While on Real Time with Bill Maher former congressman, and future 2012 House candidate, Alan Grayson explained to the panel the 1% what Occupy Wall Street is all about.
Here is the video:
The latest edition of Real Time featured one of Bill Maher’s patented balance things out with three Republicans and a Democrat panels, but the Democrat was Alan Grayson. While P.J. fellow panelist P.J. O’Rourke broke out his bathing and hippie jokes, former Rep. Grayson schooled him on Occupy Wall Street.
O’Rourke claimed that the Occupy Wall Street people flunked econ, and Grayson said, “No, listen Bill, I have no trouble understanding what they are talking about.” O’Rourke asked Grayson, “You passed econ?” Grayson answered, “I was an economist for more than three years, so I think so…Now let me tell you about what they’re talking about. They’re complaining that Wall Street wrecked the economy three years ago and nobody’s held responsible for that. Not a single person’s been indicted or convicted for destroying twenty percent of our national net worth accumulated over two centuries. They’re upset about the fact that Wall Street has iron control over the economic policies of this country, and that one party is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wall Street, and the other party caters to them as well.”
O’Rourke joked that Occupy Wall Street has found their spokesman, then Grayson continued, “Listen, if I am spokesman for all the people who think that we should not have 24 million people in this country who can’t find a full time job, that we should not have 50 million people in this country who can’t see a doctor when they’re sick, that we shouldn’t have 47 million people in this country who need government help to feed themselves, and we shouldn’t have 15 million families who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their home, okay, I’ll be that spokesman.”
Alan Grayson demonstrated why all the media complaint’s about the unclear message behind Occupy Wall Street is nonsense. It took former Rep. Grayson 37 seconds to explain what Occupy Wall Street is about. He almost delivered the perfect 30 second sound bite, but he ran a tiny bit over. It isn’t that the one percent and the Republicans who support them can’t understand Occupy Wall Street. It’s that they don’t want to. The message isn’t complicated.
The right has been trying to play on the fears of some who support Occupy Wall Street by claiming that the left is hijacking the movement, but the support and media sophistication of people like Alan Grayson and Bernie Sanders can only help these protests grow. Grayson demonstrated the value of having someone speak on the movement’s behalf that understands and is comfortable with television.
The right and many in the media will continue to make jokes and play dumb, but while they are laughing it up, a movement is growing. They may intentionally not understand the message of Occupy Wall Street, but millions of Americans do, and these people want their democracy back.
Related posts:
- Bernie Sanders Is The First US Senator To Support Occupy Wall Street
- New Video: Police Beat Non-Threatening Occupy Wall Street Protesters
- Van Jones Praises Occupy Wall Street As The Onset Of An American Autumn
- Egomaniac Chris Matthews Lectures Rep. Alan Grayson About Congress
- Watch Occupy Wall Street Protest Police Harassment
Admittedly, I am not the smartest person for sure, but I think the OWS is marching in the wrong place…..it SHOULD be OWH (Occupy Whit House).
Let’s go with the smallest common denominator here why I think this.
Obama camp bails out the banks with the taxpayer’s money. No fail safes, rules or other ordinances are installed to protect the tax payers. For that matter, there is also nothing to stop the banks from doing this all over again. Obama hands out our money and says it’s the right thing to do….and then allows BOA to start charging all of it’s customer’s $5 extra bucks for debit card services, and Obama just shrugs his shoulders and says “Hey, that’s capitalism”
That is just one tiny point…..let’s try marching in the right place now, shall we?
I think that when you wake up you will find that it was Bush who bailed out the banks. It was called TARP.
And you are absolutely right, the Congress has resisted all attempts to regulate the banks. That would be the GOP Congress.
And being as you are probably against Obama you would also be the first one to cry foul if he tried to tell the banks that they could not charge five bucks for the debit card services.
The people are marching in the right place and your point is not made
Well said.
I am curious…. if we pay the government taxes, which is then used to bail out WS, which is then quickly paid back in full to the government, which then never goes back to the tax payer, then how is it WS is fully at fault? The government should be regulating WS and the government should give me a huge amount of money back (plus a bonus).
the money you pay in taxes does not come back to you except in services.( leaving aside the fact that you get a refund on your tax returns). Your tax money was used to bail someone out, and quite frankly I didn’t like that myself, and the money paid back will come back to you in services as it always does
Remeber this Social secuerty was a at surpluss level before it was stolen and now they pimpe the bill on the wery same people they stole money from, in the first place.
And thats not even the wurset part, if USA stopped all the wars, wacked the banks, ivestegated everything and simply erazed the dept.
USA wil runn on surpluss within a cupple of years, because moust is USA pr. day income, 50% is fueling wars, resant Libya and now Iran.
And all this is payed and beaten dwon to the People of USA.
The problem is not even complicated, its just that nobody wants to take the first stepp.
Nobody.
Peace is becomed a Threat, to the goverment of USA.
Thats the real problem, everything else is just Semantics.
And we all know that.
“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”
George Bernard Shaw
Taxes used to be used to protect us from corporations. You like paved roads, indoor plumbing and buildings that don’t fall down? That’s your tax dollars at work.
Uh, for the first two years it was a totally Democrat-controlled congress, both House and Senate. Why is it that the Senate won’t call a vote on the pres’s jpbs bill? Because not enough Dems support it.
the Senate is voting on it this week. Please keep up on your talking points
Prediction: Nays have it.
The bill can not be funded by the Senate. Congress controls the purse strings. The Senate and President do not want the news to come out that there are Democrats in Congress that do not want it passed. How can the President and Nancy vilify the republicans if their own teammates won’t support the latest play call.
I agree Shiva. Good point! The protesters are where they should be not matter how the right squawk. It isn’t Obama you misdirecting dingbats!
The wealthy, the banks and the a bunch of the rich(not all) on Wall street that think they own the country have been using congress (which they think they buy) to blunt calls for responsibility. Wall street does it on a continual basis since they’re being protected by the Repulicans and coddled, for some reason, by the democrats. Then IF congress says anything for US and the rest of the sane responsible people, Wall Street screams childishly, “too much government” “big government” etc, and the Koch brothers and their ilk start pouring out Tea partier mouths! The wall streeters and those wannabees have their cake and eat it too. AND they already ate OUR cake! And want us to feed them more!
If republicans were in charge they would say it is un- American for an insurance company to keep it’s word to the policy holders because it would hurt stockholders! They choose to forget ALL values. They think Wall street is Entitled!
Stockholders are in it for the game! The risk! Republicans and criminals are interferring with the way our country and the game is supposed to work! Then it ruins jobs and National programs. It interferes with tax codes so companies can’t plan ahaead and itmakes things unstable. Curious though, thiefs steal, at times, in the middle of instability.
If Wall Street wants to own the country, the demonstrations are in the right place. If Republicans and politicians and Tea Partyers want to be bought…why would we go to them?
PS. Did you hear about the study about high end stock brokers that were studied? In a significant sample, they did no better than the general person in the stock games but DID leave a scathing wake of destruction in their paths compared to everybody else in those games? Look up pathological and brokers.
Error:
“The wealthy, the banks and the a bunch of the rich(not all) on Wall street that think they own the country have been using congress (which they think they buy) to blunt calls for responsibility.”
