We perambulated the flag-wrapped Occupy Wall Street protest encampment Saturday at Seattle's Westlake Plaza aglow with economic populism and sweet lefty righteousness.
Finally the left is speaking out to and from the middle class about the inequity of the system, and the heretofore unpunished criminal Wall Street actions that led to our present economic predicament.
'The rich get richer' hasn't been heard as a rallying cry in recent decades in the rhetoric of the left. Turns out, the class warfare the right keeps squawking about has actually been waged against the middle and lower classes.
They slur participants of these demonstrations, (now gone global) accusing them of hippie-ism, naiveté, thuggery, and poor personal hygiene.
We've heard it before: They said the same about the civil rights crews in the South in the '50's and '60's; the 1960's anti-war demonstrators, and those who shut down the WTO summit in 1999.
We found the folks down at West Lake to be a mix of students, (some a little grubby from camping out) well-dressed 50-60 somethings, hard hats, a contingent of university professors (one wearing a graduation gown), teachers, and union members of all stripes. They were mostly white, but with a sprinkling of others that, anecdotally, would reflect the population as a whole.
We've covered plenty of these things... from WTO to presidential conventions. And this one smelled good, felt good, and even tasted good. (Area food retailers, kept the Plaza well stocked of snacks and sandwiches).
We came away yesterday believing that the left is actually getting on its feet, and that middle America is listening. That maybe - just maybe - the Wall Street plutocrats who got this country into this mess might have to account for themselves.
This isn't quite a movemnt yet, but it has made some pretty impressive strides. Demonstrations in Wisconsin and Ohio last winter show that direct action based on economic woes can get political results.
(The looniacal Rouchies were there with their pictures of Obama as Hitler, and their latest campaign to reinstate Glass-Stegal, a great cause but the wrong messengers. We loved the good-natured guy prancing next to the LaRouche table with an 'I'm with stupid sign.')
This movement needs to organize to move voters as the tea party did in 2010, and the union demonstrators in Wisconsin and Ohio. The mighty WTO protest did little to move politicians away from globalism, or to mitigate economic injustice in any discernable way. They got caught in a quagmire of reacting to police brutality, and their moment passed. They got a mayor and police chief fired... that was the extent of the real political fallout.
It was a good day Saturday, and it's great to read this morning that they're still down there in their tents. Mayor McGinn is being caught in a damned if you do - another favorable outcome of these protests could be Hizzoner's further political decline.
We loved the dichotomy of two religious faiths at the Plaza: first, fundamentalist Christians holding giant Westboro-type banners with cranky Bible verses in shouting matches with the jeering apostates and heretics who surrounded them.
Then there were these kids in middle of the chaos:
I think I know that man in the picture ;)
You're right..it feels different from any of the other recent protests I have attended. Even though there were more of us (so far) at the anti-war rallies just before the Iraq war started, we essentially knew we were farting into a whirlwind. It wasn't going to change Bush's mind. This time, more people are paying attention and I am hearing from people in my family who are die-hard Republicans who are very much behind these marches.
Michael, what have you heard about the people arrested at CitiBank in NYC for attempting to close their accounts and ended up getting arrested..a couple of people were even beaten. In Santa Cruz, BofA wouldn't let people close their accounts either but there was no police action.
Over 900 around the world held marches and protests yesterday. You're right Michael, people are finally waking up, just as they eventually have all through history.
Posted by: sparky | October 16, 2011 at 03:15 PM
I think they're bored. Sad when a figure like Al Sharpten is directing street activity. That is not the direction this country needs.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 16, 2011 at 03:24 PM
And p l e a s e, what kind of example is that 'teacher' being for our youth. Sickening, absolutely sickening.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 16, 2011 at 03:30 PM
Some great video from our neighbors in
Portland. What a great protest to be a part of.
Posted by: ProgBlogJunky | October 16, 2011 at 03:31 PM
Excellent example PBJ, shame on those who defend this crap.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 16, 2011 at 04:01 PM
I would bet that the teacher with his middle digit extended in the pic does not understand that Obama (who is masquerading as on the side of the 99%) is really the enemy - he and his crony capitalism to GE - who pays zero taxes, Solyndra and other green industries and ripping off tax payer money.
I'd also bet if told his even with evidence he would scoff and say bull***t like a good useful idiot.
In these marches, at least half of the blame on Wall Street is well deserved, it can be chalked up to greed and lack of ethics and that is prevalent in this society. The other half is propagated by union, leftwing, commies, neo-nazis and other extremist and anti-capitalist attempt to bring chaos. You can't make this stuff up.
Posted by: KS | October 16, 2011 at 07:42 PM
That video is not of the Occupy Portland movemeent where I was at. It is a bunch of anarchists having there own performance. There is another picture thats gone viral on the web that shows scenes from an earlier anti-war rally of more anarchists that was posted by a 1% trying to make the movement look bad.
