Occupy Broadwayworld- Page 17

[Q]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 1:24pm

"Pepper spray sensation + Bible sensation = VIRAL sensation."

HA!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 6:04pm

Arrest at a protest in an Austin mall: http://blip.tv/zgraphix/freeze-flash-mob-police-brutality-don-t-buy-war-5793178

Telling people they can't use cameras in a mall is something I've never heard of!

[CountA]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 10:09pm

Look likes "Aunt Nancy" has flown the coop again.

What a LOON
Aynt Nancy Screws Up Again

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 10:26pm

Interesting - Ron Paul comes out in support of the OWS movement.
Ron Paul - 99%er

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 10:33pm

And Steve Kroft's piece on 60 Minutes last night made it crystal clear that NOW is the time to support the OWS movement, and that the SEC and DOJ are integral parts of the problem.

[CountA]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 10:52pm

I agree! I agree!!! Where are Barack and Moochelle? The OWS movement is his chance to save his A**!!!!

Get Aunt Nancy our there too. This is clearly the way to an electoral landslide.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/5/11 at 11:02pm

On the other hand, YWIW?, Ron Paul's quote makes it clear he thinks politicians shouldn't leech off the movement and try to redirect it for their own intentions. That's a pretty sane statement and something I've seen the Occupiers quickly cut off at the pass during GAs. These are interesting times, at any rate.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 12/6/11 at 12:10am

Yep.

If the core tea partiers realize that at core, they have common cause with many of the OWS principles, it could make things very interesting.

I do want a "I visited UC Davis, and I got was Pepper Sprayed" T-Shirt. I have not seen any yet, but honestly thought I would by know (with office Pepper Spray doing his business on "UCD").

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/6/11 at 12:25am

Did you see this? I wonder if the owners of Zuccotti Park had permits and permission to not pay their taxes? I mean, I know the NYDaily News is a noted bastion of liberal bias...
but maybe Bloomie told them it was okay?

[Almira]

Posted: 12/6/11 at 1:42am

Occupy L.A. takes its fight to foreclosure auction

http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?a=rp&postId=1276065&scopeKey=33&postUserId=7&m=b

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/6/11 at 11:39pm

Lots of foreclosure actions all over, very inspiring. Also, intriguing words outta Osawatomie, Kansas and Albany, New York today. Factor in Hilary's speech and it was a great day for America, everybody.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/7/11 at 2:32am

Most encouraging also is the group that is starting to protest in DC at politician's offices.

It's not specifically OWS (but they have joined the fray in DC), but the movement is quickly outgrowing labels anyway.

It's becoming about directly pressuring the people who enact the laws that increase inequality in income distribution.

There have also been a rash of studies recently by influential economists that demonstrate empirically how economies with widening income gaps are simply not able to sustain economic growth.

Most of them are very statistic oriented and full of tech-speak, so they are rather dense, but I'll link some anyway for those who want to see.
link

[tazber]

Posted: 12/7/11 at 2:36am

This one is excellent, from the IMF but a bit longish and dry.

Reading the executive summary and looking at the graphs is really all you need to do to get the point they're making.

(and this was published in April of this year, long before OWS became a political issue)
IMF study

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 12/7/11 at 10:15am

Taz,

As someone who does pretty well (thanks to an affordable quality public education, which I have partially paid the state of California back with via income tax and other taxes)... I have always argued that a viable middle class and quality public education were critical to making sure the capitalistic system works.

In a self-serving way, I think the only way to keep the current system in place long term is to allow people to advance within that system. That requires a visible, recognizable path to move up the economic ladder legally. A strong middle class enables those who are poor too look for something within reach to work for, and quality education provides the means to advance. It provide the opportunity to advance that allows those without to believe that with hard work and a little elbow grease, tomorrow can be better.

If you have an economic model of a few insanely rich and a whole lot of poor, with a shriveling middle class, the motivation to work within the existing system to advance is lost because the the opportunity to do so is much more limited. In my opinion, middle class jobs stabilizes the entire economic model. It encourages innovation, education and advancement and lets a parent tell a child that it is possible for him/her to have a better life.

Without a path within the system to move up the economic ladder, people have less motivation to maintain that system. To me, it is in the 1% self interest to have a viable middle class and quality public education. It encourages economic stability and in my mind, expands the pie. I do not believe that all things are a zero sum gain.

But, that is just my opinion.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/7/11 at 10:47am

Absolutely YWIW.

In econ terms we call that "work effort" or "structural inequality" which basically translates into a reasonable amount of inequality being necessary for incentive.

What you're expressing is a conclusion right from the study I linked. The catch is that you need good policies to ensure that an economy maintains a reasonable level of inequality.

What we are experiencing now is an income gap that is widening too quickly at a time when we need economic growth the most.

Let me just quote this one point (highlighted phrase is my doing)

Equality of opportunity can make for both more equal and more efficient outcomes (World Bank, 2005). For example, effective investments in health and education—human capital—may be able to square the circle of promoting durable growth and equity while avoiding shorter-run disincentive effects

The bottom line is that it all comes down to good governance.

This is why I'm so happy that the people are now in "in their faces" at various congressional offices in DC. They have established their frustration and now are getting to the heart where true change will occur.

Updated On: 12/7/11 at 10:47 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/7/11 at 12:49pm

I love Econ nerds.

Also:
L.A. City Council takes steps to end corporate personhood...

[Q]

Posted: 12/8/11 at 11:06am

I love the LA City Council's action. Symbolic or not, it's an 'official' statement that at least moves the conversation in that direction. I'd love to see some of the other ousted Occupy groups approach their own city councils to try and get more to join in. THIS is a major component to the discussions I've been looking for!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/8/11 at 11:11pm

Action like that must be why TIME just named Occupy the #1 News Story of the Year. It certainly wasn't going to be bchmannperrycaingingrich

[Plum]

Posted: 12/9/11 at 4:20pm

In the realm of the just plain ridiculous, this headline says it all:
Real Occupy Wall Street occupies Law And Order's fake Occupy Wall Street

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/9/11 at 5:22pm

That is some kind of wonderful!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/10/11 at 2:33am

Another SVU "ripped from the headlines" only this time the headlines ripped it right back!

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 12/10/11 at 11:53am