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Reporting On Occupy Wall Street: Still Trying To Figure Out What They’re Doing

by Josh Sternberg | 3:50 pm, September 28th, 2011

» 136 comments

Editor’s Note Josh Sternberg is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, NY. His articles have been published in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Mashable & Mediaite. His blog is The Sternberg Effect. He recently published a first hand account of Occupy Wall Street, which is republished below with his permission.

Upon exiting the 2/3 at Wall Street, I was expecting to be swept up in a crowd of people marching down that corporate alleyway, playing music and chanting, “We shall overcome.” Or, at the very least, see some of New York’s Finest pepper-spraying protesters while men in $5,000 suits stood back and watched. Instead, I saw the typical throng of tourists gawking at the Fed, taking pictures of the George Washington Statue and lining up to pose with the New York Stock Exchange in the background. I also saw steel barricades, which obviously meant protest.

I continued to follow the barriers along Broad Street, and saw a real-life protest. Only this wasn’t the Occupy Wall Street protest. It was the Airline Pilot’s Association union protesting lack of progress on collective bargaining agreement between them and their employers, mainly Continental and United. The two companies merged last year and apparently haven’t made any movement. The pilots were organized, marching in uniforms and in shifts, carrying signs that read, “What’s a pilot worth? Depends on your perspective,” with an image of the famous Hudson River landing plane, and “Management is destroying our airline.”

As one NYPD officer told me, “These guys…these guys are pros. What they do, they should protest. They’re (employers) are taking away their benefits, making them work ‘til they’re 70. Who wants to work ‘til they’re 70?”

After seeing the pilots’ professional protest, I made my way to Zuccotti Park, which sits in the shadow of the under-construction World Trade Center. It could easily be misinterpreted as a pre-Phish show parking lot. Cardboard signs, guys playing guitar, girls holding their fingers up for the international symbol for peace. There’s somewhat of a Shakedown Street with Halal carts, fresh fruit stands, smoothie hut and a bread stand. Oh, and a typical New York souvenir stand. There are sleeping bags and mattresses, couches and tables, even a little legal corner where people can go get free legal advice. Though, while I was there, there were no attorneys in the “legal center.”

At the top of the park, I found Robert Daros, from Florida, sitting in a chair behind a table with a sign that said, “info.” Originally from Florida, he saw a poster in a café and wanted to participate. So he quit his job and came to the park. He, like everyone else who is taking part in the Occupy Wall Street protests, is still trying to figure out how to successfully organize.

As of now, it’s a haphazard process, as there’s no leadership, no message. Nothing but a group of a few hundred people – and of that group, I saw about 10 to 15 actually take charge of something – trying to figure out what they’re doing.

“All decisions we make as a group are decided in a purely democratic process, which is extremely cumbersome and slow moving,” said Daros. “There are no elected officials. There are people to take responsibility, like myself. No one told me to come sit here. I just sat. Some people take into their own hands to distribute fliers. But no is telling them to do so. And no one is essential organizing anything.”

Leia Doran, who has been at Zuccotti Park, for the past two days, echoed that sentiment. She explained that the messaging is still a process and it’s still being refined as the collective group is trying to figure out what to ask for.

“I’m here because I want to see the people responsible for the financial crisis to be investigated and tried,” she told me, as we stood about 20 feet away from the afternoon’s General Assembly.

While there is a lack of organization in regards to leadership and messaging, they have at least figured out how to organize their day. In several spots throughout the park there are boards that give an hour-by-hour agenda. They hold these General Assemblies several times during the day to try to figure out what it is they are doing. As with other assemblies, there is division between members: some want elected leaders, some don’t.

Jesse Levy doesn’t want elected leaders representing the groups. “We need to prioritize consensus,” he said.

Doran explained that “the majority opinion here is that there should be no leadership, as people take offense to others being in charge.”

Besides selecting people to represent the group, the biggest problem is that there has yet to be a cohesive message. Their objections are not directed against any particular part of the political or economic system, however, it seems two broad themes are rising to the top: accountability for corporate and political malfeasance and limit the relationship companies can have with politicians. The protests appear to function as a way to highlight that the system is a production of the wealthy, and it’s time for reform.

Doran, for example, wants to prosecute those responsible for the financial collapse, but also to have lobbying reforms and campaign finance reforms.

Levy wants for state reforms to make new laws regarding the relationships between corporations and politicians.

Rob Daros sums up this multi-issue, lack of message problem. “We aren’t one organization. We’re trying to become one, and I feel we are, because there are a lot of us, and a lot of different people here, are the collective voice, the collective conscious, of the nation. Essentially there are too many demands for us to have one demand. Very vaguely, I would say you could take down corporate influence out of the government so we are better represented and that our country doesn’t do anything that is so terrible.”

In addition to these internal hurdles, denizens of Zuccotti Park face external challenges. As of now, they have no official legal team to help advise on large matters such as arrests, or small matters like securing places for signage or even having amplification. During the General Assembly, they use a ‘human microphone.’ To start speaking, a presenter will say “mic check” three times, and each time the audience will respond with “mic check.” Following that, the speaker launches into what he or she has to say, pausing after ever few words so the larger audience can repeat, and amplify, the speaker’s message. A bit tiresome, yes, but somewhat effective, as one can stand at the other end of the park and make out what’s being said.

