Occupy Wall Street 3: Now What?

I go to nba basketball games

^DEFINITELY the 1%

friend of mine left for turkey in early september to do research for his masters thesis on turkish youth movements; the night before he left we got drunk and i asked him if the reason he'd invested so much of himself in the study of radical movements abroad was because he'd despaired of his own countrymen ever tearing themselves away from their hallucinations long enough to do something about their own exploitation/loss of agency and he said yeah; like two weeks after he left occupy happened and i reported on it (smugly) to him via skype while he reported to me on what turned out to be the total absence of significant turkish youth movements; like a month after that the students at the university hosting him started occupying shit. so now he's happy. and then right after that my own academic sphere lit up -- russia, of all places, suddenly decides it's not gonna take it anymore. so yeah, the tactic/vocabulary/spirit spreads like crazy: from america just like it did to america.

/I go to nba basketball games/

^DEFINITELY the 1%

lol morbs upper deck tickets are ten bucks. it's cheaper than a FILM.

oh well, my only ref point is the Knicks so u know

TEN BUCKS? I can't even get into a soccer game for less than double that, and no one even LIKES soccer.

next ill tell you guys what rent is in portland.

Don't do that, I was having a pretty good day before I caught up with this thread.

x-post

So do you folks think Taibbi is being overly simplistic and just rabble-rousing when he implies these execs should be charged, convicted and jailed for fraudulent activity:

Not a single executive who ran the companies that cooked up and cashed in on the phony financial boom — an industrywide scam that involved the mass sale of mismarked, fraudulent mortgage-backed securities — has ever been convicted. Their names by now are familiar to even the most casual Middle American news consumer: companies like AIG, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. Most of these firms were directly involved in elaborate fraud and theft. Lehman Brothers hid billions in loans from its investors. Bank of America lied about billions in bonuses. Goldman Sachs failed to tell clients how it put together the born-to-lose toxic mortgage deals it was selling. What's more, many of these companies had corporate chieftains whose actions cost investors billions — from AIG derivatives chief Joe Cassano, who assured investors they would not lose even "one dollar" just months before his unit imploded, to the $263 million in compensation that former Lehman chief Dick "The Gorilla" Fuld conveniently failed to disclose. Yet not one of them has faced time behind bars.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-isnt-wall-street-in-jail-20110216

he may be overly simplistic, but that is overshadowed by him being wholly unrealistic; I can't think of anything short of a military coup that would result in those guys serving any jail time, regardless of your opinion on whether they deserve to be put on trial or not

I would like to see Taibbi get a little more specific about the case against any specific executive in terms of proving the actual elements of an actual criminal offense carrying jail time based on the evidence available right now.

I think he's done it other columns or articles...?

Taibbi may be unrealistic but obviously I would be thrilled if any of those folks were even charged.

hell I go to nba basketball games and there are people with handmade "OCCUPY THE [ARENA NAME]" signs at pretty much every one.

Which like, sure, whatever that means. But there's something of "this belongs to the people, we can take it back" in the national brain now maybe.

― Clay, Wednesday, January 25, 2012 1:09 PM (1 hour ago)

very OTM I think.

I would like to see Taibbi get a little more specific about the case against any specific executive in terms of proving the actual elements of an actual criminal offense carrying jail time based on the evidence available right now.

― frogBaSeball (Hurting 2), Wednesday, January 25, 2012 4:21 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

the thing is, is it clear what laws they broke? i mean, the did some horrible shit, but do you think there is a law that you could demonstrate to a jury was unambiguously broken? if so, then full speed ahead.

O'Reilly-Cornel-Tavis video

the thing is, is it clear what laws they broke? i mean, the did some horrible shit, but do you think there is a law that you could demonstrate to a jury was unambiguously broken? if so, then full speed ahead.

^^^ this is the problem

I think most people would agree/concede that a good chunk of what was going on was wrong and/or amoral, but I don't know how much of it was provably illegal; furthermore, I think even if it isn't true that the well-being of most of these institutions is integrally tied into the well-being of the country, that story has been spun so well that I can't imagine any Justice Department prosecuting them.

when taibbi accuses the banks of fraud i think most of what he's talking about is the internal emails of i-banks revealing that they were well aware of the worthlessness and danger of various mortgage packages at the same time that they were advising clients that these same packages were extremely secure investments; this was part of the hot-potato game the banks were playing at the time. whether this constitutes legal fraud i'm not expert enough to know; whenever i-bankers are called on it in actual investigatory contexts (see f'rinstance carl levin's famous "shitty deal" grilling of some or other goldman guy) they just mumble until they're allowed to leave the room and then pay a settlement.

