Robert Reich: The Occupiers' Responsive Chord

Robert Reich: The Occupiers' Responsive Chord: "As importantly, the movement has already changed the public debate in America.

Consider, for example, last week's Congressional Budget Office report on widening disparities of income in America. It was hardly news -- it's already well known that the top 1 percent now gets 20 percent of the nation's income, up from 9 percent in the late 1970s.

But it's the first time such news made the front page of the nation's major newspapers.

Why? Because for the first time in more than half a century, a broad cross-section of the American public is talking about the concentration of income, wealth, and political power at the top.

Score a big one for the Occupiers."

'via Blog this'

Jonathan Weiler: The Republican War on Reality

Jonathan Weiler: The Republican War on Reality: "Earlier this year, critics jumped on Senator John Kyl when he falsely asserted that over 90 percent of Planned Parenthood's services related to "terminating pregnancies." The actual figure is far lower, but as is typical of Republican elites these days, Kyl certainly wasn't going to admit that he actually made a mistake. Doing so has itself become anathema to the modern right. Instead, Kyl's office clarified that the Senator's remark was "not intended to be a factual statement." "Not intended to be a factual statement" drew howls of derision and became an instant classic among pop cultural references. "

'via Blog this'

Tech-Savvy Occupy Protesters Use Cellphone Video, Social Networking To Publicize Police Abuse

Tech-Savvy Occupy Protesters Use Cellphone Video, Social Networking To Publicize Police Abuse: "George Orwell once wrote that if you want a vision of the future, "imagine a boot stamping on a human face -- forever." Governments have suppressed citizen dissent for as long as there have been governments and citizens to dissent against them. But over the last decade, it has become increasingly likely that someone will be there to document Orwell's predicted face-stamping with a cellphone and then post it to YouTube for the world to see. It's getting increasingly difficult for governments to get away with suppressing dissent."

'via Blog this'

Customers Teach Bankers a Good Lesson - Forbes

Customers Teach Bankers a Good Lesson - Forbes: "Greed is an obsession. After being bailed out by taxpayers in 2009, America’s large banks came back in 2011 asking for more. This time, they imposed fees on their customer-depositors, in essence, the people that saved them in the first place. Two months ago, for instance, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) announced a $5 monthly fee for its debit cardholders–a way for the bank to offset the loss of revenues caused by the Durbin Amendment of Dodd-Frank Act (a reduction in the fee banks can charge merchants from 44 cents to 24 cents per transaction)."

'via Blog this'

#OccupyWallSt Roundup, Day 42 - NYTimes.com

#OccupyWallSt Roundup, Day 42 - NYTimes.com: "#OccupyWallSt Roundup, Day 42"

'via Blog this'

Occupy the Board Room

Occupy the Board Room: "Make your voice heard by the Wall Street elites who wrecked the economy and made the rest of us pay. Click on someone below and tell them a story that you think they should listen to. Just got a college degree and nothing to show for it? Just got evicted while your banker gets bonuses? Share your special story with someone who ought to know."

'via Blog this'

'Occupy The Boardroom' Website Allows People To Directly Email Wall Street Executives

'Occupy The Boardroom' Website Allows People To Directly Email Wall Street Executives: "Protesters affiliated with Occupy Wall Street launched a website called Occupy the Boardroom, which allows disgruntled consumers to directly message big bank executives, the Guardian reports. Demonstrators plan to print off nearly 7,000 executive emails -- which include foreclosure victims, students trying to pay off loan debts, and others -- and deliver them to the bank heads in a march on Friday."

'via Blog this'

Midwest Occupy Wall Street Protesters Seek To Highlight Foreclosure Mess

Midwest Occupy Wall Street Protesters Seek To Highlight Foreclosure Mess: "Occupy Minneapolis successfully pressured U.S. Bank this week to postpone a Twin Cities woman's eviction. Now they're planning "Operation F," a campaign pushing for a foreclosure moratorium by occupying foreclosed homes."

