Oct 15, 2011 / Topic Ideas

What’s your opinion of the occupy movement & 99%?

Topic #280:

Across the U.S., and now elsewhere in the world, a protest movement is rising called Occupy Together.  You can read live updates of the original Occupy Wall St. event, that’s still going.  Also take a look at we are the 99%, a related website where people interested in the Occupy movement are telling their stories.

Write a post where you give your point of view. Do you think these protests are a good thing? Do you agree with their belief that there’s something wrong?

Show Comments

28 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

  1. i do not agree with their views or their protests. They are complaining about the rich not paying their fair share which is ridiculous. If we did not have the rich business people there would be no jobs to offer those who are complaining. These people are complaining about something that Wall Street does not control. They need to be complaining to the government and our wonderful politicians. I believe this movement began as a joke in Canada and a few democrats thought it would make a good diversion away from Obama’s failures. It isn’t working.
    Dr. Tickles

    Like

  3. I’m glad the Daily Post asked this question because the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been on my mind. It seems to be getting bigger and there are variations all over the world. It reminds me so much of the protests and marches of the late sixties. Not all those memories are good. None of us who were adults then will ever forget the horror of Kent State or the fear and confusion of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. It was a scary time, and in some ways, as this movement builds intensity, I can’t help worrying that more turbulent, frightening days are ahead.

    We need to be ready. But no one should back away from this fight out of fear.

    Yes, the sixties were scary. The comfortable status-quo got a hard kick in the behind and everything changed. Would I be willing to go back to those quiet days when blacks rode in the back of the bus, a woman’s place was (only) in the home, and gay people were simply invisible? No. I would not go back there. Changes needed to be made. It was time for good people to protest to ask for those changes. I think the time for protest is here again.

    The politicians don’t seem to be able or willing to do anything at all to fix the heart breaking problems so many are facing. People my age have been hit hard. We’ve worked all our lives, contributing to our 401Ks, building equity in our homes, paying our Social Security taxes out of every paycheck. We thought we could send our kids to school and have a respectable retirement. Now most of us are working past retirement age, our kids are unemployed, and congress keeps talking about the social security fund running out of money.

    Shake the numbers any way you want and the answer is the same: Millionaires are getting richer fast, and their tax burden has been cut in half since World War II. The middle class is slowly sinking, despite working longer hours with greater productivity. And the army of the poor is flooded with new recruits, most of them with a long history of working in lousy, low-wage jobs.

    I support the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I am part of the one percent.

    Like

  4. I read the above comments and I have more info than when I wrote my post. I will include it nonetheless. I was around during the protests of the 60s. I was young, but I was around. Someone mentioned Kent State, and it affected me deeply. I parted ways with the anti-war movement when the movement turned violent. I never went back to them. When a movement becomes more about the leaders than about the principles, the movement is in trouble. However, the middle class and lower class will not actually become richer by the upper class becoming poorer. As I have said before, I cannot effectively argue about this other than like this. If you use school as an analogy, and you make the A students into B students or C students, the C and D students will be no better off. Here is my link FWIW

    What’s your opinion of the occupy movement & 99%?

    Like

  5. It has taken this long for capitalism to be found out. The divide between the banks, the very rich, and the population became so wide, it saw them detached from reality. Their arrogance grew and grew. Karl Marx saw this so long ago, he would have been surprised it took so long, and I’m no commie..

    Like

  6. I disagree with the 99% movement. Most of them don’t even know what they’re doing. They’re just clamouring and protesting and not really achieving anything. I agree more with the 53% movement, because, instead of hanging out on the streets and shouting nonsense, the 53% are actually working to keep their lives in order. Here’s one of the arguments that a 30-year-old woman, who was part of the 53%, made: “instead of making stupid financial decisions and diving into debt, I afford what I can and stay minimalistic, taking responsibility of my life, and working to provide for my family and myself.” I thought that was a good point.