that's entirely fair, but re: my second point I think the narrative has taken over

i think this is a great argument for tightening up the laws. but you would have to prosecute them on existing laws and i've yet to read an article that clearly lays out what laws were broken and how you'd be able to successfully establish that to a jury.

next ill tell you guys what rent is in portland.

srsly considering jumping there when I get out of the motherfucking shitty tourist shell that is NYC btw.

btw guys just to counter a lot of the mutterings i hear that things have gotten stagnant--i get an email that looks like this every week:

The Occupations Report: January 25, 2012

http://occupyoakland.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/491214.jpg.indyscaled.jpg

National Day of Action Against Holders Of Private Prison Equity

Occupations from a least 15 cities across the nation took part in actions against holders of private prison equity this Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Co. was one of the main targets of Tuesday’s actions due to its extensive holdings in two private prison companies – GEO and CCA. As part of the National Prison Divestment Campaign, Occupy Nashville protesters assembled on Legislative and marched to Wells Fargo they picketed the bank and delivered a letter encouraging the bank to divest from GEO and CCA. The protesters also distributed fliers and talk to customers about moving their accounts to banks that don’t make money off people’s incarceration.

Nationwide Call to Action: Chase Out Chase Bank
On Friday January 27 at 3:30pm Occupy Atlanta will rally at 404 Glen Iris and march side by side with the Pittman family to Chase Bank where we will demand the deed to the home that is rightfully theirs, letting the bank know we refuse to work with them on their terms. Occupy Atlanta is one of many Occupy groups participating in this nationwide struggle against JPMorgan Chase, a corporation that treats the general public as no more than means to the ends of profit. Like many hardworking individuals across the nation, the late Ms. Eloise Pittman was victimized by predatory lending. The Pittman family has been fighting to save the family home since November 2011. This past week Chase gave the Pittman family an ultimatum: either buy back their home or accept the $2500 “cash for keys” offer. Occupy Atlanta will be escalating the campaign against these predatory banks beginning Friday. Friday's action promises to be bold, diverse and unlike anything Occupy Atlanta has done yet. Pastors from multiple Churches will participate in the march and hold a prayer service outside the bank, while others with OA enact creative direct action.

Occupy Arrests
U.S. Falls 27 Places in Worldwide Freedom of the Press Rankings
Following a record number of journalist arrests during Occupy Wall Street protests, The United States has been downgraded. Reporters Without Borders has released its annual World Press Freedom Index and the United States fell 27 points to No. 47 on the list. We now tie with Argentina, Romania and Latvia at “satisfactory” levels of freedom. Read more at http://wapo.st/xTO2hs


Fighting Foreclosures
Occupy Oakland Plans Mass Takeover of Vacant Building

On January 28, Occupy Oakland will take over a vacant building in the city of Oakland to establish a new home, social center and meeting space for the movement. The “Move-in” action will begin with a two-day festival at the new building site, the location of which will remain undisclosed until the day of the event. The seized building will be converted into a social center for the movement. This building takeover/move-in action was approved by the Occupy Oakland General Assembly and signals a new direction for the Occupy movement: putting vacant buildings at the service of the community. Get more of the story at http://bit.ly/AdMqFf

Local Homeowner Stays in Home - For Now
Occupy Boston - Longtime Malden resident Marie Odestin said she hopes to work with Wells Fargo to keep she and her children in their home, despite a foreclosure auction this morning. A 23-year Malden resident is claiming victory after Wells Fargo decided to repurchase her house at a foreclosure auction earlier this week, a move she said would give her leverage to re-negotiate her mortgage and keep her children in their home. Marie Odestin was joined by 30 protesters outside of her home, with members from groups as varied as City Life, Occupy Boston and the Industrial Workers of the World, who said they were trying to send a message to banks like Wells Fargo that they should work with underwater homeowners.

Move to Amend
Fresno Says End Corporate Rule
Saturday, January 21 - About 100 people held a candlelight vigil at the Federal Court house in Fresno today in opposition to the US Supreme Court’s decision that granted corporations the same rights as people have and allowing them to define their unlimited corporate money in political campaigns as free speech. The National action was called by the Move to Amend campaign (http://www.MoveToAmend.org) and was supported by other national organizations like Public Citizen, Common Cause, People for the American Way, Democracy for America and others. The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 decision in January of 2010 upheld “Corporate Personhood” asserting that the 1st and 14th Amendment gives rights to corporations as people and their money can be considered free speech. Thus, this ruling, often referred to as “Citizens United” opened the floodgates to unlimited, often anonymous, corporate spending on elections and the creation of Super PACS with hundreds of millions of dollars for the purpose of tilting the results of elections in a manner that drowns the voices of citizens. Special interest groups can now spend as much money as they wish to influence legislation or to support or attack candidates for election. Because the US Supreme Court made this ruling, now only a constitutional amendment can change this status and definition. Poll after poll in the last 2 years has shown that more than 75% of Americans across party lines oppose this decision.

