Class Warfare: Hundreds Protest Outside Bankers' Houses In DC

[IDemo]

Source: Huffington Post

Huge angry mobs converged outside bank employees' houses on Sunday afternoon to demand banks stop lobbying against Wall Street reform.

"Bank of America: bad for America!" shouted community leaders outside the house of Bank of America general counsel Gregory Baer.

The Chicago-based grassroots organization National People's Action, in coordination with the SEIU, bused more than 700 workers from 20 states to Baer's neighborhood, one of the wealthiest corners of Washington. The action kicks off several days of protests targeting K Street for lobbyists' role in financial reform.

Baer himself apparently tried to blend in with the crowd until a neighbor outed him. The mob booed loudly as he walked into his house. "I don't have time for you," he said, according to Trenda Kennedy of Springfield, Ill. who used a bullhorn to tell the crowd about her trouble getting a mortgage modification from Baer's bank.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/16/class-warfare-hundreds-pr_n_578015.html

[patrice]

1. Yaaaayyyyyyyy!!! "God" Bless Our Protestors!!!

[Mark D.]

13. About Fu**ing Time

Imagine if they could get the tea baggers heads far enough out of Palinville to join the protest. Imagine left and right, converging against the bankers. Won't happen of course. I've heard it so much already from friends. who are far right. How this administration is 'neutering' the banks. Right. God help those people. The ability for the elite, as Carlin said: "the real owners" to manipulate is getting better every day. We have this small window to reign them in, so unlike the Depression era changes, that were rolled back, this one can stay. But then, one, a lot of things are being stripped out of the legislation due to the lobbyists, with little protest from the President. Further, we heard 'never again' when protesters demanded a pull-out from Vietnam. A few decades later, Iraq and Afghanistan. Will people learn? The far right gets sheepled. The left gets complacent. The middle goes whatever. Then history repeats itself.

[patrice]

31. That's what should happen. Band together to free ourselves from Economic Royalists and then

learn enough about one another to come to somekind of resolution so that we CAN address our differences in order to preserve our freedom.

[Blandocyte]

73. That is a beautiful thought

Well done.

[dotymed]

83. Too bad we can't organize this

on a national level. It would be beneficial for us to demonstrate simultaneously across the nation. That would be hard for the MSM to hide.

[No Elephants]

98. Remind me why "we" can't.

[dotymed]

107. Apathy for one.

2)The corporate politicians and MSM keep us divided (divide and conquer) by non-issues (because they do not have the "right" to legislate morality) like abortion and gay marriage...etc..any reasoning, honest person knows that their "rights" end when they infringe on the "rights" of others. Yet "they keep these "issues" stirred up in order to divide the masses.
3) most Americans have no idea that the citizens of (Europe for example) have demanded and gained "rights" (universal healthcare, living wages, strong Unions, strong corporate regulations, Actual progressive tax rates, paid vacations...)
4) since raygun ended our FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, we have been under constant corporate attack by the corporate MSM. The media has NO obligation to "report" the truth and are actually encouraged to lie in order to advance the elitist agenda.
5) Our educational system has been purposely dismantled so that most graduates lack basic reasoning skills that would lead them to realize the basic unfairness of our system.

These are a few reasons we "don't", and lack the basic skills so that we "can" organize. I misspoke when I said "we can't", unfortunately most do not understand why we should or even the improvements we have lost since we have failed to maintain the pressure on the elites.
We "can" organize, unfortunately the rampant misdirection that Americans are constantly subjected to, make the possibility of "we will NOW organize and demand our freedoms", unlikely.

[Mark D.]

138. If Only.

That could happen. If only. Our differences are natural, there will always be more generous folks than others. There will always be different colors, and those who don't have the same desires. It will always be what is used to scapegoat or divide people. The elite know this, they spend a long time planning it, since they're so effing rich they don't have to occupy their time working like we do. Hard to organize, hard to even keep up with what's going on, when one works 40-60 a week, or may have a family to fit in when not working, or may be just too tired after all that to do more than pass out on the couch to prepare for the next work day. Corporations make daily demands of all of us for things they mostly benefit from. We get paid by them, so we comply. But we watch as years go by and 'belt-tightening' sees pay stagnate, inflation adjusted.

Hence the need to add more hours of work elsewhere, if you're lucky enough to find those jobs in this recession. Productivity in America at an all-time high, highest in the world. Yet I debate those who say an American worker making over minimum wage may be overpaid. When you advise them of billions going to the top brass, they defend THEIR right. They are the enablers among the masses. Keeping what minds have spare time given the above schedule/lifestyle occupied with propaganda 180 degrees the opposite of what they need. An attempt, even as flawed as it is, to make HC affordable, which the vast majority of Americans will benefit from, gets spun into being a catastrophic descent into tyranny. God help them. They don't get it. They're mislead by those Nazis. Again. Nazi = Not-See. They hope they do 'not see' what is being done to them.

