Enjoy being arrested amongst peaceful protest, Raleigh. No arrests made in Durham/Chapel Hill...


[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 1:56 AM. Reason : hate.]

10/17/2011 1:46:49 AM

All these protesters want it to be one way

10/17/2011 1:52:09 AM

I probably wouldn't protest against Wall Street by showing up with my Chinese-made cell phone and clothing, and camping out in my Chinese or Indian-made camping gear and staying all night. All I'm sayin...

Though it would be ironic. And downtown Raleigh is no stranger to that shit...

10/17/2011 1:55:30 AM

^ why would that be ironic?

10/17/2011 2:06:15 AM

Because corporations use foreign countries to manufacture products for way cheaper, thus not only depriving Americans of jobs, but perpetuating piss poor human condition and even communism... and at the very least...perpetuating greed?

I thought that's what this is about. Corporate greed.

You see, if you've bought something that perpetuates their greed...

Jesus Christ, why did I type this out...

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 2:14 AM. Reason : d]

10/17/2011 2:12:46 AM

how has this shit not been moved to tsb?

10/17/2011 2:16:39 AM

Because of the chitchat-esque photobombing?

10/17/2011 2:44:36 AM

Let the ruling classes tremble.

10/17/2011 4:30:38 AM

10/17/2011 5:44:52 PM

REALLY?

10/17/2011 5:48:06 PM

everyone knows black people only occupy other people's property

also known, as theft

10/17/2011 8:09:38 PM

10/17/2011 8:59:30 PM

I'd listen to Suge Knight, if I were them.

10/17/2011 9:09:31 PM

The reason the cops left is because they realized you were only there for attention. They don't want the spotlight, YOU do.

10/17/2011 9:18:34 PM

I doubt any good can come of arresting/restraining an Iraq veteran while on camera (who was more than likely not going to go down without a fight).

10/17/2011 9:24:43 PM

man- "there is no honor in kiling unarmed civilians"

cops to each other- "be silent and don't feed the troll"


so, if the 99% are so jealous of the 1%, why don't they just invest their money in multinational corporations like the 1% and take a slice of the pie and become rich like they do???

you realize the stock market is open every day and is a few dollars a trade right??

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 9:28 PM. Reason : pryderi any response?]

10/17/2011 9:28:03 PM

Quote :

"I doubt any good can come of arresting/restraining an Iraq veteran who was nearly twice as big as any of the cops there while on camera (who was more than likely not going to go down without a fight getting tazered multiple times.)."

10/17/2011 9:31:35 PM

oh man. it had nightmare written all over it.

if they touch him it's LA riots in every city in america. there's pretty much no win in this situation. you let the guy rant, try not to look imposing and set him off into a violent rage and keep your distance.

10/17/2011 9:33:51 PM

Yes, the cops look like members of the elite SS guard.

10/17/2011 9:35:07 PM

the only difference in a cop and a criminal is a badge

10/17/2011 9:45:52 PM

Welp. I don't believe that anarchy and obsessed protesting will accomplish anything besides more anarchy and the end of our civilization.

So I dedicate these next posts to a direct solution to the problems that you feel you have been brought on you unjustly and immorally.

Here's step 1:
http://www.sharebuilder.com/

Just read around a bit. Explore it. Check out some investments with even a small payback that have solid growth. Don't go in guns blazing. Be willing to stay up nights reading a lot. I guarantee you will have a payback and you will indeed be taking a slice from the 1% instantly.

Good luck.

10/17/2011 9:46:48 PM

Quote :

"^ why would that be ironic?"

Quote :

"Because corporations use foreign countries to manufacture products for way cheaper, thus not only depriving Americans of jobs, but perpetuating piss poor human condition and even communism... and at the very least...perpetuating greed? I thought that's what this is about. Corporate greed. You see, if you've bought something that perpetuates their greed... Jesus Christ, why did I type this out..."

There is an interesting misdirection going on here. What is the conflict? Mr Scrumples seems to frame it as between the protesters and the corporations. But who are the protestors? Are they consumers? Are they labor? Well, they're certainly labor.

Who are the corporations?

Well that's easier to answer. If the claim is that too much of the wealth is concentrated at the top (which it is), it follows that those equity holdings are largely in the hands of the top 1%. While not a perfect link, the connection between the corporations the the wealthy is strong.

This is the wealth of the top 20%, next 20%, next 20%, and bottom 20% is so small you can't see it.



Scrumples, this is going to be hard for you to get your brain around, but:

Evidence: top bracket holds a large amount of the wealth

wealth = consumption or future consumption
wealth != labor

We can not equate the income of the top bracket to labor. We can, without much difficulty, relate it to capital. The complaints about the top 1% taking home so much is a result of the returns on capital. A central theme of economics would be what?

labor vs. capital

Capital is the link between corporations and the top 1%. Corporations represent a large amount of the capital stock out there, and the top 1% has done well almost entirely due to the performance of capital (although there were contributing factors like executive pay inflation).

