UPDATE (4:15 pm, 11/17/11, PDT): On the 2-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, protesters in New York City staged an allegedly peaceful march. It continues throughout the day with police in riot gear assisting occupiers to move out of Zuccotti Park; 400 arrests were made. Similar activity in Occupied Areas across the country are resulting in arrests and police activity throughout the country.
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| OWS protestors get invited to leave, November 17, 2011 |
At home, in Los Angeles, 23 Occupiers were arrested following a march that blocked traffic. The first arrest was 82-year-old Bertha Jordan, a union member.
One participant tweeted the following (watch the Colbert Report below):
Their rhetoric is rich with philosophy and conclusions that
are supported by mind-numbing nit picking. Somehow, using the art of sound
byte, the occupiers have forced us to deny our own instincts about sanitation.
People around the occupation politely avoid discussions that may appear
politically incorrect. Yet, after two months with limited facilities and in
close quarters there are reports of scabies and
ringworm at various sites throughout the country. Good thing they are practicing nit picking!
Those income/worth figures would have to preclude the
presence and support of politicians, actors and other glitterati supporting
these events.
One participant tweeted the following (watch the Colbert Report below):
1% DEFINED
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
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Occupy Wall Street (OWS) sharpens class rhetoric and solidifies the us-against-them argument in the image of the “99%.” Most of us
understand intuitively who that 1% is – like when Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described pornography: "I know it when I see it."
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| Nancy Pelosi has a chat with Christiane Amanpour about OWS (ABC) |
But most of us agree that there is a huge discrepancy
between the 1% and the rest of us. The deck is stacked and the house always
wins. They own the cards, after all. The rest of us are out here hoping to make
enough to pay for the trip. We get that. But what is not clear, especially in
the wake of celebrity support of OWS – is the definition of who the 1% really
is.
Strictly speaking, we can separate them by either their gross
income or net worth.
Gross income, based on the figures available from the IRS in
the latest year (2009), puts the top income earners at $343, 927 as among the
top 1%, according to Kiplinger. The top 1% net worth is $9 million.
Clearly, income is not the means testing. In fact, in a
burst of hypocrisy, the movement has embraced its own "1%-ers" with complete
abandon, suspending reality for the sake of a photo-op.
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| Georgia state Sen. Vincent Fort (D) at Occupy Atlanta, proclaims,"This is the best day of my life!"(@mrwatkins) |
But noting the benign hypocrisy inherent in getting the
public to focus on anything for more than a sound byte, it seems a lot of the
1%-ers aren’t 1%-ers anymore if they support the 99%.
Rather than a black-and-white definition, the only
definition is liquid and capricious. As long as they can sleep in public
spaces, have their yoga classes and meditation, set up their legal tables and
libraries and have entertainment described as the General Assembly and attended
by the erstwhile celebrity supporter, they don’t really seem to care about
hypocrisy.
CEOs of large corporations have been targeted as the “1%.”
Truth is that they make up only a fraction of the whole segment. Other 1%-ers
include: union leaders, entertainment people, sports figures, CEOs of non-profits,
politicians, special interest PACs, trust-funders and a few others.
The OWS movement has been thoroughly hijacked by everyone
left of center who has ever had a bowel movement. Whatever the original intention, they have
suppressed any expression by malcontents from the OTHER side of center from
ever happening in their sacred arenas.
OWS is a soapbox for
every actor,
union,
Democratic
politician or “progressive”
special interest group on the planet.
Intuitively, anyone can understand Michael
Moore ($50 million), Alec Baldwin ($65 million) and Susan Sarandon ($50
million). Could we find a better fit?
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| Alec Baldwin at Zuccotti Park (@firedogriver) Nov. 10, 2011 |
As the OWS are being swept out of public squares across the
country, Democrats cry out in protest.
It is difficult to gauge the net worth of any lawmaker
because of their reporting rules. Some of the most supportive
members are also among the wealthiest. Take for example Nancy Pelosi, whose
worth is estimated to be between $58,436, 537 and $124,229,990. “I
support the message to the Establishment,” she told ABC News, in typical ‘60’s
lingo. She will return to California in her own jet, laughing all the way.
Who are the 1%? Whoever OWS says they are. It has
nothing to do with facts. It’s a feeling.
Tell me how you feel about it!
Tell me how you feel about it!
Great post Victoria. Well done! Liked your points about actors and others that make the bucks (clearly the 1%) that are joining OWS. Does that change the complexion of the 99%?
ReplyDeleteWhen are they going to get back to playing basketball so our attention will be properly diverted?
ReplyDeleteI don't feel that it is inappropriate that some of the 1% support the Occupy movement as some of them agree themselves as why should the average Joe single person that make only 30-50k a year pay a higher percentage in taxes than a per who makes a million after that 1% gets deductions not available to the 99er as a lot of 1% get right offs on their clothes,houses, and cars because they hide their property under LLC's which they get deductions for and we don't and also should wall street be able to list debt as profit then get a deduction because when the market falls out they get to deduct a loss then take a fat bonus for their misgivings as i am different than most of the 99 as I know my facts as thats what I state I am not left or right and don't follow either Thanks for the Post but making fun of either side clouds the message and anyone working for someone else in reality after a layoff and your job is shipped overseas don't laugh in with in six months after the credit cards are maxxed and unemployment runs out might have a sign and tent yourself and god bless.
ReplyDeleteWell said! Good luck with this project, xo
ReplyDeleteVictoria, you are obviously a highly intelligent person and certainly know your facts and statistics, which of course allows for a very logical argument. I tend to agree with the writer above who indicates that perhaps neither side should receive too much criticism. My general feeling as a casual observer is that young people are feeling a disconnect: they see the large financial institutions receive large government bailouts as a reward for irresponsible financial wheeling and dealing . They over extended themselves investing in unsound fiscal policies such as derivatives and shaky mortgages while at the same time foreclosing on hundreds of thousand of homes. If you remember one of the largest financial houses arrogantly handed out millions of dollars in bonuses after they received government help. Then there is the high interest student loans for kids who can’t even find jobs when they graduate. Banks are notorious for dreaming up all kinds of charges such as exorbitant late/over-limit fees, often one triggering the other - a double whammy.
ReplyDeleteYet they feel no remorse asking for help from the very same taxpayers they are essentially cheating with their underhanded methods and large fees totally unrelated to costs - the same people they are turning out of their homes, little children and all. Greed seems to be the order of the day for all large institutions including city governments with their out-of-proportion parking fees etc.
Frankly, they all come across as totally unfeeling, ice-cold individuals who couldn’t give a damn for anyone but themselves. And then we wonder naively why the protests?
Well, I suggest the powers that be start paying attention: or they might witness a revolution in this country.
Think it can’t happen here? The collapse of other civilizations has occurred throughout history because of the discontent of the masses and the blind arrogance of the ruling class.
Oh my! Great stuff Vicki!!! I am so behind on the current news I just learned a bunch from your article!
ReplyDelete