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We Are the 99 Per Cent
Occupy Wall Street is a peaceful stand against the big American rip-off. Support it and regain your dignity
I have spent the last two days at the Occupy Wall Street gathering. It was a beautiful display of peaceful action: so much kindness and gentleness in the camp, so much belief in our world and democracy. And so many different kinds of people all looking for a chance at the dream that America had promised them. 
America has been debased and degraded by greed. This has touched 99% of America's population. The other 1% is doing just fine – with more than a third of the wealth of this nation. (photo: Paul Stein)
When people critique this movement and say spurious things about the protesters' clothes or their jobs or the general way they look, they are showing how shallow we have become as a nation. They forget that these people have taken time out of their lives to stand up for values that are purely American and in the interest of our democracy. They forget that these people are encamped in an urban park, where they are not allowed to have tents or other normal camping gear. They are living far outside their comfort zone to protect and celebrate liberty, equality and the rule of law.
It is a thing of beauty to see so many people in love with the ideal of democracy, so alive with its promise, so committed to its continuity in the face of crony capitalism and corporate rule. That should be celebrated. It should be respected and admired.
Their message is very clear and simple: get money out of the political process; strive for equality in taxation and equal rights for all regardless of race, gender, social status, sexual preference or age. We must stop poisoning our food, air and water for corporate greed. The people on Wall Street and in the banking industrial complex that destroyed our economy must be investigated and brought to justice under the law for what they have done by stealing people's homes and savings.
Jobs can and must be created. Family farms must be saved. The oil and gas industry must be divested of its political power and cheap, reliable alternative energy must be made available.
This movement transcends political affiliations. America has been debased and degraded by greed. This has touched 99% of America's population. The other 1% is doing just fine – with more than a third of the wealth of this nation. We all know people who have been hurt by the big rip-off. We all know people who have lost their jobs or their homes. We all know people who have had to go and fight wars that seem to have no objective and no end – leaving families for years on end without fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.
The 99% of us have paid a dear price so that 1% could become the wealthiest people in the world. We all pay insanely high energy prices while we see energy companies making record profits, year after year. We live with great injustices in the land of justice. We live with great lawlessness in the land of the law.
It's time to check ourselves, to see if we still have that small part that believes in the values that America promises. Do we still have a shred of our decency intact in the face of debasement? If you do, then now is the time to give that forgotten part a voice. That is what this movement is ultimately about: giving voice to decency and fairness.
I invite anyone and all to participate in this people's movement to regain your dignity and what you have worked for in this capitalist society. Each of us is of great value to the whole. Do not forget your greatness. Even when the world around you is telling you you are nothing. You have a voice. You want a better life for your children and the people you love. You live in a democracy. You belong, and you deserve a world that is fair and equal. You have a right to take your place and be heard.
Show up at an Occupy Wall Street gathering in any major city in the US. Hit your social media outlets. Tweet it. Facebook it. Talk it up. It's easy to do nothing, but your heart breaks a little more every time you do.
- Posted in
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Show All//The people on Wall Street and in the banking industrial complex that destroyed our economy must be investigated and brought to justice under the law for what they have done by stealing people's homes and savings.//
That's a most important part. Perhaps not THE most important, but VERY important anyway. Bring the suspected criminals to justice!
Before you can convict the banksters, the laws (that the banksters and politicians they own spent the past 33 years changing) need to be restored to their pre-1978 status, and new laws added to address financial "products" introduced during the past 30 years.
A thrid of a century of decriminalizing (euphemistacally called deregulating) laws affecting banking and finance have made the crimes the banksters committed legal.
Its time to restore FDR's New Deal in order to hold the banksters accountable.
Good point!
