So has anyone heard about this protest on Wall Street?

[Weaver]

Indeed, the CBC said it started with two people or something. Kind of interesting but I don't think it can really accomplish that much. I'm really hoping they don't get riot policed out of there.

This many people with this real of an issue getting riot policed out, may cause a very big issue, like the riots in England, but worse...'cause we have guns.

Makes me glad to be living in Canada. Even though if it all goes to hell down there our economy tanks by default. *sigh*

[sub][sub][sub]I f*cking hate politics messing with everyone.[/sub][/sub][/sub]

How hard is it to get a Canadian Citizenship?

It's pretty hard, to be honest.
It will help you a lot if you have a marketable degree/masters/PHD.

Aside from that, you can try to immigrate to one of the more "middle of nowhere" locations. Saskatchewan (you would probably want to live in Saskatoon), for instance, will be way easier to get into than southern ontario.

Just get ready for a harsh winter.

Personally I was aiming for Quebec, and would it help that I'm less than a year away from getting my masters in Mechanical Engineering?

A masters in mechanical engineering would help you a lot. The immigration process would still probably take awhile (like all governments, even Canada's is slow and bureaucratic) but I'd be pretty confident you'd be let in.

If you want to book it out of there ASAP you could even apply for a transfer to a Canadian university. The University of Waterloo isn't in Quebec, but it's got an immensely good reputation for engineering and computer science.

 

[artanis_neravar]

I understand these peoples situation and protests very much. I worked my way through tech school got hired by a drafting firm, then laid off after 2 years of employment, while my job was moved to Indonesia. Sense then, I've been working at McD's as a Manager and almost have worked myself out of debt. I'm getting ready to spend my savings on finishing up my degree in Interactive Digital Media w/ Minor in Network Securities in hopes of getting a real job.

a Family and a Home seem completely unreachable goals to me right now. I made 12k working full time last year, this year after my promotion from Cashier to Manager I'll have brought home 15k.

Like them I get mad when I hear that, the banks arn't paying taxes and arn't paying back the bailout money they borrowed even though they easily could. Corporations arn't paying taxes, and more and more Americans lose their jobs everyday.

I am the 99% and I stand with these protesters. It's time that something changes.

I got through my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineer, putting myself in debt, and now a year and a half latter I still can't find a job, The engineering jobs are going to people with large amounts of experience who got laid off and are willing to work for the same amount that I would, and I can't get a job as a cashier or something like that because my degree shows that once I find a real job I will be gone. My best friend managed to find a job and he is barely surviving with having to pay back loans. So I am also the 99% and I also stand with these protestors.

 

[Thaius]

The more I read about this, the more I approve wholeheartedly. I'm not in any sort of location to join in anything (not much in the foothills of Northern California), nor am I sure I even could, but from what I'm seeing I hope this turns into something big. America was formed by standing up to an oppressive government; hopefully this will trigger a similar uprising of some kind.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

Well as long as they don't ruin this by doing anything stupid or violent, I wholeheartedly approve of this.

I am in the 99% - I haven't been in a workplace in two years, and despite qualifications from College and a willingness to earn money, I'm starting to look at having little to no funding as the bills are starting to ramp up. I have tried for the best part of two years to try and get a job, but when not even the "entry level" workplaces will even read the CV you hand in or not even have the common curtosy to call back and say your not suited, you can see why the unemployed have risen up here.

So I support this as long as it doesn't turn into another violent protest, which would drastically undercut the message here.

And to end on a slightly appropriate Yahtzee quote:

"...is like the working class: If you can't control it, it will plot to destroy you!"

(yes I know he was talking about the Camera in Epic Mickey, but don't tell me nobody thought of this when listening about this. If it is just me, I can associate with me having a weird sense of humor).

 

[Avatar Roku]

snip

Jesus. I had no idea. That's horrific, especially the second video, short as it was.

I couldn't see, what happened?

