Occupy Wall St Debate - La Porte, TX

What's their point?

They can't seem to make a rational point. None of them seem to have any idea how the world works.

The problem with you A-hole is that the rest of the world is operating the way the USA is headed and you endorse. This is what the Occupy movement is all about.

Take Mexico, the world of haves and have nots, the very rich and the poor, and almost no middle class.

Mexican Cartels are a good example. They have all the money then need, but want more. They buy politicians and police and weapons, and kill the people that don't cooperate or compete with them. It is anarchy, or as Gov Perry puts it, minimal intrusive government, which he and the Tea Party strive for.

Yes, under the Republicans, the USA is headed toward this with the 1%, the very rich,(Koch Brothers for example) buying politicians, and then creating their own laws or regulations that only benefit themselves and the hell with anyone else.

Pollute baby - pollute is their mantra.

Oh, and along the way lets take away a bunch of constitutional rights for women.

Bought and sold Republicans want to do away with the EPA, OSHA, the Department of Education etc, so they can pollute at will and keep an uneducated population under their thumb as a throw away workforce with no health care and so they can pollute at will.

This is what Occupy is all about. Without a healthy middle class, in substantial numbers, our whole society is at risk.

If you can't grasp the "occupy" concept, you are one of the other 1%, the chronically ignorant. Our whole way of life is at risk if something isn't done to the Wall Street Bunch.

The other 1 percent wrote:

The problem with you A-hole is that the rest of the world is operating the way the USA is headed and you endorse. This is what the Occupy movement is all about.
Take Mexico, the world of haves and have nots, the very rich and the poor, and almost no middle class.
Mexican Cartels are a good example. They have all the money then need, but want more. They buy politicians and police and weapons, and kill the people that don't cooperate or compete with them. It is anarchy, or as Gov Perry puts it, minimal intrusive government, which he and the Tea Party strive for.
Yes, under the Republicans, the USA is headed toward this with the 1%, the very rich,(Koch Brothers for example) buying politicians, and then creating their own laws or regulations that only benefit themselves and the hell with anyone else.
Pollute baby - pollute is their mantra.
Oh, and along the way lets take away a bunch of constitutional rights for women.
Bought and sold Republicans want to do away with the EPA, OSHA, the Department of Education etc, so they can pollute at will and keep an uneducated population under their thumb as a throw away workforce with no health care and so they can pollute at will.
This is what Occupy is all about. Without a healthy middle class, in substantial numbers, our whole society is at risk.
If you can't grasp the "occupy" concept, you are one of the other 1%, the chronically ignorant. Our whole way of life is at risk if something isn't done to the Wall Street Bunch.

Your point? You seem to be able to recite someone elses random musings. But you don't seem to understand the worl either.

The US has a very healthy middle class that is overburdened with taxes and crime. A mushrooming lower class is sucking the prosperity out of the economy through crime and government benefits. Just do the math. The deficit is not the fault of the rich. It's the fault of a governent that cannot do arithmetic.

The vast majority of rich people started with nothing and EARNED their wealth. Why punish people for working hard and boeying the law?

As far as paying our fair share, why not make EVERYONE pay taxes? That would be fair.

Now go clean up your room; you have school tomorrow.

Again, you only grasp what affects you, and you don't care about anyone else. You are obviously a marginal middle class person yourself. You have no wealth, envy those that do, despise people who have less than yourself.

First, we don't have a healthy middle class anymore int the USA with over 14% unemployed and millions about to lose their homes due to the profiteering that the banks and mortgage companies feasted upon under the loosened banking regulations under Bush.(Same thing happened under Reagan.)- Remember Resolution Trust Corporation?

The vast majority of the super rich did not earn their wealth, they cheated and duped and stole millions from people with easy loan money they borrowed from the Republican government with no regulatory checks and balances.

So, you think that someone who barely afford to feed their kids, and has no income, should pay an income tax? These people pay taxes A-hole, just not income taxes. Why? I guess, as the ignorant 1% you can't figure that out.

The mortgage crisis started with Clinton. Thats when the feds loosened up the requirment to buy a home. You really don't know shit. Why don't go get a job and quit crying. I bet you want us to forgive your student loans too. Dip shit.

