Jesse LaGreca, the articulate young man who effectively “schooled” Fox News creep Griff Jenkins in an amusing encounter that has become one of the defining “viral videos” of the Occupy Wall Street movement so far, has been with the encampment for two months. Speaking for himself, but on behalf of the movement, LeGrecca summarized what the movement is seeking, on his Ministry of Truth blog at Daily Kos.

I think this is a pretty good to-do list for the progressive movement in this country, and as LaGreca correctly points out: We know the Republicans are our enemies, but with friends like the Democrats… I mean, come the fuck on, it’s time to get real!. The Dems are in a rough spot: They have to decide which side they’re on and if they can’t decide, it will be decided for them.

Are millionaire Deomcrats in the House and Senate going to vote against their own interests and the people whose money got them elected in the first place? You’re dreaming if you think that.

I keep hearing from people that Occupy Wall Street protests don’t have a clear message, so here is a short rundown of the “message” as far as I have seen.

It is time to TAX THE RICH

It is time to END THE WARS

It is time to restore Glass-Steagall

It is time to repeal Citizens United

It is time to get the money OUT OF POLITICS

It is time to invest in infrastructure and education

It is time to STOP busting labor unions, whether private or public

It is time to defend Medicare and Social Security tooth and nail from phony reforms or baloney cuts

It is time to STOP the spending cuts and start investing in America, and if we have to raise taxes on the rich and corporations in order to force them to invest in America, then so be it.

It is time to STOP the racist and discriminatory practice of “Stop and Frisk” and other tactics of racial profiling

It is time for civil rights for ALL, and that means equal rights for LGBT Americans to serve our military and marry whom ever they will

It is time for ACCOUNTABILITY for the men who lied us into war and crashed our economy

It is time for immigration reform that does not punish workers, but provides a clear pathway to citizenship for everyone

It is time for investigations that lead to prosecutions on Wall Street in response to the crimes that have been committed in the last decade.

It is time for a serious discussion about the Federal Reserve and it’s role in this economic disaster

It is time for universal health care that everyone can afford. It is time to talk about Single Payer Health Care.

It is time for alternative green energy instead of Oil and Coal.

It is time to protect our civil liberties and our constitution.

It is time for a discussion about free trade and how it has undermined the working class while enriching only the wealthiest among us.

It is time to end corporate personhood.

There are sooooo many things that need to be fixed, reformed and addressed, and this short list does not do justice to the many grievances that the 99% have, but we must accept the fact that the GOP only serves the rich and the Dem Establishment only serves to cave to the GOP. They are NOT going to help us. We are going to have to do this ourselves.

It is time to have the BIG conversation about what kind of country we want America to be, and the lobbyists and corrupt career politicians and the corrupt corporate media are NOT going to hijack our conversation. Do we want America to be a nation where 1 out of 5 children live in poverty while the wealthiest among us get ever more wealthy and more powerful? Do we want to live in a nation with crumbling infrastructure that can only reward the rich with ever decreasing tax rates while our schools go unfunded? Do we want to live in a country that can always fund these never ending wars but must cut spending on everything else?

Hear, hear!

It’s time to forget about the park, that’s over and it’s probably a good thing that it is. There’s work to be done this winter. It was never about sleeping in a park in lower Manhattan in sub-zero weather in the first place.

After today, the movement needs to figure out what it’s going to do next. Phase one has been a rousing, inspiring success. Bring on Phase two!

Read the rest of Welcome to PHASE 2 of Occupy Wall Street, now here is a message (Daily Kos).
 

RESIST WE MUCH!

Its time to stop asking to “Tax The Rich”.

Its time to start demanding “Fucking Tax The Rich”.

The tax cutting they’ve benefitted from going back to the 60s and increasing til now is no longer defensible on any level other than pure greed. It has not spurred the economy. It has not created jobs.

Read this really excellent piece about tax cutting and see if you don’t just fucking lose it.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-the-rich-20111109

Whoa! My mind is reeling right now. I’m definitely a part of the 99%, and I’m also very progressive, but I don’t agree with several of those points.

Have we really taken the time to sit down and make EDUCATED decisions about the best way forward?!

For example, Medicare, Education, Unions, and Social Security don’t need to be simply defended, they need to be innovated and improved. It would be just as detrimental if, in the end, we merely succeed in rolling back these institutions to their previous unsustainable states.

Free trade and corporate personhood? Are you fucking kidding me? You’re talking about economic evolution dating back multiple centuries.

The goal should be to keep evolving. 

Last thought: Lessig is right, taking the money out of politics will fix 75% of the problems on that list.

If I could add two:

    1.) It’s time to break the power that small town Mafiosos can wield in rural and I presume inner city areas when they become part of the political machine in a disenfranchised area and can control everything from handouts of government money, court decisions, and job opportunities as has happened in the county where I’ve lived most of my life.

    2.) It is time to end Nepotism in the work place. Where when you work like a dog from 2AM to 2PM in the afternoon doing backbreaking labor and labor that exposes you to dangerous conditions that you’re never properly compensated for only to see the Supervisor’s kids get the best promotions. 