'via Blog this'

Occupy movement could be damaged by violent clashes - The Washington Post

Occupy movement could be damaged by violent clashes - The Washington Post: "A simple tactic. Get rid of protest by shooting the protesters. In the end though it doesn't work. Oakland is in Alameda Co. where protesters at 'Peoples Park' in Berkeley were shot at by the Co. Sheriff's (killing one bystander who was in front of his place of business). At Kent State in Ohio the Nat. Guard fired on students, killing at least one. Then there was the "Police Riot" in Chicago at the Democratic Convention and many more. The "Peace Movement" did not go away and, in the end, we pulled out of Indo-China. I am reminded of the old Union song "They can't shoot the Union out of me". It will get worse. We will grow stronger. We wont go away!"

'via Blog this'

Bob Cesca: Occupy Wall Street Isn't Anti-Corporation, It's Anti-Corporate Crime

Bob Cesca: Occupy Wall Street Isn't Anti-Corporation, It's Anti-Corporate Crime: "The movement is opposed to deregulated, free market capitalism. Short of Ron Paul disciples and Ayn Rand cultists, no reasonable American wants a system in which Enron, Goldman Sachs, AIG or BP can commit heinous crimes and not pay the price. According to Gallup, 68 percent of Americans want corporations to have less influence in America. That doesn't mean a supermajority of Americans are anti-corporation, it simply means that a supermajority of Americans agree that corporations have acquired too much power and therefore ought to be reined in. Not banished or banned, just watched more closely.

The OWS movement, like the American people, isn't anti-corporate, it's anti-corporate crime."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Oakland - police under scrutiny live updates | World news | guardian.co.uk

Occupy Oakland - police under scrutiny live updates | World news | guardian.co.uk: " A group of human rights and civil liberties experts, including the New York City chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, have released a statement to the Guardian condemning the police action in Oakland.

The group are calling for an "immediate, effective, and independent investigation into the violent police response to the Occupy demonstration in Oakland, and for OPD officers and commanders to be held responsible for their violent acts"."

'via Blog this'

Occupy movement in clashes with police - The Irish Times - Thu, Oct 27, 2011

Occupy movement in clashes with police - The Irish Times - Thu, Oct 27, 2011: "Local television station KTVU posted footage of a loud pop and flash, followed by a protester falling hard to the ground. The San Francisco Chronicle said protesters threw paint at the heads of riot policemen and chanted “This is why we call you pigs”. In Atlanta, which played a historic role in the civil rights movement, the African-American mayor Kassim Reed sent religious leaders to plead with protesters to leave a downtown park. When police arrived to make arrests after midnight, the protesters gathered in the centre of the park, linked arms and sang the civil rights-era hymn We Shall Overcome as they were led to buses."

'via Blog this'

Georgia may cut jobless benefits | timesfreepress.com

Georgia may cut jobless benefits | timesfreepress.com: ""Georgia has historically underfunded its unemployment trust fund and has cut taxes on employers when times were good," said George Wentworth, a senior staff attorney at the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for employee rights.

"The way to restore this under funded system should not be on the backs of unemployed people," he said."

'via Blog this'

Robert Reich: Wall Street Is Still Out of Control -- Obama Should Call for Glass-Steagall and a Breakup of Big Banks

Robert Reich: Wall Street Is Still Out of Control -- Obama Should Call for Glass-Steagall and a Breakup of Big Banks: "In the wake of the bailout, the biggest banks are bigger than ever. Twenty years ago the ten largest banks on the Street held 10 percent of America's total bank assets. Now they hold over 70 percent. And the biggest four have a larger market share than ever -- so large, in fact, they've almost surely been colluding. How else to explain their apparent coordination on charging debit card fees?"

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street : Pictures, Videos, Breaking News

Occupy Wall Street : Pictures, Videos, Breaking News:

'via Blog this'

How Ed DeMarco finally cried fraud | The Great Debate

How Ed DeMarco finally cried fraud | The Great Debate: "It took three years, but Fannie/Freddie Conservator Ed DeMarco is starting to channel his inner Irving Picard by acknowledging that among root causes of the financial crisis is fraud, and lots of it.
Trying to parse the madness of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the past few years has given me a new appreciation for Bernie Madoff. Bernie might not have left much for his victims, but at least they finally got a straight answer about what he’d been doing with their money all those years, and a sensible legal framework for recovering and winding down all that might be left."

