Mark A. Goldman: From your own articles on opednews.com it is clearly not nearly enough what you mention in those 2 links.

What I Want
http://www.gpln.com/whatwewant.htm

What I want from you:  to read this…
http://www.opednews.com/articles/You-Don-t-Have-to-Occupy-t-by-Mark-Goldman-111018-851.html

ITW .. then let me be perfectly clear. After all this is Truthdig and IF you manipulate, lie, cheat, twist, spin etc. .. then I or anyone has the Right to challenge you and I or anyone else will. And I expect the same from anyone if I try such tactics.
Ultimately it is Truth that wins, truth supposed by fact and evidence.
Have a good day

Gabriel:
Since you seem incapable of understanding anything that isn’t clear, let me be perfectly clear.

I have zero interest in carrying on any kind of dialogue with you.

I consider all of your views on every subject, whether they coincide and agree with mine or not, to be totally and utterly worthless and without merit, and certainly not worth discussing.

Whether you like this or not, or are offended by it or not is of zero interest to me.

Just don’t threaten me or other posters or attempt to intimidate me or other posters and we’ll get along fine.

re: Leo

That’s nice and i commend you for thinking, but again not nearly good enough. Besides, voting is rigged; same idiots, same old system

1. Use info in this link to pay off your debts:
http://projectarise.com/debtelimprocesses.php

2. UNGRIP yourself ,, and become Sovereign and Free again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScuHwVtRcY

3. Use above 2 links and related tools to charge, prosecute & imprison The Corrupt, wherever you may find them.

4. Go to my previous comment @ “Gabriel, October 17 at 9:15 am” for the rest of the plan.

5. Use Free Energy systems, hemp, permaculture, and best knowledge available to restore this planet to it’s original lush prosperous status.

6. Create Communities based of these principals.

In this way you make the system pay what you are due, boycott the whole corrupt Super Mafia, get the land back, save yourself and your neighbors and save the planet.
If you do not do this Basic plan then you are still a slave/chattel to them 1%, literally.

Not nearly good enough ITW ... and you know it.

“Founding Fathers” had to make deals with Europeans in order to create USofA ... go see those documents ... and further to the root of the problem 1,000’s of yrs ago. Anything short of this and you’re just being a parrot for the corrupt murdering 1%.

Me?
I’d be satisfied if the Constitution started being enforced RIGOROUSLY!
That means big stuff, like the credit of the US cannot be challenged (14th Amendment), and little stuff, like “In God We Trust” off the money (1st Amendment).

Nothing in the Constitution says the Founding Fathers thought corporations were “people” nor that they should exist OTHER than to make contracts and limit liability to share-holders.

Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, right to see and defend against both charges and evidence against you, etc.

Right to vote if you are an adult citizen, no exceptions.

Secession is treason, unless authorized by Congress and the Constitution.

It’s just not that complicated unless you seek ways to change/break the rules.

@ Lafayette

Let’s be very clear about this since you keep repeating it to just about everyone and on every thread.
Winter? U ever hear of Parkas, mitts, snow pants, insulated boots etc.? How about tents, camp stoves, tarps and power of body heart to help each other?
But I guess you never went camping, hiking or study survival skills like the Millions of homeless throughout the world, that are FORCED to do every day and ALL year long.
Come up here to Canada and I’ll show you how to be nice and comfy @ -50 below Zero.
Maybe you forget about Wisconsin demonstrations?

If this proliferation of Maritime Admiralty System Theft continues you might be on the street sooner than you think. France or not.
With all due respect, you need to get your head out of your butt and realize this is life or death for Millions if not Billions on Earth. Your regular solutions don’t apply any more.

A Progressive Agenda?
HAHAHA .. LMAO ... If it doesn’t include paying back the poor and rest of 99% what the Thieves [the 1%] stole it’s not an option.

If it doesn’t include Sovereignty for each and every North American and everyone else on this planet, it’s not an option.

If it doesn’t include Full Restitution by the Thieves of every piece of land, property, family member, money and rest of what they stole and killed this will never be over, and is not an option.
And the list goes on and on.

