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I'm glad to see that the Middle Class is beginning

Posted: Oct 4, 2011

and big business greed by taking to the streets and demonstrating. I hope the movement picks up steam, and the demonstrations fill the streets of every town & city across the U.S. I for one can't wait 'til there's one in my town, because when the demonstrations start here, I tend to stop transcribing, turn off my PC, and go join them.

;

How can anyone "dislike" this? - really

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What's not to like? Making your voice heard?

My guess is... - JS

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those who have hit the dislike button get their opinion(s) from Fox News.

For more insight, do the following:
1. Take a deep breath.
2. Go to the Fox News website, and read or watch what they have to say about the Occupy Wall Street protests and those participating. (From what I've read, they are nothing but a bunch of whiny liberal college grad anarchists who don't wash, chant and beat drums, dress as zombies, hate capitalism and want to demolish it, AND are backed by UNIONS. Oh... and Michael Moore was there. That can't be good).
3. Shower to wash off the unclean feeling after visiting the Fox News website.

BTW... I have hit the "like" button.

Do you even know what they want? - hmmm

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Demand one: Restoration of the living wage. This demand can only be met by ending "Freetrade" by re-imposing trade tariffs on all imported goods entering the American market to level the playing field for domestic family farming and domestic manufacturing as most nations that are dumping cheap products onto the American market have radical wage and environmental regulation advantages. Another policy that must be instituted is raise the minimum wage to twenty dollars an hr.

Demand two: Institute a universal single payer healthcare system. To do this all private insurers must be banned from the healthcare market as their only effect on the health of patients is to take money away from doctors, nurses and hospitals preventing them from doing their jobs and hand that money to wall st. investors.

Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.

Demand four: Free college education.

Demand five: Begin a fast track process to bring the fossil fuel economy to an end while at the same bringing the alternative energy economy up to energy demand.

Demand six: One trillion dollars in infrastructure (Water, Sewer, Rail, Roads and Bridges and Electrical Grid) spending now.

Demand seven: One trillion dollars in ecological restoration planting forests, reestablishing wetlands and the natural flow of river systems and decommissioning of all of America's nuclear power plants.

Demand eight: Racial and gender equal rights amendment.

Demand nine: Open borders migration. anyone can travel anywhere to work and live.

Demand ten: Bring American elections up to international standards of a paper ballot precinct counted and recounted in front of an independent and party observers system.

Demand eleven: Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the "Books." World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the "Books." And I don't mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period.

Demand twelve: Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

Demand thirteen: Allow all workers to sign a ballot at any time during a union organizing campaign or at any time that represents their yeah or nay to having a union represent them in collective bargaining or to form a union.

These demands will create so many jobs it will be completely impossible to fill them without an open borders policy.

I don't see how wiping out all debts and requiring that all individuals in the US receive a wage of $20 per hour whether they work, or not, is sustainable.

Your call.

One thing I've never understood - sm

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is why people want minimum wage raised. If you do the math, you’ll see that raising the minimum wage is not good for the poor or for businesses.
When a business has allocated a certain amount of money for overhead and the overhead costs increase, it can be a devastating blow to the business, especially if the increase in overhead costs does not increase productivity and profitability. It’s not just the raising of the minimum wage that increases the payroll costs; it’s raising the wage of all of the other employees as well. If the minimum wage is raised from to $20 an hour then the employee who earned $20 an hour will want more than minimum wage because he has more experience and is more valuable to the company than the minimum wage employees. And when the employee making minimum wage gets his raise, then the employee on the pay scale above him will want one too. In short, when the minimum wage increases, payroll costs increase dramatically.

Inevitably, some poor employees lose their jobs or have their hours cut, which is a disincentive to the poor working at all since welfare checks can be greater than their paychecks. Moreover, businesses become less profitable, which is a disincentive to entrepreneurialship. Make no mistake: an increase in the minimum wage is bad for the poor and bad for business!

