Poor guy, I think he should have stayed in Iraq, he would have been safer there than here.

I would love to send this guy some money to help him out with his medical expenses. It's obvious at this point that the police aren't taking responsibility for this. Does anyone have an address where we can send him some assistance?

OH Please ! He deserves whatever he gets.

Get rid of all this nonsense in Wall Street, and all this bull in the GOP next please.

This guy, a vet, with a good paying job, is protesting because he wants there to be a ladder to climb. He is not some pot-head hippie going to the protest for free bong hits. Kinda blows their little day-dream outta the water, huh?

Interview of protester who helped carry vet who was injured by Oakland Police:

http://www.ktvu.com/video/29608106/index.html

The old tea baggers are dying out, these young protesters are the next generation who will run this country. The right wing tea baggers started first tho, now it's the lefty green tea bagger turns, they are young people so ofcourse they will be more violence than the old fashion racist tea baggers. Revolution can't be done without violence. 1776 had already demostrated.

go pull a wing off a fly, you sissy.

Unless anyone of the above dipsticks have ever served your country keep your damn traps shut and never but down a vet.

THE ONLY REASON YOU HAVE ANY FREEDOMS IS BECAUSE OF A VETERAN!

The ones we can thank for the economic situation we are in is Teflon Ron and both parties that APPROVED WAY TOO MANY TAX BREAKS FOR THE VERY WEALTHY, LARGE CORPORATIONS THAT SHIPPED TOO MANY JOBS OVERSEAS, AND THE DEREGULATION OF THE BANKS AND STOCK MARKET that were put in place back in the 1930's to prevent another stock market crash. That is what happens when the trickle down theory of economics is allowed to continue.

andauni LOL you really need reading lesson tho. I guess you don't even understand what you'v read. I said old tea baggers are dying out, (Tea baggers) tea baggers means tea party members and they're most old folks who will be dead or too old to do anything in next decade or two. By then these young green tea baggers will replace all the old racist tea baggers. HAHAHAHAHA laugh last always laugh louder.

I am saddened by what I see here, most of the people posting are acknowledging the young solider that was injured, but some attentions seekers will say anything to be provocative, even if it's just plain ignorant.

Many police in this country are doing their jobs with honor, but some have forgotten their oath of upholding the Constitution. Videos of police brutality are common, and the video of the officer, callously tossing a tear gas/flash bang (whatever) device at the people rendering assistance to the fallen solider should not be forgotten. If the police do not start regulating their own, things are going to get out of hand quick.

Your Stereotyping the Tea Party as old people is what makes your comment stupid and irrelevant.

We encourage protest in other countries and complain about the brutality of the responses of the dictators. In our own country, we have ourselves become the poorest example, when people dissent in a show of free speech and democracy. No wonder America is in decline. We are our own worst enemies. A house divided will surely fall. I pray for America, once the envy of the world.

You have to wonder what and who were behind the Oakland police becoming so militant.

Oakland's a lot of things, but a bastion of Tea Party rednecks is not one of them. But the police certainly have a well-deserved PR nightmare on their hands now. Sad and disgusting, because many cops are veterans, and they all have a lot more in common with Occupy and its supporters than with America's deadbeat "job creators."

What do you think happens when you throw things at police?

The 7-digit salary WallSt FatCats have hired the best thugs money can buy to protect their interest. Put a badge and uniform on these thugs and they become the Oakland police. These mercenaries put Blackwater's contract killers to shame.

Instead of protecting the US Constitution, these thugs protect the WallSt FatCats whose wealth is the product of political corruption and screwing American workers by extracting taxpayer bailouts.

While America's working stiff struggle to make ends meet, the FatCats are luxuriating in mansions, yachts, private jets, and dining on caviar. When the working people protest the inequality, FatCats' private stormtroopers start launching grenades and cracking heads.

The US Constitution is a fraud, a sham. There is no liberty, freedom, and democracy in America. We've been brainwashed with propaganda.

It's like anything else. There's always a bad apple who starts trouble and the rest suffer. I believe the protesters have a right to make their feelings known and only by staying put are they bringing attention to the frustrations and desperation that so many feel in this country. The police should've retreated at this point and later sent in negotiators to try and work something out. Especially since many police officers may also soon be out of work and might want to join the protests in the future. But of course, the powers that be and the puppet-masters are probably getting nervous so they had to call in the men in blue. Today I heard that there are 400 families at the top who have as much wealth as 150 million Americans at the bottom. So much for all men being created equal.

As a child of the sixties, the pot-head hippies that you and I both easily dismissed as radicals were proven correct. The murders at Kent State in Ohio and President Nixon's election in 1968 with a "secret" plan to end the war in Vietnam proved them correct.

His "Peace with Honor" and secret plan involved abandonment of the loyal South Vietnamese fighters to be executed by Ho Chi Minh along with remaining U.S. troops( Many American POW's remain unaccounted to this day They were just kids of everyday Americans). The vision of U.S. evacuation helicopters plunging to Earth as helpless people clung to her rails forever haunts my memory.

What in the world makes you believe that this newest group of protesters are the scum of the Earth? They are not. They are the true patriots fighting to preserve the American way of life. YOU are the cancer that threatens the American dream with your addiction to propaganda poisoned by the right wing just as the German people were poisoned by Adolph Hitler and the Nazis.

Take a good look at yourselves and turn off Fox News originated by a sick and power hungry Australian. Just as the movie "1984" portrayed a nation hostage to propaganda , you have all become enemies of the American people by blindly following the lies of talking heads highly paid by the enemy. Wake up now or take your place on the skids of a floundering helicopter. I will always sympathize with patriots, but I will never regret the loss of lives from blind traitors to the U.S.A. A ship of fools is destined to sink to the depths of the deep sea. Your rapidly decomposing remains will be cursed as cowards instead of being immortalized as patriots.

WHERE IS TONY KIRITSIST WHEN YOU NEED HIM ? I FORGOT HE IS DEAD

Both my respect and gratitude for your service Scott Olsen. In Iraq and Oakland. I wish you a fast and complete recovery. America very much needs men and women like you now.

I don't hate the protestors, I just see them as being misguided and used. It is a known fact that Acorn is behind this class warfare and we also know how corrupt they turned out to be. I think most are also aware that most Americans do not support OWS. The Time poll was biased in how they presented the question. Most polls say 1/3 of all Americans support this whole mess and it seems that mamy are here. I do feel bad that the soldier was injured but when police are having rocks, eggs and other stuff thrown at them, you should expect a response. Go ahead and blast me but if you are honest with yourselves, you will know that I speak the truth. Where all the protestors should be is where they were in the 60's.......in Washington!

LiberalsLies

"What do you think happens when you throw things at police?"

I was waiting for someone to say this. Thank you!

And here is why, Police lie, my prof! The statement over the radio was taking rocks and bottles, then it hits me, I have heard this before, and seen the evidence when the police call in they are taking rocks and bottle, being thrown at them. Now I am going to Give you what I remember, Calf, Police called to a Samoan family house for loud music! So they were warned, so far so good, right? Then they were called about loud music again, so I believe one of the supervisor, started to CALL OVER THE RADIO, THEY WERE TAKING ROCK AND BOTTLES, what they did not know, the lady across the street was filming the police and the Samoan's, and how the Police just beat the hell out of them. During the court, herring should that the Family who were having a party. Did not throw rock and bottles, it was a lie. This family receive a large sum of money! the video never showed any rock and bottles being thrown. It was a lie. And now you are pi$$ing of the vets, Not smart! If anyone runs across this video could please place the sight here!

Something for you Reagan lovers:

“They remind us that where free unions and
collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”

– Ronald Reagan in a Labor Day speech at
Liberty State Park, New Jersey, on September 1, 1980

you tube!

Angle

Really! NO REALLY. !"Acorn"!

I will come back to this page, to read your proof of this allegation.

I know you can, I mean why would anyone not believe this, like me! I can not wait! You show us! Make me eat popo!

“Carbon dioxide is not a harmful gas, it is a harmless gas. Carbon
dioxide is natural. It is not harmful. It is part of Earth’s life cycle.”

– Michele Bachmann on the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives on Earth Day, April 22, 2009 (1:16 into video)

AngelP-Fixed News Zombie!!!

Is there any doubt that if it were a police officer with a fractured skull caused by a protester that said protester would at this moment be in jail being procecuted to the full extent of the law? Our nation's "protectors' are more jack=booted thugs itching for an excuse to "use thier training" mainly because we have let most of the police ignore minor laws for themselves that the rest of us would be paying a ticket for at the least. By letting the police ignore small laws we given them a sense of entitlement went it comes to breaking the law period. A police officer is always given the benefit of the doubt ina court of law and I have a hard time beliveing that some would not abuse that and flat out lie to make a case or to save their own butts.

"And yet, his friends say, he felt so strongly about economic inequality in the United States that he fought for overseas that he slept at a protest camp after work."

So that's why we are over there being killed, so the cave dwellers can have economic equality. Guess we have been lied to again.

AngelP

"It is a known fact that ACORN blah blah blah blah"

Known fact = I have no proof and neither does FOX but if we repeat a lie often enough people will believe it.

I have friends in the Oakland protest, there are no Acorn members there, no rocks and bottles thrown. If there really were, where is the video showing the protesters doing it? I guess people have short memories these days. The Oakland Police have committed some of the more heinous crimes against citizens in this country. Their drug trafficking and abuses to the minority community back in the 60s-70s is a matter of public record. They surely don't want to go back to those days, the light is being shined brightly on them right now, they should confess the truth about their mistakes and horrible conduct, pronto. These protesters are not members of some shoddy group that tried to get a shill for a president elected, they are just patriots exercising their right to peaceful assembly. Too bad so few have actual knowledge of the often ignored constitution we should be upholding. This country has gone to hell in a handbasket, it's about time people spoke up, called out the thieves in the corporations, government, and Wall Street. They have raped and pillaged with impunity for far too long!!!!

