Occupy Wall Street.

[ichi the killer]

Ok, finally a cause that rings true for me as well many of the population of America's working society.

I refer to "Occupy Wall Street." The demonstrations that are going on in New York, Washington DC. and else where now. Unlike the "Tea Party" which seems to be mostly about saving the big banks, rich people and corporations from having to pay their fair share of taxes, Occupy Wall Street speaks for the "little people." The proletariat's. The working poor.

While Bernanke and other highballer assholes are still debating if we are in a "double dip recession" now, the "regular people," like 99% of us working stiffs, know that things are not so good. No jobs, my condo is "underwater." I am under employed, my retirement is worth shit.

I have a pension from a company where I worked for 15 years. Guess what? I get quarterly letters form those pricks. The funding money is "in critical status" as in they spent it all on bad investment. probably real estate. Guess I probably won't be getting any of that money if I live to 65? And get this: The place i am at has a 401 B plan with company match. Last year the company decided they can no longer afford to match employee contributions. I have another vested retirement with same company. it is "Frozen" now. No linger contribute to it. The comapany says they can't afford to continue this retirement plan. Huh? Thanks you rich greedy fuckers. I worked hard for 15 years for that shit. It was not free. "Ripped off" by "the man." Greedy rich fuckers.

Meanwhile GM, Chrysler, Ford, and the big banks all got bailed out by the Federal government. "Too big to fail." Who is going to "bail me out?"

Where I work there have been massive layoffs recently. My hours have been cut. The work load is heavy still, just there is no extra help. So basically, my job got a lot more hairy and the pay is less. The care for the patients is not up to "standard of care" in my opinion. I read not one word about this shit in the local news. Except for one union letter in the local news last week. Nothing. Just silence. "Don't scare the sheep." "Baah!"

The reason why the layoffs? The corporate profits are down. That is the "official" reason the company shamelessly admits that. admits it. i am not just speculating that. Thats what management told us via meetings. Ha! I know for a fact that the company I work for makes millions and they stash away those profits. They are public with that as well. It is public knowledge, they post the company earning so people will buy their stocks. Unfortunately for us, the company has decided to "share" less of their profits with their employees at this time.

The place that I work at is non-union. The employees largely were content to not have a union because:

1. Many of them are redneck Republicans who don't believe in organized labor.

2. It seemed like we did not need one because the company was reasonably generous with us and were dealing fairly with us for the most part. Hell, I was making good money. Why revolution if your belly is full? Right? Only hungry people are unhappy.

When your buddys in corporate lay you off. You become a little more sympathetic to unions. At union places the company has to follow due process when they "can" an employee. At my place they seemed to arbitralily go after the employees with the most tenure and making the highest top end wages.

Times have changed very rapidly.

I know personally a few people who got laid off, and I know some others who's relatives got laid off at my work. Let me tell you. The mood is a lot more sympathetic for getting a union now at my place. Of course, the managers don't want this. "You don't want a union. They are dishonest! They should do an audit to see where the union dues are spent." Yeah right. The "pot calls the kettle black."

Machiavelli "The Prince." Quote:"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

The union at another hospital not far away, posted a full page letter about a similar situation. Who speaks for us at my place? The company? No. The manager replied tp me when I told her the otherdaythat "my work place has gone from a relatively happy place to a complete hell hole almost over night." She said this little gem of wisdom: "You may have to work very hard, but at least you still have a job." The managers make a large"bonus" if they meet company payroll expectations. A percent of the payroll money saved by the department. That is public knowledge as well. "No union please. You suckers don't need a union." Right.

I e-mailed a union the otherday and told them "maybe you guys should come on out. I think maybe some people will have a change of heart for unionization. It may be worth your while."

Corporate greed. That is what the "Occupy Wall Street." movement is about. If they come out here i will join them in their protest. Count me in. It took long enough. I thought they were drugging the water in this country or something. The populace seemed so placate while all these shananagins have been going on. Maybe there is still some hope for us. Organize, protest. Revolt. I hope the movement takes off. I for one will help them if I get the opportunity. Where do I sign up?

[solomon]

Hey Ichi, sounds like your writing the story of my last few years. It seems like the same shit is happening to all of us, regardless of your line of work, business, or company. I too have been forced to produce more for less pay. And I am one of the "lucky" ones that didn't get laid off. BTW, American corporations are making record profits, at our expense.

[trooth]

Wall Street has evolved to be a huge sector of the economy, and most of those firms add precious little value to society. In fact, it is not a stretch to say that many of these firms actually detract value from society. So a huge slice of our economy serves no useful purpose to our society, but takes an ever increasing share of the wealth of our country.
Moreover, after the biggest firms on Wall Street practically destroyed our entire Financial System and our Capitalist way of life, we the people were forced to bail them out. And what is the first thing that the geniuses running these corrupt companies did? They used the bailout funds to reward themselves with record paychecks and bonuses, and in some cases, golden parachutes (diamond parachutes would be more apt).
So, as always, it is Capitalism when they succeed, and Socialism when they fail. We the people don't get treated that way.
It is common for angry White men to blame Barney Frank and the Dems for the whole Fiasco, but this is naive at best, and a twisted manipulation of the facts. None of this would have happened without dozens of the largest Financial firms in the country committing massive fraud and betting the whole economy for their own benefit, knowing that they cannot lose. The game was entirely rigged for the corrupt few in positions of power. It had almost nothing to do with Barney Frank. It had everything to do with Goldman Sachs, AIG, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Bros, BofA / Countrywide, JPMorgan Chase, Standard and Poors, Moodys, etc. etc.
Anyone who thinks otherwise should read 'The Big Short' or some other fine books on the subject. The real question - almost 4 years after the world almost blew up - is why the hell have there been no indictments and guilty verdicts handed down yet? The reason: Wall Street still OWNS our federal government, and Nothing material has really changed. The AIG fiasco can easily happen again. All the major financial firms remain Too Big To Fail, and would get bailed out in a heartbeat if the situation occurred again. There is no accountability on Wall Street. Just some additional regulations that fuck up the system for the smaller firms and honest people in the financial services industry.
This is why everybody hates Wall Street. They are the biggest crooks in the country. And they All got away with it, so far.

