Photo of Occupy Wall Street protesters used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user JessieRocks
Wall Street has long been the home of the biggest threat to American Democracy. Now it has become home to what may be our best hope for rescuing it.
For everyone who loves this country, for everyone whose heart is breaking for the growing ranks of the poor, for everyone who is seething at the unopposed demolition of America’s working and middle class: the time has come to get off the fence.
A new generation has gone to the scene of the crimes committed against our future. The time has come for all people of good will to give our full-throated backing to the young people of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The young heroes on Wall Street today baffle the world because they have issued no demands. The villains of Wall Street had their demands — insisting upon a massive bailout for themselves in 2008, while they pocketed million dollar bonuses. The Wall Street protesters are not seeking a bailout for themselves; they are working to bail out democracy.
The American experiment in self-governance is at a moment of crisis. The political system thus far has proven itself incapable of responding to a once in a lifetime economic calamity. With income inequality and unemployment at the highest rates since the Great Depression, it’s no wonder that almost 80 percent of the country thinks we’re on the wrong track.
But the crisis of American Democracy did not start with the financial collapse. For at least 30 years, the system has been rigged by the wealthy and privileged to acquire more wealth and privilege. At this point, 400 families control more wealth than 180 million Americans.
This great wealth divergence has resulted in an unjust and dangerous concentration of economic and political power in the hands of the few. It has pushed millions — especially the rising generation and communities of color — into the shadows of our society. The middle class continues to shrink, and the ranks of the poor have swelled. The political elite has failed to take the necessary steps to provide opportunity to the majority of Americans.
A movement was born after Madison, Wisconsin, to oppose these injustices. It has now spread to every Congressional District. We call ourselves the American Dream Movement. We engaged 130,000 people to crowd-source our own jobs agenda — the Contract for the American Dream. In August, tens of thousands demonstrated for jobs in rallies across the nation. Next week in DC, we host our first national gathering: the Take Back The American Dream conference.
The Occupation of Wall Street — and the occupations throughout the country — are expressions of the same spirit and dynamic. And these particular demonstrations, perhaps uniquely, contain the spark to grow into a movement that can be transformative. They are the first, small step in the creation of a movement that can restore American Democracy, and renew the American Dream.
The hundreds of young people from all five boroughs that camp out every night, in the heart of the financial district, in the rain and the cold, at risk of arrest, are providing the inspiration to draw more and more out of the shadows and into the bright light of the public square. The occupation grows larger and more diverse every day. Young people, the majority of whom are under 25 and have never before engaged in activism, are managing the arduous task of a consensus rules meeting with no sound system. The nightly general assemblies are attracting crowds in the thousands to stand amongst a group of their peers and debate our path forward as a people.
The occupation is a revival of a proud tradition of authentic, people-powered movements that have been dormant — and that we need now more than ever. It is building into the kind of massive public demonstrations — like those in Egypt, Madison, and Santiago — that can shake the foundation of a system of power that has lost sight of the public good.
Now is our time to choose. Will we keep rewarding those whose financial manipulations have brought us to ruin? Or will we stand with those whose democratic innovations are breathing life into our finest ideals? Both groups are within blocks of each other in downtown Manhattan.
For the past 30 years, the country has stood behind the titans on Wall Street and their values. We listened when they said that their banks were too big too fail. Today, there is only one thing that’s too big to fail: the dreams of this new generation, finding its voice in Liberty Park. All of America should now stand with them.
I feel high… I been giggling at everything lmao
After reading all your comments it seems it’s all about the money honey…you all just want more of it don’t ya? If so, your all gonna have to coorperate with one another…The people with the money have been running things forever, that’s the way it’s always been…If you want to change that…your gonna have to change human nature or have an endless fight on your hands. “Good luck protesters, just don’t become what your fighting and maybe human nature will chance over time.”
Dave: I agree with you. As Americans, we need to stand together and cooperate in order to retain our democracy. Special interests are throwing money at our politicians — larger amounts with each campaign season. As the politician auction off their offices, every American citizen stands to lose.
The corruption that money brings to politics is a simple issue. With the right approach, it can be something that unites Americans to bring about positive change.
