(CNN) - As Americans learn more about Occupy Wall Street, they are becoming more supportive of the movement's positions, according to a new poll from ORC International.
The survey, taken Oct. 28-31, shows more adult Americans saying they have heard of Occupy Wall Street than when the question was asked in early October. Sixty-four percent of respondents now say they've heard of the movement, compared to only 51% in the earlier poll.
The new poll also shows more Americans supporting the movement. Thirty-six percent say they agree with the overall positions of Occupy Wall Street, while 19% say they disagree.
That reflects an increase in support since early October, when 27% of those polled said they agreed with Occupy Wall Street's position.
Overall, a plurality of people surveyed said they weren't sure if they agreed or disagreed with the movement's position. Of those polled, 44% said they weren't sure, compared to 54% who said they weren't sure at the beginning of October.
The ORC International poll was taken by telephone, and surveyed 1,050 adult Americans. The sampling error was plus or minus three percentage points.
Also see:
Poll: It's a lead for Obama in PA
From CNN Politics
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What's not to support. These are not just young people, they are older folks also who probably can't stop working or have lost their jobs because companies tend to get rid of those employees who have been with them the longest.
This IS a grassroots movement and, like somebody said the other day, the leader is the internet and social media.
This is NOT the koch brothers and murdoch's money behind these folks who are braving bad weather and jail.
All changes start with people standing up. Unlike the teabaggers who aretoo stupid to realize their goal was detrimental to their retirement these folks are going after the banks and filthy rich ceos who think that they shouldn't be blamed for making more money just in bonuses than their whole fleet of employees!!!
U gotta understand the occupy movement is a feeling. They can't tell you exactly the policies they oppose or which congressman or women wrote it. Yet the feeling of the past 3 or 4 years of feeling dumped on by the rich, and wall street formed this movement.Gas prices and food prices have skyrocketed. Mortgages have gone up, utilities have gone up, Tax for this tax for that taxes everywhere, No jobs, yet the fatcats get bailed out multiple times might I add, they say if u lose ur job Shame on you, and they get major tax breaks to give bonuses with. All these things create a feeling and eventually feelings come out even if u can't exactly articulate the reason u just know.
How can people support the movements positions when the movement has no clear message? It just seems to be a group of people who want something for nothing and that think the best way to get a head in life is by taking what someone else has earned. They are simply creating a greater strain on local governement resoureces and hurting many small business owners- they are making a tough time ever tougher.
What part of the country did they call, I guess it depends on what people you call, those of us working in America do not support the Occupy Wall Street,
I get why the they are protesting and everyone is mad at the government. But why don't we all just vote to get rid of the people in office. Some have been there 20 plus years they aren't out for us they are lining their pockets with our money. Its time to put them on the unemployment line. I belive if they didn't get it done in 4 years they aren't going to get it done time to take this country back time to put all new peoole in office as they don't care you are standing out there in the cold as they sleep in the warm home that we provide. They have 3 homes. They don't care they all think what you are doing is good for business for them. Maybe people need to remember we shouldn't be scared of our goverment they are to be scared of the people. I'm a iraq war vet and I say the time has come for a change. we have liberated other country's time to do the same here. Letsd just vote them out of office. Every last one. Then we take away their retirement and health insurance they will see it the way the people do. Someone tell me why government employees get a bonus?
People see the inequality in the way the money is spread out. They don't like the fact that many people are doing very little and getting lots of money. These wealthy are doing little to help out those that are poor and down on their luck. They don't like Cain's idea that you only can blame yourself. There is only so much that people can do to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. First, they need the boots (skills to do a job). They need the training for that and many don't have it for the jobs that are open.
36% of 64% that know about the movement is hardly overwhelming support. I know CNN wants to promote OWS but at least TRY to be objective.
If disagree with the Supreme Court's fatal decision to classify a multinational, billion dollar corporation as a "person", which has allowed big business to spend unlimited cash on American Elections, then you should support Occupy Wall Street. Get the money out of our political system.
Who did they poll?? I know not ONE single person that agrees with this semi-communist group. I’m talking about college kids I know as well as those in their 30’s and 40’s.. I think it’s the most liberal areas creating these particularly violent protest
such as in Chicago, LA, and NY.. I belive there are good people in this group, but they’re either unaware or choosing to ignore the fact that it was planned out in July by leftist extremists and these people are being used as puppets and or bodies if you will… There are so mnay things wrong with this country and so many things wrong with both political parties, but this group or fake movement is not where it will change for the better in fact bad things will happen and are already happening within this group. The LA OWS is being led by a known member of the Communist party: (Two prominent members of the Communist Party USA are leading the growing “Occupy Los Angeles” movementThe two Southern California communists at the heart of Occupy Los Angeles movement are veteran party leader Arturo Cambron and his comrade, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council member Mario Brito.)