Important factual piece is that they don’t THINK that they own the country and THINK they can buy Congress. They DO it and have DONE it for as long as Wall Street has existed. Now when you say THEY, I would take it to mean, not the top 1% of this country, but the top 5%. The numbers that really jump out to any US citizen and are really the crux of the argument are these:
10% of this country controls 93% of its wealth.
90% of this country is saddled with 75% of its debt.
Arguing the politics of it all is a waste of time and through the control Wall Street has over our political system, they have it just as they please. I was down on Wall Street the other day and through the stench of peolple/piss/excrement I saw a group of idiots with some legitimate people mixed in. A guy who lost his job and is in debt trying to feed his family mixed in with an entitled kid who went to school for 6 years for a worthless degree who wanted “The government to pay off all of my debt”.
Anyone who knows history knows that societies rupture when too much wealth is concentrated in a too small section of a society. The number on that is 100%. When Wall Street executives making millions are bailed out by the government which is controlled by Wall Street itself and you, Mr 99%, is saddled with debt with no bailout whatsoever, it’s time for a change. Not a “Change” like the Obama fake political ads but actual CHANGE.
So well said Dr. Kyle! Bravo!
To give a historical example: The Reign of Terror.
Thank you, doctor, for an excellent post.
Amen, on most of what you say, but how can you expect viable-intelligent economic change when (I surmise) every member of congress (and/or their chums/families) own stock. And I disagree thatn “Stockholders are in it for the game! The risk!” (original comment); I believe that most are in it to try to help protect themselves from inflation (as I am). We are maintaining an archaic/sick economic system, and lack any real leadership (or any real power as citizens) to change it. This is pretty much where we were before the Revolutionary War, or where Russia and the French were before their revolutions…
TARP — brought to you by a Democrat controlled congress. But don’t let that get in the way of your partisan viewpoint.
At the urging of A republican president and a republican presidential candidate
It was after all President Bush’s plan, not the dems plan.
Wow Shiva, how myopic can you be. What Bush did was wrong. What obama did was wrong. The problem is the size and scope of government that allows for people power to regulate and pass favors to certain people or businesses. The systematic growth of this, and the lack of oversight of fanny and freddie, and the perverting of the free market by government is a product of left wing politics. You think you are so clever yet you are a complete buffoon posing as an intellectual.
“to regulate and pass favors”
Would be far more prevalent in a smaller government. The size and scope being bigger does not make the government any more secure or less secure. Favors can be passed by any department in a big or small government. Not right but your point is not correct.
Fanny and freddie were regulated after Franks said they were safe by Bush. You also missed out on the Bush Home ownership society. No one perverted the free market, it was left unsupervised. You are admitting you know nothing of Goldman Sachs, Standard and Poors raising themn dropping the rates of mortgage trading and others. Wall Street screwed everyone in the country with their trading. Their trading is NOT the free market. Your talking points about freddie and fanny, and the ruination of the free market is indeed laughable.
http://www.google.com/search?q=bush+home+ownership+society&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
It would take longer than a minute for Mr. Grayson to explain why these people who think the government is corrupt along with corporations. Why they want more of this corrupt government in their lives? Why these corrupt corporations should solve their problems.
One word ezplains it communism
what does communism explain?
Liberalism isn’t a mental disorder its just that they know so much that isn’t so. -Ron Reagan
In other words, they’re blithering idiots.
Ironic Reagan accusing others of having a “mental disorder”
Hey Dave, I think you need better reading comprehension. He’s saying they don’t have a mental disorder. Oh… wait I get it you just wanted to make a back-handed comment. That seems like thats all people who know so much that isn’t so are capable of. I would find it very ironic if you or someone you love were to get alzheimers. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone that is something I would leave for you angry liberals.
Shiva and Matt–
There are other banks. Withdraw your money and go find them.
Shiva’s right about Bush, but all either of you are doing is throwing stones at party straw men (presumably) to make your own look better. Wake up and leave the partisan baggage at the station. It’s time for the train to get moving down a different set of tracks.
To simply move your money doesnt stop corruption.
Anyone remember Bill Clinton’s policy that everyone in America should own a house? Talk to any mortgage broker who was in business during that time and they’ll tell you how lax the guidelines were for underwriting a loan. People who had no business owning one house were suddenly approved for 2, 3, and 4 houses with the hopes of “flipping” them. Mortgage brokers were told that they MUST allow these loans to close regardless of whether or not the consumer would eventually be able to stay current; if they were approved, it HAD to go through. Mortgage brokers weren’t the bad guys in that one, and neither was Wall Street. Thank you, Bill Clinton, for your ridiculous socialist poicy that eventually caused the collapse of the U.S. housing market. It was only a matter of time.
Sorry MC, but the people that Clinton got into homes years ago would be stable or out of the homes by the time Bush showed up.
Running from the Bush Ownership society wont help your case. he also got Freddie and Fannie to drop requirements for allowing minority’s into homes with no down payment.
Bush caused the housing meltdown. You can run from it but it still doesn’t change the facts
Sorry, I don’t agree. It started somewhere…and It was Bill Clinton. Remember ARMs? Adjustable Rate Mortgages? Countless ARMs were approved during Clinton’s time in office but the damage wasn’t visible until after he left; that’s when the balloon payments came back to bite the homeowners in the a**. Bush didn’t do everything exactly as he should have, but the responsibility for this disaster falls squarely on Clinton.
Of course you don’t agree. Bush put more people into homes than Clinton did, but because bush doesn’t ever have to take responsibility for anything, its Clintons fault
right on Shiva
Aaaand…thousands of people, having “sit-ins” across the country because others have made more money than them is taking responsibility? How about doing something – anything – to try and find a job? The company where I work constantly has openings. And, no. They don’t all require a Bachelor’s degree. The people who cry “foul” the loudest about “inequality” in earnings are the ones who spend more time paying attention to what others are doing than actually doing something to help themselves. And Obama is doing NOTHING to encourage anyone to prosper or to be self-sufficient in the least; he’d love to see us ALL on the government’s dole, at the expense of the “rich” and big corporations. Guess where those jobs will go when he taxes the He** out of the Enemies on Wall Street? Overseas, where it’s cheaper to do business. THEN whom will you blame?
Still throwing BS out? This isnt because others make more money. Stop the BS. You havent a clue why they are marching.
All you are doing is spouting the same talking points over and over and they are garbage
His mind is made up don’t confuse him with facts. Republicans do not accept arithmetic or logic.
Let’s clarify. TARP occurred during Bush’s term, but it was a democrat-run congress which passed the legislation.
And it was a Bush program. Passed due to the nature of the economy
But we will play your game, Bush had nothing to do with it because he has never accepted responsibility for what he left
And what was it he left? Our country on the precipice- financially and politically.
Obama and the Democrats had an opportunity to block those funds and yet they didnt. Obama had no issue spending the money once he was in control and forking over millions with no accountability. The Democrats AND the Republicans AND Wallstreet are to blame. It takes more than greedy Banksters to get us into this mess. Nothing happens here without the blessings of the leadership.
I have no problem blaming all three. But quite frankly Wall street and the banks are much more powerful than the president. Yes, the banks, the Bush ownership society and totally the banks derivative trading got us here. And they are still doing it.
The funds for TARP were necessary at the time Bush wanted them as much as I hate to say it, even McCain stopped his campaign to get them passed. Obama spent the money he spent on jobs and green manufacturing. Nice try.
Oh, Matt made his point alright, his point being that regardless of bias and inaccuracy, those on the right can and will turn any public conversation into a slander of Obama. Your eloquent refutation would be enough to stop an honest person in their tracks to rethink their positions. Don’t expect that from this crop of Republican propagandists.