[annm4peace]

34. you must join the protesters

they are you and me!

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mucifer]

2. hundreds of people is a tiny rally in D.C. There are rallys that occur with a hundred thousand

people that get no press at all.

That said, protests against bansters are a good idea.

[onehandle]

4. But this was at a house in a neighborhood, not on the Mall.

If the trend of following them home continues, the press will notice.

[IDemo]

6. Exactly

A million or two on the Mall would also be appropriate, but this is taking the message to the ones responsible for the mess.

Expected Faux take: "Unruly mobs harass noted businessman".

[dotymed]

84. So true.

Our carpenters Union uses this tactic successfully. Protest at the sources home. Yes, a million or more on the mall would be wonderful.

[old mark]

3. Great! This makes me very happy. Rec. nt

[Divine Discontent]

53. me, too. make them feel uncomfortable for the crap they do! eom

[old mark]

72. Seems like the least we can do....In europe, there would be riots

and street fighting for months...

mark

[onehandle]

5. More like this, please. Follow them home. Do this to more execs and create a movement.

And the press will take notice.

Nice pic from article:

[Odin2005]

7. SHHHH, you're not supposed to use that phrase!!! *SARCASM*

There are no classes in America! :sarcasm:

[sam sarrha]

8. there is class warfare go'n on.. it's war on us.. and we're lose'n > link>>

http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html

Financial Wealth
Top 1 percent Next 19 percent Bottom 80 percent
1983 ...42.9% ........48.4% ........8.7%
1989 ...46.9% ........46.5% ........6.6%
1992 ...45.6% ........46.7% ........7.7%
1995 ...47.2% ........45.9% ........7.0%
1998 ...47.3% ........43.6% ........9.1%
2001 ...39.7% ........51.5% ........8.7%
2004 ...42.2% ........50.3% ........7.5%
2007 ...42.7% ........50.3% ........7.0%


and we are lose'n that war too. BIG TIME.!! This is why the ecomomy is in the toilet. there is no money to have one

[truedelphi]

59. You also have to wonder why back during the last Awful Depression,

Something like 32 states out of the 48 did not allow for foreclosures.

Where are our state legislators on this?

[Enthusiast]

68. Where are our state legislators on this?

Owned.

[sam sarrha]

144. weneedto QUIT saying Coporate Campaigh Contributions... and ALWAYS say "BRIBES"

[Lorien]

145. Warren Buffet agrees with you

he's acknowledged that his class is the only one waging a war. It's about time that changed!

[sandnsea]

9. YES!!! And woohoo Trenda

BofA's mortgage modification process is a nightmare.

[Riverman]

125. BofA is Nightmare. Period, Nationalize the Banks and Oil Corporations

[sandnsea]

137. That is socialism

Comments like that is where the right gets its socialist fodder from.

[MIprogressive1]

10. While i LOVE the idea of this!

I don't like going to their houses to do this..

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. Okay, I'll bite. Why do you think we should not "go to their houses"?

[MIprogressive1]

14. I don't like the idea of having his family put through this.

It wasn't his children who helped him make the decisions he did. I just see his children being harassed at school because of this. If it was done in front of their corporation he would put the bad image on the corporation and the execs who caused the problem.

[lonestarnot]

16. And what about the families that have been thrown out onto the streets?

Piss on them an their families.

[MIprogressive1]

17. Now your sounding just as bad as they are...

You don't care about his family like he doesn't care about someone elses...

[lonestarnot]

52. Yeah and I mean it too.

:evilgrin:

[architect359]

54. What goes around, comes around

Be careful for what you wish for...

[fascisthunter]

151. we have put up with much more... it's your turn

[lonestarnot]

153. neener fucking neener!

[SammyWinstonJack]

100. Oh Boo Hoo!

:nopity:

[No Elephants]

106. False equivalency much?

[AlbertCat]

133. You don't care about his family like he doesn't care about someone elses...

His family has a pool in the back yard.... of their 2nd vacation house.... bought and payed for by you.... to recoup from their name calling.

Does yours?

[AlbertCat]

134. You don't care about his family like he doesn't care about someone elses...

His family has a pool at some vacation house to ease their sorrows inflicted on them by us lowly workers.

His family affects yours. Shouldn't you have some kind of effect (other than profits) on his family....just a little?