The owner of this blog got it spot on. The right is getting nervous and this is how they work. Spread your lies but it wont work this time.
Posted by: Willamette Occupier | October 16, 2011 at 07:44 PM
Deja vu all over again. Congratulations to those Americans who are waking up to what is happening. There is only one 1% and you most likely are not part of it! If you aspire to be part of the 1%, good luck, it will take a miracle. Unfortunately, hard work is only part of the path. We are all hard workers.
Posted by: AprilMayJune | October 16, 2011 at 08:13 PM
Rather than sleep under I-5, they figure they can sleep in the middle of downtown, ask for lots of free shit and call it a "protest". Their cardboard signs look pretty familiar too, about the same size and shape of those "need bus ticket to Portland, God Bless" signs.
Posted by: The Original Andrew | October 16, 2011 at 08:32 PM
" There is only one 1% and you most likely are not part of it! If you aspire to be part of the 1%, good luck, it will take a miracle. Unfortunately, hard work is only part of the path. We are all hard workers. "
There's not enough investment going back into America. We need k-12 public education to continue through to community college. Companies like Microsoft complain that there isn't enough talent in the US workforce, and that they have to recruit from overseas. If you drive around the East Side there are a whole lot of Asians, not sure if that's related, but I'm going to go ahead and say yes, it is.
Conservatives point to student loans as the answer, but that's wongheaded. You're asking for the solution to the problem to pay for itself and do all the heavy lifting too. Educated people ultimately help society in addition to themselves, maybe moreso. Rich people aren't job creators, people who invest stuff are job creators. Civilization is like a plant and education is like wanter, and if you don't water your plants, they die.
Posted by: The Original Andrew | October 16, 2011 at 08:47 PM
invest stuff -> invent stuff
Posted by: The Original Andrew | October 16, 2011 at 08:48 PM
How is it teapartiers attending public meetings with guns, spitting on speakers and obstructing discussion are Patriots and people legally meeting on the street to protest the Wall St. Crooks are called a mob by the G.O.P.
Posted by: saint rudy | October 16, 2011 at 09:23 PM
You need to ask??
Both Ann Coulter and Kim Silver-a NYSE employee-have been touting out this anti-war protest photo taken in March 2007 in Oregon and claiming it is from the Occupy Wall Street protest. Silver has it on her Facebook page.
Posted by: sparky | October 16, 2011 at 09:57 PM
How is it teapartiers attending public meetings with guns, spitting on speakers and obstructing discussion are Patriots and people legally meeting on the street to protest the Wall St. Crooks are called a mob by the G.O.P.
Posted by: saint rudy | October 16, 2011 at 09:23 PM
How is it that you refuse to acknowledge that those allegations are false ? Specific documentation
please ? The Occupy protests produce a mob mentality - protests tend to do that. Try listening to someone besides Al Sharpton.
There are no simple answers.
Posted by: KS | October 16, 2011 at 10:31 PM
The inability to express cogent thoughts without resorting to the tired old F words, middle fingers, etc betrays the lack of thoughtfulness in the protest.
At least the 'I'm with Stupid' guy had a little bit of spark/wit to him as he posed next to folks he wanted to deride such as the LaRouche types (do those folks still think the Queen of England is the head of the drug carer?).
Nothing more tired than the 50 something middle class 'teacher' waving around the 'Finger' in an effort to relieve his '60's fix.'
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | October 17, 2011 at 04:05 AM
Teacher here, with responses:
Excuse me for being 50. I was not aware that rage had an age limit. Bet you also belittle the young folks for being too young.
No, I do NOT support Obama. He has been awful for public education. Even without that, the fact that he still hasn't ended either of the stupid, wasteful, immoral death carnivals in Iraq and Afghanistan would be enough for me to flip him off.
As for being an example to students, well, kiss my ass. I'll speak my mind until you put a bullet through my head. Last time I checked, teenagers respected the truth.
And the truth is, we live in a kleptocracy where the rule of law is over.
Posted by: Eric Muhs | October 17, 2011 at 06:06 AM
Eric Muhs
I respect that your upfront with the fact that contrary to your desires, Pres Obama has only furthered the Bush Foreign Policies and doubled down on Afghanistan, Gitmo fully operational, now we have Assassinations of American Citizens without right to Trial, and the Domestic clamp down on civil liberties aka USAPATRIOT Act that he and AG Holder campaigned against. And the Left remains silent.
At least you're intellectually consistent and not giving Pres Obama a pass by reflexively blaming 'Bushler' et al.
It's folks like you that will make it very difficult for Pres Obama to win reelection. Either you'll have to support a third party candidate or will just sit it out. Don't let the Dem Party co-opt you.
May other Progressives wake up and take your path..., right Sparky?