You forgot to add: Let them eat cake! - nm

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How is that "let them eat cake." - sm

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Giving unskilled workers more money for minimum wage does nothing to benefit them in the long run. Let's use some common sense here. Why would an employer hire an unskilled worker at 20 bucks an hour when he can hire a skilled one for that? So who is the employer gonna hire...obviously not the unskilled worker. Not to mention that this will cause prices to go up. The more it costs a company/business to provide/make goods and services, the higher the price will go to consumers who buy the good or service. Will that really help out the poor when prices go up because it costs employers more because minimun wage went up?

I really believe that some of you live in La La Land and it is even MORE obvious that you have never run or owned a business or you would understand what I'm saying.

You raise minimum wage and it is just going to cause US made products to go up even more in price and more unskilled workers will lose their jobs or have their hours cut. That is just how it works. So the end result doesn't help the poor at all.

Also...it is quite obvious to me that many of you who agree with these protests against Wall Street have completely ignored the fact that our government had a HUGE roll in that whole thing. To ignore that is beyond ridiculous. A lot of you need to wake up and get a clue!

Question - JS

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If you're against minimum/living wage, how do you feel about very, very profitable companies who direct their full-time employees on how to get food stamps and medicaid at the taxpayers' expense? And these folks qualify, too. Walmart is the biggest offender here. Is this fair? Just good business? It's okay to have multiple employees making dirt pay and having the taxpayers pick up the slack instead of having fewer better-paid workers who can afford to shelter and feed themselves and see a doctor when they're sick? Even better, have the same number of well-paid employees able to stay off the government dime and take a little hit in your profit. I don't know about you, but I think that if someone devotes 40 hours/week to a job, they should be able to afford the basics.

You mean like the armed forces? - Bet you didn't know that, did ya?

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Who thinks that the government should pay a living wage before making anyone else do it?

People serving in the military deserve FAR MORE - than what they're paid. Theyre heros. nm

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Again...it is the evil rich business owners - sm

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to blame, right? How about looking at our government for not having incentives to keep factories in our country? If a lot of factories hadn't left, the unskilled workers could be working factory jobs making $20+ an hour. We don't make anything here though!!! You can't hardly get a job without a college degree of some sort. So why would you hire someone without skills for the amount that you could hire someone with skills? You wouldn't and no one in their right mind would either. That isn't greed. That is called using your brain! You want to raise minimum wage and you will have to raise all wages. Once you do that prices will start to go up. Making more money is great if prices stay the same...but that isn't how this works. The more money it takes to make or provide a service, the higher the price of that good or service. Common sense people...or were a lot of you NOT present the day that was handed out?

I see you WERE present - JS

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the day rudeness was handed out. I don't really like it when it's insinuated that I'm not using my brain or don't have common sense.

I am talking about very profitable companies (specifically Walmart) who pay many of their employees wages so low that they qualify for food stamps and medicaid AND they direct their employess on how to apply. Do you know how much profit Walmart makes? We should be footing the bill for their full-time employees' food and medical care??? Or should all full-time employees be required to work 2 full-time shifts? Sorry, but I stand by what I said... anyone who devotes 40 hours of their time each week to a company should be able to afford shelter, food, and be able to get medical care without taxpayer assistance.

And speaking of common sense, the more money people have when they get their paychecks... the more money they have to spend on goods and services.

If you don't like, Walmart...don't shop there - sm

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I don't believe I've ever seen anything in Walmart that was made in the USA anyway...so if any of us had half of a brain...we wouldn't shop there anyway.

As for getting more in your paycheck, yes...you have more to spend but you are completely ignoring my point. Making more money is good. However, if you spend more money to buy the essentials, it really hasn't helped. You are still in the same boat as you were before the raise. Yes you make more...but you have to spend more to survive. Get it!!!!

So it's okay - JS

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for taxpayers to foot the bill for full-time employees' food and medical expenses so companies can rake in larger profits (and most likely not reinvest that money in other areas)? And this a good thing because YOU don't have to pay more for essentials? Do you know where tax dollars come from? You're paying for that Rollback even if you don't shop at Walmart. That's one of the ways a company like this can slash their prices so low and kill the competition, too (that combined with making cheap junk overseas). And Walmart isn't the only company who treats employees poorly. It's just an example.

Again, if you work 40 hours a week, taxpayers should not have to pay for you. Get it??