AngelP, the police should never have been there. In case you have never read the First Amendment of the Constitution.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The courts have agreed that this applies to all forms of government, from Congress to the city council.

FatCat, "The US Constitution is a fraud, a sham. There is no liberty, freedom, and democracy in America. We've been brainwashed with propaganda"

It is not that the US Constitution is a fraud, it is that our government is full of Domestic Enemies of the USA. They are destroying our nation, our Constitution, our freedom on purpose. All three branches of our current (and previous) administration are corrupt and prosecutable.

Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

All three branches of our government, the Military, all Law Enforcement, all Heads of the States,all federal employees are required to take an oath to support and defend the Constitution and not an individual leader, ruler, office, or entity to get into the Office or Position they want. They must keep that Oath until they leave office or they must be removed from that position as they no longer meet the requirements to be able to stay in it. The President takes an Oath to "Preserve, Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States".

If you read the Oath, if you know what a Domestic Enemy is, then you know that all of this administration qualify as one. The President has NOT preserved, nor has he protected the US Constitution; and he certainly has not defended it. It is time to remove them from position none of them meet the requirements for them to stay in anymore. Prosecute the ones who actively went against our Constitution. Make them all leave the USA and lose their US citizenship forever; the ones who serve a prison term starts that part of the sentence when released.

Congress, Senate, and the Judicial has certainly NOT Supported and Defended it as required. We have a POTUS who does not follow what the Constitution says he can do. We have a corrupt administration who also does not do as required.

Take Operation Gunrunner (Fast and Furious). In 2009 POTUS Obama got the funding for it. His first attempt (H.R.495 Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009) didn't make it out of the committee. The second time he bundled it with H.R.1 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, "$10,000,000 shall be transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses for the ATF Project Gunrunner".

That makes Obama, Holder, and various others Traitors for supplying weapons to Foreign nations, that then were used on American soil against American citizens, some of who died. We know of the recent events, but we do not know how many have died since 2009. (I put spaces in it as they do not let me post his News release in 2009, take it down within minutes of my posting. Take out the spaces.

tube.com/watch?v=-PNhYk9NuNc&feature=player_embedded#

He is a loser, just like the rest of the protesters. In his case, probably bigger loser then most.

A "loser" who is a veteran and has a good job.

Mo, you are the loser and need to be taken out to the woodshed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGRXCgMdz9A&sns=fb

Obama and Hillary are HYPOCRITES! They encourage protests in Libya but US citizens are beaten and arrested! What about OUR universal rights?

Yes it gets dangerous when protests turn violent. Being a Vet doesn't provide you with special protection. I'm sure that this movement is going to have similar and worse instances as time goes on.

These protests are not bringing any solutions to the problems that they are supposedly about. If you want to regulate the pay of CEO's, you need to have the government pass a law that gives stock holders the power to vote on their salary packages. You aren't going to accomplish this by sitting in the park or clashing with the police on the streets. Become a stock holder and vote down the pay raises if you disagree.

Remember - it's a democracy. We vote on things and the majority rules. You have the right to speak your mind and to protest. You do not have the right to violence and intimidation though. The minority does not have the right to force the majority to bow to their opinion.

IR12, you don't understand the 1st amendment. Although this guy may not have been one of them, there were allegedly people in the crowd throwing bottles and other objects. These are the people who are to blame, not the police. I'll suit you up in riot gear and throw you to 100 angry protesters pelting you with dangerous objects and you can just stand there and do nothing. I'm not sure what about the peaceful you think applies to breaking the law and then assualting the officers charged with maintaining peace. It's unfortunate that this man was so seriously injured if he was not involved in throwing objects and/or otherwise rioting. Yes, rioting; like what we saw in England with innocent people getting injured, and sometimes killed, by "peaceful" protestors.

Fedup - I don't think Obama or Clinton had anything to do with the actions of the Oakland police. They are also not taking any actions to prevent people from assembling in peaceful protest in this country either. Focus.

concerned veteran

THE ONLY REASON YOU HAVE ANY FREEDOMS IS BECAUSE OF A VETERAN!

"A system of laws, and not of men." -- John Adams.

Hogwash. US involvement in Vietnam, of which there are veterans, was not about freedom. It was about natural resources, and lying to the people, which included duping those who would become veterans. It is the truth, not the lying, that sets one free.

The Bush criminal enterprise lied the country into illegally invading and occupying the non-threatening nation of Iraq, which was headed by an on-again off-again ally, and which was known to not have WMDs, and which was not behind 9/11. There are veterans of that lie; but they are not veterans of fighting for freedom. It is truth, not the lie, that sets one free.

Being gung-ho duped into going along with the lie was not about freedom; it was about naivete and a misunderstanding of the meaning of "patriotism".

The military does not give anyone freedom; our freedoms are secured in law. All the military does is -- purportedly -- protect whatever the nation is, free or otherwise. The military decidely does not give us -- or anyone -- freedom. The false belief that it does is the carrot by which the military is tricked into unnecessary and illegal wars.

zoroaster, it is you that do not understand. There was no need for the police to be there. As far as the alleged throwing of objects, I was not there and neither were you, so we cannot accept that as fact. However it was the police that showed up riot gear and fired on innocent people. You may somehow be able to justify that in your mind, but it is a clear violation of the Constitution. As Anita points out, President Obama and Hilliary Clinton may not be directing the police action, but they should be speaking out against it, just as they did for the protesters in Egypt, Syria, and Libya. They should be demanding an investigation as to why United States citizens were shot at and beaten. The mayor and police chief of Oakland should be held accountable. Failure to enforce the laws invites anarchy and I do not believe anyone wants this to go that far. The people of Libya began with peaceful demonstrations and they were ignored then repressed by their government. You can see how that worked out.

Knine

FatCat, "The US Constitution is a fraud, a sham. There is no liberty, freedom, and democracy in America. We've been brainwashed with propaganda"

It is not that the US Constitution is a fraud, it is that our government is full of Domestic Enemies of the USA. They are destroying our nation, our Constitution, our freedom on purpose. All three branches of our current (and previous) administration are corrupt and prosecutable.

_____

Let us know when you've actually read the Constitution for the first time, instead of substituting therfore law-illiterate propoganda from the far-right lunatic fringe anti-American faction of paranoids.

In short: you borrow your copy-and-paste from a law-illiterate who hates this country, beginning with the rule of law.

US Con., Art. I., S. 8, C. 15. The Congress shall have Power To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, (and) SUPPRESS INSURRECTIONS.

Wow JNag, that is pretty selective reading... try

"The States as well as Congress may prescribe penalties for failure to obey the President's call of the militia. They also have a concurrent power to aid the National Government by calls under their own authority, and in emergencies may use the militia to put down armed insurrection.1581 The Federal Government may call out the militia in case of civil war; its authority to suppress rebellion is found in the power to suppress insurrection and to carry on war."

As far as I can determine, no National emergency was declared and from what I have read, there was no insurrection or rebellion. If even in your wildest dreams these actions would have to occur after the violation of a valid law. None of the laws trying disperse the protesters are Constitutional.... Why you say... Because... "Congress (Government) shall pass no laws"....

We vote on things and the majority rules. You have the right to speak your mind and to protest. . The minority does not have the right to force the majority to bow to their opinion.

I don't how you can post that. Did you forget the 2000 election? That's the one where the minority voted some one in and forced the majority to bow to there opinion.

We need separation of state and business. It should be crystal clear to any one even if they are blind. The two have conspired together to screw the American people.

ir12, you have a constitutional right to assembly as long as that assembly doesn't jeopardize the general public safety, infringe on the rights of others, and isn't breaking any laws. They were trespassing and told to leave; aka breaking the law. So, I'm not sure how you suppose the police shouldn't have been there. And, no, no one's constitutional rights were violated; except possibly any people in the area who were not a part of the protest.

AlMightyDollar,

The 1st Amendment was set up specifically to protect the minority from the majority, it's heavily slanted in their favor. I don't know about your analysis of the 2000 election, but, I agree on the separation of state and business. I also believe that we need to over-haul our tax system and address the canyon that has formed between the poor and wealthy. I don't agree that attacking individual wealth, or ignoring laws that ensure public safety and protect personal/public property should be ignored to make a point.

Become a stock holder and vote down the pay raises if you disagree.

You're a starry-eyed optomist if you believe that's possible. I'm a small stockholder in a number of corporations, and unless you hold at least a 20% equity, the directors don't even know you exist, let alone care enough to pay any attention to you.

They're too bust feathering their own nests. And they're also close friends with the high-level corporate officers.

I don't know about your analysis of the 2000 election

According to these two web pages Bush did not have the majority of votes. And yes I know about the electoral system. I favor neither party, as I believe both sides have been influenced by big money to the point, there not trust worthy.

http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20124805-503544/most-americans-want-popular-presidential-vote/

But it doesn't just happen on a federal and state level. I'm sure you can see in your local government as well. You can't miss it here.

Just to name a few things my local government has done that the majority did not want.

Build a new stadium, when the one we have works fine. Legalize gambling, but only for one company (for every one else it's still illegal). Buy a perfectly good high rise apartment complex on water front property, and give it to the local power company, after they demolish the building and clear the land, so our poor power company can build a multimillion dollar office building. Incidental we have the highest rates in my state.

I love how people collapse arguments they disagree with. Grow up, people.

I don't hate the protestors, I just see them as being misguided and used. It is a known fact that Acorn is behind this class warfare and we also know how corrupt they turned out to be. This was not originally reported by Fox but by the NY Post and other places. I think most are also aware that most Americans do not support OWS. The Time poll was biased in how they presented the question. Most polls say 1/3 of all Americans support this whole mess and it seems that mamy are here. I do feel bad that the soldier was injured but when police are having rocks, eggs and other stuff thrown at them, you should expect a response. Go ahead and blast me but if you are honest with yourselves, you will know that I speak the truth. Where all the protestors should be is where they were in the 60's.......in Washington!