So you mention trade. Corporations certainly have their hand in trade.

Does that mean trade benefits capital? Does it do so at the expense of labor or consumers? Well no, not exactly. Trade creates value. Is capital necessary for trade? Well of course. But so is labor. And it's most easy to argue in regards to cell phones in the United States that consumers have been the benefactors of trade.

Our trade conflict with China is a conflict of our pro-consumer policies and their pro-producer policies.

China isn't the only one. Germany is well known for having pro-producer, anti-consumer policies. These policies are pro-labor, and it's not clear that they are pro-capital. Again, all capital represents future consumption. That doesn't mean one's capital will ever be spent, as it still produces income. But a large capital stock held by a small fraction of the population clearly represents inequality. Any vague notion of a large fraction of the population holding lots of wealth and choosing not to spend it is either unsustainable or naive.

Now, I agree that trade has visibly benefited capital in this nation. It might have also benefited labor in ways invisible to us (like overseas). But I think there is a better case that trade (your ignorant Walmart references) firstly benefits consumers. Of course, this benefits the top 1% in mostly in whatever ratio of wealth to the rest of the nation they have. Nonetheless, we are all equally happy whenever our purchasing power goes up by 10%. So it's fair to propose that the dirty hippies protesting capitalism have benefited from globalization just as much as the top 1%, but the place that breaks down is equating trade with corporations, and even capitalism itself. The free market is at the heart of trade, and capitalism is nothing more than a tool of the free market - of which there are many.

The aforementioned parties, in the context of the free market, can comfortably drive the world to ruin. Sometimes people call on yet another actor, democracy, to the rescue. Ultimately, ownership is a human construct, and wealth can be redistributed. The challenge is doing so without destroying value in the process.

I'm sure no one read all that, but ultimately, the focus on cheap imported goods is the highlight of a conflict completely which is separate from the primary conflict of this movement.

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 10:08 PM. Reason : ]

10/17/2011 10:07:06 PM

^bravo sir. well written. ibt trolls

dividing the wealth can be achieved. but you stated the problem yourself you have to avoid in doing so.

10/17/2011 10:28:15 PM

http://occupywriters.com/by-lemony-snicket

Quote :

"Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance 1. If you work hard, and become successful, it does not necessarily mean you are successful because you worked hard, just as if you are tall with long hair it doesn’t mean you would be a midget if you were bald. 2. “Fortune” is a word for having a lot of money and for having a lot of luck, but that does not mean the word has two definitions. 3. Money is like a child—rarely unaccompanied. When it disappears, look to those who were supposed to be keeping an eye on it while you were at the grocery store. You might also look for someone who has a lot of extra children sitting around, with long, suspicious explanations for how they got there. 4. People who say money doesn’t matter are like people who say cake doesn’t matter—it’s probably because they’ve already had a few slices. 5. There may not be a reason to share your cake. It is, after all, yours. You probably baked it yourself, in an oven of your own construction with ingredients you harvested yourself. It may be possible to keep your entire cake while explaining to any nearby hungry people just how reasonable you are. 6. Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they’ve been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative. 7. Someone feeling wronged is like someone feeling thirsty. Don’t tell them they aren’t. Sit with them and have a drink. 8. Don’t ask yourself if something is fair. Ask someone else—a stranger in the street, for example. 9. People gathering in the streets feeling wronged tend to be loud, as it is difficult to make oneself heard on the other side of an impressive edifice. 10. It is not always the job of people shouting outside impressive buildings to solve problems. It is often the job of the people inside, who have paper, pens, desks, and an impressive view. 11. Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending. 12. If you have a large crowd shouting outside your building, there might not be room for a safety net if you’re the one tumbling down when it collapses. 13. 99 percent is a very large percentage. For instance, easily 99 percent of people want a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and the occasional slice of cake for dessert. Surely an arrangement can be made with that niggling 1 percent who disagree."

10/17/2011 10:30:47 PM

Quote :

"dividing the wealth can be achieved. but you stated the problem yourself you have to avoid in doing so."

The main reason I think the movement has any chance is because it's centered around a problem we agree on. So far, it's the problem and only the problem.

Quote :

"6. Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they’ve been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative."

OMFG this one upsets me so much. The worst are stories from people who were on unemployment or welfare about how they got out of it, arguing for the Republican position that entitlements are bad and should be avoided (from experience).

I'll leave it to the reader to identify the logical fallacy there.

10/17/2011 10:39:35 PM

Entitlements are good?

