In this photo I see bravery, thoughtfulness and a commitment to protecting and serving society. I also see police officers.
Isaac J. Conner - What do you see?
Anonymous - I see not a single media source talking about this until someone is arrested. 7 days went by and not a word was said about the occupy wall street movment. Totaly sad. I have lost my faith. I hope WXPI will do it different.
Isaac J. Conner - Trust me; once we are live, we will. I have been a subscriber to Adbusters for almost a decade and plan to have Kalle Lasn on The Collective Perspective sometime soon. That won't solve these issues, but it may begin to make folks aware of the propaganda that is mainstream "news". Also, if you know of anyone else that you think we should be interviewing, please let us know.
Anonymous - Well one of my artists is trying to publish a book on 9/11 but his ideals might be a bit out there. Let me know if you want to talk to him.
Isaac J. Conner - Sure do. We've been trying to cover that topic for over a year now, but those most interested in talking about have had little time to do so. Put him in touch with me and I'd be happy to get that ball rolling.
Derrick Shearer - unfortunately not surprising by todays standards but what is the story on this..what is it about?
Isaac J. Conner - Derrick, your question is kind of an example of the problem. There has been a protest going on at Wall Street in NY since September 17. Initiated by Adbusters Culture Jammers, Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement that likens itself to the uprisings in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland and is attempting a mass occupation to restore democracy in America. The mainstream media had given it nominal coverage, until arrests were made and also when a handful of Tea Party activists came to say things that made no sense.
James Berkheimer - Not every media outlet has been ignoring this. Granted, it hasn't been the top story. But I knew about this last week.
http://media.talkingpointsmemo.com/slideshow/hacktivists-assemble-for-op...
Occupy Wall Street: Hacktivists Assemble In Manhattan
media.talkingpointsmemo.com
Also here:
http://www.newser.com/story/129456/80-busted-in-occupy-wall-st.html
80 Busted in 'Occupy Wall St.'
www.newser.com
The problem isn't really that the media won't cover this. The problem is that this needs to be a consistent push nationwide which forces media attention to it. They need to come back and do this again and again. Then they need to do it in DC and LA and all over. But due to the lack of a central figure or group who can gel a movement together, this most likely will be one of many isolated events which will be ignored as "just kids causing trouble".
Anonymous - James my point is that this #occupywallstreet had been ignored up until now. It's been going on for 8 days now.
James Berkheimer - And my point is that it's not all that incredible nor outside the norm that this was ignored nationally. It was just a bunch of random people squatting around Wall St. mucking things up. The Civil Rights movement would have never made it if they relied on decentralized and chaotic protests.
There will be no Egyptian style uprising here. If true progress is to be made then someone will have to step up to lead and organize people in a consistent and unwavering assault on economic inequality that exists in our country. Right now, people are relying on the media to be their mouth piece. But the media isn't going to play that game. They need to be made to listen and report. So the movement needs to find it's own mouth piece.
Anonymous - Yeah you're right. 1000's of "random people" camped out in a PEACEFUL ( Egyptian style uprising?! WTFLOLZ) demonstration for the last week deserves no mainstream media coverage. My mistake.
James Berkheimer - When I say Egyptian style I meant that it was organized through Twitter. And why exactly does this deserve coverage? Where they trying to accomplish something? Did they specifically ask for something? Are they going to do this again and again to force attention towards their movement? Is this even a movement?
The reason this isn't getting attention is because most people assume that this will go now where and it is just a bunch of kids causing trouble. So it is the responsibility of the protesters to prove them wrong. They need to stay there for a month or 6 months or a year. Not a week.
There were protesters in Berkeley who sat in a tree for almost 2 years just to save ONE FREAKIN TREE!! And you want to complain that the media didn't give your week long sit in on Wall Street nationwide coverage? Maybe the people who performed this protest should stop complaining and work harder at obtaining their goal.
Anonymous - Ill complaint about the media not covering this because majority of the top stories are mindless crap. I could give a shit about lohan and sheen. I remember that tree demonstration and guess what ... it was covered by a variety of mainstream media sources. The fact that mojority of these people are kids only makes this more interesting. That they would even care enough to put on a demonstration to raise awareness to all the bullshit thats going on with the banks and the money on wall street.
For me its more like a smack in the face. I want to believe that a story is a story is a story. But I see things like this and i see Ron Paul getting ignored when his numbers are crushing other republican candidates that are mentioned. Im sorry.... but to me its just sad. My own feelings and opinions. Have yours. I have mine.
If things like this are not being covered by anyone... who really is in control here?
James Berkheimer - ""The fact that majority of these people are kids only makes this more interesting""
No, this fact makes it even less interesting.It's not hard to get thousands of kids with no jobs and nothing to do to hang out together in NYC. Now if this were thousands of 30 and 40 year old people then THAT would be an interesting story.
That is the point you are missing. People will just write this off as kids being kids. The fact that you are ignoring my point about the need for persistence and organization is what is sad to me. Yeah, it would be nice if the media gave this 24 hour coverage. But that is not a realistic scenario. It should come as no surprise anyone the kind of coverage this got.
This needs to happen again and again. They need to be a thorn in the side of those who work around Wall St. They need to force NYC to take drastic measures to prevent this from happening every week. If that happens THEN they will start monopolizing the media coverage. But if this ends here and now with just complaints, then the amount of media coverage will be justified.
Anonymous - Revolution... gotchya
LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco - "The reason this isn't getting attention is because most people assume that this will go now where and it is just a bunch of kids causing trouble. So it is the responsibility of the protesters to prove them wrong. They need to stay there for a month or 6 months or a year. Not a week."~ James
The plan is to: "On the 17th of September, we want to see 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up beds, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for A FEW MONTHS.