I’m all for postive change and real American causes-THIS IS NOT IT.
I think the MORE the right tries to slam and slime this movement the more it's going to grow. Heck this has gone not only nationwide but WORLDWIDE. Far more outreaching than Koch Borhters funded Tea Party movement. People in this country and the world are hurting and not only the poor and unemployed but households where BOT parents are employed. Why the right and the GOP and some Blue Dog Democrats want to continue to turn a blind eye to this I just can't understand.
Kev – The banks that received TARP money have paid every penny of that money back – in full. Only AIG, GM and Chrysler haven't paid all of their funds back. Several of those banks, including Goldman Sachs, were FORCED to take TARP funds because Hank Paulson and the rest of Treasury knew that, if the choice was left up to the banks, lenders would know which banks were in trouble and which weren't just from whether they took TARP funds or not.
As for gas and food prices going up, that is almost directly the result of loose monetary policy pursued by the Fed, not Wall Street manipulation. By keeping interest rates low and flooding the world with dollars through various QE's, expectation of inflation goes up – and so do commodity prices as people exit the dollar and dive into dollar-denominated assets (oil, grains), or precious metals (gold).
Kev – Keep in mind it wasn't just the fatcats that got bailed out. The bailout $$$'s prevented many of those companies from going out of business, thus saving thousands of people from losing their jobs. So what if the CEO of a company makes millions...they are working 24/7 to keep thousands of people employed...in my opinion they deserve the big salaries.
Our corrupt government, banks and greedy corporations have stirred the beast. Thanks to all and their sacrifice taking a message to those that have systematically been dismantling our middle class. Time to show those like 9% Boehner the door. People like this are just treading water through their tenure protecting the tax cuts for the rich. Time to take the trash out of the House. Can't wait to vote.
If companies show record profits and then fires 15,000 employees to please their shareholders instead of hiring more then... who is crazy enough not to support OWS.
"where is the social responsibility"
America is tired of being governed by the top 1%. A plurality of our members of Congress are millionaires.
Nevermind OWS was started by some Canadian Group but who cares I have better things to do with my time than sit around trying to create class warfare and divide America!
What a joke. Of course support is building–you people in the media provide non-stop advertising in support of these creeps whose approach is violence and demands that they be given that which they do not work for. OH MY! I spent four years at a liberal arts school and can't find a job or pay back my student loan–get a life!
I worked my way through college. Paid the tuition so that my wife could finish her education. I put three children though college and none of them got loans. My wife and I worked to pay for school and the kids worked to pay for recreation. It was hard. We were never able to have the best clothes, eat in restaurants, or take nice vacations. We brought children into the world–don't see where anyone told us it was the governments responsibility to take care of them. In short, we had to take whatever work we could get. And don't tell me I was lucky because I had a job. Wrong!! Nothing lucky about it. I took whatever work I could find and it wasn't always nice. Work for what you get...what a concept!
Bull freaking crap, I don't know any one who supports this so called 'movement'.
Its just a bunch of bored college kids and burnt out children of the hippy generation, hoping to reclaim some misguided nostalgia of the 60's. Turn off the free wi-fi and they'll all go home, if that doesn't work: tear gas the hell out of them.
@michael says "...just a group who thinks the best way to get ahead is to take what someone else had earned "
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no they are protesting the fact that the corporate " decision makers " took away millions of jobs once performed by fellow American tax paying .workers and moved those jobs to communist china and other foreign countries. When corporations took the paycheck away from employees puttin millions of their employees out of work they gailed to realise that these workers were also consumers whose spending fueled the demand that supported small businesses and that made record profits possible for the companies.
After closing plants and outsourcing millions jobs, I cant understand why slower sales and profits would surprise Wall Street.
I think the best way to "punish " Wall Street would be for the 99% to decide to drastically reduce spending during the coming Christmas shopping season. I think that would be a much more effective protest than sleeping in park and marching.
The most important, and really most effective, thing the protesters can do is make sure to vote!!! If they refuse to participate in the only game in town, our democratic process, they will be subverting their cause. they need to channel all this positive energy into working for and electing the party that supports their cause, the Democrats. any other course of action is a waste of their energy.