I get better quality, more choice, and cheaper prices - on clothing by shopping thrift stores.

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...

I'm right there with you sista! nm - oldtimer

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Right on - JS

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And just as a note, I don't want to come across like I am necessarily anticorporate (I AM anti-Walmart, however). I prefer to consider myself a conscious consumer, and the only way at this point for certain big corporations to wake up and start behaving like PEOPLE since they are granted that status is to decide whether or not they are worthy of my business and let my dollars do my talking. I shop small business whenever possible. I no longer buy overprocessed boxed/packaged junk you find on supermarket shelves. I try whenever possible to buy organic and support local farmers. And that's not because of some hippie dippie granola love affair thing... agribusiness is another area I'm fed up with. I shop at union supermarkets. I've stopped using my credit cards... have them on standby for emergency only. With that, I've started asking myself if I really NEED what I'm buying, and do I need an overabundance of it (Is it necessarily worth it to get 10 pounds of poor quality from overseas as opposed to 1 pound of good quality from America for the same price? Usually the answer is no). When it comes to Made in USA as far as clothing... we're up the creek. However, thrift stores and online sellers/Ebay are an excellent way to pay someone reselling clothing already purchased. I try to clean out my closet yearly and donate to charity or friends and family. I try not to settle on a substandard product because of the convenience factor (I'm talking fast food here). And, if I don't like your marketing practices, you will not get my business.

I think that if more people did this as well as other ways of being smart about where and why they spend, the "badly behaved" companies would have to start listening, treating their employees right, treating the environment right, treating their customers right, and treating the country right.

I'm learning to make some of my own clothes. - At least I know THEY didnt come from China!

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Better still, I'm having fun doing it!

Do you know where the cloth was produced? - Like to sew, too

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Not being snarky. Honestly. It has been a while since I have bought material. Are the bolts even labeled with where it was made (not distributed from)?

See, there's the catch-22! Because workers are - paid so little many HAVE to shop @ Walmart. nm

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...

This is what I want in all of this: BRING OUR JOBS - BACK FROM OVERSEAS!!!!!!

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X

Did you get that list - JS

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from the "Occupy Wall Street" web site or straight from Fox Nation? If you got it from occupywallst.org, you would see that the list you cited was posted by 1 guy in a public forum. There's nothing official about it... just 1 guy sharing ideas that he has on line with other people from what I can see. Funny how the Fox Nation article doesn't mention that.

In fact, there is no clear list of demands or formal organization at this point that I could find, and I looked extensively. It's just a group of people who are outraged over different issues (in this case corporate greed, unemployment, Wall Street criminals never being prosecuted, squeezing of the middle class, forclosures, etc., etc.) coming together and saying something about it.

BTW... if you remove what I wrote in the parentheses in the above paragraph and read it over again, doesn't it sound just a tiny bit familiar? Yeah, it does.

My point is that those who would be quick to blast (or hit the dislike button on) someone suggesting that they would like to get out there and have their voice heard MUST be influenced by something else because getting out there and having your voice heard is a very American thing to do. In this situation, my guess is that that something would be Fox News (and other right-wing media, I'm sure), and, from what I'm reading thus far, I'm not wrong.

Be sure to stay tuned for more Fox slamming of the protesters so people know what they should think.

Here's a link to the Fox article where they fail to mention that the "demands" were posted in a public forum: http://nation.foxnews.com/occupy-wall-street/2011/10/03/read-demands-occupy-wall-stand-try-not-laugh

It's "all of the above". We've been ripped off so - many ways, the only thing I cant - sm

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figure out is why the American people allowed this fleecing of the middle class to go on for as long as it has. We should have risen up years ago.

