Who are the protesters behind Occupy Wall Street–and what do they want?

[sedonaman]

… The gist of it was this: “You are here to get an education, not a job. …”

I have heard this put in a slightly different way by a professor: “Are we [the school] here to educate people or train them to do a job?” My reaction was to wonder what justified the huge investment in time and money in K-12 plus four years of college if not to prepare students for some sort of career.

This problem is not new. It goes back at least as far as ancient Rome: “We waste our efforts on the inane. We are educated not for life but for the classroom.” – Seneca (AD 5 - 65).

 

[SamH]

The gist of it was this: "You are here to get an education, not a job. "

It’s pretty safe to say that these people received neither.

 

[rlg94086]

If the first one didn’t know that Volkswagens are known for their electrical problems her research abilities are in serious question anyway.

Why would you march on Wall Street over your lousy choice in cars?

I’m currently in the car business (though it looks like I will return to high tech very soon), so this was my first thought as well.

 

[gilliam]

The liberal weekly The Nation has published a good breakdown of the movement’s structure, which is an admittedly amorphous at this stage: “a horizontal, autonomous, leaderless, modified-consensus-based system with roots in anarchist thought.”

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

The liberal weekly The Nation has published a good breakdown of the movement’s structure, which is an admittedly amorphous at this stage: “a horizontal, autonomous, leaderless, modified-consensus-based system with roots in anarchist thought.”

Riiiiiiight, leaderless. That’s why their thoughts and demands mirror Van Jones public statements almost to the letter.

 

[gilliam]

From Mother Jones today: Occupy Wall Street, Powered by Big Labor

In late September, major labor unions mostly watched from the sidelines as the Occupy Wall Street protests grew from a ragtag band of diehards camping in a park into a fledgling movement grabbing national headlines and sparking similar protests around the country. Now, Big Labor is going to work: endorsing the protests, offering manpower and resources, and helping stage a major march in New York City’s financial district on Wednesday. They are adding organizing muscle, fresh energy, and greater numbers to the boisterous demonstrations that began in downtown Manhattan more than two weeks ago.

Among those now jumping in is the New York State United Teachers, the Empire State’s largest union, representing 600,000 educators. In an interview Tuesday, spokesman Carl Korn for the first time publicly offered NYSUT’s support for Occupy Wall Street and its message about shrinking income inequality, investing in public education, and making the rich pay their fair share in taxes. “Teachers and public employees represent the other 99 percent; they are not in the 1 percent,” Korn said, echoing the theme of an Occupy Wall Street Tumblr gone viral. “We’re supportive of that overarching message.”

The New York educators join labor unions representing more than 2 million additional workers that have recently broadcast their support: the American Federation for State, County, and Municipal Workers (1.6 million members); Service Employees International Union’s 1199 chapter (300,000 members); Transport Workers Union Local 100 (64,000 members); and more. AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, who personally endorsed the protests, told In These Times that he’s meeting with his union’s executive board on Wednesday to discuss a union-wide endorsement. The executive board for the Communications Workers of America (700,000 members) declared in its own statement that Occupy Wall Street “is an appropriate expression of anger for all Americans, but especially for those who have been left behind by Wall Street.”

It’s not only Occupy Wall Street winning union support. On Tuesday evening, the Greater Boston Labor Council, which speaks for 154 unions representing 90,000 workers, publicly praised Occupy Boston for shining “a spotlight on the imbalance of power in our nation and the role that Wall Street has played in devastating our economy.”

motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-labor-unions

Like in Egypt the radicals with the most organization tend to take over mass movements

 

[Alan55]

I have a great deal of sympathy for the young people who are protesting. Compared to recent college graduates in the past, they have a much harder time finding a job, they are working for lower wages or failing to get the kind of jobs that will help them advance in their careers, and they are saddled with enormous debt.

According to an article from the NY Times, employment rates for new college graduates have fallen sharply in the last two years, as have starting salaries for those who can find work. What’s more, only half of the jobs landed by these new graduates even require a college degree. The article cited statistics that showed that 22.4% of recent college graduates are not working and of those who are working, 22.4% are working at jobs that do not require a college degree. Among the members of the class of 2010, just 56 percent had held at least one job by this spring, when the survey was conducted. That compares with 90 percent of graduates from the classes of 2006 and 2007. Moreover, average salaries are 10% lower than for those who graduated from 2006-2008.

nytimes.com/2011/05/19/business/economy/19grads.html

Young adults have something to complain about. And they have lots of time on their hands to hang out on Wall St. to do their complaining.

 

[SamH]

Young adults have something to complain about. And they have lots of time on their hands to hang out on Wall St. to do their complaining.

Because protesting people that can’t help them while supporting those that are hurting them is so productive.

 

[sedonaman]

It’s pretty safe to say that these people received neither.

It would be a 100% sure bet that they didn’t receive an education. What kind of critical thinking skills went into blaming Wall Street for unfortunate personal choices?

 

[Trader]

Do they still teach it?

Judging by the declining SAT scores in math, science, and reading, who’d want to hire some of these people even if they needed the help?

Wall Street firms are well known for hiring top graduates, paying big salaries, and firing the people who do not produce big time.

No wonder these kids feel left out.