Occupy has a lot of people throwing a lot of different positions out there, but the central "themes" that keep coming through are 1) prosecute those who did patently illegal things leading up to the financial meltdown and 2) find a way to get back to being a democracy representative of the people and not of the campaign contributors. For #2, obviously we need election reform and probably an amendment to block that horrible "corporations are people" Supreme Court decision. For #1, we have companies who knowingly foisted off CDO's that they were shorting (illegal), ratings agencies that were complicit in rating the things well when they knew they were garbage (illegal), lots of other stuff. Not to mention, where were the strings on the bailouts – that was a perfect time to lock in total compensation ratios, and the government whiffed because they aren't working for us, they're working around the inconvenience of appearing to work for us.
It's not about gimme gimme, it's about stop stealing from me – I'm all for taxation if it is put to work for me or my countrymen, not so much if it's just being used to bail out overextended multinationals who then go right back to screwing me and mine out of our hard earned dollars. I am really not a big fan of them buying politicians to manipulate the rule of law in their favor via overwhelming campaign contributions either. The #1 thing this country needs is to socialize the electoral process, totally turn that paradigm on it's ear, and then figure out how we can give special interests a voice instead of being where we're at, trying to figure out how to give the people some power. This is supposed to be a representative Democracy, and right now it's really not.
LifeinVA wrote:
Keep in mind it wasn't just the fatcats that got bailed out. The bailout $$$'s prevented many of those companies from going out of business, thus saving thousands of people from losing their jobs. So what if the CEO of a company makes millions...they are working 24/7 to keep thousands of people employed...in my opinion they deserve the big salaries.
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What is the difference between those companies going out of business (mainlyu because of their own actions) and a middle class home owner "going out of business", losing his job (mainly because of actions by others) and home? Why should the one who caused the problem be bailed out, while the one is hurt by the problem is tossed overboard?
Would you care to explain why a CEO should make a multi-million dollar salary. Why should an executive get paid a multi-million dollar golden parachute when he leaves a company that he totally mismanaged into near bankruptcy? Why do you think a CEO works harder than the factory worker, or a policeman, or a nurse, or a teacher, or a fireman? I think professional athletes work harder than CEOs, and the best of them really do work 24/7, 365 a days a year, just to stay in shape.
"If companies show record profits and then fires 15,000 employees to please their shareholders instead of hiring more then... who is crazy enough not to support OWS.
"where is the social responsibility""
Exactly!
The real truth is that most people have no idea what the traitor michael moore and the occupy movement really stand for.
It's time for the media to get real responsible. When they say democratic, when they say "people", they are talking about a system of socialism or if you will communisn, such as Cuba and Venezuela. They believe they have the right to control everything. While the current system is screwed up a bit, they don't have the answers. But the bottom line is Moore who jet sets across the country is nothing more than a Hugo Chavez. Now that the lowlife anarchists who are nothing more than the present day Nazi's are seeing their opportunities for destruction, things will get interesting.There are alot of people suckered into this movement. But will somebody ever say what exactly is a solution.
The OWS movement might be marked by incoherence and a lack of organization now, but if you check history - something Americans are generally quite sloppy at doing - you see some of the most influential movements started out slowly and in somewhat ad hoc fashion. And they grow and grow and grow. The Fox News echo chamber ultimately is powerless to stop it, and they can milk ratings bashing it for only so long, before the movement becomes truly mainstream. This movement has legs, and its core message - THE CORPORATION HOLDS FAR TOO MUCH POWER OVER THE WORKER AND IS KILLING THE MIDDLE CLASS IN OUR DEMOCRACY - is very strong and cutting. As Peter Gabriel sang in his epic tribute to Stephen Biko, "You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire." If don't think the corporate powers are deeply concerned right now, you're not paying attention.
The there are alot of well meaning people involved in this movement and there are alot of good criticisms but most of these people are very politicall naive. If they believe that these hardcore leftists are looking out for their benefit, they really have no sense of what the far left iis all about
I also support the people because they are "the People" if they had jobs to go to they would not be out there period. So get our jobs back from other countries and solve this problem. I wish we would stop buying Apple products and all the phones and gadgets that are made in other countries and we buy. So I wish people like Trump, Hannity, and O'Riely would shut their big mouths because they have no idea what theses people are about. And don't compare them to the tea baggers because they are not racist white people, they are all colors trying to get their voice out about corporate greed.
