Why Geezers Are the True Enemy of Occupy Wall Street

[force3264]

@TylerNutify since you can't understand facts or reason, you yourself are spreading Conservative paid "think tank" ploy. get yourself an education dumbass

[GL0BEmaster]

She looks so much like Ayn Rand is is creepy

[GL0BEmaster]

@BillyJoe1305 Free the market and monpolies will return. The market must have rules that maintain a competitive environment. Otherwise, big business will crush small business and innovation will stop.

[PavelDragunov]

@GL0BEmaster See thats exactly whats happening in this current system of crony capitalism and corporate welfare. Big buisiness isn't being restricted by government its USING big government to squeeze its competitors by creating barriers to entry raising operating costs and passing laws and regulations that large corporations can be bypass using any number of loopholes. Monopolies will return they're already here. By promoting more government your giving them more power.

[dffykvn]

@GL0BEmaster Don't these assholes know that the only society with absolute property rights are feudal societies where the lord of the land has absolute property rights and the ability to tell anyone living on his private property what to do under pain of death?

If the lord of the land wants to rape your daughter he can because he has the absolute private property right over the land

These assholes want us to return to the feudal era of masters and serfs.

[dffykvn]

Stupid greedy evil whore is a stupid evil greedy whore

[PavelDragunov]

@dffykvn You use words like evil and greedy, yet your solution essentially boils down to, "I'm gonna use democracy to vote myself other peoples stuff, and if they refuse I'm gonna lock them in a cage, if they resist that, then they get shot and killed" gosh, what an enlightened humanitarian you are.

[autoxista]

Speaking as a geezer, I'm not sure it's reasonable for us to expect our kids to fund our SS when we elected the governements that blew the SS trust fund. But, of course,that's what you get when you fall for the "free lunch" conservatism of cutting taxes without cutting spending.

[autoxista]

So do you cut off SS for people who have saved money for retirement, and reward those who have been irresponsible? Or do you scrap the whole thing for everyone, which is brutal for those at the bottom of the income scale who didn't have the opportunity to put significant money away?

[autoxista]

well, lots of potty language, not much thinking.

[Shonenut213]

Just wait until about 2030. When youth terrorist organization start killing seniors for mooching of young people. I bet some crazy suicide bomber will blow up the AARP building.

[dffykvn]

@Shonenut213 Yea, it's not like we should kill bankers for shivving the world economy then giving the terrorist threat of doing more damage unless we covered their bad bets

[JimboUSofA]

Fuck off, asslickers to the oligarchy.

[shades2]

Oh, and in Absolute Capitalist America, bank robs you.

[davekeays]

@shades2 when was American an "absolute capitalist" state? Never in my life, and I'm almost a geezer.

[shades2]

If young people really want to crash the system, in just a couple of years this is how you do it :

Shrug Like Atlas.

Go live in a tee-pee in a field for 2 years or so, grow your own food, look after yourself, contribute nothing to a system that's trying to use you up, and spits you out.

It would crash overnight, and the people at the top would then have to radically re-think their stupid strategy and lack of compassion. Stop thinking fiat money has any real worth, beyond good-will.

[ThisMachineKillsReds]

Logic is the true enemy of OWS. They're useful idiots for Barry Obomber and the Technocrats.

[TylerNutify]

Bullshit

This is just a Conservative paid "think tank" ploy to create a political argument in the from of a so call "study" by a so called "institute".

They want you to think that old = wealthy?

Bullshit.

[force3264]

@TylerNutify You dumbass republican. Elizabeth Warren said it herself here

/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

the old are better off than the young. By your own logic, you're a dumbass conservative cock sucker.

[dffykvn]

@force3264 The old are marginally better off thanks to the social programs

The rich have fucked over the world economy

Why the fuck should we make the poor and elderly sacrifice when the rich have robbed us blind and jackal fascists like mitt romney make fortunes by killing american businesses

[force3264]

@dffykvn Then why the fuck are you taking money from the poor and old and giving it to the rich like Buffet? You fell for the good cop you sick fuck. Go give Romney another bj.

[dffykvn]

@force3264 What the fuck are you talking about?

[force3264]

@dffykvn dumbass, Buffet says "increase taxes on the rich" and you agree without thinking. The taxes are aimed at you so you pay for his business venture like green energy and get tax credits. His own company have trouble with the irs for not paying taxes. If his business goes well, he keep the profit, if it fails, we get poorer. Stop giving money to the rich. Get yourself and education and stop sucking buffet's cock

[usaf317]

she should go back to europe.