Up to this point it’s Assembling, getting together and talking. Talking as Equals in a Horizontal manner, and not pyramid scheme style. Horizontal Manner being the original system on Earth after the Gods left. You might wanna check this with records at the Louvre Museum (Paris, France) since you are close ... if the 1% will let you have access.

If this Earth is not restored to it’s Full & Lush Glory as the Garden of Eden this is not over an never will, and is not an option.

If any and all records are not made Fully Public this will only get bigger and bigger.

No matter how you try to spin it “We The People on Earth” have had Enough and are holding the 1% feet to the fire until we get what is Rightfully Ours. Not some measly concessions as you mention ... but Full restoration of Everything, As Is Our Right.

No matter what you have seen or heard on news, TD, or some mass media, what I say is the actual concepts being talked about everywhere outside of 1%. You might want to save this and or print it for your future reference ... So you don’t make mistakes such as you have up to this point.

Now try to realize what is being said here until you comprehend the concept and realize it as fact. Anything short of this and you are fooling yourself and or spreading crap.

You might also want to get out and talk to actual people, highly educated people, that are already planning the future. If by chance you are in a wheelchair and can’t, then watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w

ALL of it, the whole thing, and until you comprehend it fully!
Because this is what’s spreading, what’s being leaned, what’s driving this movement, a Peaceful Revolution.
BTW: it’s not only 11 Million that have watched it, it’s more like few Billion via various ways. Now that’s Power your simplistic view doesn’t include.

A PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

Gabe: What most don’t realize is this demo is spreading and now in over 1100 cities.

Yes, so winter is coming. Then what? We start demonstrating in Miami? Which is what the 1% are hoping for - that the movement will flame-out.

The only exit for this popular movement is a transformation to a political movement. Which must coalesce around an agenda, hopefully A Progressive Agenda.

And quickly.

@Shenony

Oh shit .. face plant into hands :(
Well there you have it. Bitch and complain fest on TD, while other places do have open discussions and sharing of info. Example:
http://rabble.ca/rabbletv/program-guide/2011/10/features/velcrow-ripper-occupy-saskatoon
On IRC it’s a continuous flood.
So much for comprehensive discussion in this thread.
No wonder not many new visitors come here.

To be clear: Back to discussions on other forums where we/everyone talk about future of this Planet and how to accomplish it, and are putting it into action

Gabriel, October 16 at 4:04 pm - Absurd.  Just another way to
fill up the time of those who apparently don’t have anything else
in their lives except blogs.

A great start would be to get the money out! Money is not people any way you look at it.

One person, one dollar, one vote!

At the risk of being off topic: there’s a feature being worked on for Wordpress that will minimize ignored users to one line. There’s been talk of creating a hall of shame or trashcan per users who are voted as such by more than 70% of users. PPL can still expand to see their rejected comments if they so wish. This still provides for freedom of speech and hiding offensive comments on individual user basis.
Custom appz that do this find PPL tend to get with the program real quick and shills and trolls tend to disappear.

another addition to my wish list I thought of last night:
the amputation of Charles Krauthammer’s fingers.

skimohawk, October 16 at 3:34 pm - There is, just close your eyes
and scroll.

there really should be an “ignore user” feature on this site.

@Shenony
They ARE talking, it’s the hottest subject in town, every town, even backwoods hicks and PPL who haven’t seen a city in yrs.

Just because I’m straight up and to the point doesn’t mean PPL don’t talk to me. I just don’t take shit from anyone, nor do i put up with lies and/or manipulation.
Anyone who visits can clearly see TD is stuck on yacking about politics instead of “drilling beneath the headlines” to find the truth.
BTW: I was forwarded here due to this blatant abuse.

Most want to talk to me due to knowledge and the ability to provide solutions, real solutions that work.
The problem is forums like this don’t represent the real individual, their feelings, reactions, nuances that come with speaking at eye to eye level. Second problem is shills that continually harass visitors who provide solutions to shut them up.
My msg. format is geared to most fundamental and basic of ways so a kid can comprehend. This takes away much of the essence of what one is actually about.

Add the limited time some have to msg on TD, or possibly slow typing skills, or doing others things at the same time and msgs are seemingly harsh. Hence learning curve of personality of each visitor is hard to phantom. For these reasons get to the point, say what you will, ask what you will and don’t waste PPL’s time.

