I say again that I support the message Occupy began. Particularly the issue of income inequality. I simply cannot support the violence that has so obviously come with ‘Occupying’ the streets. This violence and destruction is seen in nearly every city that is Occupied. It’s simply impossible to deny.

The dozens of URLs I’ve supplied on these threads clearly displays the violence that far too many here are willing to ignore. Or, worse yet, flat-out deny. - And of course there are many amongst the protesters trying desperately to stop the violence and destruction. I would expect nothing less! This fact does not excuse the violence we see with our own eyes. Nor does it detract from how these crowds are the seeds of the open destruction that Occupy has so clearly proven unable to control. - This doesn’t even speak of how so many small businesses have been shut down or forced to hire security (security from what?). We’ve seen an entire building broken into during one of these events and far too many amongst us both justify and applaud this lawlessness. I thought lawlessness was once one of the issues of the original OWS. - It was another of the issues I first supported.

During the Bush years we shouted from every rooftop how the means are not justified by the end. I like to tell myself that that moral message was real.

We labeled the Tea Movement dangerous terrorists, though there were very few arrests and zero signs of real violence. Zero destruction. No blood. No urine. We all, each and every one of us, took Tea Party’s angry rhetoric as the threat. Well, their angry rhetoric was no more than ours today. - Tell me I’m wrong?

Throwing chunks of cement, urine, and blood at others will always get people hurt. 100% guaranteed. Occupy needs to take responsibility. We simply cannot allow a handful of idiot children amongst us to erase the message or momentum. These street occupations must end.

It’s time do to the real work that’s needed for lasting change. It’s time to Occupy city councils, School Boards, all 50 State Houses and the U.S. Capital!

It’s time for a plan.

I ponder whether clicking on a link that caught my eye because it contained my screen name is a violation of my oath to ignore an obvious oaf.

I am glad that I did watch the video as it showed, yet another time, what a devious stinkpot Imax really is.

I trust that all who did watch the link noted the various efforts by OWS folks to stop the vandals. Further, I hope that these examples, among the score or more the slimer posts, always shows a different tale than does the propagandist herself.

Yet another rerason to determine whether the best course is to simply ignore her until her sad and sick need for attention must be slaked elsewhere.

Some commenters here need to read recent, more detailed reports about the Occupy Movement, what it is, what it means, what it is accomplishing etc. It is widening its appeal to other abused sectors of the economy, and popping up all over in small, locally-focused demonstrations.  If it does move to Los Angeles, then LA has a second chance to welcome it and host it intelligently. Giving it decent accommodations would transform LAs smog-infested glamour-and-glitz into a world-status reputation as a forward-looking cemter for democratic development.

Occupational Therapy Needed!

Because the Occupiers seem to be mired in an unfocused, diffused state of incoherence…trying to fit 5 pounds into a 1 pound bag…I started off with a one word distillation…F*ck’em…is that one word or two??...no matter, but.. to keep a G rating…and to keep the moral high ground here, ahem…ended up with 3 alliterative R words…with Revolution…open for suggestions..

Here’s my latest installment of the Storm the Bastille Recruitment Series on You Tube…play in HD fullscreen..

Forward it to your friends (and conservative acquaintances…just to piss ‘em off:)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US4GWT_fUGc

THE 3Rs of the REVOLUTION…

RESIST! peaceful non-violent resistance and demonstration

REMOVE! corporations from the electoral process and the politicians who take their money

REGULATE! the financial and banking mega-complex and protect the planet

Feedback welcome at:
makosmic(at)gmail.com

Bigger, smaller, violent, peaceful, etc.  Even if the whole movement vanished today (which it won’t) some good work has been done.  Occupy has reminded many Americans what direct democracy looks like and how out of practice the citizenry is.  If any readers here agree with Chomsky’s observations in “Manufacturing Consent” then it’s a big deal when so many Americans hit the streets to protest and get arrested.  At the very least, OWS is a strong cup of coffee for the sleeping giant; at the most, it’s a global revolution.

