The problem with the protests is that bringing like-minded people together drives the debate to the extremes. The organizing principle of regulating and punishing Wall Street as appropriate, is an excellent one. Matt Taibbi's articles are a good starting point.
But it has evolved into this overarching program for vast leftist policy. It's now about doing more of the things that got us into the position we're in. More money on education, more money on healthcare, more regulations that drive up the cost of doing business... Right as we're going broke.
G, nice vid on Alan Grayson. I agree with his first half, but punishing Wall Street and providing healthcare and education are two very different things. The danger of the Occupy Wall Street movement is that it will start demanding so much in so many areas that the whole goal of reining in the finance sector will get thrown by the wayside. There are beneficial nonpartisan reforms that can be made, but the radicals on either side will never accept them (eg immigration amnesty on the left, no new taxes on the right).
I usually like P.J. O'Rourke's stuff, but from that video alone I'm starting to hate him. I can't stand people who respond to honest discussion with distracting comedy. It's impossible to have an intelligent discussion with people like that around.
Replace 'democratic' with 'constitutional' and you have the Tea Party, at least in theory. Besides, the country was not founded as a democracy, but as a republic.
YMG, your comments are borderline trolling.
But it has evolved into this overarching program for vast leftist policy. It's now about doing more of the things that got us into the position we're in. More money on education, more money on healthcare, more regulations that drive up the cost of doing business... Right as we're going broke.
G, nice vid on Alan Grayson. I agree with his first half, but punishing Wall Street and providing healthcare and education are two very different things. The danger of the Occupy Wall Street movement is that it will start demanding so much in so many areas that the whole goal of reining in the finance sector will get thrown by the wayside. There are beneficial nonpartisan reforms that can be made, but the radicals on either side will never accept them (eg immigration amnesty on the left, no new taxes on the right).
I usually like P.J. O'Rourke's stuff, but from that video alone I'm starting to hate him. I can't stand people who respond to honest discussion with distracting comedy. It's impossible to have an intelligent discussion with people like that around.
Quote: (10-10-2011 04:20 PM)kerouac Wrote:
this group is angry that the democratic values that made this country what it is today are being gnawed at and chipped away.
This is more of a frustration over democratic values rather than economic principles. It's a fight against corruption.
Replace 'democratic' with 'constitutional' and you have the Tea Party, at least in theory. Besides, the country was not founded as a democracy, but as a republic.
YMG, your comments are borderline trolling.