Sorry zoroster, I did not see where they were trespassing. If it were on public property, they cannot call it trespassing. They have as much right to be there as anyone else. I believe your confusion comes from the belief that Oakland could deny them the right to assemble. As soon as Oakland tried, they violated the Constitution. I might agree the government can set curfew laws. The problem is once a group assembles to address the government, regardless whether you like the message or not, any law prohibiting that assembly is invalidated. As far as anyone else in the area, they had the right to be there or leave. You really need to watch the link in 1.37. The Justice Department needs to look into the actions taken against the protesters in Oakland.

You have not provided any proof that the protesters

" jeopardize the general public safety, infringe on the rights of others, and isn't breaking any laws"

ir12 is right, the protesters are all co-owners of the property they were supposedly "trespassing" on, being that it is a public area. I see a lot of you here "creatively interpreting" the constitution. Just remember, that document was written to mandate a rule "of the people", not to support career politicians and city officials in their "cleaning up the streets" terror campaigns. These amendments were written to keep this exact same thing, silencing the people's voice when change is called for, from happening.

I still can't help but wonder if protesters should be armed. It is becoming apparent that their very lives may depend on it.

The NYC police union is threatening to sue all protesters if an officer gets hurt because of Oakland even though his own officers are on tape beating people who are not resisting.

I fear the police are going to kill some people to deter others from protesting.

Our police and politicians are frightened right now at the growth of OWS because it points the finger at them.

Deaths by police have been proven to completely shut down protests in the past. It is a proven tactic.

Police have also been proven to install their own trouble makers to instigate a riot once all officers are on the scene and ready.

Occupiers offer a peaceful presence. They wish to harm no one. They are speaking out compassionately about economic injustice, unemployment and other issues, for the common good. Why should they be armed? Easy to find video evidence across the web on where the violence is coming from.

It is not easy to find video evidence when you are one of thousands in a crowd and a gun is pointed at your head.

Everyone should be armed with their own camera at the very least.

I fear this will be a matter of life and death for some regardless of their peaceful presence.

Not armed, but maybe a shield for protection, gas mask, and thermal gloves to return police property to them.

Yes, arm yourself with a camera. Aren't they in all phones now?

I believe Eisenhower recommended that we get pictures to help protect ourselves from the military industrial complex's deeds, back in 1960!

in an emergency i would never be able to open my phone, set it up to start filming and take a good video.

I wish those body cams police wear were cheaper. I would buy as many as i could and hand them out to all the protesters.

Absolutely no protester should be armed. This is against all that Ghandi and MLK would promote and would destroy the credibility of the occupiers. Anyone who suggests such is stupid.

So... Now you go from a peaceful protest to an armed rebellion. By arming peaceful protesters you escalate the situation to do more harm then good. Think of Rosa Parks and what she did simple by being passive, but not aggressive. She changed history for Black Americans everywhere. The best way to show the injustice is to let the officials make all the mistakes and not provoke aggression, but when aggression happens, point it out to the world.

Do not worry about protesters being armed. They don't know how to use a gun any more than they can use their brains.

Andy Blue. How many of those cameras have you bought so far?
Thought so.

Andy Blue, careful what you wish for as those body cams can work both ways, maybe even show who started the violence first with bottles and rocks and refusing to disperse while taunting police.

The problem large crowds of protesters is they tend to get somewhat overconfident and defiant when they know they out number the police. All it takes is a few knuckle heads to start throwing rocks and bottles then the problems begin.

It could even be that a rock hit the injured vet, nothing has been conclusively proven yet. That body cam might even show a protester "accidentally" injuring someone else to create a "wounded hero" to gain more support and hatred for police.

Where does the NRA and gun carrying teabaggers stand on that question ?

Just curious.

AndyBlue, "I still can't help but wonder if protesters should be armed. It is becoming apparent that their very lives may depend on it.

The NYC police union is threatening to sue all protesters if an officer gets hurt because of Oakland even though his own officers are on tape beating people who are not resisting.

I fear the police are going to kill some people to deter others from protesting"

The police take an Oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

That Oath requires them to support and defend the US Constitution before "faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter".

Not keeping that Oath makes them Domestic Enemies of the USA, and able to be prosecuted.

The problem is they, like most Americans, do not realize this. Which is what our government wants, they want us to believe they can do anything and the only thing we can do is wait for elections. That is untrue. When one of our representatives do not keep that Oath, they immediately no longer meet the Constitutional requirements to be able to stay in that position. It doesn't matter if it is the POTUS, VPOTUS, senate, congress, or judicial. They can be replaced immediately as the no longer meet the Constitutional requirements to be able to stay in that position anymore because it makes them a Domestic Enemy of the USA.

Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

All Military, all Law Enforcement take that Oath also. They need to decide if having a bit rougher time arresting people (because of the Constitutional Rights guaranteed them) are worth losing our nation, our freedoms, our Constitution. Are they going to be honorable and keep their Oath, or assist those in dismantling our Country?

We already know how those in our government chose. It was not America.

I am all for standing up for your rights and refusing to disperse if you have a just cause. Arming the protesters is a bad idea though. All that can lead to is bloodshed. Stand up for your rights, but be prepared to be arrested for your rights as well. Then you get released and back to standing up for your rights. These tactics are time proved to work when the cause is just. I myself feel the rich are getting too rich while the rest of us are getting poorer. Now GOP wants to take away our medicare, Medicaid, social security, and give it all to the rich. I am sorry, but that's not the USA I have come to know. I don't want the rich to give everything to the poor, but I do want them to pay their fare share. Social security for instance, they only have to pay on the first $150,000, but can draw on their full income upon retirement. These are people who do not even need social security. The rest of us have to pay on our full income. Rich have loopholes to get out of paying taxes where the middle income or poor have to pay. Bottom line its these kinds of injustice that spur the masses to protest in the way they have been, because Washington won't listen to us any other way. Our senators are not doing what we the people tell them to do, they are doing what the big businesses tell them to do.

AndyBlue-674311

I still can't help but wonder if protesters should be armed. It is becoming apparent that their very lives may depend on it.

_____

That comment is both stupid and irresponsible. One doesn't oppose and prevent violence by looking for it.

And your pop-gun would be radically outtsized by gov't weaponry. And note that the First Amendment limits freedom of assembly to PEACABLE. Congress has the authority to prohibit VIOLENT assembly.

Moreover, the police are of the 99 per cent. The responsible, mature approach is to persuade them to join, not to instead be made hostile.

Do not worry about protesters being armed. They don't know how to use a gun any more than they can use their brains.

Well Bob-434277 Scott Olsen was in Iraq with a gun fighting for your worthless butt because you think you're too privileged. Not only does he know how to use a gun better then a mindless POS like you but he also knows how to use his brains better then you too.

You want to diss Scott Olsen? Quit expecting your country to do for you - do something for your country instead of your worthless existence. And do the entire world a favor - don't breed - you are already polluting the global gene pool!

There are plenty of armed protesters, the one in PA is filled with them!

They are openly carrying and handing out pamphlets on open carry to the protesters.

You nutty NEO-CONS all want to belive that its a bunch of liberal nut jobs out there but the true Republicans are out there in that crowd as well! You know trying to flush the NEO-CONS that ruined the republican party out into the same toilet bucket with the progressive morons..

Quite a few Ron-Paul stickers in that crowd and I might add a few people walking around with the sickle and hammer emblem everywhere..

So armed protesters are in fact present in the PA area.. Guess what? No one's been killed and the protesters aren't trying to grab the guys guns and murder each other with it..

The irony is that crooked cops are cops in need of money, kind of like millions of Americans who are strapped for cash, jobless, scared, angry... the 99%.

They were bullies when they were in school. Now they have become liscenced bullies.

It is disgusting what police have been getting away with across the country.

Every single state is having a problem with corrupt police, police unions, judges, and politician­s.

Yet they are still able to carry a badge, wear a robe or decide how to profit off locking up 1 out of every 100 Americans.

Land of the free my ass.

Land of Corruption is more like it.

Andy,

Correction on your statements.

It's 2 out of every 100 Americans. You're off by half.

The police were doing their job, it your too dumb stand around and throw stuff and yell at them I don't feel sorry if you. And a guy gets his head busted and the whole community goes nuts on police officers, which work hard every day to keep america safe. You guys think the police here in america are rough, you should have been in Libya when they where firing AA-guns at protestors. You guys are just pathetic.

Poor Bill... sorry our comments upset you so that you resort to calling others pathetic.

Maybe this adult news blog is too much for you.

I don't know.

What about these 5 cops busted selling machine

guns with grinded down serial numbers, very seriuos stuff.and why are the selling machine guns to the cartels??????????????

This isn't Libya - yet. And we have the right to assemble - for now.

Oakland has a reputation that is less than stellar when it comes it their police force.

Hey Bill,

Did you see the video where people rushed to aid the vet lying/bleeding on the ground and some well intentioned police officer tosses a smoke canister right in the middle of those people? Was the police officer doing his job or was he intntionally wanting to hurt people. So, aside from you being a big time A-hole, what is your explanation for that police action? So, you want ignorance and stupidity!? you can find it everyday by looking in the mirror.

What do you expect from a fascist pig?

@ Ed perhaps Holder told them to. Who knows?

Bill, ".. You guys think the police here in america are rough, you should have been in Libya when they where firing AA-guns at protestors. You guys are just pathetic."

All Law Enforcement in this country are required to take this Oath, along with the State Oath, etc:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Notice that they are required to support and defend the US Constitution even before "discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter". That is a requirement for them to be able to become a Police Officer, FBI, CIA, SS, TSA, Homeland, etc. If they do NOT keep that Oath, then they become Domestic Enemies (as does all three branches of our government, heads of states, military, all federal employees), and can be prosecuted.

