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What the protestors at Occupy Wall Street are angry about
This final note on the way out today, a word or two about the protests in Lower Manhattan that've become known as Occupy Wall Street. Maybe a couple of hundred people have been camping out for two weeks or so not far from the New York Stock Exchange.
Until today, all we really knew was that they didn't like the way things are going in this country. There's now an official Declaration of the Occupation of New York City on their website.
It's pretty long, but here's the key part: "We come to you at a time," it says, "when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments."
There's a list of 20 specific complaints, and an asterisk at the bottom that says -- and I'm quoting -- "These grievances are not all-inclusive."
Also check out our Marketplace Morning Report piece on the protests, with a slideshow, here.
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I think the comments above about disproportionate news coverage of the Arab Spring and European economic-related protests are spot on.
If you've every wondered how business and government-sympathetic (or maybe business and government-run) media in places like Greece, Syria, Libya, Spain, Italy, etc. talk about the protests that happen there - perhaps you need to look no further than how this program discusses (or doesn't) the Wall Street protests.
"This final note on the way out today"?? "A word or two"?? I guess they need to add some grievances against Mubarak or Gaddafi to get Marketplace's serious attention these days. Besides "camping out" (sounds like they're on vacation in Yosemite or something), they are being maced and beaten by the NYC police on video.
C'mon, Marketplace! These people are protesting against Wall Street! Surely you can find an economic angle to justify some real coverage.
I'm surprised the political buffoonery leading up to the drop in the US credit rating wasn't mentioned as a motivating factor behind Occupy. Even the most optimistic American would be hard pressed to not feel there soul being crushed by our house and senates embarrassing amateur night performance.
Regarding a lack of the downtrodden among the participants - this doesn't just date back to the protests of the 50's and 60's, it's history 101- successful public uprisings (aka revolutions) occur when the middle class feel the pinch, look at the American revolution, the French revolution - any revolution. Who better to successfully revolt than the middle class? They're more rested, healthier, more hopeful, more educated and have more free time than their poorer neighbors.
The fact that Occupy exists and is gaining ground is just one more reason to lose faith in our politicians - they don't even have the political sense to dominate the subversive paradigm.
I agree - We need lots more coverage - and not just about new forms of chocolate...
The global economy and business has gotten us into a big mess - and not repentant yet. The WSJ reports on the head of GE pursuing an agreement to allow advanced aircraft technology into China, a country neither democratic nor trustworthy. Oh yeh, they say, it has adequate security safeguards!!!! The public doesn't need this insult - we see through this. Business in the global economy is tied to almighty profits - not to this democracy or country or the people of this country - so indeed they are unpatriotic and maybe ought to be tried for treason.
All this while your young men and women risk their lives to support democracy around the world - then come home without a job offer and welcome.
I and my daughter went to Seattle ten years ago to protest the WTO talks. Little good it did. Now we face even greater threats - new "free" trade agreements with new countries without adequate environmental, labor or social requirements. We need to localize trade in energy efficient ways. (In addition we need to localize food production to avoid the risks of food contamination) The added costs of global trade are not included in the calculations.
Just tossing the word "freedom" around like Tea Party types do, undermines what free really means. "Free" trade is NOT necessarily freedom for the the working folks.
I agree - We need lots more coverage - and not just about new forms of chocolate...
The global economy and business has gotten us into a big mess - and not repentant yet. The WSJ reports on the head of GE pursuing an agreement to allow advanced aircraft technology into China, a country neither democratic nor trustworthy. Oh yeh, they say, it has adequate security safeguards!!!! The public doesn't need this insult - we see through this. Business in the global economy is tied to almighty profits - not to this democracy or country or the people of this country - so indeed they are unpatriotic and maybe ought to be tried for treason.
All this while your young men and women risk their lives to support democracy around the world - then come home without a job offer and welcome.
I and my daughter went to Seattle ten years ago to protest the WTO talks. Little good it did. Now we face even greater threats - new "free" trade agreements with new countries without adequate environmental, labor or social requirements. We need to localize trade in energy efficient ways. (In addition we need to localize food production to avoid the risks of food contamination) The added costs of global trade are not included in the calculations.
Just tossing the word "freedom" around like Tea Party types do, undermines what free really means. "Free" trade is NOT necessarily freedom for the the working folks.
Is Kai Risdahl that dumb??? He conducted this interviewed as though the protesters were from Mars. Risdahl's tone suggested that the protesters are being ridiculous.
Risdahl also stated that the truly downtrodden were too busy were working. The statement reveals a huge misunderstanding of basic socioeconomic conditions in this country. The "truly downtrodden" don't protest because they are working. The truly donwtrodden DONT HAVE JOBS, Kai!
They don't flood the streets because they are very concerned with trying to survive and they don't believe that they have power to change their society.
More educated, affluent people always lodge more complaints; either for their own benefit or the benefit of others.
Risdahl's disorientation and misunderstanding shows that he is like most establishment-types... when they think of the country's economy they could think or care less about the poor.
Go to their main site for the Declaration:
http://nycga.cc/
I wrote to Kai yesterday after his Marketplace broadcast:
Et tu, Kai? Occupy Wall Street is WAY bigger and more comprehensive than mainstream media will acknowledge – not just a few hundred kids in NYC. From your own state, and this is just SF, not LA, SJ,etc. at least take a look at this: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/147030/occupy-wall-street-solidarity-gro...
Fed up, I canceled my 30-year NPR membership today. I'm so very disappointed that a supposedly open-minded, 'cutting edge' PUBLIC media operation is as complicit as big banks, elected officials and wall street in refusing to educate their membership on how 'Wall Street' and D.C. has created an all-powerful corporatocracy that has squandered the middle class, and controls the message to the detriment of the vast majority of Americans. Like it or not, truth WILL prevail!
, as I, too, was disgusted by the flippant tone he - and every other NPR personality who has devoted a few lighthearted seconds to the "small group of young people protesting on WS, who don't seem to know what they want", but endless hours of "...now more about an obscure, cerebral-sounding subject that's a safe distance from our disintegrating society".
I called my local NPR affiliate, KQED, yesterday to cancel my membership. Depending on where I've lived, I've supported NPR affiliates in Boston, SF and Philadelphia for 30 consecutive years. Not any more.
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