'via Blog this'

Robert Creamer: Three Reasons Why It's Better for the Economy if the Super-Committee Fails to Get a Deal

Robert Creamer: Three Reasons Why It's Better for the Economy if the Super-Committee Fails to Get a Deal: "The problem with medical care costs isn't that "greedy" seniors and others are gobbling up too much care. The problem is that the costs of providing care are going up too fast. In fact, the per capita costs of providing health care in America is 50% higher than anywhere else on earth, and the World Health Organization only ranks health care outcomes as 37th, in the world."

'via Blog this'

Michele Bachmann on the Iraq withdrawal: Do Republicans think we own Iraq? - Slate Magazine

Michele Bachmann on the Iraq withdrawal: Do Republicans think we own Iraq? - Slate Magazine: "Stick with the devil you know. Don’t use force unless it’s in your interest. Demand gains from your investment. Make your hosts fear you. Dismiss their resistance as inauthentic. There’s nothing new in this way of thinking about the world, or in betraying the promises you made during your invasion. It’s the way dictators and emperors have always treated their conquests. What’s laughable is the right’s attempt to pass it off as moral."

'via Blog this'

Help for 'responsible' underwater homeowners – The 1600 Report - CNN.com Blogs

Help for 'responsible' underwater homeowners – The 1600 Report - CNN.com Blogs: "The Obama administration’s latest attempt to help the housing market targets homeowners whose credit is solid, who are up to date on their mortgage payments, but can’t refinance because they own homes in areas where the market has plummeted and their homes are underwater."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators send message: Where are the jobs? | NJ.com

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators send message: Where are the jobs? | NJ.com: "Rather than calling for stricter controls on reckless Wall Street financiers, tea party members (and mainstream Republicans) have knelt at the altar of the super rich — calling them "job creators" and defeating every proposal to increase their tax rates, which are at historic lows.
Meanwhile, the gap between the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans and the rest is wider than it has been in 90 years — and it’s growing."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street protestors want fairness and a future | NJ.com

Occupy Wall Street protestors want fairness and a future | NJ.com: "Some of the criticism has been downright silly. New York Times columnist David Brooks attempted to discredit the protesters because they don’t have position papers on educational reform, Medicare and tax reform. That’s ridiculous. Occupy Wall Street is a protest, not a political party."

'via Blog this'

Assemblywoman: Occupy Wall Street gives voice to working class, poor | NJ.com

Assemblywoman: Occupy Wall Street gives voice to working class, poor | NJ.com: "I recently read the story of Nancy Pi-Sunyer, a 66-year-old retired teacher who joined the first protest of her life when she attended an Occupy Wall Street rally. She was too young for the civil rights movement, but now wanted to have her voice be heard."

'via Blog this'

Marc Lewis: Cain doesn't need to know a thing about the Constituti­on

Marc Lewis: Cain doesn't need to know a thing about the Constituti­on: "“Cain doesn't need to know a thing about the Constituti­on because he is running for "Mouth Piece of the Corporate States of the World" and "Dictator of the United Company of North America". Not the, soon to be defunct, USA.”"

'via Blog this'

Over A Third Of Americans Support Occupy Wall Street Protests: Poll [LIVE UPDATES]

Over A Third Of Americans Support Occupy Wall Street Protests: Poll [LIVE UPDATES]: "Some 37 percent of people back the protests that have spread from New York to cities across the country and abroad, one of the first snapshots of how the public views the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. A majority of those protest supporters are Democrats, but the anger about politics in general is much more widespread, the poll indicates."

'via Blog this'

Keith Boykin: Everything The Media Told You About Occupy Wall Street Is Wrong

Keith Boykin: Everything The Media Told You About Occupy Wall Street Is Wrong: "After 10 days out of town, I finally made it to Occupy Wall Street on Tuesday and had a chance to see for myself what's going on. My conclusion: almost everything the media told me about the protest is wrong."

'via Blog this'

Naomi Wolf: The First Amendment and the Obligation to Peacefully Disrupt in a Free Society

Naomi Wolf: The First Amendment and the Obligation to Peacefully Disrupt in a Free Society: "Please, citizens of America -- please, OWS -- do not buy into this rhetorical framework: an absolute "right to be free of disruption" from First Amendment activity does not exist in a free republic. But the right to engage in peaceable disruption does exist.

Citizens who live or work near protest sites or marches have every right to be free of violence from protesters and they should never be subjected to destruction of property. This is why I am always saying to OWS and to anyone who wants to assemble: be PEACEFUL PEACEFUL PEACEFUL. Be respectful to police, do not yell at them; sing, don't chant; be civil to pedestrians and shop owners; don't escalate tensions; try to sit when there is tension rather than confront physically; be dignified and be nonviolent.