Congressional Hearings
Jan 27: Senate Congressional Hearings on Voter Suppression Laws.
On Friday, January 27, the City of Tampa will be the host to the Senate Congressional Hearings on the Voter Suppression Laws. This hearing will be with Senator Bill and there will be coalition of organizations from all over the state of Florida will converge on the steps of the Federal Courthouse 801 N. Florida Ave #2 Tampa Fl 33602-3800. The coalition has been in contact with Senator Bill Nelson’s office and they have encouraged people to show up and to make plenty of noise. The hearing will be from 2pm to 4 pm and we have lined up over thirty speakers from all over the state. Please bring your signs and anything else you may need for the dayFor those coming in and would like to stay over night with Occupy Tampa please feel free to contact Occupy Tampa. http://www.occupytampa.org/contact/

Transit Fare Hike Protests
The Cost of Commuting: MBTA’s Fare Proposals
Bostonians have been expressing their outrage about these proposals all over the online world and the topic itself is being tackled by hundreds of bloggers, journalists, and commuters all over the metro Boston area! Occupy Boston members and other activists gathered Monday on the steps of the Massachusetts State House to protest the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s proposed fare hikes and service cuts.
Protesters said the government should be held accountable for the MBTA’s budget deficit. Raising fares would help alleviate the transit system’s fiscal problems, they said, but would unfairly shift the burden to customers.

Twitter has been at the front of this frenzy with thousands of users tweeting their comments to MBTA officials (@mbtaGM), State Officials (@MassGovernor ), or just out to the Twitterverse hoping that someone out there is listening. Several groups have also formed out of the frustration, such as Occupy MBTA (@OccupyMBTA) a Twitter adopting the moniker of the Occupy Boston movement and Students Against T Cuts, (@StudentsTCuts) a group that consists of college students from around Boston who believe that the proposed scenarios are a step backwards in the development of the city’s businesses, people, and institutions of higher education. http://bit.ly/xtUeM4

Occupy AT&T
Occupy Atlanta put out a series of videos asking AT&T workers how they felt about the company’s decision to kill more American jobs and ship them overseas. Here’s what they had to say: http://bit.ly/vZfwit


Environmental Protection
Occupy Burlington Calls for Nuclear Plant Shut-Down
Occupy Burlington (VA) is planning a January 29 action calling for the closing of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The group issued a statement today saying: We condemn Judge Marth’s decision in favor of Entergy against the democratic decision of the people to shut down Vermont Ynkee – a dangerous, polluting nuclear power plant that has been plagued with accidents, leaks, poor maintenance and run by a dishonest company. We stand in solidarity with the Vermont Yankee workers and support a just transition where they receive economic support and retraining.

Occupy Temple U Stands Against Mountain Removal
Monday, 1/23/2012 - Earlier this week, members of the Temple Community Against Mountaintop Removal met with PNC officials led by Senior Counsel and Corporate Secretary George Long in the Board Room on the 2nd floor of Sullivan Hall, on Temple University's campus to discuss PNC's investments in toxic, job-killing mountaintop removal coal mining. At 4:30PM the same day, Monday, January 23rd, members of the Penn Community Against Mountaintop Removalmet with PNC officials led by Senior Counsel and Corporate Secretary George Long in the Franklin Building of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss PNC's investments in toxic, job-killing mountaintop removal coal mining.. Both student organizations are pushing their administrations to deny renewal of PNC's contract.

SOPA/PIPA
Anonymous deletes CBS: Operation Megaupload continues

Story by Michael Stone, National Anonymous Examiner - In a powerful and unique display of virtual prowess Anonymous hacktivists deleted the entire CBS website. The website went down late Sunday morning, and was off line for approximately 20 minutes. In a fury over the government shut down of popular file-sharing website Megaupload, Anonymous has gone ballistic. In an extraordinary performance earlier this week, Anonymous hacktivists successfully disabled multiple government and entertainment websites in an action dubbed Operation Megaupload (#OpMegaupload). Sunday’s attack on CBS is a continuation of Operation Megaupload. Read more at http://exm.nr/AewSS8

Occupy News
Occupy Protesters Build Igloos in Switzerland to Protest Economic ...
By SARAH MASLIN NIR
Occupy movement protesters planned an igloo village near the Congress Center building, where nearly 3000 representatives from more than 100 countries are expected. http://nyti.ms/yxOuzB
The Lede

