What do you think of the OCCUPY movement?

Hi there CraftyCorner, Well, I'm not sure that ALL of them even know just what it is they are supporting although I've talked to some and I do agree with a lot of their thoughts. I think that 99% vs.1% is a bit extreme because truthfully there is a huge chunk of people that don't work at all that are pretty protected by our government and they are considered poor. I also know some wealthy people that got that way and are that way through honest hard work...why should they be penalized? I do agree that the tax loopholes need to be closes for the large corps and that the big donations to the politicians needs to stop. There is a lot of corruption in both our government and the big corporations that needs to be stopped. Their method of handling it though is stupid. They are targeting the wrong places and people. They have no organization. They need spokespeople and a plan. I stopped listening to them a while back. They may have a good message but their method sucks.

I tend to blame government more than business or even the super rich for our declining productivity and jobs.. and think government is playing the blame card as a red herring.. I know there is imbalance, but isn't it government that lets laws be skirted in payment for favors and benefits from lobbyists? So still, addressing government to me makes more sense. If we are too down on productivity, where will jobs come from? Do away with lobbying!! is the answer but gov certainly doesn't want us to think about thAt!

I think that this group is bringing a lot of attention to the unscrupulous practices of both government and the super rich, the actions that have gotten the United States in the state we are now. However, I think that something more will need to be done for this attention to affect actual change. Not saying that the Occupy movement isn't doing enough, but their efforts thus far don't seem to be making any waves where they need to be made. The occupy movement will need to make some sort of grand gesture that deeply affects that very same one percent into making change.

I think that the country would be better served if those people would clean up the sites they've been occupying, vacate it, return home, clean up and get a j ob. Then, they could work in a dignified manner to change the laws they feel wrong. Mainly, I disagree with the "occupy"movement because we do not want socialism in the USA. By the way, I don't believe that there are any penguins at the north pole. They are native to the south pole region.

I think it is a genius movement because of the fact that they have no leader. If the government or upper class want to shut them down, there is no one person to go after. I also find it funny how the media tries to avoid the subject in north america as you can see in the Time Magazine covers http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601111205,00.html It is the start of what I think will be a greater movement after people start realizing that the US dollar is worthless. Some people are finally realizing what "money" really is. They are also outraged by how the rich keep getting richer and how the poor keep getting poorer and I am with them because I do not seem to be getting richer.

I think similar problems and non political movements in action are occurring in many nations. I am in India and here some politicians joining with big corporate lobbies brought huge corruptions during past few years swallowing huge government revenue. A non political movement lead by a " Gandhian" Anna Hazare is fighting against it and achieved some successes, where political parties failed to do anything against such open corruptions. Similar leadership is essential for fight with effects against such big rooted social exploitations. I think absence of able leadership would be a big minus point to OCCUPY movement to attain progress.

I am part of the Occupy Movement. I've done Occupy Wall Street officially in NYC with a group of disabled protestors. I've also done Occupy Northampton and Occupy Springfield (occupies near me). I don't believe the banks are responsible for all of our country's financial difficulties, but a lot of them. Some needs to hold people accountable. Occupy is doing or at least trying to do that.