you better better get out of the way "if you can't lend a hand, for the time they are changing," to quote your generations hero Bob Dylan. My generation's (Gex X) hero and those younger is "anonymous," ie no leader, do it yourself through consensus and process. The black bloc and the internet geeks taught us that, and I suggest you do your best to grok it.
"How about a primary challenge to Obama? Reinstatement of Glas-Steagall? Taxing capital gains at 35%? You won't hear anything like that at Liberty Plaza..."
That is because the people at Liberty Plaza understand we are WAY beyond the arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic stage of empire's decline. Most young radicals hate the Federal government who would oversee a new "Glass Stegal" as much as they hate the bankers and other capitalist slime.
Calling for the taxing of Capital Gains at 98% might get some attention from the media. Lack of coverage isn't the fault of those who are there protesting. The problem is with all of those who never protest anything.