Since there is no amplification, they also use hand signals during the general assembly to indicate their approval, disapproval or even point of process. Don’t be confused when you see jazz-hands, it means they approve; fingers pointing down is disapproval, and co-opting Phil Jackson’s Triangle Sign, they use it to indicate it’s a point of process.

Over the coming days, should this group of disaffected citizens determine leadership and a message, we may see this group get larger. With Susan Sarandon popping by today and Michael Moore, yesterday, along with Noam Chomsky’s support, celebrity activists are bringing media with them. Bloggers and journalists are starting to migrate downtown. There were about a dozen journalists with notepads, many more with video and still cameras, and at least one foreign crew from Hong Kong – two girls, one camera – patrolling the park.

People participating in Occupy Wall Street told me they are staying there for the long haul. They have food, water and sleeping bags on mattresses. The only thing I didn’t see was a portopotty. But as the protesters planned for their “Closing Bell March,” even the NYPD were in good spirits today. Many of them are working in 12-hour shifts, and are enjoying it, as it’s overtime pay.

Josh Sternberg, Leia Doran, Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Occupy Wall Street, Robert Daros, Susan Sarandon

Anonymous

Maybe if they’d put the bong down for a couple of days and let the fog clear, then they would be able to figure out what they are doing there. Or maybe they’d realize it was stupid and go get a job.
Jason

Not a chance in hell. Sitting in a park protesting money is what these idiots were born to do. I’d love to fly a crop duster full of urine over these hippy morons. I doubt a drenching of piss would make them smell any worse than they do already.
Anonymous

So the one guy quits his job to hold a sign? Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
TruDat

Everyone is trying to figure out what the goofy libs thinks they’re doing.
pat

or you could see them as people an listen to what they have to say. the article says they have no message, i say you aren’t listening!

the reason protests like this won’t work isn’t because they are stupid or unorganized, there are just too many people who are indoctrinated into believing what you do!!
K.H.

Don’t you think it interesting that the NYPD officer praising the pilots striking doesn’t get the inter-relationship between what Wall Street and our corporate culture has done to labor rights?

Here’s a link to a piece on high-level officers participating in the violence: Occupy Wall Street: White Shirts Gone Wild
Anonymous

This “don’t know what the message is” critique has been repeated so much it seems facetious.

To quote Glenn Greenwald: “Does anyone really not know what the basic message is of this protest:
that Wall Street is oozing corruption and criminality and its unrestrained political power — in the form of crony capitalism and ownership of political institutions — is destroying financial security for everyone else?”

Is that not message enough?
melvee

and do you NOT realize that King Obama is the leader of all these corrupt Wall Street elites? that King Obama sees fit to pick the winners and losers in corporate America, of course the winners being those who contribute the most money to his presidential re election campaign (Solyndra-whose reps have now taken ‘the fifth’)??
Glutton

Gotta love how conservatives have so much respect for their fellow man, especially when those people aren’t doing anything to hurt anyone.
Glutton

Funny how the conservative hacks think this is some sort of liberal movement. I guess that’s why Judge Napolitano of Fox News Business’s Freedom Watch is also supporting the protesters and calling out the NYPD for cracking down on a peaceful protest. Fact is that these WALL STREET EXECUTIVES HAVE STOLEN BILLIONS OF TAX PAYER MONEY and haven’t lived up to their end of the bargain. This isn’t just a liberal issue. It’s an issue that concerns all Americans.
Anonymous

Ever wonder why the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist extremists go after banks – BUT do not go after the one person in America who guarantees their MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROFITS ?

The top priority of bailout bernanke and his feckless fed is to ENSURE MASSIVE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROFITS FOR BIG BANKS and WALL STREET CRONY CAPITALISTS, especially their masters at Government (Goldman) Sacks-full-of-money.

BUT, the reckless, treasonous bailout bernanke is PROTECTED from the lunatic-left extremists because he also does everything possible to help get OBOZO re-elected, including keeping rates at zero and continuing to ignore inflation and the many asset bubbles his irresponsible actions have created – all of which cause great harm and suffering to average middle class and poor Americans. Don’t forget, More bank/wall street profits = more crony capitalist campaign contributions to OBOZO.
Anonymous

They didn’t steal anything. The government handed it to them
http://www.facebook.com/people/Anthony-Caruso/100000613700791 Anthony Caruso

basically the message as originally stated involved campaign finance reform. of course there are other issues as well, so i assume that they are rightly hesitant to sum up their goals in one sentence. protip: willful ignorance of the problems and possible solutions does not make you look smart, it makes you look stupid.
Anonymous

Who really cares about a gang of smelly, indecent, ridiculous, brain-dead, hippie, Birkinstock-wearing, dimwitted, tree-hugger, far left ignoramus assholes?

