OCCUPY WALL STREET

[theoddz]

I was wondering how long it would take for the moneyed interests, crooked politicians and bastard bankers to crawl out from under their rock to outwardly and openly oppose OWS. Here we go.

This on msnbc.com this morning.

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...py-wall-street

My guess is that this is going to, ultimately, heat things up until there is rioting in the streets. The second American Revolution has begun.

~Theo~

[persiphone]

in Lobbyist terms...under a million bucks is not a lot of money. also, i think that once they start delving into the who's and the whys i think they're going to be in for a rude awakening. i think the financial sector is still subscribing to the idea that they are untouchable. i think we're going to see some sacrificial lambs emerge from banking and i think the idea that they're even considering moving in this direction is both skeery and vindicating. i think you're right though.....this could get uglier than it is now.

[Soon]

OMG Cops pepper-spray UC Davis students, point blank in face, who are just sitting there doing nothing

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

OMG Cops pepper-spray UC Davis students, point blank in face, who are just sitting there doing nothing

When I see things like this, and read about other cities and the problems they are having. I wonder, is the ACLU watching? Are they doing anything about this? It has been stated over and over again, (here) the ACLU will be watching everything. Redundant, but worth repeating. The police have been wonderful. Even the five people arrested this week, were put into plastic wrist cuffs, (not hand cuffed) and all walked nicely to the paddy wagon. I realize this could have gone the other way. ON EITHER PARTIES BEHALF>

[SoNotHer]

Is this photo-shopped or real? If the latter, I'm beyond words.

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

OMG Cops pepper-spray UC Davis students, point blank in face, who are just sitting there doing nothing

[VintageFemme]

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

Is this photo-shopped or real? If the latter, I'm beyond words.

It's as real as it gets. This is very hard to watch but here it is...

[SoNotHer]

What have we become...

Originally Posted by VintageFemme

It's as real as it gets. This is very hard to watch but here it is...

[persiphone]

i have to wonder what the members here in this online community that are members of the police force think of all of this. i was talking about this with one of them....and i said....worst case scenario if this country started transitioning into a police state....we would be on opposite sides of the fence just because hy's a cop and i'm not...not because of my belief in this movement.

[dykeumentary]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

OMG Cops pepper-spray UC Davis students, point blank in face, who are just sitting there doing nothing

Abhorrent. As a non-violent person who has been involved in actions and organizing against police brutality, it sickens me every time.

But it seems they aren't "really" just sitting there doing nothing. The demonstrators seem to have received direction to disperse, and chose not to, as well as received warning that they would be pepper-sprayed, and they chose to stay. So with all the media there, it seems the police response was anticipated, and maybe that was the goal.

A well-organized action uses these kinds of tactics to gain attention to their cause, so I would consider this a successful action if the protestors moved closer to achieving their goals through what happened here.

I know I can be a buzzkill. I trust the readers of this thread know I'm interested in achieving a world of fairness, with the least violence possible. I dont support putting oneself in harm's way- someone being pepper prayed or beaten -- unless they are part of a coordinated action that has medical and legal contingency plans. Since it seems like police brutality is going to become standard behavior even against white people (!) I hope as few as possible suffer permanent damage, and at least it can be documented in service of worthy goals. Including ending police brutality against all people.

[persiphone]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

Abhorrent. As a non-violent person who has been involved in actions and organizing against police brutality, it sickens me every time.

But it seems they aren't "really" just sitting there doing nothing. The demonstrators seem to have received direction to disperse, and chose not to, as well as received warning that they would be pepper-sprayed, and they chose to stay. So with all the media there, it seems the police response was anticipated, and maybe that was the goal.

A well-organized action uses these kinds of tactics to gain attention to their cause, so I would consider this a successful action if the protestors moved closer to achieving their goals through what happened here.

I know I can be a buzzkill. I trust the readers of this thread know I'm interested in achieving a world of fairness, with the least violence possible. I dont support putting oneself in harm's way- someone being pepper prayed or beaten -- unless they are part of a coordinated action that has medical and legal contingency plans. Since it seems like police brutality is going to become standard behavior even against white people (!) I hope as few as possible suffer permanent damage, and at least it can be documented in service of worthy goals. Including ending police brutality against all people.

uuuhhh.....what does "even against white people" mean? surely, i'm taking it the wrong way.

[dykeumentary]

Originally Posted by persiphone

uuuhhh.....what does "even against white people" mean? surely, i'm taking it the wrong way.