If you know this Capitalist Globalisation THING you would realise that {WALL STREET} is the absolute "Brain" and "Nerve Centre" of this abormination.. Compared to what is happening right now in Wall Street, this OCCUPY WALL STREET protest, what took place in Tahrir Square in Egypt is no more significant than a fracas in a village square. Even though the number of protestors involved now is small the "epic-centre" effect of Wall Street cannot be over exaggerated. And the heroism of the protestors cannot be belittled. This protest movement in Wall Street will inspire and reverberate throughout the nation and around the world. This can definitely grow to have international repercussion, drawing in people to question the FTA, NAFTA, and the crimes money-men are commiting in Federal Reserves, other central banks, the IMF, the World Bank, BIS, WTO, the monstrous commercial banks and other financial houses, in fact, the bloody whole capitalist shibang.
A Shell petr "promotion" in the current Scientific American shows the result of a survey question: "Should energy companies be allowed to explore and develop oil resources in the arctic?" Their focused summary was this: "Most global respondents think energy companies should focus on investing in alternative energy sources. But nearly 16% of North American respondents said "yes - if there are government restrictions to ensure safety and protect the environment and the local people.""
so... What's your point Shell? That "but" is not a mandate. The pie chart of total "no's" to total "yes's clearly was more than 75% NO. That you are determined to drill in the Arctic means that you don't care what the 75% desire. Shell's idea of fair and balanced.
In addition, it has been shown recently that the oil companies have highly inadequate plans to deal with spills in that part of the world. "Government restrictions to ensure safety" is bullshit. Where were those restrictions to deal with the BP catastrophe in the Gulf last year? It turned out that the oil company spill response was just copied from other areas that were not at all applicable. They even mentioned species that didn't even exist in the Gulf! These oilmen and their servants in Congress are NOT to be trusted. Drilling for oil is highly profitable and that really is their bottom line.
"These oilmen and their servants in Congress are NOT to be trusted." This ought to be obvious to everyone in the whole of developed civilization by now, but the "servants in Congress" still trust the oil industrial complex and the cash campaign contributions (that some of us see as outright bribes) keep rolling in. The appointed officials within the government bureaucracy are worse because they don't have the fear of losing an election yet still profit from the whole crooked system.
yes, and so are the police guarding wall street
they are in the 99 percent too
respect the police and remind them that they also are in the 99 percent
No, they're not. Authoritarian societies thrive by making sure the police are paid long after everyone else is unemployed and destitute.
Keep in mind that Obama recently froze the wages of all federal employees, EXCEPT THE WARRIORS !
Both djb's post and corvo's reply are correct. A large part of the people in the 99 percent do not realize yet that's where they are or at least won't consciously admit it to themselves (some police officers are among this group, some are sympathetic; the protesters are less likely to notice the sympathetic ones than the ones beating their brains in). Efforts to awaken the sleeping portion of the 99 have thusfar failed because it's less painful to believe that the "recovery" will, as they have been promised, return than it would be to look at how thing's really are.
police have a separate legal infrastructure...they are not bound by the same laws as you and I...
they are, however, human, and have the same biological needs...
it is our biological needs that will truly unite us, even if only in ultimate death...
the trouble is most of us place our biological needs below our economical needs, or see our biological needs as only able to be met via our economical ones...
in case there's a question, the biological needs are the real ones...economics is not a path to biological health...it is a freeway in the opposite direction...
there is a war coming...
a war between those fighting for our economical needs, and those fighting for our biolgical needs...
police, like all other individuals, will need to choose, for themselves, which side they will join when the war comes...
which among us will be fighting for property, jobs, and death, and which for the withering world, and life?
You might think they're part of us, but they're paid by Wall Street scum who needs their protection. Chase gave millions to the NYPD to help protect them, don't be naive and think that Tony Baloney and the rest of the cops are going to do what's right when the time comes to act.
" ... so much belief in our world and democracy."
Democracy? That was their first mistake. These ghouls on Wall Street would sooner die than give up their advantage. And they will happily take as many of us with them as possible.
Contemplating the problem with an eye to pinpointing the absolute basic first cause of the world's screwed up economic situation led to the realization that the driving force behind the practice of hoarding wealth is greed and the lust for power.
Greed and lust are deadly, but not for the greedy and lustful. If a change could be implemented that made greed and lust deadly to the greedy and lustful, a giant leap will be made.