[leftstreet]

131. +1

[Angry Dragon]

19. The family does not benefit from the corruption of the bankster??

"visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation"

works for me

[MIprogressive1]

20. Did his children decide to do it tho? no. would it be fair to blame you for something your parents

did?

[Angry Dragon]

23. His children benefit from the corruption

They should hear what kind of man their father is. Should they get to live in a house paid for by treating others like garbage, should they go to private schools etc?? If you or I did they same things these banks do any monies we would have gotten would be taken away and our families would suffer. Until these people have to pay the same price as everyone else they will never hear. They feel they are elites and live under different laws than anyone else.

Do feel they should have the same laws as everyone?? Should their families benefit because this man can skirt the law but still is morally wrong??

[MIprogressive1]

25. I see your point, but I still feel its morally wrong to attack someone who didn't directly do it.

Is it his children's fault he does that?

[Angry Dragon]

26. I may have missed it but

I do not remember reading that his children were attacked. I think it said that a neighbor's child was approached and that would be wrong

edit add: the neighbor's child was woken up

[bjobotts]

49. Do the police wait till a bank robber is at the office before arresting him cause his kids might be

home? Just because it's white collar crime and the thief has an education shouldn't change how he's dealt with...and he is a thief but the wealthy think they have special privileges yet they don't hesitate to throw children out into the street without any negotiations.

There is no sympathy for these people. They pay themselves well to be wretched.

[rasputin1952]

43. I do not think his children should suffer for their father's callousness...

if they are are not "of age", nor participated in any of the corruption. It is immoral to drag the sons and daughters into the fray, unless they have taken the same stance and commit the same actions.

But going to this house, and others like it, drags what little sense of dignity he may have to the forefront of said family, and the neighbors that live around this individual. Unless he is a sociopath, he has to feel something for bringing this down upon his community and family.

In corporate HQ's, he's protected from the din, here, he has to face it, and that is a powerful message.

[Hekate]

66. Very well put, Rasputin.

[wial]

70. I see it as the kids are hostages

to an evil way of life that will corrupt and sap their souls, and the protesters are showing them a way out into true social responsibility and a questioning awareness to which their parents are clearly oblivious. The protesters are not harassing the kids, they are trying (probably unsuccessfully) to rescue them.

[redneckchris]

155. bad parenting

I'm coming to all your houses soon to explain to your parents where they went wrong.

[pattmarty]

78. Amen, brother.

[Mike K]

140. What exactly -

<...>if they are are not "of age", nor participated in any of the corruption. It is immoral to drag the sons and daughters into the fray, unless they have taken the same stance and commit the same actions.<...>

- does "of age" mean? And what exactly do you mean by dragging "into the fray?" His children have not been tarred and feathered -- as their father deserves to be.

Don't you think it's the responsibility of the offending parent to consider the impact his actions will have on his family? Did this particular sonofabitch demonstrate concern for the children who were made homeless because of his greed?

Actions have consequences and people who offend should not expect to escape retribution because they have innocent children. Whatever suffering befalls the banker's children is the direct result of the banker's actions.

Your position is unreasonably pious.

[rasputin1952]

149. You may consider my position unreasonably pious...

but that's the way I feel.

The same thing goes for you, or anyone else. If, one of your parents did heinous things, I would not hold you in any responsible, unless you were "of age" to cover up for any indignities perpetrated. To do so is immoral, and while you may find me "overly pious", most people I know are not so vindictive as to drag children into the fray. Would you ask for a "gene pool cleansing", or wipe the genetics off of the map because of a relation?

The children are not a part of the equation, unless, as I have stated, partook in any of the behavior that has made their father a despicable human being.

edit: typo.

[annm4peace]

35. go see a family evicted or see their stuff left in the house

or see one of them go through a nervous breakdown.

or like one of my friends, who had a neighbor commit suicide.


The CEO's and others need to feel a little of what done.

Their work places have been protested at for 3 years and still they profit from their defective loans and policies.

[bjobotts]

40. Nonsense.It's been a waste of time to protest at corp offices. It is personal now. They don't give

a shit about other people's children. That's like saying bank robbers should not be arrested at their homes because their children might get harassed at school. These corrupt greedy bastards have been literally robbing people of their savings and their homes. Don't expect we'll allow them to hide behind their families now.

[Sherman A1]

61. +1000

[Capt. Jack]

143. Virtually All Wall Street Banks Under Investigation....

Have a look....

http://mattweidnerlaw.com/blog/2010/05/virtually-all-the-wall-street-banks-under-investigation-defend-your-foreclosure/

[Iowa]

60. Your sense of proportion is terribly distorted, to say the least...

When trying to make ethical decisions, one must consider the concept of relative harm, which you obviously failed to do here. Your thinking on this is utterly simplistic and intellectually dishonest.

