Wall Street Protests

[orcus116]

Dailymail

What about them? They have pictures from the protest in NYC.

I know what you mean but that's a terribly unreliable source of news. I do happen to agree that they don't look like the type of people who make very good life decisions but never met any so can't really judge.

[AcidLameLTE]

I remember the time the Daily Mail was a good news source.

Good one, right?

What kind of paper are they? The only UK sites I see links to (i.e. google news and other forums) are Daily Mail and the Guardian.

Not a very good one. The UK doesn't have very many good newspapers though.

The BBC website is probably one of the best sources of news, in my opinion. They have some photos from the protest:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15160346

[orcus116]

Richard Roeper sums my thoughts up:

https://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/8135629-452/how-exactly-will-occupy-wall-street-protesters-succeed.html

I'm particularly fascinated by the student loans thing because I myself am working on paying mine off. Sure I didn't start off with a job I got in a degree in but by the time I needed to start paying the loans off I went out and got something just to tide me over while I looked for a real job. I made $10 an hour, only working anywhere between 20-25 hours a week but I got my bills paid by the end of the month. Sure I didn't like it but I did it and I know these types of jobs are out there. Sure you can get pissed that entry level job in whatever degree you got isn't available yet but it wouldn't hurt to actually better yourself and at least attempt to get yourself out of whatever hole you're in. Some issues they bring up make some sense but as far as personal debt goes that's your responsibility. Don't act like you didn't know how much stuff like higher education was going to cost before you decided on it, you did. Own up to it.

[AcidLameLTE]

Sure enjoying that free higher education right now.

Yeah, it's pretty much the only good thing about Scotland. I didn't take out any student loans either so the only debt I have is about £700 in my overdraft.

[orcus116]

Must be nice. And don't get me wrong, I feel the price of a college education is outrageous but in the end it was my choice to go to a  private university (which is essentially a business when you think about it). State schools are a bit much still even though they are on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Feeling entitled to completely eliminating tens of thousands of dollars in debt when you knew it was coming all along just seems a bit silly to me.

[zxlkho]

I'm paying $30,000 a year for a public school... Out of state prices are ridiculous.

[Super Dude]

Let me just be up front and honest: is there anything wrong with joining the protest just because you believe in economic and political justice? Must there be some personal grievance to address for the protest to be legitimate? Not everyone who participated in the civil rights movement of the 60s was a victim of segregation or racial discrimination.

[Perpetual Change]

Must be nice. And don't get me wrong, I feel the price of a college education is outrageous but in the end it was my choice to go to a  private university (which is essentially a business when you think about it). State schools are a bit much still even though they are on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Feeling entitled to completely eliminating tens of thousands of dollars in debt when you knew it was coming all along just seems a bit silly to me.

Yeah. I get where your coming from here more than on the "shoulda picked a different major thing". This is kinda reflective of the clout of the protesters and college kids in general today. Kids think they can major in whatever they want, and the be immediately entitled to an entry level job in their field. That's just not how it works. It might be easier to find a cubicle somewhere with a major in computers or business these days, but most of the time people with college educations have to make themselves versatile and sellable and even work at things not completely related to their major for awhile and it's always been that way. I don't doubt at all that right now there's a few future novelists out there who simply aren't willing to take that unpaid internship writing for a newspaper or minimum wage job editing an online magazine because the perfect they haven't gotten paid to write the next "Twilight" yet.

That said, it remains to be annoying how everyone keeps assuming everyone at the protest is unemployed and doesn't want to be employed.

[bosk1]

That said, it remains to be annoying how everyone keeps assuming everyone at the protest is unemployed and doesn't want to be employed.

Well if they were employed, they've probably been fired by now for not coming to work for a week or so.  So, yeah. 

[snapple]

I'm paying $30,000 a year for a public school... Out of state prices are ridiculous.

I've known a few people who live near me who have housed people just to let them get in-state tuition. I think in Michigan it's six-months. The price is almost triple for out of state at MSU/UM I believe.

I think college prices are ridiculous, but I agree 100% with orcus' post.

[Perpetual Change]

That said, it remains to be annoying how everyone keeps assuming everyone at the protest is unemployed and doesn't want to be employed.

Well if they were employed, they've probably been fired by now for not coming to work for a week or so.  So, yeah. 