Now I’ve been nice enough to explain it in long form, so here’s a short form usually used in most forums:

PPL talk, widen your scope, get out and see. Forget about all forms of talking?
Why? Can’t c me = U don’t know me, go learn from past msgs. I know shit you don’t.
Quit wasting time. Ask or don’t bother.
Enjoy

Who I meant are the non-demonstrators and the demonstrators
need to start talking to each other.  It is obvious the demonstrators
are talking to each other.  The media is not helping the dialogue but
only fan the flames of the disenchanted passions. 

Gabie - You obviously don’t have much in the way of dialogue
skills but sure can denigrate others with your sharp tongue. Why
would anyone want to discuss anything with you?

@ Shenony..

re: “Now they have to stop just talking about it and start talking to each other”

Hmm .. what do you call Facebook, texting, IRC, chat appz, emails, phones, radio, ham radio, conversation at dinner, coffee brakes, and on and on?
Do you think PPL just jump when someone says there’s a demonstration?

Did you miss the part about “talking circles” at every one of these demos where everyone gets a chance to have their say?

Your 1 little sentence just shut down the whole thread from “talking to each other”. Same as most “shills” do on TD. And they call new info “hijacking a thread”, another ploy to shut PPL down. On any other site they would be outright banned for such tactics.
They would also be incrementally banned if they couldn’t produce proof when requested or demanded.
And this is supposed to the Truthdig = digging for the truth?

Let me Mod this site for a week to a month and you’d see a nice big turnaround in attitudes here, and you’d see user base increase drastically as the word spreads. Then you’d see some real truth start to creep in and eventually flow, secrets and stuff that would blow your mind and/or open it to new possibilities.

So what is it you want to say and talk about? I’m all eyes and ears.
Just make it at least half ass intelligent.

Yes, they did get people talking.  Now they have to stop just talking
about it and start talking to each other.  Soliloquies are for street
corners.

What most don’t realize is this demo is spreading and now in over 1100 cities. Other similar entities from around the world are now talking to each other and sharing info. Due to internet, cell phones, radio and others info is flowing close to real time. There’s no way that ruling class can keep up to this kind of prolific exchange of info and ideas.

The only thing ruling class could do, and have done, is create another false flag of attacking Iran. More such false flags are on the way, even if they need to let loose of a virus, chemical or start WW3.

What you see here and on most media is only an aftereffect in response to what people world wide are already doing. The real story is being played out by Millions if not Billions of people chatting among themselves and everyone from all over the world.

When I ask kids about did you hear about this or that, they tell me “Gramps I already know. You’re 15 minutes too late.” as if I better get tuned into the right channels.
15 minutes and I’m too late? WTF? Some punk ass kid already knows there’s chatter and an operation going down in Columbia and it’s not even on the wire yet?

These kids know when a raid is going to happen, what the plans are, where to go for safety, and which routes to take to get there. They know and act accordingly. For many it’s a matter of life and death.

OWS is nothing in comparison to what’s actually happening. Terabytes of info are being exchanged at lightning speeds and who knows what it all contains or where it will drift to. For anyone to speculate is folly and maybe creating a false image which can’t be supported by fact. The only thing to do is to watch trends and hopefully you may get it right.

Now that it’s gone global all I can say is the ruling class are in trouble, Big Trouble, and in some really deep shit. You can make all the excuses your want and try to minimize it as much as you can, but you don’t know shit unless you can read minds of Millions at the same time. Because what you are up against if you try to report is only a small fraction, miniscule fraction, of what’s actually going on and plans being made.

As we can clearly see the main objective of OWS was to get the people talking and share info. Secondary part was and is to spread the movement. Mission accomplished.

These are not some 50’s & 60’s hippies or grunge kids occupying a park. They are well educated individuals with high end knowledge that can, even at their age, put most profs to shame. They are joined by people from ALL walks of life and ALL kinds of knowledge. They are the most formidable Peaceful “Legion” ever known.

This is the main reason why ruling class doesn’t know how to respond to demonstrators of today, and of coarse, why they are in such deep shit.