[Mike K]

141. You're right.

It's also rather stupid.

[Enthusiast]

69. The threat should have been real.

His family should be terrified. There should have been an actual functional guillotine on his doorstep.

[pattmarty]

77. Hey, eventually ya gotta pay for what you fucked up. I have no...............

..........problem (and neither does the "law") with peaceful protests whether at a house or a fucking mall. You do know what progressive means, don't you? You took it as a fucking screen name.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

91. It is our jobs as parents to protect our children

Maybe the kids need to see what daddy does for a living. That may cause some change to take place. If not this generation, maybe the next generation, theirs.

It is our jobs as parents to protect our children - from anything - if we engage in dubious practices in our business, we are not protecting our kids. He failed.
His children benefited from his job, they share some of the risk. Reward/ Risk.

Corporations do not care about our kids. They bombard them with TV commercials for sugar products, fast food products, inane, unsafe toys. They use our children to extract our hard earned dollars.
If corporations really cared there would be no corporate presence in our public schools. They would wait till Daddy got home to blister the phone lines with collection calls, so they wouldn't upset the little ones. And on and on.

No it is not good to act as the corporate powers do, it would be optimal to have a huge moral presence, but I feel as though we are taking on a "battered wife" syndrome.
"It's OK to beat me, just don't let YOUR
KIDS see. It's OK for MY KIDS to see though, don't worry they'll be alright."

Heck, those execs can AFFORD to put their kids in therapy.

But our concern for the children, even the thought of it - is what makes us Liberals. We think and discuss and think again about subjects such as these.

[olegramps]

97. There families' are laughing their ass off at the yokels they are fleecing.

[adigal]

119. His children benefit - maybe they need exposure to a new idea

I suggested doing this a few months ago in the neighborhoods of some people in our government, and was told the helicopters would be coming to get me. I always say it should be done peacefully. Do you remember when DEMS protested in Nancy Pelosi's neighborhood??? It is done, and should be done peacefully, but when people are actively trying to dismantle our legal and economic systems to put more money in their pockets, I see no problem with making them a wee bit uncomfortable at thom.

[rasputin1952]

12. I see no problem w/going to their houses...

they are more than willing to toss people onto the street after stripping them of every penny they have.

As long as no damage is done, I have no problem at all with this...:)

[mbperrin]

18. I think it's a good thing to go to their house. Their families should

know what they do, and they're in no danger of losing their homes, unlike MILLIONS of Americans.

I mean, what the public wants is that they do business by doing what they say they will do, instead of lying and tricking the rest of us for large profits and huge bonuses in return for throwing modest people in the street.

No damage is necessary at all. Showing up and making them know that their crooked crap has a human face is good. Very good. MUCH more of this, please.

[MIprogressive1]

21. No physical damage done to the house or family that took no role in their fathers decision

but who care if there is any mental harm, they deserve it for what they let him do.

[pattmarty]

80. Now be a nice boy and go back to the comic book fantasy world.............

..........of WorldNUT daily and leave the intelligent, informed AND educated people alone.

[mbperrin]

82. What mental harm? Do you think that the children of rapists, murderers,

robbers should be hypnotized or in some other way be made unaware of the crimes of their parents? I feel much sorrier for those kids than for the privileged offspring of Too Big To Fail Welfare Kings.

Powerful question from a child: "Why are all those people mad at Daddy?"

Perhaps then the bastard can start integrating his life and make himself a whole person and a fit parent.

Or perhaps you still subscribe to the Victorian notion of social spheres - dad can whore around, cut people's throats, do anything he likes, but the moment he comes home, all is quiet as his faithful dogs bring him his slippers, because now he has entered his wife's sphere, the home, and nothing that he does outside can be mentioned here in this peaceful oasis of calm and quiet, no matter how many factory workers dad killed today to save 10 cents an hour on safety features.

That what you have in mind?

[Mike K]

148. No physical damage done -- yet.

But now that people are finding out where these bastards live it's just a matter of time.

Unless the anger that fueled this demonstration withers and there is no more of it, what we could be seeing is the first maneuver in a class war that could turn out to be an important chapter in tomorrow's history books. People of the common class are being grievously harmed and they are angry. Do the greedy villains who have harmed them and their families think that nothing will come of it?

If this is in fact the harbinger of imminent class warfare the next step will be some sort of violent action, which will drive the bankster class to abandon common neighborhoods and form gated, well-defended communities from which they will move about only in armored limousines.