[midnighthood]

. No, blaming the old is a cop out. The true ememies are the banks, The are charging Usury (Intest0 . Yahuwah hates Usury......

[Pleblian]

In their youth they where all liberals that pushed for higher wages.... Now they have all their money invested and they're going to protect it at our expense...

"Fuck our progeny!" 

[trick29420]

Baby Boomers have been the worst generation.

[EdgarSwank]

I'm one of the geezers (age 71) collecting SS (but not medicare). I have other income and a neet worth of a little over $1,000,000. What I'm afraid of if this transfer from the poor and young gets worse is roving bands of young men killing anyone they come across with grey hair. Perhaps this possibility should be mentioned to AARP and other geezer organizations that raise a ruckus whenever reform of SS or Medicare is considered, even though all current proposals exempt persons over age ~55.

[vonGleichenT]

I'm sorry but the elder in my family are not doing much better than for example myself. Also, when you get that old I would hope that you have been able to accumulate more wealth because of the time that you had.

[Eatm308amA]

This post is total bullshit.

[Eatm308amA]

Well, I guess by this idiots reasoning old people should just kill themselves so as they are not a burden to the young. They raise these ungrateful socialists and they get no gratitude for it.

[priorzola]

Sorry but seniors didn't crash our economy. And neither did teachers. And thanks for trying to convince us that the riches nation in the world can no longer afford to take care of their seniors but can afford to give Mitt Romney a $12 million tax break in just two years of returns.

Priorities, people. Libertarians have none. Which is why the LIBERTARIAN CONFEDERACY failed in America and the Libertarian Wild West was a no man's land with no guaranteed rights or any sort of infrastructure at all

[Cornampoo]

@priorzola do you have any evidence whatsoever to support this nonsense? No, that's what I thought.

[XlPackratlX]

@priorzola And sorry but freedom didn't crash our economy. Whose fault do you think it is that government just won't take better care of their seniors and give more money to the wealthy? I can just say that liberals and neo-conservatives' priorities are all fucked up. We're either looking at New China or New Iran. We do have priorities and it should be up to the people, not the government. The Confederate was not libertarian. I've heard that the "WILD" West is a myth.

[l1xx3r]

This stupid girl said ron paul wasn't going to win on national TV a long time ago... she also really needs makeup... but i agree with her here.

[kclaytor2]

Helping only the needy makes sense. In my own family I see that my parents of retirement age are buying big screen TVs, and dream cars the last few years while getting social security checks, while those of us in the middle (40ish) are just getting by, and the youngest adults in their 20s are seriously struggling. This is far from the most serious problem though. More serious is all the corruption between govt and corporations.

[saleh2kx]

Sounds like RON PAUL.. Its just unbelievable that RON PAUL knew all these scenarios before saying END SOCIAL SECURITY or OPT IN IF YOU WANNA....Not to mention the numerous predictions he made about housing bubble and US foreign policy failing 10yrs ago

[ubermisogynist]

Occupy is nothing but bottom feeding communist

[rrp1973]

"Senior americans are the wealthiest generation in the history of the world. If they cannot afford their medical bills, who can?" Thomas Sowell

[eveningbuzz]

If we would take away the safety net we provide the elderly then most of them would allocate their spending during their youth towards their own safety net and less towards frivolous consumption. Bring back charities and let their budget set the boundaries of the safety net. Get government out of it.

And while we are at it lets cut the budgets of prisons. Put the really bad in meager pits and feed them swill. To hell with us providing them health care. Put that burden on them or their family.

[HayPennie]

Yeah because the young make sooo much money. And hey - what have the old ever done for us? Nuffin' dat's what.

Hey dingbat - the elder generations [pre-baby boomers] have given more to this country, and more to their shitty ungrateful offspring than you have ever given in your life, or ever will. Look around - they invented everything. Even the internet. What's your contribution, other than being a whiny dingbat who drives men away.

[PavelDragunov]

@HayPennie Yeah but the thing is, the pre baby boomer ww2 generation, ain't the issue. They paid into the system and they're all gonna be dead in the next 10-15. Its these entitled ass rapidly aging baby boomers who have never known a day of poverty in their lives, who have been coddled from cradle to grave that are causing the country to go bankrupt. The ww2 generation fought to create a better life for those who came after. The boomers have fought to take everything for themselves.

