Signs and Slogans from the Wall Street Protests

Hi ATS. Last week and the week before, I was on the East Coast for the first time ever, for a friend's wedding. Afterwards I took a bus trip to NYC for the day, to see the big city. I swung by the protests to check them out.

I had, and have, slightly ambivalent feelings about the protests. On one hand, I am a Christian (a very serious one) and culturally I don't have much in common with the protestors. I don't agree with the lifestyles or general outlooks of most of the people there. Simply put, the vast majority weren't really "my kind of people."

On the other hand, I think the banksters are evil and what they have done to our country is wrong. Taking money from hard-working Americans through tax-funded bailouts makes the banksters welfare recepients, not free-market capitalists. The hollowing-out of US industry and outsourcing are related to the dominance of finance. Finance is essentially parasitic. You don't have to be leftist to see this.

One of the things that impressed me were the many signs that people were carrying. I thought I would share some pictures I took of some of the more interesting and thought-provoking ones I saw. I will reproduce them below. If anyone else who is/was there would like to share, by all means please do.











(NOTE: I crossed out some of the dirty words in the above sign with photoshop to be in compliance with ATS policies and my own morality.)

reply to post by Partygirl


Seriously can someone with money get down there, and provide them with proper signs ? Are there no graphic designers in this movement ?

You would think we could do better. Try something like ..................









Not my best work but not bad for 20 minutes, anyway Dr.Evil is pretty sweet. At some point I will have to clear these off server so save them if you like them.

DISCLAIMER: Any likeness to movie promo posters are because I ripped the image from a movie promo, tough cookies hollywood

reply to post by DrunkNinja


A lot of people (myself included lol) didn't seem to have much money. Which is kind of the point of the whole thing. So I don't think the graphic design budgets were so high for the signmakers.

It's the ideas that count, isn't it?

But you are right, snappy presentation always helps. If you have the skills, I'm sure they would be happy to have your help....

reply to post by Partygirl


There are plenty with money that could blow some dough on this, and graphic design should be free considering all thats needed here is to download some pics, add some text, and pay the $7.00 bucks to print it up in giant banner form and slap it to some cardboard with sticks. Considering the vast pool of university students that could be drawn on they should have resources to do all this and more.

Where are the advertising, marketing, and psychology students to help push this along properly ? Why aren't they using the silk screen presses, and industrial printers that must exist on campus ? I hate to say this, but really when its all on the line, we half ass it ? Sounds right I guess, I mean its not like the overall media response, marketing efforts to spread the message, and clarity in what its all about for those that don't know, should really matter. We don't need intelligent people concerting a social media push instead of the randoms pushing around the %^^$* that I'm seeing on twitter, and the fact that the call to action shouldn't be being organized by a faceless book designed to keep tabs on the cattle isn't in any way troublesome, considering there are several hackers or web devs that could set up an entire chat system, social networking, and organizational hub. I mean I can do that in as long as it takes for me to write this. Sigh, Sorry venting ...

The thought counts, your right its just the poor execution that fails us every time. Hey maybe someone can ask Rosie O Donnell to bring some next time she visits, just don't ask her to bring any validity. Wait I think I got it, can someone call the Sheen and tell him to bring some signs, and also possibly some winning ?

reply to post by DrunkNinja


The University students aren't there because most of us have more constructive things to do with our time than hold signs at the base of a skyscraper. (Yes I feel that talking on a message board is more constructive than holding a hastily scribbled sign that everyone is too mad to read.) It's easy to join an angry mob and place all of the blame on someone else-- especially if that someone happens to have money when you don't. Wall Street isn't the problem. Greed is the problem-- and everyone from the janitor to the CEO is guilty. The janitor got a new house with an ARM, a turbodiesel, and a boat-- and the CEO bought a mansion, a yacht, and a Ferrari. A LOT of people knew the behavior that led to the ability to purchase these things was reckless at all levels-- yet they sat back and enjoyed the party. Now we're at the hangover. No amount of government intervention will improve the situation, and CEO's stepping down won't help either. New heathen will simply step up to take the place of the old. I for one hope that we'll ALL change our priorities before we resort to violence-- but I doubt if that has ever happened before in history.

The protesters could fix their own problems if they were able to cooperate the way they expect the rest of the world to.

Don't like outsourcing? Don't buy products made chiefly overseas.

Don't like oil companies? Don't buy gas.

Don't like ARM's? Don't get one.

Think your tuition is too high? Go somewhere cheaper. (And don't demand financial aid, because the availability of funding simply increases the price that universities charge. Even at my school, every time they increase fees they try to downplay the impact by saying that financial aid will cover most of the increase.)


Think all that is hard? Tough Luck. No one said fixing the world was easy.

Originally posted by Partygirl
... Taking money from hard-working Americans through tax-funded bailouts makes the banksters welfare recepients, not free-market capitalists...

This is the point the protestors should hammer away at if they want to cross party lines and reach more conservative people.

