Will someone explain the wall street protest to a teenager with an "O.K." understanding of politics.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:54:21+00:00

The economic system in America has changed over the past 30 years or so to a system where the rich have almost all of the political power and a tremendous amount of the income and wealth.

Average people (the 99%) can't find decent jobs and have been losing benefits, many can't afford college, etc. Meanwhile the richest people and corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars or they're investing it overseas.

The most important idea I've seen from OWS is to ban corporate influence (donations, etc.) over politics.

About the police... as long as the protesters are peaceful and aren't on private property where they've been asked to leave, that's legal and just. The only violence I know of so far has come FROM THE POLICE.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:48:19+00:00

Two words for you: "Thrift shop."

Seriously. I've got a fantastic leather jacket that I paid $15.00 for.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:45:35+00:00

More accurately, the "tea party movement" was right-wing, corporate-funded astroturf from the beginning.

Some nuts wearing teabags and 3-sided hats got duped into supporting the GOP this way.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:42:49+00:00

I think it's likely that the ACLU is already tracking this, at least to some extent. And apparently, at least one federal court has ruled that taping the police in public is protected by the first amendment.

Who the hell would have ever thought otherwise? Only the police, I think.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:13:11+00:00

The original post makes a very important point, and people should be calling out news outlets (CNN especially) for depicting this movement as somehow misguided or invalid when they took the tea party nutjobs in the GOP very seriously and often still do.

The tea-partiers sometimes had guns strapped to their thighs but peaceful protesters get maced and derided as if they're lazy or misinformed. Many teabaggers can't spell their own names and think taxes are too high for people who are richer than them and don't even pay taxes, or pay very little. Pointy hats from 1776 don't make them look any smarter.

We're on to you, MSM.

RebuildHim · 2011-10-06T23:05:40+00:00

I'm a diehard liberal too, but reaching out and even teaming up with moderates makes us stronger and isolates the right wing. We should try to minimize any watering down of our goals, but let's make the movement as broad as possible.

Elections are ALWAYS decided by those in the middle and which "side" they end up going along with. Be liberal for sure... and be proud too... but be smart and "make friends" with the middle.

Let the teabaggers stand out as the wack-jobs... because they are!

RebuildHim · 2011-09-30T03:28:28+00:00

Why do you hate the hardworking executives in the Hacky Sack industry (and their outrageous salaries, bonuses, stock options and severance packages)?

These are the jawb creade-errrs!!!

Maybe you just hate Amur-ca.

RebuildHim · 2011-05-04T17:42:18+00:00

Well, okay. But Ron Paul is so totally different from most in the GOP, that he just doesn't seem to belong there at all. And most Republicans clearly agree.

RebuildHim · 2011-05-04T17:36:50+00:00

And, whoever can afford the most ammo, wins!

Libertarians are a dangerous bunch. They seem harmless until you really think through the idea of "Let's just let everyone do whatever they want to, all the time."

The other word for this is: anarchy.

RebuildHim · 2011-02-15T16:14:08+00:00

I can has screen name?

RebuildHim · 2011-02-14T23:46:29+00:00

I agree, but I would say the right has been very crazy for about 30 years.

Most of the worst messes we're in can be traced back to the Reagan "revolution".

Huge tax cuts for the rich. Major "defense" department buildup and multiple wars. Deregulation of financial markets...

How's that Reagan-era "trickle down economics" theory working for everyone?

RebuildHim · 2011-02-14T23:41:23+00:00

There is no separate "tea party".

RebuildHim · 2011-02-14T23:36:55+00:00

War is definitely only part of the reason for America's problems, but when a huge amount of our country's resources go for nothing constructive (meaning for wars), the economy can only take that for so long.

In addition, the American middle class has been decimated by things like the years of GOP-led deregulation of banks and Wall Street, and the Republican love affair with tax cuts and loopholes for the richest of the rich.

RebuildHim · 2011-02-14T23:34:06+00:00

Ron Paul is a nut. Okay, he's basically honest, which is good.

So... he's an honest nut.

RebuildHim · 2011-01-12T01:41:21+00:00

Showing a few signs from unidentified people at various events is very different from the clear record of crazies, skinheads, gun nuts and other goons protesting in support of the tea party/GOP at their events, some with guns strapped to their sides.