    Like

  8. i also disagree with 99% movement, I’ve been around with this kind of movement. I became one of them fighting on the street. I’ve seen protesters being arrested when they became violent, the thing with this protesters sometime they don’t know the real issue or if they do, they don’t know the motives of their leaders, sometimes they are just carried away because of some issues concerning them, but they never know their leaders only interest are themselves being popular. I’ve seen this. they are self centered selfish kind of leaders, they act only for their interest. they don’t notice they are also the reason why everybody suffers inflation, economic crisis, unstable job, they never solve the issue but add more problem to the society.

    Like

    1. I find it interesting that you find the 99% to be selfish. Let’s put this into perspective. The 99% want to bring change. Change, aka evolution, is a sign of progression. There is no certainty in life. We can’t be certain that the 99% is completely accurate on their ideas of change. This is our right, wether we are right or wrong. To stick with our old policies, to grant only 1% of the world to have full economic control over the remainder is ludicrous. This is a supposed democracy supporting the monopolization of the world. I cannot completely disagree with capitalism. I think it fuels our economy and makes us want to “rise to the top.” But when Capitalism has no cap off, and greedy individuals become the decision makers of the world, then things start to become problematic. Negligence of our world and of the people, has to stop. We are killing thousands of lives for control, greed and power.(War) We are polluting our oceans, land and earth with man made chemicals that are damaging every single organism on our planet. We are eating genetically modified foods which cause viruses and cancers. Slavery still exits in 2011. Just ask China or Mexico about it. People are dying of starvation and dehydration. And why does all this exist? Simply because of the imbalance of it all. We eat too much, we drink too much, we have sex too much, we indulge too much, we WANT too much. When every want and desire becomes obtainable, the imbalance occurs. There is a reason the 99% are screaming out. We are people and we are humanity. We have to find a way to balance the earth starting with ourselves. We have betrayed our own kind and have destroyed our home. Something needs to happen. We need to protect the world from pollutants, disease and starvation. We have the technology and we have the resources. Let’s use it for the betterment of all species.

      Like

  9. About time people revolution take place, when the leaders and systems in place become complacent, outdated and ineffective.

    Like

  12. There are legitimate complaints about how the capitalist system benefits a select few at the moment. Big businesses are being given unprecedented power over us and we – the taxpayers of the world – are having to foot the bill for their recklessness. Banks won’t lend, industry is becoming insular, when there are jobs , employers expect highly qualified people to work for a pittance.

    Free-market fundamentalists will never see the above as a problem. They just lash out at “liberal conspiracies to destroy capitalism” and ignore the wider points.

    Young people going through education and the employment market now have every right to feel that they are a betrayed generation.

    Like

  14. I have never supported protest’s in the past. I’ve always been against them. I’ve always thought that those people do nothing but complain. Now I realize that we better be prepared to deal with the worst. That means mobilizing as many people as possible, and exercising them. I think this could reach a civil war status in the next 20yrs., and maybe less. People are very tired of getting ripped off.

    Like

  15. I have been covering a local movement in my area and I can tell you most of these people ARE working or they are looking for jobs like myself after being layed off or graduating college. The people of Iowa marched because they don’t have a voice, even as the first state to have a primary. The media twists the issues and people don’t talk together as communities. Those of you who oppose the 99% have you even tried to listen? Not every protester is going to make complete sense but the collective effort of getting the government’s attention is what we seek. Our demonstration was completely peaceful and in cooperation with local authorities which was frowned upon by some… you can’t win with some people! We tried to address that specific issue. Everyone is trying to divide us, label us and dismiss us before even listening to us! We tried to come up with a few major points we could all agree on. Here is that initial list:

    *Ending the military industrial complex (end wars, bring troops home)
    *Ending corporatism (get money out of politics and government)
    *Overhaul of social issues (education, health care, housing)
    *Jobs (infrastructure)
    *Environmental responsibility (sustainability)

    I took photos and participated in the solidarity* committee. Yes, that’s right our protest was run like a committee meeting, point of orders and all. We need to have civilized discourse and our compartmentalized worlds don’t allow that naturally so we are occupying PUBLIC space to share our thoughts. At least we are doing something and not just complaining. We are trying to come to a consensus, however long it takes, so we can tell our politicians what we want.

