Occupy Wall Street Sept 17 2011

[jacee]

Banks should pay heed to Occupy Wall Street protests

The Occupy Wall Street protests are easily shrugged off as a rag-tag band of activists with disparate aims, from ending corporate greed to cancelling student debt to breaking up banks to just having a good time in the streets.

And plenty of people are doing just that: Shrugging off the growing protests as the work of freeloaders who want to take from the rich

...

But there are large players in the financial industry itself who are paying attention. From Laurence Fink, the head of the world’s largest asset management company, to some senior Canadian bankers, there’s a realization that the protesters are not just a bunch of flakes. There is something deeper feeding their anger, and it could have legs.

...

Underlying the movement is a real concern about ost homes, lost jobs and lost futures, argues Mr Fink, head of BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset management company.

“These are not lazy people who are just sitting around and trying to find something to do,” he told reporters in Toronto last week. “These are men and women who say ‘I don’t like the direction where we’re going. I’m frightened of the future Nothing else has worked so we’re going to the streets.’

...

While some of the anger fuelling the protests in the U.S. is a natural outgrowth from a view that corrupt banks brought down the economy and ruined lives, Canada’s banks have done no such things. The country’s housing market is holding up, loans are available. What’s to protest? Yes, banks make a ot of money so they are a target for the “end corporate greed” slogans, but beyond that, it’s hard to imagine what the protesters will chant. Hey-hey, ho-ho, those big home equity loans have got to go? It just doesn’t have the ring.

But as Mr. Fink argues, there’s something deeper beyond the sloganeering. For many, it’s about a perception that the middle class can’t get ahead because society is becoming more polarized. Bankers with their big pay packages and banks with their billion-dollar profits symbolize that. Whether or not the anger is misdirected, that’s bad for business

“We should all pause and say, ‘What is the point here'" Mr. Fink said. “I’m not talking about the words or the posters. What is the implication? From my perspective, the implication is we have people losing hope and going into the streets.”

"Losing hope" ?

Perhaps.

But not sitting at home crying about it.

Doing something about it.

Trying to make the power establishment take notice.

And obviously succeeding.

Edited October 19, 2011 by jacee

[Bonam]

Not for joe employee drawing payroll check. He wants that company match.

I guess. I am not 100% aware of how the bureaucracy at large corporations handles that. Personally, if a company was gonna spend more money on me, I'd rather it just pay me more salary, even if that extra amount is less than the extra "match" it could have stuck into some 401k. I'd much rather have control of my money. $0.50 in my bank account would be worth more to me than $1.00 in some restricted regulated locked-up plan that I can't touch for another 40 years.

ETF's have no "soul"....not as much personality like a company's stock. It's like kissing a sister.

Small potatoes compared to 2009.

True. Still, you gotta work with what the market gives you. A 20% drop is not bad.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Bonam

[jacee]

I guess. I am not 100% aware of how the bureaucracy at large corporations handles that. Personally, if a company was gonna spend more money on me, I'd rather it just pay me more salary, even if that extra amount is less than the extra "match" it could have stuck into some 401k. I'd much rather have control of my money. $0.50 in my bank account would be worth more to me than $1.00 in some restricted regulated locked-up plan that I can't touch for another 40 years.

Until suddenly it's 40 years later ...

[bush_cheney2004]

....But not sitting at home crying about it.

Doing something about it.

Trying to make the power establishment take notice.

And obviously succeeding.

Doing what about it? What has changed for the entrenched status quo except for the waning political entertainment value of the protesters clamoring for attention? They have become punchlines for Jay Leno and John Stossel.

[bush_cheney2004]

...I'd much rather have control of my money. $0.50 in my bank account would be worth more to me than $1.00 in some restricted regulated locked-up plan that I can't touch for another 40 years.

That's not how it works...you get the company's matching contribution after vesting in several years as an employee, and you get deferred income taxes at a presumed lower marginal rate upon retirement. If the employer just paid more in salary, it's all taxed up front. The plans are portable and can be rolled into each other. Early distributions are taxed and penalized at 10%, and loans to yourself are also possible.

Recent market downturns and other factors involving goverment fiscal policy have reduced some of the 401k/403b favor for after tax options like Roth IRAs.

[jacee]

And so it starts.

YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we go .... !! The very real POWER OF THE PEOPLE will be felt in the boardrooms ... :lol:

It had to happen ... OWS is now providing

CONTACTS FOR CORPORATE CULPRITS so people can express their outrage directly:

http://www.occupytheboardroom.org/

The 1% have addresses.