The other 1 percent wrote:

Again, you only grasp what affects you, and you don't care about anyone else. You are obviously a marginal middle class person yourself. You have no wealth, envy those that do, despise people who have less than yourself.
First, we don't have a healthy middle class anymore int the USA with over 14% unemployed and millions about to lose their homes due to the profiteering that the banks and mortgage companies feasted upon under the loosened banking regulations under Bush.(Same thing happened under Reagan.)- Remember Resolution Trust Corporation?
The vast majority of the super rich did not earn their wealth, they cheated and duped and stole millions from people with easy loan money they borrowed from the Republican government with no regulatory checks and balances.
So, you think that someone who barely afford to feed their kids, and has no income, should pay an income tax? These people pay taxes A-hole, just not income taxes. Why? I guess, as the ignorant 1% you can't figure that out.

How am I marginally middle class? Is it my three houses? My 6 figure income. My VERY fat 401k?

The vast majority of the rich DID start with nothing and EARNED it, legally and ethically. You are broke because you won't get off you behind and make something of yourself.

And yes, I believe that they should be paying taxes and if they can't afford the kids, quit having babies.

Yes, I DO remember the RTC. I made a pile of money, legally, off of REO properties in the 80s.

You'd better get off the computer now. If your mom catches you talking to adults on the inter web your going to get grounded!

Of course, we generation X folks can remember the time when we purchased things, after WWII, which our folks deemed unnecessary and we rebelled and bought a house for 15 or 20 thousand dollars. We turned that house into a hansom profit and we told our folks we told you so. Now is a little different and our kids are allowed to leverage a 250 thousand dollar house and the only way they qualify is if we co-sign. These are the kids who are protesting about the inequities of our system. Somewhere we are not doing a good job of passing the baton.

KidShelleen wrote:

<quoted text>How am I marginally middle class? Is it my three houses? My 6 figure income. My VERY fat 401k?

The vast majority of the rich DID start with nothing and EARNED it, legally and ethically. You are broke because you won't get off you behind and make something of yourself.

And yes, I believe that they should be paying taxes and if they can't afford the kids, quit having babies.

Yes, I DO remember the RTC. I made a pile of money, legally, off of REO properties in the 80s.

You'd better get off the computer now. If your mom catches you talking to adults on the inter web your going to get grounded!

You live in Brookglen and are shit. Who do you think you are kidding.

Just in time wrote:

<quoted text>
You live in Brookglen and are shit. Who do you think you are kidding.

I don't live in brookglen. I live on the bay. What wonderful neighborhood do you "stay" in? Is your house paid for? Do you own it or does your mom?

The other 1 percent wrote:

Again, you only grasp what affects you, and you don't care about anyone else. You are obviously a marginal middle class person yourself. You have no wealth, envy those that do, despise people who have less than yourself.
First, we don't have a healthy middle class anymore int the USA with over 14% unemployed and millions about to lose their homes due to the profiteering that the banks and mortgage companies feasted upon under the loosened banking regulations under Bush.(Same thing happened under Reagan.)- Remember Resolution Trust Corporation?
The vast majority of the super rich did not earn their wealth, they cheated and duped and stole millions from people with easy loan money they borrowed from the Republican government with no regulatory checks and balances.
So, you think that someone who barely afford to feed their kids, and has no income, should pay an income tax? These people pay taxes A-hole, just not income taxes. Why? I guess, as the ignorant 1% you can't figure that out.

You are absolutely correct! Unlike what a few misinformed in La Porte think, the middle class is shrinking, Poverty is growing, education is taking a backseat when the country is trying to be competitive? A recipe for disaster!
Who can't see what is happening? Other than the Fox watchers.

Token wrote:

<quoted text>

Who can't see what is happening? Other than the Fox watchers.

You say that like you blame the deceived citizen rather than the deceiver.

All Establishment controlled media deceives the citizen.

Don't blame the people.

That's exactly what they want you to do... blame someone else besides them.

Buck the system!

