Why do I support the Occupy Movement? Because it is time!
I absolutely hate US war mongering along with corporate driven mainstream media's underreporting of the peace protests. I am so fed up with the cowboy mentality that brought so much devastation with no repercussions to the instigators, Bush, Cheney and cohorts. Sadly these days this is continued by our US government, ironically by our Nobel Peace Price winning President Barack Obama, who must have sanctioned the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Unforgivable for our President, a lawyer, to not have made every effort to apprehend and to have brought before an international court of justice Osama Bin Laden.
I hate US simple mindedness, of which George Bush will forever serve as poster child. It allowed for Bush to be elected twice, no matter any deceit, he got a lot of votes. This made America the laughing stock of the world. On top Bush got away with it all. No repercussions, except for a few countries (Spain and Canada, maybe others) ready to arrest him if he so much as touches their ground.
I hate US expansionism, no doubt pushed by corporate greed. We are given bogus reasons for invading and manipulating sovereign countries, even when the world knew Saddam had not been involved with 9/11 and we the US were begged to wait for the special report on Saddam's nuclear capabilities and intentions. We can not allow this same mistake, as some like to put it, or deceit, as others see it, to happen again with Iran!
"Military spending, found in the Department of Defense and other departments, has increased dramatically during each year that George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been president, roughly doubling during the past decade... both as measured in real dollars and as a percentage share of discretionary spending. Military and related “security” spending is now at over $1 trillion per year and comprises well over half of federal discretionary spending. It is also very nearly equal to the military spending of all other nations on earth combined. Ending our two most costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before the 2013 fiscal year budget would save $1.8 trillion, as compared with ending those wars on the currently planned schedule, with savings of $108 billion per year." The 99% Deficit Proposal
"Military spending, found in the Department of Defense and other departments, has increased dramatically during each year that George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been president, roughly doubling during the past decade... both as measured in real dollars and as a percentage share of discretionary spending. Military and related “security” spending is now at over $1 trillion per year and comprises well over half of federal discretionary spending. It is also very nearly equal to the military spending of all other nations on earth combined. Ending our two most costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before the 2013 fiscal year budget would save $1.8 trillion, as compared with ending those wars on the currently planned schedule, with savings of $108 billion per year." The 99% Deficit Proposal
I hate to see all those funds go in to war mongering and useless defensive strategies when the American people are suffering and living in 3. world conditions already. Brown University estimates that our wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan have cost 236,000 lives and $4 trillion. My state of residence for the last quarter century holds the 14th highest position of food insecurity. Kids go to bed hungry, here in the US! I want to see America close bases all around the world and especially in Germany, but instead it was announced the other day that expansionism will be continued now with bases in Australia, supposedly to keep an eye on China.
While President Obama got elected under the premises of offering change, what we got is small change rather then real change. A mandate for the poor to get health insurance will bolster the insurance industries on cost of those that can afford it least. Nothing but universal health insurance will do. President Obama, while he admitted in an ideal world that would be best, never fought for us, the 99% of Americans.