The problem with OWS is that the thugs have been on board from the start. Don't you realize that all of this was planned ahead of time? The list of grievances for at least the first ten or so is 100% legit, but the rest are straight out of the ideologies of the far left revolutionaries that want an overthrow of our Constitutional Republic (and you are a true fool if you think otherwise). This movement was highjacked from the start... just like the tea party. Right and left are just arms of the same beast that is squeezing us in a pincer maneuver with the goal of collapsing our society. If these grievances were limited to just the financial irresponsibilities that were pushed through by both sides of the isle, if this movement understood that true democracy is nothing more than mob rule and thus the reason this nation was a constitutional Republic (at least until about 40 years ago when it walked away from those principles) and if these protesters were at the heart of the problem...Washington DC, then maybe people like me would be on board. Right now, it just looks like the patients are in charge of the asylum.
Any type of civil unrest, whatever the goal or motivation, is going to be bad for the economy. When ports are shut down, revenue is lost. This doesn't affect the 1% too much, but it does affect the working class. If OWS wants to maintain support from the rational thinking, generally silent majority, they should rethink tactics. Start protesting while performing community service...you know, the old honey/vinegar adage.
While a poll is not scientific, even if it was, the data do not show a significant difference between October and now....in other words, this entire article is saying absolutely NOTHING
Micheal wrote:
It just seems to be a group of people who want something for nothing and that think the best way to get a head in life is by taking what someone else has earned.
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That is not it all. If anything, it is the wealthy who want something and have others pay for it. If you look at the cost to the government for the average middle class American, it is far lower than that for the average wealthy individual.
The wealthiest cost more to governments to provide services that you apparently take for granted. Many of the wealthiest live in exclusive areas served by utility services that cost more per individual than per individual in your average cul-de-sac. They live on roads that are far less traveled, and therefore more expensive to maintain because it supports far fewer individuals. They travel more; using transportation facilities more often (like airports and docks for cruise lines) and the infrastructure that goes into supporting those facilities and accessing them.
And, the wealthy do all of these things often times paying a lower percentage of their income as taxes than the average middle class American living paycheck to paycheck. And, you think they should pay less in taxes? Do you know what life would be like for most of those wealthy individuals without a strong middle class? Do you realize that most of them climbed to their economic status on the backs of the middle class? Do you realize this is a democracy, and that the plurality of Americans have spoken, which puts your opinion in a disting minority?
Has anyone considered that the genesis of the OWS movement coincided with Obama's class warfare rhetoric that he's been spewing for the last few months during his never-ending campaign tour? Our "Campaigner in Chief" has done more to divide the Country than ANY President in History and has fueled this unorganized Socialistic display! Despicable!
There but for the grace of God go I. There is nothing worse to the ego of a good man or woman than the loss of a job or the lack of opportunity to get a job. It is disheartening to see comments from people who are working (and under the impression that they actually have something called job security) to put down the movement and label it as disgruntled college kids or imply the movement is comprised of losers. With no prospects of employment, hostilities rise and unforunately lead (for those who are prone to mob influence) to looting and violence. If the movement can steer away from these negative behaviors they will get increasing support, otherwise they will be seen as a bunch of rotten tomatoes. -JERSEY TOMATO 2012
Lots of poor, misguided messages in the responses to this thread: 'koch brothers funded tea party movement' sounds a lot like 'soros funded OWS movement' and the whole message about the 1% rulers. The rich are just a symptom of sick, missing values that this country has become. These faceless bankers and corporate executives have become so selfish and greedy because these are the values this country now supports, and this is costing us the middle class in this country. The 'middle class' is not blameless here either. The greedy corporate managers will certainly fire American workers in favor of Indian or Chinese workers, but so will the middle class mom trample over more expensive US made goods in favor of a cheaper Chinese made product. Getting people more checks isn't the answer. We'll just end up like Greece. Fixing our values from the top down is the only way to fix this problem. Our gov't needs to punish excessive greed and the 'middle class' and working poor need to stop expecting a handout and go back to work. Too many in this country expect a check or an entitlement these days. Both sides need fixing.
I have been going to Zuccotti Park almost everyday since October 2. Sure there are homeless drug addicts, the mentally ill, and people looking for a free meal and a place to stay with clothing and a tent with medical services on site.
But the majority of people that I am meeting are very well educated people and very well aware of how our government has moved away from the well being of the people it was elected to serve. Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, College Professors, Union workers, recent college graduates are the majority of the people I have met everyday in my daily viisit to Zuccotti Park.
The common theme I hear is that their is a huge income gap between the 1% who control 40% of the wealth, and that the bank bailouts and were unfair as the taxpayers funded them. Of course the unneccessary wars, health insurance or lack of it, fracking, Police brutality, and the concensus that our society has become a facist police state also are discussed and on protest signs.