But the First Amendment means that it actually is not up to the mayor or the police of any municipality, or to the Parks Department, or to any local municipality to prohibit public assembly if the assembly is peaceful but disruptive in many ways."

'via Blog this'

Crowd-pleasing study in capitalism conspiracy controversy • The Register

Crowd-pleasing study in capitalism conspiracy controversy • The Register: "Three complex systems theorists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich used the maths traditionally associated with modelling natural systems and applied it to comprehensive corporate data to map ownership among the world's transnational corporations (TNCs).

The study, which will be published in the journal PLoS One, found that 40 per cent of the global operating revenues of 43,060 TNCs were ultimately in the control of just 147 companies, many of which were financial institutions.

The researchers sourced their list of TNCs from Orbis 2007, a database listing 37 million companies and investors worldwide. Using this data, the theorists constructed a model of which companies controlled others through shareholding networks, coupled with company's operating revenues, to map economic power.

Barclays, UBS, AXA and JP Morgan Chase were in the top 10 of those 147, and most of the top 50 were banks, insurance firms or other financial firms, apart from number 50 – which was China Petrochemical Group."

'via Blog this'

Aussie riot police break up Occupy protest - CBS News

Aussie riot police break up Occupy protest - CBS News: "MELBOURNE, Australia - Riot police in Australia's second-largest city broke up a demonstration linked to the "Occupy Wall Street" movement Friday, after a group of around 100 people protesting corporate greed defied an order to vacate a plaza.

Around 20 people, including two police officers, suffered minor injuries in the scuffle, Victoria state Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said. Several demonstrators screamed and cried as police dragged and carried them away from the city square, where protesters had been camped out for nearly a week.

The Daily Telegraph reports more than 50 members of the "Occupy Melbourne" movement were arrested; Australia's ABC Network reports about 100 arrests.

On Saturday several hundred protesters marched peacefully through the city from Federation Square to Trades Hall, followed by a large police contingent."

'via Blog this'

Man with knife attacks Occupy N.M. protesters - CBS News

Man with knife attacks Occupy N.M. protesters - CBS News: "Albuquerque police subdued a 48-year-old man who lunged with a knife at a group of protesters gathered Friday evening near the University of New Mexico in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

About 100 people were in the area when Miguel Aguirre - described by police as a homeless man who also was drunk - pulled out a knife and attempted to stab several protesters. No one was injured."

'via Blog this'

Republican candidates' tax plans may fall flat | Reuters

Republican candidates' tax plans may fall flat | Reuters: "The U.S. tax system is highly progressive. About 47 percent of American households do not earn enough to pay federal income taxes and the burden falls on middle- to upper-income groups, said Roberton Williams, senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

Low earners still must pay state and local taxes, along with the federal payroll tax to fund Social Security.

Change the mix and either the poor start paying taxes or an even higher burden is shifted to upper income groups, who traditionally are Republican supporters."

'via Blog this'

Zanesville, Ohio Animal Owner Reportedly Traded Guns For Tiger, Monkey

Zanesville, Ohio Animal Owner Reportedly Traded Guns For Tiger, Monkey: "In "Letters from the Earth" by Mark Twain, one will find a section called "The Lowest Animal"; "I have been studying the traits and dispositio­ns of the 'lower animals' (so called), and contrastin­g them them with the traits and dispositio­ns of man. I find the result humiliatin­g to me. For it obliges me to renounce my allegiance to the Darwinian theory of the Ascent of Man from the Lower Animals; since it now seems plain to me that that theory ought to be vacated in favor of a new and truer one, this new and truer one to be named the Decent of Man from the Higher Animals." This should be a "Must Read" for anyone before they graduate from High School."

'via Blog this'

Robert Creamer: A Great Day: Obama Ends the War in Iraq

Robert Creamer: A Great Day: Obama Ends the War in Iraq: "The hatred for the 'War in Viet-Nam' spilled over on to those who had served (and been forced to serve) in the War. This must not happen here! We can fairly say that we support our troops without supporting the reasons they were deployed. Further more they have not, in any way, failed us. They were sent to do the bidding of Congress and have excelled in their mission in every way imaginable­. We need to welcome them home with Jobs, Benefits, and Thanks for their Service under unenviable circumstan­ces."