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | October 17, 2011 at 06:36 AM
KS, where on earth do you get the idea that Al Sharpton is leading these protests? Most (if not all) of the protesters could not care less about him. Sharpton is a legend in his own mind.
The original OWS protest was called by a magazine called Adbusters, based in Vancouver BC. Obviously, it's resonated with a lot of people and took on a life of its own, just as the Tea Party did two years ago. And similarly, the public displays are getting attention all out of proportion to the number of people involved precisely because corporate media (which initially ignored the OWS protests) have figured out that they're saying what a lot of other people are thinking.
I would take issue with one piece of BlaM's post: the political impact of the WTO protests was huge. Not on elected officials or US trade policy (he's right that protesters pissed away their momentum on summit-hopping and confrontations with cops), but on the WTO itself. The African delegates in Seattle, inspired by the protesters, blocked further expansion of the WTO's powers, and in the 12 years since the WTO has stalled and the US has shifted to bilateral agreements, such as the recent ones with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama.
One of the items up for expansion in 1999 was the global deregulation of financial markets, package called the Multilateral Agreement on Investments. If that had come to pass, the economic collapse of 2008 would have been far, far worse. If you still have a job, thank the WTO protesters. That's not a bad impact at all.
Posted by: Pete | October 17, 2011 at 08:21 AM
The purpose of a social movement is not to elect a certain candidate Puget. It is to bring about a larger change, like Pete just said. But I like Eric's suggestion. LMAO
Posted by: Jovita | October 17, 2011 at 09:30 AM
With all due respect, Pete, the largest effect the 1999 demonstrations had on the WTO was increased security on future meetings and rounds.
WTO's problems and decline are because the warnings by the '99 protesters of extreme worldwide financial deregulation were ignored by the WTO and everybody else.
Posted by: blathering michael | October 17, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Today on Fox News Charlie Gasparino claimed Occupy Wall Street is a "Marxist Epicenter" that's becoming "Increasingly Violent." To actual Marxists, Wall Street was already an epicenter of increasing violence long before the protests began. Actually he is off message because the Mighty Rush has already decreed that OWS is "insignificant."
Me, I'm dusting off my pitchfork! Be very afraid Charlie! It's your worst nightmare "Night Of The Living Hippies!!" LMAO
Posted by: Jovita | October 17, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Tommy, please enunciate on the true values of Wall Street. You, probably like few others here can expound on what a wealthy person it's made you. OMG, are we Americans or what. Tell 'em Tommy.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 17, 2011 at 05:37 PM
And the one's I've seen seem more like occu-pussies than occupy'ers.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 17, 2011 at 05:56 PM
As the 99ers build, you will see the Kochroaches running for cover.
Posted by: saint rudy | October 17, 2011 at 07:51 PM
Obviously more illiterate low class people who have no command of the ENGLISH language and must resort to filthy expressions to attempt to get their little futile points across! Get a job!
Posted by: June33 | October 18, 2011 at 11:35 AM
I have a niece that is a student at Ballard HS. I offered to have the teachers picture done as a transfer to a sweat shirt for her to wear to school. She has, for some odd reason declined.
I thought that it would be a great show of support.
Kids today!?!?
Posted by: Chucks | October 18, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Excellent idea, Chucks may be one of our resident 'teachers' will pick up on your thought and run with it. Then again I doubt any are that brave to possibly be messin with the 'ol state pension. Bwahahaha
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 18, 2011 at 01:32 PM
Interesting bit of 'redistribution' going on in NY. One wonders why 'private property rights' are real only when it's your own property. LMAO
"THIEVES PREYING ON FELLOW PROTESTORS
By LARRY CELONA, LAURA ITALIANO REBECCA HARSHBARGER, FRANK ROSARIO and JAMIE SCHRAM
Last Updated: 9:35 AM, October 18, 2011
Posted: 2:43 AM, October 18, 2011
It’s a den of thieves!
Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops -- and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.
“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.
“I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”
Crafty cat burglars sneaked into the makeshift kitchen at Zuccotti Park overnight and swiped as much as $2,500 in donated greenbacks from right under the noses of volunteers who’d fallen asleep after a long day whipping up meals for the hundreds of hungry protesters, the volunteers said.
“The worst thing is there’s people sleeping in the kitchen when they come, and they don’t even know about it! There are some really smart and sneaky thieves here,” Terrie said.
“I had umbrellas stolen, a fold-up bed I brought because my back is bad -- they took that, too!”
Security volunteer Harry Wyman, 22, of Brooklyn was furious about the thievery -- and vowed to get tough with the predatory perps.
“I’m not getting paid, but I’m not gonna stand for it. Why people got to come here and do stupid stuff? All it does is make people not wanna come here anymore,” Wyman fumed.
