Oh those rascally communists. They come in all shapes and sizes. I have had my reservations about lending any support to this group, because of some of the things I have heard them spouting off as the OP pointed out. That type of rhetoric ought to be a red flag for those who value property rights, honest capitalism, and a true Republican Democracy. Calls for eating the rich, taking everything that is not planted down, or distributing the wealth get no play with me and I will tune it out. I can understand why they are upset, because I am as well. However, I don't think advocating socialism or communism is the way to go either. History is a fine example of the pitfalls that the two ideologies are fraught with when the ideas are put in practice. Millions dead, authoritarian regimes, and a populace practically brain washed to like it or face imprisonment or death.

Now, barring communism and socialism from the equation, I do believe those who have stolen, committed fraud, or are actively corrupt whether in the private or public sector should be prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law. What this country needs is not violent revolution, or radical ideologies but a little honesty, integrity, and valuing the merits of hard work and discipline. If one is unwilling to go and get a piece of the pie for themselves then they deserve not to have it. The lone individual decides how much they want in this life, and not some collective. The blame needs to be placed on the doorstep of the Capital, because they have forgotten their place as duly elected stewards of this fine Republican Democracy. They would rather be comped or wine and dined by lobbyists instead of doing what is right regardless of the consequences to their political career. Republicans and Democrats are equally guilty of it.

As for this wealthy one percent that is being scapegoated by politicians and more or less these Wall Street occupiers? They should be prosecuted if it is found that the law was broken in their pursuits of business and wealth. However, just because they have more than I or the next guy, the government or the people have no right to summarily confiscate their assets and property because of having encountered a twist of bad luck. That one percent is not all guilty as some have pointed out. Some are where they are through honest, and legitimate business dealings. Now, there are some who belong to that group who have partaken in fraud, corruption, and deception and those who are found out should be prosecuted. Enough with the insanity already!

For those kids and the misinformed gathering in protests? If they should have any questions about socialism and communism? It would be a credit for them to seek out those who have lived under it from the former Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc countries, and other regions where it has presented itself in practice. They will tell them the true ins and outs of it by experience. It is not all peaches and cream, and far from utopia. Well, I can go on and on about this, that, and everything else. Like others, I too am skeptical about the Wall Street demonstrations, and their true intent. One thing I can agree with them on is that our economy, and country is in dire straights.

I firmly believe this country needs to have a renaissance in accordance to our preexisting principles and ideals, and not a radical change to anything else. We need to remember the values of honesty, integrity, work ethic, reason, and logic. The mob rhetoric has never solved anything but led to insanity and chaos. Just my two cents.

Fantastic job Slayer, yet it is no surprise.

I do not trust the organization of OWS at all. They seem reckless, dangerous, and have a sinister plan which would not be in compliance with our heritage and constitution. The ordinary protesters, ignorant to the sinister undertones of many others protesters there, are actually trying to have their voice heard. Nothing wrong with anyone vocally expressing support for a cause or opposition to a perceived injustice, it is the American way.

This just seems like a movement for the hard-left in America much like the Tea Party became a movement for America’s right-wing. This is the grassroots representation of the frustrated Liberals within the Democratic Party who feel like their voices are not being heard by a Democratic President. Any wonder why the TPM targeted Washington and OWS targets Wall Street. Each, respectively, are the number one enemy of the movement.

Either OWS will just dissipate or it will continue on like the TPM did, not anywhere near a revolution but definitely able to change the politics in this country. I feel like OWS is the grassroots representation of disgruntled Liberals, perhaps they are the more radicalized of the bunch much like the TPM were disgruntled Conservatives/Libertarians. They feel the pinch of austerity beginning so now they take to the streets. Unfortunately for them they are trying to keep alive, or create, a dream which is a failure outside of academic circles.

Awesome replies everybody both Pro and Con.
Just a reminder to keep things civil while debating, arguing and discussing why the other guy is wrong

Originally posted by SirMike
Drudge had a caption with one of the OWS protesters titled "HANDOUT AMERICA".