Just ignore them. One good storm and perhaps they will all just drown.
Darladoon

wasn’t the tea party upset at wall street, too?
Darladoon

not too many trees down on wall street…..
Glutton

The Teabaggers basically oppose everything that liberals support. They don’t actually have any causes. They’re just trolls.
Glutton

Glad to know you support the bailouts.
Glutton

Probably because it’s not just Obama that bails them out. I guess TARP never happened, right?
Double00range

Sounds like you are already part of the movement. I don’t hear anyone trying to defend the Federal Reserve Bank (a private corporation). In fact, if you read the list of demands being constructed through a completely organic democratic process, the fed is no sacred cow. Our political process and almost all of the politicians playing the game have been corrupted. It’s time to change the structures that allow this to happen. We’re on the same team, sir.
Glutton

Did Jesus say that?
Michelle

Kind of like when people were respectfully protesting Obamacare and were beat up or had their fingers bit off by liberal thugs?
OSux

Like every other liberal they are unemployable who are jealous of the success of others and looking for their next handout.
OSux

You have much in common with Glenn Greenwald and it has to do with oozing.
http://www.sodhealthcare.com Raj K. Gandhi

Dear Wall Street Protesters,
I admire what you are doing. Please go to http://www.sodhealthcare.com. Review it and especially read my “This I Believe” essay. You will find what you are looking for: A coherent message and how to deliver it.
I will be happy to come and join you if you wish, and show how your desired goals can be achieved.
Thanks,
Raj K. Gandhi, MD
Atlanta, GA
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5SEHXAKRF2ET7COGDWXWKMWPNA Michelle

This article has already been written, several times. First the Times took a dump on the protestors, and many other media outlets followed suit. The protestors are much less confused than this “reporter” (“hack blogger” is more like it). OCcupy Wall Street is a revolving, inclusive group. Anyone can show up. When I went there, I met a bunch of young people who were very worried about the fact that the future has been taken away from them. They were intelligent, and articulate.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

You obviously do and you have reason to fear them, which is obvious that you do from your ranting post.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

Your corporate elite masters thank you for defending them free of charge. Thank you for proving that the tea party was a sham from the beginning. Started because the banks received 700 billion on Bush’s watch, now you defend the same banks the tea party was against three years ago.
Anonymous

The protesters are upset with pretty much the same things as the Tea Party. Amazed you can see that. Everyone seems to know what is wrong but its the causes and solutions that we disagree about. Government control of every aspect of our lives and complete regulation of business is no answer. Vilifying all rich people as being greedy is the same as vilifying all poor people as being lazy. Anger and frustration causes such extreme comments. We are really all upset at the same thing. We want jobs and prosperity. We just don’t agree on how to get it and what’s in the way.
OSux

Glutton for Blowjobs has a cause. It is his boyfriend.
Latin2

They are LIBERALS and LEFTISTS so no one knows what they are doing. Everything they do never makes sense.
TFM

Lol @ you not knowing what a bailout is troll
Bluemoss

It is hardly a surprise the protestors
cannot articulate their demand for solutions at this point. Most of
America only has a hazy idea of what precipitated this economic
crisis back in 2008. Eventually, it will come down to corporations
are not people and should not be treated as such in our political
process. Wall Street will be asked to change their investment
strategy from the short-term interests of their shareholders and
CEO’s to the long-term interests of the greater economy. Since Wall
Street is at least one generation removed from this kind of
investment model, don’t anybody hold their breath.
Jonathan

I walk up and down Broadway between South Ferry and City Hall twice a day going to and from work. I’ve seen what this article is about. There’s no agenda, no goal, no plan, no suggestions. The majority are offended by the notion of a leader – that’s why they’re unorganized – no leadership.
Anonymous

Live Blog of #OccupyWallStreet: Day Twelve, Postal Workers Enjoy the Occupation’s Support

By: Kevin Gosztola Wednesday September 28, 2011 10:28 am

The occupiers took off on a march in the evening, as they have done
for the duration of the occupation. They had drums and were chanting
loudly, “All day, all week Occupy Wall Street.” A dance party was
happening in an intersection. Police could have rolled out their orange
moving cages to stop the protesters and force them back to Zuccotti Park
(renamed Liberty Park by the protesters), where the occupation has been
taking place. But, the word came from a commanding officer on the scene
that the NYPD was to escort them wherever they wanted to go. The mobile
freedom cages were rolled back up.

Naturally, they went to go show solidarity with the postal workers union holding a rally to protest impending layoffs and cutbacks
to the postal service. Loud cheers erupted when Occupy Wall Street
marchers showed up to the rally. Someone with Occupy Wall Street was
even given the opportunity to speak. The representative with the
occupation said over a megaphone the occupiers wanted to come down and
show support because America needs its post offices. The representative
invited postal workers to come down to Liberty Park and share their
grievances with the occupiers. That received another loud cheer. Then
they chanted together, “What’s disgusting? Union busting!”

For those committed to criticism of Occupy Wall Street, this must
have been disappointing because these “hippies” most definitely do not
appear to be out-of-touch with Main Street.

Firedoglake’s premier blog on Occupy Wall Street continues. Again,
let me thank all in the comments thread constantly posting updates and
making this blog not just a location for the latest news on Occupy Wall
Street but also a virtual community for discussing what Occupy Wall
Street is trying to accomplish.