The people that go their are very peaceful. The only people I fear their are the police, who surround the perimeter of the park and contiunually harrass and antagonize the protesters. I thought police work was suppose to go to crime scenes, not provoke and cause the problems.
I believe the police support OWS but cant express an opinion. If they dont do their job they will be in Zuccotti park protesting themselves. I also understand how they believe offense is the best defense.
The bottom line. I have learned at 52(in a couiple of months) that this is not the country I was born in raised in. The 70's,80's and 90"s were free and happy times for our country. After 9/11 things have steadily gone down hill.
America is a resilient country having survived other turbulent times including the civil war and great deprresion and many wars. It wiill survive and prosper and be great again. In how many years I dont know but it will happen.
Everybody needs something to eat, somewhere to sleep, something to wear, some money to spend to various requirements. It is so sad to see in one nation with one same flag, some have more than they need and the majority have almost nothing!
Now that the protests have become violent and have created an atmosphere which will hurt any small business in those areas, most adults will lower their support of such actions.
Get money out of politics, end all the luxury tax breaks, taxing the bankers their fair share make...what's not to support?
I think OWS is a natural result of money controlling our politics. Citizens United meet United Citizens.
Whatever approval the silent majority had for this movement is quickly eroding away. As violence, bullying and vandalism escalates, we support nothing. Time for officials to do their job. Send in the police and national guard to disband these bands of thugs. Enough is enough. I want my country back. OWS needs to go.
It is sad to think that in a country with one of the highest obesity rates, that people actually believe so many don't have something to eat, a place to sleep and access to medical care. In fact, those who visit the ER without insurance are paid by those who have to maintain a job to pay a higher cost for their insurance and have made a choice to be responsible. The OWS seem to want the 1% to pay more, however when will OWS begin demanding that the bottom of income earners or the 50% start paying for the services that are used most often by them? What happened to "an honest days work for an honest days pay"? If you won't work, why do you expect something? If you spent years in college to earn a degree without researching the job market, is it our fault you can't find work? Many of the OWS seem to be angry about their situation, however they refuse to do anything. To consider moving to where the jobs are, to enter a new job field, to gain additional education or to work outside their educational training. The increased tax rates proposed by this administration are for the rich . . . . however when did a family making $250K become rich? Maybe $250K in Maine or Idaho is rich, however I expect that it is not in many cities across this country. I would almost support raising taxes on those making over $1 million, however once you start that, when does it stop? When will those elected officials change it to those making $75K or even lower? Just like freedom of speech, once you begin taking it away, when does it stop?
This poll was taken in early October. It is now early November. This movement has degraded over the month into a Circus of Freaks and criminals. Everyone looking at the continued coverage is aghast at what they see. What they see is the America that the Occupiers would prefer to live in...chaos and incivility..animalistic. Whatever the point was in the beginning...it will be remembered as a horrifying look at the fringe in America.
Big Jim wrote:
After closing plants and outsourcing millions jobs, I cant understand why slower sales and profits would surprise Wall Street.
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That's easy to explain. The pinnacle of capitalism is when you sell only one product. A product that doesn't require manufacturing plants to produce or workers to be paid to run those plants. That product is capital itself. Capital requires no labor, only ownership and control of it.
I would hardly call 36% a "good backing". If you took 100% of the 36% who say they support the movement to a location and let them see who is there – the numbers would drop. Also, what's not to like about the message "i want to take someone else's money and give it to you". We all want more. We are all greedy at heart. Some just have the ability to go get while others don't. Talent isn't spread evenly. Look how communisim has worked for Russia, China and Cuba.
Even with all the press they have received, each passing day this "movement" shows more signs of just being a mob than anything else. No clear message, but only bent on causing the demise of businesses. Personally, I think they are shooting themselves in the foot. At the moment, there isn't a single thing about them that any sane person would support. For the liberals here; The Tea Party conducted themselves much better and were blasted for their very clear message. It's easy to see the double standard here. Although not surprising considering the influence of ACORN now running rampant through the occupy rabble.