'via Blog this'

Martin Luther King Jr. made our nation uncomfortable - The Root DC Live - The Washington Post

Martin Luther King Jr. made our nation uncomfortable - The Root DC Live - The Washington Post: "“Today we do not honor the critic of capitalism, or the pacifist who declared all wars evil, or the man of God who argued that a nation that chose guns over butter would starve its people and kill itself. We do not honor the man who linked apartheid in South Africa and Alabama; we honor an antiseptic hero. We have stripped his life of controversy, and celebrate the conventional instead.”

Want to see King, the revolutionary? Look no further than the speech he gave against the war in Vietnam a year before he was killed. It was a full-throated lecture against everything that he abhorred about his country. Many in the black community thought he was diluting the message of equal rights for black people by entering the debate over the war. But King said: “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”"

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street Is Starting To Alter The Media Narrative

Occupy Wall Street Is Starting To Alter The Media Narrative: "With lawmakers diddling one another in deficit committees and members of the media denying their own agency, someone had to step up. And that someone ended up being the Occupy Wall Street movement. Their human-flesh social network took up physical space on the ground and started telling their own stories, using Tumblr as their means of aggregation. So we flash ahead to Jelani's analysis of cable news coverage from the past seven days, and voila -- suddenly it's starting to align with the sentiment that was too easily dismissed when it showed up in polls several months ago:

A ThinkProgress review of the same three networks between Oct. 10 and Oct. 16 finds that the word "debt" only netted 398 mentions, while "occupy" grabbed 1,278, Wall Street netted 2,378, and jobs got 2,738."

'via Blog this'

Yup: Blue collar whites do support Occupy Wall Street - The Plum Line - The Washington Post

Yup: Blue collar whites do support Occupy Wall Street - The Plum Line - The Washington Post: "In the National Journal poll, 56 percent of non-college-educated whites agree with the protesters; only 31 percent disagree.

* In the Time poll, 54 percent of non-college-educated men, and 48 percent of non-college educated women, agree with the protesters. (That’s roughly 51 percent overall.) Meanwhile,only 29 percent of non-college-educated men, and only 19 percent of non-college-educated women, disagree. (That’s roughly 23 percent.)"

'via Blog this'

Citigroup to pay $285 million to settle fraud case - The Times of India

Citigroup to pay $285 million to settle fraud case - The Times of India: "NEW YORK: Citigroup Inc will pay $285 million to settle charges that it defrauded investors who bought toxic housing-related debt that the bank bet would fail, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday."

'via Blog this'

Nancy Cronk: The Occupy Movement: Who We Are and What We Want

Nancy Cronk: The Occupy Movement: Who We Are and What We Want: "The beautiful thing about Occupy Wall Street, and all of the other Occupy Together groups around the globe, is that it is an organic, grassroots, bottom-up, not top-down, movement. The people who organized that sit-in, and the sit-ins in every major city, did not do it for their own fame, or recognition, or personal platform. They did it as an expression of the highest form of patriotism, and a deep, abiding love for their country."

'via Blog this'

Marc Lewis: Great article. You have a new fan. Many people keep

Marc Lewis: Great article. You have a new fan. Many people keep: "The Social / Political movement of the 60's and 70's addressed numerous issues but had at its center an end to the war in Indochina. When the war ended the movement withered. It did not go away and the splinter movements did a lot to effect change but not as much as a united front could have accomplish­ed. Here we have a chance to go after the main cause of all the ills being suffered by the Nation today. If we effect change upon the Econo-Poli­tical System its self, all the sub-issues will benefit as well. As the song says "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize"."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street - Official Demands - coupmedia.org

Occupy Wall Street - Official Demands - coupmedia.org: "First of all. There are no Official Demands of the Occupy Movement. that being said, multiple factions of the movement have been assembling to discuss and vote on the output and message for the movement. Below is a LIST OF PROPOSED "DEMANDS FOR CONGRESS" proposed by the website (occupywallstreet.org) which does not entirely represent the Occupy Wall Street General Assembly. Below this list is a list of grievance that citizens have provided nationally and have voted on in solidarity of the movement."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street: Protesters Arrested In Multiple U.S. Cities

Occupy Wall Street: Protesters Arrested In Multiple U.S. Cities: "As Gawker's Adrian Chen reported over the weekend, a freelance security consultant has admitted to forwarding internal Occupy Wall Street emails to both the NYPD and FBI in an apparent attempt to undermine the group's efforts.
Some Occupy Wall Street members are concerned their civil liberties may have been violated. But the FBI and NYPD may very well be in the legal clear over the forwarded emails because of the judicial doctrine of "false friends.""