First video had a little police brutality. A woman being dragged (literally, as in, on the ground), screaming, across a police line when she'd really not done much, a few people being beaten. Second was horrific. 40 seconds long. Cops penned a bunch of female protestors in, and they were just standing there doing nothing. Then they got pepper sprayed. Only about 3 got hit, but they were on the ground screaming at the top of their lungs.

 

[Pat8u]

Here in the UK it's being reported as a growing protest against corporations (maybe government, not sure) and how they're damaging normal people by moving jobs abroad so there's none for them etc

TBH it's taken them long enough

Its not people protesting outsourcing, its protesting one specific idea: that money in this country is concentrated in the hands of an obscenely wealthy few, while millions of Americans can hardly afford living expenses even when they have jobs and are being frugal with their income.

capatalism HO!?

It won't do anything outside of america that is, I havent heard much about it cause I havent watched the news in a while... I gotta get around to getting that reddit account

 

[Pat8u]

snip

Jesus. I had no idea. That's horrific, especially the second video, short as it was.

I couldn't see, what happened?

First video had a little police brutality. A woman being dragged (literally, as in, on the ground), screaming, across a police line when she'd really not done much, a few people being beaten. Second was horrific. 40 seconds long. Cops penned a bunch of female protestors in, and they were just standing there doing nothing. Then they got pepper sprayed. Only about 3 got hit, but they were on the ground screaming at the top of their lungs.

I love how American Cops like abusing their power more likely the seargants do

 

[i am nobody]

I've been following it since day 1. Basically it started out with mostly young people: anarchists, socialists, students, unemployed people, etc. After a few days though, people with all kinds of political views and many middle class workers, and recently many unions as well, joined in. The protest quickly gained momentum and even caused many other protests to spring up all around the US. What their demands and motives are is still a little hazy, but the common goal is to have a more equal society with better social services and living conditions and to reduce/restrict banking and corporate power. Many other cities all over the world are going to join in as well on the 15th, if they haven't already. It seems like this is just the beginning of some sort of global revolution. That's why you won't hear much about it on the news.

You can follow the protest at http://occupywallst.org/ and http://www.occupytogether.org/

 

[artanis_neravar]

snip

Jesus. I had no idea. That's horrific, especially the second video, short as it was.

I couldn't see, what happened?

First video had a little police brutality. A woman being dragged (literally, as in, on the ground), screaming, across a police line when she'd really not done much, a few people being beaten. Second was horrific. 40 seconds long. Cops penned a bunch of female protestors in, and they were just standing there doing nothing. Then they got pepper sprayed. Only about 3 got hit, but they were on the ground screaming at the top of their lungs.

I love how American Cops like abusing their power more likely the seargants do

Don't lump all police into one group just because there are some bad ones

 

[DoctorFrankenStein]

It looks like the veterans may get involved in the protests since most of the supporters are already anti-war. [Since it's basically a huge waste of money that would be better spent doing good things here.] And if the police get violent with them, I could see things turning ugly very easily. A third of them have PTSD and a fifth of them have some other mental problem in addition to that. Plus a lot of them are already angry because their health care claims have been delayed or denied and their families have already been disrupted or destroyed from the stress of multiple deployments.

 

[Yureina]

I've heard about it.... and it's my own timidity that keeps me from getting involved myself. I've been jobless for a year and a half since graduating University, so I sympathize quite alot with the aims of this growing movement. I truly hope that they can accomplish something. The US needs it.

 

[artanis_neravar]

It looks like the veterans may get involved in the protests since most of the supporters are already anti-war. [Since it's basically a huge waste of money that would be better spent doing good things here.] And if the police get violent with them, I could see things turning ugly very easily. A third of them have PTSD and a fifth of them have some other mental problem in addition to that. Plus a lot of them are already angry because their health care claims have been delayed or denied and their families have already been disrupted or destroyed from the stress of multiple deployments.

The question is, if this turn violent, what side will active duty soldiers take?