The problem with this is that greed and lust are part of the human nature, and it isn't easy to change the nature of the human. Still, if greed and lust were deadly for the greedy and lustful, one wouldn't have to worry about changing their nature. One would just have to make sure that everyone understood what killed them.
MEL
MEL: You left out the part about LAWS governing society to insure that greed and lust for power NOT go unchecked. The lawmakers, having been bought out now serve the very elements they are intended to tame, or otherwise legally restrict. Human nature is composed of a great many things... what grows is largely what a society focuses upon, which is to say, what its members are taught to nourish.
Yes, "We are the 99%!!"
BRING DOWN THE WALL!!
From Pink Floyd's The Wall -- "Comfortably Numb" -- written by Roger Waters
Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
Come on, now,
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
(solo)
I have become comfortably numb.
O. K.
Just a little pin prick.
There'll be no more AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe its working. Good.
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown,
The dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkJNyQfAprY
And what's your point? Who censored you? Yourself? I've never been censored on CD. And I've even said things SouixRose didn't agree with.
You're a class-A asshole... continuing the Katrine Lachette bull-shit about ME having the influence to determine who gets banned. If I did, your little band of brothers (with a few UNIFORMED sisters featured as part of the mix) would not post here; or if you did, your TRUE names would be required so that you and your buddies would not EACH be able to access multiple names to give the false impression that many more people are posting the messages your group finds necessary to reinforce.
The fact that you NEED to bring my name into this, in this capacity, is an indication of your shadowy motives. Just like the recent nonsense about who was experiencing identity theft on this site, was another RUSE, that you managed to connect my name to. You clowns take the truth and invert it to suit your own DARK ends and purposes; and as someone concerned about Truth, and committed to equality and justice... I will not be silent when I see you abuse free speech to post lies, misdirect the subjects under discussion in these threads, pretend to agree with Left/Progressive causes only to GUT them, or undermine their leaders and spokespersons from "the inside." Your tactics (and those of YOUR group) become transparent over time; and I would think that thinking posters, which is to say most NOT in your little insider group, might consider that the relentless attacks on me exist largely as a defense mechanism... one devised to shoot the messenger, so that the truth revealed is not taken as such (or allowed to be considered at all). It's straight out of the Karl Rove/authoritarian playbook, right "up" there with burning witches, silencing heretics, maligning whistleblowers, pointing ALWAYS at diversionary targets to muddy the sense of TRUE accountability, and accusing those who expose you (by projection) of being guilty of YOUR tactics.
You people are a bore... except I suppose to those in this forum amused, the way some people like to watch 2 women mud wrestle, or COPS knock down doors, to stand back, remain mute, and just enjoy "the show." Fortunately, others are aware of the embeds who are here 24/7... sometimes waiting for the rest of us to arrive, while they play their little cyber games back and forth at times on threads that otherwise would remain barren. They pretend to have jobs, but are here all day long... the multiple names make it harder for some to keep track of their modus operandi, or the types of messages they endlessly embed into this forum.
SR - I think the comment was meant to be lightly ironic and humorous, since it is obvious that you do not have any power to determine who is censored. But gardenernocal is usually a thoughtful poster. I hope he or she apologizes for bringing your name into the censorship thing, since it evidently hit a nerve. And you to him or her, for your over the top condemnation.
Mark Ruffalo praises the Wall Street Occupiers for their pure American
values. They deserve much praise. I want to emphasize that they deserve
praise for exercising their/our right to free speech -- the right to peacefully
assemble ... . The most praiseworthy aspect of their free speech is that
it is not at all identifiable with money. [Such an "identification" is what the
Supreme Court has dared to decree, and that decree is totally wrong.]
Money can't buy the kind of free speech that the Occupiers demonstrate,
and so it is a pure freedom.
Capitalism ONCE yielded benefits ... (it did so) in the past and under
a limitation of HOW MUCH so-called surplus value it seized/created.