Let’s try to find common ground and try to move forward as a country.
Many of us are saying the same thing about one of our nation’s problems. Namely, that those that can afford to make large contributions to political campaigns have gained too much influence over our politicians. In the process, we’re losing our democracy.
For example, did you know that in order to raise 1 billion dollars, one must raise an average of $685,000 per day, every single day for 4 years? Put another way, that means raising $28,500 every hour on a 24×7 basis for 4 years. And this is the new norm for American presidential campaigns. Regardless of your party affiliation, I think one can agree that this is bad news for democracy.
Running for any national office should not result in representatives indebted to their deep pocket donors. Yet this is the American political reality today regardless of party.
The recent decision by the Supreme Court (Citizens United v. FEC), which allows corporations to make unlimited, anonymous political contributions, looks like another nail in democracy’s coffin to many.
Anyway, there is hope in the growing recognition of this problem. There’s even a new petition on the web aimed at fixing the problem via a constitutional amendment. Some 75,000 people signed it in the first 3 days. The hopeful question is: “What if something like this went viral and gathered millions of signatures?”
If you’re in agreement about the problem, you might want to consider signing the petition.
www.getmoneyout.com
This web site, or something like it, has the potential to become an important test — to see if our voices are still heard. To see if our democracy still works. The most difficult changes have always started from the ground up in this country, so there is hope.
Just to be clear, I’m not affiliated with this web site, but believe that our political system needs this change and that change has to start somewhere. I also believe in its very simple message and goal: Taking the money out of American politics. My hope is that you may feel the same way and act to spread the word.
All of this may be considered unrealistic but those are my sole and honest reasons for writing this. Thanks for taking the time to read it.
Phil G.
Salinas, CA
“The recent decision by the Supreme Court (Citizens United v. FEC), which allows corporations to make unlimited, anonymous political contributions, looks like another nail in democracy’s coffin to many.”
———
and what of the 100′s of millions of $$$/ala unlimited political contributions made by unions; NEA, SEIU, AFL-CIO, et- are you against that?? or like most uber-hypocritical liberals is corporate campaign $$$ bad while union campaign $$$ okay???
I completely agree with you. Whether it’s corporations or unions, the auctioning of our political system is bad for democracy.
This is not a partisan issue, so let’s not find ways to argue. For the sake of our democracy, let’s fix the problem and get the money out of politics.
Tom: I’ve taken your feedback to heart and modified the message to mention both corporations and unions. I hope this will lead to your agreement that this issue is non-partisan and important to fix to improve our democracy.
Here’s the revised version.
Many of us are saying the same thing about one of our nation’s problems. Namely, that those that can afford to make large contributions to political campaigns have gained too much influence over our politicians. In the process, we’re losing our democracy.
For example, did you know that in order to raise 1 billion dollars, one must raise an average of $685,000 per day, every single day for 4 years? Put another way, that means raising $28,500 every hour on a 24×7 basis for 4 years. And this is the new norm for American presidential campaigns. Regardless of your party affiliation, I think one can agree that this is bad news for democracy.
This is not a partisan issue. It’s a patriotic issue.
Running for any national office should not result in representatives indebted to their deep pocket donors. Yet this is the American political reality today regardless of party.
The recent decision by the Supreme Court (Citizens United v. FEC), which allows special interests (corporations, unions, etc.) to make unlimited, anonymous political contributions, looks like another nail in democracy’s coffin to many.
Anyway, there is hope in the growing recognition of this problem and in the rise of peaceful protests against it. There’s even a new petition on the web aimed at fixing the problem via a constitutional amendment. Some 75,000 people signed it in the first few days. The hopeful question is: “What if something like this went viral and gathered millions of signatures?”
If you’re in agreement about the problem, you might want to consider signing the petition.
http://www.getmoneyout.com
This web site, or something like it, has the potential to become an important test — to see if our voices are still heard. To see if our democracy still works. The most difficult changes have always started from the ground up in this country, so there is hope.
Just to be clear, I’m not affiliated with this web site, but believe that our political system needs this change and that change has to start somewhere. I also believe in its very simple message and goal: Taking the money out of American politics. But I’m just one guy searching for some way to make a difference. My hope is that you may feel the same way and act to spread the word.