All I am seeing in the news is a bunch of communists. How about a consolidated push for the separation of State and Corporation. These companies that are still in business are there because of the bail outs. give the money back. Better yet they should have given the money to the people instead. Think about what a boom in business that would have been. Exxon showing 40% profit but our gas is $4 a gallon. Maybe there should be some regulatory caps on commodities. Say,no more than 10% profit. These ideas will not get heard simply because I am only one. And if it is heard it is going to be commented on by someone that disagrees with me. This country is failing and there is nothing that we can do about it. Social media is feeding the opinions (that is like quoting wikipedia for a doctoral), elections are rigged (electoral college _HARUMPH) Everyone is in it for themselves. It is good that there is a group of people pulling together but they don't know where they are going or the path they are going down is not the desire to continue capitalism. They want to hit the Reset button and have everybody start over at the beginning. Sorry there is no equality. The only one that can control equality of the classes is the Government. What did our Government do? Gave Billions of dollars to large corporations (the rich) oh! and you people on the street complaining about it are the ones that voted them in. "hoping" that things would change. But Dem or Rep the bailout was going to happen McCain was as much on board with it as Obama. We should not have bailed out anyone. That is the fun of capitalism. Enjoy the weather. We will all be there soon.
I approve these folks....Greed needs to stop; banks, Oil, corporate thugs...
Goodbye Obama wrote:
"What part of the country did they call, I guess it depends on what people you call, those of us working in America do not support the Occupy Wall Street,"
Oh, well, I guess they only polled people in "blue states", huh?
Why would you support it? If you support it, you might get canned by whomever you work for. Do you not realize you are LUCKY to have a job? This is not about people who have jobs vs people who don't. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT THE GREEDY BANKS AND WALL ST ENTITIES HAVE DONE TO THE ECONOMY OF THIS COUNTRY! THIS IS WHY SO MANY DON'T HAVE JOBS, IN A NUTSHELL. AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU HAVE CONGRESS AND THEIR INABILITY TO GET IT TURNED AROUND. But YOU have a job....so all is well with the world, huh?
I work 3 jobs & still barely make enough to survive. As a member of the 99%, I support the movement 100%. Those who claim this movement consists of folks who "want something for nothing" simply have no clue...
This is not a group of people that want something for nothing. They just want a social and economic system that provides some reasonable amount of fairness. They are fine with a meritocracy that awards creativity and hard work but what exists is just wrong. Money and extreme wealth has become a goal into and of itself and not for the good. Money makes money which makes money ad nauseum.
This isn't grassroots when it is being organized by people outside of the fray and these people are being bussed to and fro and these people are being told what to do and these people are pulling in money and demanding money. This is called extortion in many circles. The irony is that these people complaining about the job situations are disrupting business that would probably hire them, keeping others from getting to thier job and want to blame others for thier own predicament. So they went to school and got a loan, that doesn't gaurantee them a job in whatever they want to do. I know many people that got out of school and went to work in another field for lower pay. It happens. I did this very thing and then I worked my way up. Sam Walton, J.C.Penny, etc. all started out at the lowest spot and with determination worked thier way up. Get out of the way of others and join the workforce.
People are fed up with wall street ...Kings and Queens...and corporate greed...and thats just the way it is.
If anyone thinks there are OWS protests now, just wait until the end of the year when Wall Street traders, investment bankers and corporate executives start getting those multimillion dollar bonuses. Judging by the current stock market and business profits, this year will probably see record numbers and amounts of bonuses ever paid out. Meanwhile several millions of former hard working loyal middle class Americans will be praying that Congress acts to create more jobs or at a minimum keep extending unemployment benefits.
FourLeaf Tayback wrote:
Everyone looking at the continued coverage is aghast at what they see. What they see is the America that the Occupiers would prefer to live in...chaos and incivility..animalistic. Whatever the point was in the beginning...it will be remembered as a horrifying look at the fringe in America.
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The American people are disturbed by the pictures and images being played by the media. Your version is the one shared by the 1%, looking at it from the top down. 99% of Americans are looking at the images and realizing, "That could be me out there if I should lose my job."
I hope that one day you will see the point of the protests, but I am not holding out hope for you. What you refer to as "the fringe" is really a matter of perspective. While the middle class may be on "the fringe" of your economic status, or even beneath it, "the fringe" you see in the images are representative of most Americans worst fears. Fears that they have denied themselves the courage to face.
I hope one day you will have the courage to face it, to look reality in the face and accept responsiblity for what political power by the wealthy have done to this country's economic future and social structure.
Snakeoil wrote:
Also, what's not to like about the message "i want to take someone else's money and give it to you".