Common Americans have always been tolerant of wealth. But now that they are being aggressively harmed by excessive, immorally acquired wealth it is perfectly understandable, and morally justified, that they strike back. The neo Robber Barons should not expect to live peacefully among people whose lives they have ruined because of their insatiable greed.

[IDemo]

15. They don't seem to have a problem going to other's houses

[wordpix]

22. wow, best argument of all

[bjobotts]

44. These bankers made more money foreclosing on your house than refinancing

[bjobotts]

45. Lawyers were well paid and couldn't wait. You pay for 15yrs and in 90days they took it all away

[bjobotts]

48. There is no accounting or justification for their behavior except having the money taken away from t

them. The wealthy do not create jobs, they create more wealth for themselves by outsourcing and tax evasion so they can buy more of congress. The high tax bracket doesn't start until until you make $3.5million and $1 dollar. The higher rate only kicks in on that one dollar so you pay .45cents more on that dollar but not on the other $3.5mil. But look how they moan when they twist the facts. Most take their main office out of the country so they don't pay any American taxes though they have 12 employees in that other country and 1200 here and do most of their business here.

With higher wages people have money to spend and that keeps people working because with higher wages you can afford to spend on others goods and services but these greedy bastards used fraud to get as much personal gain as they could and to hell with the good of the nation and it's people. People cannot regulate their greed, only government can and only unions and government can ensure safety. Thank god for the FDA and the EPA or we'd already have plagues. Making it unsafe to be a billionaire is one of the best regulators known to man unless you can account for it fairly and honestly, not by knowing cheating people out of their life's savings through fraudulent credit default swaps which gained you a billion dollars while nearly bankrupting a nation.(Yeah, I'm looking at you Paulson...and your banker wanna bees)

[EXneoCON]

74. I concur...

[butterfly77]

88. Exactly...

[FailureToCommunicate]

95. Excellent reply.

[proudohioan]

105. Wow! That picture is worth 1000 words!

:thumbsup:

[HughBeaumont]

124. G.S.M.

Either "Game Set Match" or "Gimme Some Money" . . . whichever is appropriate. :)

[rpannier]

32. They should feel fortunate this is 2010

Had this been pre-1910 they'd have had no house to go to and there would have been a mob with pitchforks and boiling tar chasing after them

[KillCapitalism]

50. And fortunate this is America.

Imagine if these people were in Russia in 1918. They would have been lined up & shot in the back of the head.

[Igel]

112. As would their kids.

And grandkids.

If the Soviets were merciful, the small kids would have been allowed to be homeless and fend for themselves. But they would have been prohibited from college--even high school--as well as any good jobs.

It was a shock to many kids taken in by poor relatives when they were 1 and 2 to find out they were class enemies when they were 16 and 18 or 22, and dealt with accordingly. Many a poor relative was shocked to find out that they were also class enemies and dealt with accordingly.

Even if the kids managed to survive in penury, often *their* kids were treated as class enemies.

Spitefulness and a thirst for bloody revenge, that. Amazing what "class consciousness" does. Of course, most of whose who were proper proletarians, the first chance they got, were no better. Much of their "class consciousness" was simple greed and envy, not a quest for economic justice. Just revenge masquerading as justice.

The Soviet experiment's blood lust for its first 30 years or so makes Hitler look like small fry--and that counts the years of the NEP, when Lenin realized that the "parasites" that "didn't create jobs" were necessary to create wealth and jobs because his apparatus couldn't. For that, it took a Stalin.

[sabrina 1]

57. They don't mind sending the Sheriff to people's houses to throw

them out of their homes. They got bailed out when they screwed up. Then they were supposed to help people who lost their jobs, or husbands, or had a temporary financial set-back to re-modify their loans to an affordable rate until they got back on their feet.

The Special Tarp Inspector has verified that the funds that were supposed to be used for that purpose, 'helping out Main St.' have mostly not been used by the Banks to help out homeowners.

They are refusing to even respond to people applying for remodifications, and coldly and callously ripping people's lives apart when they send the law to throw them out of their homes.

I have a friend who just went through this. Millions of Americans are being fore-closed on by these bankers, as they use taxpayer money to reward themselves with big bonuses. These people are heartless. You cannot appeal to their better nature, as they don't have any.

I think they are lucky, certainly a lot luckier than the people whose homes they have taken, that all they have to deal with are some people peacefully protesting outside their homes. No one is taking away their homes are they?

I can't find it in my heart to sympathize with these people, and I usually can be sympathetic to almost anyone. But after watching my friend go through what she did, trying to get one of them to even talk to her, after her husband who was a Veteran died, I have as much sympathy for them as they had for her. I KNOW they are heartless and believe they are better than the rest of us.