At one point yesterday, Wyman and other volunteers briefly scuffled with a man who was standing near a park entrance with a pail calling out: “Donations! Donations!” -- and pocketing the cash people tossed in the bucket.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was at Zuccotti late last night as he and about 50 protesters formed a human chain in front of a medical tent after police officers came over to ask about the tent, cops and protesters said.
“Jesse dropped in like a ninja,” said Stephanie Perricone, 21. “He came out of nowhere and helped us all out.”
The officers were asking about the size of the tent when the crowd of demonstrators -- including Jackson -- stood en masse in front of it.
The cops said didn’t ask for it to be taken down and the issue was quickly resolved.
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | October 18, 2011 at 04:18 PM
But, PS I'm sure if they reported this to the Rev Sharpton, he'd take care of it. Probably just typical rowdy conservative types, you know how sneaky THEY are.
Posted by: StarTheWonderDog | October 18, 2011 at 04:32 PM
Rush was talking about the people that own the park in NY, where the OWS critters are protesting did not follow through with the eviction for cleaning after getting a $168,000,000.00 loan with tax payer guarantees affixed to it by the administration.
I don't know how accurate the story is, but it would not shock me.
Rumor mill has it that the mouth Bloomberg sleeps in is on the board of the same company as well.
Protest the banks while the administration has another 16 months to rape the public coffers.
Posted by: Chucks | October 18, 2011 at 05:07 PM
"LARRY CELONA, LAURA ITALIANO REBECCA HARSHBARGER, FRANK ROSARIO and JAMIE SCHRAM" Is that a news service?
source please?
Posted by: Johnny Sombrerro | October 18, 2011 at 05:09 PM
Its from a blog called "Common Sense and Wonder" with other articles such as "The left and The Gays they love to Intimidate" and " WaPo Finds Blacks Demanding Racial (Racist?) Unity Behind Obama".In other words, Be Very Afraid.
Posted by: Paul Bergerand | October 18, 2011 at 05:48 PM
I figured as such...all I could find was Murdoch owned entertainment sources and something called "The Blaze" Is that a Log Cabin paper?
Posted by: Johnny Sombrerro | October 18, 2011 at 06:25 PM
I simply googled the author names and found the article at The NY Post.
Posted by: Radio Queen | October 18, 2011 at 06:32 PM
NY Post, New York Post.... ok a tabloid in the vernacular like the paper Murdoch had to kill off, what was it? "News Of The World"?
Posted by: Johnny Sombrerro | October 18, 2011 at 07:11 PM
NY Post, New York Post.... ok a tabloid in the vernacular like the paper Murdoch had to kill off, what was it? "News Of The World"?
Posted by: Johnny Sombrerro | October 18, 2011 at 07:11 PM
Johnny Sombrero, you mean the same paper that gave you the headline 'Headless Body in Topless Bar' is something to sneer at?
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | October 18, 2011 at 07:30 PM
Regardless of source, do you doubt that thieves, pickpockets and other scum ply their trades wherever there are large crowds?
It's not political, it's business as usual in New York City.
Posted by: Radio Queen | October 18, 2011 at 07:33 PM
Ply their trade? Yes Enron in 2001, Goldmann Sachs today. Those were political.
Posted by: Johnny Sombrerro | October 18, 2011 at 07:57 PM
looks like someone else was 'plying their trade' in Capital Hill over the weekend stopped and spent time at the Seattle OWT protests. no reports that he did this at the protest.
caught
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | October 19, 2011 at 05:40 AM
From the NY Post, re: Occupy Wall Street;
“They are defecating on our doorsteps,” fumed Katherine Hughes, a stay at home mom who has the misfortune of living one block from the chaos. “A lot of people are very frustrated. A lot of people are concerned about the safety of our kids.”
Fed up homeowners said that they’ve been subjected to insults and harassment as they trek to their jobs each morning. “The protesters taunt people who are on their way to work,” said James Fernandez, 51, whose apartment overlooks the park.
Board member Paul Cantor said that residents are fed up with the incessant racket that emanates from the protest at all hours. “It’s mostly a noise issue,” he said. If people can’t sleep and children can’t sleep because the protesters are banging drums then that’s a problem.” …
The line to speak at the standing room only meeting spilled out of the board’s office and onto the street outside where Zuccotti sympathizers sparred with angry residents. One elderly woman told a protester to stop screaming and was met with an even hgiher volume. “Get some earplugs!,” retorted David Stano.
Posted by: KS | October 20, 2011 at 08:38 PM
The fundies are funny, the kids meditating are self-righteous turds.
The left fancies themselves as intellects, but this whole movement depends on the most naive people in our society, young people. The OWS movement is mostly young people who can't find work because they were too stupid to realize that a sociology degree will get you no work in the real world. Now they're mad at the banks who funded their drinking and hook-ups for four years while getting a worthless degree that they'll never be able to pay off.
Posted by: Leftist Radio Fail | October 22, 2011 at 11:24 AM