Adbusters is taking credit for being the “brains” behind the Occupation Movement, which is gaining support from the least-likely sources:
At this point, the “credit” is to be shared amongst those who have taken it upon themselves to express their dissatisfaction with a system that rewards politicians for becoming lapdogs for corporate interests. When we vote, we may think we are voting for change, but it never happens.
One of the “mainstream” issues that enjoys popular support is reform of the tax code. The current system is often referred to as an “abomination” or a “monstrosity” that continues to aid the separation of the classes and undermine the middle class. This from Robert A. Green, CPA, writing for Forbes:
“Congress doesn’t want fast-food-style tax plans, as it’s against their current interest to have tax policy be made simple, fair, accountable, transparent, and easy to comply with.
“That’s because Congress uses the tax code for intimidation (tax hikes) and reward (tax incentives) tied at the hip to their inappropriate fund raising methods. Voters are upset about this. Congress wouldn’t enjoy record tax revenues, and related out-of-control government spending without having its tax tentacles everywhere possible, at the highest tax rates possible.
"Most everyone agrees that the current tax code is a ‘monstrosity’ and most assume the reason is Congress tweaked the code too many times over the past century, like too many disfiguring-coats of paint slapped on a house. But, that’s not the real reason.
“The tax code is a monstrosity because it’s a mirror reflection of Congress and their wheeling and dealing on fiscal policy with special interests. Congresses’ stock and trade is fiscal policy, while the independent Federal Reserve runs monetary policy. Government revenue is mostly comprised of taxes, so Congressmen are government salesman, charging taxes to stay in business, grow and prosper. Tax costs to taxpayers often wind up being pork for some group of people, and not benefiting taxpayers.”
As we move towards a framework for changes in the current system, it should be understood that many of issues we will examine are the direct result of artificial rewards and penalties built into an existing tax system that almost no one supports except for those that directly benefit from it. Or put another way, the 1% who rarely, if ever, actually pay anything resembling their “fair share” of taxes.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine any fundamental reforms that do not include a complete overhaul of the tax system (as well as institutional banking reforms). There are few issues discussed here that will not rely on those reforms to make the transition from concept to reality. The good news is that these reforms already have popular support and therefore should become part of the dialog as our numbers grow.
3 Comments
Get Back on Original Track, please
Submitted by alhs06 on
Coppied from my post on another thread
The original statement posted on the OWS home page (News), the one that lit the fire of my passion to want to follow, participate & promote is not what I see as the direction OLA seems to be focusing on. The POLL which glares @ me every time I log on confirms my sentiment.
I love the original statement, broken down, "The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%." & putting an end to that rule.
Instead of "Facilitating" this simple message through protest, peaceful occupation & a simple uncomplicated & clear message to easily be repeated & defended by every one of "The 99%". We have chosen to fall into what we know, what we have been taught by our own misgiving's through our own complacency in accepting this system we find our self apart of now, this Monster Bureaucracy, a system that the "Occupy Revolution" has clearly decided to embrace instead of avoid.
This is not a criticism that can be denied, any debate against it is nothing less than an excuse avoid the acceptance of this fact. We obviously knew why we all became apart of the movement, ending "Corruption by the 1%". We have instead chosen to development a "Complex platform we are currently building to begin our assault on the established 1%".
Choosing leaders
Creation of a new third party
Organizing Speakers
This is not why I became personally & emotionally involved. I do not care about the opinion's of the press, politicians or that small group of close minded radicals who view us with contempt and describe us with a plethora of labels. But I do care about the opinion's of my family & friends, neighbors, associates & my community in general. Their opinion's are justified by our movements growing list of personal agendas, self promotion & a false sense that we have "ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING". We have accomplished nothing, we have taken a Great Opportunity to responsibly promote a change in this country that could have affected Millions of us in a positive way. Instead we choose to waste each other's time by consuming it by entertaining complicated strategies in an attempt to implement ..."WHAT"?
The current direction of this rebellion/revolution/movement is quickly becoming unfamiliar to me in comparison to the one I thought I had agreed to compassionately defend & follow.
It took the 1% 66 years to convince our politicians to write into legislative law, the amendments which removed "The Conflict of Interest" restriction's regarding the concern's we were aware of back in 1933, (the middle of The Great Depression) from the law, preventing our Banking & Financial Industry to gamble with the financial stability of our country in their, (Individual & Corporation/Private Institution's) quest for personal & private gain. Well the law was changed, the 1% money was made & we are back in a recession that more than rivals the one began in 1928. We don't have 66 years to rewrite the wrong, we are out of time.
Wake up, "Stay focused and stay on task by getting on task", Wake up.
Lose the Ego, The quest for Power the Bureaucracy, or your going to lose a lot of passionate people who believed in our simple original message. Some of us still get it, how about you?
currently 52% to 32% to 16%, what a joke or better yet WTF?
Movement or Institution
Submitted by pompeytodayLA on
After attending Friday nights GA, I was amazed at how much energy and time is dedicated
towards OccupyLA as an occupied institution vs. a political movement. Question: If the movement was void of an occupation, would it be able to deicate more energy and resources for the movement?
$$ source helpful to use to elicit more from those less occup'd
Submitted by maryjanie on
yeah....liked this article because the Forbes source is generally opposed opposite to those Occupying...and so could send it out in emails = so that anyone skeptical might get a quick short read to get another viewpoint about the movement and say, “oh, they are OK after all, hmmmmm”... And tell us, who can verify who originated an idea anyhow ? …..claims come in the zillions and each innovator learns from another anyhow and uses what is gained for their own use, no ? artists do it all the time and have done so for ages. Claims are easy and verifications are much more difficult. So…Who makes the claim to be the very 1st to this movement now? Tell us all - How to find or locate the True and Only one[s]? Huh ?
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