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Debate: Occupy protests
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===Background and context === | ===Background and context === | ||
- | Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district. The protests were initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. [[Image:Occupy Wall Street.jpg|left|200px]][[Image:Occupy Protest 2.jpg|right|200px]]They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corporate power and influence over government (particularly from the financial services sector), and of lobbyists. The participants' slogan "We are the 99%" refers to income inequality in the United States between the top 1%, who control about 40% of the wealth, and the rest of the population. The original protest began on September 17, 2011, and by October 9, similar demonstrations were either ongoing or had been held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S. Internationally, other "Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street, in over 900 cities worldwide. The general question in this article is whether the Occupy protests have a good and clear message, if they are productive, and whether individuals like yourself or policy-makers should support, encourage, and listen to them. | + | Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district.[[Image:Occupy Wall Street.jpg|left|170px]][[Image:Occupy Protest 2.jpg|right|170px]] The protests were initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corporate power and influence over government (particularly from the financial services sector), and of lobbyists. The participants' slogan "We are the 99%" refers to income inequality in the United States between the top 1%, who control about 40% of the wealth, and the rest of the population. The original protest began on September 17, 2011, and by October 9, similar demonstrations were either ongoing or had been held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S. Internationally, other "Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street, in over 900 cities worldwide. The general question in this article is whether the Occupy protests have a good and clear message, if they are productive, and whether individuals like yourself or policy-makers should support, encourage, and listen to them. |
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*'''Occupy protesters understand Public Relations techniques.''' [http://www.opednews.com/articles/WHY-THE-OCCUPY-WALL-STREET-by-Ronn-Torossian-111010-109.html Ronn Torossian. "Why the Occupy Wall Street Protesters Will Occupy A Lot of Media Attention? They understand PR." Op-Eds. October 12, 2011]: "The simple truth is that as these protests begin their 3rd week, one can expect that this group will attract increasing media attention in the days and weeks to come. This group understands Public Relations and is capturing attention by understanding a series of key elements necessary to capture public attention. Authenticity: As I outline in my new PR book: "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations" authenticity is key. We are living in a time where America -- across the board regardless of political stance is Anti-establishment and few view big business as real and trustworthy. From failed bank loans to Bernie Madoff, the media has made noise surrounding "bad" unauthentic people, and these street protestors, seemingly idealistic can be seen as authentic and the real deal. Media naturally can't ignore these demonstrations in the heart of Wall Street. Conflict: The protestors thus far have engaged confrontation with the police department, which invites drama -- and encourages a situation which the media has to cover. They are waiting for the confrontation and won't miss police officers swinging clubs, or mass arrest. Regardless of numbers, conflict makes for great media. Timing & Theatre: Following a summer where the media has been focused on street protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, these protestors are using catchy slogans and understand street theatre. The timing is right -- Cairo, Libya and Greece all had it -- how can the media now not report in the "people" speaking out on Wall Street?" | *'''Occupy protesters understand Public Relations techniques.''' [http://www.opednews.com/articles/WHY-THE-OCCUPY-WALL-STREET-by-Ronn-Torossian-111010-109.html Ronn Torossian. "Why the Occupy Wall Street Protesters Will Occupy A Lot of Media Attention? They understand PR." Op-Eds. October 12, 2011]: "The simple truth is that as these protests begin their 3rd week, one can expect that this group will attract increasing media attention in the days and weeks to come. This group understands Public Relations and is capturing attention by understanding a series of key elements necessary to capture public attention. Authenticity: As I outline in my new PR book: "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations" authenticity is key. We are living in a time where America -- across the board regardless of political stance is Anti-establishment and few view big business as real and trustworthy. From failed bank loans to Bernie Madoff, the media has made noise surrounding "bad" unauthentic people, and these street protestors, seemingly idealistic can be seen as authentic and the real deal. Media naturally can't ignore these demonstrations in the heart of Wall Street. Conflict: The protestors thus far have engaged confrontation with the police department, which invites drama -- and encourages a situation which the media has to cover. They are waiting for the confrontation and won't miss police officers swinging clubs, or mass arrest. Regardless of numbers, conflict makes for great media. Timing & Theatre: Following a summer where the media has been focused on street protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, these protestors are using catchy slogans and understand street theatre. The timing is right -- Cairo, Libya and Greece all had it -- how can the media now not report in the "people" speaking out on Wall Street?" | ||