Kwei Quartey: Occupy Nigeria
By Kwei Quartey
Nigerians took their cue from the Arab spring and Occupy Wall Street, establishing Occupy Nigeria in protest against the gas price jump. http://bit.ly/xVAvAo
The Huffington Post Full Blog Feed

Occupy UMass Boston | OccupyWallSt.org
By OccupyWallSt
https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyUMB For more information. Press Release transcription below the fold from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/78957195/Occupy-UMass-Boston-Press-Release-1-23-20.
OccupyWallSt News

Occupy Wall Street Album to Feature Tom Morello, Crosby Nash ...
Occupy Wall Street now has an A-list soundtrack: the compilation Occupy This Album, which was announced today and will be released sometime this sprin. http://bit.ly/wZEfVL
RollingStone.com: Music News

Yoko Ono Delivers "Peace Postcards" to Occupy Wall Street ...
By Bonnie Alter
You have to give her credit -- Yoko Ono is 78 years old and she is still going strong with her world peace mission. http://bit.ly/w4Bkvk
Latest Items from TreeHugger

Three Occupy Members Arrested Blocking Boca Raton Bridge ...
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Three protestors from Occupy Miami and Occupy West Palm Beach were arrested Monday evening in Boca Raton after laying in the Camino Real Bridge roadway, blocking traffic at rush hour in protest of nearby hedge fund industry ... http://bit.ly/xY92sH
The Huffington Post | Full News Feed

Live updates: Congress probes Occupy DC camp at McPherson ...
By Examiner Staff
Congress this morning is opening the first major investigation of the District's Occupy movement with a hearing focused on why the protesters have been allowed to remain in McPherson Square for the past four months. http://bit.ly/AkW2Ms
Examiner RSS

Occupy Prov. reach deal to end standoff | WPRI.com
Occupy Providence says it has reached an agreement with the city over the opening of a homeless day center that will end a standoff over the protest group's encampment downtown. http://bit.ly/AaggGL
Top Stories | WPRI.com

Monsanto Responds as Maui Occupy Group Launches ...
By Wendy Osher
A week of Occupy Wall Street Maui events kick off today with the establishment of an encampment near the Monsanto offices in Kihei. Company officials respond to the planned demonstration. http://bit.ly/wk7y92
Maui Now

Hearing to address continued presence of Occupy DC | Washington ...
By The Associated Press
Lawmakers are planning to question National Park Service officials on why the Occupy D.C. protest encampment has been allowed to remain in McPherson Square. http://bit.ly/zkLO8T
Examiner AP RSS

City Council votes to send Occupy Charlotte protesters home ...
By Ron Lee
A vote Monday may seal the fate of dozens of protestors who are now calling the land in front of the old city hall home. They've been there for months, and say they don't want to leave. http://bit.ly/w4Bkvk
WBTV – News

PHOTOS: Occupy UMass-Boston, Day 1 | The Boston Occupier ...
By Aliza Howitt
Photos from the first day of Occupy UMass-Boston, where a group of approximately 30 students set up an indoor encampment and held a rally on January 23, 2011. (Photos: Aliza Howitt) share: Digg this post Buzz it up share via Reddit Share ... http://bit.ly/AuK64Z
The Boston Occupier - Free Press

Occupy Boise Protesters May Have to Move | Boise State Public Radio
By Samantha Wright
BOISE, Id – The House State Affairs Committee heard more testimony today on a bill to evict OccupyBoise from state land. It would outlaw camping at the Occupy Boise site across from the Statehouse. http://bit.ly/AvEgYY
Boise State Public Radio

O'Reilly-Cornel-Tavis video

― Dr Morbois de Bologne (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, January 25, 2012 10:32 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

<3

xpost

that is all great news save for:

Occupy Wall Street Album to Feature Tom Morello, Crosby Nash ...
Occupy Wall Street now has an A-list soundtrack: the compilation Occupy This Album, which was announced today and will be released sometime this sprin. http://bit.ly/wZEfVL
RollingStone.com: Music News

i can't verify that this is remotely interesting for anybody else, but i was really glad to read this tonight

http://infrontandcenter.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/from-building-tents-to-building-movements-reflections-from-occupy-dc/

"do you know anyone in the ELF? or any other fronts?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI8INgw0xq0