Maybe the people camping out and stuff, but I was under the impression that the protests are more like a revolving door. People seem to be coming and going. I have a friend who's been heading over to protest after work and on days off. He works in a managerial position, too. I'd try and see if a network has managed to catch a photo of him but I doubt it, because he looks way to much like a normal guy.

[PraXis]

I'm paying $30,000 a year for a public school... Out of state prices are ridiculous.

I've known a few people who live near me who have housed people just to let them get in-state tuition. I think in Michigan it's six-months. The price is almost triple for out of state at MSU/UM I believe.

I think college prices are ridiculous, but I agree 100% with orcus' post.

You should report them for defrauding the taxpayers of your state.

[snapple]

I'm paying $30,000 a year for a public school... Out of state prices are ridiculous.

I've known a few people who live near me who have housed people just to let them get in-state tuition. I think in Michigan it's six-months. The price is almost triple for out of state at MSU/UM I believe.

I think college prices are ridiculous, but I agree 100% with orcus' post.

You should report them for defrauding the taxpayers of your state.

Why? They need a place to stay for 6 months to become legal citizens of the state of Michigan. Not being charged rent doesn't mean they're evading taxes. They're not evading taxes.

[Sigz]

Yeah, they're not defrauding anyone if they actually are living in the state for the required amount of time. 6 months seems really low though, here in CA it's three years.

[zxlkho]

I think it's a year here in Virginia. I just got my own apartment this year, so hopefully I'll be paying instate tuition next year. It's like 50% less I think.


Anyway, I didn't mean to take this thread off topic.

[snapple]

I think it's a year here in Virginia. I just got my own apartment this year, so hopefully I'll be paying instate tuition next year. It's like 50% less I think.


Anyway, I didn't mean to take this thread off topic.

It's all relevant.

[Perpetual Change]

Looks like a riot squads just circled and arrested a bunch of veterans in Boston. Apparently, HUNDREDS of riot police are out there and circling the protesters. Hope this doesn't get too serious. St. Louis seems to be having an easier time, even though they're just doing the same thing.

[orcus116]

Interesting. Boston's always been really strict/wary about large crowds ever since some people got killed at the Red Sox riots back in 2004. Surprised it took them this long.

[Perpetual Change]

This stuff is starting to go beyond "protest". I mean, it's not "white-collar white dude protesting on the mall", it's more like, "protest you'd expect a nation with a 10+ percent (?) unemployment rate and ridiculous gap in wealth distribution to have."

[antigoon]

Apparently the Seattle, Atlanta and San Francisco protests were also simultaneously hit last night.

[Super Dude]

If we're forced to go back to BAU this early into the protest movement, I'll have lost all hope for political efficacy.

[Chino]

If we're forced to go back to BAU this early into the protest movement, I'll have lost all hope for political efficacy.

BAU?

[7StringedBeast]

Protesters are now going to go protest outside of rich people's homes in upper Manhattan. https://money.cnn.com/2011/10/10/news/economy/occupy_wall_street_protest/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1

Really?

[Perpetual Change]

I don't support that behavior at all but, again, I think this is the reality the US faces with a broken economy, huge gap between the poor and wealthy, high unemployment rate, and political system that's not willing to meet the issues on people's minds head-on. Frankly, the more I think about it the more I think it's a miracle protests have been so tame this far and I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner.

[Super Dude]

If we're forced to go back to BAU this early into the protest movement, I'll have lost all hope for political efficacy.

BAU?

Business-As-Usual. The abbreviation itself is used more in discussions of carbon emissions but what the hell.

Also an interesting little thing from Paul Krugman (I know all of like two people on the forum actually like him but whatever:) https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/opinion/panic-of-the-plutocrats.html?_r=1

[Chino]

I'm all for causing chaos in the cities, but stay away from people houses. Thats just going to lead to someone eventually damaging property. Someone is going to to something stupid like throw a moltav cocktail through someone's living room window, then all hell will break loose.

[7StringedBeast]

The protest should move to Washington and be focused there.  They should drop the I'm jealous of the people who makes lots of money BS too.  They should be protesting for getting money out of government decisions.  Get corporate money out of politics.  Reform campaigning making it illegal for candidates to accept donations from corporations... and to end lobbying supported by loads of cash.

Those are the real problems with where we are at.  The fact is, these people earned their money.  Certain people become rich while others do not.  That is life.  If we all started back at 0 dollars for everyone, the same certain people would rise to the top again and make money, because that's what they do.  They are that type of person.