 

[DoctorFrankenStein]

It looks like the veterans may get involved in the protests since most of the supporters are already anti-war. [Since it's basically a huge waste of money that would be better spent doing good things here.] And if the police get violent with them, I could see things turning ugly very easily. A third of them have PTSD and a fifth of them have some other mental problem in addition to that. Plus a lot of them are already angry because their health care claims have been delayed or denied and their families have already been disrupted or destroyed from the stress of multiple deployments.

The question is, if this turn violent, what side will active duty soldiers take?[/quote]

Maybe no one's. Have you ever seen a Vietnam vet react to a sudden noise that sounds like gunfire? Not pretty.

A poignant report on "what they want"- http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/special-comment-keith-reads-first-collective-statement-of-occupy-wall-street

 

[artanis_neravar]

It looks like the veterans may get involved in the protests since most of the supporters are already anti-war. [Since it's basically a huge waste of money that would be better spent doing good things here.] And if the police get violent with them, I could see things turning ugly very easily. A third of them have PTSD and a fifth of them have some other mental problem in addition to that. Plus a lot of them are already angry because their health care claims have been delayed or denied and their families have already been disrupted or destroyed from the stress of multiple deployments.

Maybe no one's. Have you ever seen a Vietnam vet react to a sudden noise that sounds like gunfire? Not pretty.

A poignant report on "what they want"- http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/special-comment-keith-reads-first-collective-statement-of-occupy-wall-street

They'll have to take someones, if the government calls them in to put down riots/up rising they will have to choose between attacking civilians or disobeying orders

 

[Sandytimeman]

It looks like the veterans may get involved in the protests since most of the supporters are already anti-war. [Since it's basically a huge waste of money that would be better spent doing good things here.] And if the police get violent with them, I could see things turning ugly very easily. A third of them have PTSD and a fifth of them have some other mental problem in addition to that. Plus a lot of them are already angry because their health care claims have been delayed or denied and their families have already been disrupted or destroyed from the stress of multiple deployments.

Maybe no one's. Have you ever seen a Vietnam vet react to a sudden noise that sounds like gunfire? Not pretty.

A poignant report on "what they want"- http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/special-comment-keith-reads-first-collective-statement-of-occupy-wall-street

They'll have to take someones, if the government calls them in to put down riots/up rising they will have to choose between attacking civilians or disobeying orders

Wall Street will just throw its weight around, if things get really bad they just higher some mercs.

 

[Kinguendo]

What I can gather it's mostly people being angry that other people then them have money, that the banks "let" them borrow so much money that they can't pay it off now and as always the general idiots that gather at these things to riot/loot/be part of a mob.

EDIT: Oh and people complaining that their non-marketable education (graphic design, philosophy, sociology, arts etc) can't land them a job in this economy.

Oh, I wonder what side you are on... oh unbiased one of the forums.

Yeah, those idiots who have been rioting and looting... despite none of that having happened and this protest is now in its 4th week? Weird.

They are starting up all over the place, Occupy LA, Philly, Boston, DC, Houston, London, etc. No matter how much you attempt to pervert the message it wont change that.

 

[Kinguendo]

I'm having trouble taking them seriously, considering they are founded on a made-up statistic :-\ I mean I understand where they're coming from, but at this point seems they're going to be about as reasonable as the Tea Party. And if there's one thing we do NOT need more of in our political system, it's polarized, single-minded groups who are unwilling to listen or compromise.

And besides, if they think they've got it bad with their Twitter accounts, phones, Internet access, and cameras, I think the folks sleeping on park benches tonight would like to have a word with them.

You are aware they have been protesting for 3 weeks straight already right? Just watch a few of the videos and eventually you will hear the question "How long are you going to protest?" and the answer is always "As long as it takes." or some varient of that. They have been sleeping right along side those people on benches, the protesters have been helping each other out with anything they need. They even have medical staff helping people who have been pepper sprayed or generally need medical assistance.