You seem like a very nice person, but it is the poor people who have suffered so much loss who deserve sympathy imo.

[Hosnon]

75. I applaud the technique. The bankers' decisions impact lives in a very personal way.

Why should they be exempt from the effects of their own decisions?

[notesdev]

128. Normally I would agree...

but you and I cannot find relief from banksters' depredations when we sequester ourselves at home, and thus in this particular case it is appropriate. If it was just bad business practices, that would be one thing, but these people are actively engaged in undermining the very idea of representative government. Well, let them see what happens (to the rest of us) when the government does not do its job.

[elias49]

24. Bravo!!!

[donheld]

27. This is long long overdue.

[lunasun]

28. Where were the tea baggers??

I thought they were all about fiscal responsibility . But no rage for the private financial world - just the government? Makes no sense.

Nice to see real people really protesting against some of the true powers that be.

Not some 1 dimensional futuristic joker neo nazi muslim picket sign board cartoon.
It's not funny what would have gotten more coverage in DC for real.

[rpannier]

30. They were busy holding a protest rally against

food inspection (probably) and government intrusion in BP (most likely)

[lunasun]

37. Yeah I read all the rants about ...why isn't Obama

doing more/taking control re: the BP spill ? I think a lot of citizens don't want the government involved or to have to pay for it!
Surprised they actually haven't protested yet the government's limited role so far in BP as just too much from Obama.

[Enthusiast]

71. It makes no sense because

they are astro turf only. Real Teabaggers have been duped but they don't realize it. Their actions are being directed by corporate interests, they are puppets. It's pathetic. Maybe they will wake up one day.

[rpannier]

29. Of course this has received round the clock coverage on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, et al

Yeah...right

Silly me.

It isn't a bunch of republicans

[alp227]

33. Nice! Keep it up! But "angry mob"?

That language choice implies violence, I think. The author should've chosen nicer language.

[elleng]

65. Agreed. but 'nicer language?'

How about, 'accurate' language. I also object to calling this 'class warfare.' Is this 'journalism' or something else, like 'jingoism.' (term?) 'Yellow' journalism?

[Igel]

116. Don't know about that.

"Take back our power to use the government as our tool to promote the common good, correct the injustices of the past, and redistribute resources equitably and sustainably."

I tend to think that the bankers aren't considered to be part of the "common" good; that the bankers' wealth and power is an injustice to be corrected; and that their resources are to be equitably and sustainably redistributed (which I take to mean "given to the protesters and those the protesters empathize with").

Of course, they're also a corporation, as is the SEIU. So when they say "no corporate" influence, they don't mean it. They really mean "no corporate influence we disagree with." I suspect they could even find for-profit corporations they agree with, so I won't draw the line there.

On edit: The first quote is from their website. http://www.npa-us.org/whois.html

[annm4peace]

36. Help those who go out and protest

If you can't join them then contribute a little money.

It takes money to print of flyers, make those posters, etc.

and if there are arrests they definately need money to pay the fines.

[defendandprotect]

38. k

[unabelladonna]

39. let's hope this starts a trend..

find out the names of the garbage, then picket/protest in front of their homes.

[bjobotts]

41. They've made it personal. People lost their life savings and their homes

[bjobotts]

42. These corrupt greedy uncaring bastards should be "shunned", not allowed to hide behind their childre

[hulka38]

46. Banker makes enough money to set himself and his family up for generations

by screwing people and gets a few dozen protestors on his lawn. And now it's called class warfare. Excuse me if I'm not excited by this.

[Hulk]

47. This should have been happening YEARS AGO!!

...but we need to keep it up! I'd join in a heartbeat if I knew what was going on. This country needs to get off it's complacent ass and stand up for our rights. They do it in Europe...we need to take a lesson! Even if it means upsetting people.

[butterfly77]

90. I'm right there with you..

I thought this would start happening last year. I guess they are now feeling the pinch with bills,foreclosures,etc..

[madriver]

51. Banks=the new Mafia

Would you let the Mob, responsible for horrendous crimes and devastation of communities, hide behind their children?

Does it not occur to you that these kids LEARN from their fathers that this sociopath behavior is acceptable, and thus
creates a new generation of even more dangerous and treacherous white collar criminals? These kids have the best of the
best. Why would they want to give that up unless they understand that illegal behavior has consequences far and wide?

[McCamy Taylor]

55. Go America!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

56. It really does feel like

"Let 'em eat cake" time in the United States of America.:thumbsdown:

[David__77]

58. Excellent idea. The class struggle needs to be multilateral and comprehensive.

The actual string pullers should not be allowed to remain without the spotlight of contempt and exposure.