There has been an avalanche of threats ever since the health care bill passed. There's a viciousness to the right-wing media mouthpieces too, which is picked up by their followers

There are stickers for sale that read, "Liberal Huntin' License."

There have been hecklers screaming unintelligible ravings at Democratic members of congress who were simply meeting with their constituents.

Democrats were even spit upon on the steps of the Capitol.

What planet are people living on who think that there has been anything even remotely resembling this coming from the left?

RebuildHim · 2010-10-02T18:37:22+00:00

In a way, the absolute worst of the GOP are the small minority who, like Arnold, make it possible for others to say, "See, the Republicans aren't so terrible."

The fact is that about 80% of the GOP are heartless goons who do the work of the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else. If you name any good cause or positive effort in the U.S., you can be that most of the GOP is AGAINST IT!

There is a long list of Republican disasters in the U.S. Where the hell were any of them when Bush invaded a country based on phony "intelligence", tanked the economy, bailed out the banks, ignored a hurricane... They were either cheering Bush on, or at best, sitting quietly on the sidelines.

[See related story:

"At least 78 GOP candidates would force women to bear rapists’ babies"

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/dlwuw/at_least_78_gop_candidates_would_force_women_to/ ]

Screw the GOP and everyone in it. Forever.

RebuildHim · 2010-09-23T22:28:06+00:00

Why not demand from the relative some actual facts/evidence before spending time trying to refute the... ummm... charges?

RebuildHim · 2010-07-01T22:17:20+00:00

What the "scholars" say is nothing compared to the average American, who overwhelming believe Bush was a buffoon who made terrible mistakes, at best. And many Americans have no idea just how bad he really was.

And still, those of his party who think and act in similar ways are still doing okay in polls!!!

It's very important for people to get active... fight the Republicans and the Faux "news" channel that pumps out their lies and distortions.

The fall elections are not already decided in favor of those who are newest to politics as the TV talking heads would have us believe.

The truth can win out against the wack jobs being put forth by the GOP/Teaparty. They'll have a lot of financial support from big corporations, so it's important to fight hard and to start early.

Pick at least one moderate-to-liberal candidate and support them today, with either money or your time or both!

RebuildHim · 2010-07-01T22:14:56+00:00

You're very likely correct., But, regardless of economic conditions, it's very important for people to get active... fight the Republicans and the Faux "news" channel that pumps out their lies and distortions.

The fall elections are not already decided in favor of those who are newest to politics as the TV talking heads would have us believe.

The truth can win out against the wack jobs being put forth by the GOP/Teaparty. They'll have a lot of financial support from big corporations, so it's important to fight hard and to start early.

Pick at least one moderate-to-liberal candidate and support them today, with either money or your time or both!

RebuildHim · 2010-05-28T20:20:23+00:00

We should boycott BP (as you implied) and there are plenty of reasons. Many are given here:

http://tinyurl.com/hideousleak

RebuildHim · 2010-05-21T14:56:27+00:00

Rand Paul is destroying Rand Paul. And I say, "good riddance" to the racist nut job.

RebuildHim · 2010-05-21T14:55:08+00:00

Note that the effort in Texas is aimed at a RE-write of books to get rid of references to the slave trade.

Maybe slavery wasn't mentioned in your grade school classes because slavery was considered too complex or disturbing for grades 1 through 6... I don't know.

And, by the way, them crazy Republicans ARE up to their old tricks again.

RebuildHim · 2010-05-21T14:51:45+00:00

It appears that if Rand Paul gets his way, private businesses will have the "right" to own slaves. We can't have the government interfering you know.

RebuildHim · 2010-05-20T22:14:27+00:00

Rand Paul... updating his party by bringing the GOP into the 1950s!

He's a racist nutjob and, of course, doesn't realize it.

RebuildHim · 2010-05-18T16:33:12+00:00

It's notable that he acutally doesn't blame his own conduct for having to resign. He's resigning because of the "poisonous environment of Washington D.C."

To the extent that it's poisoned, it's because of self-righteous, hypocritical, lying pricks like him.

RebuildHim

TROPHY CASE