This isnt a couple of rambling people with signs, this is an organized, decentralized protest taking place in different towns, cities, countries and continents.

I fully intend on showing my support at the Occupy London protest.

 

[Lilani]

I'm having trouble taking them seriously, considering they are founded on a made-up statistic :-\ I mean I understand where they're coming from, but at this point seems they're going to be about as reasonable as the Tea Party. And if there's one thing we do NOT need more of in our political system, it's polarized, single-minded groups who are unwilling to listen or compromise.

And besides, if they think they've got it bad with their Twitter accounts, phones, Internet access, and cameras, I think the folks sleeping on park benches tonight would like to have a word with them.

You are aware they have been protesting for 3 weeks straight already right? Just watch a few of the videos and eventually you will hear the question "How long are you going to protest?" and the answer is always "As long as it takes." or some varient of that. They have been sleeping right along side those people on benches, the protesters have been helping each other out with anything they need. They even have medical staff helping people who have been pepper sprayed or generally need medical assistance.

This isnt a couple of rambling people with signs, this is an organized, decentralized protest taking place in different towns, cities, countries and continents.

I fully intend on showing my support at the Occupy London protest.

You had me until you said "organized, decentralized." Also, the big questions I keep seeing raised but never quite get answered are what are what exactly are you protesting and what specifically do you want done about it? So tell me--what is London protesting and what do they want done about it? To me it seems pointless to protest unless you can answer both of these questions. It just makes the protesters like a kid throwing a tantrum, and when the mom asks what's wrong they just scream "I DON'T KNOW!!!" and continue their fit.

 

[Vivi22]

I've heard of them. It's like the tea party, but for the other side.

No, not really.

Everything I've heard about this protest be it from the news or from protesters themselves is paints a picture of people uniting to blame rich people because they're struggling, and they want rich people to pay for it. There whole theme is they're 99% and the top 1% should have to pay for them.

I don't see people who want the rich to outright pay for their problems at all. I see people who are jobless, stuck with mountains of debt, mortgages that are higher than the value of their homes, and all because some greedy assholes who already controlled the majority of the wealth wrecked the economy and not only have never been made to answer for what they did, but are sitting on trillions that could be used to invest in kick starting the economy. Add to that the fact that I don't think anyone really believes the two major political parties are on the whole out to protect their interests over those of the richest 1% and you have a whole lot of people justifiably angry over a situation that they didn't create, but which affects them the most. But what gets done about it? Nothing really. Corporations continue to employ and ship jobs overseas, they aren't investing in the US, and even better, they continue to enjoy some of the lowest corporate tax rates in recent history.

 

[Kinguendo]

You had me until you said "organized, decentralized." Also, the big questions I keep seeing raised but never quite get answered are what are what exactly are you protesting and what specifically do you want done about it? So tell me--what is London protesting and what do they want done about it? To me it seems pointless to protest unless you can answer both of these questions. It just makes the protesters like a kid throwing a tantrum, and when the mom asks what's wrong they just scream "I DON'T KNOW!!!" and continue their fit.

Whats your problem with "Organized" and "decentralized"? I dont think anyone can deny these protests are certainly organized, they had to be to be long protests. And they are also decentralized, they dont have a hierarchy... you cant look to one person and say thats the leader.

And the Occupy London protest doesnt start until next Saturday (the 15th of October), but obviously the general complaints will be the same with ones more specific to Britain. The completely unfair pull the vast minority has on the political system despite one person supposedly having one vote for example, or more Britain specific points like blocking the proposed reform of the NHS that no one voted for. As well as marching on the London Stock Exchange for obvious reasons. There will also be, as there have been with the other Occupy protests, general assemblies, discussion, workshops, etc.

One of the most annoying things for the people who are interested in the Occupy protests is the misinformation still being spread that there is no reason for the protests... its very annoying BUT as we all know, entirely to be expected given the media blackout that is going on.