When that "surplus value" began to be the present-day, monsterous
accumulation by a mere, e.g., one percent of all humans, it became
TOO MUCH. Considering the degree of accumulation, there is some
boundary where [if it is crossed] a difference of degree becomes a
difference of kind. We now see in our nation a different and much
worse kind of capitalist BEAST. We now serve it, rather than benefit
from it's serving us. This is unacceptable in any nation that has been
founded, and yes OWNED by "We The People", as our constitution
instructs us.
QUIT FEEDING THE BEAST! We -- the average men and women --
are existing now as merely bill-paying machines, living from paycheck
to paycheck. As much as ten percent of us (really, probably more)
don't even get a paycheck. People are coming to a point of anger.
QUIT THAT. Begin to live as human beings. I am too near a point of
anger to put my thoughts into a rational posting any further. A good
day to you all!
yeah, I guess Ruffalo is right in a way. Some Americans have celebrated, fought for and most importantly, exercised their rights, since the beginnings of this nation. Many others didn't know or care about anything but getting ahead financially, but there have always been believers and activists. Is there anything uniquely "American" about that or about Occupy Wall St? There may be some sort of low-level, temporary political advantage in putting it that way, but there is a cost too. Jefferson didn't say that the creator endowed all "Americans" with inalienable rights; he said the creator endowed "all men" with inalienable rights. All men. The ultimate source of the democratic ideal is, a priori, that it applies to everybody. Otherwise, by what justification would the American revolutionaries have seized it and fought for it. They weren't "Americans" then, they were British subjects. They was no special case, no "exceptionalism", no unique blessing from god. There was a recognition that the natural state of a sentient, self-aware, conscious being was one in which he (or she) had some control over his or her destiny and circumstances.
That ideal landed in American a long time ago, but it is not uniquely American and we don't hold a trade mark or a patent. Occupy Wall St, as far as I can tell, is fighting for universal human values. That we have been lucky enough to benefit by the institutionalisation of some of those values is nothing to sneer at and I don't. I am glad to live in a place where I can write this and enjoy a lot of other related freedoms. But I don't have those rights because I am American or because America confers them on me. And I definitely do not have them because a lot of poor bastards got shot in far off lands on various military misadventures. I have them because I am human; I was "endowed by my creator" with them. That's the way Jefferson understood and I think he wasn't that far off.
If "America" recognizes those rights, it is not just because they were partly enumerated in the Consitution, it's because we resist the relentless tide of authoritarianism that batters every society, everywhere and at all times in history, as it now severely batters our own.
Occupy 2, 3, many Wall Streets!
JAREILLY: Excellent post.
Capricorn is the sign of state power, and it's where Pluto, the upper octave to Mars, god of war, is transiting until 2025. All of the campaigns of fear using terrorism as their ruse to instead control citizens got underway when Pluto entered Capricorn.
The next sign is Aquarius; and since astrologers believe there is purpose to, and an evolutionary scenario built into, the cosmic calendar... what comes out of all the state-sponsored, fear-based repression is a global sense of unity, a universal experience and acknowledgement of "Amistad." Friendship is the ideal sacred to Aquarius, as is Truth. This Truth, based on universal law, is not a slave to mankind's penchants for what is fashionable or expedient. Instead, it's grounded in that which transcends the rule of mortals and is inviolate.
The attempts by citizens to break their chains in Tunisia, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Greece, the U.S. and other lands IS a universal call to ideals consistent with Aquarius. These massive actions aimed against the powers of the state, especially when too much power and privilege is allotted to too few, will continue for some time. Unfortunately, most states have purchased massive weaponry (much of it from the U.S.), and with loose language in place to conflate terrorism with principled rebellion, violence is probably inevitable.
What's growing is a global sense of connection among all persons... and this massive, growing wave will be like a tsuami prepared to take down the new PNAC neo-con Bastille.