Vote Ron Paul!!!

www.RonPaul2012.com

This is not the time to become a failure oriented country. Our kids should be prepared to become a part of this great country's new frontier. Our leaders should be encouraging our future growth instead of hunkering down with a defeatist attitude. We have so much potential and we take a back seat to the world's most pitiful countries. The only way to be prosperous is to look prosperous and we are not doing that.

I reiterate what I have previously said.

To big to fail is too big to exist.

KidShelleen wrote:

They can't seem to make a rational point. None of them seem to have any idea how the world works.

Fool. Educate yourself.

SHAME ON YOU PROPAGANDIST

Break down of the Occupy Wall Street people.

Traffic on the Occupy Wall Street site averaged about 400,000 visitors a day during the sample week (October 7th), which represents more than 10% of the population. 1619 people completed the survey.

Age

Not surprising, nearly 2/3 of the protesters are under 35. But one in three is over 35 and one in five is over 45.

Racial/Ethnic background

81.3% of respondents considered themselves White, 1.3% Black\African American, 3.2% Asian,.4% Native American Indian, 2.9% Mixed, 7.7% Hispanic, and 3.2% considered themselves some other group.

Education

Only 7.9% of respondents lack at least some college.

27.4% have some college (but no degree), 35% have a college degree, 8.2% have some graduate school (but no degree), and close to 21.5% have a graduate school degree.

Employment Status

70% of respondents had jobs. 50.4% worked full time. 20.4% worked part time.

Only 13.1% are unemployed.

Income

47.5% of the sample earns less than $24,999 dollars a year and another quarter (24%) earn between $25,000 and $49,999 per year.

71.5% of the sample earns less than $50,000 per year.

15.4% of the sample earned between $50,000 and $74,999.

The remainder 13% of the sample earn over $75,000 with close to 2% earning over $150,000 per year.

Politics

27.3% of respondents considered themselves Democrats, another 2.4% said they were Republican.

Interestingly, a very large proportion of the sample, close to 70.3%, considered themselves Independents.

Cordero-Guzman concluded that the 99% looked like the 99%.

The one way they did significantly differ was in gender. 67% were male. 30.9% were female and 2% preferred another gender designation.

92.5% of the respondents either strongly or somewhat agree with the protests. Over 91.8% believe the movement is likely to grow.

SHAME CORPORATE PROPAGANDIST
SHAME

KidShelleen wrote:

<quoted text>

The US has a very healthy middle class that is overburdened with taxes and crime. A mushrooming lower class is sucking the prosperity out of the economy through crime and government benefits. Just do the math. The deficit is not the fault of the rich. It's the fault of a governent that cannot do arithmetic.
The vast majority of rich people started with nothing and EARNED their wealth. Why punish people for working hard and boeying the law?
As far as paying our fair share, why not make EVERYONE pay taxes? That would be fair.
Now go clean up your room; you have school tomorrow.

I don't mean to come off rude, but what you said above is just, well... wrong.

Government spending as a part of GDP has decreased by nearly 50% over the last 30 years.

Many of the tax cuts being pursued by Republican and Democratic leaders does nothing to solve the issues of the ever-shrinking middle class (yes, the middle class IS shrinking).

Taxes like the "Estate Tax" "Capital Gains Tax" and others who's elimination was championed by this most recent Republican controlled House we're put in place to protect the Middle-class and prevent an aristocracy from forming in America (which, unfortunately, since many of the tax cuts of the Reagan era, the inequity between the top earners in america and the other 98% is at it's highest since the Great Depression).

The mushrooming lower-class is not the result of crime and "big" government. I suggest you read up on how America has dealt with crime-rates and a burgeoning poverty population.(I'll give you a hint, it wasn't solved with less spending and lower taxes on the upper-class).

In closing, I highly suggest you read up on social triangulation and how often times in a society members of a ruling class retain power by setting lower-classes at odds with one another.

The ultra rich in America have pushed a heavy agenda through bought politicians and media conglomerations. If we have any chance of taking back our country and providing a chance for our children to prosper better than us, then we need to look beyond rhetoric.

If you want another person's take on what's gone worng in America and why the "Occupy" movement is critical to America's furture, I suggest you go reading.