[hornyag101]

This is ridiculous.

I am a small business owner, make that a micro business owner now since I no longer have employee's who I would have gladly re-hired after there construction jobs evaporated but I can barely pay my-self.

I luckily am in a luxury mfg business, lucky only that I could see the recession coming from a million miles away. I warned my former employee's to save there money, it fell on deaf ears except for one former employee who I am still in contact with and is doing OK since he kept his expenditures low. It still kills me to think of some former employee's who lost everything, I was invited to a going away party that broke my heart.

This country is losing it's soul, in that I mean that it is gong away from what made it great. Unfortunately it is we, the people, who are letting this happen. We have let the government take on a role greater than it-self due to our complacency when times were good. The government of the US is supposed to be of the people, now it exists to serve it-self and in that role we are doomed. We have lazily given up what made the US great, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

One thing is true throughout history, empires have phases, Growth, maturation and decline. The US is in the decline phase and no elected government official will change that, only the American people can.

I have made enormous investments in the US by my standards, a mere piss in the bucket for the 1%. I hope I have not made a big mistake for the future of my family but I am betting on the resiliency of the American people.

[ichi the killer]

Capitalism by it's very nature is preditory. The problem we are having now is: The richist 1% preyed on the world population with the realestate loan bubble collapse. Banks were left with massive "toxic assests" AKA bad loans/ foreclosures/short sells. Economic recession/depression followed. Some preditors made big proffits on that scam though. Even the Republicans have been slamming their own guy Mitt Romney for his capitalist roll in the company Bain. Bain was invested in other companies that went bankrupt and he made huge proffits while many people lost their jobs. Republicans bad mouthing free market captilism? Now I have seen everything.

Such is life: There are preditors and prey. One or the other. Most people are "prey."

[OkiOpai]

Originally Posted by ichi the killer

Capitalism by it's very nature is preditory. The problem we are having now is: The richist 1% preyed on the world population with the realestate loan bubble collapse.

What a bunch of nonsense. Nobody held a gun to people's heads and made them buy houses they could not afford - that was piss-poor planning on their part. In addition, the same hysterical ranters who are screaming that banks made "predatory loans" to all those poor people were the same ones putting pressure on those same banks to make those same risky loans. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. May I also suggest that you stop spending so much time with your foaming screeds and see a mental health professional about your unresolved anger issues?

[ichi the killer]

I am not alone with this OkiOpai. You are suffering in the same fucked up economy as me. You, however, do not recognize who your friends and enemies are. That is called "co-opted into the system" in Karl Marx's classic theory of class warfare. Go on living your in your dream, jack-ass. You will not wake up. There is no hope for you.

[trooth]

Originally Posted by OkiOpai

May I also suggest that you stop spending so much time with your foaming screeds and see a mental health professional about your unresolved anger issues?

OkiPoki, I was just thinking the same thing. If you think the 2008 financial meltdown was not caused by Wall Street, then I suggest you get checked for possible schizophrenia.

Once you are stabilized with medication, then I would recommend you read 'The Big Short' by Michael Lewis.

[hornyag101]

While it is true that no one forced people to buy houses I think your missing the point. Ichi mentioned that There are preditors and prey. One or the other. Most people are "prey." I have always felt the same way. The banks preyed on idiots as they had the ratings agency's give AAA ratings to these shit loans, they then could sell them and be off the hook while making tons of dough. They basically privatized gains for themselves while socializing the loses as they were never held accountable.

The CEO's of these major banks should be sharing a jail cell with Bernie Madoff, the only reason he is behind bars is because he stole from the rich. All they did was make billions while selling off these shit loans so they wouldn't be caught holding the bag. Besides they had one of there own ready to bail them out in that fucker Paulson. I have never seen the Federal Government move so fast to dole out billions, I guess it's OK to socialize the banks when a so called Conservative Republican does it.

The de-regulation of the banks that started with Reagan, continued with Clinton and Bush and flied right past those dicks in senate and house is bullshit. If there going to use the money of the American people to insure deposits than they better make sure these fuckers aren't ripping us off blind. Business should feel free to prosper but NOT when it's backed by the federal government. Take away the FDIC insurance and lets see how many of us would even think to keep our money with these crooks.

[hornyag101]

Originally Posted by ichi the killer

I am not alone with this OkiOpai. You are suffering in the same fucked up economy as me. You, however, do not recognize who your friends and enemies are. That is called "co-opted into the system" in Karl Marx's classic theory of class warfare. Go on living your in your dream, jack-ass. You will not wake up. There is no hope for you.

That is soo true.

I know someone who lost his job, house, his wife left him and he is back living at his moms house but he still is a die hard conservative republican. Of course he collects unemployment which is in no way a form of socialism and can't find a job. This of course is all of Obama's fault because he was in office for all of 3 months when he got fired. They really must have used some strong detergent when they brain washed him.

I actually can't stand the republicans or democrats as there a lot more alike than they are different now. The democrats don't have any balls and the republicans would rather have the country fall into further ruins so they can win the next election.