For those who do not know or forgot: Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Either they are for our nation, or they are helping to dismantle it. The choices are there for them to take. "Pathetic" to me, are people like you who take abuse and think our nation is more like a dictatorship then what it is, understandable since a lot of "our" representatives have misused their position. The preamble says a lot about what OUR Constitution is really about.

The Preamble sets forth the goals or purposes of the Constitution with its opening and closing words, “We the people of the United States … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”, describing a government ordained and established by the consent of the people.

America is founded on a constitutional republic where elected representatives swear to uphold the Constitution as they serve at the will and by the consent of the people

Bill-1920505

The police were doing their job, it your too dumb stand around and throw stuff and yell at them I don't feel sorry if you. And a guy gets his head busted and the whole community goes nuts on police officers, which work hard every day to keep america safe. You guys think the police here in america are rough, you should have been in Libya when they where firing AA-guns at protestors. You guys are just pathetic.

Advocating police brutality while calling other people pathetic - WTF?

I would like to see the video of protestors throwing bottles and rocks, some how I doubt it, all you taking that as the defacto truth must surely have some evidence, lets see it, put up or shut up.

Bob- You are saying our President is a fascist pig? Turn off the faux noise, it is rotting what's left of your brain... Watch the video people, this was started by the police....

We have the absolute right to protest anywhere as an assembly. If they all want to move out into the street and are of such size then guess what, they can shut down the road. Yeah I know you want them to get a permit, where in the constitution does it say you need a permit to protest?

We need to flush these nutty authoritarians out of our party (democrat or republican) they have completely ruined our freedoms in this country.

And yes Obama is a fashist pig.

He supported the patriot act, to search you without having to get a real warrant, he still has lots of prisoners sitting around without a trial, some for over a decade! Yeah that's fashism!

Prisoners?? You mean the ones who helped fly those planes into the Trade Center? Prisoner or war you idiot.

The same people who were protesting against the military are now using one as a poster child. You really think nothing was thrown at those events?

bravo good sir

OK

Because we all know, that police would NEVER ever try to be confrontational.

Please.

Many police officers are going to have to chose whether the are with the people are tools for the pigs that are destroying our country.

"express their views"

Maybe write their Congressmen or a hunger strike? That might work.

Go for the hunger strike.

Frank Morton-2536216

I was thinking that myself. During the uprising in Egypt a senior military officer joined the protesters, and he said, "I swore an oath to protect and serve Egypt, not any one man."

I wonder if the police/national guard/military in the U.S. will have the same honor, conviction, and courage when the time truly arrives for them to make a decision.

This man is the definition of an American. He is the type of man I want my children to be (except for the whole being injured at the expense of the Oakland police force). I cannot think of any higher praise than that

Peter, consider the possibility that the police overreacted just a teensy bit.

Let me start throwing things at you and see how you "react"

I've watched dozens of videos of this event and not one of them show anybody throwing anything, except of course that pussie cop that tossed the flash bang at the semi-conscious Marine who's head he'd just fractured. If you people don't get that it is insanely wrong to toss a flash-bang grenade at a guy lying on the ground with a fractured skull and brain injuries, as well as the people that are desperately trying to help him, there are no words to adequately describe your stupidity and callousness.

Protect and Serve, what a load of bull@!$%#!

The Iraq operation is being shut down. A lot of soldiers will be returning - trained military people. Their treatment had better be better than what happened in this article. I don't think they were over there just to kill time, and when back, I do think they'll be expecting jobs and financial support.

Jim: I've been reading threads about the occupy demonstrations for a long time and the only people that bring up the scary boogie-man of "communism" or socialism are people like you who are clueless.

None of the "occupiers" are at all interested in communism or socialism and have never mentioned either as one of their goals.

The Constitution doesn't just protect your and your friends rights to carry loaded pistols, it also protects free speech, the right to assemble and the right to "petition the government for redress of grievances." Those are precisely what the "occupiers" are doing and whether or not you like it is irrelevant.

Turn off Fox, Rush, Beck, et. al. and stop regurgitating their hysterical talking points. At least try to do some critical thinking of your own. Honest to god, you people are pitiful. What are you all so afraid of? Oh, I forgot, communism and socialism. Get real.

I believe the Police moved in Tuesday early am and destroyed the camp and took the tents and other possessions of the protesters; that seems somewhat confrontational to me. Also, some people, if they are not planted trouble makers, come late to the protests and have not been schooled in nonviolent protest techniques as most of the group have agreed to in advance and have been. It is beholden upon the police to perhaps arrest those who are the ones throwing things, but not turn their full force upon the whole group. Police that are trained and trying to "protect and defend" will realize that some individuals in a protest may not be valid members of the group.

For those asking there is an organization taking donations online for the family of the injured vet to pay their travel and hotel bills while they are here for his recovery. I will post the link later if I can recover it. In the meanwhile you might be able to find it by doing a search.

For anyone interested in joining the protest that has not had training in nonviolent protest there is online training --again make a search for it and
train yourself.

I believe the Police moved in Tuesday early am and destroyed the camp and took the tents and other possessions of the protesters; that seems somewhat confrontational to me. Also, some people, if they are not planted trouble makers, come late to the protests and have not been schooled in nonviolent protest techniques as most of the group have agreed to in advance and have been. It is beholden upon the police to perhaps arrest those who are the ones throwing things, but not turn their full force upon the whole group. Police that are trained and trying to "protect and defend" will realize that some individuals in a protest may not be valid members of the group.

For those asking there is an organization taking donations online for the family of the injured vet to pay their travel and hotel bills while they are here for his recovery. I will post the link later if I can recover it. In the meanwhile you might be able to find it by doing a search.

For anyone interested in joining the protest that has not had training in nonviolent protest there is online training --again make a search for it and
train yourself.

hey hoodie,

read my paragraph again, then try to connect the dots. Maybe the people in California should be protesting against the state, local, and federal governments which are taking HALF of their paychecks, not the people who are hiring them.

...just saying, if you are going to point the finger, figure out where you are pointing it at, and really pin the tail on the donkey, no pun intended....or is there.

Occupy is about:

Campaign finance reform so that corporations could not buy OUR politicians;

Repeal of the Citizens United rule that designates corporations as 'people';

End to wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and no further involvement in foreign countries until the needs of Americans have been addressed;

Stop spending American taxpayer money on foreign countries, and instead use that money to help America to repair our failing infrastructure, build schools so our children can get a decent education, take care of our seniors who have to choose between food and medicine;

Bring down the cost of health care so that more Americans can afford it;

Close tax loopholes for all, from the top to the bottom;

Make college education more affordable so that more middle class Americans have a chance to improve themselves.

They are all good points. So Jim, and others who believe the propaganda put out that they want "something for nothing". It is all lies to get you to not support this movement. It is a well known tactic called "Divide and Conquer"

Thank you. Republicans and Tea Partiers are welcome there. I would encourage everyone to visit on Occupy location if there's one near you.

Many of us who visit occupy Oakland and SF work, or are retired, pay taxes and suffer greatly due to policies and practices that perpetuate economic injustices. I have talked to many camped out and recognize the sacrifices of those there full time.

F'ing idiots out there...

It isn't Wall street who make the laws...I certainly cannot blame them for taking advantage of loopholes provided by our elected elite. Seems to me these people should try Washington...

Just wait and see...looting and vandalism will come next...oops, it already has! Yep, tea partiers are a rotten bunch...at least they know where to dispose of used tampons and where to take a crap. The wall streeters are a bunch of losers who want nothing more but a socialist society where they do nothing but receive government welfare.

Try and compare these bums to the tea party...no comparison...at least tea partiers have a damn job and know where to take a flippin' dump!

If you can afford to be retired, you can't be hurting that bad.

What a empty and cynically ignorant statement. You trolling or something?

anduandi-rather than being judgmental, remember we have a right to express ourselves. In fact, the writer didn't state he/she was retired so why would you even assume what their economic situation really is?

Reality has always blown the Republican's statements out of the water Scott. Why would this be any different?

The fact is now that it's a vet, like so many protesting are, that was unfairly injured, they can't hide behind thinly veiled racism or contempt at people who actually open a book once in awhile and aren't monosyllabic.

Ah, Cakenomore, the epitome of the Dunning-Kruger effect I see.

Nothing like posting on a news article about a vet with a good job who was attacked and injured and proclaiming these same people want nothing more than handouts.

You're right about one thing though, I think critical thinking and logic classes should be free for everyone. In fact, mandatory. You, obviously, would be first in line.

Hmmm... that brings up a good question.

Does anyone have an online, posted video of any Republican Tea Party elected politician, attending and speaking out in support of the WSO99%, onsite, at any one of these 'Occupy' events?

I've seen a handful of Democrat-Party congressmen and Democrat congresswomen as guest speakers at these events, giving some rousing speeches to an applauding and most supportive crowd of protesters, And I've even seen Independent Party congressman Bernie Sanders of Vermont out there. But for myself and my fellow telecom engineers in California, we've yet to see one from the other side of the congressional aisle actively go out, onsite, in verbal, media-covered support of these Occupiers.

We do see Fox News commentators, mocking the Occupiers and their protests though, with these "trailer trash" commercial skits. We do see multi-million-dollar-paid Rush Limbaugh, criticizing the protest movement on-the-air, with his widely-broadcasted talking points.

@anduandi

Is there a requirement that someone be personally "hurting" before taking steps they feel necessary to ensure the continued well being of those not among the wealthy elite?

What a complete waste of time! I thought this 24 yr old guy was supposed to be "hurting" for a job. I can't believe this guy would appear to be protesting against the rich all the while he has a good paying networking job and an apartment. Talk about being FAKE. It was my understanding that people who are protesting have fallen through the cracks and can't find work. I wonder what rich person gave him his job?