The economy wasn't bad years ago - sm

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and most people didn't take notice until a lot of people lost their jobs. Now that things are in the crapper...more people are taking notice and wanting to find someone to blame. You have the president successfully blaming the rich (even though he is rich himself), banks on Wall Street (even though he got a lot of money from contributions from Wall Street), and business owners. The sad thing is that a lot of you have been sucked into the class warfare that Obama is preaching constantly when it is our government that has really thrown us under the bus. The very people that we have elected to represent us has failed us horribly...both parties!!! It is easy to hate the rich because they have what we want. The haves vs the have nots. It is easy to say that the rich should give more of their money to support those less fortunate....although they do that already through charities. I refuse to get sucked into this hate speech that is coming from the White House. Read the posts on this board. Calling people names. Claiming one entire group is racist and bigots and villians? Holy crap people. Do you hear yourself? Another group calling black people oreos and other racial slurs because they don't agree with them. Public leaders telling groups of people to go to he!!.

This fighting amongst ourselves isn't proving anything...nor will it solve anything. You want to fix this problem? Then we need to get those in Washington out and get some folks in there who aren't corrupt and who really wants to do good by Americans instead of what can they promise to buy votes and get elected only to do what they want and line their pockets with our money.

As a nation we are failing and if we continue to fight amongst ourselves, we will continue failing until there won't be anything left to save.

That's why it's time to fight the government, the - banks, and big corporations.

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nm

Forget about it. The more you fight and try to regulate them, - the more fees they pass down to us little guys.nm

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nm

Who needs to "regulate" them? Better to just - WALK AWAY from them.

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And take our money and our patronage elsewhere.

Class Warfare - sm

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You wrote: "The sad thing is that a lot of you have been sucked into the class warfare that Obama is preaching constantly when it is our government that has really thrown us under the bus."

If anyone has been waging class warfare, it's been the REPUBLICANS who remind us almost daily that their allegiance is with the ultra rich and that they have no allegiance to their constituents. This "war" has been going on since the day the President was sworn in.

I can see very clearly that this is coming from the Republicans. How do you see the President "preaching constantly" class warfare?

Can you please cite your source? - mthead

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The last I heard, they had no unified message yet.

I get it! Fox viewers are afraid! - sm

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Wow! Does my head hurt now.

My guess is.... MANAGEMENT. - Pfffftttt! to them!! ;p

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x

they can take this job and shove it - I will carry a picket sign. nm

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Me too. There's a OWS demonstration in a nearby - city next week. I am SO there! nm

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nm

It is time for us all to rise up and collectively..sm - oldtimer

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speak in one voice and let our legislators take notice that we will keep growing and keep protesting one city at a time until necessary changes are made to protect American taxpayers from greedy corporations and special interest money.

Perhaps the protestors and yourself - sm

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should take a good look at why we had to bail out Wall Street in the first place.

The accusation of greed and even fraud can be more appropriately applied to Washington and specifically to the actions of the Clinton Administration, Congress and the top management of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. According to a 1999 article in the New York Times, Fannie Mae in response to "...increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people..." acquiesced and reduced its credit standard's to buy loans made high risk, or sub-prime, borrowers. this action opened the door for banks to do the same thing as Fannie Mae would now buy these high risk loans as soon as the banks made them. But the greed did not stop here as both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have always enjoyed a special relationship with the government and, to keep Congress happy and on their side, donated freely to the campaigns of members of both parties with both individual contributions from the mega salaries of the top executives of the two companies as well as generous contributions from their employee financed Political Action Committees.

When you look back we had the Democratic Administration of the liberal President Bill Clinton carrying out the policies of his hard left supporters by exploiting the poor in a financial experiment that was certain to harm many of them and putting the taxpayers at risk all for his own political gain. Liberals in Congress, of course, supported President Clinton's efforts to reduce underwriting standards for sub-prime borrowers while members of Congress as a whole either quietly looked the other way or openly defended Fannie Mae's risky underwriting practices while accepting millions of dollars in campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie.

I guess I don't understand why people are protesting against Wall Street while ignoring the fact that our government had a huge role in this housing bubble and collapse. Perhaps those on Wall Street were greedy...but those in Washington who were in bed with Wall Street are obviously just as corrupt and greedy. Amazing how people refuse to see that. You want to point the finger and place blame...you are looking in the wrong direction. Those morons who are running our country did this and I guess we were dumb enough to elect them to those positions and are still dumb enough to turn a blind eye and keep them in office.

The voice of reason speaks... - hmmm

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Thank you.