The 99% have messages

Life gets awfully lonely for those at the top. What can we do to let them know someone's thinking of them? Maybe they need some new friends! We've thought of two ways we can help them with that.

Available pen pals ...

Goldman Sachs Morgan Stanley Citigroup Bank of America JPMorgan Chase Wells Fargo

You GO kids ... !!!!!!

Edited October 19, 2011 by jacee

[bush_cheney2004]

Available pen pals ...

Goldman Sachs Morgan Stanley Citigroup Bank of America JPMorgan Chase Wells Fargo[/i]

Gee...no pen pals in Canada? I wonder why?

[Shady]

And so starts

And so it does. I predicted violence last week, and it looks like I'm correct.

[jacee]

And so it does. I predicted violence last week, and it looks like I'm correct.

Sending an email is "violence"???

:lol:

Man for tough corporate types, you guys really have thin skins !!!!

:lol:

Edited October 19, 2011 by jacee

[GostHacked]

And so it does. I predicted violence last week, and it looks like I'm correct.

That was not hard to predict, that was inevitable. I predicted near the beginning of this year that you would see protests in the USA and Canada. That was not hard to predict as well.

[jacee]

Gee...no pen pals in Canada? I wonder why?

This came from OWS.

Working on Canada ...

See new thread here ...

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=19647&pid=720548&st=0entry720548

I'm quite certain there are posters here who can help in the investigation of corporate/government corruption in Canada.

We're all taxpayers. It costs us all.

[Guest American Woman]

And so it starts.

YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we go .... !! The very real POWER OF THE PEOPLE will be felt in the boardrooms ... :lol:

It had to happen ... OWS is now providing

CONTACTS FOR CORPORATE CULPRITS so people can express their outrage directly:.....

I doubt whether the emails will ever make it to the people intended. It's not as if there's no security and people from the street can just march in and deposit a batch of emails on said "culprit's" desk. But let's just say they can. Who's to make the "corporate culprits" read the emails?

In other words - how, exactly, is "the very real power of the people" to be "felt" in the boardroom?

But do keep "YAHOOOOOOOOOO"ing all the same - as I said, for the most part this protest is a 'feel good' movement for people who have a lot of time on their hands. It hardly comes close to involving 99% of the population - much less representing 99% of the population. It's a false presentation.

[Guest Derek L]

Protester allegedly raped at 'Occupy Cleveland'

CLEVELAND - Cleveland police are investigating an alleged sexual assault incident that occured Saturday at the "Occupy Cleveland" rally involving a 19-year-old female student.

According to police reports, the 19-year-old student was instructed by "Occupy Cleveland" personnel to "share a tent with the suspect due to a shortage of tents."

Will Cleveland’s general assembly or politburo or whatever they call it stop forcing people to share tents……..Also, will the occupy Cleveland members help or hinder the “pigs” investigating the sexual assault?

[Guest Derek L]

Occupy Seattle

And in Seattle, police have arrested a convicted felon with a mini-14 (Same gune used in Hobart Australia massacre, the one in Quebec and the recent one in Norway)……….And they arrested another man that exposed himself to children

[capricorn]

It’s a den of thieves!

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops -- and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

“I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”

Crafty cat burglars sneaked into the makeshift kitchen at Zuccotti Park overnight and swiped as much as $2,500 in donated greenbacks from right under the noses of volunteers who’d fallen asleep after a long day whipping up meals for the hundreds of hungry protesters, the volunteers said.

“The worst thing is there’s people sleeping in the kitchen when they come, and they don’t even know about it! There are some really smart and sneaky thieves here,” Terrie said.

---

At one point yesterday, Wyman and other volunteers briefly scuffled with a man who was standing near a park entrance with a pail calling out: “Donations! Donations!” -- and pocketing the cash people tossed in the bucket.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/criminal_occupation_oh3CnKANUqYHrGPCaZaLRK

OWS protesters getting a taste of wealth redistribution within their ranks, a concept they want to impose on the rest of us.

[GostHacked]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/criminal_occupation_oh3CnKANUqYHrGPCaZaLRK

OWS protesters getting a taste of wealth redistribution within their ranks, a concept they want to impose on the rest of us.

Or maybe ... juuust maybe .. this is the kind of thing they are protesting against.

[jacee]

Hmmm ... they don't have security set up?

That's a bit surprising.

