Citizens United was one of the worst rulings in the entire history of the Supreme Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission Restricting unions while empowering corporations in political speech is one of the root problems that Occupy hopes to address. On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 1:17 PM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]>wrote: > It looks like the unions are entering into the fray. No doubt this > will accelerate the attacks on them… such as the proposals to greatly > limit and/or not allow political contributions. Perhaps if they > incorporated…. > > http://www.democracynow.org/2011/10/5/as_unions_students_join_occupy_wall > > > On Oct 5, 8:02 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > And thus the need for education. CDO Swaps and other bits of banking > > nastiness that prune money from the system while contributing nothing to > it > > are part of the problem. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 7:35 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > We have Occupy here too - a few tent cities so far - people also > > > making the point they ain't left-wing loonies. I went to the > > > Manchester one yesterday to ask a few people 'why'? I'm not sure > > > heard much that was accurate. Might have a look at Greece nearer > > > Xmas. Most peopleI met yesterday didn't know what collateral- > > > derivative fractional banking was. > > > > > On Oct 4, 2:40 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Well then, reckon we should all grab shovels, yes? > > > > On Oct 4, 2011 9:03 AM, "archytas" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I guess my picture of normal, Chris, would be of an ostrich with > its > > > > > head in the sand - these being the people not doing occupation. > > > > > > > On Oct 4, 8:41 am, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> It is good to see you again Chris and Don.. > > > > > > >> I was thinking (I know a rare event) last night only to have the > topic > > > > >> return this morning.. > > > > > > >> After watching all the demonstrations some thing emerged that does > not > > > > make > > > > >> sense to me nor do I understand. maybe some one can straighten me > > > out.. > > > > > > >> He goes: If I invest my money in a company say Sky Cat (I like > the > > > idea) > > > > I > > > > >> am hoping the company will go on to produce me a profit by > > > manufacturing > > > > the > > > > >> air type craft. They have my money, I have a share of their > company > > > > >> because they control my money.. > > > > > > >> Now if I give a "Bank" control of my money they do not in return > give > > > me > > > > a > > > > >> share of their stock like a normal company does.. they invest > both > > > their > > > > >> money and my money and I have no problem with that,, what I have > a > > > > problem > > > > >> with is the sharing of the profits.. if there is a profit their > share > > > of > > > > the > > > > >> money makes more money than mine,, but if they lose money It is > my > > > > money > > > > >> that is lost not theirs.. > > > > > > >> Even if I put money in a simple savings account,, it is investing > in > > > the > > > > >> bank.. and what I am seeing is a group if people who think the > laws > > > of > > > > >> economics and moral responsibility. If they lose money,, because > they > > > are > > > > >> the ones in control morally they should be taking the greater > share of > > > > the > > > > >> lose.. and that includes the stock market.. > > > > >> Allan > > > > > > >> On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 1:22 AM, Chris Jenkins < > > > [email protected] > > > > >wrote: > > > > > > >> > Leaving moderation behind has made it feel like a whole new list > for > > > > me. :D > > > > > > >> > I too am worried about undue influence coopting the cause, but I > > > think > > > > >> > that's an inevitability of any populist movement. Even the > Egyptians > > > > are > > > > >> > warily eyeing their "liberated" government. I just hope some > good is > > > > >> > accomplished along the way. > > > > >> > On Oct 3, 2011 7:15 PM, "Don Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >> > > I'm very glad to see your august presence back amongst these > > > humble > > > > >> > boards > > > > >> > > Chris. > > > > > > >> > > The self portraits of 99%s with notes describing themselves > > > affected > > > > me > > > > >> > > somewhat. Some are easy to dismiss as whiny but many are > obviously > > > > >> > feeling > > > > >> > > the same pain I see in family and friends around me. It > literally > > > > puts a > > > > >> > > face, many faces actually, on our problems. I'm very glad > folks > > > like > > > > you > > > > >> > are > > > > >> > > out there recording these times. I mean that because I see in > you > > > > someone > > > > >> > > without a particular agenda other then improvement. I have > never > > > seen > > > > you > > > > >> > as > > > > >> > > someone that ignores or tries to cover up obvious > discrepancies in > > > > what > > > > >> > > politicians say and what they do. I find your support of Ron > Paul > > > > >> > > refreshing. While I disagree with many of his policies the > thing I > > > > most > > > > >> > > admire about him is his consistency. There are few things our > > > > President > > > > >> > has > > > > >> > > done I approve of but killing terrorists is at the top of the > > > list. > > > > Ron > > > > >> > is > > > > >> > > wrong on this. > > > > > > >> > > Now, with the ass kissing portion of my post out of the way, > let's > > > > get to > > > > >> > > the Occupy(pickyourplace) kerfuffle. I made the observation in > a > > > post > > > > on > > > > >> > G+ > > > > >> > > that this may be one of those times when you see Tea Partiers > > > > marching > > > > >> > next > > > > >> > > to Code Pinkers. Nobody likes corp. welfare and high > unemployment > > > > except > > > > >> > for > > > > >> > > the lobbyists and politicians that engineer it. Even they > don't > > > like > > > > it > > > > >> > when > > > > >> > > they get caught. On the one hand I'm glad folks are "doing > > > something" > > > > but > > > > >> > on > > > > >> > > the other I'm concerned with what seems to be unions trying to > > > > highjack > > > > >> > the > > > > >> > > movement for their own selfish ends. They are some of the > biggest > > > > causes > > > > >> > of > > > > >> > > our current crisis. Just read s story how GM has thousands of > > > Volts > > > > >> > sitting > > > > >> > > around not getting sold. This is what happens when government > > > builds > > > > your > > > > >> > > cars or your solar panels. Somebody else always makes them > better > > > AND > > > > >> > > cheaper. My concern is most of those 'protesting' don't see > things > > > > quite > > > > >> > the > > > > >> > > same way I do. Far too many are on the Class Warfare path and > this > > > > >> > disturbs > > > > >> > > me. I have no beef with the rich. In fact, I appreciate that > they > > > pay > > > > the > > > > >> > > most and give the most. I hate favoritism and that is what > > > government > > > > >> > > control and the punish/reward aspect of taxation is all about. > I > > > hate > > > > it. > > > > >> > > It's why I like Herman Cain's 'plan' of 9-9-9 better then > anything > > > > else > > > > >> > > anybody has come up with. Getting rid of ALL the loopholes for > the > > > > very > > > > >> > > wealthy would be awesome. It's galling to find out some of the > > > most > > > > >> > ardent > > > > >> > > celebrity liberal supporters have much of their wealth > sheltered > > > from > > > > >> > taxes. > > > > >> > > Smart but hugely hypocritical. That said the rich aren't the > > > problem, > > > > our > > > > >> > > screwy tax laws and a political class bent on pork and back > > > > scratching > > > > >> > and > > > > >> > > huge, mind numbing waste are. I agree we need to clean house > in > > > > >> > Washington > > > > >> > > but I fear most of those in the streets would disagree with me > who > > > > the > > > > >> > major > > > > >> > > culprits are. > > > > > > >> > > As usual, Rigs makes the most sense of all the comments here. > > > While > > > > I'm > > > > >> > not > > > > >> > > a supporter of the status quo exactly I do have a substantial > > > amount > > > > of > > > > >> > my > > > > >> > > retirement in the market and T-bills. The required destruction > of > > > our > > > > >> > > current system to come up with something more to Archy's taste > I'm > > > > scared > > > > >> > to > > > > >> > > death of. That's what crazy people like George Soros want. > That's > > > not > > > > for > > > > >> > > me. A more vigilant FTC and massive simplification of the tax > code > > > I > > > > >> > would > > > > >> > > welcome. > > > > > > >> > > Thems my thoughts but I'm keeping an open mind. > > > > > > >> > > On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 12:42 PM, gabbydott < > [email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > >> > >> Ok, let's settle for rule #10! :) > > > > > > >> > >> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 7:23 PM, Chris Jenkins < > > > > >> > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > >> > >>> Fantastic link, Gabby! I especially like number 10. :D > > > > > > >> > >>> No, by normalcy, I meant that the media focus to date has > been > > > on > > > > the > > > > >> > >>> counterculture types mostly, while ignoring those in > business > > > > casual > > > > >> > attire. > > > > >> > >>> It makes it easy for the audience at large to be separate > from > > > > them. I > > > > >> > want > > > > >> > >>> to show the world how many of their PEERS are there, > coworkers, > > > > >> > colleagues, > > > > >> > >>> classmates...I want them to see that this isn't just some > angry > > > > washed > > > > >> > out > > > > >> > >>> hippies, but an actual populist uprising comprised of their > > > friends > > > > and > > > > >> > >>> neighbors. > > > > > > >> > >>> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 12:57 PM, gabbydott < > [email protected] > > > > > > >> > wrote: > > > > > > >> > >>>> Ah, Chris, let me make clear that we understand that the > > > "normal" > > > > >> > >>>> American media is employing this technique of "creating a > sense > > > of > > > > >> > >>>> connection" which worries us here across the pond. We > therefore > > > > >> > >>>> welcome independent views in the U.S. What you'd call > "left" is > > > > still > > > > >> > very > > > > >> > >>>> much "right" for our senses. What you call normalcy is what > we > > > > often > > > > >> > >>>> perceive as extremely ignorant. > > > > > > >> > >>>> Let me give you an example of how we believe you need to > take > > > > photos > > > > >> > that > > > > >> > >>>> deserve the label "independent": > > > > >> > >>>>http://www.lomography.com/about/the-ten-golden-rules > > > > > > >> > >>>> On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 6:21 PM, Chris Jenkins < > > > > >> > >>>> [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > >> > >>>>> Danke, Gabby! There's a general sense of marginalization > about > > > > the > > > > >> > >>>>> group, and I'm hoping to capture the normalcy of the > > > > >> > protesters...create a > > > > >> > >>>>> sense of connection. > > > > >> > >>>>> On Oct 3, 2011 11:50 AM, "gabbydott" <[email protected] > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> > >>>>> > Cheers, Chris! Documenting and sharing what you see as > > > > happening is > > > > >> > a > > > > >> > >>>>> good > > > > >> > >>>>> > thing, I find. > > > > > > >> > >>>>> > It is very much of THE thing to do today, to gather with > > > people > > > > who > > > > >> > >>>>> share > > > > >> > >>>>> > one's own view to demonstrate one's enlarged physical > mass. > > > I > > > > don't > > > > >> > >>>>> think > > > > >> > >>>>> > that it is smarter than finding new ways of fair > > > communication > > > > >> > >>>>> beforehand, > > > > >> > >>>>> > though. > > > > > > >> > >>>>> > But hey, we've had our share of "we are the people" > pictures > > > > ... > > > > read more » >