Funny that the Wall Street protesters are admired by so many, and yet the Tea Party is vilified by a few.

The Tea Party never called for revolution or claimed to be anarchists, contrary to the coordinator the Occupy Wall Street leader who acknowledged both with pride when interviewed by Al Sharpton the other day.

The Tea Party is a bunch of bigots & homophobes, - among just a few other things.

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Hank Williams Jr fits in well - can't stomach Fox or him

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I hope the radio stations refuse to play anything by that nincompoop. I will make sure never to buy anything that has his name on it.

Like the liberal media, you simply cant handle - the truth... no surprise. nm

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nm

Says Who - sm

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I suggest you take a look in the mirror. While you are at it, read up on your history. Dems filled the history books with their RACISM, HATE, homophobia and FEARmongering.

Thank God, you don't lynch people for not voting the Democratic Party way anymore.

You probably never will accept responsibility for what your party did in the past, and throwing the RACE card out there does no good, because it will always come back to bite YOU.

Sez anyone who's disgusted by their rhetoric. - Thats Whoo

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nmsg

What rhetoric would that be? The lies fed to you - that you eat willingly?? yep

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nm

Yours would be a good start...... - Pffft!

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The teabaggers ARE villains and hope to hurt many - with their policies

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Very wicked people that hope to rob us of all our savings for retirement, medicaid, medicare, and social security. I paid into SS all my life, and it better be there when I am ready to retire! The teabaggers hope to hurt everyone by overnight change that robs them of their savings and security. Evil, evil people. If they wanted gradual balance so the bad apples could be weeded out, then I could support them, but wholesale hurting of seniors and poor people is not even a consideration.

That diatribe was full of more hate than I have - ever heard come out of the Tea Party.

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I won't stoop to calling you evil, though. Did it occur to you that the Tea Party is actually trying to make the best out of a failing social security system. If it continues as it is now, it won't be there at all for anyone. Something has to change or it will go away completely. By the way, Social Security was never intended to be retirement. It was only supposed to be there for those without it. It has morphed into an unsustainable mess and something has to change. I understand that it was robbed by politicians and that is a good part of why it is where it is now, but the fact remains that it is going bankrupt. Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending it's not true is not going to change that.

Unfortunately for the Tea Party, this rapidly-growing - political movement doesn't really - sm

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include them. The Tea Party will become even more meaningless than it already is, and will be left in the dust and forgotten. The Tea Party is a very small group of people. The rest of the nation, (sometimes referred to as "The 99%", is a sleeping giant that is just beginning to stir.

You sure spend a lot of energy trying to discredit - something you say is meaningless.

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Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

And you seem to spend too much time trying to - give credit to the meaningless.

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Seems to run both ways, depending upon which side of the fence one is standing.

So you would rather - sm

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continue the current problems without looking into cutting some waste and reforming things so these programs will continue to be there when people like me..in my 30s....will have those programs when I get older. Right now...the way things are....they won't be there at all when I might need them because we won't have the money for it. Those programs will be broke. So how is THAT fair? There is no reason why we cannot keep it there for people using it currently but reform it so those programs will survive when younger people reach their retirement age.

You are so offbase, it is ALMOST funny. You have - no idea what the TEA party is about.

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Big Govt is hurting people. Get your head out of the sand and see things as they really are. The TEA Party is not hateful, but gee, you sure are.

Wall Street is just the beginning. They plan to go - after government & corporations too. (sm)

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Did you see the video of all the Wall Street fat-cats drinking champagne out on their balcony (safely above the streets, of course!), taunting the demonstrators? Predictions are being made that if things don't change, and soon, a lot of the anger the working poor (aka middle class) are feeling is going to boil over and explode into violence by next June. I'll betcha there won't be anyone drinking champagne out on their company balconies, then. Change is coming, and it's up to those "top 2%" to decide whether they want things changed in a fair, civil manner, or whether their wealth and privilege is forcibly taken from them.

What I really like about OWS - not a bunch of bussed in astroturf

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like the "T-Party" thugs.