[elleng]

63. How nice of Huffington to label this as 'class warfare;' just what we need!

[Hekate]

64. He "tried to blend in with the crowd"? roflmao. SIEU did this? GO UNIONS!

Wonderful, and about time.

Hekate

[Enthusiast]

67. When these crowds reach

hundreds of thousands we will have real change.

[orbitalman]

76. WE need to Bring Them DOWN. nt

[RainDog]

79. YES! hope this is just the beginning.

[butterfly77]

81. kick,kick,kick &recommend

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[certainot]

85. good on them, they ought to try the limbaugh megastation too

which were essential tools for selling the whole GOP deregulation agenda and lead the obstruction by creating the misinformed poor-people-for-billionaires cnstituency.

[Dappleganger]

86. These bankers made FORTUNES betting against the odds of people failing.

KNOWING that they would probably foreclose, they bet on those odds and used the proceeds to buy their big houses, cars, private education, college funds, expensive vacations.

FUCK THEM and their privacy. If they don't want to be in the public, let them buy an island somewhere.

[joeglow3]

87. GREAT. But where was the SEIU and others during health reform

They let the lobbyists rape us on that bill.

[Jefferson23]

89. My idea of YES WE CAN!!!!!!!! Applause, applause :)

:yourock: :applause:



















:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Bonhomme Richard]

92. Was this even on the news? First I heard of it.

Glad to hear of it.

[KansDem]

93. "...to demand banks stop lobbying against Wall Street reform."

Isn't this a lot like rapists lobbying against toughening penalties for rape?

[drm604]

94. K&R

Good for them. :applause:

Notice that it was a neighbor who outed him to the crowd. What does that tell you?

This kind of pressure will be very hard for them to live with.

[madmax]

96. Fantastic K & R

[Name removed]

99. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FailureToCommunicate]

101. "You people" ? No need to get defensive. Perhaps develop your argument more.

This is what we do here.

(Still glad you joined DU?)

[MIprogressive1]

102. It just bothers the hell out of me that everyone posting does not care what their families

might be going through! We are suppose to be the compassionate ones and that is not how anyone is acting in these posts.

[No Elephants]

108. You're right. You're the only poster on this thread who has any heart whatever.

:sarcasm:

BTW, how many kids does this guy have and what grades are they in?

BTW, why did you register two similar screen names?

[progressoid]

110. At some point his family will find out that their father figure is a money grubbing pig

If they don't know it by now, they are either stupid or blind. But more likeley they do know it and are completely supportive of his raping ways.

[joeglow3]

127. Expect the other side to continue doing it as well

I am disgusted at what they did. However, it appears much of what they did was legal. I agree we should change the law.

That said, I can think of another hot button issue for those on the right. They like to go to residences of people performing a completely act because THEY find it reprehensible.

[mbperrin]

117. This is your idea of compassion? To quote your post above,

"If you people dont care about their families that took no part in his companies decisions

then i dont care about your family! "


Looks like tit for tat to me. Go ahead and turn that cheek.

[laughingliberal]

115. The banksters have already invaded a lot of our homes.

In fact, they have seized a lot of our homes with no concern about our families sleeping in cars and wherever else. They took our money to bail themselves out and played games with the money given to them to help homeowners and did not help anyone but themselves. My family was protested and harassed by RW reactionary groups in the 60's. My parents were able to send me to stay with relatives while tensions were at their highest. I'm sure the banksters have the resources to sufficiently shield their families if they perceive a threat.

[Igel]

118. Good imitation of Kohlberg Level 2.

(Kohlberg's little hierarchy of moral development. A lot of people on political sites act like they're at Level 5 or even 6, but often enough are dead-ringers for Level 1, 2, or 3.)

I'm assuming it's an imitation from what you said before.

And, no, while I think Kohlberg's full of it--such hierarchies typically apply poorly to individuals because they tend to adjust their "level" fairly frequently and don't necessarily even spend most of their time at any one--I still think it's a handy metric, sort of lumping features and traits that tend to co-occur.

[fascisthunter]

121. bullshit... what's heartless is how these rich people and their kids have no fucking clue

as to how pissed people really are and how much destruction the banksters have wrought upon us all. It's time WE THE PEOPLE told them in front of their love ones what bastards they are, and that we hold the the bankers responsible. Their families need to see this. EVERYONE DOES!!!!

[notesdev]

139. Their families get the benefits

Why should they not see the downside to the luxury lifestyles they enjoy?

[cap]

146. I went to prep school with a lot of rich kids ...

they had the same ignorant or callous attitudes as their parents. Time for the kids to get exposed to another side of life.

