What Is Occupy Wall Street About?

If you're having trouble understanding what is at stake in the "Occupy" protests, here are some numbers that help explain the problem.

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[rbormet]

These are interesting numbers. I haven't taken the time to fact check all of them, but regardless of that I still don't understand what, exactly, this movement is trying to achieve. What specific actions does this movement want to occur? For the wealthy to give away their money? For large corporations to give away their money? I've been doing some research about this movement to try to correct my lack of understanding, but can't determine exactly what goal here is. Anyone?

[AdkMtnFlight]

It's about adults who were raised in dysfunctional families with absentee fathers. Their mothers were emotionally disconnected from their children who are now struggling to find their niche.

Sad.......they could've been productive with their lives had their parents been responsible.

[ma049]

"The top 1 percent pay for about 90 percent of taxes"

If that figure is true (i.e. if pigs sprout wings) then it clearly indicates that 1% hold an obscene amount of the whole nations taxable wealth.

"If money is power than why didn't Mitt Romney get elected? "

Are you trying to argue that because Romney didn't get elected wealth has no relation to power?

[firehawkmusic1]

For an in-depth explanation of several possibilities, reach Chomsky's "Occupy" pamphlet. Some options would include eliminating the person-hood of corporations, using fiscal policy, limiting financial institutions, eliminating or severely limiting private/corporate donations to campaigns, organizing democratic communities to voice the concerns of the general public, creating legal machinery to recall elected officials if they cease to act according to the will of the people, the list goes on.

[ikostarr]

I agree. I don't think "taking from the rich and giving to the poor" and that whole concept of income transfer involved in socialism is going to fix all of these problems. Maybe government reform on the way taxes are taken (I'm not a personal fan of income tax for example), but I don't think that just because a group of people are wealthy makes them responsible for all of America's economic issues.

[wirsenden3]

Still I see no other solution. Here in Germany, we abolished national pride, religion doesn't play a role at all, the so-called male "patriarchy" has been overcome, and now feminists are destroying families by telling women that they are only equal if they go to work. Children get aborted or have to stay in state's Kindergartens. Now as all the people get psychotic they take away guns and let drones control you.

The final step would be income equality.

There we go.

Communism.

[Mansoor Ansari]

I reckon Americans should go back and review about their "Capitalist" economic environment they always wanted and still fight for. You created this extremism and still pursue the "dream" by e.g.criticising Obama's Healthcare reforms. Self interest is in your culture and a bunch of people cannot come up with a lame protest when most of these hippies have no idea about economics, demanding the wealthy to "give away their money". I am not a supporter of either. You reap what you sow.

[ma049]

Lets change those numbers? How do you propose to do that?

[moforex]

They want greater regulation of banks and fair taxes. They want Corporate Personhood abolished. and there's lots more. but that's what the economic focus is.

[auntkellie]

With large amounts of money comes vast power. The kind of power that can corrupt politicians, mislead the masses through media, oppress freedom of speech, manipulate an entire work force into slavery and create a plutocracy out of one of history's strongest Republics. Vast amounts of money are as dangerous as a gun. Taxation is the only way to control this kind of power.  No one should have the kind of power that comes with billions of dollars.