Thugs? Really? - sm

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I don't recall seeing tea party people outside of voting polls with clubs. I don't recall tea party people being trucked off by the police in the numbers these people have been. The hatred you people have is amazing to me. The name calling that you do is also very mature, by the way. I've never been more afraid for my country than I am now. The posts on this subject have chilled me to the bone. I disagree with our president about 95% of the time and yet I have never...nor will I ever...call him a villian. I disagree with democrats as a whole about 80% of the time and I haven't once told them they should all go to he11. I guess I just don't understand some of you.

Yes. REALLY. - nm

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xx

I don't condone violence in any way. I just hope - that this gets bigger SM

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and bigger, spills into all cities and towns. I want all of us to become outraged at what has been happening and work to change it. We have been complacent too long. Corruption and greed are the enemy, whether from Wall Street, Fannie and Freddie, and the politicians. Since the fox is guarding the hen house, I believe civil disobedience is going to be the only option for change. Why go on believing all the nonsense that is spouted by the politicians? All they do is blame each other and lie about how great they will be. I hope more and more finally wake up. As for the poster who posted the "list of demands", that is pure nonsense and lies as well, coming from the entertainment arm of all of the corrupt, hoping to pit us against each other, which always seems to work on some people. It is a diversionary tactic, trying to redirect our anger toward those who do not deserve it. See it for what it is. I truly believe that if something can be done to make offshoring not so profitable, we are on the right path. I applaud all of those americans who have had the courage to occupy Wall Street and stand up for what is right. :)

Imagine what the entire middle class could do together: - Collectively refuse to pay taxes one year. (sm)

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Even if first-responders, such as firemen, cops, EMTs, nurses, etc. still all went to work, the rest of us, staying home for even just a day, could really put a dent in "business-as-usual".

Or, you never know - OWS might decide to target a specific big business and completely boycott them out of business, and with the rapid networking and collaboration now possible to organize on Twitter & Facebook, big things can be done in smaller amounts of time.

I guess Wall Street doesn't realize that lots of the people who's IRAs and 401Ks are invested in their funds are already hurting to the point of no longer contributing to them. I know I am - I haven't put any money in for the last 6 years. As people stop funding retirement accounts, and instead start pulling the money out earlier and earlier in order to just survive NOW, (forget about retirement!), Wall Street will start to feel the pinch. More people every month are pulling their money out of the evil big banks, and putting it into credit unions.

Of course, people need gas, and no one's going to boycott all gasoline. But imagine if OWS decided to make an example of, say, the Texaco brand? Buy Arco or Chevron, and bring Texaco down. If that didn't get the attention of the Big Guns, then once Texaco was bankrupt, move on to Mobil. Or Union 76. Or Chevron. Anyway, you get the picture. It can be done to Wal-Mart too. Or Target. Or Bank of America. All it takes is unity.

That's what OWS is about, not violence. The predicted violence could still happen though, from other disenfranchised Americans who never even heard of Occupy Wall Street, and are just plain fed up and pissed off. THAT'S what some of these people, like the ones who flaunted their champagne on the balconies of Wall Street, should start to be very, very concerned about. If things don't change, then someday what they did that day will be a very foolish and unsafe thing to do.

Warfare can be waged without ever raising a hand or packing a gun.

What happens if everyone decides to take out - all of the oil companies except for one

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is that we end up with one oil company charging whatever the heck it wants. Capitalism is healthy and keeps prices down. As for not paying taxes, I think I'll pass. How will all of those welfare recipients survive without me paying taxes. Nearly half of the populous doesn't pay already. What happens when nobody pays his "fair share?"

Nearly half does not pay federal taxes, not no - taxes. People pay SM

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state/local taxes, sales tax, taxes on the gas they buy, etc. To say they pay nothing is disingenuous. GE pays no fed taxes either.

Well then that's okay. I think that everyone - knew what I meant.

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I am sorry that I did not clarify better, so let me say it this way. Nearly half of the population does not pay federal income taxes. Since we were discussing federal politics, I thought it was a no-brainer.

The idea of capitalism is healthy, but not what - it has become SM

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which is corrupt. Oh yeah, and let's put the blame where it belongs, right on the poor and the elderly. Like I said earlier, this is a diversionary tactic.