You would not believe how ignorant these people are. And I am being kind. Like getting on a bus and thinking an African American bus driver is the coolest thing they ever saw. I'm sure the guy was a nice guy but ordinary mortals would not have seen anything way cool about him. These kids never knew what was outside their very small, privileged world.

So, I have no great pity for the kids. These kids grow up to be bankers.

[olegramps]

103. These bastards are no different than the Mafia Monsters.

They rob people of their livelihood by out-sourcing their jobs, throw them out of the homes in order to confiscate them, engage in downright loan sharking, are compulsive liars and live in gated palaces where their families are insulated from the evil that they perform on a daily basis.

These people are absolutely without a conscience just like the gangsters that break people's legs when the fall behind in their payments. They are no different than the extortionists that preyed on small businesses. The Sopranos have nothing on these people. While they literally rob people for a living, their wifes attend the latest phony charity ball and their brats are being trained to be as heartless as the corrupt parents.

You want justice? Then tax them at 70% or more and impose inheritance taxes that will get back the money they stole so they can't enrich the next generation of vicious criminals.

[No Elephants]

104. Something about this does not pass the smell test.

I can understand people demonstrating against banks and their foreclosures and predatory practices.

But union members demonstra5ing that banks should stop lobbying against a pretty tame "reform" bill?

That sounds like someone is trying to make the bill seem tougher than it is.

Then again, nothing these folks were quoted as saying was about the "reform" bill.

Maybe that's the spin of Huffpo's headline writer?

[yurbud]

109. finally people get it. the pols are just puppets--go for the guys pulling the strings

[raccoon]

154. Well said! nt

[ooglymoogly]

111. Wow! some little blowback from being led, by the nosering, down the garden path

to a subservient slave populace, peeling grapes for the rich while peddling hard for their energy needs to run their plastic, thousand candle chandeliers, in their Versailles knockoff ballrooms. Folks are finally waking up to who have bought them on the slave block for a song, a bogus promise and some worthless funny money or won them in an illegal crapshoot; Constitution be damned.

[madmax]

113. Outstanding K&R

[Phlem]

114. Beautiful

I only wish I could have been there.

-p

[fascisthunter]

120. People are Fed Up with Our GOvernment's Inability to Hold People Accountable

so this is what happens, and I am all for it at this point. Expecting this government and the rich to listen is like hoping for the tooth fairy... the game is rigged and people know it, so they are taking these issues in their own hands to show the banker bastards that although our government has done shit about their gambling away our country's future, people are pissed beyond what the mass media tells everyone.

Time for the people to rise up...

[hamsterjill]

147. I agree!

I hope these protests are peaceful, but I think it's time that the "common people" showed the greedy that we aren't going to simply get screwed over and over again and do absolutely nothing about it.

Perhaps if one or two of these bankers feel a little bit uncomfortable for a while, the next one down the line might think twice before stealing billions. Although I doubt that a few protestors would quell the greed, at least it's a show of unity, and the bankers will know that they are not invisible.

[Abq_Sarah]

156. Maybe if people started protesting

In front of their representatives homes, they'd get the message.

[adigal]

122. I am going to look up this group

and try to join them. Here is their action site:

http://showdowninamerica.org/

[SoapBox]

123. Funny how the article says "Class Warfare"...

...the Clowns and Thieves at these companies (Wall Street types, etc.) almost brought down the World, but
when average people protest, now it's "class warfare." It just struck me as odd...

Maybe, "Americans BURNED by Robber Barons, Protest at their Mansions"

Maybe?

[peacetalksforall]

126. Civil protest is in order because these people get a free ticket from enforcement

entities, government leaders, and the media. We let three of them know what we think, but we especially let the creator of the abuses know our displeasure. They desire comfort. I think it's OK to let them know they are not faceless predators.

We also need to do more to promote the good corporatons and their leaders by learning who they are and making choinces to use them. Ed Schultz can get some commendation for plugging at this.

[boycottfaux]

129. RW Outraged

I don't understand why the RW is outraged that protesters
gathered outside the home of the bank lobbyist . .

The RW doesn't get outraged when protesters gather at the
homes of physicians who provide medical procedures for women!!

[fatbuckel]

130. Glad to see people doing instead of just talking....

[leftstreet]

132. K&R

[defendandprotect]

135. kick --

[perdita9]

136. I hope the Mainstream media covers this

Maybe the anti-banker people could staple tea bags all over themselves. That might get them some attention.

[avaistheone1]

142. Bless the protesters.

They are speaking for hundreds of millions of us.

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[lovuian]

150. Out of Lambs will come Lions

they have ROARED
:)

[inna]

152. Class warfare has been dismally unilateral (pro-ruling class, that is). eom