Author Topic: Ideas for a 99% movement  (Read 2799 times)

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Offline Rathma

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Ideas for a 99% movement
« on: November 22, 2011, 12:19:02 PM »
Suppose OWS turns into a larger and more focused protest (on current economic circumstances, corruption, etc.), not necessarily limited to a particular location. And suppose the agenda is more focused this time. What issues do you personally feel should be at the forefront? What proposals do you think a majority of the population would back?

Offline eric42434224

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2011, 12:34:18 PM »
More bacon.
Oh shit, you're right!

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Offline GuineaPig

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2011, 12:35:47 PM »
- Corruption
- Lobbying
- Global warming
- National debt

That would be my Big 4.
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Offline Chino

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2011, 12:42:49 PM »
I know it would never happen but.... I'd like like to see the two party system end, as well has 4 year terms for members of congress.

Offline lordxizor

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2011, 12:47:07 PM »
- corporations are not people
- stop the flow of corporate money into campaigns

Offline Super Dude

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2011, 12:49:35 PM »
- Corruption
- Lobbying
- Global warming
- National debt

That would be my Big 4.

This minus lobbying and plus "corporations are not people." :angel:
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Offline antigoon

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2011, 01:12:08 PM »
Meaningful financial reform: There has been nothing done to prevent another crisis like the one we had in 2008. The TBTF companies that are essentially above the law need to be broken up. Reinstate Glass-Steagall, separating investment banks from commercial banks and insurance providers. There are obviously many other reforms to be made, but I'm not an expert, and this seems like a reasonable starting point.

I'd also support complete public financing of presidential elections (or maybe just federal matching funds), laws against Congressmen and their staffers accepting gifts or (more importantly) jobs from lobbying firms, and ending other dirty, iron triangle type relationships that exist. Corruption in our government is plainly and openly legal. It shouldn't be.

Offline 7StringedBeast

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2011, 02:19:51 PM »
This thought hit me the other day.  If corporations are people, and citizens are people, they have the same rights?  Also, the government has said that the use of money is freedom of speech.  So, in that case, could you stop paying taxes and call it a protest?  If money is speech, couldn't the withholding of money be speech as well?
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Offline Super Dude

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2011, 02:30:01 PM »
Meaningful financial reform: There has been nothing done to prevent another crisis like the one we had in 2008. The TBTF companies that are essentially above the law need to be broken up. Reinstate Glass-Steagall, separating investment banks from commercial banks and insurance providers. There are obviously many other reforms to be made, but I'm not an expert, and this seems like a reasonable starting point.

I'd also support complete public financing of presidential elections (or maybe just federal matching funds), laws against Congressmen and their staffers accepting gifts or (more importantly) jobs from lobbying firms, and ending other dirty, iron triangle type relationships that exist. Corruption in our government is plainly and openly legal. It shouldn't be.

Actually I change my answer; this one, plus global warming.
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Offline Scheavo

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2011, 03:32:36 PM »
As far as changes/modification to the government:

Corruption / Lobbying (you can't separate the two, and you at the very least need to completely modify the rules of lobbying). Important in this would be to make the tax code more fair, get rid of oil subsidies, get rid of corn and ethanol subsidies, attack tax dodgers, address certain states hosting corporations in their states purely for their low / non-existent tax codes, and doing business out of state, make capital gains the same as any other tax, and lowering the the "actual" rates people face.

Illegalize high-frequency trading and basically all computer-driven algorithmic methods of using the market for money - the stock market is for investing in companies, not using computer's to try and gain money.

Complete firing and rehiring of all national workers, regulators, etc. I don't trust anyone who's in the system, and it may take us a few years to get back on track, but we need to clear house. The foundation is somewhat solid, but everything above it is so rotten it needs to go.

Publicly finance elections. It's worth the cost.

Modify the rules of congress / senate / executive to adopt a parliamentary system. We need major reform to our system, and I think the idea of electing a President separate from the House and the people is undesirable. What you get under our system is a President who can't do shit because Congress doesn't listen to him - that's impossible in a parliamentary system, becuase the PM will face a vote of no confidence, and be replaced by the a national election (or at least how it could work).

Severely reduce our foreign empire; end the wars basically immediately, and pull out contractors or nearly all contractors.

Invest in solar panels and other green technology for governmental buildings and infrastructure, one time stimulus of solar and greener infrastructure, including small scale nuclear.

Major change in food subsidies to encourage small and individual farmers and growers, and stop giving beneficial treatment to certain crops.

End of the drug war, and non-criminalization of all drug use. We make our border problem in Mexico a much bigger problem due to our insane laws.

Universal Health Care; there are a variety of ways of going about it, but basically extreme profit and health-care don't create a very good system. Other countries do it better, and cheaper as compared to GDP, than us, and get better results. Single-payer akin to Medicare is probably the best route, insure everyone through taxation and bypass that individual mandate legality issue. Al though a system like Germany would probably sell better in this country, because it gives individuals the option of still paying more for health care.

