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AgingAmerican

(12,958 posts)
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 12:35 PM Mar 2013

Occupy the sequester

Do you guys think the sequester will reignite the occupy movement? A large part of the occupy movement was about austerity.

The public square occupations need to come back in a BIG way. Civil disobedience is all we have left.

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Occupy the sequester (Original Post) AgingAmerican Mar 2013 OP
In some ways 2naSalit Mar 2013 #1
"Claim exempt", "don't file" 1KansasDem Mar 2013 #2
Indeed 2naSalit Mar 2013 #3
People need to knock on the doors of the Republican headquarters and Rosa Luxemburg Mar 2013 #4
The Tea Party idiots control the GOP now AgingAmerican Mar 2013 #5
The very rich who are behind this "austerity" knew from existing models of Plutonomy Fire Walk With Me Mar 2013 #6
+100 G_j Mar 2013 #7
The only way to stopt his from happening again is to step outside your comfort zone... Earth_First Mar 2013 #8

2naSalit

(86,040 posts)
1. In some ways
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 12:50 PM
Mar 2013

I hope so; in other ways, I feel torn about it as the violence perpetrated on the peaceful protests of late is really damaging to the victims... especially since getting health care afterward is a serious issue on a number of levels.

Maybe if there was a general strike where everyone not only refuses to go to work but, if they d go to work, refuse to provide services to the 1% and also refuse to pay taxes until the 1% start paying their fair share. Not paying taxes is a form of protest as well, claim "exempt" on the W4 form and don't file... keep records but refuse to file as a conscientious objector and claim that you are "withholding" until the government starts using your money in ways that are acceptable to the general public, with proof.

Something has to happen but it's best to beat the at their own game, anyone who can get by through barter rather than with cash is a big help too, but refusing to provide services or labor for them is a big thing for them 'cause they don't even now how to do half of the stuff the 99% do for them. And barter keeps you from needing to earn money that they want to take away from us. If we don't need it, they are screwed.

Start treating them as they treat us. That "do unto others..." business can be a rude awakening when the karma comes back at you.

1KansasDem

(251 posts)
2. "Claim exempt", "don't file"
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 12:57 PM
Mar 2013

Let me know how that works out for you.
Had an uncle who tried that during the Vietnam war. Served 9 months in a federal prison for tax fraud.
Penalties and interest on taxes not paid. Ended up breaking the man and his marriage.

2naSalit

(86,040 posts)
3. Indeed
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 01:12 PM
Mar 2013

that was not fair but... (there's always a but) with the sequester, there are far fewer workers at all levels of that process to do anything and if millions of us did it, how would they handle it... especially if those who were supposed to actually do something about it weren't getting paid either? The circumstances are different at this point in time.

They're already shutting us out of the decision-making and they still take more and more of what we earn and force us to work... so what if we all stopped going to work, nothing monetary earned, no taxes. It's coming anyway so I wonder how it's going to get started and how it will shape up as people stop wanting to participate and actually act on that.

I'm not inciting anything but I am hoping that some ideas will develop which actually put the brakes on the austerity train. If nobody pulls the cord, the train will continue to proceed, full scream ahead, until it runs us all off the resource cliff such that there is nothing left to sustain life at all.

It was just an idea in response to the OP after all. Your point is valid though I hope that whatever happens, it commences without violence and actually produces the desired effect. Maybe someone could "tweak" that idea into something that will work... which is why I wrote that in the first place.

Rosa Luxemburg

(28,627 posts)
4. People need to knock on the doors of the Republican headquarters and
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 01:18 PM
Mar 2013

say, "Ladies and gentlemen do you realize that you are hurting ordinary people and the American economy". I'm sure Gandhi would have been around.

 

Fire Walk With Me

(38,893 posts)
6. The very rich who are behind this "austerity" knew from existing models of Plutonomy
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 02:44 PM
Mar 2013

in other times and countries, that something like Occupy would eventually occur. They discussed worry about growing signs regarding exactly this back in 2006:

"The Plutonomy Symposium: Rising Tides Lifting Yachts":

https://www.box.com/shared/9if6v2hr9h


Page 17 of the memo:

"The risks to Plutonomy: Finally, political pressure to end the increase in income and wealth inequality."