Here is a list to follow on Twitter for the latest (created on Day One and now has over one hundred followers).

http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2011/09/28/live-blog-of-occupywallstreet-day-twelve-postal-workers-enjoy-the-occupations-support/
Latin2

He got tired of working for the greedy evil corporations [serving fires]

Oh well he still has his mother’s basement.
Latin2

Trying to figure out what a Liberal thinks is like trying to figure out what a gold fish is thinking, but at least the gold fish is smarter.
Anonymous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj-260XUQ0k&feature=player_profilepage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPzeXsjVXIA&feature=player_profilepage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFdHNofOvnQ&feature=player_profilepage
here your answer Josh Sternberg
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZIQS6YEA47QFXGOR4JWUBU2QRM Shark City

Go home you imbeciles, your stinkin up the place.
Brandi

Who raised all these crypto-fascist thugs barking on this forum? Do your mothers hate as much as you do? Because seriously, the only thing that seems common among the right in this country is their strange need to bully, badger, falsify, unfairly judge, fear, and condemn to support their bizarre small minded sadistic world view. Every silly “kill em all” tough guy I’ve ever met either seems like he has some inadequacy when it comes physical intimacy or is a closet homosexual. Relax! We all know how foolish you are without having to listen to your childish redneck locker room hazing.
Anonymous

They are angry at many things as we all are. They have many grievances similar to the Tea Party. Yet it is clear they are not calling for the same solutions. To define their protest and call for solutions would fracture them and the protest would dissolve. Leaving it undefined brings in more protestors. Its like the group MADD. I like the stand they take about drunk drivers but I refuse to support them because they, pretty much quietly, lobby for gun control and any monies I sent them would be working toward that goal as well as the goal I support. What does driving drunk have to do with gun control? So I do not support them. Most people supporting this group would stop sending support if they defined the ultimate goal.
Anonymous

That was one of the most boring piece of journalism I have ever read! It was like watching that movie Chariots of Fire. Josh, did really need to republish this gibberish?

Gibberish (sometimes spelled Jibberish) is a generic term in English for talking that sounds like speech, but carries no actual meaning.
OSux

So says carpet muncher Brandi.
H Goldmunf

Thanks! This first rattional comment so far. In simpler terms, you could go with their motto of “We Are The 99%, We Will No Longer REMAIN Silent”. Sort of sums it up for me. Is that not a message enough?
Anonymous

They certainly aren’t really doing anything to help anyone. Why don’t they go volunteer and actually do something productive. One guy quits his job to sit around and do mostly nothing. Maybe he can go to the food bank with me and do some real work. Do you think these folks showed respect for the TeaParty protests? Did you?
http://twitter.com/C1ust3r paul

I dont know, maybe they are trying to draw attention to the scene of the worlds biggest crime? The place that turned you lot into socialists over night, you know that word youre all brainwashed into hating. just a thought. Unless of course youre happy with your lot, then I can understand why you wouldnt be arsed, BACK TO BED AMERICA, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, YOUR GOVT HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL…..yea right.
Glutton

This is why nothing changes in Washington. The Teabaggers & these protectors essentially have the same exact position yet they don’t work together because of political differences on other issues. Meanwhile, the banking cartels all stick together and continue to control America.
Glutton

The responses on this article demonstrates that Teabaggers never cared about what was going on in Wall Street. They were just being partisan hacks. Surprise surprise.
Glutton

There are videos of Teabaggers stomping on a girl’s head as well. What’s your point?
Glutton

Lol @ you not knowing the conditions of the bailout, moron.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bobby-Fontaine/1433889990 Bobby Fontaine

good article
Glutton

Teabaggers a couple weeks ago = wahhhhhhhh, Obama is selling us out to Wall Street

Teabaggers now = lol @ those liberals protesting Wall Street
Glutton

True, most conservatives were clearly beaten as children and were outcasts in society.
Anonymous

The difference between the two is the solution each side wants. Both sides want an end to crony capitalism. The wallstreet protesters however would like to see the rise of socialism, or in other words, government control of the market. They either forget or simply don’t know that it was government, both democrat and republican, in the first place that gave corporations it’s power through contracts and back room deals. The tea party would like to see the rise of true capitalism. Businesses, big and small, would have no choice but to compete for their customers. No company would get an unfair advantege from government contracts. No campany would get bailed out for their bad decisions. The economy would grow slower under true capitalism but there would be no “poped bubbles” after large economic booms. It would basicaly grow and stabilize, grow and stabilize, grow and stabilize, and so on.
Glutton

You do realize that most conservatives want people like you to “go back to your country”, right?
Glutton

How did you know I’m a glutton for blowjobs? Did your mom tell you?
Anonymous

LOL. I love the fact that irony is such a completely alien concept to the left.
Anonymous

Yeah just like the hate from the left against the peaceful tea party huh! Since they are against spending, something Morons on the left cant grasp!…they must be racist and terrorist
Anonymous

What F*&^ken idiots! Nancy Pelosi crying and saying how scared she is of the Tea Party and the MS media tries so hard to make the tea party seem evil and hateful but you get liberals attacking and punching police and that is just fine with the left and democrat party acceptance it as there base! What a bunch of losers!