Good point Matt. Anyone who would still be blaming Bush is either a Democratic shill or just ignorant, maybe both. This is Obama’s economy and he has failed.
it’s easy enough to blame Bush for the position that we are in. This all happened under his watch. But now what you are saying is that Obama is in charge of hiring and firing for all corporations who are setting on trillions of dollars.
He has a Congress that automatically turns off anything that he does. There is only one way that the economy will turn around and that’s with the middle class have enough money to create demand. The Congress that is supposed to support him is Absolutely opposed to job creation. So yes in a manner of speaking he has failed. But once again he has failed thanks to the GOP. Obama cannot do anything without the Congress behind him
There has always been a 90 Day rule whenever I have left a job or obtained a new one. You can only blame the last guy who had the job for 90 days, and if you don’t have the department doing things your way by then, you really are not competent to do the job. Sooner or later you have to take ownership, take responsibility, and take action.
If you are unable to effect changes, it is your own job performance that bears the responsibility. One cannot blame the things that are not in your control, especially when your job description is “get these things under control.”
Either succeed or fail, but the time for blaming others is long since passed.
the 90 day rule is kind of neat, down here where I live the southern Baptist use the seven year rule when it came to Clinton so that George W. Bush effectively did not even exist. but I’m sure you will have to admit that running a country is far different than running a company on the scale of which you speak
I do not blame Bush for the economy today. I blame him for being a large part of starting us down the road to where we are. But quite frankly I blame the banks and Wall Street And the government that allowed them to get us here far more than I blame Bush or Obama Alone.
You may have noticed that we have a government that wears three hats. The president can do little Without the Congress, and the Congress cannot pass bills without the president. It’s called interaction. If Obama is to succeed he needs the Congress
Agreed (at least in principle), and can we stop with the Republican/Democrat blame game? How many of us really actually believe that either party has really served the publics best interests? I haven’t seen either party stand consistently for any values in my lifetime. I’d take an honest representative of either party, over what we’ve been selecting, any day. I don’t approve of the party bickering; its merely tribalism at it’s finest.
The systemic failure has more to do with the banking system than it does with Obama (or Bush). If banks were not handing out mortgages at 3-4x real property value then we wouldn’t be in the seeming infinitely deep economic pit that we are currently in with people buried up to their eyeballs in debt.
I’ve heard people pass off that 90-day rule BS so many times in the past. Usually, it’s in reference to actually work and not used as political propaganda. The story always goes like this, “We hired you for the impossible task, left you with the many of the flunkies who helped put us in this failing situation, you have no resources to change direction, and we don’t understand why you cannot succeed.”
The sad case is that one lone worker cannot usually turn around a failing company (or in this case country) without a fully supportive team. We’re failing because government has become dysfunctional and instead of tackling the problem as if there are many possible solutions a certain group of people (I’ll call them Congress) has taken to the ideology that only their way is the correct way. One man cannot change the direction of a massive behemoth that is out of control.
The government has become dysfunctional because the people themselves have become bitterly partisan and dysfunctional.
Can someone give me the name of the accountant that can correct a several trillion dollar debt the last guy left the previous 8 years? I would like to meet that person. I don’t care who you would have put in office there is NO WAY we would be out of this mess by now. Especially if you have half your staff holding up the process because you won’t play the game their way.
When leaders take over they accept responsibility to improve things from where they are. A good leader need never mention his predecessor’s name.
90 Day? Really? I’ve seen software that’s screws things up that was written by a guy I’ve never met. In fact, only 1 or 2 people in development were here at the time. It’s funny how Conservatives the boom of the 90′s was all because of Reagan, as was the boom in the 80′s (even though it was Volker that killed inflation and Carter is who nominated him as fed chief).
Obama has hardly been perfect, but the GOP has a vested interested in keeping the economy down. The party in power almost always loses if the economy is bad.
The bailout should have had strings attached, but the GOP who didn’t want that. It was conservatives that wanted GM to go out of business, because loaning them money meant the U.S. gov was taking over private business :rolleyes: That said, there are plenty of nut jobs on both sides. Some of the talk I’ve heard, like abolishing the Fed, sounds like it could come from the tea party.
In the end, unless this results in action at the polls, it won’t amount to anything.
Obama sure was able to appoint a bunch of banking executives to leadership positions in his administration. What’s going on there?
http://my.firedoglake.com/fflambeau/2010/04/27/a-list-of-goldman-sachs-people-in-the-obama-government-names-attached-to-the-giant-squids-tentacles/
Not something I approve of. But that hardly changes the fact he can do little without the Congress.
But nice attempt to change the subject
It’s easy to blame Bush. Pointless war and lowering taxes? Does that make any sense? Not to mention Obama inherited a massive debt from Reagan and the Bushes. Do you understand interest rates?
Uh, Bob, you need to get a clue. Bush’s total failure to regulate the financial sector lead directly to the fiscal meltdown, as well as his spending $4,000,000,000,000.00 off-budget on his vanity wars.
Are you equally upset that Obama has added 4 trillion in the nation’s debt in only 2.5 years?
You mean when he paid off the wars Bush left off the budget?
Not only added the Bush wars to the budget but tried to get people working again. Thats more effort than Bush made in 8 years
Maybe they are just part of the 99% and they know when they have been robbed of both their money and their rights.
Isn’t it great to blame the person you didn’t vote for?
this was “Obama’s economy” four months before he was installed…LOL.
Bush DID bail out the banks. I agree he is not to blame for everything and that Obama the wonderman has not saved us from the failing economy but come on… Bush is forever the guy who did the bailout. HE DID!!!
I think they’re going after the people who bought out the politicians. This is not all Obama’s mess. He’s just the only one expected to clean it up, even if the Congress isn’t willing to help.
Blaming ANY current administration for the aftermath of The financial crash is like trying to blame the new mayor of New Orleans for Katrina. The entrenched forced of wall street caused this train wreck, and they have done nothing but do their best to deny, cover up, and resist change since it happened. They purchased a whole Congress FULL of republican representatives whose prime directive has been to block any legislation that would help the people and hinder large corporations greed. And they have succeeded. The very fact that you are blaming Obama for “failing” proves that.
Move the pressure and focus from wall street, and you’d be wasting your time.
Exactly. The folks who are stuck in the politics of it (Dem v. Repub) are missing the point. BOTH parties are complicit. The protest belongs where the real power is and it isn’t in D.C. The real power is with the plutocratic few and we are all, repubs and dems, suffering because of it.
They divide us to keep the system set up. The moment the people reject that divide, then the power goes to the people. Which is what the folks in power (real power) are most afraid of. So they will send their minions to make it a “dirty hippy” thing or a Democratic thing or a “socialist thing”. It is not and you’ll never understand it.
I marched in D.C. with a Libertarian on one side and a socialist on the other. I am neither, but we were all united in an effort to bring down the current power system that has deprived so many of our citizens of their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I’ve said it a thousand times before, and I’ll say it again, the very best thing that we could do to improve this country is to abolish all political parties. Republicans and Democrats are OWNED by the powers that be, and until you come to that realization, you’ll remain the useful idiot that you find yourself to be today.