[dffykvn]

@PavelDragunov The people causing america to go bankrupt are the banks that have run massive frauds (robosigning, fraudclosure, CDS, bribed ratings agencies), the jackal fascist private equity funds and the rich people that demanded that we cover their bad bets or they'd nuke the world economy again.

Forcing austerity on the backs or the poor and elderly instead of the rich is EVIL

[alvincay100]

But Obama told me its only "fair" that if you make more than 250k per year you should pay more in taxes.

[MRSketch09]

The irony of all this is, that were coming full circle with this. From what little I understand of history, their used to be vast more organizations and small medical facilities that would help out people who had fallen on bad times. And then politicians started buying votes. And then the shit figuratively hit the fan. And these organizations that were devoted to helping these individuals started disappearing and well were where were at today. In a shit hole. Well at least the young generation.

[RRbattlefield]

Come join me in the a grand new movement... OCCUPY THE RETIREMENT HOMES!!!

[yakyakyak69]

The YOUNG are our best hope!

The "progressive" (socialist/marxist) redistribution system is collapsing of it's own weight.

The YOUNG are embrasing Ron Paul.

It is the "entitled baby-boomers" who are the problem!

[warfossil]

This is propaganda.

[demerc]

When you look at Industrialized and 'Western' cultures in particular there is a spirit of contempt that the old have for the young and a lack of respect the young have for the old. This is mainly to do with how we actually live-Our lives are about a long collection of possessions.The old are concerned with preserving and protecting what they've built up.This fuels a masochistic cycle.In other countries,sages and gurus are old folks with white hair.They're the radicals that inspire the young.

[Morrakiu]

U MAD, OWS?

[tomperanteau]

If these "older" are the ones that pumped money into the Social Security system for years, then why would you want to cut off the elderly? Does this moron want to just let them die like Obama's health care?

How about your president stop getting us into wars that cost us BILLIONS a day to support for the murder of people in other countries? This is just simple and stupid.

[Jester2415]

@tomperanteau Let them die? Old does not equate to poor. Young people are more at risk health wise in this country considering most can't afford health insurance, are unemployed or working part time jobs with no benefits, and they don't have assets to fall back on like houses and property. Statistics prove it, life expectancy has gone down for the younger generation... first time in this country's history.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Jester2415 You are way off. Older paid more than you have and deserve more from the system. Otherwise the system is not working as it should. Younger that need more should pay more and not suck from those that have given more.

[Jester2415]

@thedailydigestorg Well their "system" is failing them, irony hurts don't it? How can the younger pay more when they have no jobs? Why should the young pay off the debts of the old and irresponsible? We are not your indentured servants. The old have lived well by passing the buck to the younger generation and then whine when we object. The young fight the wars the old start, our generation has paid our fair share in blood and lost limbs. We deserve better.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Jester2415 The system is failing because of politicians that continue to pillage the accounts for Social Security and Medicare/Medicad. That started back when Johnson, a democrat, decided he wanted to escalate the Vietnam war, but didn't want to raise taxes. He stole the money and the politicians have been stealing it from then on.

I know that you think this somehow makes you a servant, much as your parents were when they raised you, but we are supposed to take care of our own.

[Jester2415]

Like i said why should the young "pay" for something that is bankrupt? Would you throw money into a well and expect a return? An investment is moronic if there is no gain on the return. That's no good economics. How have the old paid their share if we have to pick up the slack? They voted those corrupt politicians in, you reap what you sow. And the fact that I and you have to pay an income tax makes us all indentured servants. We're working, producing for someone else.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Jester2415 We're all paying for a completely bankrupt system. I've paid over $1.2 million into the system and I will never see it.

I know that you are hell-bent to throw all those older than you under the bus and see them rot on the streets, but that's not how it works. We've been working and paying all our lives and at this point you haven't paid piss by comparison. You probably voted for corrupt politicians but don't lump others into that pack. I voted independent for 30 years.

[Jester2415]

Rot in the streets? Jesus, get your head out of your ass. The elderly are not children, you insult them by treating them as such. They are far more capable of fending for themselves then you give them credit. Many are more than just rich. You think you are entitled to everything but you will get nothing because your generation is corrupt and narcissistic. You reap what you sow. Don't expect my generation to foot the bill while you sip tea on the golf course.