+ | *'''Majority of Americans favor increasing taxes on wealthy.''' [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67009.html Robert Kuttner. "Cantor's view of success is wrong." Politico. October 27th, 2011]: "A New York Times/CBS poll reported ... Nearly all Americans (correctly) fear that the economy is stagnating, but two-thirds said that wealth should be distributed more equally and seven out of 10 said Republicans in Congress favor the rich. Two-thirds think corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes and two-thirds want to increase personal taxes on millionaires." | ||
+ | |||
+ | *'''[[Argument: Occupy protests are healthy exercise in collective action| Occupy protests are healthy exercise in collective action]]''' | ||
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*'''Occupy protesters are mostly hooligans and anarchists.''' [http://vrkaine.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/my-problem-with-the-occupy-wall-street-protests/ "The Rantings of Vern Rigg Kain." Blog. October 7th, 2011]: "They’re BUMS (pardon the pun) and they do not represent everyday people (at least, I hope they don’t). In addition to the picture above showing a left-wing protestor defecating on a police car, check out this video from CBS Sacramento for proof. This so-called protest isn’t a 'revolution', a 'movement', or even a rally no matter how much a tingle it puts down Michael Moore or Chris Matthews’ leg. It’s a bunch of bums with no results, purpose, or method in their sights that I spend as much energy laughing at as they spend walking the streets. Today they’re angry, tomorrow they’ll go back to their lattes and Xbox’s, and nothing will have changed." | *'''Occupy protesters are mostly hooligans and anarchists.''' [http://vrkaine.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/my-problem-with-the-occupy-wall-street-protests/ "The Rantings of Vern Rigg Kain." Blog. October 7th, 2011]: "They’re BUMS (pardon the pun) and they do not represent everyday people (at least, I hope they don’t). In addition to the picture above showing a left-wing protestor defecating on a police car, check out this video from CBS Sacramento for proof. This so-called protest isn’t a 'revolution', a 'movement', or even a rally no matter how much a tingle it puts down Michael Moore or Chris Matthews’ leg. It’s a bunch of bums with no results, purpose, or method in their sights that I spend as much energy laughing at as they spend walking the streets. Today they’re angry, tomorrow they’ll go back to their lattes and Xbox’s, and nothing will have changed." | ||
- | *'''[[Argument: Occupiers must enter political process and vote to succeed| Occupiers must enter political process and vote to succeed]]''' | + | *'''Occupiers must enter political process and vote to succeed.''' |
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*'''Occupy protests oppose corporations fighting protective regulations.''' [http://www.opednews.com/articles/Response-to-Rachel-Marsden-by-Diana-Marmorstein-111018-654.html Diana Marmorstein. "Response to Rachel Marsden's op-ed on Occupy Wall Street claiming protesters are welfare junkies." Op Ed News. October 19th, 2011]: "What's wrong with letting owners and executives amass billions? With money, comes power -- the power to influence legislation to further increase one's wealth and power at the expense of society and the environment. One great example of all that can befall a society that allows this concentration of wealth is Koch Industries. Owners Charles and David Koch have spread their tentacles over our entire planet, fighting against regulations that protect us from cancer-causing, toxic industrial chemicals and funding "think tanks" whose goal is to confuse people about global climate change. They have also hosted strategy retreats on fighting regulations and duping the public about climate change for office holders, including Governors and Congressmen and even Supreme Court Justices. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, after attending a Koch retreat, did the bidding of the Koch brothers by ruling in favor of the corporate-money-equals-free-speech "Citizens United' case. Lately, they have lobbied for and misinformed the public on the proposed Keystone tar sands pipeline that would bring Canada's environmentally-destructive tar sands oil to the Gulf Coast for export to Europe and Latin America." | *'''Occupy protests oppose corporations fighting protective regulations.''' [http://www.opednews.com/articles/Response-to-Rachel-Marsden-by-Diana-Marmorstein-111018-654.html Diana Marmorstein. "Response to Rachel Marsden's op-ed on Occupy Wall Street claiming protesters are welfare junkies." Op Ed News. October 19th, 2011]: "What's wrong with letting owners and executives amass billions? With money, comes power -- the power to influence legislation to further increase one's wealth and power at the expense of society and the environment. One great example of all that can befall a society that allows this concentration of wealth is Koch Industries. Owners Charles and David Koch have spread their tentacles over our entire planet, fighting against regulations that protect us from cancer-causing, toxic industrial chemicals and funding "think tanks" whose goal is to confuse people about global climate change. They have also hosted strategy retreats on fighting regulations and duping the public about climate change for office holders, including Governors and Congressmen and even Supreme Court Justices. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, after attending a Koch retreat, did the bidding of the Koch brothers by ruling in favor of the corporate-money-equals-free-speech "Citizens United' case. Lately, they have lobbied for and misinformed the public on the proposed Keystone tar sands pipeline that would bring Canada's environmentally-destructive tar sands oil to the Gulf Coast for export to Europe and Latin America." | ||
+ | |||
+ | *'''[[Argument: Fair for rich to pay more into system that helped them get rich| Fair for rich to pay more into system that helped them get rich]]''' [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67009.html Robert Kuttner. "Cantor's view of success is wrong." Politico. October 27th, 2011]: "Cantor fails to acknowledge the many social mechanisms that help people up that ladder — everything from public schools and universities to publicly supported research and development and regulations that keep markets tolerably honest. As Elizabeth Warren recently put it, 'There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own.' For example, the biotech sector, one of America’s few export winners, exists because of extensive public investments via the National Institutes of Health and government grants and contracts to our great research universities. In the same way, U.S. leadership in aerospace was partly created by and depended heavily on contracts from NASA and the Pentagon. The geniuses who devised a new generation of advanced computer technology benefited from the innovations funded by the National Science Foundation and the Pentagon that linked computers at major universities — which, in turn, produced the Internet." | ||
+ | |||
+ | *'''Income inequality shows wealth of rich not "trickling down."''' [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67009.html Robert Kuttner. "Cantor's view of success is wrong." Politico. October 27th, 2011]: "Cantor’s speech-as-fable was especially ill-timed given what we’re learning about the rich getting richer while everyone else stagnates and public opinion is turning against the gross inequality. The top 1 percent have doubled their share of the total national income in the past three decades, according to a report released Tuesday by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office. Contrary to Cantor’s story, that elite success didn’t do a lot for everyone else, whose incomes stagnated." | ||
*'''Occupiers are requesting some specific regs/taxes on Wall Street.''' [http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/10/05/goals-occupy-wall-street "The goals of Occupy Wall Street." SFBG. October 15, 2011]: "[A] labor leader [at one Occupy protest] was specific as he summarized his demands: make Wall Street invest in creating jobs for Americans, stop foreclosures and write down problem mortgages. Paying for government programs would come from a 'very tiny' tax on speculation, he said." | *'''Occupiers are requesting some specific regs/taxes on Wall Street.''' [http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/10/05/goals-occupy-wall-street "The goals of Occupy Wall Street." SFBG. October 15, 2011]: "[A] labor leader [at one Occupy protest] was specific as he summarized his demands: make Wall Street invest in creating jobs for Americans, stop foreclosures and write down problem mortgages. Paying for government programs would come from a 'very tiny' tax on speculation, he said." | ||
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*'''Banking and bankers are essential to US economy.''' [http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/10/5-reasons-why-occupy-wall-street-wont-work/246041/ "5 Reasons Why 'Occupy Wall Street' Won't Work." The Atlantic. October 3rd, 2011]: "Banking is a Vital Institution -- Especially to the U.S. Hating banks is counterproductive. You simply can't live without banks in a modern, sophisticated economy. Wall Street investment firms are equally essential. Capital markets and debt markets allow businesses to function smoothly. Without them, growth and progress would be much slower. But the U.S., in particular, needs to maintain its healthy, vibrant banking system. During the financial regulation battle least year, a lawyer I know who works with banks and investors lamented the effort. He worried that Congress would go to far. Banking is one of the few industries the U.S. has left where we're a global leader, he said. He is absolutely right. Finance is one of the few sectors where Americans can still find good-paying jobs at all levels." | *'''Banking and bankers are essential to US economy.''' [http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/10/5-reasons-why-occupy-wall-street-wont-work/246041/ "5 Reasons Why 'Occupy Wall Street' Won't Work." The Atlantic. October 3rd, 2011]: "Banking is a Vital Institution -- Especially to the U.S. Hating banks is counterproductive. You simply can't live without banks in a modern, sophisticated economy. Wall Street investment firms are equally essential. Capital markets and debt markets allow businesses to function smoothly. Without them, growth and progress would be much slower. But the U.S., in particular, needs to maintain its healthy, vibrant banking system. During the financial regulation battle least year, a lawyer I know who works with banks and investors lamented the effort. He worried that Congress would go to far. Banking is one of the few industries the U.S. has left where we're a global leader, he said. He is absolutely right. Finance is one of the few sectors where Americans can still find good-paying jobs at all levels." | ||