Like health care, education needs to be single-payer. Allow parents to send their children to the school they want, setting a specific amount a year you will pay for schooling, and parents and families can pay beyond that.


Individually:

Promote the local market, support local craftsman, support local farmers, join a local credit union, and try and grow some of your own food. This would dilute the money flow to some big corporations, as well as being more sustainable. This would communalize the flow of money much more than it does now, meaning the 1% wouldn't get off so well.

I think that generally sums up my thoughts on the matter. Possibly a few more issues I could think of.


Offline rumborak

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2011, 06:16:01 PM »
Meaningful financial reform: There has been nothing done to prevent another crisis like the one we had in 2008. The TBTF companies that are essentially above the law need to be broken up. Reinstate Glass-Steagall, separating investment banks from commercial banks and insurance providers. There are obviously many other reforms to be made, but I'm not an expert, and this seems like a reasonable starting point.

This, and an increase in banks' own cash reserves. BTW, England instated the separation, Germany is considering it.

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Offline TempusVox

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2011, 12:05:41 AM »
I think when Congress is in session, and most of the members are on the House or Senate floor, everyone should surround the Capitol building and refuse to let one goddamn congress person leave, until they have made serious progress in fixing our economy. The fact that especially in THIS country, a place that has a government of the people, by the people...that we don't surround that fucking building at LEAST every other week is simply amazing to me.  Occupy Wall Street? What the hell is that going to do? Occupy Congress is where it's at!! 
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Offline Sigz

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2011, 12:49:39 AM »
I think when Congress is in session, and most of the members are on the House or Senate floor, everyone should surround the Capitol building and refuse to let one goddamn congress person leave, until they have made serious progress in fixing our economy.

Let's be honest here, there's no way in hell that would ever be allowed to happen. There is an Occupy DC, and there's a reason why it's so small compared to the rest of the Occupy movements.
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Offline rumborak

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2011, 01:16:53 AM »
Where I do agree however with Tempus is that it is far too easy for Congress to return empty-handed. Problem is there is no feedback loop; if congressmen were facing being sacked after so many unsuccessful sessions, that would get fire under their asses.

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Offline dbrooks22

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #14 on: November 24, 2011, 03:51:20 PM »
Congress cannot fix our economy.  People need to realize that.  We have no jobs here because they have all gone overseas to people who are willing to work for a fraction of what Americans are paid.  The only thing our US government can do is determine how quickly they bankrupt the US Treasury with borrowing as they try to stimulate the dead corpse.   Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

Until our nation is bankrupt, and the dollar falls vs. the Yuan/etc., the US will simply not be able to recover.   It's like borrowing water to fill up a bucket with a hole in the bottom.  We borrow money from Asia to consume Asian goods, thus making Asia richer and the US poorer. 

Offline MasterShakezula

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #15 on: November 24, 2011, 04:04:39 PM »
Remove the minimum wage and employee benefits.  Give companies no reason to outsource. 

Offline antigoon

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #16 on: November 24, 2011, 04:15:40 PM »
yes, spectacular idea cup

Offline Chino

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #17 on: November 24, 2011, 04:20:05 PM »
Remove the minimum wage and employee benefits.  Give companies no reason to outsource.

I think we need a minimum wage... What we need to do is provide tax breaks for certain industries to not outsource.... Or start taxing companies for every employee they have in another country. I read an article yesterday about how if you are at a  McDonalds drive through, you are talking to someone in India via VOIP.

Offline MasterShakezula

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2011, 04:20:46 PM »
You do realize, I was being facetious, right?

Offline antigoon

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #19 on: November 24, 2011, 04:23:27 PM »
it's doubly hard to tell when someone is joking in p/r.

Offline Chino

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #20 on: November 24, 2011, 04:36:13 PM »
You do realize, I was being facetious, right?

I didn't. I wouldn't rule that out as an idea...it's because of minimum wage that America can't produce anything anymore.

Offline Super Dude

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #21 on: November 24, 2011, 05:05:06 PM »
I read a great article today in Harper's about how the government has the ability to create 3 million jobs per year, and how relying on the private sector create them is how we got in this mess in the first place.
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Offline antigoon

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #22 on: November 24, 2011, 05:51:53 PM »
JOB CREATORS!11

Offline Super Dude

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #23 on: November 24, 2011, 06:10:26 PM »
Ahhhh, so you read it. :laugh:
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Offline antigoon

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #24 on: November 24, 2011, 06:17:21 PM »
I actually didn't. I was just parroting that daft, overused phrase that comes up whenever anybody suggests taxing the wealthy :lol I'll take a gander if you post it.

Offline orcus116

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #25 on: November 24, 2011, 07:11:14 PM »
Immensely limit the power of labor unions. If there is one faction of this country that as far outlived its usefulness, it's easily them.

Offline Chino

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Re: Ideas for a 99% movement
« Reply #26 on: November 24, 2011, 07:12:28 PM »
Immensely limit the power of labor unions. If there is one faction of this country that as far outlived its usefulness, it's easily them.

This x2... They have destroyed the education system