It's coming... a different world will be IN PROGRESS, with a global constitution its governing force by the end of 2020... and if we live to 2025, the ideals we speak about here will become the norms.
siouxrose,may i say i have admired your post on C D for a long time ,that said i'm from florida like yourself and many more on this site and i think with all the beautiful energy rising from the wallstreet protests birthing of the the revolution in this country,i think it would be a great time for us florida folks to get together to talk about what we might do here in florida to get the ball rolling here&at the same time go beyond chatting on the net and meet face to face to get to know our brothers&sisters in the florida progressive/leftist movements!! email me at cfmimsfl@yahoo.com if you feel like i do. thanks carlos/keeperofthefire ho ka hey/it is a good time to live
Hope Sioux Rose is right because if that or something like it doesn't happen, humankind will be in deep deep deadly doo doo.
To parphrase Ronnie Raygun: 99% BRING DOWN THIS WALL##### STREET!!!
You've heard of the "Arab Sping" well this is "Wall St.'s Fall!" Hopefully we no longer feel they are "too big to fall".
" This movement transcends political affliations". And that is what scares the hell out of the elite as they have no one to demonize yet. Foxy News demonized the Wall Street protesters saying: " Don't the protesters realize they want to eliminate more jobs ". If that wasn't from the Goebbels Network, it would be hillarous! Once we realize that we are not going to put up with the 1% elites divide and conquer anymore and that we the 99% are all being; have been; or will be screwed financially by the other 1% and that we are all Americans, who have no labels and are on the same boat called the Titanic, Captained by the 1% we may have chance to change course.
Yeah, you got to love the threats that you are destroying jobs. Fact is we bailed out the banks, but we got no jobs in return. We passed a health insurance, we got no jobs. We renewed the Bush tax cuts we got no jobs. But hey Bernanke threatened the economy whould tank if he didn't get appointed, and it worked for him. How many times can you cry wolf before it stops to illicit a response?
The author said : " The other 1% is doing just fine – with more than a third of the wealth of this nation'
Actually it's worse than that - the Top 400 People have more wealth than the bottom 50%.
Here's the List of the Predators:
http://ampedstatus.org/the-richest-0-1-have-launched-a-war-on-us-its-time-to-fight-back-and-hold-these-400-billionaires-personally-responsible-for-our-economic-crisis/
Hey Mark. I'm glad you feel the courage to add your voice to the mix. More of us should.
The first time I viewed Michael Moore's film "Capitalism, a Love Story" it blew me out of the water when he stated that the majority 99 percent of us are being ruled and legislated by the interests of only 1 percent. How could that even happen? How did it happen? Why did we allow it to happen? Why do we continue to allow it to happen?
It's like "Lord of the Flies", we haven't all joined the "tribe", but we've just stood back and allowed the "tribe" to gain power and hysteria. It's time we all stood up and declared: "We're not blinded by the hype!" 'There is no MONSTER!" "Piggy" and Ralph weren't/aren't the problem or the enemy. Had we truly faced that "body of the dead pilot" (the monster/09/11) and buried it they/we could all have found shelter, solace, and growth and humanity in our own society. Instead we built the imaginary beast (who was actually nothing but a victim) into something that could be manipulated against our best interests by a very small misinformed minority.
To be fair, I'd like to point out that I was equally outraged when the police penned those peaceful Tea Party protestors behind a fence and then, without warning, pepper-sprayed them in the face.
Huh? What? The police never did that?
Oh. Well. I will at least point out that the mainstream press was just as snarky about the way the Tea Partiers chose to dress, and the fact that they were not able to specifically articulate exactly what they stood for.
Huh? What? You say the press basically gave the Tea Partiers a free pass for putting on their goofy tri-cornered hats, insisting that Obama was a Muslim socialist, and nonsensically demanding that the U.S. government "keep its hands off of my Medicare"?
Oh man. Now I am so confused.
Is puzzling isn't it? Can't tax the rich but hey, increasing prices, rates and fees on the little people is a revenue builder.
Tort reform....interpret that to mean keep the little guy from bringing suit against the profitable multinational corporate rulers. Too much regulation, only when it seeks to limit corporate power, never when it seeks to limit the consumer's ability to seek recompense for corporate malfeasance. Entitlements, not when a corporation feels entitled to a subsidy or tax break.