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=21b_1317165933
OSux

Glutton For Blowjobs – wahhhh my boyfriend left me this morning wahhhh
Aurelio

Why would they want that?
Pablo

No there aren’t. Unless you’re one of those proggy nitwits that doesn’t know what stomping is. In which case, there’s video of Al Sharpton dancing Odette’s part from Swan Lake while singing “Stayin’ Alive”.
Pablo

I think they understand the difference between being peaceful and respectable versus being punks looking for trouble.
Pablo

Actually, he’s not. He thought he would be, but he can’t control either his Wall Street cronies or what he thought would be his shock troops. He is, after all, SCOAMF.
Anonymous

Reporting On Occupy Wall Street: Still Trying To Figure Out What They’re Doing

Oh my gawd this is hilarious. Please what ever you clowns do…don’t stop protesting…LOL
http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

Yep stay classy you conservative crackpots. Guess you love the fact that the country is run by corporations and that wall street is corrupt. Doesn’t the bible say something about “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”? Guess you missed that part in Sunday School.
http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

What the f are you talking about Michelle? There’s no way in hell you can compare these protesters with baggers who disrespect our President and promote racist messages. If you deny that you’re either blind, delusional, or have no short-term memory. I’m going with delusional. Oh, and Michelle, you mentioned somehwere else about Dems whining… rotflmao … Baggers are upset that DWTSmade some bagger jokes. Seems to me, they’re pretty spot on. So quit whining will you?
http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/09/28/330624/breitbart-site-up-in-arms-over-tea-party-joke-on-dancing-with-the-stars/
http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

you don’t have a clue. Who the hell said they were “looking for trouble?” Did you not see the video? How many times do I have to tell you that just because you want to believe something doesn’t make it true. Sad that you want to protect corporate thieves and criminals who caused our financial meltdown. Don’t believe me — Watch “Inside Job.” You might actually learn something.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jordan-Kevin-Kanter/1247475755 Jordan Kevin Kanter

And the best way to start is through wide-scale, intentional DEBTORS’ REVOLT – DEFAULT-EN-MASSE. Stop paying in, and watch their illusory asset values collapse. The instruments of finance are only worth something because we all willingly cooperate. Time for that to end. Join us – intentional DEFAULT EN MASSE.I am a finance professional, lawyer, and former insider. The gig is up. They are corrupt. DEBTORS’ REVOLT – join us. Spread the word.
http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

Get a clue. These young people have done nothing wrong, other than to express their First Amendment Rights! People show up with GUNS at Tea Party rallies, and nada. These kids have SIGNS and Cameras! Videos don’t lie.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/21/1018872/-OCCUPY-WALL-STREET-9-21:-NYPD-Confiscates-Signs-Megaphones,-SHAME?detail=hide
Pablo

Yeah, these people stink. Patchouli, body odor and urine from what I hear. Oh, and Michael Moore.
Pablo

No they don’t These whiny children don’t know what they want, other than to protest because it’s kewl and they’re ANGRY! ANGRY! ANGRY!
Pablo

Without corporations, you’d be a mewling pile of cold, hungry, quivering flesh within a week. You don’t like corporations? Go camping, and don’t come back. Oh, and build your own tent.
Pablo

Sad that you want a revolution, for sheep.

http://tinyurl.com/44ey7re

But it’s nice to see that you’re behind that poor, poor victim of the system!

http://tinyurl.com/3mtgr6w
Pablo

Here’s another idea: Don’t borrow their money. That way, you can not pay them back without being a thief.
Ronr

Most of the people attacking the protestors’ “lack of coherence” are trolls attempting derail the. People are protesting the bankers who crashed the economy. It’s obvious, the only people who can’t see the “message” are the media outlets who are spreading disinformation. And the trolls here who never met a banker whose arse they wouldn’t kiss.
Ronr

Most of the people attacking the protestors’ “lack of coherence” are trolls attempting derail the debate. People are protesting the bankers who crashed the economy. It’s obvious, the only people who can’t see the “message” are the media outlets who are spreading disinformation. And the trolls here who never met a banker whose arse they wouldn’
ganymede

“Still Trying to Figure Out What They’re Doing” As usual, the Mediate headline about the demo on Wall Street really begs the issue. These people are doing what the rest of this country should be doing. Instead of following the antics of the Tea Partiers and/or sitting on their fat rumps, real rightwingers and defenders of the Constitution should be out joining the protestors. This is what a real Tea Party would call for. What the Occupy Wall Street protestors are doing is planting the seeds of popular discontent and opposition to our whacked out and corrupt political and corporate system. Why the Tea Party is not being taken seriously by the majority of people is simply because they are only dealing with a small part of the problem. Wall Street runs the government whether it’s Democrat or Republican. And nothing in the Tea Party’s agenda shows any understanding of how the world works. All you want to do is get rid of Obama because he’s a socialist, fascist. foreigner, racist (!), and , of course, incompetent. Hopefully, we’re beginning to see the beginning of a large scale movement of true populists. For obvious reasons, the media is only beginning to cover this story, but they will be forced to because there will be more and more people out on the streets around the country, and it will all be non-violent. I’m a straight New York businessman and I’m going down to Wall Street tomorrow. I was actually down there the other day in a slightly different area by the World Trade center and saw hundreds of men in airline uniforms protesting. Wake up America and get on the ‘right’ side of history. You’ve allowed yourselves to be brainwashed by The Koch Bros and some of the most venal people on Wall Street who want to control our lives for their benefit.
Jason

These idiots are protesting money that belongs to other people. That’s the exact opposite of what the tea party does, you fucking idiot.
Jason

You fucking empty headed twit. Don’t come at me with that bible shit. I hate you fucking socialists. I would crush you if I got a chance. The Christians you hate so much are willing to tolerate your stupid ass, bitch.
Jason

Bahahahahaha@that statement coming from a supporter of Urkel. Bahahahahahahaha
Jason

You’re a racist as well as an idiot? Your mother must be proud.
Jason

That made absolutely no sense. You’re an idiotic twit.
Factfinder Hamilton

Your article is great
I posted ur article in our news social network http://www.azadnegar.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=588918364 Scott Spinucci

Please take a moment and listen to the real, honest voices of the Occupy Wall Street Protest. Take a break from violent police videos and listen for a moment. Don’t listen to the media hype. Listen to the people. Spread this video far and wide!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k72eZiDNMQ&feature=channel_video_title
Pablo

I like the part where she passes judgement and then drops the judge not line.
Pablo

So, first you defend First Amendment rights and then criticize the Second. Those very few people who have openly carried have done nothing wrong, including the black guy whose head MSNBC chopped off.