This just proves to you that not everyone protesting is really as bad off as people think! Their numbers are skewed.

I posted this earlier, and I'll say it again. This man is the type of man I want my children to be. I cannot think of a higher praise than that

Unhappy, there's this thing called a sense of duty to a greater good. That is what prompts people to sign up for military service.

In this case, a veteran -- who had returned home, gotten a job, and coulda been safe in his house, bitchin' about Commies, watchin' Fox, eatin' chips, drinkin' beer -- well, that veteran felt identified with and felt a sense of duty toward the majority of Americans who have not been well-served by a massively corrupt financial-political system.

No wonder you're so unhappy. Your side is not looking too good right about now, and by the way, the rich folk are not your pals.

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

.... Woody

I never thought they were all unemployed. From the looks of the camping gear, I figured it was people doing something productive with vacation time, and days off, and, like this gentleman, after work.

Melissa: This guy is trying to revert back to the 60's. First of all, his principles are off. He isn't one of the destitute. Second, he obviously wanted to start trouble with the police otherwise he would have stayed home. Like I said before, he would have done better to volunteer at a soup kitchen or give money to the poor; however according to his standards, that may not have been as "fun".

Keep in mind it WAS a rich person who gave him his job. Nobody can be in networking AND live in the SF Bay area without a big salary. I doubt a small business would have had the means.

As for the my side not looking too good, all I have to say is that at least we don't have to lie in order to get heard.

audiandi is a total fool.

Worse - like Unhappy, he's a troll.

Unhappy -..."Keep in mind it WAS a rich person who gave him his job."... Keep in mind that, while "corporations are people too" - he likely works for a corporation - that any business did not grow as an island.

Once the sole proprietor reaches a point that he/she wishes to grow the business - their good employees help that process. Now, maybe the employee is "stuck" in the job with various issues, but in good times the unhappy employee would vote with their feet and leave. In any case, the vet in question felt he should stand up for what he believes in - and joined a number of people, nationwide, who are doing just that. I find it admirable.

So before you go all warm and fuzzy into protection mode - especially if for multinational corporate management - pencil pushers - ask yourself "why" you are so brainwashed. Sure, corps have created literally thousands of new job in the last couple of years.... just not in America.

Steve-2534810

Hmmm... a vet, with a good paying job, who was protesting because they're truly concerned about our nation.... kind of blows the GOP stereotype of "unemployed hippies looking for a handout"... doesn't it?

Is there EVER any truth or validity to what republicans say!?! Its a VERY seldom occurrence when it happens, and the reason NO ONE takes them seriously!!!

@ Steve-2534810

You took the words right outta my mouth. Network engineer is a very good-paying job. Occupiers are NOT deadbeats. People need to come off that crap! Regular people ought to support other regular people against the REAL parasites...the speculators!

Is there EVER any truth or validity to what republicans say!?! Its a VERY seldom occurrence when it happens, and the reason NO ONE takes them seriously!!!

Steve: Which is why we don't take this Occupy movement seriously. You democrats are misrepresenting yourselves. You are claiming to be poor, but have jobs provided to you in America. I'm sorry if you can't see you own hypocrisy. I'm sure there are other ways to peacefully protest without turning into a mob.

So before you go all warm and fuzzy into protection mode - especially if for multinational corporate management - pencil pushers - ask yourself "why" you are so brainwashed. Sure, corps have created literally thousands of new job in the last couple of years.... just not in America.

Cassandra: Why are you so brainwashed? Why do you think you need a multinational corporation to provide you with a job? That is where you and I differ. If I didn't find work at a corporation, I would most likely go into business for myself. I don't need corporations to provide for me. You do have one thing right though. I agree that we should cut all the loopholes for corporations taking our jobs oversees and then coming here and paying no taxes on it. If they make it oversees then they should be paying an import tax.

Unhappy-1583758

Steve: Which is why we don't take this Occupy movement seriously. You democrats are misrepresenting yourselves. You are claiming to be poor, but have jobs provided to you in America. I'm sorry if you can't see you own hypocrisy. I'm sure there are other ways to peacefully protest without turning into a mob.

Is there EVER any truth or validity to what republicans say!?! Its a VERY seldom occurrence when it happens, and the reason NO ONE takes them seriously!!!

Thank you for promptly proving my point! LMFAO!

blip*

SidneyHop:You're rambling. Nobody knows what you are saying.

I'll remember how you told me that no one on the democratic party "lies" the next time Obama's "truths" don't come true.

So, this guy was injured by police and this somehow makes him a hero?

He was injured by a tear gas canister fired by the police at his head. He is a hero because he served in Iraq and he stands up against social and economic inequality

I see a lot of inhumane comments, which is just sad to me. Why can't people just have some love for one another, some respect, and understand we are all entitled to express ourselves, though that doesn't mean everyone is entitled to bash each other. Name calling should have ended around the 5th grade. Grow up people. For those of you who can express yourselves without acting like a "stupid head", i applaud you, even if I don't agree with you.

serment du jeu de paume (1789)

Here is a video showing he was indeed peacefully protesting and was a victim of police creating violence.

http://vimeo.com/31187119

Nibien...

Go sleep in a tent...

No, they are not against the police but the police are against them.

The police are the lap dogs of the rich, the defenders of the status quo, and part of the problem.

Capone thought of them as enforcers...just playing for the other team.

The police are doing their jobs, sheesh!

As were Capone's men.

It's obvious that all police officers are not corrupt and are just doing their jobs. But reality dictates that the police officers in Oakland and California for that matter, have been painted as being corrupt for many years. I am sure there are police officers in all communities that are corrupt and bought. To think they aren't is just naive.

In my opinion, the crackdown on OWS is only going to get worse. How long do you think the rich corrupt pigs are going to sit idly by while people openly protest against them? It's most likely going to end up like what's happening in Syria and what happened in Egypt and Libya. This country really isn't any different. The only difference is the corrupt people hide behind the guise of the constitution. Telling people what they want to hear or think they want to hear while stabbing them in the back. All of the current political parties are corrupt. The whole system is corrupt. None of them are abiding by the concepts of the constitution. They are bought tools. Nothing more, nothing less.

Amen

Didn't I see police and first responders "occupying" the capital in Wisconsin... protesting what? I believe it was economic injustice! Funny, how it is an injustice when it affects them and their unions!

Hard to teach a "PIG" a new trick!

To NC-BOZO I was at that demonstration, it was very peaceful, people were expressing in what they believe in, making Wall Street, Banks accountable, Corporate greed. These demonstrations are not just about the Unions, its what the GOP & Teaparty are doing or should I say not doing for this country. People need jobs, and yes people at those demonstrations have jobs, and we are just supporting them, what are you doing to support them?? People are fed up and we are expressing our first amendment right, open your eyes and see what is really going on in this country or you can remain a BOZO!

Wumba - Although I hate to point out grammar or spelling goofs (it always ups the odds that I'll make a big fat goof...usually in the same post as my critique of the offending poster), I got the giggles over your use of the term 'numb skulls'. Of course numb skills would work as well, especially considering that the 'skill' comment was part of the friggin' headline.

formerstew: Thanks for your observations. I should have thought harder and longer and worked your suggested phrase "numb skills" into it and it would have worked beautifully vis a vis MSNBC. For my part I have no compunction in pointing the media's penchant for bad spelling or bad grammer (I'm kidding about grammar!!). It is the duty of editors and/or proofreaders to get it right if the public is to be accurately informed. It is much the same for some of the Legend In Their Own Mind TV anchors, but that's another post.....

You know now that you mention it I have noticed some very strangely titled stories on the subject of OWS.

Sorry if I don't fully trust any news organization anymore. They all admit to "dropping the ball" when it came to reporting the truth while sensationalizing war.

They are all large corporations themselves. I wonder what tax breaks they are taking advantage of while the majority are suffering to just get by.

Falsely reporting or jaded articles will only drive more people to ask that question.

The corporate controled media tried to ignore the protest. It's so obvious that they are propagand rags wiyh no charecter. There as been no evidence that police violence has been justified. They are doing great harm to their reputaions and that is bad for all.

What does law mean when the lawmakers are owned. Bribery is a way of life in America and we have allowed it far too long.

Simple, breaking the law is breaking the law. If you don't like what the laws of the city are, there is a process for changing them

Do you understand the concept of civil disobedience? Part of what is being protested is the hi-jacking of the law-making process by corporate and elite interests.

And who's laws exactly are these laws anyway but the people's. When polls indicate that a majority of Americans support the Occupy movement, then laws restricting the constitutionally protected right to redress are what is in error, not the peaceful protest. Using excuses like city ordinances about camping or staying in in city parks overnight as a rationale for breaking up the protests is ridiculous.

Hey Liberal Lies, tell us about when the Tea Bag thugs dumped the health insurance protestor with Parkinson's out of his wheelchair. That was a really cool Patriotic Christian moment.

Or spit on black senators as they were headed into work?

the ellipses tells all

There is no 'reputation' to protect when it comes to the corporate owned propaganda networks.

There ONE and ONLY goal is to spread misinformation and lies manufactured by their corporate owners. THATS IT! Control the minds of the masses , lead the sheep to slaughter, mission accomplished!

Culheath, "When polls indicate that a majority of Americans support the Occupy movement, then laws restricting the constitutionally protected right to redress are what is in error, not the peaceful protest. Using excuses like city ordinances about camping or staying in in city parks overnight as a rationale for breaking up the protests is ridiculous."

Plus it is also against the US Constitution, not surprisingly. With most of our government being Domestic Enemies of the USA what else should we expect.

Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Of course those "serving" within our government no longer meet the requirements for them to be able to keep the position or office they are currently still in. They Constitutionally and legally can be replaced by us any day since they did not keep the Oath to (President - Preserve, Protect and Defend the US Constitution) "... support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" as they are required to.