    In order for that to work those politicians can’t be swayed by corporate powers. The invisible hand of big business has its fingers in all our affairs from war to health care to education, EVERYTHING!

    Please join a movement if you ave an idea and try to make the best out of this life. It does no good to blame others or label people into categories and political parties!

    Occupy Overman! Cedar Falls Joins National Movement: http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/occupy-cedar-falls-overman/

    *Solidarity is the integration, and degree and type of integration, shown by a society or group with people and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society – social relations – that bind people to one another. The term is generally employed in sociology and the other social sciences. –Wikipedia

    Like

    1. I’m being used? Funny! Then why did I get record hits on my blog today? Clearly, that is a positive thing for a beginning photographer and writer. People in my community are talking and doing it peacefully. Don’t believe everything you hear on the news. Honestly, some people just make me sick they don’t want it to get better because they are delusional. Nobody is associating this movement with a candidate or party but the media will shove it down the public’s throat until it believes. Then all oppositions and occupations will be arrested, disassembled or just completely ignored. 😦 Hm with that kind of attitude we would still have slaves in this country and certain groups of people would be disadvantaged systematically… Oh wait, they still are, that is reality! What are you doing to change that or any other problem you perceive in society or are you comfortable with how things are and what they’ll allow you to have? That is until they take it away… when YOU are the one being ignored.

      Like

  17. Hi blasted goat. I’m British but I’ve seen this poverty and suffering coming to increasing numbers for many years as I’ve read and studied about power systems. I’ve nagged friends and family endlessly to be careful how they vote, what they allow to slip through thoughtlessly eg Europe slept walked into our European Constitution which codifies neoliberalism as of fundamental importance in our societies. For the bulk of Western Europe, that means a change in culture from the comfort of people affirming socialist policies (a dirty word in America!) to the neoliberalism loved by the governments of US and Conservative UK.. I was a lone unskilled inadequate voice then. Sadly I also saw a depression as bad if not worse than the 30s on the way (as I studied patternes and actions of power brokers). God, I hope I’m wrong, I don’t think I am.

    I have been waiting for the skilled intelligensia, more able than I am, to organise, to train, to help enable REAL democracy, real representation of populations.. I need somewhere to add my voice to shout NO to our governments. And we need to educate the 99%.

    So well done. And I hope it grows and grows and we develop new, more representative, FAIRER systems (and not the ‘fair’ envisioned by our rich boys club in power in the UK)

    Like

  18. This movement is the best hope for all of us I have seen in a long time. The corporations have taken over and are squeezing out the rest of us. I worked 40 years for the same company, and now the corporate-bought Congress wants to take my Social Security and Medicare. They want to take the possibility of Social Security away from my son and his family. We have to stand up! I go out and meet with Occupy Nashville as often as I can and write it up in the Political Buzz column of Examiner.com under my real name, Catherine F. Hill.

    Like

  19. The proposal was to change social security and Medicare for those 50 and under. Your son and his family would have the option of making their own decisions about investing their money for retirement.

    However, Obamacare slashes Medicare by $500 billion – that’s one-half a trillion. If you worked for 40 years, I’ll assume you are 58-62 – if you look at Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel’s “Complete Lives” System that Obamacare is based on you’ll see that you are on the downhill trajectory, as am I.

    Then there is that pesky little Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, a fifteen member panel APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT that will decide whether you get any care at all.

    So, if you want to write about something, write about the truth about Obamacare.

    Like

  22. They have legitimate complaints and concerns. But have you seen the crowds? They look crazy!
    I don’t know whether I agree with them or not, but at least they’re stirring shit up. We need change ASAP.

