Mainstream media will have you think not, but just since yesterday Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, and as I write this, Susan Sarandon have joined the forces. The livestream of what is going on is here.
Their website. I am heading there this afternoon. It’s the closest thing in this country to anything that is trying to stop what we all know has been going on for a long time.
The NYC cop who pepper-sprayed female protesters has been identified–Anthony V. Bologna. Here are links to call for his firing.
Hi Greg,
A question asked totally out of ignorance & curiosity: is there a program? Like, are there specific/concrete things the protesters are calling for?
Hi Tadd,
Many people want many things, but it seems like what they (we) want is for corporations to stop running the world. Ho-hum you may say, but in a nutshell that’s it. Some of the more leading voices down there want the Federal Reserve to be abolished. It’s in a very rough draft form, but unlike writers, I think protesters need to show their rough drafts, otherwise there will be no protest.
But also I don’t see any end point to this protests. They are the kinds of things that will go on for years, because of the unlikelyhood of any demands being met. The point is people are doing something.
But of course a deeper depression will draw people out into the streets, as this viral video can attest (and this is a greedy trader talking):
http://www.edrants.com/occupy-wall-street-was-the-nypd-authorized-to-pepper-spray-peaceful-observers/
Ed Champion’s video and dissection of proper pepper spray use here in interesting.
That said, the “debt=slavery” sign that the– my guess– a solidly middle class NYU hippy student is carrying makes me cringe.
There’s only one way to find out if she is. 2/3 train to Fulton.
It’s not a joke. Student loan debt is $ trillion. For all but a few it’s that or the army, which is paid for at the expense of all who aren’t enlisted. Democracy Now! has had good coverage. Amy Goodman is one of the smartest newscasters hands down. You can get it on cable, satellite, iPhone app, podcast, roku. This is growing and not going away anytime soon. Why should Obama take all the heat? One of the major protests is the connection between Washington and Wall St, which makes jokes of elections, democracy, and free speech. Protesting the eat didn’t do much, but this is different. Markets are vulnerable and loans can be negotiated (too many people have lost jobs, homes, healthcare, pensions – too big to fail?)
Lordy…that was supposed to be “protesting the war didn’t do much.”. I blame autocorrect.
Hear, hear. The latest is they will stay through winter. I’m sure they will be there until Thanksgiving. I also wouldn’t be surprised if somehow some hedge fund fuckfaces are skimming something off the top of those student loans.
Yes! Thanks for the links, Greg. I wish I could make it down there for a day.
Thanks Dawn! Spreading the word via the net will help.