Yes, yes and yes….This is not about Bush any more than it is about Obama. Get unstuck! People continue to say it, but many of the 99% don’t hear it and the 1% won’t hear it. Every economist will tell you that every single U.S. President has been saddled with the great results or the horrible degradations of their predecessor. That’s the inevitable characteristic of a 1 or 2 term president and their subsequent cabinets. So to say that Bush had nothing to do with the condition of our economic system is ludicrous. War and Homeland Security came at the expense of this country’s infrastucture and supervision. So be it. Obama ran for president knowing this and took the office. He was not able to work with the opposing party, nor negotiate what needed to get done. He knew the difficulty of this task and he failed. Hard party-line politics in Washington, bought by lobbyists supported by organizations, foundations and big business has paralyzed the controls of the free market system and organisms that would not survive under a well managed free market system have not only survived but thrived to the detriment of the people. The two party system has become a hoax. Big business and those who profit from it will always be self serving, that’s the way of the free market, but as long as it has ties and controls on government the people will not be served. Marching on Washington will not get the message across and this is why people occupy Wall Street. I appreciate everyone’s comments on this site….I just wish you’d stop insulting one another.
well said Susan
Not really a Rep/Dem thing: it is a money thing. Home ownership had been considered good “public policy” and pushed by Clinton, then banks saw opportunities and people saw they could buy way over their head and then use the home as an ATM instead of paying down the loans and most people qualified on two incomes which has always been risky and for a while everyone enjoyed the prosperity of greed, but the piper must be paid. We don’t need 1000 pages of banking regulations, just finite equity and balance sheet standards and we, the public need to ease off instant gratification and owning more stuff and get back to saving and raising our families. Blame game will never replace personal responsibility.
You should also add in the Home Ownership society that Bush pushed starting in 2003. It was in his 2nd inaugeral address as well. Millions got in on no down payment
THANK YOU, RAY!!! Clinton definitely had a hand in this mess.
but the mayor of New Orleans was a big part of the blame for Katrina…
DUH: I remember seeing dozens of flooded school buses that could’ve been used to move residents out safely ahead of the hurricane, but hey, common sense isn’t really a requirement for any position of authority in this country, so…yeah. You’re right. New Orleans was doomed from the beginning and everyone there should’ve just stayed where they were. How awful it is that anyone should think that the person who was elected to lead the city should take any initiative at all in ensuring their safety. Of course…the ones that could’ve gotten out and didn’t really didn’t use their brains either. Personal responsibility is a thing of the past.
It’s been going on for 30 years. Both parties are complicit. To march on the White House would be to miss the point. The political parties are not in control. They have ceded that power to the monied interests.
They should stay at Wall Street and maintain their focus. You can tell they are nervous because the propagandized minions are screaming. But most people get it. Follow the money.
I agree Alex!
Agree!
agreed
“They have ceded that power to the monied interests”….exactly why DC is the problem! Those in DC were elected to serve everyone, not just WS. I believe DC/Congress/etc. is the crux of the problem; Wall Street is the result of their poor leadership (and it’s been far longer than the past 2 years that we’ve had poor leadership in Congress!). Congress loves the fact that we blame everyone other than those responsible; our elected officials. Divide and conquer is their motto and the sooner everyone comes together and doesn’t buy into the class war rhetoric, the sooner we might get some decent leadership.
I can agree with that in total
But whats the goal? The biggest wealth controlling the US?
The TARP money did not “bail out” Bank of America. BofA was set to acquire Merrill Lynch and when CEO Ken Lewis tried to back out the government stepped in and the US Treasury basically put the money up to facilitate the merger. Because, if BofA had not acquired Merrill Lynch it would have collapsed like Lehman Bros. and the U.S. economy would have derailed. BofA has paid every cent of the TARP money back plus dividends- a huge cash infusion INTO the US Treasury. So, taxpayers didn’t bail out BofA, BofA bailed out the U.S. economy and the Treasury made money on the deal. To return the favor they sent regulators into the bank that are still there. The real losers are the shareholders and others who have BofA stock in their retirement portfolios. As far as anyone allowing the bank to charge its customers to use a bank issued instrument, it is a private company and has the right to charge for its services. They charge annual fees for credit cards, etc. If you don’t want to pay the convenience fee of using a debit card, then carry the cash or go back to writing checks (which are not free). I love the passion that people are finally showing in speaking out and there are plenty of bad actors responsible for our current situation, but we need to avail ourselves of all the facts and direct our energy at the appropriate targets. The march is long overdue, but the message needs to be tweaked.
Grayson is a nut – he tried blaming all the problems of the US on Wall St. The fact is big gov’t is the BIGGEST PROBLEM!!!!! No Bailing ever and this wouldn’t have happened….
Thats because most of the problems we have are from Wall Street. Especially job creations and the fact they have taken the retirements funds of millions, banks cheating on foreclosures etc etc etc.
Just because the right wing media tells you that the government is the problem doesn’t make it so. The only problem with the government is the inability to control Wall Street and the banking financial system
There is an Occupy Washington DC as well. It’s all over the country. It’s happening all around the world in fact. This isn’t a “protest” for just one issue, for just one group,corporation, political party, or one law that was or was not passed in congress. This isn’t about pointing a finger of blame at any ONE. It seems to me to be more about learning what democracy is and honoring it. It’s about allowing us to be a part of the decision making process. People need to stand up and let their ideas and voices be heard all over the country/world right now. It would be impossible for all of us to come together in DC to show our support and desire for a new America. So we’re standing everywhere we can in Solidarity.
Obama has been President for 2.8 years. Wall Street is older then either of us or both of our ages combined. The White House pays lip service to the public, they pay ATTENTION to Wall Street. The White House does not make policy, it Follows Wall Street’s lead.
The reason they’re not standing in front of the White House was expressed most clearly by trader Alessio Rastani when he spoke recently to anchors at the BCC: “Governments don’t rule the world; Goldman Sachs rules the world.”
I think you need to actually look at what’s happening that jumping on the I hate Obama bandwagon. You don’t like him, fine but don’t blame others actions on him and completely get wrong what he’s done
The bailouts were signed in 2007, before Obama was in office.
Also, during his administration bailout legislation was passed saying that if it happens again, CEOs salaries are held accountable for 3 years prior to the bailouts and that if the company doesn’t repay the debt, the government will safely dismantle the company and sell it to get the money back. I’d say he’s doing the exact opposite of what you’re blaming him for.
Geez… I consider myself a conservative at least on fiscal matters and I am completely stunned that you people don’t even realize that BUSH was the one who stood in front of the U.S. citizens and announced that despite the fact that we the mast majority of TAX PAYING peoples were against the bail out- that was just too darn bad because “they” (the financial wizards who got us into this mess)felt it was the only way… Seriously, have we not come to the realization yet that Dem or Repub we are not being represented here? They, blue or red, are doing whatever the hell they want to do and we are pawns to pay for their whims.
If we as a nation do not unite and stop the stupid squabbling over who did what to get to the nitty gritty of I AM NOT PAYING FOR YOUR STUPID IDEAS ANYMORE- We are powerless and doomed. It is time to wake up and stop with the finger pointing. ESPECIALLY when you can’t even remember who did what…
It helps me to read all these comments since I am not as politically aware as all of you. All I know is I and the rest of the 99% need to make the powers that be listen to us, the citizens of the United States, because we are sinking into the point of no return. My 7 yr.old daughter and I are close to homeless, just waiting for the bank to foreclose on the only home she has ever known because I cannot find a job, a professional with twenty years of business experience who is now relying on food stamps and medicaid. This is pathetic! The middle class is being squished like bugs into poverty. We have to fight back! I will never give up, because to do so would ensure that my daughter’s future would be bleak. We must be the difference, not the reason!