Those are my sole and sincere reasons for writing this, aside from a love of country and a passion to improve it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Phil G.
Salinas, CA
I really wish I hadn’t seen this as I really want one now!
Tea Party, you want the government to stay out of private business, correct? In fact, you don’t want a government at all, you think our country would be better run AS a business. Tell, me, what happens when the government quits regulating corporations and in your model simply becomes a private corporation? Tell me, what happens when there are no laws protecting workers or the environment?
Look to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when children were forced to work in horrible conditions and people lived in and died from the filth of dirty factories. This was the time before unions, before labor and environmental protection laws were in place. And by the looks of your party, this is the time you want to go back to. You are so afraid of some label (“Socialism”) that you think that if the government does anything to protect people or the environment that is hurting the economy/capitalism.
But this precious “economy”, this precious “capitalism” you are trying so hard to protect is really just a few mega corporations who get richer every year by stripping you and your neighbors of what little you have, while they poison your food, your water and your air with the chemical by-products from their dirty manufacturing.
Please open your eyes. Do some research on Koch Industries and the Koch brothers and their connection to every aspect of your Tea Party movement. I think you will be shocked to discover that this is their party, not yours and their agenda is to get all business completely unregulated and to dismantle all unions. Why? Because without regulation, they can MAKE MORE MONEY. And who pays? You and I do, with our health and our ability to earn an fair wage.
One of the three core values of the Tea Party as listed on their mission statement:
“Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government’s interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business”
“OPPOSE GOVERMENT INTERVENTION INTO THE OPERATIONS OF PRIVATE BUSINESS”? This is the final sentence of your Tea Party’s mission statement. The implications of this are horrific.
“In fact, you don’t want a government at all”- yet another ignorant left wing talking point- please link to any article or video where a any Tea Party person says they don’t want a gov’t at all….
To those who are supporters of the Tea Party Movement:
What do you stand for? What do you want? Are you Libertarians? Do you know where the funding for your “grass roots” party came from? Do you know about the Koch brothers?
lol- the koch brothers?? they are amateurs compared to a financial terrorist like george soros…
btw- as far as what I, a Tea Party member, stands for- personal responsibility without the gov’t dictating my every move…
want to ask those who pay the most taxes to pay even more?? no problem- once the 63.5million who pay no federal tax but collect benefits start chipping in…want to close the loopholes for oil companies and increase the already massive amount of taxes they pay?? no problem- once they close the GE/MSNBC loophole and force an obama friendly company that pays nothing to chip in….a tax criminal like warren buffett wants the rich to pay more taxes?? sure- once his company ponies up the $1billion in back taxes they’ve owed for a decade…want to reward delinquents who are 1000′s in debt and signed onto mortgages they had no way of affording by giving them loan modification?? no problem- just as long as middle class Americans like myself, who live within our means, pay our mortgages on time, pay our taxes and live without in order to make ends meet are given 401K/IRA modifications to make up for the loss of account value…want to cry about underwater mortgages?? then give the same handouts to people who lost money on mutual funds…if the gov’t is going to guarantee profit on a home why not guarantee profit on someone’s stock/mutual fund account…and on and on and one…
you turds on the left don’t understand you will be demolished in class warfare- it won’t be the haves versus the have nots it will be those that do versus those that don’t and won’t- those that do pay their bills on time, do live within their means, do sacrifice to make ends meet, do pay into the SS and medicare/medicaid system…
versus those that don’t- don’t contribute but take, take, take and but ipods, ipads, $100 sneakers but feel they are entitled to more, more, more and won’t get a job because collecting $200 a week from the gov’t for sitting on your ass at home is a lot easier than working five days a week to make $400….
and as you’ll find out there are many times more of us that do than you who don’t & won’t- bring in on van jones
Whose side it Wall Street on?? Not the side of a c*mmie/tr^ther live Jones- that’s for sure…
looking forward to the fall offensive by Van Jones- you best expect resistance and to be destroyed in our streets by the Tea Party….
I have this shiny new assault rifle.