I'm glad you asked me to clarify: I am saying that police brutality is and has been a reality for People of Color, particularly for men of African decent, for centuries in the USA.

Now with all the photos and videos of police brutality against 99% protestors available, I am seeing white people surprised by police brutality, as if it is something brand new. It had never crossed the minds, or the experience, of some white people.

[persiphone]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

I'm glad you asked me to clarify: I am saying that police brutality is and has been a reality for People of Color, particularly for men of African decent, for centuries in the USA.

Now with all the photos and videos of police brutality against 99% protestors available, I am seeing white people surprised by police brutality, as if it is something brand new. It had never crossed the minds, or the experience, of some white people.

thanks for clarifying cuz for a sec i was like....oh no she dint! *ghetto neck rolling* and i thought surely i am misunderstanding after having done the online forums thing with you for so many years now.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by dykeumentary

I'm glad you asked me to clarify: I am saying that police brutality is and has been a reality for People of Color, particularly for men of African decent, for centuries in the USA.

Now with all the photos and videos of police brutality against 99% protestors available, I am seeing white people surprised by police brutality, as if it is something brand new. It had never crossed the minds, or the experience, of some white people.

Actually if you go back to the 60's......it was white folk who were also beat, gassed, arrested during political protests and they were surprised then....

white folk in the US have no oral tradition to pass down the reality of oppression by the owner, landed class........it's no surprise that some are shocked today....

as Sonny & Cher sang

"and the beat goes on'

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by theoddz

I was wondering how long it would take for the moneyed interests, crooked politicians and bastard bankers to crawl out from under their rock to outwardly and openly oppose OWS. Here we go.

This on msnbc.com this morning.

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...py-wall-street

My guess is that this is going to, ultimately, heat things up until there is rioting in the streets. The second American Revolution has begun.

~Theo~

Here's the article on the Up With Chris Hayes site. The video is at the bottom of the page:

http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.msn.co...l-street-video

Exclusive: Lobbying Firm's Memo Spells Out Plan to Undermine Occupy Wall Street (VIDEO)
Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:53 AM EST
by Jonathan Larsen and Ken Olshansky
(crossposted from MSNBC's "Open Channel" blog)

A well-known Washington lobbying firm with links to the financial industry has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on Occupy Wall Street and politicians who might express sympathy for the protests, according to a memo obtained by the MSNBC program “Up w/ Chris Hayes.”

The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association.

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead.

According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.”

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.”

Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker; Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy. A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly “tight” with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website.

Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association got the memo. “Our Government Relations staff did receive the proposal – it was unsolicited and we chose not to act on it in any way,” he said in a statement to "Up."

CLGC did not return calls seeking comment.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined to comment on the memo. But he responded to its characterization of Republicans as defenders of Wall Street by saying, “My understanding is that President Obama is the single largest recipient of donations from Wall Street.”

On “Up” Saturday, Anita Dunn, Obama campaign adviser, responded by saying that the majority of the president’s re-election campaign is fueled by small donors. She rejected the suggestion that the president himself is too close to Wall Street, saying “If that’s the case, why were tough financial reforms passed over party line Republican opposition?”

The CLGC memo raises another issue that it says should be of concern to the financial industry -- that OWS might find common cause with the Tea Party. “Well-known Wall Street companies stand at the nexus of where OWS protestors and the Tea Party overlap on angered populism,” the memo says. “…This combination has the potential to be explosive later in the year when media reports cover the next round of bonuses and contrast it with stories of millions of Americans making do with less this holiday season.”

The memo outlines a 60-day plan to conduct surveys and research on OWS and its supporters so that Wall Street companies will be prepared to conduct a media campaign in response to OWS. Wall Street companies “likely will not be the best spokespeople for their own cause,” according to the memo. “A big challenge is to demonstrate that these companies still have political strength and that making them a political target will carry a severe political cost.”

Part of the plan CLGC proposes is to do “statewide surveys in at least eight states that are shaping up to be the most important of the 2012 cycle.”

Specific races listed in the memo are U.S. Senate races in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Mexico and Nevada as well as the gubernatorial race in North Carolina.

The memo indicates that CLGC would research who has contributed financial backing to OWS, noting that, “Media reports have speculated about associations with George Soros and others.”

"It will be vital,” the memo says, “to understand who is funding it and what their backgrounds and motives are. If we can show that they have the same cynical motivation as a political opponent it will undermine their credibility in a profound way.”