[shades2]

@Jester2415 Uh. You just called an entire generation corrupt and narcissistic. I suggest you try a new pair of glasses, those ones are giving you an extremely distorted view of reality.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Jester2415 You are not paying for irresponsible debts. These are payments to people that have PAID INTO THE SYSTEM ALL THEIR LIVES. They expected this money to be paid back and not stolen. Blame your politicians. You speak in blanket terms and that is moronic. "old have lived well". Not true in most of the situations. Savings stolen by banks, Social Security stolen. The only thing you state that makes sense is that we should not go to war overseas.

[Jester2415]

Check that number on our national debt and tell me we aren't paying for irresponsibility? So you admit my money will be going to someone else, not to me when i get older. Why should I agree to that? Because they "deserve it"? That's moronic. No man has entitlement over another man's wealth.

PS I saw a lot of grey haired politicians voting for the bank bailouts. You reap what you sow.

[Shonenut213]

@thedailydigestorg The money these old geezer faggots paid into the system is already GONE! Dumbfuck!

The money they are receiving from is social security and medicare is from YOUNG people who are currently working. NOT from their own money! I should not have to pay these for welfare for these shittard old geezer fucks! They can rot in the fucking streets for all I care!

[thedailydigestorg]

@Shonenut213 Tell you what, princess, I'll wait right here and see if you come up with anything intellectual to say. I know that all you have is your filthy language, so I don't really expect anything to debate against.

[Shonenut213]

@thedailydigestorg Fuck off you stupid asslicking faggot ass motherfucker piece of shit cuntfack fuck!

[Shonenut213]

@thedailydigestorg Go suck some cocks fag!

[thedailydigestorg]

@Shonenut213 LOL! Like I thought. No intellect here. Nothing to see but a 20 year old buy made to look foolish.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Jester2415 We do a LOT of probate and elderly law in my office. We deal with other attorneys that practice the same. There are a lot of elderly out there that are either poor, or they have lost all of their savings because of the banking criminals. Unless you have some statistics, you speak from your emotions and not facts.

[Jester2415]

@thedailydigestorg Omg... I will reiterate... Having grey hair does not make one poor. Sorry, that's just liberal propaganda to get the elderly vote. Comparing 25 vs 65... the 25's lose every time. On income, property ownership, assets, debt, student loans, medical treatment, life expectancy (comparing the gens at the 25 mark onward). Lol my Grandfather supported his family on a 11k salary in the fifties that wouldn't even cover rent now a days not to mention gas.

[beigelycheenut]

@tomperanteau Because the older people now paid in less than they receive. The boomers will receive far more from us than they paid in, and by the time I'm old, there won't be any money left. It's a Ponzi scheme, so why keep it around?

[ill318]

@beigelycheenut the fund was robbed, fraud commited it would be there if not looted by criminals. Glass steagal (kept banks & invetment houses seperate) removed by clinton allowed most of the current stuff ows is protesting over - imo

[tomperanteau]

@beigelycheenut So let me get this straight. The older paid in millions, and now pay less. The older paid more than the younger have paid all together. The older have paid in enough to pay their way, but the younger want them to suffer so that the younger can have more later.

Okay, I got it. The older are tossed aside so the selfish younger can have more. LOL!

[Darkwizzrobe]

@tomperanteau umm no the system is based on workers paying for the old there is no account set up no money stash that is saved over the years it has worked so far because there are more workers than those taking out when SS started the number was like 4 to 1 now its 2 to 1 and in the 2030s it will be 2 to 3 and the system will collapse so no one paying in now is going to receive benefits oh and by the way taxes are theft so none of this is voluntary therefore this is worse than a Ponzi scheme

[tomperanteau]

@Darkwizzrobe The term "umm" makes you sound like a dumbass. Perhaps you might want to think about that.

You have a really juvenile sense of how things work, but I can see how you might at your age. It is really difficult to follow your point when you don't punctuate or capitalize, but that is another indication of your intellect.

You're wrong on your numbers. At least, I think you're wrong. Hard to tell when an illiterate takes to the keyboard. Try growing and learning and we'll talk.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Darkwizzrobe You have no idea what you are talking about. You're a moron.

[thedailydigestorg]

@Darkwizzrobe You're stupid. Go earn a living and pay too much for 20 years, then come back and talk to the rest of us. Moron.

