Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 09:07 AM
Original message |
Wall St. Protests are Nothing New.....What matters is if Democratic Pols pick up the ball |
|
Edited on Wed Oct-05-11 09:09 AM by Armstead
The Wall St. (and elsewhere) protests are great. But they're nothing new.
Remember the protests -- especially the Battle in Seattle -- of the late 1990's for example, that were trying to draw attention to the then-emerging Free Trade Con Job?
Those were very similar in the cause and message to what is happenong now -- especially the growing concentration of corporate wealth and power, and the unwillingness of the political system to stop that.
But Bill Clinton and the other "centrist" Democrats either ignored or deliberately marginalized the message of the protests. They joined in the media portrayals of them as naive hippie leftists or dangerous anarchists.
Because the politicians turned their backs, we got the Race to the Bottom,,,Everything Made in Foreign Sweatshops.....Free Trade on Steroids....MORE Corporate power.....etc. Etc. Etc
The Big Question today is how the Democratic Party and its politicians respond to the same message and warnings. Will they do another DLC/Clinton and just ignore and help to marginalize the causes for the protests? Will they join the Big Media in characterizing them as naive and silly...or destructive?
OR will they actually help to legitimize the message of the protestors, and help to point out the socially and economically destructive forces that are the real causes of our problems?
The protestors are doing their part to shift the dialogue. Now the ball is in the court of President Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party to support their message and actually bring into the mainstream political debate and translate it into policy that actually supports the "other 99 percent."
|
xchrom
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 09:09 AM
Response to Original message |
monmouth
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 09:58 AM
Response to Original message |
2. I'd like to hear the President at least incorporate the OWS people |
|
in one of his speeches, their reasoning behind their occupation and his "understanding" of their plight. Of course it would work...
|
formercia
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 10:56 AM
Response to Original message |
3. I want to see the Pols get in line with everyone else. |
|
This is our Revolution, not theirs. If they want to participate, they can make a sign and join the march.
Put on them walkin' shoes, Baby.
|
tcaudilllg
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 11:09 AM
Response to Original message |
|
This is sustained disobedience. This is sustained obstruction of the system. Granted it's not got to that point yet, but it's headed that way.
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 12:48 AM
Response to Reply #4 |
13. What the hell do youvthink the Fat Cats have been doing for years? |
|
Sustained disobdience and obstruction of the democratic system.
|
tcaudilllg
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 01:16 PM
Response to Reply #13 |
25. That's what I love about the protests: they are democratic but |
|
Edited on Thu Oct-06-11 01:17 PM by tcaudilllg
they deny the legitimacy of Tea Party views. And they should.
Progressive democracy works... national democracy does not.
|
Moostache
(905 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 12:04 PM
Response to Original message |
5. The Party will not come within 10 miles of getting involved. |
|
They fear Fox News so much that they pressure their own appointees to pull off the highway and send in resignations from the goddamn road to avoid negative coverage....you think that they are going to DARE be seen with the protestors or worse (for them anyway) actually go down their an TALK to the crowds, and get the message directly??? Yeah, Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight....that will happen real soon...((sarcasm))
The Democratic Party of the past MIGHT have been a player in this movement, but I invite anyone hoping that is still the case to sit down, hold your breath and wait...I am guaranteeing you that you will pass out looooooooooooooooooong before the DLC/Third Way crowd embrace the OWS movement. The only way the party gets involved is with new party leadership that is willing to ally itself with the people and not the power brokers and monied elites or campaign slave masters (they really do not DONATE anything, they EXTORT control in exchange for pennies on the dollar of economic consequence of their 'issues'....)
|
Mr Deltoid
(694 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 01:17 PM
Response to Reply #5 |
7. They will wait til a side is clearly winning |
|
...then step in, 'On the side of history.'
They are part of the problem. They are entrenched in the system, and thus paralyzed. Change will have to come from outside the system.
|
a simple pattern
(426 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 12:22 PM
Response to Original message |
chill_wind
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 02:18 PM
Response to Original message |
8. Numerous pol statements coming out here: |
|
Edited on Wed Oct-05-11 02:20 PM by chill_wind
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 12:50 AM
Response to Reply #8 |
14. Those are the ones who would come out...Now what is needed are some others. |
Yavin4
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 02:25 PM
Response to Original message |
9. Why Do You Want The Dems Involved? |
|
The protests are fighting for reform, no matter what party joins in.