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street's Inevitable Growing Pains - Derek Thompson - Business - The Atlantic

Occupy Wall Street's Inevitable Growing Pains - Derek Thompson - Business - The Atlantic: "In a nutshell all problems of the middle and lower classes are easily solved if the super rich and the corporations that they run weren't so damn greedy. But by all means, make it out like it is so dark and mysterious that there really isn't any viable solutions to any of the problems that we in the 99% face so I guess -according to you we should just throw up our hands and do nothing or try to work within the system that is designed to fail praying this NEXT election we really will get change we can believe in. BTW, good luck on your quest for becoming the 1%! You will never make it of course, but the 1% really want you to believe you will!!!"

'via Blog this'

Nancy Cronk: The Occupy Movement: Who We Are and What We Want

Nancy Cronk: The Occupy Movement: Who We Are and What We Want: " Outrage at increasing income disparities between the rich and the poor.
- Outrage at corporate loopholes exempting corporations from paying their fair share of taxes.
- Outrage at policies that continue to shrink the middle class.
- Outrage at outsourcing jobs overseas.
- Outrage at the "don't just do something, stand there" Congress.
- Outrage over recent wars that have spilled our children's blood, and for what?
- Outrage at big money in politics.
- Outrage at media which is owned by the rich, and is used to convince the uninformed to vote against their own self-interests.
- Outrage that large banks have been bailed out by taxpayers, yet are still foreclosing on people who have nowhere else to go.
- Outrage at ridiculous Supreme Court rulings to give corporations "personhood."
- Outrage that Washington insults us by believing we do not understand all of the above (especially Boehner and his cast of looney toons)."

'via Blog this'

Robert Reich: The Meagerness of the GOP Debates, the Smallness of the President's Solutions, and the Need for a Progressive Alternative

Robert Reich: The Meagerness of the GOP Debates, the Smallness of the President's Solutions, and the Need for a Progressive Alternative: "The Occupy Movements are doing their job to keep dis-satisf­action with the state of the Nations Economic / Political mess in the foreground­. As polls begin to come in showing more and more people agreeing with their message more and more pressure is applied to those in the position to do something about it. It is not necessary for the movement to come up with single proposals or strategies but to simply 'fan to flames of discontent­', to motivate Congress, White House, and Voters to take action."

'via Blog this'

Durbin Calls for Change to Filibuster Rule - Wilmette-Kenilworth, IL Patch

Durbin Calls for Change to Filibuster Rule - Wilmette-Kenilworth, IL Patch: "Frustrated with Senate Republicans blocking a Democratic majority of 51 senators from passing President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) said he's willing to change the filibuster rule to require dissenting legislators to speak continually against a bill. "

'via Blog this'

New Yorkers Back Occupy Wall Street Movement, Blame Bush Administration: Poll

New Yorkers Back Occupy Wall Street Movement, Blame Bush Administration: Poll: "29 minutes ago (1:18 AM)
National Debt Increased by 75% under Bush:

2001 - $5.871 trillion
2008 - $10.640 trillion

National Debt Increased 25% Under Obama:

Jan 31st 2009 = $10.569-tr­illion
Jan 31st 2011 = $14.131-tr­illion

But of the $3.56-tril­lion increase, 98% was carry over from Bush programs:

Bush: $910-billi­on = Interest on Debt 2009/2011
Bush: $360-billi­on = Iraq War Spending 2009/2011
Bush: $319-billi­on = TARP/Bailo­ut Balance from 2008 (as of May 2010)
Bush: $419-billi­on = Bush Recession Caused Drop in taxes
Bush: $190-billi­on = Bush Medicare Drug Program 2009/2011
Bush: $211-billi­on = Bush Meicare Part-D 2009/2011
Bush: $771-billi­on = Bush Tax Cuts 2009/2011

Bush's contributi­on:

2001 to 2008: $4.769-tri­llion
2009 to 2010: $3.181-tri­llion

Total: $7.950-tri­llion

Increase Since 2001 = $14.131 - $5.871 = $8.26-tril­lion

Bush's contributi­on: $7.950-tri­llion / $8.26-tril­lion = 96%

Increase caused By Bush's Programs: 96%
Increase caused by Obama's Programs: 4%"

'via Blog this'

What if working class Americans actually like Occupy Wall Street? - The Plum Line - The Washington Post

What if working class Americans actually like Occupy Wall Street? - The Plum Line - The Washington Post: "The movement is still very young, and it’s very hard to gauge support for it. But one labor official shares with me a very interesting data point: Working America, the affiliate of the AFL-CIO that organizes workers from non-union workplaces, has signed up approximately 25,000 new recruits in the last week alone, thanks largely to the high visibility of the protests."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street: Sergeant Shamar Thomas Yells At NYPD Officers After Times Square Protest (VIDEO)

Occupy Wall Street: Sergeant Shamar Thomas Yells At NYPD Officers After Times Square Protest (VIDEO): "I took an Oath that I live by. am NOT anti-NYPD. I am anti- Police Brutality. I am no longer under contract with the USMC so I do NOT have to follow military uniform regulations. I DON'T affiliate myself with ANY GROUPS or POLITICAL ORG. I affiliate myself with the AMERICAN PEOPLE that's it. I REFUSE to affiliate with anything that SEPARATES. There is an obvious problem in the country and PEACEFUL PEOPLE should be allowed to PROTEST without Brutality. I was involved in a RIOT in Rutbah, Iraq 2004 and we did NOT treat the Iraqi citizens like they are treating the unarmed civilians in our OWN Country. No one was brutalized because our mission was to 'WIN the hearts and minds.' why should I expect anything less in my OWN Country."

'via Blog this'

General Assembly Guide | Occupy Atlanta

General Assembly Guide | Occupy Atlanta: "We unequivocally oppose transphobia and homophobia. We are in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.
We unequivocally oppose racism.
Absolute respect.
We recognize and embrace the equality of our diversity as Atlantans.
We resist learned prejudices.
We share burdens by taking initiatives to fill roles and relieve comrades.
We encourage all voices.
We discuss ideas, NOT PEOPLE, and disagree without being disagreeable.
We avoid labeling and targeted profanity.
We maintain a positive expression of the “message” by not engaging unstable or volatile people.
We do not accept physical or verbal violence.
We avoid conflict through active listening and awareness of body language and emotional responses.
We seek to grow from our mistakes; conflicts within Occupy Atlanta are opportunities to learn.
We are either all leaders or none of us are leaders.
Make friends! Make an effort to get to know people and HAVE FUN!"

'via Blog this'

PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY – working draft | NYC General Assembly

PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY – working draft | NYC General Assembly: "PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY – working draft
Posted on September 24, 2011 by NYCGA
What follows is a living document that will be revised
through democratic process of General Assembly"

'via Blog this'

Robert Reich: The Rise of the Regressive Right and the Reawakening of America

Robert Reich: The Rise of the Regressive Right and the Reawakening of America: "Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Roberts (and, all too often, Kennedy) claim they're conservative jurists. But they're judicial activists bent on overturning 75 years of jurisprudence by resurrecting states' rights, treating the 2nd Amendment as if America still relied on local militias, narrowing the Commerce Clause, and calling money speech and corporations people."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Macon

I am glad to say that there is now an 'Occupy' movement here in Macon. Along with OccupyWallStreet.org and OccupyTogeather.org, there is now OccupyMacon.org and #OccupyMacon on Twitter, as well as the Occupy Macon Facebook Page. We are just starting but at least I won't be the only one standing in the park with a protest sign next week. I can, of course, be reached here or at Facebook, or (even more surely) at uifinnegan@gmail.com where you grab my attention with the header "Attn: Media Working Group". As I have said we are just after pulling things together, so in all these places look for up-dates. For sure, at the moment, Occupy Macon will be in Dempesy Park @ 3rd &Cherry Sts. Saturday Oct. 22 from about noon to whenever. Care is being taken that all and any permits will have been issued and that an orderly and peaceful assembly held. Hope to see you all then. 