If you were smart enough, you would realize that there was a plan for the white house in the making months and months ago…… october2011.org it was for the 6th cause it marks ten yrs at war…. do your homework before you say something, or at least back it up. and Im not apart of any party……
The bail-outs did not start with Obama, they started with Bush, but the conduct that created the destruction of our economy is the result of the cronyism of the reds with the big corporations and the super rich (Wall Street)and the inability of the blues to do anything but march to the tune the reds and Wall Street have been playing forever. By saying what you are saying you are claiming to be part of the 1% or maybe of those who have been indoctrinated to think that if you behave, work hard, and follow the rules everybody else will, too. Well, friend, that has been proven to be BS. You keep on doing that and the reds, wall street and the super rich will continue walking all over you and keep on blaming the n****r in the White House.
Obama had a whole lot of help with the bailout defrauding of public funds. First, it started with BUSH2 before he left office let us be clear of FACTS not rhetoric. The first large sum was signed into effect before BUSH let the door hit him in the ass. Next, that whole group of people called Congressmen also are deeply seated in fear and hand over money without protections (see Patriot Act AND Gulf War.) Obama is a figurehead not a Saint, not a Savior and definitely just 1 of many dealing with the multinational banking corporation. When he does put caps or try to regulate the banking and lending industry from its post-depression era deregulatory practices because of defrauding investment by gambling against the investments that it is selling (marketing good faith investment return potential while getting caught in emails stating otherwise)… he gets opposition and he gets the most vehement opposition by those who would reap loss in PROFITs… they usually wear red and believe in Milton’s supply side economics as gospel. It works for them… especially if you are a hedgefund guru. Seriously, it’s not just a theory to them it is a belief system and a faulty (to the average man getting hosed for not being higher on the economic food chain ladder)one riddled with Marxist warnings of its collapse which can be connected through overextension of oil resourcing both extraction and production and systemic to transporation, lacking innovation and agricultural demand/supply through profiteering of agra multinational business. Yes, it is complicated but not so complicated that those intending to go to graduate school can’t see the writing on the wall regardless of the inaccuracy and bias in textbooks and teachers. Unlike anyone before you and those old folks in power… you are living in post peak times with some serious issues on what kind of world to sustain for 6 billion on the planet and you are competing with all of them… rich and poor.
Obama regulated BOA and they answered with the debit card fee. The market is us and we are in a tight spot because there isn’t another third party resource to utilize to discriminate in the market against these practices. (I am lucky I can bank with USAA which was designed for Veterans, servicemen and families and you might want to check into them if you don’t like the brick and mortar behemoths.) Think of it this way… Rockefeller’s oil got broken up but what regulated everyone was two fold the Sherman Antitrust Act and the SEC regulatory enforcement of price fixing (kinda b/c by the time I was in high school politics had the SEC looking the other way on enforcement). Think of bank fees, caps, and policies as forms of price fixing. The SEC is impotent because of all the deregulation in the last 3 decades. You will notice a major social stratification that clearly correlates with this practice of loop holes for anyone making about $600,000 as an individual and major cash cow points that are offshored at above the $12million dollar corporate LLC and multinational level. If you want a legit gripe on Obama then use the “incentive” program to repatriotize money that is not sitting in American bank accounts and multinationals getting an 11 billion dollar tax break to “cash flow” to stimulate jobs (but it didn’t work in fact… 40,000 jobs were immediately eliminated.
You have to ask yourself as they BS in business… if workers are essential to the economy and cash flow is essential to geopolitical economics… then why are they doing something against their interest? Or are they?
Remember, all governments are tied into post-modern industrialization that is backed by oil production because of the modern lifestyle. (Those that actually get to play not the bankrupt, resource depleted/hyjacked nation-states and the dominating emerging markets that are not bound by humanitarian and ecological regulations.) So, the U.S., Baku and other finite resourced pools are the indicators of what is to come next in the Saudi, Iraq and Arab delema. Baku is a toxic superfund waste dump. It’s been at least 20 years since any new findings of profound amounts (not the small puddles like in Alaska) and people are questioning extraction processes as more oil gets spilled from “accidents” due to the again… deregulation practices for profits. (There’s a major spill off New Zealand right now that is not in the news on a reef.)
World Bank. Remember, the Saudi’s have accountants tabulate how much oil they think they have and get loans based on how much they intend to extract for production on the barrel. That number has not changed in 2 decades even though we’ve taken out more barrels than ever before and OPEC concerns in that region by their scientists is that they should already stand down extraction… the fasert you extract the faster you run out of the ability to make money. My husband served in Saudi during the Kuwait … scheme. The guys he served with on a Saudi base have gone from making $30k/yr to $6/k per year because of the royal family… and civil unrest is in full bloom not about religion (although it is coming through the fundamentalist movement b/c the royals have sold cheap oil for so long and overextended and bilked from their own population/people… kinda like Wall Street.)LOL The faster you run out of the ability to exchange oil for money the sooner you are out of the capitalism game.
This is something in process since Kennedy and some black guy named Obama isn’t going to fix it by executive order when Congress is bought and paid for.
Go to theyrule.com… you’ll see the interplay of board members and funding for Congressional leadership. These are untouchable giants in oil, banking, and retail.
If I can pay Congress to do what I want because of how much influence I have on economics and I can gouge the common man, lay him off and still get more money than ever… why would I change? If I can put my money in a bank account offshore and not be taxed on it why would I promote even giving up 1% when I don’t have to? And, when I can get on the news media and state that the bigger problems are welfare fraud, lazy Americans, immigration, abortion and waiting for Jesus to prove my religion right … why on earth would I do a Warren Buffet and say… yeah, I’m screwing you and laughing all the way to the bank and it’s wrong and you should camp out and protest in civil disobedience because I’m killing people that can’t afford health care AND the mortgage on derivative based creative checkbook writing. Yeah, I’m bad and you should regulate, penalize, tax me for revenue because I’m bilking you big time in the market and deter me from taking my money offshore. I’m a sociopath that has adapted to this standard of living and I want/need more and I’m not going to let some middle or lower class hippies get in my way. But they shouldn’t self-medicate with dope because that cuts into my pharma profits… so I’ll handle that too in CA.
You don’t get richer by admitting your faults and dishonesty. And Wall Street (banking and lending) is based on an honor system.
Let me tell you…. when a soldier does the wrong thing (even for the right reasons) he is dishonorably discharged while “fighting for our freedoms” and it follows him for the rest of his life in a heavy way. In Wall Street you are thrown a party, given the keys to the corporate jet and told you are clever… remember Goldman Sachs had an issue with profanity not the content of memos that a hearing was called for that explicitly told how they were defrauding.
Why are you willing to diss 1 guy when he’s not the one raping your country and then diss the people trying to protest because they have been taught the only good revolution is one that is not bloody? Believe me… there is a huge bloody collateral damage to this type of business practice… they are murderers and thieves … but they have your representative democracy that Franklin warned you about bought and paid for their lobbied special interest… you have an oligarchy.. which used to be called fascism. And Marx is smiling in his grave because everyone has been so misdirected on religion and other issues that the legacy of capitalism is going to be a very dead Earth zone.