We do NOT have to wait for elections. Our Constitution requires things (Oath) for them to be able to get into those offices and positions. It also requires them to keep doing those things (Oath) for them to be able to stay in that position or office.

How about when they stomped on that girl's head for having a liberal sign?

If these events never happened why are they on YouTube?

anduandi,

first good thing you posted...please stay in that state.

Your right juno. I have been bought, But its by the Americans citizens I took an oath to protect. Both as an Officer and as a Soldier. I follow the Constitution and the LAW of the County I represent (Deputy Sherrif).

Jesus, "Gulfwar," you got ANOTHER account banned?

Well said jun06. The big money machines have pushed the little guy into the corner as far as they can and when they can't push them any further they will have no alternative but to come out fighting. And when that occurs it isn't going to be pretty. The rich will then get everything they have coming to them. Everybody should look up plutocracy in their dictionary. Government by the wealthy which is exactly what we have. Anybody who thinks we are living in a democracy ought to have their head examined. Maybe at one time but no more. So long democracy. It was nice knowing you.

Sorry Gulfwar but that no longer means anything when our politicians, judges and police are all now proven to support our corrupt Justice for Profit system here in America.

No police officer can with truth say they do not know of corruption and violation of civil rights either committing by himself or a fellow officer.

No officer can say that he or a fellow officer never lied on a report.

Police are more likely to be alcoholics percentage wise than citizens.

Police are more likely to beat their wives and children too.

Police are more likely to be bullies to strangers than your average civilian.

Percentage wise police are far more likely to commit crimes than citizens.

No one believes these phony claims of "protecting the citizens and law crap police are trained to repeat over and over.

Can we post the video link from George Carlin on here???

As said before, these so-called protectors of society were the bullies in your school, now they have become the liscenced bullies in every city. Shame on Oakland and shame on the disgraced police of NY.

HE had it absolutely right, and the sad part we were so busy being entertained thinking it was a story, he was giving a political spiel the whole time, of things he saw coming, and nobody was listening.

We're all cattle at the trough waiting for the next feeding, and when it's time we will all be led up that shoot after fattening headed for slaughter.

Our political leaders don't listen to us, absolute fact, and corporation are the only ones with their CEO's at the top making the money, and all of us bottom feeders at slaves to whatever whim they task us to, including the street if they deem us un-needed.

I think revolution , not to the extreme of Communism, but to correct a system that is terribly flawed, and violence may be the only to get that point across if all other means fail.

Blood on the streets may be necessary to tell the supposed leaders of this country that the masses are tired of their sh*t, of business as usual, and political correctness needs to go, and lobbyists should be shown the door.

Bob Dylan will probably come out with a new " The times are a chagin " tune that will fit the 21st century.

Whatever the case things do need to change, or we might as well pack the flag up and move to Alaska.

Yeah I would say George Carlin had it right, too bad he went to early, think of the sh*t he would have to say on stage now.

TOM-778191

Can we post the video link from George Carlin on here???

yeah, to be safe just strip off the http: slash slash part.

Mr. Carlin was right on aout a lot of things but none more so that that expressed above. We are owned, and we make it far worse when we remain stupid and owned. When you have seen, as I have, men in the judicial system place men into jail without a hearing (not even offering some rubber stamp proceedure but in pure disregard of all the principles we know as Americans) then you will begin to know the depths we have fallen as a nation of "free" citizens. You are owned and the first step toward freedom is to know that.

Police have said they responded with tear gas and bean bag rounds only when protesters began throwing bottles and other items at them.

While I am sure there there was provocation I am also sure that this provocation was no unintended consequence of the City of Oakland. This police reaction was very forseeable given the scope of the enforcers mission and nobody was surprised except for perhaps a few naive children. This police violence was planned for and expected. Hell, this is California. they know their police get out of hand so they bank on it.

juno6

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. Just one word of caution about over-generalizing. There are many heads of companies that do not fit the stereotypical "owners" you describe. Repeat, many do, but many do not. The less you generalize, the more powerful your message. Just my two-bits.

Gulfwar, we appreciate that. "But its by the Americans citizens I took an oath to protect."

But actually you took an Oath:"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

It requires that you protect the US Constitution before anything else. Yet no one has been arresting and removing the Domestic Enemies within our government.

Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

They all qualify because even though not all of them actively went against the US Constitution, they also did not "support and defend" it as required if they want to stay in office.

I recommend we arrest and prosecute those who actively went against it, broke their Oath.

We remove those who passively allowed this to go on without trying to stop it and not allow them to "serve" here again, nor (all of them, active and passive) keep their citizenship or stay here in this nation.

We can prosecute after we replace the Supreme Justices. Hold them until we do.

Thank you for reminding me of Mr. Carlin's words. If one sits and actually listens to the words he spoke, one would find a keen understanding of the world and our 'place' in it. The saying 'Truer words..' has never been better applied than now.

I can think of several other people who had words of wisdom: Bill Cosby, Gallagher (yes, the comedian of "The Sledge-O-Matic"), Robin Williams, and Paul Harvey. I'd like to point something out.... These are 'older' people, yes? How do you think they got to be so smart? Answer: THEY LIVED TO WATCH IT HAPPEN! They watched the world stage change, they watched the power shift, they were teenagers or young adults when all this first came to the American publics' attention! So why aren't we listening? WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHO'S VERY COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE IDEALS OF FREEDOM AND EQUALITY, WERE RAISED TO RESPECT GOD AND COUNTRY, ARE TURNING A DELIBRATELY BLIND EYE TO WHAT IS HAPPENING!! Why?? We get NOTHING back and LOOSE EVERYTHING by turning that blind eye.

Excuse me, collateral damage, what are you callling callateral damage. Most cops have attitude with an ego to match. Most cops are power hungry and think of themselves as invincible. The cops today are the people our parents warned us about as children. They have become what they once protected us from.

Yes sharriannie, Be very afraid of me. Now ask your friends(Which I am not one of them) How many of them would take a bullet for you or your family? How many of your friends leave for work everyday not knowing if their going to see their wife or kids again. Yes this is the life I choose, How many of you are willing to take my place?

Gulfwar9091, please, your ego is in your writting and so is your attitude. I worked in Seattle Wa and a sales gal sat right next to me and would tell me how her cop brother would slip off his uniform before he went in to bead down a prisoner so that he wouldn't get blood on it and there would be no proof the beat down. She said his cop buddies all did the same thing. And, hell no you wouldn't take a bullet for anyone, but it sure sounds good.

shariannie: I believe Bob was being sarcastic. He's on your side, just read his first sentence, "when COPS RIOT collateral damage occurs."

Gulfwar, yeah, you are the guy!?! I don't believe your adolesent bull@!$%# anymore than anybody else. The cops I know don't talk that @!$%#.

In WI we started protesting back in Feb, the police respected us and we respected them, no riots, no riot gear, no tear gas, very peaceful, even when had over 100,000 people. Their is no need for violence, maybe the police around this country should take look at how our police conducted themselves and maybe these demonstrations can remain peaceful. Each State has allow these demonstrations, its our first amendment right, so work with protestors, and stop obstruction!

Joe, I do. And I am who I say I am. I first fought the Iraqis in the Gulf war (COMBAT MEDIC). Then I became a Trauma Nurse. I got bored and became a Deputy Sheriff. My parents taught me respect for the law. If you live in or near a big city. Take a ride along and SEE the world we live in. Otherwise STFU.

And by the way joe I am 47 years old. Whats in your wallet?

I am old school 11B Airborne, heart-breaker and life-taker. I've taken the ride and not done yet. If you want to talk tough guy stuff it is your right, hell, I fought for it, friends died for it even if they were lied to cause it is what is in their hearts, not what was in the politicians minds that mattered. Don't mean nothing. I respect the law, some of it, the good laws, the ones that help us get on with our own lives, but also know that when you have power on one side making those laws that allow the powerful to pillage to their greedy little heart's content then things have got to change. My kids or yours don't need to be owned anymore than me or you. And when you are standing agianst the powerful then somebody is going to get hurt and it is most likely you at first cause they don't @!$%#ing care about me or you or my kids or your kids.

Deputy Sherrif's come in all sorts and capabilities, the good ones do the work, help the people and go home without any of that hoohah @!$%#. That macho attitude gets in the way of good decision making. I'm 58 years and still standing except when I'm on my knees asking forgivness for myself and blessings for my family, and maybe an atta-boy for a good thing or two I have done in my life.

Just sayin'.

Thanks for your service Joe. My grandfather was also in the 11th Airborne in the 50's

Joe, "I fought for it, friends died for it even if they were lied to cause it is what is in their hearts, not what was in the politicians minds that mattered."

It does mean something. They want all of us to not stop them from destroying our nation.

Domestic Enemies are those within our own government who pursue legislation and programs that are contradictory and/or against the powers and principles held within the US Constitution. They are the individuals who create laws/etc in a manner that goes against the Constitution's restraint on the three branches of our government; plus destroys or weakens the Rights of the people as guaranteed by the Constitution.

See? They are Domestic Enemies. Those laws/Amendments/etc they made are Illegal. It is time to remove them and replace them, and I am talking about all three branches of our government. They make all believe there is no recourse except elections where they choose who the candidates are the people get to choose from.

But they are Domestic Enemies and no longer legally or Constitutionally can stay in the office or position they are currently in.

Those who have been actively against our Rights, our Constitution, our freedoms can be prosecuted, the rest no longer allowed to "serve".

NC,

What is "economic equality"?

Bozo,

So the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were to combat economic inequality here in the US? And please, do educate us on the definition of 'economic equality'?

tell that to china

1% controlling 99%= oligarchy.

No one is asking for "economic equality." The problem is the inequity in the system that protects the 1% and screws the other.

Look at Ryan's plan... It will cost 4-6 $trillion to make it work. Where does his plan (approved by tee-baggers everywhere) get the EXTRA revenue? From medicare and social security; while it protects the 1%. That is inequity. Doubt this... read it!