Top Cause Of Workplace Sickness Dubbed 'Black Death Of 21st Century' - Careers Articles

Top Cause Of Workplace Sickness Dubbed 'Black Death Of 21st Century' - Careers Articles: ""We're not sharing in these productivity gains," says John de Graaf, the national coordinator for Take Back Your Time, an advocacy group pushing for paid vacation time and other worker protections, and the author of the forthcoming book "What's the Economy for Anyway?."
And the extra work has taken a toll on America's health. A 2007 study by Emory University's school of public health found that Americans 50 years or older were more likely to suffer from cancer, diabetes and heart disease than Europeans at the same age. "We have more chronic diseases in old age," says de Graaf. "And those are very expensive diseases.""

'via Blog this'

HLL: Keith Olbermann Reads the Statement Released By The Wall Street

HLL: Keith Olbermann Reads the Statement Released By The Wall Street: ""I believe that banking institutio­ns
are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their currency,
first by inflation, then by deflation,
the banks and corporatio­ns that will grow up around the banks
will deprive the people of all property –
until their children wake-up homeless
on the continent their fathers conquered.­"

~ Thomas Jefferson 1802
"

'via Blog this'

Joe Biden On Bank Of America: 'At A Minimum, They Are Incredibly Tone Deaf'

Joe Biden On Bank Of America: 'At A Minimum, They Are Incredibly Tone Deaf': "J.P. Morgan circa 1913: “Capital must protect itself in every way... Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers­. People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders.Th­is is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialis­m of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.”"

'via Blog this'

Eric Cantor’s breathtaking hypocrisy on Occupy Wall Street - PostPartisan - The Washington Post

Eric Cantor’s breathtaking hypocrisy on Occupy Wall Street - PostPartisan - The Washington Post: "What Cantor refuses to see is that the people participating in Occupy Wall Street-style protests around the country also represent an awakening in America. Seeing the similarities in the grievances held by the Occupy Wall Streeters and the Tea Party movement, Mark from Ohio explained to me in a letter this week, “Both see corruption in high places — corporations and government — and those two areas are so closely aligned, that I don’t think there is really much of a difference between criticizing the tyranny of corrupt government and the tyranny of corrupt corporations.”"

'via Blog this'

Miles Mogulescu: Progressive Activism Helps Prevent Wall Street Banks From Receiving a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card

Miles Mogulescu: Progressive Activism Helps Prevent Wall Street Banks From Receiving a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card: "Neither the New Deal nor the Great Society would have been enacted without BOTH powerful mass protest movements and politicians who were capable of being moved by those movements.

For example, soon after FDR was elected, his Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins (the most progressive member, and only woman, in FDR's cabinet) went to FDR and asked him to do more to protect the interests of America's workers. FDR's response was "Go out and make me". Among other things, Perkins organized a conference of labor leaders in the Secretary's suite, which developed a 10-point program to present to FDR, including abolition of child labor, higher wages for all workers, government recognition of the right to organize unions, and social security.

Much of this program was eventually enacted as part of the New Deal. But it wouldn't have happened without million of workers organizing, unionizing and demonstrating.

Likewise, while LBJ is credited with passing Medicare and the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, it wouldn't have happened without millions of Americans sitting in marching, registering voters, committing civil disobedience, and even dying."

'via Blog this'

Art Pope, Citizens United, and North Carolina Politics : The New Yorker

Art Pope, Citizens United, and North Carolina Politics : The New Yorker: "A REPORTER AT LARGESTATE FOR SALEA conservative multimillionaire has taken control in North Carolina, one of 2012’s top battlegrounds.
by Jane Mayer
OCTOBER 1"

'via Blog this'

Occupy Wall Street protest: NYPD accused of heavy-handed tactics | World news | The Guardian

Occupy Wall Street protest: NYPD accused of heavy-handed tactics | World news | The Guardian: "Activists involved in the march, as well as commentators who are following the protest against inequality and corporate excess, claim the response of the city's police force to the peaceful event was vastly out of proportion.

The total number of people who have been arrested in the past two weeks stands at almost 1,000 – substantially more than the number of financiers who led the world into the 2008 economic meltdown.

As Salman Rushdie put it in a tweet: "The world's economy has been wrecked by these rapacious traders. Yet it is the protesters who are jailed.""

'via Blog this'