The one picture that tells you everything you need to know about America in 2011
Cops on overtime guarding the Merrill Lynch bull in lower Manhattan -- what a metaphor for everything that's wrong in this country!
The one picture that tells you everything you need to know about America in 2011
You've heard of a sacred cow, right? Only in America do we have a sacred bull -- a bronze idol to the false gods of Merrill Lynch and assorted other bankster racketeers. It's arguably outrageous enough that there's an official monument to these rodeo clowns on one of the most famous streets in America (Broadway, just off of Wall Street), a place that was once known as "The Canyon of Heroes" where people who actually contributed to the betterment of America were honored with ticker-tape parades. But it's more outrageous that the taxpayers of New York City are being charged God knows how much in police overtime to "defend" this graven image of Wall Street avarice
Kind of like how two straight administrations -- one Republican and one Democratic -- have worked overtime to protect the banksters from any criminal penalties for their crimes.
Right now, a small band of protestors -- it was several hundred to as many as 1,000 people on Saturday, probably less than that now -- are camped out near the center of American finance, part of a fairly spontaneous, social-media organized protest ( #occupywallstreet , among other Twitter hashtags ) aimed at going all Tahrir Square on Lower Manhattan. I don't think I'm going out on a huge limb to predict that they won't succeed -- not this time, not yet. I know we're all in love with the power of Twitter and all that, but the truth is that the Tea Party was able to get big (big, but not huge) crowds for its earlier protests because it had a national TV network, Fox News, mainstream conservative pols like Rick Perry and billionaires like the Koch Brothers promoting it. A left-wing protest isn't going to have that, especially not with the cowardly scared chickens of the Democratic Party clucking their way to the 2012 slaughterhouse.
The good news/bad news is that there's a pool of about 25 million unemployed and under-employed Americans from which to draw potential Wall Street occupiers, and the worse things get (just wait until the Boehner-Obama austerity program kicks in), the more likely that you'll see an American Winter take the ball from the Arab Spring.
I'll be pulling for 'em.
"Wall Street isn't the problem, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is." . . . . . Then isn't it you who thinks America is horrid place to live? After all, we the People elect the guy in the White House, not the bankers on Wall Street.- "Wall Street didn't "do" anything to the "little man" that the "little man" didn't sign up for." . . . . . LOL, yes we Americans are truly horrid aren't we? And as long as we keep bailing out Wall Street, we keep signing up for more.
Two degreees short of calling for violent protests. If I agreed with the protestors, I'd be doing more than just cheering them on from the sidelines with pom pom in hand. But geez drive all the way up the Manhattan, and the whole parking thing? Yawn, just another day in the life of a lazy progressive.— m13sully- These comments, as always, confirm that right wingers are immersed in dogma, not facts. Wall Street didn't do anything? Wall Street didn't flood the work with toxic debt instruments, backed by their toxic and probably illegal sliced-and-diced mortgage securities? Wall Street didn't come up with the MERS system that sidestepped the LEGAL documentation for property transfers, leaving courts to untangle the unholy mess as to who actually owns what? Bless your silly little uninformed hearts.— Susie from Philly
- A bleeding-heart liberal complaining about sidestepping LEGAL documentation. Too funny!!! — MoneyMan1115
Comment removed.- montani semper liberi, The main reason this country still has problems is because of the man in the White House. If he was a good president we'd all be working together to fix the mess that both parties caused. Instead, he is dividing this nation along party lines. If you can't see that you have been sipping the kool-aid too long. Wall Street's intention is to make money. They are clear and open about it. They are going to do whatever it takes to make money. If you think otherwise you are VERY naive. The politicians on the other hand are deceitful and manipulative. You never know what angle they are going to take to further their own agendas. @PhillyGuy77, thanks for the insult. Its what Dems do best and I expect nothing less.— psyrus
- So the Tea Party has Fox...and the Dems and Obama-nation have MSNBC/NBC. Was there a point you were trying to make in there anywhere? Lean forward, then make a hard left.— jimmymack
- psyrus let's put it frank: you are a total idiot and mindless drone. Take, for instance, the latest legislation - one could reason that it was designed for both parties to find some satisfaction -- tax cuts, aid to states, direct spending, SLIGHT tax increases, spending cuts. You get the picture. Sen. McConnells comment yesterday (regarding tax increases): "Well, if Obama wants to volunteer a tax increase, he should write a check". Its unbelievable how cynical and dastardly these people are. You should expect nothing less - its justified - you are a dolt. "main reason" - lol.— Murrayman
- The only thing I can take from this article, without being able to see the picture, is that no amount of protesting in the streets will make any significant change and two, these people, by design, are geared toward separating unwitting people from their wealth. They are the Nabobs of Kurtzs' nightmares. The only thing to do in this case is to be fond of a Democratic process all the while striving to protect your family and your neck cause these people will stop at nothing. They will sell you anything. And one asks, 'where are the customer's yachts?'— Murrayman
- @Murrayman, another insult from a leftist. Keep them coming. You are only proving what everyone else already knows about liberal Dems. Please tell me what the POTUS has done to promote unity? Check nearly everyone of his speeches. You will find an undercurrent of an "us vs. them" mentality. If you want to post quotes, we can post just as many stupid comments from elected Democrats in regards to Republicans. The POTUS is supposed to be above that. This one isn't.— psyrus
- I'm actually a 'neitherist' - and that keeps me informed to the extent to which YOU are a shill partisan. Forget the speeches for a second -- what does the POTUS do? Well lets see -- oh look here an ARRA bill with both spending AND tax cuts; extension of UE benefits for a payroll tax cut and extension of the 2001, 2003 tax cuts. A healthcare bill modelled after a Heritage foundation model and based on market-based solutions. Obama's problem, by and large, is that he has rolled over all too well -- for a political party (GOP) hell-bent on doing EVERYTHING that can be done within the political realm to having economic conditions deteriorate further so they can then blame them on the POTUS. Its like breaking someone's leg and then pointing and laughing at how gimpy the person is.— Murrayman
- I would love to know the background of these protesters...— BillyDelco
- Class warfare has been going on since the 80's it has been the ultra wealthy against the middle class. You can correlate the deficit and our national debt to tax cuts to the wealthy and growth of their wealth respectfully.
Yet, when we, the working class, push back the Republicans call it class warfare. Well you have been conducting it on us for thirty years.
Class warfare has been going on for millennium, in the pass it usually wound up with some people heads on a stick. It comes down to this pay now or you will pay later.
— DavidAG - "Bunch of B.S."-The one article that tells you all you need to know about America in 2011 is this one!!! Attacks on Wall Street, a place that actually makes money for many prople including the middle class while ignoring the real issues. Solyndra scandal and the loss of 1/2 billion taxpayer dollars, Chrysler bailout, loss of 1 billion + taxpayer dollars, Green Job scams, etc., etc.. The Libby media is treasonous by ignoring what is really hurting America in favor of petty attacks on Palin, Fox News, Wall Street and anything else they can go after to devert focus on the truth. Simply proves that journalism really is dead!!— sarah89
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