Oh, well. They can always get jobs as public school teachers. Public schools are famous for hiring the lowest scoring graduates, paying top union wages, and never firing the employees who do not produce. Steve Jobs is not the only creator of real wealth to notice that the decline in test scores started about the same time that the National Education Association(NEA) changed from a professional society to a union.

 

[JimG]

They might also consider protesting on their university campuses. It was these institutions which oversold them on a marginal education at exorbitant prices supported by student loans at high interest rates which are generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Talk about Wall Street looking for suckers. The universities do the same thing. And the government enabled those high priced loans by guaranteeing lenders against loss.

 

[gilliam]

Dems rally behind ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protest movement —

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Dems rally behind ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protest movement —

Considering that the “demands” of OWS are straight up communism and call for the complete and utter eradication of capitalism, and the Democrats are “rallying behind them”, what does that say about the Democrat Party?

 

[sedonaman]

Considering that the “demands” of OWS are straight up communism and call for the complete and utter eradication of capitalism, and the Democrats are “rallying behind them”, what does that say about the Democrat Party?

That its fascination and obsession with death and communism are its prime motivators.

 

[rlg94086]

Considering that the “demands” of OWS are straight up communism and call for the complete and utter eradication of capitalism, and the Democrats are “rallying behind them”, what does that say about the Democrat Party?

Since the OWS folks claim that greedy corporations run the government, I’m curious to see how the Democrats (majority in the Senate and current occupants of the White House) are going to turn the protests in their direction? Are they going to be more overt in their anti-business, pro-socialist approach to governance? Is Obama going to join them at their rallies and decry the evil folks on Wall Street?

 

[Ridgerunner]

They might also consider protesting on their university campuses. It was these institutions which oversold them on a marginal education at exorbitant prices supported by student loans at high interest rates which are generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Talk about Wall Street looking for suckers. The universities do the same thing. And the government enabled those high priced loans by guaranteeing lenders against loss.

Maybe some of these students should pile into their cars and see what they can scare up in the way of jobs in North Dakota, where the unemployment rate is about 3%. Might have to end up working in the oil fields, but the wages are good, and likely will be unless Obama shuts the oil fields down. Unemployment is also low in Minnesota, I understand. It’s cold there, though. It’s low in the region where I live, though it’s hard to find a ballet or an opera here. Maybe if these kids got around a little, they would find that there actually are jobs, even though the jobs might be in “flyover country”.

And they aren’t always in “one’s field”, exactly. I know an eager, but not terribly talented kid who majored in journalism. Got a first job as a stringer for a paper reporting on high school games. Terrible hours, ridiculous pay. Put in an application at Tyson’s as an advertising designer and got it because he knew how to lay out ads, they needed people for that, and he was a proven hard worker. Good pay, health insurance, low-cost place to live, pension plan. He’s not a journalist at the moment, but he’s as happy as the proverbial “pig in s–t”.

 

[Sabda]

Maybe some of these students should pile into their cars and see what they can scare up in the way of jobs in North Dakota, where the unemployment rate is about 3%. Might have to end up working in the oil fields, but the wages are good, and likely will be unless Obama shuts the oil fields down. Unemployment is also low in Minnesota, I understand. It’s cold there, though. It’s low in the region where I live, though it’s hard to find a ballet or an opera here. Maybe if these kids got around a little, they would find that there actually are jobs, even though the jobs might be in “flyover country”.

And they aren’t always in “one’s field”, exactly. I know an eager, but not terribly talented kid who majored in journalism. Got a first job as a stringer for a paper reporting on high school games. Terrible hours, ridiculous pay. Put in an application at Tyson’s as an advertising designer and got it because he knew how to lay out ads, they needed people for that, and he was a proven hard worker. Good pay, health insurance, low-cost place to live, pension plan. He’s not a journalist at the moment, but he’s as happy as the proverbial “pig in s–t”.

No, no, no, no! We have to have the jobs in DESIRABLE places. We can’t have jobs in some backwoods town/state. The jobs also have to be what the kids want not just what’s available. Which means if I want a career in underwater basket weaving there had better be one for underwater basket weaving when I get my degree! Don’t you understand these things?

What cracks me up is when the reporter goes around talking to the people who are there and you get over half of them that have no real clue why they are there. Their just there because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Seriously?

 

[Ridgerunner]

No, no, no, no! We have to have the jobs in DESIRABLE places. We can’t have jobs in some backwoods town/state. The jobs also have to be what the kids want not just what’s available. Which means if I want a career in underwater basket weaving there had better be one for underwater basket weaving when I get my degree! Don’t you understand these things?

What cracks me up is when the reporter goes around talking to the people who are there and you get over half of them that have no real clue why they are there. Their just there because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Seriously?

Good one. Perhaps the vague Obamaesque suggestions of a “nirvana”, achievement of which all we have to do is loot the “rich” and mouth platitudes, has led to this, or at least encouraged it.

 

[JimG]

Good one. Perhaps the vague Obamaesque suggestions of a “nirvana”, achievement of which all we have to do is loot the “rich” and mouth platitudes, has led to this, or at least encouraged it.

Personally, I think a lot of them should just go up to Goldman Sachs and apply for a job. As recent events have shown, you don’t have to be the brightest bulb in the socket to work on wall street. But working there pays better than street protests.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Soap?