All they need is people watching, and whistles.

[bush_cheney2004]

Hmmm ... they don't have security set up?

That's a bit surprising.

Why would they need security protection from their 99% brothers and sisters?

All they need is people watching, and whistles.

They were watching, and promptly ripped them off. Welcome to reality.

[maple_leafs182]

Or maybe ... juuust maybe .. this is the kind of thing they are protesting against.

Being robbed blind, ya, I think that is what they are protesting against.

I wish these protesters looked more into monetary policy and central banking, until they do that they will continue to be robbed blind. They know something is wrong but they do not have enough education so they don't know what is wrong...there is no solutions in what they are offering.

I am heading down to occupy Winnipeg tomorrow, I wanna try and better understand why they are there.

[jacee]

Why would they need security protection from their 99% brothers and sisters?

Because some of them do have to steal to live.

[bush_cheney2004]

Because some of them do have to steal to live.

So it's OK for them to steal "to live" but not others? I don't understand.

[Guest Derek L]

So it's OK for them to steal "to live" but not others? I don't understand.

Like Robin Hood don't ya know! And it’s not their fault they’re forced to steal, it’s the evil Prince Johns corporations and 1%ers

It’s also not their fault if they commit rape, expose themselves to children, and pack a loaded mini-14 to a peaceful rally

Edited October 20, 2011 by Derek L

[jacee]

So it's OK for them to steal "to live" but not others? I don't understand.

Not "ok" - catch 'em if you can and secure yourselves from them - but reality.

Street survival is nasty stuff.

I can't quite understand the protesters keeping that much cash around. There must be a credit union somewhere around.

Hope they've learned a lesson!

Edited October 20, 2011 by jacee

[bush_cheney2004]

Not "ok" - catch 'em if you can and secure yourselves from them - but reality.

Street survival is nasty stuff.

Ummmm...no...I think we found the real 1%....and it's at the bottom of the heap.

I can't quite understand the protesters keeping that much cash around. There must be a credit union somewhere around.

Hope they've learned a lesson!

Nobody said they were particularly smart about such things. At least the hippies had Woodstock!

[jacee]

Like Robin Hood don't ya know! And it’s not their fault they’re forced to steal, it’s the evil Prince Johns corporations and 1%ers

It’s also not their fault if they commit rape, expose themselves to children, and pack a loaded mini-14 to a peaceful rally

"not their fault" is stupid and irrelevant @-/

People who live by their wits on the street often steal. That's reality.

My point was that the protesters are naive not to recognize and protect themselves from the reality.

Wtf was your stupid point ?

FYI I don't subscribe to the notion that violent criminals should be treated leniently because of (eg) childhood abuse. A violent criminal is dangerous to the public regardless of why he/she is like that and shouldn't be on the street UNTIL successfully treated for the disorder: IE, there should be treatment options available to the courts, not just incarceration, which tends to exacerbate the problem.

One of the biggest myths that the hard-right-wing perpetrates against lefties is that we think the 'poor abused violent criminals' should be on the street. Not true: We think they should be locked up in treatment facilities. Unfortunately, guilty/not guilty, putting them back on the street/sending them to jail (ie, school for criminals) are the only options the courts have unless the perps are deemed 'insane'.

So go peddle your stupid myths elsewhere.

And MAYBE consider that better social and health services would help a lot in treating violent children before they become violent adults.

In case you weren't aware, it is a well known fact that $1 spent on appropriate intervention for at-risk kids saves $7 in future costs to taxpayers (lawyers, judges, courts, jails, health costs, welfare etc.)

Despite that well known fact, hard-right-wing punitive types like yourself much prefer to spend 7 times the money so they can see people punished rather than see them grow into healthy contributing taxpayers.

Imo, you are the sick ones. In fact, the sociopathy of the greedy hard-right-wing is costing taxpayers a LOT of money so you can have the sick pleasure of seeing adults punished who could have been saved as kids.

And it's also a known fact that rich sociopathic predators frequent 'old boys' clubs where abducted children are sometimes the 'entertainment'. Preying on people to acquire wealth is not their only 'greed'.

I'm not accusing you personally, but most men 'in the loop' are aware of such practices, and the fact that child sex slavery rings require cooperation, collusion and customers throughout the justice/policing/governance/child care and wealth communities.

Canada is a major centre for the abduction and exploitation of children. Children taken into care are not even counted, let alone accounted for: They just 'run away'.

Edited October 20, 2011 by jacee