"Perhaps the most immediate challenge to Plutonomy comes from the political process. Ultimately, the rise in income and wealth inequality to some extent is an economic disenfrachisement of the masses to the benefit of the few. However in democracies this is rarely tolerated forever."

“We see the biggest threat to Plutonomy as coming from a rise in political demands to reduce income inequality, spread the wealth more evenly, and challenge forces such as globalization which have benefited profit and wealth growth.”

Page 18:

"So is Plutonomy under threat politically? We are keeping an eye on this one. At the moment it is too early to make this call. ...does not resonate as a population determined to destroy wealth inequality."

"While there are challenges to this, not least through populations/the political process demanding a more 'equitable' share of the wealth, in the short term we think the trend of the rich getting richer is likely to persist."

This is partly why the Koch brothers helped to create the "tea party" in order to infiltrate the political process to force it to be Plutonomy-friendly, and to eliminate the concept of "one voter, one vote" through the "citizens united" ruling (and of course, "citizens united" are funded by the Kochs).


Daily Kos excellent article: Citigroup's Shocking 'Plutonomy' Reports

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/04/789523/-Citigroup-s-Shocking-Plutonomy-Reports-h-t-Michael-Moore

It quotes a "part 2":

Citigroup Plutonomy Report Part 2
Mar 5 2006

RISKS -- WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Our whole plutonomy thesis is based on the idea that the rich will keep getting richer. This thesis is not without its risks. For example, a policy error leading to asset deflation, would likely damage plutonomy. Furthermore, the rising wealth gap between the rich and poor will probably at some point lead to a political backlash. Whilst the rich are getting a greater share of the wealth, and the poor a lesser share, political enfrachisement remains as was -- one person, one vote (in the plutonomies). At some point it is likely that labor will fight back against the rising profit share of the rich and there will be a political backlash against the rising wealth of the rich. This could be felt through higher taxation on the rich (or indirectly though higher corporate taxes/regulation) or through trying to protect indigenous [home-grown] laborers, in a push-back on globalization -- either anti-mmigration, or protectionism. We don’t see this happening yet, though there are signs of rising political tensions. However we are keeping a close eye on developments.


http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/b/bc/CITIGROUP-MARCH-5-2006-PLUTONOMY-MEMO_.pdf

I have not yet read part two but that shall shortly change.


If you have noted the orchestrated attacks upon Occupy encampments and marches, you should also note from whence they spring:

FBI & DHS Under Obama Declared Occupy Wall Street Protesters TERRORIST To Protect Big Business
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12525555

This is a corporatocracy, even a Plutonomy, not a democracy. The rich are driving political policy and politicians. If Occupy again encamps and marches in massive numbers, the brutal response shall also proportionately increase. They use nuisance arrests to frighten and discourage and wear out the most visible activists, have taken political prisoners, have the FBI ransacking activists' apartments for "literature"...we require a solution and work-around to beat their "police"/courts/prison-industrial complex response. Please think upon this.

Edit: Perhaps the most immediately effective response will be to mercilessly, mercilessly, pressure all politicians to change income inequality, to cut the military and DHS/TSA/Spy tech sector, subsidies to big oil, to cut bank bailouts and corporate bailouts...hammer them, mercilessly!


Some scattered thoughts and analysis/link collection regarding the first memo:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-leaked-2006-citigroup-plutonomy-memo.html

Earth_First

(14,910 posts)
8. The only way to stopt his from happening again is to step outside your comfort zone...
Sat Mar 2, 2013, 02:47 PM
Mar 2013

It's going to take uncomfortable actions on our part in order to create a sense of fear in the plutocracy.

If we roll over and watch dvd's; they've won.


Again.

...and again, and again, and again.

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