Sounds like we’re clear on what we want. I’ve been out there with the local Occupation and what is clear and voiced by all are demands for electoral reform to get the money influence out, re-regulation of finance and banks, job creation and putting citizens interests first.

The most important aspect of all of this is the sharp focus on the very root of the problem which is the economic system itself. I find that though new to activism, many of the protesters are far more aware of the realities of capitalism and far more class conscious than many older liberal veteran activists. This is very encouraging. Change will not come easy and I expect things to get ugly fairly soon but this struggle will only escalate.

” Obama2, with a progressive majority in Congress can put us
on the right track. But one of the first reforms that we should insist
upon is transformation of the electoral mechanisms – meaning:?
•  Regulating corporate donations and permitting them for “getting
out the vote”.?
•  Regulating candidate funding by setting a cap of $5000 per
citizen and a dollar per dollar match by the Federal Government
of that donation.?
•  Ridding us of the gerrymandering mechanism that encrusts
parties into power since the latter part of the 19th century.”

An intelligent prescription. The problem is that the financial industry
moguls have Congress on life support. It will take Congress to effectuate
the three point recipe.  Congress is under the weaponry of the financial
dragoons.  The weapon is money.  If only there was a way the public
could propose legislation directly.  The public can instigate such action
through local politics and the ballot box but it would take at least a
decade to bring about, or a public protest such as OWS and maybe
nothing will change even then. 

This country is too big and complex and very unlike the other countries
that are having anarchistic demonstrations intrude on intentionally
peaceful movements.  The military would be called out if anything like
what is happening in Italy takes place.  OWS while a big enough crowd, it
is not organized enough to even articulate demands in clear terms, and
nor as they have stated do they want to voice any definitive action or
more organization.  A few have but it will take a thundering throng for
politicians to heed the sound.  It is going to take Congressional action,
or an even a less propitious and longer road, an appeal to the Supreme
Court, which might just be laughable even as a thought given their
conservative aroma and extremely costly.  The ballot box or legal action
are the only ways out of this perdition.

If a mob action were to turn anarchistically violent, it would last only as
long as the military could take charge.  Nobody really wants that, except
the military minded, an American Junta? Another Egypt?

Yes, I think you are right, Obama2 with a progressive majority in
Congress is our best hope.  Only this time, the lame Democrats,
including Obama, cannot be allowed to be lackeys of the financial
puppeteers and the Republicans must be nullified.  Firebrand liberal
progressive Democrats or Independents have to be elected.  It will take
nationwide organization that will affect every town and county.  Good
luck?

Imagine if every one of the OWS got their ass in gear and became
proactive in their communities to change the flavor of Congress.  Could
it happen?

glider: ... perhaps the solution will be having Obama step aside from the 2012 election, as a discredited enabler of Wall Street criminals, to be replaced with a strong populist, thereby keeping the current system intact AMAP.

Which will not work.

Americans will not elect a Populist President with the mandate of “punishing Wall Street”. That’s pie in the sky of the Looney Left.

The proposition above is EXACTLY what the opposition would want. And we’ll be stuck with Milt Romney in the White House.

American elections are won or lost in the Center, by independents who shift Left or Right depending upon prevailing winds (and their economic Feel Good Factor).

Obama will be difficult to beat in November of next year. Why?

Because we can’t blame all the bad stuff on him and the constant accusations of the Looney Left that he sold out to Bankster Interests will not hold. Billy-boy Clinton and Robert Rubin sold out to those interests by repealing the Glass-Steagal Act in 1999.

Obama suffered the consequences a decade later, after two-terms of Replicant “Laissez-faire” and the SubPrime Mess that provoked the Great Recession. Americans are disappointed that he’s no Miracle Maker? Wow ... what puerility.

Obama will succeed in blaming the Replicants for stonewalling any and all Progressive Legislation - because such is historical fact.  Some of the Looney Left will want him punished for “selling out” to the Banksters – but that will not impress the Center that knows full well this rule: No one gets elected on state and Federal levels in America without Corporate Funding.

There’s a difference between “selling out to the corporate chieftains” and “accommodating them”. Obama is already feeling the heat as Wall Street campaign funding start going to Republicans.