That you like or don’t like something is not how we determine right versus wrong. We are a nation of laws, not a nation of your foolish whims.
Pablo

I don’t see any of these people protesting The Fed. Am I missing something?
Pablo

What part of “just ignore them” says “fear” to you?
Pablo

Not if they obey the law and take care of themselves. That’s all I ask.
Anonymous

You are REALLY confused aren’t you? We are against the bailouts themselves (and the idiots in the government that provided them), not those who received them. All they did was accept the help given to them. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
Anonymous

You are REALLY confused aren’t you? We are against the bailouts
themselves (and the idiots in the government that provided them), not
those who received them. All they did was accept the help given to them.
Why is this so hard for you to understand?
Dbot71

I’d love to be there to see the look on your face when you finally realise that the respectable men of wall street have pissed all of your money away…You are in a state of total denial and you obviously have little understanding about what has happened to the world economy.

I don’t expect you to get it as you seem to be under educated but get this into your little mind…We are still at the beginning of this economic crisis, this is still the easy part and we have much worse to come!

By all means fly your little plane with human urine attachments (I won’t ask) but these people did not cause this crisis, they are just some of the first to really grasp what is going on. I dare you to be objective for 5 minutes…Double dare you!!
Pablo

First video, 2:30 mark, Sam Seder explains all I need to hear: They don’t have a particular message or perticular demands. but in his view, that doesn’t matter because the “corporate media” would ignore it if they did.

Thing is, Sam’s wrong about that last part. People are asking, and no one can answer that fundamental protest question.

And then there’s the fact that RT isn’t corporate media, it’s Russian state media. Yay!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

You are not against the banks who received them and sat on the money while they gave their CEO’s millions of dollars in bonuses? Thank you for proving my point that the tea party was a sham, corporately run interest from the beginning. If the tea party was for real and actually had balls they would be protesting in Freedom Plaza right now. But since they are corporate cowards you will never see that. You support the banks using OUR money to line their pockets, your movement is a joke.
Anonymous

You need to brush up on your comprehension skills.
Anonymous

Work on your comprehension skills.
Anonymous

The government should have put the proper conditions on the funds. They didn’t. They are to blame. You think businesses are charities? No — they are in the business of making money. You actually expected them to take more of a risk than they were required to do by law? You are pathetically naive. Have you ever heard the story of the frog and the scorpion? You (and the fools in congress) are the frog. You should have known better. Again, you are pathetically naive.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UIUTYRY4RUDL2KNY63S3DF5HWE Ironhenge

Tea Party= Americans against “Government” Bailouts and Crony Capitialism. Notice the government in quotations as to not confuse those so adamatly trying to disparage and belie what the tea party stands for. These Wall Street Crooks play second fiddle to the bi-partisan policies employed by Washinton that have set up this corrupt pay for play, bailout madness. These Occupy Wall Street folks while comendable in their concern simply missed placed what street to protest on. Move it south to D.C. in front of congress and watch the tea party show up en masse.
Pablo

Wait, who is it that’s out in the streets hating people? Who decided that there are people who need to be occupies? Who’s out calling for a revolution?
Pablo

That’s because the problem in that equation is Obama selling us out. See, he’s that guy who’s job it is to work for us and he’s working against us and we don’t have any say in the matter. You don’t have to give Wall Street a dime. With the government, you don’t have a choice.
Pablo

Bingo! Wall Street couldn’t screw you without the help of the government.
Farnsworth

Jason is my new favourite contributor to Mediaite. He’s like some kind of computer-literate rage monkey
Anonymous

You were protesting universal health care because the GOP spin machine, who are in bed with the pharmaceutical companies, told you to. Fox News was in on it as well and they attacked the Obama plan 24/7. They questioned his citizenship, his religious and personal affiliations, anything and everything to keep your on their mark. I can’t blame you. They’re very good at what they do. Fox employees were instructed: instead of universal health care, call it Obamacare. Sounds scary, right? Cuz his middle name’s Hussein and he’s probably a Muslim. He’s got dark skin anyway. Not to be trusted. What an evil man…trying to ensure that we’ve all got health care. What the GOP don’t report is that people without coverage who get sick just end up in the ER, get treatment and then, if they can’t afford to pay, it goes on the government tab and ends up costing us a lot more.

Big Pharma is lobbying night and day to ensure that universal health care is never a reality in this
country. I know. I used to be a sales manager for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and we spent more money of lobbying and wining and dining doctors in the Caribbean that we did on advertising. Do you think we were making and selling drugs to help you and make you feel better? Do you honestly think that cared about your erectile dysfunction, acid reflux or depression? He’ll no! For us it was all about the mighty dollar. Obamacare indeed!