It is interesting how many of you who replied to my comment seemed to be able to discern why people fought in Iraq and Afganistan. Just wondering how many of you are vets of those wars. You seem to be such experts in their reasons.

NC,

So, you agree that you can control your life, run your business and spend your money better than some putz in Washington!!

And, just what "inequality" are you talking about? What exactly is "protecting the 1%"?

The protests are not about economic equality, they are about the manipulation by the elites that have skewed the rules of the game and the unevenness of the playing field. Its that "equal before the law" premise that the vets were and are fighting for...you know, the small stuff that is the bedrock of what makes the American experience exceptional and the whole game worth the candle.

The fastest runner should always be applauded for winning the race, but not if the race is won by cheating...and that's the situation we're in right now and that's what people are protesting.

Nice culheath, Did you watch the Thursday Dylan Ratigan show? Don't hate the players, hate the game. Paraphrasing George Carlin, you and I weren't invited to the game!

Yeah, my paraphrasing was from the the Greenwald interview .

The wars in other parts of this world are not about freedom or democracy or any of that. They are not about economic inequality. They are about empire.

Pretty much, yeah.

Let's all just put our money in one big pile and devide by 300,000,000. Problem solved.

@Tim W - Yes it is solved if you are Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Marx, Obama - - you get the picture.

This is a Constitutional Republic NOT a Democracy or Socialist - Communist block country. Your response shows EXACTLY what the OWS movement is about.

@NC BOZO - You stated in your initial post #15 that the guy was there because of his strong feeling for "economic equality" so you contradict yourself in post 15.6 to say it's not about that and no one said it was???? Typical lefty obfuscation.

And again, will one of you at least try to explain "economic equality" without sounding like your basic Bolshevik? (I know, it can't be done)

@Tim W. Your strawman argument is noted because I have never hear anyone say that was the preferred solution.

Occupy protests are about the economy being rigged for the rich and for for-profit multinational corporations while the middle class, retired and the working poor go deeper in debt just to survive. Its time to end the bailouts, tax cuts deregulation and other political policies that create wealth for a few on Wall Street while the middle class is attacked.

I'm a member of Generation X and have worked only to see the future that my parents talked about being squandered by the boomers for their wealth. I went to school and got an engineering degree on my own dime but the jobs are being outsourced and the products that we are producing are garbage because it is more profitable to build Chinese made crap that consumers are forced to replace than to build a good products in the US. It is time to end the short term profit at all costs MBA mentality. My daughter recently graduated with her BSME and she now knows what I am talking about.

Wall Street is rigged and the upper echelon of both political parties as well as the GOP's illegitimate stepchild the TEAparty have a vested interest in continuing the situation while the middle class dwindles.

We need policies that create stable jobs that have a living wage and the employees need control of their futures instead of empoyees being used and then discarded by Wall Street elite when it is convenient. It is time to put the community and society first instead of the mentality of "What's in it for me" and "I've got mine, screw you".

I enlisted in the USMC after college but because of a medical condition I wasn't able to serve. The fact that someone served 2 tours overseas and come back to home to be attacked for daring to take part in a Constitutionally protected activity is outrageous.

jay

Sorry to break Newsvine code here, but sometimes a person has to speak the plain truth.

You sir, are a complete and utter moron for putting Obama in the same sentence as Stalin, Mao, Lenin, and Marx. The only people who believe any of that communist crap are idiots like you trying to revive feelings from the red scare to vilify their political rivals. You're living in a fantasy land if you think anyone at OWS or anyone in the Democratic party are pushing communist ideals. Just because we oppose the fascism of the 1% doesn't mean we're commies, knucklehead.

Crockpot,

Does that mean you have no chance to become part of the 1%?

not interested in being in the 1% Bernie...I do think a little less greed is in order...none of us gets out alive..all we can do is enjoy the ride...

Crock,

I have no idea what you just said. Help me learn. I am but a simple man.

Anyway, why are you so affected by someone else's "greed"?

Is there a difference between good greed and bad greed?

Our big banks with trillions in assets have been getting billions in 0% loans to play the market. This is insane unless you are a big banker or a wall street billionaire. These lowlife scum have been manipulating the commodities market and driving up the price of gas and food on our hurting people.

This thievery has effects on the entire country even if you do no business with the pigs. Millions in the streets may be the only hope America has to avoid depression and chaos.

Crock,

Is there a difference between your greed and someone else's greed?

Bernie, just ask yourself WWJD. Question answered. You resemble a camel to me so you may not get it but keep reading.

Greed = Deadly sin...

Does that mean you have no chance to become part of the 1%?

Hey, everybody has a chance to become a part of the 1%. And everybody has a chance of winning the PowerBall lottery, too.

And the odds are about the same.

Of course the rules are rigged such that the more money you have to buy tickets the better your odds are.

bernie

No, you and I have zero chance at becoming part of the 1%, to answer your question. The game has been even more tilted in our life times. You have a better chance at winning the lotto or getting struck by lightning twice than becoming one of the 1% through hard work. It's a myth to get you to feed into the system for your whole life.

peter makes more sense than you ever will Haze.

TEA Party began in 1958. It was called the John Birch Society back then. Don't believe it? Better read through the Teabook ...

True, the TEA Party held 'rallies' for a few hours. Apparently TEA patriotism only lasted until the news cameras left. Don't look too closely at those 'rallies' or you will find that the TEA Party also assaulted people and defaced public and private property. Spitting on Congressmen is also against the law ...

OWS is what a REAL grassroots 'revolution' looks like. And the American people apparently understand that government is a symptom of the problem - Wall Street is the disease.

The TEA Party revolution is as fake as a 3 dollar bill ...

Nerm your a idiot. First there was no evidence of the spitting it was a crooked politicians word. Second name a violent act at any tea party protest in the last 3 years? This is more like the bolshevik revolution then a American revolution. The American relolution was partly about high Taxes while the Bulshevik revolution was about many of the same things your occupy wall street crowd represent. How did that turn out for the Russian people?

The Tea-beggers come to their demonstrations, armed with pistols !!!

More Drama Queens.......

First there was no evidence of the spitting it was a crooked politicians word.

You are misinformed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/20/tea-party-protests-nier-f_n_507116.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b287OpdjJ3k

Geez, don't use the leftist Huffington Post BLOG to defend your position.

You wouldn'rt accept Glenn Beck as support for a conservative argument so don't try that B.S.

How did that turn out for the Russian people?

A better question would be: How did that turn out for the Russian Aristocrats?

Geez, don't use the leftist Huffington Post BLOG to defend your position.

If you could stop that knee from jerking and read the article you'd see it is reporting information found in a report from the Associated Press and the second link was to an actual video showing the spitting event...but hey, don't trip over your partisanship there, pal.

That's just great !

See what you folks are supporting here?

A long overdue leveling of the playing field..

Really? It sounds like he's advocating violence against the police.

The 1% as you call them are laughing at you fools. Attack the cops. That will change some laws.

Dummys !

LOL love what Obama has done to this country plenty of hate to go around

LOL love what the Repugs & Baggers are doing to this country, plenty of hate and disgust of the do nothing 2 parties are doing to this country!

ted,

Vietnam era vet. Made E-5 in just 16 months!!

Any more questions?

Yeah, How many holes are there in a C-Ration Cracker?

What was your NEC or MOS?

ted,

Personnel duty at Walter Reed. Helped my buddies get back on their feet after serving on the front lines. Saw many horrific things. Brings back sad memories.

I was fortunate that I was never called to fight..........

They never served anyone but themselves and they respect nothing but money and power. Reading their inane propaganda and talking points tells you everything about them both. When people surrender their minds they have no values left.

Frank,

What???

Precisely.

Peter, ingnore Ted IF he served he was a REMF. In the Rear with the Gear.

I guess Peter17 is not proud of his service. I am.

So what are you saying Gulfwar9091.

If some service member served in the rear, they have nothing to be proud of or are you just trolling?

Thanks for your Service by the Way.

Ted, Do not go slamming people and I will not come back at you. Did you at least get an ARCOM for those paper cuts?

Funny how Gulf bashes his buddy bernie

Gulf-

Peter, ingnore Ted IF he served he was a REMF. In the Rear with the Gear.

bernie-

Saw many horrific things. Brings back sad memories.

I was fortunate that I was never called to fight..........

Why should he get fired from his job?? How does his activities protesting have any connection to what he does for a living??

You appear to be an uneducated, gap toothed, uni-brow, inbred, sheep humping rube.

Maybe if you'd spend less time chasing your sister around the barn,.. you'd do better.

Just sayin'

o.o where does it say he had awful performance at his job?

Well shoot darn Bimmer yall not be needed to jaw me like thats. Inbred she be me secound cousin and dont own no sheep. And talkn bout my sis like that them is fightn words and would not want to be you when she gets donw wif you.

Ignorance comes in many flavors and there is no difference between greed and envy. Insults are just an escape hatch for having nothing real to say or contribute.

What time is it in Montana when all the sheep are facing East?