Fitting, no?

I wonder if that's real of photoshopped

The tea party has 3 things the ows protesters dont

a job
a shower
a point.

and sorry watching lou dobbs just now when i see signs like :

each the rich
tax the rich
free education

and union members being bused in has zero credibility with me.

ows has been mainstreamed which means they just been lame streamed.

Originally posted by orbitbaby
Special interests are trying to hijack these protests. Since a lot
of people know something is wrong but don't know exactly how
they got there, it's easy to do.

Rather than b*tch and moan about it, why not get out there and
educate them on the FED? There are others out there who are
doing it.

Excellent points!
If I could I would. I'm all the way across the country and broke. But rest assured I'll use what means are available to get the message across.

Great thread as always. I was especially impressed with the kid in the Youtube video; that's passion.

You know what I've noticed? No matter what particular ideology the protesters and posters on ATS espouse, it seems to me that the one common link we all have is ending the Fed. Focus the demonstration around that one objective, and the movement will grow by leaps and bounds. One day soon we could be free of them, IF we fight one front at a time as a unified voice.

I see a very simple solution to a LOT of problems: Elect Ron Paul. He will do two things automatically; end the Fed and end the wars. These two events would cause a paradigm shift in the way the world looks at us, not to mention clamping off a real bleeder. We're hemorrhaging cash from the wars alone. Simply cutting the budget and instituting a fair tax would inspire confidence in the dollar again, but add to that no more Fed sucking us dry and no more war... fuggedaboutit, we would soar out of this near-depression.

I'm not a financial wizard by any stretch of the imagination, but I know things are bad, and that most of the problems stem from waste, fraud and greed. People who own banks are bailed out by the government (with the bank officers getting millions in bonuses for doing such a bang up job! ) when they drive their business into the ground, but ordinary people are having a hard time filling their gas tanks, getting medical care, and even keeping their homes. If the "Stimulus Package" had been distributed equally among American citizens, each one would have received a check for more than $17,000 dollars. For a family of four, that's $68,000, or a sweet down payment on a house. I don't know about you, but MY economy would have been stimulated; but the money went to the bankers didn't it? We got what, $400.00 apiece?

We're spending a billion dollars a month on foreign wars and incursions into places where we have no business being. The Pentagon is a fiscal black hole, where missing money is counted in the Trillions of dollars. Then they're like, "Whoops. Can't find it... might as well just write it off." I think they've "lost" more than 10 Trillion dollars in the last decade, not counting what they allocate for black budgets. Something should be done about that. Heads should roll.

Common sense accounting can get us out of this mess. Forget about theoretical macroeconomic models by Nobel Prize winning economists - I think we've seen just how idiotic their criteria for awarding a prize is - and stick to home economics 101: Don't spend more than you earn.

Thank you sir.
Great job!

The clown faced Bozo, (Anon) gets no respect from me first off because they don't "show" themselves. What? I'm supposed to be afraid of some mask making threats? Try again. Show yourself, state your case, your cause, your objective; put it all out there. Be a grownup for crying out loud, all the vagueness just turns me off, I like it straightforward. So, say it like it is and enough with the vague threats and innuendos....like threatening to take out the NYSE. To what end? Don't forget there's working class Americans out there who have their retirements, their kids' college funds invested and We Are Not The Enemy....its not okay to wipe out all the good with the bad you perceive. I'm calling it as "Misdirected" at this point.

Originally posted by JiggyPotamus
I agree with a lot of your points, but I am ignorant of the supposed cry to shred the Constitution. Most of what I hear involves upholding the Constitution. IMO the document has been shredded, in part, long ago. I think the problem lies in any society who would stand by and allow the government to create and give the Fed all of the power they have today. Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I'm assuming many are like myself and have been reading along watching while some here are point blank advocating overthrowing the Government and the Constitution along with it.

I find that quite disturbing if you asked me.
+