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[SalmonGod]

I've seen that.  Got into a big argument on the link thread with a Tea Party Randroid who was vehemently anti-government and filled with hatred towards OWS, and insisted that the two movements couldn't have a single thing in common and shouldn't even speak to each other.

[Aqizzar]

As long as planned "Occupy" actions are in question, one of the big ones I hear about is trying to convince everyone with cash in Bank of America to pull their accounts on November 5 (*Trollface*).

Well, Bank of America got dumped into hot water this week, as some professional client representatives have forced BofA to shuffle some of its money around in anticipation of market pressures and possible legal actions.  Not unlike exactly what happened to Bear Sterns, Goldman Sachs and so forth right before they tanked.  What legal action you ask?  A federal court intervening in a settlement between BofA and their investor groups over the bank's piles of fraudulent mortgages and foreclosures, in an effort to make the facts of the events more publicly visible.

What "Occupy" has to do with any of this is unclear, and likely little if anything.  The incredibly stalwart optimist could say that by observably changing the tenor and direction of the national political conversation - everyone from MSNBC to the Republican presidential field are talking about banks and regulations instead of "deficit reduction" like they were six weeks ago - that it's motivated some of the people who actually have power over these events to act in the public's interest, like New York federal judges.  I wouldn't, but who knows.

More immediately, if the mass account pullout winds up being of any significant size, with Bank of America's investors already fleeing as its stock collapses under legal pressure, the whole shebang could come crashing right down if they find themselves short on cash overnight.  Whether or not that counts as citizen justice or lighting another powderkeg, or both, we'll have to wait and see.

[SalmonGod]

I can't watch this video from work, but I can tell from the title and description alone that it's worth sharing as comedy gold.  Would love to see a transcript 

Cindy Jacobs: OWS Protests Driven By "A Power Of Darkness"

And just for some colorful contrast...

Spoiler: Power of Darkness? (click to show/hide)

[Bdthemag]

Yes, we are all Goblins. Im suprised Fox News found this out so fast.

[SalmonGod]

Anonymous begins Operation Service(?)

Can anyone find more info on this?  It's extremely vague.

[Osmosis Jones]

More immediately, if the mass account pullout winds up being of any significant size, with Bank of America's investors already fleeing as its stock collapses under legal pressure, the whole shebang could come crashing right down if they find themselves short on cash overnight.  Whether or not that counts as citizen justice or lighting another powderkeg, or both, we'll have to wait and see.

This could be rather interesting to watch from here on the other side of the world. Considering Forbes ranked it as the 3rd largest company in the world in 2010 (I find that a little hard to believe, but eh) it should make quite a splash.

Spoiler: Made me think of this (click to show/hide)

[Chaoswizkid]

Considering Forbes ranked it as the 3rd largest company in the world in 2010 (I find that a little hard to believe, but eh) it should make quite a splash.

Forbes doesn't report all of the most powerful companies/individuals. I am aware of at least one person who owns privately a hell of a lot of investments (See: Banks in the US and banks in Germany) who has removed themselves from every public list due to a previous issue involving kidnapping. If that can be accomplished, I think others can also hide their presence, giving a false look at the most wealthy or most powerful.

That said, I'm not too worried about that individual. There are some people that have huge wads of cash in their pocket who aren't trying to fuck everyone over and actually have some wisdom and decency. The problem is that it seems there is an overabundance of people lacking those characteristics.

[GlyphGryph]

Aqizzar, your summary of Occupy's "goals" are, I think, spot on, and well put. I'm going to pretty much bring that post with me to Occupy Boston tomorrow, just so I'm ready if anyone asks - you put it better than I could, surely.

[Aqizzar]

Uh, okay.  That's cool.  You might want to leave off number 8, since it's meaningless.  I can't shake the feeling that I'm forgetting one more thing, but it just eludes me.  Write down whatever you hear I guess.

By the way, a segment of Barack Obama's original "American Jobs Act" or whatever it was called just failed in the Senate.  As I understand it, it would have been a measure to send more money to municipal governments to pay for existing public workers, specifically teachers and police officers, to be paid for by a 0.5% tax on income over one million dollars (i.e., the tax would only come into effect on gross personal income after the first million).

It failed to achieve the 60 vote threshold needed for cloture to pass into an actual vote.  It was pretty much written precisely to pound on Republicans for unanimously voting to not allow it into debate - two Democrats and Joe Lieberman also voted no on cloture.

[GlyphGryph]

I'm cutting parts, I just think it would be nice to have a relatively clear list of "goals" on hand for the naysayers. 8 was already chopped, heh.

[sluissa]

I think people are pretty tired of the way the lobbyist system works in D.C. at the moment as well.

I mean, I tend to be one that doesn't think the lobbying system is all bad, it's just gotten out of hand.

The first amendment does protect our rights to do things like lobby, but on the other hand, as it is, unless you can hire a couple dozen workers and set up an office in D.C. and afford to send people out and essentially "bribe" politicians, you can't get your side heard. That puts a lot more power than it should in the hands of the people and companies with the finances to do that kind of stuff.

So, perhaps just as a simple, one liner. "The people want their voices to be heard by their leaders."

[Siquo]

Just read they cleared out Melbourne. Local capitalists in Amsterdam are also saying they should clear the square soon.

Weird, I thought we had a right to protest?

[DJ]

Emphasis on "had".

[Nadaka]

Just read they cleared out Melbourne. Local capitalists in Amsterdam are also saying they should clear the square soon.

Weird, I thought we had a right to protest?

Your right to protest isn't as important as their "right" to maintain control of your government for profit.

[Truean]

http://news.yahoo.com/high-income-workers-share-total-wages-grows-231053534.html

Numbers....

Stupid Christmas light ordinance.... We'll still see if we can keep them from being arrested, and thankfully we've persuaded the police that's not what they want. So far....<-- Benefits of organization....

Honestly though, this is a problem: cold weather. Winter will whip the will. I think we need to think of an alternate form of protest than physical presence, at least during the snowy/cold season. Otherwise people will get sick and frankly even I can't keep the authorities at bay forever. At some point, the park doesn't belong to just one group and other people can't use it if said group is using it for months at a time with no end in sight.... This might actually be a legit grievance. Have we looked downstream, seen the rapids, and planned accordingly?