[Darkwizzrobe]

@tomperanteau By the way here is a video that can better explain what I am talking about and if anyone is interested look up on youtube

"Lesson 2: Social Security is Scamtastic" by TheAustrian08

[thedailydigestorg]

@Darkwizzrobe The intelligent here don't need a video to spoon-feed them their information. We can research and find the numbers for ourselves. If you need someone to tell you what to think, that is your problem.

[Darkwizzrobe]

@thedailydigestorg The system is based on more workers paying in then taking out what don't you understand I just was pointing to a video that was more comprehensive than the answer that I gave to the other guy oh and what is the point in paying into a system that won't be there when I am 65

[NDXUFan]

@tomperanteau The average senior will have paid $500,000 in to Social Security and Medicare, while receiving $1 million in lifetime Social Security and Medicare benefits.

[tomperanteau]

@NDXUFan So then, we toss the elderly into the streets, or where ever they have to go, so that we can continue to wage wars all over the world under your current president? How would that work out for your parents? How about for you when you reach the age of retirement?

[thedailydigestorg]

@beigelycheenut WRONG. Not even a good try. You assume that the older people now are the same that paid before. Makes no sense and you make no sense.

[monkeygust]

Touch Up!

[GetMeThere1]

Go ahead: take away social security from the retired and retiring now. Do you know what the hilarious result will be? They'll institute the SAME SYSTEM in about ten years, and NOBODY WILL EVEN REMEMBER (or acknowledge) that people were TOTALLY RIPPED OFF the last time it was run: they paid in for others, and then nobody paid to them when they needed it.

Same memory problem with inflation--TOO FEW people around to spread the news that money is worth only a TINY FRACTION of what it was worth.

[TruthJockey]

The Geezers are keen on keeping the status quo...they don't want change OF ANY KIND. Take, for example, the GOP exit polling in early states, where Ron Paul gets fewer votes from Geezers than any other segment of the populous. Ron Paul represents CHANGE and the other guys represent THE STATUS QUO. It's like they're begging everyone to "keep everything the same for one more decade"...it's sickening how such a brainwashed group of Geritol junkies comprise such a large (and senile) voting block.

[dffykvn]

@TruthJockey Ron Paul represents neo confederate states rights horseshit

Anonymous took that stupid fucker down in operation blitzkrieg where they exposed his neo nazi and klan friends

[whoo689]

They say that unions have become "sclerotic", and that's the reason why Ford and GM became "less competitive" (they "asked for too much" to keep up with the cost of living, OMG...), but they only made about 60 grand before benefits. Meanwhile, the 10 or 15 execs each made MILLIONS PER PERSON! Or close to it. Yet NO ONE who complains about pay structure for workers complains about the CEOs pay? So it's ok to cut average workers pay to "stay competitive" but the execs are never to blame?

[whoo689]

When CEOs and execs make 1,000x what the average worker makes, will you STILL say nothing about these ridiculous compensation packages??

[BillyJoe1305]

@whoo689 40 to 50x the average worker, there are far more than 40 to 50x the # of workers, you would need at least 200x the number of CEOs to match that. If they deserve so little why don't you get a job as one, because they must only do things the average worker can do to deserve the same pay.

[dffykvn]

@BillyJoe1305 It's an old boys network where people get paid even for fucking up because they're in the rich douchebag club

Tanked your company? Take your golden parachute

[BillyJoe1305]

@dffykvn That only happens through government intervention, free the market & that will stop.

[dffykvn]

@BillyJoe1305 What are you talking about?

It happens through the board of executives setting their own compensation

The govt doesn't make executives pay themselves a fortune

Ps free markets don't exist

[BillyJoe1305]

@dffykvn Sure they do, it's called a black market. But you are correct that no legal model is a truly free market & there are of course problems with black markets (like theft). Generally the board is made shareholders, not employees. Although the government doesn't set anybody's salary they change the success the CEO, for example if you lose a bunch of money & get the government give you a bailout while increasing overall company size you're their hero. Without the bailout you suck.

[dffykvn]

@BillyJoe1305 Even if there isn't a bailout the board of execs can make sure they get paid before the shareholders

The shareholders don't have much of a say if the corporate charter says the execs make important decisions like compensation

[PavelDragunov]

@dffykvn If theres no bailout then companies and firms who screw over people over go out of business. Companies that provide quality service are rewarded with profit. Giving more power to an already overpowered federal government isn't going to help the poor, because its the government that creates the whole notion of a corprate charter. No government means no corporations it means big corporations won't be able to use the state apparatus to steal our money.