(My personal experience of this occurred when I was a maintenance man in the fast food industry)

If your kids are that good send ‘em to the Taco Bell across the street and see how fast it takes them to rise up the ladder over there.

@Armando

“For example, Medicare, Education, Unions, and Social Security don’t need to be simply defended, they need to be innovated and improved. It would be just as detrimental if, in the end, we merely succeed in rolling back these institutions to their previous unsustainable states.”

I’m sure that’s the intent.

I think they should also call for Amnesty on Student Loans in these difficult times.

Too bad all of this happy horseshit is logically inconsistent with the demand to “protect…our Constitution.”  I have no Constitutional obligation to provide for your personal welfare and you have no Constitutional claim to the fruits of my labors. 

I’d love to see the crooks prosecuted but until I see somebody on your side of the aisle demand the head of Nancy “Visa IPO” Pelosi, I’m not taking you seriously.

OK: I demand the head of Nancy “Visa IPO” Pelosi.

(figuratively of course)

If the “happy horseshit” is inconsistent with the Constitution, the Constitution needs to be revised.

@Flaming Telepath

I guess we should assume so, however, I do find Jesse LaGreca to be a little too opinionated and not as based on historical data as I would like a figurehead to be.

@Ed

That’s 1 trillion dollars worth of loans! The federal government already had to bail out the banks and swallow some of that in 2009 when the financial crisis hit. A trillion dollars worth of loan amnesty will simply result in higher taxes or some other equal measure to cover lost income. And just wait until that bubble bursts!

@Armando,  It won’t if amnesty is declared because in true amnesty, they wouldn’t try to recover the lost income.  Fuck, if I’m working 16 hours a day and my bosses are only paying me $8.00 an hour ( and only giving the positions that make any real money to their kids), then the wealthier people are doing their part to ensure that the money will never be recovered anyway.

It’s time to say:

1)FUCK OBAMA

B)FUCK THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

III.)FUCK “PROGRESSIVE” SHILLS especially ones in corny union hats

4)FUCK THE DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY if you’ve been occupying then theres a good chance you’ve been fucked with by DHS in the last week

e.)FUCK THE POLICE STATE that just reached a tipping point in the past few days

six)Bring the motherfucking ruckus for REVOLUTION
because TIME IS UP

It’s time to stop acting like a bunch of fucking teenagers and stop identifying the cops as enemies and to get them on our side. I just saw the SEIU and UAW dancing around to terrible hip-hop and soulless gospel and yet no one was smart enough to reach out to the PBA (Policemen’s Benevolent Association). Instead of drawing lines and inventing enemies we need to be shaking hands and crossing the boundaries established by a proprietary culture. As i was stating this very fact earlier on Worth and Lafayette a group of cops walked by and one of them said to me “we’re the 99% too.” To which i said “exactly, and we need you.” He replied with “I didn’t expect to hear that.”

@ Jason in SD. Suck a dog dick. No one wants the fruits of your labors or your loins. The whole mentality of “I got mine” is what’s under indictment here in case you haven’t been paying attention. Because guess what bitch, I work 5 months out of each year and I’m still in a higher tax bracket than you. No one is asking for a fucking hand-out dipshit. The demand here is for equal taxation and the divestment of corporations from our political system and for people like Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich not to get a sweetheart deal on insider trading. This is about systemic and cultural malaise.

The point is that no one is asking for a free ride except the banking industry and day-traders who do nothing but divert money from the economy without putting anything back into it.

@jeffery a. davis

“As i was stating this very fact earlier on Worth and Lafayette a group of cops walked by and one of them said to me “we’re the 99% too.” To which i said “exactly, and we need you.” He replied with “I didn’t expect to hear that.”

That’s awesome. They need to hear that more. I bet a good percentage of them want to support but feel they can’t, or even express it. I have a friend who’s a firefighter, he and his colleagues are acutely aware of how they’re attacked as public sector employees for their perceived fat pensions and high pay. I would have to assume cops feel it too.

For what it’s worth, on the subject of cops…about 90% of them that I’ve known (mind you, there are 3 in my family and many of our family friends wear a badge) are Fox News watchers, Republican voting hippie haters.  If you’ve been watching much Occupy footage, you’ll notice how gleefully many of them approach head bashing when the protester on the receiving end of their night stick is Left-leaning.  Yeah, they’re part of the 99%, but good luck trying to convince them that you’re on the same side that they are.

@Eustace

You’re probably right, but they need to hear it anyway.

And wait til their pensions disappear.

@flaming telepath

yes, we need cops and moms and bank tellers on our side.

Crucial Chris Hedges piece. Damn.

http://www.truth-out.org/what-revolution-looks/1321384587

It’s time to stop deluding ourselves into thinking the cops are the 99%. As long as they’re attacking protesters, evicting camps and pissing on people’s rights in defense of the system that’s screwing them too, they are nothing more than the attack dogs for the 1%. Until the cops stand in solidarity with the people they swore to serve and protect they are most certainly not the 99%. These labels must be thought of beyond economic terms because they also express ideas of power and privilege. Cops that support the power imbalance enjoyed by the 1% are the 1% because they make sure the scales remained tipped in favor of those that hold their leashes.

