Wall Street protest in Glens Falls
by Brian Mann on October 5th, 2011
MoveOn.org says it’s members “and other concerned citizens” will hold a protest this morning at 11:30 in front of Rep. Chris Gibson’s office in Glens Falls in solidarity with people rallying near Wall Street.
In a statement, organizer Susan Weber said, “We ask our congressman and our senators to work for what we need right here: Jobs, not Cuts! Cutting local budgets put North Country workers on the street! This is morally and fiscally wrong. We need jobs and benefits to support our families and grow the economy.”
What do you think? Is this a sign of long overdue rage at Wall Street fat-cats? Is it class warfare? Something in between?
What is this? I believe it is a public expression of discontent over the republican approach to an ailing economy and its refusal to accept that many of its policies led to (and continue to exacerbate) the disaster. People understand that. I expect to be at City Hall in lower Manhattan at 4:30 today,under Bill McKibben’s 350.org flag. There is something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear. I’m sure I’ll see a man with a gun over there, but the NYPD failed to quell this over the weekend and I think it can no longer do Bloomberg’s bidding to keep protest out of the way of business. Commissioner Kelly gave it a shot, it didn’t work. So we expect them to stand aside today. And I am cheered to hear that there are people in Glens Falls who are taking some action.
We have traded the ’50s notion that “what’s good for GM is good for the country” for the too big to fail version, ‘what’s good for Wall Street is good for the economy’. The economy is, or should be, a system for the exchange of goods and services to fulfill the needs of society. It has morphed into a system for producing a maximum of wealth for a minority while not necessarily filling the needs of society, in some cases providing no goods or services, instead simply shuffling money around. In this system society becomes the servant of the economy. Yes, it is long overdue rage.
“They only call it ‘class warfare’ when we fight back.”
I’d like the protesters to also protest Pres. Obama, who’s as much in the pocket of corporate America as Republicans (that’s why I’m not participating). But since MoveOn is devoted to Democratic politics, not progressive politics, it won’t happen.
Wall Street was bailed out with OUR tax dollars. People with underwater mortgages and students with huge college loan debt are not being bailed out. We are just showing some discontent with the way things are.
Hi Brian,
I interviewed the protest organizers. They are not affiliated with what’s going on on Wall Street: http://bjmendelson.com/post/11064388175/interview-with-alex-bennet-who-helped-organize
The interview does not play well. Can’t understand a thing.
Who is being interviewed, the guy with the beard or the kid?
I think there is some good points to be made and maybe this will bring them to light. I heard some in NYC being interviewed and was kind of disappointed though, they were going on about animal rights, western colonialism and other worthless topics, I mean come on those things are for the kids and great for dorm room discussions, but if you want to get serious you need to talk about jobs and poverty.
Thank God the class war is back on! I had given it up as lost, but I see we have reinforcement from among the younger generations and the long-time warriors from the labor groups are feeling renewed vigor. To the barricades!
Knuckle: it’s always been under the surface. It was rising up in 1999-2000 (Seattle WTO, etc) but then 9/11 happened and became an excuse to silence discussion of everything else.
I guess Susan Webber thinks someone can just wave their magic wand and create jobs.
Hey, Susan, want to know how to create jobs? Get out there and do some work!
Everyone, please check this link that shows the picture and story of real people, ordinary people within our society, and why they support the Occupy Wall Street protests. If these stories don’t break your heart you don’t have one.
http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/
Here’s just one (random) story pasted from the site (you can go on and see the picture she posted):
TOO YOUNG TO RETIRE.
Lost job. Sold home. Moved in with 87-year-old mother. Worked temp jobs for 5+ years. Cancer survivor. No health insurance. Watching retirement and savings shrink. Moved to Mexico to get needed health care. I rent a room and live on $250 a month. No phone. No car. Mom is in the hospital and I wonder, can I afford to come home?
I am the 99%
Here’s another: “Two years ago today, my little brother killed himself.
He had been out of work for eight months, was unjustly denied unemployment, and had nowhere to live.
He took sleeping pills and alcohol and lit a barbecue in an enclosed basement.
The company that lied about his eligibility for unemployment to increase profitability is doing just fine.
He was the 99%. So am I.
OccupyWallSt.org”
http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/
“My father, 65, still works 40-60 hours a week pouring concrete and driving a cement mixer. His body is failing him, and he’s constantly in excruciating pain. He intends to work at least another 10 years or until his body fails him.
My mother, who also works 40-60 hour weeks, gets paid half as much as the people she supervises. She has 12 years experience in her field.
The economy crash in ‘08 caused my parents to lose 120k$ in investments. When my mother lost her job in ‘09, my parents had to spend ALL of their remaining 401K on keeping the house payment paid and the electricity on. We fall further into debt for all of our medical bills. My stepdads failing body, my mother’s Crohn’s Disease, and my scoliosis.
I work minimum wage and go to school fulltime at a community college because I qualify for so little funding. My parents cannot cosign on any loans for me, nor do i wish them to. If i were to not qualify for my Fin Aid, I would have to drop out. My job barely covers my own expenses (by 10$/mo). I fear my education will be a waste. I cannot work hard labor for fear my fragile spine would give on me. I deal with chronic back pain as is.
We allow the rich to become richer and the poor to lose everything to the wealthy. We cannot stand idle any longer while our neighbors, friends, and loved ones are falling deeper into despair.
We are the 99%.
We will not be silenced.”
Please go to the site and read for yourself.
Thanks Knuck.
Knuck,
These are the folks that Cain said should be blamed, not the big banks or Wall Street… right?
“What is this? I believe it is a public expression of discontent over the republican approach to an ailing economy and its refusal to accept that many of its policies led to (and continue to exacerbate) the disaster. ”
Michael, if you listen carefully to the majority of these protesters it is NOT a protest aimed at the republicans.
Knuck, you gave us the link. You don’t need to paste in all this text. Here we want to see your comments not some other persons.
Brain Mann, what I think is that this post was a flyer for the protest in Glens Falls.
It’s a free blog Paul, you’re not the boss of me.
Oh my …. Rome falls again hahahahahaha
Occupy Wall Street rally in Glens Falls, Saturday at 11:00.
http://poststar.com/news/local/democracy-group-will-hold-solidarity-rally/article_1ba30f9e-f04d-11e0-b271-001cc4c03286.html