I hope you guys come to Texas. Yeah…looking forward to ya’ll being corralled and cuffed.
From what I’ve read, you are all a bunch of idiots. People who went into debt to the tune to multiple tens of thousands of dollars to get degrees in Social Science or Music or other useless vanity degrees and then bitch and moan that you can’t find a job. Even if you could, you can’t pay the debt because those jobs have never paid enough.
Then there are the idiots who just feel sorry for themselves because life is so “hard”. Buck up. The Majority of Americans are making it work. For all your whining and moaning, new businesses are being started everyday and people continue to move into the millionaire bracket.
You are really nothing more than the result of Hippie parents who have been coddling you all your life and constantly whispering into you ear that the world isn’t fair and that everyone owes you something.
Can’t find a job in New York? MOVE dammit. I did, million and millions of Americans did. It’s what happens during hard times…you go where the work is. But no…you insist on staying in the most expensive city in the world so you can sit out at some coffee shop, drink Lattes and discussing how mean the world is and feel oh, so worldly.
You all disgust me. You want to take MY money, which I worked hard for, away to support your lazy asses.
So please come to Texas where you will be properly welcomed.
Yeah, Larry, Texas – the land of the whinney cowboys who threaten to secede from the US everytime they don’t get a federal government handout; the land where they cry for spending cuts while on insisting on continued payment of federal oil subsidies; the people who condemn Democrats except when their fellow Republicans want to cut their Democrat-passed Medicare benefits and Social Security checks; the land that gave the one of the biggest spenders in Presidential history and allowed us to become heavily indebted to another red state – China. Is that the great state of Texas you’re talking about?
Let the Larry’s and the Tom’s keep spewing. They just inspired thousands more people to support Rebuild the Dream and the Wall Street protest.
What most followers of fiscal conservativism don’t realize is that social spending is just a fraction of what we spend on our military. And most of that money doesn’t go to the actual soldiers, it fattens the pockets of military contractors like Halliburton or Boeing. We’re dealing with a deficit brought on by the Bush Wars, NOT grandma’s can of catfood or Uncle Joe’s food stamp – you ignorant fool. So while you “bless our troops” as they police the world, we’re sitting here like dumbasses arguing over crumbs.
then there are defense contractors like GE, owner of MSNBC, who made $14billion in profit last year yet never paid a cent of fed tax…if van jones was a real man (he’s not) and stood by any principles (he has none) he would never appear on MSNBC until the GE/MSNBC/NBC loophole is closed and the parent company starts to pay their “fair share” and stops stealing from the people….
Why is it that sooo many oh you don’t know that GE is a big Obama supporter? OR that the Tax laws that allow them to not pay taxes came from your friends the Democrats in Congress? YOU people made this happen by supporting the lazy, tax and spend Dems in Congress for the last 80 years.
me?? I’m not one of YOU- i hate obama- like they say- A Village in Kenya is Missing Its Idiot
OK, not you.
Welcome to “the struggle”.
The Democrap party needs to wake up to the fact that we can’t give everything to everybody. Stop the effing spending!
While I am not a big supporter of either political party at the moment, the only people who should be supporting the Republicans are the very well off. Although W. Bush did a lot to destroy our economy, he only placed the nails in the coffin that was already constructed by a steady, methodical approach by the conservative think tanks ever since LBJ. Decimating the unions, global economics, and ridiculous defense expenditures have destroyed the middle class and our economy, but this has taken place over several decades.
Republicans label Democrats as tax and spend liberals. Well, Republicans should then be called spend and spend conservatives. No one mentions that Reagan, the great conservative icon doubled the national debt while cutting taxes and initiating the largest peace time build up in history. Few people realize how W. Bush also doubled the national debt while cutting taxes and involving us in 2 wars (one war that was totally a waste of lives and money).
Yes, the debt is a gigantic problem, but while Democrats have spent money on the people, Republicans have spent it on the military-industrial complex and giving even more wealth to the people who don’t need it — the wealthy.
But the people are also to blame. Ignoring the reality that it costs a lot of money to run a government of this size, we continue to vote for politicians who promise low taxes. Having a first-class social safety net is a worthy endeavor, but it costs money. Dropping all the bush tax cuts for everyone and even increasing taxes to the 1950′s level would eliminate the debt problem, but I don’t hear any party talking about that.