One of the most egregious acts against the 99% may well come from the Superior Court's decision of having awarded corporations personhood along with an ability of unlimited funding to causes of their choice. This effectively has undermined our current democracy of one person - one vote, to one where those with the funds will be able to buy their votes, not in small part through deceptive and rigged, right wing media. (Why anyone would pay attention though to propaganda by either party, especially before an election is beyond me.) I shudder at all the wasted money thrown down this media monster machine in an endless frenzy of attempted manipulation. Meanwhile real people with real bellies and real mouths and real eyes go hungry, homeless and do not receive the medical care they need, or get it too late. (Check on the stories on We Are The 99%, they are heart breaking.) "Somewhere along the way, capitalism reduced the idea of justice to mean just "human rights." Arundhati Roy
As regards taxation, I am not in the camp that simply believes the rich should pay for the poor. What I do want is fair taxation that no longer allows corporations and individuals to use legal loopholes for tax evasion purposes. "Closing corporate tax loopholes would return the fair share of taxes paid by corporations to the funding of government. Declining corporate taxation is another prime factor in increasing ...deficits. Corporate income taxes have fallen from roughly 4.8% of GDP in the 1950s to only 1.8% of GDP over the past decade. Ending just two large breaks, deferral of overseas revenue and accelerated depreciation would raise about $114 billion over a decade. The Treasury Department lists $365 billion in corporate tax breaks being gifted annually — that’s $3.65 trillion over the next 10 years. Due to tax loopholes, corporations pay record low tax rates — they actually pay 21% on average. Indeed, a recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice found that Wells Fargo received $18 billion in tax breaks, while both Verizon and General Electric paid negative taxes. Earlier Citizens for Tax Justice reported that 12 major companies which together made $171 billion in profits from 2008-2010 paid a negative $2.5 billion in taxes, thanks to $62 billion in tax subsidies." The 99% Deficit Proposal
There is too the world of lobbyists I personally have little experience with, but somehow understand the need for reform as there is an urgent need as well in the area of finance and banking regulations.
The Occupy movement has only just begun to scratch the surface, but tapped in to an outrage that is profound and will last and will be transformed only with real change. Global occupation sites have shown the world that it is time and that we, the 99 percent, are willing to go to great length toward global justice.
While President Obama got elected under the premises of offering change, what we got is small change rather then real change. A mandate for the poor to get health insurance will bolster the insurance industries on cost of those that can afford it least. Nothing but universal health insurance will do. President Obama, while he admitted in an ideal world that would be best, never fought for us, the 99% of Americans.
One of the most egregious acts against the 99% may well come from the Superior Court's decision of having awarded corporations personhood along with an ability of unlimited funding to causes of their choice. This effectively has undermined our current democracy of one person - one vote, to one where those with the funds will be able to buy their votes, not in small part through deceptive and rigged, right wing media. (Why anyone would pay attention though to propaganda by either party, especially before an election is beyond me.) I shudder at all the wasted money thrown down this media monster machine in an endless frenzy of attempted manipulation. Meanwhile real people with real bellies and real mouths and real eyes go hungry, homeless and do not receive the medical care they need, or get it too late. (Check on the stories on We Are The 99%, they are heart breaking.) "Somewhere along the way, capitalism reduced the idea of justice to mean just "human rights." Arundhati Roy
As regards taxation, I am not in the camp that simply believes the rich should pay for the poor. What I do want is fair taxation that no longer allows corporations and individuals to use legal loopholes for tax evasion purposes. "Closing corporate tax loopholes would return the fair share of taxes paid by corporations to the funding of government. Declining corporate taxation is another prime factor in increasing ...deficits. Corporate income taxes have fallen from roughly 4.8% of GDP in the 1950s to only 1.8% of GDP over the past decade. Ending just two large breaks, deferral of overseas revenue and accelerated depreciation would raise about $114 billion over a decade. The Treasury Department lists $365 billion in corporate tax breaks being gifted annually — that’s $3.65 trillion over the next 10 years. Due to tax loopholes, corporations pay record low tax rates — they actually pay 21% on average. Indeed, a recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice found that Wells Fargo received $18 billion in tax breaks, while both Verizon and General Electric paid negative taxes. Earlier Citizens for Tax Justice reported that 12 major companies which together made $171 billion in profits from 2008-2010 paid a negative $2.5 billion in taxes, thanks to $62 billion in tax subsidies." The 99% Deficit Proposal
There is too the world of lobbyists I personally have little experience with, but somehow understand the need for reform as there is an urgent need as well in the area of finance and banking regulations.
The Occupy movement has only just begun to scratch the surface, but tapped in to an outrage that is profound and will last and will be transformed only with real change. Global occupation sites have shown the world that it is time and that we, the 99 percent, are willing to go to great length toward global justice.
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