Here's a jump start:

http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/pow... [FACTS]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/opinion/sun... [OPINION PIECE]

Remember: Progressives and Americans are not asking for "Bigger Government" they're just asking for "better government".

I think the two posters above make an excellent points. America is in trouble with our current Republican bought and paid for House.(Democrats are not totally immune) What we need to do is clean house. Get rid of all incumbents, as they come up for election, and start anew. If they don't work out, impeach or throw them out also.

Also this person KidShelleen is so typical of the older Republican "drink the Kool Aid" bunch. He is obviously ignorant of the facts and part of the problem. People like him will destroy our society.

I have to break this up and address this in two parts:
Parler: I don't mean to come off rude, but what you said above is just, well... wrong.

KS:(Sigh) Where do I begin?.....

Parler: Government spending as a part of GDP has decreased by nearly 50% over the last 30 years.
KS: http://oregonstate.edu/cla/polisci/faculty-re...
KS: Government spending per person (not GDP) adjusted for inflation more than doubled in the last 50 years. That means that the spending doubled, the population increased by 30%, while fewer people are paying taxes.

Parler: Many of the tax cuts being pursued by Republican and Democratic leaders does nothing to solve the issues of the ever-shrinking middle class (yes, the middle class IS shrinking).
KS: I agree the middle class is shrinking; the lower “government dependent” class is swelling. The tax cuts (rather the extension of the EXISTING TAX RATES called the Bush tax cuts that have been in effect for over 10 years) will stimulate the hiring of employees that will allow people to support themselves and pay taxes. Why not let people work?

Parler: Taxes like the "Estate Tax" "Capital Gains Tax" and others who's elimination was championed by this most recent Republican controlled House we're put in place to protect the Middle-class and prevent an aristocracy from forming in America (which, unfortunately, since many of the tax cuts of the Reagan era, the inequity between the top earners in america and the other 98% is at it's highest since the Great Depression).

KS: This is just ridiculous. No Republicans champion the elimination of capital gains tax and estate tax. It’s just the opposite. The GOP are for less tax. The Dems are for confiscating wealth via taxes and redistributing it to the poor. Geez…and “America” should be capitalized.

Parler: The mushrooming lower-class is not the result of crime and "big" government. I suggest you read up on how America has dealt with crime-rates and a burgeoning poverty population.(I'll give you a hint, it wasn't solved with less spending and lower taxes on the upper-class).

KS: I have read quite a bit actually about the history of our economy and the social inequities of the American population. The financial incentive to stay poor (welfare) and the lack of a clear pathway out of poverty (jobs) has discouraged an entire generation of otherwise good people to abandon their responsibility to support themselves by honest work and to “vote themselves a paycheck”.

Parler: In closing, I highly suggest you read up on social triangulation and how often times in a society members of a ruling class retain power by setting lower-classes at odds with one another.

KS: Perhaps the recent class warfare waged by Obama against the wealthy?
Parler: The ultra rich in America have pushed a heavy agenda through bought politicians and media conglomerations. If we have any chance of taking back our country and providing a chance for our children to prosper better than us, then we need to look beyond rhetoric.
KS: You think the poor don’t have an agenda? Unions, LULAC, NAACP, Governement workers, homosexuals, AARP? They are mostly poor too. All of them band together to vote for more benefits and special treatment. There are far more of them to vote too.
KS: If you want your children to do better, get them an education and raise them in a respectable, responsible household. However, pay for it yourself. Don’t ask me to pay for it through government loans.

Parler: If you want another person's take on what's gone worng in America and why the "Occupy" movement is critical to America's furture, I suggest you go reading.
KS: You need to learn to spell W-R-O-N-G.
KS: In fact the occupy movement was created by ACORN, a de-facto branch of the Democratic party. They are paid to organize these “spontaneous” gatherings. They are paid to disrupt and be arrested because they get on television and idiots watch them instead of watching Obama’s administration crash and burn. Unless you have been on another planet, you can see that they have no clear agenda other than to get high, commit vandalism and rape each other. They are as meaningless as Dancing with the Stars.

KS: Our capitalistic system allows an individual to earn his way from poverty up to the highest position on the planet. Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan are great examples. Why on earth do you want to punish their responsible high achievement and reward laziness and crime?