What do you really think Obama has the power to do that Congress has not fought him on? And don’t you see the only thing any business has to do is cause fear that if you don’t do the will of the business tycoon you might end up worse off. It’s deceit and lies pure and simplified. It’s human behavior of absolute power corrupting absolutely. And you think 1 black man with a wife and kids on a 4 year contract is going to just make it all better when he’s fighting every crony and moron still listening to supply side libertarianism? Good luck with that.
matt, they realize the white house is impotent. corporations run the white house now.
as they have for the past 12 years
I think a little Congressional recap is due in order to put things into perspective.
BUSH, 2001 – 2009:
Senate Control:
2000 – 2004 Repuclican (4 yrs)
2004 – 2008 Democaratic (4 yrs)
House Control:
2000 – 2006 Republican (6 yrs)
2006 – 2008 Democratic (2 yrs)
OBAMA, 2009 – Present
Senate Control:
2009 – Present Democratic (2 yrs)
House Control:
2009 – 2010 Democratic (1 yr)
2011 – Present Republican (1 yr)
Questions:
If it’s the GOP congress that’s to blame for our economic woes and nothing getting done right during the Obama administration, how were they able able to cause all this calamity in less than 1 year with control of only 1/2 of Congress?
If the blame falls on the current GOP Congress for what’s gone wrong with our economy and government now, should not blame be placed on the Democratic Congress for the issues during the Bush administration when they held 50% – 100% control of Congress?
YOU GOT IT!!!!!
if he has got it, why did he fail to document what each control item actually did. For instance the 2011 to present Republican Congress has done absolutely nothing except try to take women’s rights away from them.
Rather than answer my post on who’s to blame for what, you prefer to say that the Republican Congress has no nothing but try to take away women’s rights; and you haven’t provided any reference.
You are just another far left liberal/progressive who, rather than address an issue by answering the questions posed, deflects comments to something different. And that’s the real issue.
Why don’t you just answer the questions posed. Once you do that we can then move forward with a more in depth analysis of what each party has done, or not done, during their specific periods of control of Congress.
We will be able to move forward with discussions on things like… During Bill Clinton’s Administration he had a Republican House and Senate and the economy thrived. During Bush’s Administration he had a Democratic House and Senate and everything fell apart.
Again, answer the first 2 questions posed and we can move on from there.
This is awesome! Damn liberals will ruin this country!
what you are telling me is that you have absolutely no idea what the Republican Congress has been doing.
I answered the question by asking why did You not document the performance of each Congress, or each time. When each party had control of the Congress.
You asked me for citations but you obviously are going to Provide any of your own. Once again I think it’s up to you to go find out what you’re Republican Congress has been doing.
Since there’s no reply button available on Shiva’s comment below (2:57 pm), I make it here.
No, you did not answer the original questions posed. They were:
1. If it’s the GOP congress that’s to blame for our economic woes and nothing getting done right during the Obama administration, how were they able able to cause all this calamity in less than 1 year with control of only 1/2 of Congress?
2. If the blame falls on the current GOP Congress for what’s gone wrong with our economy and government now, should not blame be placed on the Democratic Congress for the issues during the Bush administration when they held 50% – 100% control of Congress?
Your reply was… “the 2011 to present Republican Congress has done absolutely nothing except try to take women’s rights away from them.”
How is that an asnwer to the questions posed? I know the first question requires some thought to answer, but the second question is a simple yes or no.
question makes no sense. No one blames the GOP Congress on all of our economic woes. However In this term of the Congress the GOP has done absolutely nothing concerning our economic problems. I do not blame the GOP Congress on all of our woes for absolutely the reason that you mention. The GOP was not in charge the entire time. the question required no thinking whatsoever. by the way the House of Representatives is usually considered to be the Congress. The House of Representatives also holds the purse strings on most everything.
again Since you skipped my question I would ask Again what is the performance of each Congress? You cannot do that evidently. The current GOP Congress is probably the poorest Congress that we have had in our history. And it is doing little more than trying to take away the rights of women. the last time that award was given would probably be the Congress in the first year of Obama’s term. One term of Congress can outdo, ruin, improve the term previous to it.
The difference has been that the Dems have tried always to govern from a bilateral perspective. The Reps have always had the position of “My way or no way”. So, when Congress was in the hands of the dems there was government; when it is in the hands of the reps there is standstill.
Alan Grayson is a sorry excuse for a human being, was an embarrassment to his district as a member of Congress (which is why he is no longer a member of Congress), and despite his economics degree and claim that he worked as an economist…. he either does not understand economics, does not bother to apply what he knows to what he says… or lies. Or all of the three. It is not as if they are mutually exclusive.
He seems pretty clear and informed to me. Are you doubting the figures he cited??
He probably was an embarssment because he did not cope with wall street money
Why all this useless chatter about Republicans and Democrats? With a few exceptions, the Republicans and the banks are in cahoots to loot the economy and replace our republic with a plutocracy, and the Democrats are standing by letting it happen. All this yipyap about who controlled the House or Senate or White House is essentially meaningless. It’s the difference between homicide or manslaughter: the guy’s still dead. If someone lights a house on fire and the firefighters show up late without any water, whose fault is it that the house burned down?
Among the first actions that need to be taken are to re-enact Glass-Steagall, and to overturn the several Supreme Court decisions declaring that corporations have the same rights as individuals. Next, enact public finance of elections and ban all private contributions so that public officials can’t be bought. And finally, bring criminal charges against the crooks who crashed our economy.
For good measure, take your money out of the big banks and put it in credit unions. Otherwise you’re both continuing to support the folks who brought us here and helping to pay their executive bonuses.
The democrats are the ones doing the looting.
You, sir, are delusional. The 1% who have benefited the most from the last 20 years of governance are not Democrats. They are fascists.
You mean to say that trying to get jobs for America is looting? Getting medical treatment for those who cannot get it is looting? Trying to get the super rich to pay more than those who have less is looting? I believe that looting is having the drawstrings of the money bag and using them to benefit your friends, like it happens in Texas and other Republican heavens.
yay Dee…
You are right!
I agree completely that laws that change the corporate status and their behaviors are important. They are not individuals, and as such have no right to be. They should not give millions of their profits for campaigns without disclosure.
People who have the Money should not determine the priorities for this nation just because they can make ads (often untruthful) and finance campaigns of people who support only the 1% who are rich from corporate profits.
I also think that having the rule that a corporation needs to make a “profit for its shareholders” is short-sighted and only fuels greed. I believe they should be required to make a profit for their shareholders after they have treated their employees fairly by providing them reasonable salaries and benefits and they have not polluted or destroyed our planet.
It seems to me that corporations “use up” people and planet earth. The CEOs, CFOs,and shareholders make all the money, while the 99% who work for them or suffer from their environmental impacts lose out.
Thats not such a far fetched thought. Many of the signers of the constitution while at the convention wanted only men worth over 100,000 to be in the congress and represent the people.
What laws were broken and by who and when? What case should be brought against who exactly and lastly, why hasn’t Eric Holder done so?
It is now forbidden to indict, try and convict the rich and/or powerful. Which explains why torturers and warrantless wiretappers like Bush and Cheney walk about as free men. Keep in mind, Holder’s last private sector job was representing Chiquita Banana when they ADMITTED hiring right wing paramilitary death squads to kill labor organizers in Central America. The whole problem with Obama is he governs well to the right of Eisenhower . . . in fact, Obama is right of Richard Milhous Nixon.