The GOP swept in on a platform of JOBS, JOBS, JOBS but where are the jobs? All they’ve done is is plot and scheme to overthrow Obama and ensure that the Bush Tax Cuts remained in place. Because rich people are the “job creators”‘ apparently. That’s just more GOP double-speak. Ask any economist abs he/she will tell you that’s never been true.
Farnsworth

You do realise that the bank bailouts started under Bush II, right?
Anonymous

Yes, I do. Do you realize that the Tea Party started under Bush II, as a response to his bailouts?
Anonymous

This is the problem. When you start out by calling people names you’ll never get to a place where civilized discourse will ensue. There’s no doubt that there was massive corruption on Wall Street that lead to a worlld wine financial collapse. It’s well-documented. There were the predatory lenders who gave mortgages to people whom they knew did not qualify (no reference, credit checks, no income verification). Then the rating agencies gave the bundled mortgages AAA ratings, knowing full well they were junk. In turn they were purchased on the assumption that the ratings were legitimate. Again, this is all well documented.

It’s unfortunate that this ragtag group of individuals isn’t better organized and does not have a unified message to deliver to the masses. They’re on the right track. Our country is in tatters and it is the direct result of Wall Street and their careless disregard for the its citizens.
Farnsworth

I do realise that yes. The fact that you apportion zero blame to Wall St for the financial crisis despite years of chonic illegality is hilarious. Fiscal conservative my hole. Corporate ass lickers and deeply confused mob party.
Mike Mills

You are misinformed about occupy Wall Street. I marched with them last week a couple days. The march takes us buy the Fed about 10 times in a 90 minute period. Everytime we would pass, 500 people would chant in unison, ‘Show me what hypocrisy looks like’ and then everyone would point at the Federal Reserve building and shout ‘This is what hypocrisy looks like!’

All right. So that punches a whole in your diatribe about the lunatic-left. You guys cry about ‘Big Government!’ The Left cries about ‘Big Corporations!’ And then, you guys fight about words. The reality is that big government and big corporations are more and more the same thing. That’s the real problem. As you yourself pointed out about Goldman Sachs.
Nathan

Josh

To criticize these protesters for disorganization, small numbers, or low
impact is fair criticism (though you should know it comes across a bit
as elitist scorn, instead of tactical critique – the pilots have a
“professional” protest because they’re in uniforms? Because their
concerns are more legitimate?). That said, to say that the Occupy Wall
Street protest has “no message” is absolute willful ignorance. From the
start, even if there isn’t a specific demand of someone in particular,
the message has been glaringly clear: these protesters want an end to
the political domination by the richest 1%. They came to Wall Street, as
should be obvious, because Wall Street is the hub of financial elite
and therefore real political power. Read the demonstrators signs, listen
to their chants. The message is loud and clear. It’s disingenuous and
revealing to say otherwise.
Anonymous

I haven’t seen any evidence that they did anything illegal. If they did, then they should go to prison. What I see is that Washington forced them to give loans to people who couldn’t afford it and then gave them bailouts with virtually no strings attached.
Anonymous

I haven’t seen any evidence that they did anything illegal. If they did,
then they should go to prison. What I see is that Washington forced
them to give loans to people who couldn’t afford it and then gave them
bailouts with virtually no strings attached.
Mike Mills

I spent two days with Occupy Wall Street last week during down time from work. I think people’s knee jerk reactions on this blog are unwarranted. There definitely is common ground between the protestors and people of all different stripes. Of primary concern is the influence of Wall Street money and politics (and vice versa/ politics on Wall Street money!) We need to end the revolving door. From Goldman Sachs to the Department of Treasury, to Halliburton and the Department of Defense, etc. A good place to start would be the ‘Free Speech for People’ ammendment which would overturn the ‘Citizen’s United’ decision which recognizes a distinction between the rights of a corporation and the rights of real people.

The next place, for me, would be to promote proportional representation in the states. At least that’s what I would like in New York. I would like to cast my vote for a party and then that party gets a certain proportion of the vote. Then, we could have lots of parties. Then centrist Republicans wouldn’t have to pretend they believe in creationism, Progressive democrats could actually vote for Democratic Socialists, heck you would even have a Communist party that gets 1% alongside the Fascist White Power party. You’d have Greens and Libertarians making deals on certain issues. You’d have real democracy, which would consist of coalitions forming and dissolving over specific issues as opposed to these monolithic, incoherent 2 parties that are obligated to disagree with each other. Whose real purpose is to disagree with each other and get nothing done, so that the status quo can never change, and the worst kind of entrenched corruption can dig itself deeper into the fabric of our society.
Farnsworth

You’ve seen no evidence of Wall Street illegality? You can’t actually be serious. Is your world really that ideologically binary?
Pablo

No, I was protesting it because it isn’t the government’s job nor do they have the authority to dictate how I deal with my health care needs. I don’t need anyone to explain that to me. All I need to do is read the Constitution.
Pablo

Wall Street isn’t going to fix that, nor should they be expected to. If you want money out of politics, you need to get the politicians to fix the political system. For that, you need to go to Washington. And you need to throw that Goldman-Sachs bum out of the White House.

http://tinyurl.com/3gby33t

http://tinyurl.com/dgqktu

Remember, this is the guy who broke his vow that he would use public campaign financing.
Nathan

But politicians are part of the political system, and they profit off of it relentlessly. Wall Street has the money and power to be able to fix it. Wall Street is the symbol of corporate influence.
http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

“I spent two days with Occupy Wall Street last week during down time from
work. I think people’s knee jerk reactions on this blog are
unwarranted.”

