Photo: David Shankbone The media’s portrayals of the quickly spreading Occupy Wall Street movement have been inconsistent—and sometimes outright contradictory. Depending on who’s reporting, the attendees are disgruntled radicals, a dangerous mob, anti-American, pro-American, savvy, well-educated, organized, chaotic, shiftless youth, aging hippies, socialists, anarchists, (...)
Short Take
But What Do They Want?
In which our reporter joins Wall Street's new occupants
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What about leveling the field for potential investors. What if every share of stock sold within 60 days of purchase was taxed exactly the amount of commission for it's purchase? That would give incentive to reduce the negative effect of day trading and those who are priviledgeed to afford super computers. This tax could pay for Wall Street oversight. There may even be enough left over to pay for the global financial crisis they precipitated.
The focus of the Wall Street protest is justice and Morality. Wall Streeters may be legal but they certainly aren't moral. These people and the business schools that have educated them live by Ivan Boesky's arrogant mantra "greed is good". "Greed is good" is more than scandalous, it's evil. Nothing could be further from American sence of justice and fair play. Columbia's business school should be shamed for it's intimate relationship with this corrupt slug.
William Sublette
Perhaps by now you have read Democrat pollster Douglas Schoen's analysis in the Oct 18th WSJ: (after interviewing 200 folks in Zucotti Park):
Our research shows clearly that the movement doesn't represent unemployed America and is not ideologically diverse. Rather, it comprises an unrepresentative segment of the electorate that believes in radical redistribution of wealth, civil disobedience and, in some instances, violence. Half (52%) have participated in a political movement before, virtually all (98%) say they would support civil disobedience to achieve their goals, and nearly one-third (31%) would support violence to advance their agenda.
Further:
What binds a large majority of the protesters together—regardless of age, socioeconomic status or education—is a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth, intense regulation of the private sector, and protectionist policies to keep American jobs from going overseas.
I'm 74 years old and have never been unemployed or without medial insurance for either myself or my family. I do believe in redistrbuting the wealth. Wall Street wealth is not accidental, it has been legislated. It has been legislated by immoral politicians who have failed to keep America's skilled work force in tack. Jobs are scarace, low paying and without future security. Yet, the tax burden is heaped on their shoulders. Justice crys out that we retired and realatively well off citizens speak out against Wall Street corruption that has spread like a cancer through our government and universities. The poverty and suffering in our country doesn't have to go on as a by product of the free market system. It can be turned around by demanding our politicians govern with justice, morality and ethics. It can be turned around by pointing a finger at the cause of it's injustice and immorality.
William Sublette