MY POINT

Obama2, with a progressive majority in Congress can put us on the right track. But one of the first reforms that we should insist upon is transformation of the electoral mechanisms – meaning:
•  Regulating corporate donations and permitting them for “getting out the vote”.
•  Regulating candidate funding by setting a cap of $5000 per citizen and a dollar per dollar match by the Federal Government of that donation.
•  Ridding us of the gerrymandering mechanism that encrusts parties into power since the latter part of the 19th century.

Just some off the cuff speculation.  If OWS continues to grow and looks threatening enough the current system might look for the most effective means of satiating the movement while making the least change possible.  The other alternative is that the government will simply react by becoming more of a fascist security state.  At any rate if the former happens perhaps the solution will be having Obama step aside from the 2012 election, as a discredited enabler of Wall Street criminals, to be replaced with a strong populist, thereby keeping the current system intact AMAP.

MY PRAYERS ANSWERED

Give a little whistle …

The SEC offers a huge carrot to encourage whistle-blowers

May 26th 2011 |

“TOO many people remain silent in the face of fraud,” says Mary Schapiro, the chairman of America’s Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). On May 25th she announced new rules to encourage corporate whistle-blowing. Inducements will include cash: 10-30% of fines of over $1m that result from tip-offs. The US Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby, calls it a “bounty programme” that will reward “amateur sleuths in search of a big payday”. It is threatening legal action to block it.

The new rules were required by the Dodd-Frank act, Congress’s response to the financial crisis, which was passed last year. They follow an earlier effort to encourage employees to speak up. After Enron, an energy firm, collapsed in a flurry of fraud, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley act in 2002 which, among other things, protected whistle-blowers from retaliation.

Employees have never found it easy to squeal on employers. Perhaps the most celebrated of corporate whistle-blowers, Sherron Watkins, a former executive at Enron, never went public with her prediction that the company might be brought down by fraud. She reported her concerns internally, and was ignored.
When the SEC released draft rules in November, businesses fretted that the financial rewards would prompt insiders to go straight to the commission, bypassing their firms’ internal procedures—especially since that would reduce the risk of being victimised by the boss or branded a “disgruntled employee”. The new rules try to correct this, for example by allowing a reward to be paid in some circumstances to whistle-blowers who only grumble internally.

The chance of making a fortune may encourage speculative whistle-blowing in the hope of winning the lottery. Ms Schapiro’s new Office of the Whistleblower may be deluged with useless tips. But even that might be better than the status quo.

This is all very nice, some really good ideas too, and some really funny ones. But the system has gone way too far in it’s pervasiveness and ferocity.

Therefore I quote:
‘Our one demand’
Occupy Wall Street, like the indignados of Spain who inspired their actions, has been criticized for the vagueness of its demands. But the occupiers and indignados have seen clearly what the politicians cannot: the situation is irresolvable within the frame provided, so the frame itself must be broken ...

For rest of this demand see: http://rabble.ca/news/2011/10/progressive-dialogue-future-occupy-means-new-generation-reaches-emergency-brake

I further add: Arrest the 1% and hold them responsible for all the damage, abuse, rape, pillage and murder they have caused throughout time. Take their knowledge which they covet so secretly and spread it to everyone.

Plans have already been drawn up for a replacement system that is Ethical, Lawful and Just to all. This will facilitate a much happier and prosperous Earth.

A great deal of focus appears to be going into appealing the Citizens United ruling.  That is a fine and dandy but it is clearly massively insufficient to address the deeply entrenched corruption in our political system,  as evidenced by the fact that all our current problems occurred before this ruling went into effect.

Rather, if the fundamental structure of the government is not changed, hopefully through a Constitutional Amendment, nothing lasting will occur.  A true People’s Democracy with multi-party instant runoff voting, and a removal of corporate influence from government and media is essential.  Once corrupt corporate control is removed from politics, fairness and good policies can arise properly within the genuine democratic framework itself.  In other words we do not need to argue over policy details, we only need a system that allows these to be settled properly by majority voting of the people.  IMO this should be the primary focus of the OWS movement.

If this was to occur there would be a kicking and screaming by the power elite unlike anything ever witnessed in this country.  That alone would demonstrate its value as a fix to our corrupt government.

Abolish the fed.