Mountain time

Yeah, maybe they should go out and get a job working for minimum wage to be part of the economic caste system developing in this country. Did you know if the 1965 min. wage of $1.60 were given COLAs over the last 45 years the min. wage today would be in the $16-18/per hour range? It's less than half that and that's why poverty is increasing as quickly as it did during the 1930s and a microcosm of why people are in the streets. The thugs in charge would be happy if these ungrateful troublemakers began watching the corporate owned media delivering the filtered version or lies and propaganda which passes for news in this plutocracy so they don't become informed or worse yet, unbrainwashed. And that's what you vets have fought for since WWI - the plutocracy, the military-industrial complex that fights for global imperialism, greed and expansion of corporate power and wealth. You didn't serve the great American model of democracy or freedom as the line of bs goes, you served the corporate empire in its quest to own everything. Meanwhile many of the "freedoms" you think you were fighting for have been eroded and discarded. And through it all, opportunity, the great hope of the poor, has been locked away, saved only for that tiny group lucky enough to fall into great luck or hit the lotto. Working your way up the ladder has become a thing of the past generation. The ownership class, the top 1% (in terms of means of production and economic power) sees a 350% increase in their earnings since reagan poisoned our economy with trickle-down bs, while the lower 80% have seen a 20% increase. lower than inflation, which means we've lost ground. CEOs earned some 40X the average worker's wage in 1980; today it's around 3000X greater. And they buy Congressional seats and the puppets who sit in these seats to lower taxes for the rich, cut programs for the poor, elderly, wealthy and young students. And they make wars for profit under the guise of spreading democracy. Don't give me this BS about how we liberated Iraq; we blasted that country to pieces and killed a million innocent people and turned nearly the whole world against us. Democracy is messy - but this isn't democratic action. Totalitarianism is a bloodbath. You decide which course we've taken. SItting by idly and pretending we're a great nation is enabling the thugs to continue their slaughter in search of every last dollar. And they steal our democratic rights in the name of "protection" with homeland insecurity and the patriot ax and do garbage like herd protestors at political conventions into fenced in areas a couple miles away so they don't get seen or heard. And the corporate media complies. Jumping to conclusions that the OWS group is a bunch of dirty hippies looking for a handout or socialists - anything to avoid the real issues in hopes they will go away before everyone finds out how badly they've been screwing us.

If what OWS was doing was wrong or inappropriate the media wouldn't be trying to discredit it, ignore it, downplay it or tell lies about what's going on. But we have a media that is 90% owned by corporate monopolies that cover every aspect of the economic system, from war profiteering to insurance and pharmaceutical production to big oil and beyond. There's a small group of men and a few women who sit on the boards of directors of these influential corporations - many of them sit on as many as six at once and trade favors to support each other's interests. Which are opposite of the best interests of the country and you and me.

It's time for you and me to unite to protect our own interests. We can't afford lobbyists like the rich turds do; we have to do it ourselves.

LONG LIVE THE OCCUPATION!

Thanks for that.

I did notice the article first stated as fact the guy was hit by a police canister; then admitted no one knows what the object was or who threw it. The protestors were throwing bottles & rocks.

This alone should make the doubters shut up. In no world is that acceptable. OWS is a movement in large part to get the corporate money out of Government. Who here wants corporations to have a bigger say in our government then the people? The people that are against this movement are only against it because that's what the media has told them. I have yet to read a valid argument from a OWS doubter where the points they use aren't something that the media has told them to believe. This isn't even a right or left issue but what better way to stop it then by pitting the 99% against each other. Of course the talking point about the person taking a dump on the cop car will be shouted out loud by the doubters saying "Look! They're all dirty hippies!"

I did notice the article first stated as fact the guy was hit by a police canister; then admitted no one knows what the object was or who threw it. The protestors were throwing bottles & rocks.

Then he would have been hit in the back of the head unless the protesters themselves were having a bottle/rock fight.

I haven't seen any proof of bottles/rocks being thrown by protesters. Got a link?

Insane greed is never satisfied and it is deadly. It greated rhe hunger of the 1920s and the following depression. We are about to repeat the same or worse.

Greed by definition is a bad thing...it means excessive and inordinate wanting.

The human condition is fueled by greed. Lead, follow or get out of the way.

Simple but a lie. Homo sapiens can transcend greed and take a big step toward become fully humans

Greed is one of the deadly sins

The human condition is fueled by greed.

Just the small minority sociopathic ones...the majority manage to become full-fledged adults capable of self-restraint and empathy.

Washing your hands is fine until you are doing compulsively 30 or 40 times a day. Wanting is the same way...when it becomes compulsive it's called greed.

culheath,

Guess you don't own a car, live in a home, or use services that pollute the environment causing harm and even death to other humans?

Or make money to purchase TVs, couches, riding lawnmowers, and other products that are denied the masses who are paid less than you?

Get off your high horse, your ignorance is showing.

The first part yeah, except for causing death...the second, no. I'm a minimalist and I take conscious steps to counter what damage I may cause. I'm not a "stuff" or "status" oriented person. There's no high horse, just an attempt to live in an integrated manner as much as consciously possible.

Timmy, greed is what led to the beheading of the noblemen in France, not by the poor but by the bourgeosie, the middle class.

Anduandi, I have read some of your posts, and you have proven to be a total idiot.

Are you a troll? Or some Tea-bagger?

The facts are this, the rich are going to have to give something up or this whole system they have been bleeding for the last half century will burn...then they wont make any money.

Time for the rich to take a pay cut, just like the rest of us!

Anduandi, I think the point is that many people in Wall Street are getting vast sums of money and contributing very little to the economy. If they were earning their money, and if the government were regulating them properly, then they wouldn't be getting filthy rich when they were simultaneously crashing the economy and getting bailed out by the government.

By contrast, Steve Jobs created a lot of real wealth and innovations. He wasn't making his money by shrewd, or often dishonest, trading, but rather by real entrepeneurship.

I don't think anyone would conclude hedge fund managers are an important part of our economy that results in lots of employment. They suck money like leeches and cost the rest of us money, in our retirement plans, and then in tax dollars when their insane gambles crash. And when they crash the economy from their stupidity the entire world pays a massive price.

No one but a nut would class the Mike Milkens and Ivan Boeskys and their ilk together with a guy like Steve Jobs.

last time I checked sick people employ millions of drug makers. Maybe the sick should just stop taking their meds and fire the drug makers.

And what do corporations do? They provide a good or service for money, and who buys that ... the middle class and lower class. So who really employs the corporations? Without the consumer's buying the product the company would crash and burn, anyone see what happened to Net flicks recently.

psst...do some rechecking...there are not millions of drug makers.

But you get the point culheath, just can't admit it.

Nice dodge.

Well, I would say Wall Street often does not follow the rules. A Goldman-Sachs executive just got indicted, for example. And, even if they did, they lobby so that the rules and regulations governing Wall Street are unable to keep them from taking massive risks and doing essentially unethical, hurtful things that generate tons of money for them while they hurt the economy.

They do frequently break the law, but their other strategy is to get the regulation of their industry relaxed to the point where formerly illegal or regulated things become legal.

I agree the government is to blame. Corporations will always straddle the line between legal and illegal to make as much money as they can. Morality never enters the argument. Just a fact. If you try to be moral or conscientious, likely you'll get beat out by the guy who is ruthless and unscrupulous.

Just like a football game, you need a referee to enforce rules. In this case, or with any industry, the government makes the rules and levels the field. When it works right, anyhow.

I think that people have been upset with our government, and my guess is that most of the OWS protestors are upset by the failure to enact and enforce better regulations of Wall Street. It all started really with Reagan, but continued through administrations and Congresses of both parties. I think the OWS protestors would support more regulation of Wall Street and banks, etc.

My one disappointment about Obama's term has been that he didn't get more done, but I think he had to look first to stabilize the markets and had massive political headwinds to more regulation of Wall Street.

But he got some things done at least to improve the situation. From what I can see, the Republicans don't even begin to grasp that this crisis materialized because of too little government regulation in Wall Street, not too much.

Alan Greenspan, the arch conservative/libertarian Milton Friedman/Ayn Rand follower, as much as admitted that he was wrong in his approach to regulation. When the cheerleader for deregulation admits it didn't work the way he thought it would, why is anyone opposing more regulation of Wall Street?

But, by the way, that doesn't mean I can't personally loathe an unscrupulous hedge-fund manager who makes massive money while doing little good or even actual harm to the economy. And by contrast, have a great respect for someone like Steve Jobs who contributes immensely and in my mind deserves his riches.

All wealth is not deserved equally, for certain. When that gets out of whack too much, capitalism can fail and that is where we are now, in my opinion.

I would propose a Federal Property tax, with a reasonable home owners exemption of 0.5 mil.

But you get the point culheath, just can't admit it.

Nice dodge.

No dodge...you obviously missed my point.

Making hefty profits off the illnesses of others is pretty creepy from the get go and a fairly poor social model don't you think? Especially since most R&D done by the Pharmcos is paid for by gov't grants to universities.

Who pays the taxes that pay for the grants? The 1%'ers.

No Tim, that is the point. The 1% really pay very little.

Sure they do. I guess that 50% of US workers who pay no federal income tax don't come into the equation?

anduandi

I am wondering. Are you a troll or just simple minded?

I would think the "rich" job makers would rather take a pay cut than have their necks cut. But history shows they all choose the way of 'blinking in baskets' i.e. French/Russian revolutions

Sure they do. I guess that 50% of US workers who pay no federal income tax don't come into the equation?

You think the others don't pay sales taxes, property taxes, license fees, excise taxes, payroll taxes? Income tax is just one form of taxing, so your point is moot.

You think the wealthy don't pay more of said taxes, including luxury taxes, tourism and hotel taxes? Your point is ridiculous.

The 1% garner the majority of their income form capital gains and therefore pay a much smaller percentage of tax on their income. Those who must work for their income, those in the percentage of the population between 50% and 99%, pay a much higher rate. Why should the income that people actually work, sweat, bleed, and sometimes die for be taxed at a higher rate than the income of those who can sit back and collect dividends and capital gains. Furthermore, Tim. the wealthy pay no luxury taxes, tourism taxes or hotel taxes on money they don't spend. The bottom 50% are forced to pay sales, excise and property taxes on all of their income. They don't have any money left in the bank!

You think the wealthy don't pay more of said taxes, including luxury taxes, tourism and hotel taxes?

I know they don't.

Simple example: A millionaire and a guy on welfare both get a $100 speeding ticket. Who is proportionally punished more? That's precisely how the rest of of our economic activity is skewed toward benefiting the wealthy over the poor and why the income tax system was made progressive in order to compensate for that reality.