[dffykvn]

@PavelDragu The people running those companies and firms know that they can give themselves golden parachutes even if theyre tanking their companies whether the shareholders like it or not so why would they care if the business fails when they can give themselves millions even if the whole damned thing collapses

Only a retard would call making the rich pay higher taxes the same as murdering them We had progressive taxation for a long time without lining them up and shooting them

[PavelDragunov]

@dffykvn No, if a company runs out of money and theres no taxpayer base to bailout said company he can't give himself millions cuz the company is broke. It folds and a new company better able to provide those goods and services moves in and if it suceeds it profits if it dosent it goes out of business.

Making anyone pay any taxes is THEFT and holding a gun to somebodies head and saying "gimme your money or well lock you in a cage" is extortion.Its no different than what the mafia does

[dffykvn]

@PavelDrag You do know that companies have been giving their execs golden parachutes even while they're collapsing

And don't tell me that they're being bailed out, those are regular companies that aren't receiving bailout money, they're just making sure the last of the assets is given to them rather than shareholders

Taxation is theft? Go to somalia if you hate it so much. The rich giving themselves loopholes is ok while removing loopholes and raising taxes is theft? Fuck you

[PavelDragunov]

@dffykvn lmao yeah okay go keep sucking the cock of the federal government based on the assumption thats its protecting you and protecting the poor from the big scary fweee mahket. Its actually working right alongside big corporations to screw you over.Yes, If you come to my house demanding a percentage of my income when your lazy freeloading ass hasn't lifted a finger to earn that money, then yeah, your a fucking thief. If you hate people having freedom so much then go to North Korea

[dffykvn]

@PavelDragu Free markets don't exist

They have never existed in any society in human history

Every society on earth has taxes, every last fucking one except somalia

Now either we radically alter society to your ridiculous definition of free dumb that only a small fraction of delusional libertardians believe or you can 1) move to somalia or 2) go galt and create your own bastion of freedom and liberty, get all of the other libertarians on boardf and stop fucking up this country!

[SPLASTiK]

@dffykvn Somalia? Libertarian Paradise? To the uneducated video makers and simpleminded who don't know the history or what's going on there. That's like calling North Korea a "liberal paradise" because they have universal healthcare and have strong regulations on businesses.

[PavelDragunov]

@dffykvn Actually ancient Ireland was largely a stateless society for over a thousand years prior to the English invasion, Somalia had a clan system which functioned fine and good since time immorial until they were invaded by the Italian fascist STATE and then were later taken over by a totalitarian communist leader during which time living standards plummeted. Statism. Its your unconstitutional welfare state thats fucking up this country not laissez faire economics, ya dumb fuck.

[whoo689]

If the rich suck more and more money for themselves in the form of bonuses and compensation, that means (duh) LESS MONEY FOR ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, which makes it harder to guarantee good jobs with good pay and decent benefits!!

There was a time when CEOs were actually pretty restrained when it came to pay (only 30-40x what the average worker makes). Now it's close to 300-400 times!!

[whoo689]

You REALLY are gonna tell me that the 1% getting rich is NEVER at the expense of the 99%?

Get real... People who actually live in the real world know that ain't true- folks who don't simply read Hayek and Mises but actually have REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE in the true economy.

[whoo689]

How bout when they lobby fiercely to get anti-pollution regulations off the table and require the TAXPAYERS to pay to clean up abandoned waste areas through Superfund, rather than requiring THOSE COMPANIES THEMSELVES to pay for their messes?

[whoo689]

I'm not buying this shit. Everyone with a brain knows that the wealthy execs today make their money off the backs of the 99%, and they're "proud" of it. Maybe if small businesses had a lot more wealth in America, your claim, de Rugy, would be remotely true. But considering all the power corporations have in this country...

What about when they lobby and 'buy' politicians to kill things like universal healthcare or even a public option?? Or don't even allow drug price NEGOTIATIONS?

[whoo689]

Try telling that to all the execs who've made 275% MORE money since the 70s while the middle and lower classes have barely made any long-term gains, esp. by comparison. The Wall Street execs who pack their boards with their friends who'll EASILY give them tons of money no matter what the CEOs do... even if they run the co. into the ground. At least 21 big companies that were run into the ground in recent years GAVE THE CEOS MILLIONS! WHY?? Pretty fucked up incentive structure...