This paper explores a tentative theory of an emerging culture of entitlement among young workers. Using a sample of predominantly college-educated, young, unemployed workers, I explore the new sources of entitlement-belief and examine the proposition that believing oneself to be entitled to a good job heightens dispositions toward radicalism among the unemployed. The findings show strong job-entitlement beliefs among these workers and support the notion that the highly-entitled worker is more likely to develop radical views of his or her unemployment.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/800430

Smart people gonna think

that's 1978, though -- not exactly a high-water mark for youth activism.

it was a high water mark for militancy among both rank and file workers and the unemployed, though. 70s were heavy shit.

it'll be eclipsed

seems like the G8/NATO meetings in Chicago this May are a focal point for a lot of people now, could that be the resurgence of OWS?

we'll get to see how rahm gets his daley on

he'll eclipse all Daleys

one can only hope

We know the banks did shit that was professionally and socially wreckless and unethical. I don't care if it was technically legal or not. That just means the law is as bad as the activity it protects.

it was a high water mark for militancy among both rank and file workers and the unemployed, though. 70s were heavy shit.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:39 PM (34 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it'll be eclipsed

― iatee, Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:42 PM (31 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wut

i am speaking in past tense and you are speaking in future tense

what is going on here

unemployed militancy will! that's all I meant

I wasn't trying to contradict you I just think the 70s will look rosy compared to what's ahead of us

ie, George Soros and the Coming Class War

...which I frankly wd like to arrive before I'm enfeebled.

I wasn't trying to contradict you I just think the 70s will look rosy compared to what's ahead of us

― iatee, Thursday, January 26, 2012 6:16 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

oh i agree i was just completely flabbergasted by what you meant is all lol

seems like the G8/NATO meetings in Chicago this May are a focal point for a lot of people now, could that be the resurgence of OWS?

― long duk dan (dan m), Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:47 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

fwiw i got this email yesterday

ADBUSTERS TACTICAL BRIEFING #25

http://www.adbusters.org/files/newsletter/2012/adbusters_occupychicago_s.jpg

Hey you redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,

Against the backdrop of a global uprising that is simmering in dozens of countries and thousands of cities and towns, the G8 and NATO will hold a rare simultaneous summit in Chicago this May. The world’s military and political elites, heads of state, 7,500 officials from 80 nations, and more than 2,500 journalists will be there.

And so will we.

On May 1, 50,000 people from all over the world will flock to Chicago, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and #OCCUPYCHICAGO for a month. With a bit of luck, we’ll pull off the biggest multinational occupation of a summit meeting the world has ever seen.

And this time around we’re not going to put up with the kind of police repression that happened during the Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago, 1968 … nor will we abide by any phony restrictions the City of Chicago may want to impose on our first amendment rights. We’ll go there with our heads held high and assemble for a month-long people’s summit … we’ll march and chant and sing and shout and exercise our right to tell our elected representatives what we want … the constitution will be our guide.

And when the G8 and NATO meet behind closed doors on May 19, we’ll be ready with our demands: a Robin Hood Tax … a ban on high frequency ‘flash’ trading … a binding climate change accord … a three strikes and you’re out law for corporate criminals … an all out initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East … whatever we decide in our general assemblies and in our global internet brainstorm – we the people will set the agenda for the next few years and demand our leaders carry it out.

And if they don’t listen … if they ignore us and put our demands on the back burner like they’ve done so many times before … then, with Gandhian ferocity, we’ll flashmob the streets, shut down stock exchanges, campuses, corporate headquarters and cities across the globe … we’ll make the price of doing business as usual too much to bear.

Jammers, pack your tents, muster up your courage and prepare for a big bang in Chicago this Spring. If we don’t stand up now and fight now for a different kind of future we may not have much of a future … so let’s live without dead time for a month in May and see what happens …

for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ

also my favorite dc douchenozzle is planning what he's calling the "National Occupation of Washington," a world social forum-style weeklong event for the end of march that would include tents along with seminars & conferences

my local corporate personhood solutions working group is also putting together a conference about (uh) solutions to corporate personhood that would more than likely coincide with "NOW," and would fall right in the middle of their 8 week escalating action plan

xp that posting was part of what I was talking about

'preparations' are already well underway here, meaning mostly mayor Rahm pushing new resolutions regarding detention/fines for protesters through the city council & the cop blogs posting about how they plan to obscure badge #s etc

oh god chicago cop blogs

hoos be careful lest you tangle with uncleshavedlongcock

also lol @ "gandhian ferocity"

the cop blogs posting about how they plan to obscure badge #s etc

― long duk dan (dan m), Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:01 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

haha that discussion of black duct tape was hilarious

RT @exileinflyville: Reading @Adbusters "announcement" I have to conclude they think they invented @OccupyChicago & idea of NATO/G8 protests

occupy kegger this weekend