OzarkMichael, November 8 at 5:51 pm

You do not even try any more, do you Michael. A real pity and an embarrassment to yourself.

“As long as this movement remains dedicated to nonviolence?” - ardee/5:31 pm

Nothing to see here, folks!

SoCal Street Cart Vendors Hurting After ‘Occupy’ Group Splatters Blood, Urine
“Coffee cart owner Linda Jenson and hot dog cart operators Letty and Pete Soto said they initially provided free food and drink to demonstrators, but when they stopped, the protesters became violent.”

Occupy has proven unable or unwilling to contain the violence these crowds seed. Stop these Occupations and let us get to work. It’s time for a viable plan. It’s time for a viable direction.

ardee said:

Let this baby grow, let it mature and it will gain more and more support and it will begin to have a widespread positive affect.

Actually, the baby is shrinking. Polls at the beginning showed up to 56% direct support for OWS, now polls are down to 35% direct support.

So I agree with our resident genius ardee, leave the baby alone. Soon it will be very small, although i am sure it will keep up a good whine.

“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.” Sam Adams

I have a contrary, or rather more optimistic view of the effect of OWS than does my compatriot, Robespierre.

As long as this movement remains dedicated to nonviolence( despite the obvious lies of the twins here to the contrary), as long as they speak out in opposition to those who break windows etc., whether anarchist or infiltrator, as long as the truth of our economics and our diseased democracy continues to be kept before the public this movement will continue to educate.

Certainly there will have to be growth, there will have to be organized teaching opportunities, certainly the negativity of the media will need to be overcome. We have seen the increasing need for a revolution as well as the desire to make it nonviolent. All the seeds are there within this nationwide movement I believe.

Let this baby grow, let it mature and it will gain more and more support and it will begin to have a widespread positive affect. Just the fact that the roaches come out of the woodwork to defame and decry should make obvious to all of us how dangerous they think this is, how effective it can be.

“In a democracy, the highest office is the office of citizen.” Felix Frankfurter

“The media and regular people will surely be more impressed by those who tough it out in the cold, surrounded by armed police.”
  Implying that since pain and conflict “sell” as publicity, it is necessary for OW to suffer in New York. Wrong message! I’ll put aside for the moment the fact that OW has already “succeeded” in making more ordinary people aware of THE problems. Now it’s up to the 99% to cooperate by making themselves heard and do their part instead of standing by and prophesying what might happen or not.
  New York already missed the chance to “take in” these (mostly) young people and find them shelter long enough to sustain their efforts to find answers.  Los Angeles will perhaps get a second chance to help things shape up into spearheaded efforts at speciric actions toward reform.
  But even if LA poops out, the OWS movement will persist and perhaps take many forms.  TD people need to read and make available some of the more in-depth articles that are appearing on Truthout, Firedoglake and Salon and elsewhere.  OWS has a LOT of support from “significant” people as well as a good supply of physical support.  They are neither surviving on the basis of how the police behave or what bad rumors are circulated by the right wing. Nor are they being much injured by same. So far, so good.
  It’s a lot more than their elders have been able to do, given several years of griping and sounding off in these columns and others!
  (PS—it still pains me to realize what a golden opportunity New York missed.  The entire city could have elevated its stature worldwide by assuming a more open and cooperative attitude toward this opportunity for innovation, and especially at a time when our national spirit is so low and our international reputation is so lousy. Just goes to show what lack of imagination will do.)

“From the beginning, the protests camps have achieved more in recognition and agenda setting through adversity. The media and regular people will surely be more impressed by those who tough it out in the cold, surrounded by armed police.”

This in itself is a threat to the movement, it can’t depend on “staying relevant” by clashing with cops all the time, eventually after months of camping out but without any populist, political achievements or evolution it might just become background noise much like what happened with the “indignados” in Spain. Villaraigosa in a way has played his (corrupt) hand well by simply leaving the protesters alone.