Where in any of these cities did you hear someone say that that is their "message"? you are interpreting their "message" yourself, in your own mind, and out of your own mouth. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.....AND YOU BLAME THAT ON "LAZY PEOPLE"? The ones who have jobs are just plain lucky they haven't lost them YET. The ones out of work are not "lazy" "liberals".....they are just plain out of work and cant find a job because there are NO JOBS TO BE HAD! So, the "natural reaction" to those who "support the movement vs those who don't" can be boiled down to those who found new employment, or kept their employment throughout all this, vs those who got laid off and CAN'T FIND JOBS!!! THIS IS NOT LIBERAL VS CONSERVATIVE. WE ARE ALL EFFECTED.
Next step, as we near another attempt by the GOP/Teatrolsl/plutocrats to threaten a gov't shutdown by tacking on blatantly partisan nonsense like repeal of the ACA and obliteration of environmental regulations to the next budgetary bills: SHUT DOWN THE COUNTRY.
Two can play at that game. As your oh-so-beneficent "job creator" Masters of the Universe employers keep funding the GOP/Teatroll corporate backed effort to create a third-world labor supply out of us, redistributing all wealth, assets and income to the tiny fraction of the population they wish to install as our plutocratic oligarchical overlords, just refuse to work. Stand up, sit down AND REFUSE TO WORK...ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. See how they like it.
NO QUARTER.
I have a job and I support OWS. I am a cynic, so I do not really think it will make a difference, but at least they are trying to do something. This movement is far more genuine than the Tea Party movement was.
It is kind of ironic, actually - the conservatives lauded the Tea Party, saying it represented people who were trying to make a difference. They admired the members who, apparently without regular jobs, went from rally to rally complaining about the state of politics in this country.
Now it seems the conservatives no longer admire people doing that. They hurl insults on web boards, calling the OWS members lazy, socialist, greedy - and far worse. Apparently, conservatives only believe in the rights of free speech and assembly when they like the message.
When Texas introduced its lottery, I figured out that 10 million dollars would satisfy the financial requirements of every dream I had, including leaving plenty behind for generations to come. The disconnect is that the 1 percenters can never have enough. I see the good works of Gates and Buffet and I don't see why these others cannot follow suit. If our country is founded on the Christian ethos, then the greedy are unAmerican.
So what else is new. I have always said that Ignorance Abounds thruout the land. And this Protest Fiasco dosen'r disappoint me. "Intellegence" arrived right on Cue. I hear that teaching History is severly wanting in our Priimary Schools lately. Thr Revolution happened around 1776. It is over! Now you have to get off your posterior and get to work. You have no excuses. Don't expect somebody elas to wait on you hand and foot. It's up to you. As the old saying goes, PEOPLE IN HELL WANT ICE WATER. Do you think they will get it???
I don't know how anyone could have read the article from yesterday "Boeing's luxury offices in the sky", and NOT support OWS... I give you the 1st paragraph... "Donald Trump seems to have hit hard times. The unfortunate fellow has been forced to buy a second-hand 757 from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for a paltry $100 million - though he did then coat every metal surface in gold."
Although i';m against rioting or violence, I have to ask those who say this movement isn't going to work, then what is? The farce that is the "Tea Party"?
"Now it seems the conservatives no longer admire people doing that. They hurl insults on web boards, calling the OWS members lazy, socialist, greedy – and far worse. Apparently, conservatives only believe in the rights of free speech and assembly when they like the message."
That is about the most correct statement on here. What about all those people hanging out at the Tea PArty Rallies? Where was all the comments about how lazy they were then? Away from their jobs?
All I see is a bunch of people crying because they can't get what they want. And just like a brat kid, they are breaking things now. It's as simple as that. If you disagree with the direction of this country, there has to be more civil and intelligent ways to get your opinion across.
"The American people are disturbed by the pictures and images being played by the media. Your version is the one shared by the 1%, looking at it from the top down. 99% of Americans are looking at the images and realizing, "That could be me out there if I should lose my job.""
That's correct! Shame on any one of you here lucky enough to have a job and sitting here and looking down on others, especially those out of work. There are hundreds of applicants to jobs, and people are really struggling. Stop being so selfish and self-absorbed.
This milquetoast superficial anti-OWS spin-reporting brought to you by the letter $ and your friends at Capital One, who are doing the backdrop advertising on the main page. Advertising, the new arbiter of truth, justice and the American way(ward).
When I see people lying on the ground wrapped in blankets in the freezing cold for something they believe in...a picture is worth a thousand words. Some of those peoples ancestors did the same thing at Valley Forge.
"Although i';m against rioting or violence, I have to ask those who say this movement isn't going to work, then what is? The farce that is the "Tea Party"?"