Why is what Alan Grayson is saying so hard for some people to grasp? It’s simply reality.
Why is Alan Grayson not a regular
commentator on CNBC? We need to
hear him over and over. We need to
blast his message out. He needs to
speak for all of us -whether we have
the money to feed ourselves or not.
Mr. Grayson was clear about the main thrust of Occupy Wall Street, and of course there are likely other messages (yes, all the way to redistribution of wealth and recall the obstructionist Tea Party folk in Congress), but whomever you blame for the state of the economy, it is hard to fault Obama, since it began well before he took office in the Bush tax cuts and Congress’ reckless deregulation of banking and securities during his watch. President Bush cannot be faulted for wanting to make things better for his rich friends and oil industry buddies (don’t get me started on his imaginary reasons — other than oil control — for invading Iraq!), but somebody needs to be held accountable if they broke the law, and there are probably brokers and bankers who did. If Congress soon does the right thing to deal with our debt and unemployment, the Occupy Wall Street movement will have done it’s job and disburse. If Congress delays or plays politics, we may have a situation developing like what happened in Iceland.
forgive me for having a giggle here. Are you advocating that we kick all the men out of the banks and let the women take over? That is what Iceland did to correct the situation and it worked. Or so I have heard. personally I wouldn’t mind seeing more women running things.
I’m male and we have messed up everything already… so, why not? I don’t think you could do worse and believe that there are less ways a woman would corrupt herself when compared to a male.
What a clown PJ O’rourke is. Grayson took him to school.
I agree with Grayson completely. There is thievery and it is massive. Both corporate greed, and political corruption, are causing havoc to our economy. The middle class did not cause our current problems. Labor unions did not cause our current problems. The top 1% are growing financially, exponentially. The middle class is fighting to work, be able to support themselves, and have some financial security. Sure, there are some people that are not good with their money. Those are the thieves who stole from us and continue to do so. The corporate greed and incompetence will not be tolerated from the middle class any longer. I have been very proud throughout my life to be an American. When I see my brothers and sisters protesting corporate greed and political corruption, my heart swells with pride. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m with you!
Dance, puppets! Dance while the 1% laughs and makes another handful of money!
and Wall Street takes advantage of you, and the banks take care of you with derivative trading and crashs the economy again, credit card companies increase your fees, and the speculators will still mess with the price of gas still should be much lower.
You can call them puppets, you are one of them. You just don’t seem smart enough to understand that
While Alan Grayson is making a cogent statement, he is being interrupted by O’Rourke with rhetoric, trying his best to stop Grayson from staying on track. Didn’t work! The message got out, O’Rourke looked like an idiot.
I find Grayson’s 37-second explanation of OWS manages to highlight what this movement is partially about, but hardly what it’s “all” about. Such brevity, while increasingly popularized in this era of tweets and soundbites and sloganeering, can sometimes effectively serve to discount the importance of our extending far greater thoughtfulness and discourse toward such complex and life affecting circumstances and issues as the 99% are presently facing. I’d personally wish there were a “spokesman” for this movement who is not only capable of presenting the charges against this disparate American societal statis quo, but who is also extraordinarily capable of concisely and logically presenting the strongest case possible against it – and, as importantly, a viable, pragmatic and socially equitable and just alternative to it. The current skewed circumstances in this nation simply cannot and must not stand.
The problem is that the media will not let them express themselves. I saw a video of a young man talking to a Fox talking head and doing a tremendous job of explaining the movement. Saw it on the Internet, because there is no way Fox would air the indictment the movement passes on the big media.
on the one hand, the right claims that democrats are looting the pot, on the other, they claim all the money goes to democrats, and on the Other hand (because they have three hands) they are convinced that we should protect the rich (in their mind, presumably Republicans). Now, here’s what I don’t get….the rich republicans are standing their, holding all their money, the dems are in the street, without a job, and the Republican rank and file still think that it was the Dems that stole the money….go figure. Isn’t it clear: those rich republicans over there have your money!
99.9% of the cause of our problems originated from and by government and government intervention in the marketplace. To try and blame Wall Street is simply a misdirection by the very people that caused the problems in the first place.
so we have another one who is bought into the big government is the problem. There is not nearly enough government intervention in the Wall Street and the banking sectors. All you are doing is saying that corruption is okay and government is not. That doesn’t make any sense. The GOP deregulated Wall Street and banking and the result was a crash brought about by extremely risky and sometimes illegal trading. But that trading had nothing to do with the government. Nice try
Shiva, I do not claim to be educated on what happened, but what you are saying is that when wall street was deregulated by the current gop (republicans) that by them doing this, the people on wall street went behind doors and “took care” of their financial institutions?, resulting in the crash/recession. If this is what happened, then you could argue that the democrats who want a bigger role for government in the economy, is basically what the gop is already doing. This back and forth is not making strides obviously, and what it looks like is that the gop got out of the way of dems and the economy failed…
I might be off on my observation, like i said I do not claim to be an economist or a politician.
Wall street was not deregulated by the current congress, this all happened back during the Bush era, although many of the current GOP were in office. I also blame some dems as well.
The best i can describe because like you I am not an economist Wall street went nuts on derivatives and housing. That resulted in the crash.(of course there is a tremendous amount of things that occurred). Many people took part in what happened leading up to the crash, but by far and away the biggest problem was no oversight of the financial markets. That is where the republicans of right now fail and they are refusing to allow oversight. The economy did not fail because the dems came into office. This was happenign as far back as 2004 when foreclosures started reaching higher level, unemployment was rising and personal bankruptcies were at record levels.
The real issue is not how big the government is. That is really meaningless. In fact the smaller the government the less size the economy has.
Shiva-
With all due respect, you make some fine points(especially further below), but I feel that you are mistaken when pointing out that big government does not burden the economy. Please take a minute to think about the tax burden on the people of a government on the scale of the federal government. You really believe that this doesn’t affect the economy?
I realize that you’ve pointed out that you’re not an economist (neither am I), but I would encourage you to read about (if you haven’t already) fiat money, and how the Fed’s inflation of the fiat money supply hurts the middle and lower class and the economy. That is big government in action.
You’ve accurately pointed out that many people took part in the economic woes that led up to the housing collapse, but I would suggest that there is no real way to quantify what played a bigger part in the collapse. It’s good as an opinion, and I won’t disagree with you, but stating as though it’s a fact is misleading.
You’re right, though. We all played a part in the greed that consumed us through the early 2000′s, and it’ll happen again. Because the real truth, the ugly truth, is that the masses (us) will go along with things so long as our own appetite for greed is sated. But no one wants to admit that, and that’s just representing a falsehood. And it ends up making the Occupy folk look very irresponsible and lazy, in my opinion.
Thanks for posting such thoughtful, even tempered comments, and not letting people bait you into arguments. Your kind of discourse, if practiced on a wide scale, would further the cause of us all.
Tony, do you know what D E R E G U L A T I O N means? That is what your friends at the Republican party have always asked for corporations when they are not in power and what they give their rich friends in business when they are in power. That big word is the total opposite of government intervention. The thieves in Wall Street and their lackeys in the Republican party need government intervention to keep their fingers off the till.
The problem with America is guys like Alan Grayson are 1 term Congressmen and Religious Right lapdogs like Dan Webster can afford to run smear campaigns against him with unlimited fundage.
Alan Grayson should be freaking President. I have lost all faith in America until I hear the words “I, Alan Grayson” at the start of the Presidential Oath.
