Occupy Wall Street - Where’s the Silver Bullet Point Theories?
The Occupy Wall St. movement is constantly harangued about what their agenda is, or what ideas they (we) have to fix the problem. As noted in our last post, we visited Occupy Philly about 2 weeks ago, and as we were leaving, filled out a survey with 20 issue items each under local, state, and national headings, to prioritize. We were asked which problems to tackle in what order.
What surprised Deb and I was that there was no question about taking the extreme money out of politics by inacting publicly financed election campaigns—in other words…campaign finance reform. And we’re not talking about the check-off obox on our IRS forms either. So we made sure they put it on their radar screen. We agree with their position of not putting out a 10-power point talking point grievance plan, because we’re all sophisticated enough to know that the people representing the 1% would cut these 10 points to shreds, complaining that it was impractical and unworkable. But since Deb and I “occupy” our own home and have increasing trouble paying the property taxes for our mediocre school district, here’s my own 10-point plan for Occupy Wagontown. Gleaned from Wall St. to Main St.
1. Overturn Citizens United Supreme Court 2010 decision that gives corporations the same rights as individuals. Last time I looked, I never met a corporation that had a heart, soul, or genitals or any of the other daunting issues the 99% of us face. Full disclosure: C3A is a nonprofit corporation, and we know it is not an individual.
2. Public financing of political campaigns. Take the big money out of politics; level the playing field so all who want to run, can.
3. De-fang the 35,000 lobbyists in Washington, not to mention who knows how many in Harrisburg, Chester County and West Caln. Have them admit to how much influence their money buys and how many laws they’ve written.
4. Decrease the size of the military industrial complex, or start calling it what it is: The War Dept.
5. In related measure, gut the Homeland Security Act and Patriot Act, both of which sounds more appropo for Nazi Germany. therefore to get rid of our extremely well-funded police state apparatus and the biggest bureacracy in D.C.. This would throw a bone to the small government people.
6. And since we’re ending the war in Iraq, let’s call a truce in the failed War on Drugs. It’s just a policy to keep the marginalized down. After all, NYC Michael Bloomberg has admitted he likes pot, and when’s the last time you saw him doing an ARD program? From my own informal survey, almost everybody from my generation has or does indulges, and 50% of the public is now for legalizing pot. And if you really believe this drug war is for our health and well-being, I have a bridge in Wagontown to sell you.
7. Legalize prostitution. And as with legalizing drugs, tax them and regulate them and make sure they are healthy products.
8. Straight from Wall Street: William H. (Bill) Gross, manager of the multi-billion dollar Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO Investment Fund) is known for saying provocative things. Long story short, he says that we need to create living wage jobs for labor, or the investment returns long into the future will be in the single digits. No money into the system, no money out for food, fuel, housing, investments or taxes.
9. Stimulate the economy says famous MIT linguist Noam Chomsky, known for his seminal book, Manufacturing Consent. Which details how the corporate propaganda machine succeeds to creating sheep-like acquiescence that makes Goebbels looks like piker in comparison. Chomsky lived through the last Depression, and stimulus is how we got out of it. He’s been blacklisted from the air for the last 10 yrs.for truth-telling —so much for free speech.
10. Get rid of the archaic and regressive property tax system for schools, counties and local governments. Or means test them. Or exclude them for people without children in the system and/or retired. And fund all schools equitably across the country. We live in a global economy and it’s obvious that if poor districts have poorer schools - duh! This is the reason: Not enough tax rate-ables. We should know living in the Coatesville district.
So one percenters, put this in your pipe and smoke it. I have been leading by example since I was a child, and ramped up my activism and leadership since I was drafted into Vietnam. I think the global one percenters are a horde of psychotic, treasonous, uncaring crooks. And have committed grand larceny on a huge scale, hurting the 99% of the world. We should demand a clawback of all their ill-gotten gains to pay for the reforms mentioned above. I look forward to these major perps taking their very own “perp walk.”
And on an inspirational note, we all share this beautiful planet between Mother Earth and Father Sky, and if there is a God it doesn’t have genitalia either.