If anything, the protestors should be asking for CEO's / the uber rich, to pay their employees more if they can afford to.

[Super Dude]

The protest should move to Washington and be focused there.  They should drop the I'm jealous of the people who makes lots of money BS too.  They should be protesting for getting money out of government decisions.  Get corporate money out of politics.  Reform campaigning making it illegal for candidates to accept donations from corporations... and to end lobbying supported by loads of cash.

Those are the real problems with where we are at.  The fact is, these people earned their money.  Certain people become rich while others do not.  That is life.  If we all started back at 0 dollars for everyone, the same certain people would rise to the top again and make money, because that's what they do.  They are that type of person.

If anything, the protestors should be asking for CEO's / the uber rich, to pay their employees more if they can afford to.

Well no, see I thought the whole point was that they're protesting socio-economic inequality because it leads to all of those things. And I see no problem with staying on Wall Street as long as there's also a protest in Washington. Spread them across the country, that old chestnut.

And actually I don't think it's anything inherent in the 1% that made them wealthy, unless you mean their propensity to turn money into more money from speculation and the like. And I'm not saying I'm some class warrior or anything; my family's modestly wealthy and we worked hard for that. But there are plenty of people in a much higher economic bracket that do get their money in unfair or not entirely great ways, such as stock market manipulation and stuff. And I'm not saying everyone in that 1% did that, but those who did should be getting their just desserts.

[7StringedBeast]

So basically they just want socialism?  They just feel they deserve more money now?  That is total crap.  Why does my generation feel so entitled to having everything given to them? 

Are these people asking for the rich to write them all checks?  I mean this is absurd.  If their motivation isn't political, then they are just whining and bitching.  All the while tweeting and facebooking from their damn iPhones. 

There just seems to be a huge disconnect here.

[Perpetual Change]

The protest should move to Washington and be focused there.  They should drop the I'm jealous of the people who makes lots of money BS too.  They should be protesting for getting money out of government decisions.  Get corporate money out of politics.  Reform campaigning making it illegal for candidates to accept donations from corporations... and to end lobbying supported by loads of cash.

Those are the real problems with where we are at.  The fact is, these people earned their money.  Certain people become rich while others do not.  That is life.  If we all started back at 0 dollars for everyone, the same certain people would rise to the top again and make money, because that's what they do.  They are that type of person.

If anything, the protestors should be asking for CEO's / the uber rich, to pay their employees more if they can afford to.

There's nothing wrong at all with your objections to the protests. The protesters shouldn't do those things.

But the fact that they're willing to means quite a bit for where this country stands right now, and where it could be going. I think everyone should consider that for a little bit.

[7StringedBeast]

However these protests are a really small minority of our country actually out there protesting.  Just because they are screaming the loudest does not mean they actually represent 99% of the people out there.

[livehard]

So basically they just want socialism?  They just feel they deserve more money now?  That is total crap.  Why does my generation feel so entitled to having everything given to them?

BINGO.  And this is why I think there are serious character flaws in those in the democratic party.  I believe they are inheritely spoiled.  My great grandfather came over when he was a little boy, alone, uneducated, and made himself a great life- the definition of the american dream.  He would be sickened by the liberal's philosophy of "I deserve this" or "look what someone else has".  He didn't worry about what was missing, or what the other guy was getting paid, he simply said "times are tough, Im going to work hard" and thats what he did.

These modern liberals are spoiled in my opinion.  The simply want things that aren't theirs.  Go out and make your own life.  Its gonna take a shitload of work, and its going to be tough.  Thats just the way it is.

[Perpetual Change]

Your grandfather's hardwork probably didn't get funneled into two pointless wars and two equally expensive unfair bailouts.

[Super Dude]

Your grandfather's hardwork probably didn't get funneled into two pointless wars and two equally expensive unfair bailouts.

This. I hate to play this card, but my grandfather came to this country under the same circumstances but as a Holocaust survivor. He has voted Democrat in every single election since Ike (or JFK, I'm not sure when he got his citizenship). He believes in hard work too, but he will be the first to tell you this country's gone to shit, and why. And it's not because of people complaining about entitlements.

[livehard]

Your grandfather's hardwork probably didn't get funneled into two pointless wars and two equally expensive unfair bailouts.

NO! because we were living in a free market!

March on DC people!