Of course it’s warranted. You guys suck, that’s all their is to it. You’re losers who need to get a job.
Ironbolt Bruce

I am not Anonymous. I am an American.

I am not just a Consumer. I am a Citizen.

I will no longer be labeled Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative, Demopublican or Republocrat.

I will no longer follow Puppets labeled Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative, Demopublican or Republocrat.

I am the People. And I am coming for the Puppetmasters.

I am part of the 99 Percent. And I demand the following:

1. End the Fed.

2. Reverse Citizens United.

3. Repeal PATRIOT Act.

4. Expose 9/11 Truth.

5. End Profit Wars.

6. Refund Taxpayer Trillions.

7. Imprison the Kleptocrats.

8. Single Term Limits.

Source: http://wp.me/p19dS3-a4
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

With your copy/paste skills, you’d fit in nicely over at Media Matters.
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

Thanks, Pablo. You saved me from having to respond on the “tea partier with a gun” comment. Nevertheless, Ilene probably doesn’t care about facts.
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

I loved the one video where the anarchists were complaining about a lack of organization at the event. Hellooooo… you’re an anarchist. You’re supposed to believe in that!

That right there is felony stupid.
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

News flash to Glutton: Judge Napolitano is no conservative. He’s a true-believer Libertarian. BIG difference there.
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

Wow… I’m impressed! You guys actually walked by the Fed about 10 times? Congratulations, Mike. What did you accomplish by doing that?
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

THANK you! You saved me from having to say it.
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

Wait, Pablo… does that make D.C. Wall Street’s “Heidi Fleiss?”
Anonymous

What you see in these protest is similar to the Tea Party outcry, they know there is something wrong with the present political, economical and social structures, they just have different ways to solve the problem and move forward. The Occupy Wall Street movement seems to me just the beginning of more to come, for they demand justice and are aware that one of the means to a just system is to change the present economic structures, a no-brainer here,
A sustainable sufficiency would have to replace the present system of over-production, competition and waste.
Therefore, interdependence and co-operation, social justice, freedom and SHARING would be the keynotes of a viable
spiritually-based system.”Sharing is divine. When you share you recognize God in your brother.” ~ Maitreya, The World Teacher
Double00range

http://coupmedia.org/occupywallstreet/occupy-wall-street-official-demands-2009
Anonymous

Im thinking she’s a Garafolo wannabe that is very lonely and mad at the world because she angry and lonely… A sad circle that keeps repeating on her
Anonymous

Very well said…
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OD42K3ARU53PJTAZ3EFE5LRZMA nobanksnoborders

No message? Are you insane?

Let me spell it out for you: Wealth equality. Political equality. Peace. End the Plutocracy, the oligarchy.

If you’re brainwashed maybe its hard to see what they’re doing.. but for those of us who have been paying attention these people are right on track..

Wall street and Washington need to be shut down indefinitely until they persue these reforms stated above… thats the message and its echoed all over the entire movement. wake up.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OD42K3ARU53PJTAZ3EFE5LRZMA nobanksnoborders

and let me say one more thing also… since wall street is unlikely to implement these reforms.. the word occupy will eventually shift to BOYCOTT…

imagine the DOW at zero… and a thriving democratic network of local, worker-manager shared/ran businesses.

Thats the point that I am at… why even deal with these psychopaths…. lets just use the internet to build a database of alternatives across the world and create a new model that makes them obsolete.
Anonymous

All I see are a bunch of 20-something FILTHY, lazy, hippie-like slugs who want to party and it doesn’t matter where of why.
This is the Obama “breed” of useful idiots who aid in his “Destroy America” agenda….and will become useless, expendable slag when he has succeeded.

Queers and lesbian trash….dope addicts….alcoholics…..pedophiles….perverts…..and ugly as hell……
To compare them with the tea party (or humanity) in any way is to compare Hitler to Moses
Anonymous

Duhhhhh…who am I? Duhhhh…where am I? Duhhhh…why am I here? Duhhhh…vote Obama!
http://www.facebook.com/Profjulie Julie Ann Brown

My husband who served as an Air Force Fighter and Test Pilot for 16 years and has worked as a pilot for United for 19 years…When he was asked to have his salary cut by 50% and his pension taken (look into the judge who approved this process and his own corruption charges) away because the old UNITED management said to them “shared sacrifice…shared reward.” He did so. Where is the shared reward? Do you know how many pilots took their lives or when retired for years on what they believed was a set pension, passed away because of not being able to take care of their families. When America turned away, I said to myself…once we allow one pension to go…it will be all of ours. It is time for an American Autumn! The way the former United treated their employees who are in a “safety and customer service industry” has been unconscionable. Look at the raises of their former management and CEO…he is now at Chase…and was in the oil industry before…These managers who are not “founders of businesses” need to be examined for their lack of empathy. They rape customers and stockholders as they have their employees…Hopefully, the NEW UNITED management will remember the promises of former management, and begin to create a culture of caring for all its environments…and profits will follow and so will customer loyalty!
China Owns U S A

General Eye Zing,

You are a communist, since you technically work for China. Do you know that all statements, debates and texts are irreducibly complex? Except for that one. Do you read books? I can go on forever, I’m just commanding you to respond. RESPOND!