[TracyII77]

@whoo689 Why would Board execs overpay CEO's to run their companies with THEIR money into the ground? Would you a hire a friend who would screw you out of your earnings? That makes no sense. Think a little. Stockholders don't want to be screwed. What IS happening is that companies are flush with silent stockholders in the form of mutual funds from pensions and 401ks. Why? Because the government rewards those who invest in stock (corporations) and punishes those who don't.

[whoo689]

More pro-rich divide and conquer nonsense. Nice try trying to get people on the same side to go against each other instead of the true Wall Street crooks.

"Yet the #Occupy movement spends most of its energy railing against "the 1 Percent" richest Americans, whose wealth is not gained at the expense of the "99 Percent.""

Right... Try telling that to all the high-paying workers whose jobs were offshored to China and India simply so those companies could "stay competitive."

[shades2]

They're the Baby Boomers, and they have engineered the system for themselves, this should not be a surprise.

[HayPennie]

@shades2 They've sucked this country dry. Now the millennial generation hopes to repeat that selfishness.

Sorry kids - it's already all gone. And because you elected Obama, it can never be restored.

[shades2]

@HayPennie You can't blame an entire generation. It is the unproductive crafty few that have enriched themselves and not paid fair taxes, or accumulated wealth they were not necessarily entitled to. They're killing our modern economies, because they think money brings happiness and don't circulate what they have!

[GJacksonT]

@shades2 - Absolute BS . . . the Democratic Party engineered the system to promote and maintain their political power base starting with FDR and continuing on with Johnson's 'Great Society' and welfare programs of the 1960's and beyond. The system was set up years ago and "Baby Boomers'" have paid into that system all their working lives and now you advocate taking it away??? Veronique de Rugy is out of her 'rabbit ass mind' - Nothing worse than a 'know-it-all' educated idiot!

[XlPackratlX]

@GJacksonT No, "Baby Boomers" didn't 'pay into that system', they were paying the people who were born way long before them. I'm sure you know how it works. X amount of workers per retiree. It's not like the BBs are going to get the same benefits, unless: you pay a shit more taxes, everyone needs to procreate more than 10 children, or, in future, you're going to say "I'm the only one to pay this guy to sit on his ass?!" That, my friend, is absolute Bullshit.

[shades2]

@GJacksonT I don't advocate anything of the sort. What is going wrong, is that the RICH are getting richer at everyone else's expense, and avoiding taxation. Most of that set are Baby Boomer age. Warren Buffett knows this, and sees the inequity at his level. It is killing productivity, leading to stalled economies and low interest rates to discourage hoarding of capital !!!

[shades2]

@GJacksonT I'm not talking about those that have actually contributed something, my apologies for a statement that was a big too general.

[Pleblian]

@shades2 I've been saying this for the longest time, and everybody looks at me as if I'm nuts

[shades2]

@shades2 I should state that this is a generalisation, so my apologies. For the honest Baby Boomers that struggled their whole lives, worked hard for nothing, and are facing a paltry retirement sum and welfare, I do feel for you. For the others that simply use the financial system to accumulate massive wealth while producing nothing, they cannot expect admiration and respect.

[arcanekrusader]

What are you talking about? She's bang on!

[richardcadbury]

Libertarianism is a broad tent, but it certainly isn't broad enough to keep this bitch dry. I say we leave her out in the rain.

[HighlandRamStudios]

Wow, I'm hanging up my nick gillespie jacket. I agree with airing all points of view, but this is NOT libertarian.

[tuvyag]

@HighlandRamStudios How is this not libertarianism?

[shaunconnell]

I'm a libertarian, and this is BS. Stop with the stupid collectivism.

[tuvyag]

@shaunconnell How is this collectivist?

[thekingofcorsairs]

@tuvyag I believe shaunconnell was commenting on Reason's pandering to the pro-OWS crowd with the video title which intimates that being an enemy of OWS isn't a good thing.

[beigelycheenut]

@shaunconnell Uuuh that doesn't discount all of her points, and she makes some good ones.

[truthslap]

@shaunconnell I'd expect you to be more familiar with the real effects of gerontocracy and their emphatic solidarity when lobbying for the federal programs they overwhelmingly consume. it's not about generalization, everybody can respect individuals without acting like fools who don't know the first thing about American politics. the youth support common sense notions like basic means testing. the youth didn't elect Obama, the elderly did. the youth supported Ron Paul in 08 as they do today.

[Cleopas82]

@shaunconnell When the original argument (by OWS) is based in collectivism, it is best to argue their own point against them.