There may not be conclusive evidence that DHS has been coordinating the Occupy crackdowns over the last week, but you have to ask yourself, why so many high profile occupations have been attacked in such a short period of time? And using similar tactics? Some would say coincidence,but I tend to think where theres smoke theres fire.

This isn’t about trad left/right politics. DHS didn’t exist pre-9/11. Nor the Patriot Act, or any of the other security state nonsense that we’ve apparently been conditioned to just accept in the last decade. Militarized police forces aren’t supposed to exist in democracies.

Through Occupy we are threatening the status quo and government bureaucracy. And you know what? They’re scared. Scared of losing their legitimacy.

Its not about hating on Obama. Obama is milquetoast. But, its time to acknowledge that this system doesn’t give a fuck about us and its going to keep chewing us up and spitting us out if we don’t stand up against it. So, when left wing youtube celebrity bloggers start talking their reformist game I just can’t help but roll my eyes. And when it comes on the heels of whats happened in these last few days I get pretty angry.

I think phase 2 is acknowledging that our government doesn’t work in our interest any longer and that the only recourse left to us is to begin to create alternatives. And it has to happen in your hometown, wherever you may be.
Whose streets? OUR STREETS. Not the feds.

The future has been stolen. How else will we get it back?

Jason in SD said…

“I have no Constitutional obligation to provide for your personal welfare and you have no Constitutional claim to the fruits of my labors.”

Good! If you agree to that then surely you won’t mind if I say it also.

Oh, just a little factoid about South Dakota: For every dollar in Federal taxes South Dakota contributes, it receives $1.53. So surely you and your other free-minded South Dakotans won’t mind finding a way to pay for your own roads and infrastructure (actually, if we stop giving your state money, you simply won’t be able to build any roads or infrastructure). Horses will work out pretty good during most seasons, but it’ll be hard for ‘em in the winter.

In other words, your whole state and life are a gimmee and, I’d bet, you gross less than what I pay in taxes.

^That!

I like the list.  Every single thing on it. But I suspect that it is too long.  I would suggest picking one big thing and going at it with everything.  One thing.  Not three.  Not twenty.

I mean I could just as easily toss something into this list like ‘we must reduce space junk.’  Though it’s a sensible position to take, it simply dilutes the movement.  I don’t buy the arguments for an amorphous movement of multiple viewpoints.

Perhaps ‘break the corporate hold over government’ would be a single point of focus.  Lots of things can become subsidiary parts of the movement, but if millions of people can’t attack one thing, I think the movement will dissipate.

Or maybe the movement already is focused on one thing.  The first thing that comes to mind for me is breaking the corporate hold over government.  Maybe that’s it.

Fuck the Pope.

@Ydobusycvuskg,

I think you might be wrong about this.  You do have to include cops in the 99% because they fit there with income levels.  There are no 1% cops running around.  I get on pretty well with cops.  I know that will get me beat up around here.  But I’ve known very nice cops and have some of them in my family, included former LAPD.

What I have found from talking to cops is that most of them are actually interested in talking.  You must understand that when they are working - especially when on crowd control duty - they are more or less functioning the same way players on a football team do. They are running plays and will carry those plays through to completion regardless of their own personal beliefs or wishes.  You would not try to argue that a football running back was the same as the team owner.  Of course, there are pigs out there who can’t do the job correctly and abuse people.  Certainly.  But I do think that overall the Occupy movement should include cops in the 99% part of the equation.

It would be interesting to find out more about cops who support Occupy.

@Alessandro Cima,

I agree with everything you said, except for the part where you lump the cops in with the 99%.

As long as they are carrying out the function of keeping the 1% in their position of power, they are absolutely not part of the 99%, regardless of what particular individual cops may believe.

“I was just following orders” is not a valid defense for violently oppressing free speech and serving to perpetuate a world where money buys political privilege. Indeed, you are absolutely right that they are part of a team and that team is certainly not the 99%.

At the risk of invoking Godwin’s Law, I would like to mention Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem. One can commit horrific atrocities in the course of trying to do the best job possible as part of a team. They may just be doing their job, but they are still individuals with a conscience that ethically ought to resist delivering violence upon unarmed, peaceful people.

Another thing that I’ve heard from Occupy Wallstreet was that they want people to have a living wage and not a minimum wage.  Going by the prices that I’ve seen for various goods and services at stores like WallMart, I think that a living wage would be $20,000.00 a year to $25,000 a year depending on whether or not employers were paying for their employeess’ healthcare insurance.

And really, there’s no reason that any employee that works 40 hours or more in the US should be paid any less than $20,000.00 a year.

Raising employees’ minimum wages to this figure (the equivalent of worker’s having the ability to buy $20,000 worth of merchandise at Wallmart per year) or $25,000.00 depending on whether employer’s agree to pay their worker’s health insurance or not, would alleviate much of the need to increase taxes on the wealthier job creating citizens.

You often hear the Republicans say they need to be in charge to create jobs; however, the truth is, it isn’t really just about the number of jobs created; it’s also about how much these jobs will pay.