It's no big surprise you're confused. They've spent more on confusing you then they have on providing a useful product or service to you or providing for the enviornment's protection or even in advancing their products. They'd rather continue to sell you an outdated product than invest in progress. The only thing they find worthy of investing in is protecting their profits and maintaining their image. Sounds like a politician doesn't it?
You know what's amazing about this protest? It's not just young males. Look at those pictures. It's not a single demographic. There's old, there's young, there's male, and there's female. And there are multiple races and religions. How do you counter that? It's going to be difficult to counter 99 percent as opposed to 1 percent. I am thinking that 1 percent is going to get a lot meaner before they give it up. But I am thinking the rest of us can outlast their priviledged outbursts.
As foretold earlier, this is the first of many movements around the globe that will demand right relations between government, politicians and the people, they will demand justice and freedom and will not stop until it has been achieved, the young generation is ready for change and comes equipped with a shinning heart and an educated understanding never seen before, do not wait to see, join the movement, for the new age is at our doorsteps.
"By pure Love man will achieve. By great deeds man will conquer.
By mighty steps man will advance into the future.
By My help all shall be achieved."
The will and voice of the people will become the guiding light of all countries and nations"
~ Maitreya, The World Teacher
Nice article.
"Their message is very clear and simple: get money out of the political process; strive for equality in taxation and equal rights for all regardless of race, gender, social status, sexual preference or age. We must stop poisoning our food, air and water for corporate greed. The people on Wall Street and in the banking industrial complex that destroyed our economy must be investigated and brought to justice under the law for what they have done by stealing people's homes and savings."
But, not one word here about our war/killing machine. (Yeah, I know, he later wrote "We all know people who have had to go and fight wars that seem to have no objective and no end –..")
Seem?
That's the issue I have with democrats/liberals. 99% are just fine with wars –as long as they aren't forced to fight and die in them. Like in the article here, its just a fleeting afterthought.
Otherwise, right on!
"That's the issue I have with democrats/liberals. 99% are just fine with wars –as long as they aren't forced to fight and die in them. Like in the article here, its just a fleeting afterthought."
Not this liberal. And most of my "liberal" friends would agree. War is never an option. Why not ask your republican friends where they stand on war? Have it added as a debate question in the next republican primary debates. We know where Mr. Obama stands. He equates "peace" with "war". Give us a republican candidate that doesn't. I'll vote for that candidate. There's a presidential election coming up in 2012, I'd vote for a candidate that was a "peace" candidate, no matter what party.
""That's the issue I have with democrats/liberals. 99% are just fine with wars..."
A most important distinction is that it is democrats/NEO-liberals. Real liberals would never be fine with wars.
Sounds like you are a Ron Paul supporter, which is not so bad, but any Republican or Democrat that runs on a platform of peace is either a lying panderer, ( remember Nixon ran on the platform that he had a "secret plan" to end the Vietnam war) or like Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney ect. whom I believe are sincere, will not be allowed access to any real power to end the Empires illegal overt wars and covert wars, all over the world. Realize that the Presidential elections are fixed and if Ron Paul was somehow elected and stopped the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and withdrew our militatry bases in some 175 countries around the world, he would no doubt end up like JFK before he got very far.
How high does the DOW have to go until jobs are created? That's what I'd like to know. How high do profits have to be? What are the indicators for job growth? Can't be taxes corporations pay fewer taxes than ever before. Can't be regulation, there are fewer regulations and oversight than ever before. And don't tell me recent reregulation has made even a little dent. It hasn't, it was formulated with industry input and constraints imposed by the administration so it could pass it's health care bill.
Beautiful piece, thanks Mark Ruffalo. It's inspiring. We all do need to realize we are ONE and stick together. We have 'the force' on our side.
Sorry to rain on this parade, but ...
"... values that are purely American ..."
Uh, which values are those? Greed? Genocide? Planet destroying decadence? Comfortable numbness? (thanks Kay)
I've been thinking that this protest just might lead to revolution and cast off the myth of american exceptionalism.
" ... to regain your dignity and what you have worked for in this capitalist society."
Ouch!