What is? SHUT DOWN THE COUNTRY. They get to play games paying politicians to threaten shutting down the government. Well, let's show them where the buck stops.
"I worked my way through college. Paid the tuition so that my wife could finish her education. I put three children though college and none of them got loans. My wife and I worked to pay for school and the kids worked to pay for recreation. It was hard. We were never able to have the best clothes, eat in restaurants, or take nice vacations. We brought children into the world–don't see where anyone told us it was the governments responsibility to take care of them. In short, we had to take whatever work we could get. And don't tell me I was lucky because I had a job. Wrong!! Nothing lucky about it. I took whatever work I could find and it wasn't always nice. Work for what you get...what a concept!"
Blah Blah Blah......Ok, now try doing that at this moment in time. Then see how far you get!!!
"All I see is a bunch of people crying because they can't get what they want. "
Right, because everyone knows the only appropriate response to not getting what you want from the gov't and economy is to PURCHASE the politicians who can then institutionalize your desires.
These occupy movements are the only way the 99% can influence anybody. We don't have the money or the power to make our voices heard, so the next best thing we can do is get right up under their noses.
Liberal media and pollsters publish fraudulent poll data based on opinion of couple thousand people. The result of this "scientific" poll they allocate to entire American population of 300,000,000. This is obvious fraud designed to full American public.
OWS is a gang of Nazi and SS style bandits who are looking for free money on the expenses of working Americans. As consequences of OWS activity, people losing jobs, companies losing money. OWS must be accountable for these and compensate those companies and people for loses, as well as state unemployment agencies for extra expenses.
Maybe if we quit electing millionaires, and quit watching millionaires deliver "news" to us, we could actually address the severity of our situation. If there is an emergency then pass a bill to raise taxes for 3 years. But all the behavior we see in DC indicates that congress is pretending the deficit is important.
Naturally people are going to support the cause. Everyone was hurt by the financial crash in '08. Many are still in upside down mortgages through banks that weren't even their original lenders. People were offended at the very notion of credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations. Everyone knows someone whose lost their job and can't find work. People have had to completely upend their careers. Who hasn't lost money in 401k's?
The income gap has all sorts of people questioning the status quo.
I can't afford to buy politicians.
Why should bankers + insurers?
The blatant Fakes News lies people are spreading here has me convinced at least some of them must be paid to post such obvious misinformation. That tells us OWS has hit a nerve with the 1%ers.
Credit to those patient ones here who point out the truth: Money has corrupted our country and our political system. Our current version of corrupt crony capitalism damages families. Therefore, it is the exact opposite of "family values" and harms our country. OWS does have a goal and it is to reduce the harms caused not by capitalism itself, but by the dirty version forced upon our country by the 1%ers.
Reminds me of Seattle & WTO.
Alot of these people are there for the scene not the cause.
Protesters are angrey that the "homeless" are stealing.
I support reform – I don't support the police being made out to be the bad people.
The 97% – the REAL PEOPLE THAT WORK & pay taxes & entitlements will have to pay for the destruction to private & public property the demonstrators have caused.
What's there not to agree to? Occupy is enlisting every cause under the sun. It lacks focus, articulation, and reality. As KEV says "U gotta understand the occupy movement is a feeling". Occupy is a nusiance or curiosity until a specific platform emerges. So far all I see is a bunch of people wishing the world was a better place to live but with no idea of how to make it so.
Didnt poll me or the other 95% that take OWS as a joke!
Well when you have big companies like Exxon turning a profit of $19 billion then the government giving them a $165 million tax rebate on top of that... it's not very hard to support the protestors.
Yes you hard working tax paying Americans are paying companies like Exxon to make a huge profit.
For those that are confused about the logic behind shutting down a port and disrupting the economy:
Cutting the cash flow to the ceo's, privileged board members, & their bankers and brokers (i.e. the 1%) is a means of forcing serious attention to the problems of economic injustice that a large portion of the American people experience.
US corporations are making more money than ever before!
Small numbers of people got extremely wealthy by an enormous free tax payer bailout for greed-driven extreme reckless behavior. And what did we get? High unemployment, massive debts, and home foreclosures.
People have a right to express anger about that and people have a right to demand change from those that are obviously really in control: the extremely wealthy 1%.
If this is about people not working, well guess what. Plenty of jobs around... maybe not what you want, but there is work. McDonald's is hiring... get to work!
This movement may be a joke to Republicansnd the rich constituents; but its not. Its a ground swelling of people who have endured the brunt of the failed Regeanism ...