Wall Street protests

[hooksashands]

It truly disgusts me how the investors are all standing on their balconies, looking down at the people who's lives are effected by the financial decisions they make... and laughing at them whilst drinking champagne. I'm tired of peaceful protests. Bring back the lynch mobs.

Well of course they were laughing at the peasants. Probably thinking those peasants should get back to work to pay in to their 401k.

For me the issue gets even broader. Here we are in the 21st century, still living in a capitalist-steered economy. These people are the rich elite, the ones who are supposed to be taking care of us, the chosen few, the council of elders, the wise men and women who are supposed to lead us to glory... And they laugh at the common citizen and poor alike, while getting drunk on expensive liquor. It's sad. It's sad, and it angers me, but it also makes me afraid.

This kind of unrest harkens me to William Golding's Lord of the Flies, where a bunch of children stranded on an island eventually turn savage. At the end of the book (and the movie) when Ralph is being chased in a hunt to the death by the other children, an Army vessel shows up and the kids all stop. The adults have come. Order is restored. And so the point of the story is kids may have been saved by the adults, but when the same barbaric breakdown of civilization happens to the adults, who will save them?

 

[Scars Unseen]

I've heard about it, but I don't think it's getting very far mainly because it's a bunch of people having first world problems. I've seen a total of two promotional pictures about it. One was a woman with a note saying that she *gasp* had to pay taxes even with two daughters. The other was a man saying he could no longer afford to send his daughter to college. Boo hoo, I have to pay for my education, but you don't see me acting like oppressed because of it.

So basically, if you, by no fault of your own, are born into a poor family, you can't get a degree. You need that degree for a well paying job. You don't get a decent amount of money, and so your children don't have enough to go to university either. And so meritocracy is thrown out the window, because it's all about whether you can afford to do well for yourself.

But you have the money to pay for your education. So all is well.

I'm sorry, but the vast number of people that complain that they can't afford an educationare simply making excuses for themselves. I grew up in a falling apart trailer house drinking well water that tasted like iron. I never had cable TV, the internet, video games, or any other luxury that people take for granted today. You know what I did? I joined the military. Now I am getting an education. If I hadn't been willing, or was physically unable to serve, I still could have pursued an education by applying for scholarships, grants and loans. If you have the desire and the determination, education is available.

 

[thepyrethatburns]

We can still use political means to achieve change - if that is truly what's necessary - and use some actual effort to sort the situation out.

You do realize that the system is pretty much rigged against making such changes, right?

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

Largely pointless? Probably.

But they've certainly gotten a lot of attention. And they've made a lot of the people on Wall Street look like TREMENDOUS dicks. If you google, you will immediately see videos of smug traders sipping champagne from balconies, going out of their way to make sure they're seen as some sort of giant "fuck you" to, well, the overwhelming majority of the country. Or the video that's been circulating around of the guy saying that he doesn't know how he'll feed his family with increased taxes on his multi-million-dollar income. And actual mainstream news reports have repeatedly shown completely peaceful protestors being maced or attacked by police for essentially no reason. These things aren't making it into the news very often, but the bits that are tend to be very much aimed at a sort of populist viewpoint, which can only help things.

Baby steps, but it's definitely a move in the right direction.

I could honestly see this being the start of something somewhat larger so long as the people involved on the other side keep acting smugly superior instead of bothering to actually spin the stories. It's like they think they're so untouchable that they don't need to manipulate everyone into consistently accepting their side to the people's own detriment, which could easily blow up in their faces. They're forgetting that they're strongest when they're least visible and when people have been convinced that it's in their best interest to repeatedly fuck themselves over.

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

We can still use political means to achieve change - if that is truly what's necessary - and use some actual effort to sort the situation out.

You do realize that the system is pretty much rigged against making such changes, right?

This is probably the most sensible reply in this entire thread.

The protest is pretty hopeless (aside from making the rich people involved look like even bigger dicks, which is sort of a nice outcome).

But actually trying to change these things through the established political process is not hopeless. I know of no adjective that adequately describes how little hope exists for that route. There is negative hope.

 

[zf6hellion]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15140671

this link shows some more insights probably from the British perspective of the riots along with some quotes. From this it looked like this people were protesting about a capitalist country which cares more about corporations than people.

So the group has a name at least, and I assume the male speaking is their leader?

 

[Lethos]

I think a lot of people have their heads in the clouds. Talk of some sort of global revolution because the global economy is a mess.

I'm pretty sure most people in the world are fine with the status quo. Could it use improvement and refining? Of course it can, improvement can always happen. But do we need some sort of global uprising for that to happen? Errr, no.

Also, I'm just going to point this out. I know in the US there is a political culture to hate and fear your government, but don't be so brash as to believe that this culture is shared all around the world.

 

[ultimateownage]

All I've heard about it is some endorsements on Twitter (Wil Wheaton and Encyclopaedia Dramatica) and a reddit post telling everyone to go dressed well.

*EDIT*

Also, I'm just going to point this out. I know in the US there is a political culture to hate and fear your government, but don't be so brash as to believe that this culture is shared all around the world.

In Britain we don't fear our government, we just tut and sigh whenever they fuck more stuff up. And then steal a few more televisions.