    Like

  23. Anytime large groups gather in protest, fringe elements will appear. And people will appear who don’t grasp what is being protested. But that doesn’t take away from the very real issues we are now facing. One is that when de-regulation of banks resulted in loans being given to people who couldn’t afford them, and when those risky loans were then bundled into new investment opportunities by Wall Street (knowing they were too risky to be invested in), ordinary investors lost their savings, banks defaulted, people lost jobs. Banks were bailed out. Wall Street was bailed out. It was the middle class that was left behind. In the last 10-20 years, legislation has favored big business over the middle class. The result is that we now have a historically greater divide bewteen the top 1% of the population and the other 99% than we have had since the Industrial Revolution. Read your history: The well-being of the middle class determines the well-being of a society. We became the great country we were because of our strong middle class. We are losing ground daily now on the world index, in terms of education, infant mortality, population height, life span.

    Like

  25. PARTY OF THE PEOPLE 1) If you want jobs in America, you need to bring them back to America. Unless those companies, bring back 50% of thier business back to America, we do no trade with them. Now we have jobs, for all.
    2) We need to put money, back in the people pockets, First way to do this is to have a 10% flat tax. Use Surge Power, for home and cars. This will give you free, fuel for electric for your home, free fuel for your cars. Now we can take this money, and create programs that are not social programs. That are set up by the states, under group programs, that will lower cost. Now you’ll be able to get a higher education, and have medical. This lower cost, and make the insitutions stronger.
    3) Want to cut the goverment sending start with there salerys it would be nice if we could give yourselfs araise, too. They are pubic servents, not kings, and queens.
    4) We need a new party, The Party Of The People
    5) We need alot of reform in just about everything, I have answer to all our problems, that we have in America. Glad to share with you, @ acdckj1@live.com Allen a true American

    Like

  26. Birth of Peace through Serenity

    How & when has it come to this?
    All the unfair injustices that exist!
    People waiting for the day to come,
    when Jesus returns to reclaim his kingdom.
    Meanwhile we’re NOT even helping those,
    who have always needed us the most.
    ‘They’ labelled them the Loser’s Pick,
    when the real term is ‘Unfortunate’!
    Born & raised in what they know,
    Using drugs and sex to attain the doe.
    These things for sure I do not know,
    But how is a kid supposed to grow?
    And contribute to this cruel economy,
    While seeing all the good folk suffer & bleed!
    How do we tell them “Hold your heads up high?
    The truth’s in your hearts, this world’s a lie”.
    T.V. cannot teach you wrong from right,
    Neither can the Savvy Corporate Blight!
    Cuz essentially they are worse than kids,
    preaching mine, mine, mine, not hers or his!
    Their hearts and minds are filled with greed,
    Not believing on their souls the Devil will feed.
    So it`s up to us to stand together right now,
    To let them know “NO we won`t back down”!
    They have stripped us of our way of life,
    We only work and pay bills adding stress to strife.
    When was the last you spent quality time?
    With your family, friends, kids, husbands, wives!
    What little we make us working class,
    at the end of the day can’t afford the gas,
    that they have made us so dependent on,
    telling us simply, “nothing else can be done,
    for the world is just the way it is,
    Where Angel dies and Devil lives”.
    Naive People WE are all to Blame!
    We fed the fire, We watched this flame!
    Grow slowly behind our very eyes,
    Not in front of, for they were far too wise.
    But what they simply, could Not know,
    Their days’ were numbered long ago.
    They sought to dim the light of Love,
    but out of this Death will rise a Dove,
    And as it sores across once blue skies,
    It exposes to the core, the inconceivable lies,
    Burning down brick-by-brick their Blackened Filth,
    then they choke suffocating from their own guilt!
    And now that We have won the day,
    We’ll teach our children along the way,
    That nothing stands between one human and another!
    Not Class, nor Religion, nor Beliefs, nor Colour!
    So how could this all come to be?
    What was this light that allowed us to see?
    That little light that defeated the dark,
    which grew from such a tiny spark,
    that spark which some named Occupy,
    The movement Truth could no longer deny,
    it had to be done, now Understand why,
    YOU NEED TO LOOK DOWN, TAKE YOUR EYES FROM THE SKY!!!

    Author: HUMAN BEING

    Like