I disagree that only one party is fully owned by Wall Street. Both parties are fully owned by Wall Street. Democrats need to start owning the fact that they are part of the problem.
This guy gets it. Why doesn’t he run for Obama’s job in 2012 instead of the House? Who says the incumbent has to be the candidate again?
i believe that George Washington said something along the lines of “avoid political parties if they are allowed to form it will signal the end of this country.” We are getting to that point disfunctionality has found its way into our government and it needs to disappear before we can fix it…We have multiple “major” political parties in this country in the past all following similar ideals but once they got bogged down a new party rose up to shake up the mess look at the Whigs-Jefforsonian Democrats-Republicans transition in the 1860s….we are living in one of these moments and hopefully it will pass and our government will once again be “by the people,[and] for the people.” (Gettysburg Address, Lincoln)
That was in Washingtons farewell to Washington speech
excerpt………………………
“Let’s look at some notes from George Washington’s farewell address. These notes are extrapolations of his statements:
Extolls the benefits of the federal government. “The unity of government…is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence…of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize.”
Warns against the party system. “It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration….agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one….against another….it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption…thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”
Stresses the importance of religion and morality. “Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice?”
On stable public credit. “…cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible…avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt….it is essential that you…bear in mind, that towards the payments of debts there must be Revenue, that to have Revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised, which are not…inconvenient and unpleasant…”
Warns against permanent foreign alliances. “It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world…”
On an over-powerful military establishment. “…avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty.”
“
thanks!
The US does not have a serious debt crisis, that will occur when they unable to pay the interest, or sell new treasury bonds, certainly that will not happen in any foreseeable future. The US economy is huge, and US treasury bonds will be the safest place to park your money for a long, long time. Well over fifty percent of the US debt is owned by the US treasury (The Government), also over twenty percent is owned by US companies, and US individuals. Many foreign governments own part of the debt, but Japan not China owns the largest share by far.
Your children, and grandchildren will not repay the debt. In fact the US has never re-payed all of its debts since the first world war. The debt will be taken care of as it has throughout history, by inflation. Just need four to five percent annual inflation for ten years, well over half of the debt is gone.
Even the crisis in Greece is little understood. Greece is well able to take care of its debts, but the government fears they will removed from power if they raise taxes.
Alan Grayson thinks of you as puppets on a string. Not only is he beyond rich, he was one of the richest Congressman ever.
As for taxing the rich and Grayson’s call for such, all his fans are being played like a violin. Grayson should know something about paying taxes. In fact, he does not like it very much. You see, he tried to shelter a large amount of his income through a tax shelter and it went bad. Very bad.
here is the article: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20007006/detail.html
Here is the conclusion of the scheme: “In a February 2009 hearing, a U.S. Justice Department tax attorney told a federal magistrate he believes all of the 270 Derivium clients audited so far by the IRS were found to have used the loans as an abusive tax shelter”
Alan Grayson: a rich white liberal who does not like to pay high taxes and is a hypocrite of the highest order.
[...] The BEST explanation of the Occupy Wall Street movement and in less than one minute, Former Congressman Alan Grayson (D) see the video HERE. [...]
**SHIVA**
I am profoundly impressed by each and every one of your responses and how you have taken on so many negative, biased and downright hateful posters. As we all know, everyone has an opinion, and you can spot a Rep or Dem in just the 1st couple of words in each sentence. But one thing rings true, thru this entire stream, Shiva, has maintained an unbiased approach, while backing up her opinion with facts that exist and cannot be disputed by anyone, except maybe Fox News. I was recently diagnosed with a rare form of rhabdomyosarcoma cancer and I look at all of these posts with disgust and disappointment. Be lucky you can spend the time ranting about things in which you cannot change, as I have little time left and choose to look for the good in all…and Shiva has shown this and defends herself nicely against all the haters. But in the end, all this means nothing, we have the time we have and how you choose to spend it matters most.
I watched Mr. Grayson on Bill Maher’ program.
The idea that Capitalism has no constraints.. that somehow it is inherently good in any context is a self serving platform.
Fox “News” asks the question if not Capitalism then what..Socialism ?
Simply, how about Good Capitalism over Bad Capitalism?
How about a Capitalism that may have winners and losers but Serves the entire population not strips it bare and winnows it down a 1% that enjoys it’s benefits and all the rest are fodder for the 1% huge successes.
Because long before the point we are now at, It no longer was Capitalism but became Feudalism.
That our current form of Capitalism, The New Feudalism not with war lords but Capitalism dictators..
Although this tie we are in is not the platform of despotic over lords ( only by name mind you) it is a platform that mimics any Dictator style Communist force that became the scourge of the last century.. whose walls Mr. Reagan begged to be torn down.
If the OWS contingency is expected to condense their movement then it should be captioned in
“We no longer want to be outside the moat! Don’t keep BSing us that we somehow are a part of today’
Capitalism>Wall Street has turned the 99% into Surfs.”
And if you listen to Fox “News” and other detractors commenting on the conditions at these various enclaves of protest.. They protestors are a dirty, smelly,unclean, noisy lot..Welcome to the 16th century overview today’s capitalists and their mouth piece’s are trying to cast 99% of the population as.
Just as the over lords, kings, princes and royal court of that era viewed all those outside the moat…As they sucked on roast pig, swilled wine and grabbed at the breast of any helpless wench they could find.
It’s funny that Grayson points out that “the other party” caters to Wall Street as well, and yet in your commentary you single out the Republican party. This kind of single-minded side taking is out of control. You didn’t even hear what the man said. He, in the span of one sentence, alluded to the fact that neither part has our interests in mind, but you’ve taken the opportunity to beat the partisan war drum. Congratulations for contributing to the problem.
By the way, I’m not a republican.
[...] Another MArxist Speaks, In Less Than A Minute Alan Grayson Explains #OccupyWallStreet To The 1 Percent http://www.politicususa.com/en/alan-grayson-occupy-wall-street [...]
[...] The BEST explanation of the Occupy Wall Street movement and in less than one minute, Former Congressman Alan Grayson (D) see the video HERE. [...]
pj o’rourke always was a low-info blowhard
Democrats trying to endorse the movement through a back door. Hopefully it doesn’t pass.
Notice no-one is calling this system what it truly is–a plutocracy. Rule by the wealthy. The U.S. is NOT a democracy and has not been for a very long time.
Here again is the illiteracy of the people and our government. And as usual when we state the facts the Liberals or you so called educated by liberal quacks students say its all a lie and made up! Do your homework and quit listening to the TV stations that only tell you what they want you to here! The fact of the matter is the Democrats had control of the WHOLE Government for 2 years and could have done what ever the heck they wanted and still screwed it up by pushing a stupid Healthcare bill that has nothing to do with Healthcare but pork and they didn’t even read the BILL! But you guys will still say its Bush’s fault! Now do your homework people and you can find the Democrats still have control of the Senate but not the house. So you really still have control which makes it your own people(DEMOCRATS) going against your beloved President who preached change. Its been 4 years people, where is the change and quit blaming the past and do something!!!!!!!
[...] The BEST explanation of the @OccupyWallStreet movement and in less than one minute, Former Congressman Alan Grayson (D) see the video HERE. [...]
well at least we have obama care to save us.
[...] In Less than a Minute Alan Grayson Explains Occupy Wall Street to the 1% politicususa.com [...]