Occupy Wall Street's First Anniversity

koan · Post by **koan** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:43 am

Though it seems like the movement fizzled out, it has just gone indoors to regroup. The police violence in Oakland still astounds me. Still hard to believe that happened.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:03 pm

koan;1404623 wrote: Though it seems like the movement fizzled out, it has just gone indoors to regroup. The police violence in Oakland still astounds me. Still hard to believe that happened.

I'd been wondering why the BBC were interviewing one of their members today - I saw the headline on a set with no sound so didn't get the story.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:54 pm

Say the occupy wall street is the start of what could possibly turn in to a modern american revolt against the current governmental system, I am wondering how far we are away from that and what more that hasn't already happened would be needed to spark it?

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:30 pm

One of the interesting side effects of the occupy movement is that it has made the terms 1% and 99% well known. These terms are being integrated into history courses in college as a way for students to instantly relate. For example, the US invasion of Cuba is easier to understand when presented as the 1% being worried about their investments there, as is the installation of a dictator to prevent the Cubans from gaining a democracy, since that would possibly jeopardize those financial interests. The same is true for the forcible annexation of Hawaii, to protect the business interests of the 1%. It is an interesting development.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:37 pm

littleCJelkton;1404653 wrote: Say the occupy wall street is the start of what could possibly turn in to a modern American revolt against the current governmental system, I am wondering how far we are away from that and what more that hasn't already happened would be needed to spark it?

It had the best potential of most movements in recent years. Unfortunately, the attention span of the American citizen is not much to brag about.

Given the choice, most Americans would rather listen to the latest Hollywood gossip than any of this.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:41 pm

Wandrin;1404667 wrote: One of the interesting side effects of the occupy movement is that it has made the terms 1% and 99% well known. These terms are being integrated into history courses in college as a way for students to instantly relate. For example, the US invasion of Cuba is easier to understand when presented as the 1% being worried about their investments there, as is the installation of a dictator to prevent the Cubans from gaining a democracy, since that would possibly jeopardize those financial interests. The same is true for the forcible annexation of Hawaii, to protect the business interests of the 1%. It is an interesting development.

As I recall, the first people to present themselves as the 1% rebellion against society were the Hell's Angels

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:45 pm

Given the choice, most Americans would rather listen to the latest Hollywood gossip than any of this.

True of most Brits too. The ones on here are the noisy exceptions..

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:07 pm

Would it be too cynical or too conspiracy theorist to suggest that by now the movement will be riddled with FBI agents?

I really don't know what America is doing at the moment. At times, it looks as though they are shaking themselves to bits! Probably just the election.

chuckle. The UK has often been described as suffering from a post Imperial hangover. It's as though America is suffering from a post Cold war hangover: the simple good bad certainties are gone, and they don't quite seem to know how to handle it or what to do.

I don't intend that to offend and I hope it hasn't. I am just trying to describe and explain as clearly as possible. I don't know that I'm right, it's just how it looks from here at times.

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:37 pm

Say the occupy wall street is the start of what could possibly turn in to a modern american revolt against the current governmental system, I am wondering how far we are away from that and what more that hasn't already happened would be needed to spark it?

The monied elite of America are never going to let anything change without a fight. At this point Americans are not bad enough off to overcome their fear and demand change. 50% of Americans are 1 or 2 paychecks away from poverty, I don't know what it will take, people are too busy just trying to survive. I suspect there will be a war, they'll solve the unemployment problem by getting millions killed.

koan · Post by **koan** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:03 pm

I don't think the bankers are capable of running their business without fraud any more. They've got a lifestyle to maintain. The next big bank fraud will be a breaking point.

I think war with Iran will be a breaking point.

Further down the road, the first XL pipeline disaster will break people.

While we await those events, the movement will keep moving in waves.

Fiend · Post by **Fiend** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:27 pm

From my limited understanding of what is happening in the States, one of the problems seems to be that with the two party system, people are just choosing the lesser of two evils, but no party will ever make radical changes (at least not radical positive changes).

Hence, in order to change something significantly, a sort of revolution would need to happen.

Revolutions aren't very common in "first world" countries. So, my guess is, the US will need to wait for things to get unbearable before they change.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:01 pm

I think about the only thing that could happen to the OWS movement, that would be start of a turning point and bring about real change is if a group of occupiers were killed and the government and/or rich tried to cover it up. Other than that I think they will continue to be locked up and systematically shut-up while the status-quo would continue as it is.