"We live with great lawlessness in the land of the law."
Hokie smokes!
LETTER TO THE RULING CLASS
You control our world.
You’ve poisoned the air we breathe, contaminated the water we drink, and copyrighted the food we eat.
We fight in your wars, die for your causes, and sacrifice our freedoms to protect you.
You’ve liquidated our savings, destroyed our middle class, and used our tax dollars to bailout your unending greed.
We are slaves to your corporations, zombies to your airwaves, servants to your decadence.
You’ve stolen our elections, assassinated our leaders, and abolished our basic rights as human beings.
You own our property, shipped away our jobs, and shredded our unions.
You’ve profited off of disaster, destabilized our currencies, and raised our cost of living.
You’ve monopolized our freedom, stripped away our education, and have almost extinguished our flame.
We are hit… we are bleeding… but we ain’t got time to bleed.
We will bring the giants to their knees and you will witness our revolution!
Sincerely,
The Serfs
http://weaintgottimetobleed.com/
"....and cheap, reliable alternative energy must be made available."
No. There isn't going to be a magic bullet. We in the west all need to make lifestyle adjustments which reduce our consumption of everything, but especially energy. Especially the rich. In fact, those lifestyle changes should be legally mandated. Then the advantages to being one of the wealthy would be attenuated.
Hey Mark.
You are a hell of a lot better actor than Ronnie R. or Arnie S. At least you have some worthwhile thoughts buzzing around in your head that aren't put there by wall street & the MIC. Since us progressives don't have a worthwhile candidate, how about running? Maybe we could have a slate of theater folks (how about your sister?). The voters will probably be overwelmed & with a slate of actors a 3rd party might have a chance. I think that most of us would rather waste a vote on you than not vote, like many are planning.
Can't be there in person, but I'm doing what I can, like dropping out of the Big Bankster system until further notice:
http://twitpic.com/6t0hr1
Mark, does your wealth put you in the 99 percent, or are you closer to the 1%? I don't know. Maybe if you were Tom Cruise...Sorry, but a defense of capitalism is just that. This is not about transforming capitalism, which is a system ripe for corruption since the founding of our country. This is about transforming our economy, or society, our world that will ultimately, redefine wealth. Mark, you and your other compadres in Hollywood may not be able to monopolize the movie/creative industry as you crank out crap after crap and call it "entertainment". It is entertainment only in the form of diversion ultimately. OUr transformation of our society will break this monopoly on what passes for culture and entertainment. Join us, but it ain't gonna be business as usual.
Go save the world please.
In europe ppl have been on the streets all summer. Europeans are waiting desperatly for a resistence in the USA. Its all in your hands.
90% of the worlds wealth are today acummulated in the USA. Most of it in the hands of an elite few. The worlds financial crisis is (basically) the result of the greed for return this money generates. The world may protest as it will, the biggest hump of money is concentrated in the USA and it will extort the rest of the world for yield.
Wages today make up only 35% of the USA GNP, the rest is the result of financial robbery. The foreign trade deficit of the USA is 500 Billion $ a year!
Thus your country devours most of the productivity of the worlds working class, it squanders 30% of the worlds ressources and all it gives in return is useless green paper, that will sure be worthless soon, if the course is not changed radically.
As long as the USA is following this course and the "financial industry" is blackmailing and corrupting the US and the worlds administrations, this self destructive course will surely steer us all into ruin.
Ppl. in the USA need to understand the responsibility they have, not only for their own country, but for the rest of the world too. To dismiss the problems all over the world as "not ours" is a betrayal to the cause of democracy itself.
By bringing into reign your own greedy elite and saving democracy, you will save the world from ruin and chaos. By not doing so, you will be responsible for radicalisation, barbarism and the downfall of cultures all over the world.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/01/semper-fi-marines-coming-to-protect-protesters-on-wall-street/
It's on!
We don't pay" insanely high energy prices, we pay some of the lowest in the Western World. Also cheap energy means we waste it in a profligate manner.
None the less we are the land of greed with at least nearly half (think republican)
just loving it.