It is interesting you mention how "culturally" the protestors are simply "not your kind of people." I know exactly what you mean, and fair or not, this is what is keepIng them from reaching a wider audience. Perhaps unfairly, people are letting the "hippie-ish-ness" of the protestors color their views of the whole thing. It may be too much to ask, but neutral clothing and grooming, more professional looking signs and images, and an avoidance of overtly leftist themes would go a long way to getting more traction for this movement. Also, certain themes will be able to appeal to those on the right. I think "bankers as welfare recipients" is probably more effective in this regard than appeals to vague ideals or slogans laced with lefty buzzwords. My two cents.

reply to post by DrunkNinja


Hahahaha DrunkNinja, you made my day with "Dont Tase Me Bro" poster, as soon as I saw the text I burst out laughing! you have creativity if it only took 20 min! Please make some more and share and who knows, maybe some of the people at the movement will use them Dr. Evil was great also

Originally posted by Infrasilent
reply to post by DrunkNinja

 

The University students aren't there because most of us have more constructive things to do with our time than hold signs at the base of a skyscraper. (Yes I feel that talking on a message board is more constructive than holding a hastily scribbled sign that everyone is too mad to read.) It's easy to join an angry mob and place all of the blame on someone else-- especially if that someone happens to have money when you don't. Wall Street isn't the problem. Greed is the problem-- and everyone from the janitor to the CEO is guilty.

Think all that is hard? Tough Luck. No one said fixing the world was easy.

I always question when things got to the point where we could be convinced that we are the problem, and not the total mis-management, and designed theft of a nations wealth. I figure that it must have a lot to do with the speech from that vendetta movie where the lead character says something about looking for the guilty party in the mirror. Now this is of course true, but there is more to this speech than just that, there is also the part about some being more responsible than others, and that they will be held accountable. Remember that part ?

So now you ask who is more responsible than others ? Who is vastly more responsible than others ? You are about to say that, those actions would still merely be laying blame in others, and I would say yes it is. When a murderer kills your neighbor, do you let it pass without incident or concern because you yourself are a thief ? Do you allow your children to be trampled on, and their futures crushed by jack heeled boots because you maxed out your credit card ? Do you allow your neighbors to be thrown out of their homes through inflation, and borderline criminal banking procedure causing massive increases in mortgage requirements because you yourself signed a mortgage ?

You wouldn't, you couldn't, but when the people decide that a line needs to be drawn, and that the vicious cycle we have all created for ourselves needs to be restructured at the very least, you deride it on a public forum, and attack its merits while wrapping it in a pitiful tirade about responsibility. We all realize we are in a way responsible, and yes we do know were greedy, our whole lives we have been trained to be by the other monkeys that were in this cage before we got here. Shame on all of us, but now its time to let loose your ideas on what we can change, how, why, and how soon.

You want the really guilty parties, lets look at the paperwork, you know the paperwork they routinely burn, keep from the congress, and public, lets start there. Goal number 1 .... open the books lets see where it all went down, those that did not harbor downright sinister motives or use extremely deplorable tactics to amass their fortunes, have nothing to hide so why all the secrecy ? That brought back some deja vu "if you have nothing to hide" where have I heard that before. You see there are a clear set of general demands that accompanies all the ruckus these kids are making,

1. INVESTIGATE, ARREST AND TRY THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS who clearly broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis in the following notable cases: (insert list of the most clear cut criminal actions). There is a pretty broad consensus that there is a clear group of people who got away with millions / billions illegally and haven't been brought to justice.

You see how that all ties together with what I wrote ? I also get the impression that you feel you are conversing with someone that knows very little about fighting for a cause, you are sorely mistaken. It also appears that you feel that we are all kids lost with no guidance. I fear this may be true as you come across as very old, and I am just starting to experience 30, so you must be very, very wise.

Considering that wisdom, I was hoping you could explain how I am responsible in allowing corporations to donate to political candidates ? If you could also add what I should stop buying to prevent that, it would be much appreciated. While were there, how was I responsible for the deregulation of the market when they messed with the glass-steagall act ? What could I have done to prevent this ? Why cant we pass the buffet rule preventing the rich from hiding assets off shore, and thereby avoiding taxes ? I don't really feel responsible but somehow I just know that I am, tell me how ?

Anyway I think I made my point pretty blunt so ,

Just for you Ifrasilent





And party girl I know your religious so

reply to post by DonSergio


Glad somebody enjoyed them, I showed them to my overly conservative business partner, and he isn't a fan. He started worrying that putting up "silly" pictures on conspiracy sites could lead to trouble, and potentially be bad for business, thats when i told him how many copyrights I infringed doing it. After he settled down I reminded him that "the world comes to an end whenever Dick Cheney gives the order, which should be anytime now, and certainly before the lawsuits come in." He know officially "knows" I'm crazy, which is awesome because now I have a new excuse not to attend client meetings, sorry can't, crazy.

Side note :: If anyone is planning to go down to wave signs around, and has $7.00 to make a banner print let me know, and I will actually put the effort in to design some that are crystal clear in getting the message across.