The Republican tax cuts along with their medicare prescription benefits were put in place with nothing to pay for them. So, raising taxes to an equitable level for the wealthy is a good start, but we really need the middle-class tax cuts removed as well. Tax increases only on the wealthy will not be enough. Wake up people. Social programs rather than spending more on defense than all other countries combined would demonstrate our so-called Christian values and would be worthy of who we profess to be, but we have to be willing to pay for it. We can solve the social inequalities in our country and pay down the debt at the same time.
Basic Government 101 FAIL.
CONGRESS taxes and spends…not the Pres.
Democrats have pretty much ran the show since Roosevelt. THEY created the huge confusing tax system. THEY raised taxes or lowered them. THEY constantly spend the money like water. You have no one but yourself to complain about for electing these idiots.
And don’t give me any crap about Bill Clinton’s “surplus”. THAT was created by the Republican Congress who put the brakes on spending.
At least defense spending goes to companies that employee people. Whereas “Social Spending” just supports lazy Mofos who’d rather be in school for decades, push out babies at the rate of one a year, or who want to be a “Community Organizer”. Last thing we need are idiots like that.
Hey fellow, just put on your foil pointy hat and tell everyone else to wake up one more time. Spouting inaccuracies and fox mentality spin gets us nowhere. Do some real research and don’t believe everything you hear.
give me a break v ivian. Don’t go blaming FOX. You do the research … just because we give free lunch 99% at my elementary school..free clothes, med care for their kids…no wonder they come and come and yes, now their children are having children. I see it daily. We give too much for free. If the govt wants college for illegals, heck, they may get in, but must pay out of state tuition…LIKE MY KIDS!!! so my taxes pay for their kids and I have to my for mine??? wha???
Congress is the big ok for all of these programs. Demo congress ruled when GWB was in. They have the power even now! and don’t go calling Tea Party racist cuz that really shows how little one researches. Just go watch your Amer Idol and stupid daily news on ABC CBS NBC and go to bed. get outta my face. idiots. i
Great Comments Tome
“Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible – it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.” ~ Barbara de Angelis
I feel that the 10 critical steps for getting the economy back on track outlined in the preamble are a good step.
Although if we could initiate a movement to remove corperate intrests & wealthy individuals from finiancing elections & give them back to the people, most people would agree that the whole house of cards would fall.
Imagine politicians that only had to awnser to the people.
It’s real, it could happen if there were enough of a grassroots campign to initiate it.
By the people & for the prople!
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. ”
We have reached that point.
I found out about this in a very roundabout way, which prompts me to wonder why it was not publicized on network television. One can only guess. Anyway, I totally support the organizational objectives, and wish I were in a position to give financial backing. Unfortunately, I’m one of those with very limited resources. Every time the price goes up on something I need, I have to forego something I’d like to have, or do. Good luck to the movement. It’s an idea whose time has come.
As I am in Canada, I am an outsider looking in.
Maybe the youth can save the USA, but the two main parties are trying to ruin the other-the republican party was determined from the beginning of the Obama rule, to make it impossible for the Democratic party to succeed.Is this partly racism-whatever the motivation it is not for the good of the country. While attacking each other, the dream and the country are going down the drain.
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.” ~ James A. Baldwin
Very interesting Blog. I understand the frustrations.There are three main things that I give credit to Wall Street for bringing us close to ruins in this country.
#1 is the fact that so many companies have outsourced overseas. I understand why, because its too dang expensive to operate in the USA. Inflation Inflation.
#2 Technology/computers have taken over a lot of job poisitions.
#3. The population in this country is booming out of control…Too many people entering the country for full time residence, and to many people having babies (that really shouldnt be). More people and less jobs = disaster.
The combination of those three factors is making it hard for this country to move ahead and get passed our country’s woes. I really dont have a clear answer or even an idea of how to counter react to this. There are so many things that need changed. Its sad.
The masses have to wake from their “comfortably numb” trance to rise up and change this corpocracy back to a democracy. Proud of those at Wall St.