From what I've heard about the Wall Street Protests (Occupy Wall Street? That's what you're calling it?) it looks stupid and pointless. I would say 'that's America for you' but we can't talk any more. Only a few months ago we were stealing from shops for literally no reason.

 

[Still Life]

Police brutality is almost irrelevant. Sure, it can make people angry, which is what is needed to escalate a situation like this, but only if it is viewed as a big deal.

I'd have thought that Police Brutality would considered supremely unprofessional and subject to investigation. The thought of PB being 'irrelevant' makes me a bit uneasy, though, I lack perspective given the context of the matter.

I have to agree with this. I think a good chunk of these protesters are doing so irrationally because they're angry. They don't understand the real politics and don't know what they are really talking about, but lashing out against the wealthy for being "corrupt" is a handy recourse, used every time the economy gets shaky.

I'm sure there are people with real issues and who understand the situation, but most of these people are just left-wing nuts.

Last I checked, unemployment in America hit just above 8%. That's a lot of people losing jobs and out of work, yet you don't see the corporate top-dogs who have played the market losing out. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the situation is simple and that there are a number of perspectives which should be taken into account. Yet, given the perception it is hardly surprising that there is considerable anger. I think it's justified to a degree, but 'revolution' seems like a farce of an idea.

I've watched some political commentary in academia regarding the First World financial situation and this kind of social unrest has be predicted with a fair degree of precision. One could surmise that we we will see more of this kind of unrest in the future.

I think people should shut up and let the rich get richer for doing nothing but investing and selling minute parts of businesses. After all, playing the stock market is one of the most back-breaking, beneficial things one can do for humanity.

Protesting the circumstances that perpetuate the stratification of wealth? Responsible police? Free speech? Fuck those far-left liberal wackos, I play the stock market and I say let the poor be poor! Isn't that right, $300/minute prostitute giving me a blow job as I type this message?

Prostitute: MMMFFKKKK HMMMMMM

The prostitute says yes.

This made my day!

 

[Leadfinger]

Corporate media=no media coverage of anti-corporate protests

 

[Still Life]

Only a few months ago we were stealing from shops for literally no reason.

I live with a few people from the UK. When I asked them about the riots they identified that there were legitimate grievances relating to government and corporate corruption. However, they felt (rather strongly) that those legitimate grievances were hijacked by a number of undesirable social elements, including legitimate criminals. The overall response from the House of Lords seemed quite divided.

What's your take?

 

[ultimateownage]

Only a few months ago we were stealing from shops for literally no reason.

I live with a few people from the UK. When I asked them about the riots they identified that there were a legitimate grievances relating to government and corporate corruption. However, they felt (rather strongly) that those legitimate grievances were hijacked by a number of undesirable social elements, including legitimate criminals. The overall response from the House of Lords seemed quite divided.

What's your take?

There was unrest in London, and then someone got shot (Which wasn't as horrific as everyone made it sound, a guy provoked an armed officer and he was consequently shot) so people decided to have a protest. Then a lot of chavs and other idiots decided it was the perfect time to get some new stuff. Most of the videos of the 'rioting' has the rioters trying and failing to explain why they were doing it. So I consider the original protest a little pointless, and the looting disgustingly pointless and shameful.

 

[Raddra]

Honestly the main thing that worries me about this is the lack of media coverage. Since it kind of displays who is controlling our access to information.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

And the Americans thought that our police needed to be better?
Sheesh, thats quite some police brutality you got there America...

And they even have a vague reason for rioting, and from what i can tell it was peaceful.
But still, enough gloating from me, this still sucks.

 

[KiKiweaky]

Take a page out of the greek protestors books and set the fucking buildings on fire >

Things got bad enough in greece members of government were being assaulted in the street. Wall street can count themselves lucky in my opinion.

 

[Ashannon Blackthorn]

It's a weird situation. two things are pretty clear. 1) Things are bad and somehow need ot change for the better. 2) Most of the protestors out there now don't have a sweet clue about how things are working or how it effects them.

If we can change number 2 to influence number 1, well now things might start getting interesting. Right now it comes across as more "random protests against the man cause the man is bad" than anything. Annoying cause it plays right into governments interests to have such stuff happen. They can justify the force used to stop the protests, enact laws they want to counter future protests (and help their positions) and it kinda cycles.

Sounds like you fear the government.

Well yes I fear the US government. Anyone who doesn't is naive, simple-minded or a total lick-spittle... and I'm Canadian... I'm going ot assume you're American, so it's probably not as bad for people in the US as those outside looking in. From the outsiders viewpoint, the US government is flippin scary... Department of Homeland Security? No-fly lists? Crazy bailouts that seem to do little? Yeah cant blame us Canucks for being a bit nervous.

 

[FernandoV]

Honestly the main thing that worries me about this is the lack of media coverage. Since it kind of displays who is controlling our access to information.

Trust me, the whole protest is so asinine that it doesn't deserve mention. If you lived in NYC you'd know what I mean.

 

[Suicida1 Midget]

wait, since when did wall street have a protest going on...... why in the hell wasnt i notified. Need to look into this to see the source of the idiots rage. The brutality isnt going to end well with the police either. More crap to wade through for everyone!!!!!!!