10/17/2011 10:42:31 PM

Quote :

"niggling 1 percent "

racist

10/17/2011 10:43:16 PM

10/17/2011 10:49:47 PM

^ that brought the lolz

10/17/2011 10:51:26 PM

10/17/2011 10:53:25 PM

Ah yes let me take my $18 million bonus and buy as much stock, with as much insider information, as Lloyd Blankfein

10/17/2011 10:55:52 PM

it's $4 a trade.

10/17/2011 11:00:51 PM

pack_bryan, you have your own dedicated thread now.

While all opinions are valued, yours has been expressed fervently and persistently; therefore, all future discourse should be restricted to your dedicated thread so as to avoid redundancy and misdirection within this thread.

The people thank you.

10/17/2011 11:03:22 PM

Cool story bro. I have some coupons for $25 in free trades if you need help getting started. Greyfox? Seriously man. just pm me. your children might thank you one day.

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 11:06 PM. Reason : .]

10/17/2011 11:05:29 PM

Oh word? I'm going to take my $4 and buy every share of Apple then.

Thanks, I own Apple now!

10/17/2011 11:05:51 PM

I AM THE 1%

10/17/2011 11:06:12 PM

So you refuse to invest. Welp. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

10/17/2011 11:07:45 PM

I've had shares of Disney and AOL since I was about 10 and they've lost money

Granted my parents made the mistake of trusting my college fund to a stockbroker in Elizabeth City and that doesn't seem like the best plan in retrospect

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 11:09 PM. Reason : ]

10/17/2011 11:08:38 PM

pack_bryan, while your opinion is valued, I must stress that the dedicated thread will be the desirable option for you to post any thoughts or feelings about these political issues.

In order to facilitate this change in posting location, I intend to link you to the aforementioned thread: message_topic.aspx?topic=619434

I understand locating the thread among all those on the front page may or may not present challenges of its own, so if you ever find you are having trouble locating it, just send me a PM and I'll gladly redirect you.

Thank you in advance.

[Edited on October 17, 2011 at 11:10 PM. Reason : ]

10/17/2011 11:09:28 PM

^^ i hear ya man. i'm barely in the black finally on some investments i made in 2008. in fact i made them literally in the summer of 08 when the market was at its absolute highest.

but so what. i threw more in later that winter and that part has more than doubled. it's a pain in the ass but it's like gambling and it takes guts. find something you trust and manage the fuck out of it. these asshole 1% do this every day and slowly they build it up. i refuse to be jealous of them and complain at this point.

^shut up douche.

10/17/2011 11:25:50 PM

10/17/2011 11:27:35 PM

I got about 25 seconds into the video of the 'Marine.' I can't imagine any self-respecting Marine wearing his cammie blouse with his ribbon rack on it and parading around in public. If he is a Marine, he can go fuck himself for making an ass of himself in 'uniform.' If not, then if he wants to play Marine so bad we can hem his ass up with an Article 134.

10/18/2011 12:11:08 AM

^^^No jealousy here, man. It would be nice to have enough cash that you could just drop it on a blue-chipper that will make you a percent or two a year without risk like those guys do, but if you're just a paycheck-to-paycheck type dude it's hard to scrape enough money together to buy enough for a good return. You could put it on more volatile stocks, but at that point you'd probably have better odds going to Atlantic City and playing poker. Even if you do well with your risky picks, I can't imagine what the odds are that you can consistently pump enough into it to hit that $350,000/yr mark without a lot of luck.

I think people just want it to be a little easier to make a good living and be secure without having to gamble, for all intents and purposes. Even people who responsibly put their money in 401(k)s weren't safe. Nobody's saying we all have to be in the 1%.

Seriously though thanks for not trolling and imagedumping.

10/18/2011 12:25:43 AM

I don't want life to be easy, I just want these guys to stop making it un-naturally difficult.

10/18/2011 4:27:28 AM

Quote :

" Sgt. Shamar Thomas USMC Veteran. I took an Oath that I live by.I 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 SEPERATES. 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. SEMPER FI "

http://www.youtube.com/user/SgtShamarThomasUSMC

10/18/2011 10:14:30 AM

Quote :

""

Thanks for being a fan and taking the time to dedicate a picture to me.

10/18/2011 10:15:57 AM

Quote :

"I don't want life to be easy, I just want these guys to stop making it un-naturally difficult."

Which "guys" are you referring to?

10/18/2011 10:30:03 AM

10/18/2011 12:35:48 PM

pryderi, your past as a shill for the Democratic Party establishment and a prolific distributor of propaganda makes you a terrible spokesperson for OWS

you're fired

10/18/2011 12:42:40 PM

http://blog.joethepeacock.com/2011/10/i-went-to-occupy-wall-street-this-is.html

Interesting take and lots of pics here.

10/18/2011 1:50:55 PM