I’m in full agreement with glider:
“Instant Runoff Voting.
100% publically financed campaigns with limited duration of 6 months. Corporate political donations are illegal.”

That in and of itself would cure a great many ills.

I’d also like to see:

The total dismantlement of the CIA and the NSA. JFK attempted to turn the responsibilities of intelligence gathering and covert operations over to the military, but those efforts were thwarted.

The elimination of the Homeland Security Department and the repeal of the Patriot Act.

I don’t think a 75% reduction in military spending is enough. I think 90% would be more appropriate. (How many laptop computers could be had for the cost of one Patriot missile?)

An immediate and speedy withdrawal of all US armed forces from foreign soil. This includes South Korea and Germany. (I’m still trying to figure out what it is in Afghanistan that serves our own national interests.)

The indictments and trials for war crimes of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Perle, and William H. Kristol.

The elimination of the influence on and manipulation of government by putative “think tank” groups such as the American Enterprise Institute, RAND, and our own “Washington Policy Center” (funded by the Koch Brothers). These are the very same “special interest” groups the right keeps whining about.

A large red “L” (for liar) tattooed on the forehead of Arlen Specter, for his “magic bullet” theory.

The elimination of the collective “group think” mentality among economists and politicians who hold onto the belief that we can continue to consume at an ever-growing rate into perpetuity, which has become the very basis of our economic policy.

All broadcast media sources to be independently owned, and unfettered by either corporate or political interests.

The repeal of all laws against “illegal” drugs. The Volstead Act (as with communism) was a social experiment that did not work. A subsequent release of all those presently incarcerated for “drug crimes”. (This would reduce by over 50% the current prison population.)

Mandatory voting. In English. Elimination of all foreign language voters pamphlets, ballots, etc. If we are indeed a “melting pot”, then blend in or get out.

Compulsory military service for all young men and women over 18. Minimum two years service. No exceptions, no exemptions.

No more men holding the office of POTUS. Men in positions of power have a tendency to get involved in dick-slinging contests with their rivals. (More commonly referred to as “saber rattling”.) Women do not have dicks.

An end to THE BIG LIE of “9-11”, the greatest farce ever put over on the American public since the Warren Commission Report. (If you’re not sure what “THE BIG LIE” means, read up on Dr. Joseph Goebbels.)

Yes gerard a start is needed.

What I would like to see is for the MSM - ABC,CBS,NBC,CNN, etc offer to the 99% - an uncensored, uninterrupted, 4 hour coverage of their concerns, from a panel of protesters especially including some of those arrested or injured by the police.

The reason for the last caveat is that while I lived in California years ago, I was involved in a protest movement where the JOE PYNE show allowed a debate between the UAW and our group, with Pyne as the Moderator.

Problem was the stumble bum representing us, was a stranger to us, and no media, TV, Newspaper, Radio that we contacted - and there were many - would run a story about the fake debate.

If the MSM was to actually allow an uninterrupted, uncensored debate, the 99% would need to be able to assure a repeat of the Pyne Show experience didn’t happen.

The way we finally got our story out was by finding a property owner who would allow us to rent his fields for the protesters.  We were not allowed to be on any public property.

And yes we were afraid we might be physically harmed.

AN OPENING and an appeal: ORGANIZE TALKS NOW!

  Wall Street says:“If you have any great ideas on the phone you guys can write them up and send them to me. We’ll take them into consideration.”...

“Citigroup’s chief executive, Vikram S. Pandit, even said he would be happy to talk with the protesters any time they wanted to drop by. Mr. Pandit, onstage Wednesday at a Fortune magazine conference, said that the protesters’ “sentiments were completely understandable.”
“I would also corroborate that trust has been broken between financial institutions and the citizens of the U.S., and that it’s Wall Street’s job to reach out to Main Street and rebuild that trust,” Mr. Pandit said.(NYT today)
  Plus:  This video—an articulate statement of needs directed at Wall Street.
  Next step now possible:  Organize a conference, a meeting, a conversation more personal than video exchange—face to face—and fully aired on media.
(Not a panel discussion or superficial cross-interviews, but a conference where real people get together with the mutual intension to work out better understanding, and ultimately to reach agreement on some specific general policies, mutually understood.