+ | |||
+ | *'''Occupiers wrongly seek to redistribute by dragging rich down.''' Eric Cantor said in October of 2011: "The goal shouldn’t be for everyone to meet in the middle of the ladder. We should want all people to be moving up and no one to be pulled down. How do we do that? It cannot simply be about wealth redistribution. You don’t just take from the guy at the top to give to the guy at the bottom and expect our problems to be solved."[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67009.html] | ||
*'''Occupiers lump socially productive investors in with others.''' [http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/10/21/349858/occupy-wall-street-movement-energizes-climate-protesters-but-also-highlights-contradictions/ Stephen Lacey. "Occupy Wall Street Movement Energizes Climate Protesters, But Also Highlights Contradictions." Think Progress. October 21st, 2011]: "Simply labeling all major investors part of a culture of “corporate greed” neglects all of the folks who are actually deploying capital to solve major environmental problems. For example, this week a group of 258 top investors representing $20 trillion in assets signed a letter calling for immediate and aggressive carbon-reduction targets, explaining that good environmental policies 'yield substantial economic benefits including creating new jobs and businesses, stimulating technological innovation, and providing a robust foundation for economic recovery and sustainable long-term economic growth.'" | *'''Occupiers lump socially productive investors in with others.''' [http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/10/21/349858/occupy-wall-street-movement-energizes-climate-protesters-but-also-highlights-contradictions/ Stephen Lacey. "Occupy Wall Street Movement Energizes Climate Protesters, But Also Highlights Contradictions." Think Progress. October 21st, 2011]: "Simply labeling all major investors part of a culture of “corporate greed” neglects all of the folks who are actually deploying capital to solve major environmental problems. For example, this week a group of 258 top investors representing $20 trillion in assets signed a letter calling for immediate and aggressive carbon-reduction targets, explaining that good environmental policies 'yield substantial economic benefits including creating new jobs and businesses, stimulating technological innovation, and providing a robust foundation for economic recovery and sustainable long-term economic growth.'" | ||
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*[http://www.opednews.com/articles/Response-to-Rachel-Marsden-by-Diana-Marmorstein-111018-654.html Diana Marmorstein. "Response to Rachel Marsden's op-ed on Occupy Wall Street claiming protesters are welfare junkies." Op Ed News. October 19th, 2011] | *[http://www.opednews.com/articles/Response-to-Rachel-Marsden-by-Diana-Marmorstein-111018-654.html Diana Marmorstein. "Response to Rachel Marsden's op-ed on Occupy Wall Street claiming protesters are welfare junkies." Op Ed News. October 19th, 2011] | ||
*[http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/10/05/goals-occupy-wall-street "The goals of Occupy Wall Street." SFBG. October 15, 2011] | *[http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/10/05/goals-occupy-wall-street "The goals of Occupy Wall Street." SFBG. October 15, 2011] | ||
- | + | *[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67009.html Robert Kuttner. "Cantor's view of success is wrong." Politico. October 27th, 2011] | |
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Current revision
[Edit] Is the "occupy" protest movement justified? |
[Edit] Background and contextOccupy Wall Street (OWS) is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district. The protests were initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corporate power and influence over government (particularly from the financial services sector), and of lobbyists. The participants' slogan "We are the 99%" refers to income inequality in the United States between the top 1%, who control about 40% of the wealth, and the rest of the population. The original protest began on September 17, 2011, and by October 9, similar demonstrations were either ongoing or had been held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S. Internationally, other "Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street, in over 900 cities worldwide. The general question in this article is whether the Occupy protests have a good and clear message, if they are productive, and whether individuals like yourself or policy-makers should support, encourage, and listen to them. |
[Edit] [ ![]() Messaging: Do the protests have a clear and common message? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Economics: Do the protesters have a good economic message? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Pro/con sources | |
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