Nobody blames the poor or the elderly. Saying that - is a diversionary tactic.

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I blame the lazy, myself. But seriously, if the government kept it's hands out of capitalism, we wouldn't be in this mess. Clearly putting companies out of business would be a good idea in a failing economy. (Sarcasm, in case you didn't catch that.) Let's not be silly.

The blame is to be placed - sm

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on those running our country....politicians. I don't understand why you all don't see that. Instead of holding politicians to blame, we have turned on each other. Why...because that is what our current politicians are giving speeches about. This president is the one dividing us and it is a shame so many of you have fallen for his BS.

The politicians are mere puppets. Talking heads. - Bought & paid for by Big Business. nm

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...

On the contrary... - hmmm

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it is the citizenry that is being played...

Yes, lots of us have been bought, right along - with our puppet government.

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But I foresee those days of being bought and paid for by Big Biz coming to an end.

Better still, we need to wean this country from fossil - fuel that wont last forever, -sm

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and put ALL of the big oil companies out of business. That would sure take the wind out of the sails of the Middle East, as well.

There wouldn't be so many welfare recipients if we didn't send so much work overseas, or pay peanuts for the work that IS done here.

A lot of us at the bottom don't really care anymore how much chaos could be created in the U.S. because of something like a tax strike, etc. Because we ALREADY EXIST in a state of chaos ourselves, every single day.

It's about time the rich got a little taste of it, too.

We shall overcome....Go OWS!...We need to have....sm - Made in America

[ In Reply To ..]
middle-class voices finally heard! Nonpartisan support is building.

I am personally already boycotting BOA. I have taken both my small savings account and checking account to a small community bank that values paperless transactions and doesn't charge me a fee to use my own money via my debit card or for bill paying on line.

We all should also try very hard to buy products made in America or do without whenever possible.

I'm switching from bank to credit union. And if they - get greedy, Im switching to my mattress. ;D

[ In Reply To ..]
X

Who's really behind this? - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Geez - please don't degenerate this healthy political - discussion into a buncha bible-thumping!

[ In Reply To ..]

hmmm....Think David and Goliath. nm - VTMT

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Goliath didn't die because he was big... - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
He died because he defied the "armies of the living God." (I. Samuel 17:26).

Something to remember...

Whatever...... - The Tooth Fairy

[ In Reply To ..]

He died because God was behind the...sm - VTMT

[ In Reply To ..]
" brave little guy", David by name.

Oh, please... those people are bumbling fools, most - of which have no idea what they are protesting.

[ In Reply To ..]
Anyone who joins them is looking just a foolish... this is a pointless cause started by people with nothing but hatred and no real goal to accomplish.

Basically, we "fools" are protesting not just one small - injustice, but EVERYTHING that is wrong. sm

[ In Reply To ..]
We're tired of carrying the country on OUR backs, and getting nothing in exchange for it but paycuts and pink slips. While they just get richer and richer by grinding us under their heels. Wall Street is a scam pyramid game. The banks are crooks. Big businesses are all turning into 3rd world sweatshops. The government is bought and paid for by all of them.

THAT's what we "fools" (the people who see through the smoke and mirrors, and know we're being royally screwed) are protesting.

For whatever reason, you and a few others may be complacent and satisifed with the status-quo, but the other 99% of this country are FED UP.

Wall Street is not making you broke, Obama and - dems regulations are, go protest them!

[ In Reply To ..]
This protest looks like a joke. People want to blame everybody else.

Oh we ARE. We're protesting Pubs & Dems alike. - All little corporate chess men.

[ In Reply To ..]
,

So...you must be one of the top 25% of wage earners... - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
that pays 80% of the taxes.

And here I thought medical transcription wasn't a high income generator.

Silly me.

Your closed mind represents everything that is an - embarrassment about being American.

[ In Reply To ..]

How very open minded of you! - Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

My ancestors were American .... - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
before there was an America.

Don't call me un-American.

The fact that your mindset is considered "American" - is why its an embarrassment.

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

If you don't like it, you can always leave. - byebye

[ In Reply To ..]
x

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