Category: American Empire

The “Occupy Wall Street” movement has definitely spread to San Diego, and local organizers are planning a peaceful occupation of the San Diego Civic Center Plaza this Friday, October 7th. The action – which starts with a march that is to reach the Plaza at 4:30 – will be in solidarity with the Wall Street protesters. (Marchers will gather at First and Harbor at 4pm.) The occupation is viewed as a “protest of the global financial corruption currently invading politics, media and corporations”. They call themselves “the 99%”.

There is so much going on right now all over the country (and world?) about these “Occupy” actions, it’s getting difficult to keep up. So, for right now, I’m posting links to interesting stuff involving these events.

• 700+ Arrested on Brooklyn Bridge – Saturday Oct 1; most were cited and released. The Occupation at Liberty Plaza continues.

This document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on september 29, 2011

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

By Van Jones and Max Berger / Reader Supported News / October 1, 2011

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.

He may prove the most disastrous president in our history in terms of civil liberties.

By Jonathan Turley / LA Times / September 29, 2011

With the 2012 presidential election before us, the country is again caught up in debating national security issues, our ongoing wars and the threat of terrorism. There is one related subject, however, that is rarely mentioned: civil liberties. Protecting individual rights and liberties — apart from the right to be tax-free — seems barely relevant to candidates or voters.

Wind and solar sources make up almost half of all new electricity generation in Europe, but we’re far behind in the U.S. — so what gives?

Renewable energy is essential if we are to avert disastrous climate change caused by carbon-dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Yet despite significant recent growth, less than 2 percent of the about 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity the U.S. generates a year comes from solar or wind power. More than two-thirds still comes from coal, natural gas or oil, and 20 percent from nuclear power. Meanwhile, the world’s total reserves of oil, gas, coal, and uranium are expected to run out by the end of the century, especially as electricity consumption increases.

The modern American dream was inspired by a growing middle class that was the triumph of democracy after World War II. Its promise was and is opportunity: that hard work can earn a good life—a good job with decent pay and security, a home in a safe neighborhood, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement, a good education for the kids. The promise always exceeded the performance—especially with regard to racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and women—and America never did as well as Europe in lifting the poor from misery. But a broad middle class and a broadly shared prosperity at least provided the possibility of a way up.

Editor: We received the following from “Occupy San Diego”, which is planning on holding a solidarity action in support of the current “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrations that have been occurring daily since September 17th in and around Wall Street in New York City. Who knows what state the Manhattan actions will be in by time the San Diego protest rolls around, but the San Diego organizers are planning daily meetings.

SAN DIEGO-Occupy San Diego is standing in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street in NYC, and will begin a peaceful civil disobedience protest of the global financial corruption currently invading politics, media and corporations, by occupying an open space in the Gaslamp District indefinitely starting on October 7, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

By Melissa Harris-Perry / The Nation Magazine / September 21, 2011 ( October 10, 2011 edition of The Nation.)

Electoral racism in its most naked, egregious and aggressive form is the unwillingness of white Americans to vote for a black candidate regardless of the candidate’s qualifications, ideology or party. This form of racism was a standard feature of American politics for much of the twentieth century. So far, Barack Obama has been involved in two elections that suggest that such racism is no longer operative. His re-election bid, however, may indicate that a more insidious form of racism has come to replace it.

Paul Krugman recently wrote that:

“lack of compassion has become a matter of principle, at least among the G.O.P.’s base . . . And what this means is that modern conservatism is actually a deeply radical movement, one that is hostile to the kind of society we’ve had for the past three generations — that is, a society that, acting through the government, tries to mitigate some of the ‘common hazards of life’ through such programs as Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.”

Of course this has been true for quite some time now, …

UPDATE: 100 plus Arrested – Come Inside for More Updates

Things have changed drastically at the Occupy Wall Street encampment and demonstrations. There’s been a crack-down by police. Mass arrests, peaceful demonstrators pepper-sprayed. Arrested people – some injured – having to sit in a police van for hours. Over one hundred plus people have been arrested including members of the the Live Stream Media team that has been providing a stream. The major media blackout continues.

COME INSIDE FOR THE LATEST DETAILS AND INFO OF Occupy Wall Street

Editor: The protests in and around Wall Street in New York City are still going on, and have now entered their eighth day. “Occupy Wall Street” efforts have now been endorsed by three unions. Here is a report by Chaz Valenza who has been monitoring the demonstrations. There have been between 150 and 250 people occupying and sleeping at a park a block from Wall Street, which they have re-named Liberty Park.