We keep letting party politics interfere with the agenda. The labor and civil rights movements didn't give a damn about parties when they were protesting and marching.
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:56 AM
Response to Reply #9 |
24. I agree about the distractions, but we need Reverse Reaganism too |
|
The rifht wing moved from The fringes to dominate politics -- and the economy and everything else -- and handed the power to the weakthy and powerful because the GOP and Reagan carried the ball for them in the political sphere.
We need a similar political movement in the opposite direction, to channel the message and goals of the protests, so it doesn't simply be a glorified form of impotent venting.
|
chill_wind
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 02:36 PM
Response to Original message |
10. WH Staff Chief Bill Daley: 'Not Sure' If Occupy Wall St. Protests Are Helpful |
|
Daley 'Not Sure' If Occupy Wall St. Protests Are Helpful http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/902
|
Guy Whitey Corngood
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 02:38 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
Avalux
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Wed Oct-05-11 02:41 PM
Response to Original message |
12. It's not necessary for politicians to be involved. The protestors will be legitimized |
|
by our numbers, persistence and goal to shift the status quo.
WE will influence the politicians by our actions.
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:50 AM
Response to Reply #12 |
23. I hope so.....But politicians ultimately have to carry the ball to make supportive policies |
quaker bill
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 05:45 AM
Response to Original message |
|
When the pols pick up the ball, the game changes from protest into political campaign. It is far too soon. Politics needs to the changed by the protest instead of the protest being changed into politics. No, the ball is not yet in the court of President Obama, not even close. Nothing about OWS has created any sort of national emergency that the President must attend to. He is already pushing a jobs bill that includes raising the taxes on the 1%'ers.
When the movement gets large enough that a general strike threatens the overall economy, then the President would have to act, the ball would then be in his court. OWS is not close to this threshold yet.
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:02 AM
Original message |
They can support their Message, which is ultimately mainstream, but needs unity |
|
The biggest hinderence is the feeling of isolation and powerlessness many people feel. IF the WH and otger pols actually showed and started proving support, it would do a lot to makevinto an actual pilitical force.....much like the GOP did with the right wkng over the years
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:02 AM
Response to Reply #15 |
18. They can support their Message, which is ultimately mainstream, but needs unity |
|
The biggest hinderence is the feeling of isolation and powerlessness many people feel. IF the WH and otger pols actually showed and started proving support, it would do a lot to makevinto an actual pilitical force.....much like the GOP did with the right wkng over the years
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:02 AM
Response to Reply #15 |
|
Edited on Thu Oct-06-11 09:04 AM by Armstead
My machine went haywire
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:02 AM
Response to Reply #15 |
|
Edited on Thu Oct-06-11 09:04 AM by Armstead
|
mother earth
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:25 AM
Response to Reply #15 |
22. but needs to be. I agree. |
Enrique
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 07:33 AM
Response to Original message |
16. they're going after Bank of America |
|
Durbin is telling people to close their accounts, which is a very strong move imo. it reminds me of one of the best things Obama has done, also involving Bank of America, right after he got elected he took a stand against Bank of America in the Republic Windows case. He didn't do anything official, he just took the side of the workers and called out Bank of America, and BOA ended up giving the protesters what they wanted. I think that's how it could end up this time, with BOA dropping their new fee.
|
Armstead
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 08:58 AM
Response to Reply #16 |
17. Two Words -- Credit Union |
|
If a significant number of people moved their money from the robber banks into credit unions, that would be a big startl
|
mother earth
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Thu Oct-06-11 09:24 AM
Response to Original message |
21. OWS is not going to be enough, it's nice that this is |
|
spreading, it shows a united 99%, but more action needs to follow & evolve.
|
DU
AdBot (1000+ posts) |
Thu May 09th 2024, 01:29 PM
Response to Original message |