Don’t fail to include a few top government agencies concerned with financial management.

You can’t tell me that this country, with all its power and expertise, couldn’t do this—and in the process, suggest a few new ideas to address the realistically the bitter struggles of the 99%. Fortune Magazine might even offer to sponsor.(Don’t laugh!  Some such innovation would be a huge step forward in making democracy more real and functionial instead of just a lofty, unreachable goal.)

Now’s the chance for a better world, starting today.

I just finished watching a movie “Swing Vote”, an amusing little movie, two and a half stars, starring Kevin Costner and others, that ended on a very profound note.

For the many of you who like I, had never seen the movie, the plot was that this beer drinking ne’re do well somehow wound up in an election that ended in a dead tie, who’s vote was somehow not recorded and yet discovered as not being counted, was notified that his vote had been lost but that he could recast that vote.

The movie is worth watching, but back to the profound question I mentioned.

At the end of the movie, so that Costner could decide which candidate to vote for, Costner asked the candidates to answer a question received from a family of ordinary Americans.

“If America is the richest country in the World why is it that so many Americans cannot afford to live here?”

This is the essence of “Occupy Wall Street” and why the simplistic question of what the OWS is all about, is so difficult to answer.

If I might offer an answer to the question of what OWS is all about, my answer would be that it is the same answer to the question asked in the movie.

They, the protesters-committed people we should be proud of, are there pleading for a return to a moral and ethical America, something that has been abandoned as of late.

Many things about our Government and Political System will need to be changed to restore moral and ethical Governance.

They march to effect those changes.

May the force be with them.

Points made by all so far are excellent.  I would add,

Government funding to insure and protect Internet from Big Brother
intrusions, and laws to protect the public from personal assault and
damage.

Government funded health insurance for long-term illnesses for those
unable to afford such care.

Not sure what is meant by “Voter funding to be matched dollar-per-
dollar by Federal funding of candidate elections.”

Please explain further, “A voter tax for those who have no receipt for
having voted in a state or Federal election.”

Your item regarding education, “Educational subsidies to assure that the
young are prepared with the skills/competencies necessary in an
increasingly competitive world by means of adequate Secondary and
PostSecondary Education” is good but needs more qualification that the
content of education be devoid of any religious or political ideology but
must include objective critical thinking about ethics, cultural and
aesthetic values.

Instant Runoff Voting.

100% publically financed campaigns with limited duration of 6 months. Corporate political donations are illegal.

Elimination of revolving door between Regulators/Congressman and Lobbyists.  All Lobbyist interactions with government are publically announced and subject to monitoring and equal representation response by non-profit public interest groups.

Elimination of fractional reserve banking and restoration of sovereign currency with money creation tied to GDP growth.

75% reduction in military budget over 5 years.

re: Lafayette: “home-owners who employ renewable energy in their homes”

does that include those who burn wood for heat?

I want an egalitarian remake of America’s dysfunctional political and economic system according to Progressive Values.

Namely:
* We address Income Inequality employing higher taxation of upper-incomes and redistribution by means of Public Services (e.g., a National Public Health System)
* Stimulus Spending to propel us out of high unemployment
* Educational subsidies to assure that the young are prepared with the skills/competencies necessary in an increasingly competitive world by means of adequate Secondary and PostSecondary Education
* Fundamental changes in our Electoral System, such as
** Doing away with state gerrymandering of electoral districts
** Containing business electoral funding to “get out the vote” (to redress unacceptable voter turnout) and all other candidate funding to be capped to $2500 per voter.
** A voter tax for those who have no receipt for having voted in a state or Federal election.
** Voter funding to be matched dollar-per-dollar by Federal funding of candidate elections.
* Enhanced Social Investments:
** Assist those families whose income drops below the poverty line (presently at $22K for a family of four).
** A National Health System that assures both Preventive and Remedial HealthCare services without severe financial distress to patients.
** Medicare extended to elderly to include in-house care and retirement-home care where necessary for all citizens.
* Tax rebates on home-owners who employ renewable energy in their homes as well as enhanced insulation where necessary.
* Government funding of technologies enhancing Internet delivery to the doorstep for all homes nationwide.

And that’s just the short list ...