Like our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland, we plan to use the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic of mass occupation to restore democracy in America. We also encourage the use of nonviolence to achieve our ends and maximize the safety of all participants." ~Occupy Wall Street Mission statement.
So, obviously, this is not just a bunch of kids starting trouble. The only ones who assume such are those who haven't taken even five minutes to investigate what this group is trying to accomplish OR the other groups which are popping up which are taking their lead.
James Berkheimer - Well, I hope they succeed. But I have my doubts because I don't think there is the critical mass in this country for this sort of tactic to work. They wanted 20000 but got 5000. I feel that the only way that economic justice can be had in our country is through a Civil Rights style movement. But this will take strong leaders and organization and it will take years if not decades.
There are just too many people with comfortable lives in this country for them to be motivated to flood the streets in protest. Revolutions like the Arab Spring won't work until you get the unemployed factory worker, the soccer mom, and the tax accountant out there with you because their lives are just so crappy that they feel they have no other choice but to take to the streets.
LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco - This is how successful movements are born. 5,000 to begin with giving up jobs and whatnot to move into the city with the intent of spreading a msg is no small feat. 20,000? Not yet. But with the media coverage they are now receiving, I think more people will stand up and take notice....more people will join them. And the most important things to realize here is that A) If what they are doing was not considered a threat by our establishment, the police wouldn't be violently assaulting peacefully demonstrating citizens , and B) There is growing outrage over the pictures and videos surfacing showing our own law enforcement turning on US citizens which TRULY illustrates one of the group's points... we suffer from the illusion that we have rights. What rights? When peaceful activism turns into scenes out of the human rights fight of yesteryear, it would appear we don't have any real "rights" at all.
James Berkheimer - You have the right to write this post in descent of the established government of this country. There are dozens of countries where you would be jailed for writing what you wrote above. People also have the right to assemble peaceably. In Syria they would have had bombs dropped on them. SO please don't minimize the actions of those who truly have no rights by comparing this protest to those who are actually fighting for their freedoms.
So let's focus what the real issue is. To me, the real issue isn't a lack of rights or freedoms in our country. We have plenty of those. The real issue is the steady march of wealth and property into the hands of an ever shrinking percentage of the population. In our country, money equals power and influence. So more and more, the power and influence in our country is being condensed into fewer and fewer hands.
There is a solution to this, which is an inherent solution in every democracy. The combined will of the citizens will always trump those with wealth and the influence it can buy. But over the years, the citizens have been systematically divided and set against each other neutralizing any resistance to the wealthy minority.
So I feel we all need to start focusing on finding a common ground with our neighbors and recognize that the real threat to our continued freedoms is a divided nation. If people in the Tea Party could recognize that Muslims and Democrats aren't out to hurt them. And if Progressives could realize that not every Republican is racist or homophobic. Then maybe they will start to realize that wealthy people and corporations who buy political influence are the real forces that keep them down and prevents them from having a say in the goings on of our country.
Anonymous - I agree with most of that statement except what " the real issue is". The real issues is what is important to the individual who has an issue. Also, I don't see those parties getting along any time soon. James what you are talking about happening will more than likely never happen unless economic collapse happens. Since we are all "comfortable" in our lives and stuck in this rut... i applaud those kids for at the very least trying to do something. I don't watch the news or TV that much if at all but when something like this happens and the media blatantly ignores it and uncovers the true control of the mass media ( for me) is a big issue. I realize there are bigger issues out there but shit man whats a brotha going to do? \m/
**sits down with a big bag of potato chips and replays the last 60 seconds of fight club.**
James Berkheimer - Yeah, what is a brother gonna do? When I really sit down and think about it, I always come closer to feeling that the only way for things to truly change is for the system to be burned to the ground and rebuilt.
Anonymous - I feel the same way most days. All I can do is what I do for the good of my community at this point in my life. Documentaries like "Collapse" ring true to the future of humanity.
Abcar Indausa - from James-"The real issue is the steady march of wealth and property into the hands of an ever shrinking percentage of the population". I agree with this statement. I haven't heard one unifying issue for this protest yet. I subscribed to twitter this last week to follow what's happening here in san francisco. It is true that these young people are the ones with the most time to be involved in a protest. But most others are trying to stay afloat and feed themselves, make their rent or mortgage, and are still in a kind of self denial of the continuing slow collapse. So they have their electronic toys to distract them..sports games on tv, endless 'entertainment contests' and limp sitcoms.
Until the HURT is felt by many millions in this HUGE land mass called the US.. we won't have a US Spring..like in Egypt.
LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco - Our freedoms aren't so clear cut, James. There are those who HAVE been put on wachlists and been made out to be enemies of the state for writing about their disgust with our government. Those who assemble peacably have a right to be maced, handcuffed, arrested, and met with other various forms of violence. The government asks us to watch our neighbors and turn them in. The Patriot Act is anything but patriotic. Propaganda reigns supreme and those who speak against our government have increasingly been made to look as un-American, conspiracy theorists, antagonists, and nut jobs. All the while, more and more laws are being instituted which strip us of our freedoms faster than it took to put them into place. So please don't minimize the actions of those who are fighting to put an end to our declining way of life by comparing us to those who took a little bit longer to say enough is enough.
Stan Gould - LOL! That's the spirit!
James Berkheimer - Enemies list? That's funny.
LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco - WATCH lists, James, which are not news at this point because so many have spoken out about them and their experiences. And yes, enemies of the state...( http://www.rense.com/general82/gov.htm )...one article of interest, as well as other laws we have voted into place which make ANY AMERICAN susceptible to detainment based on nothing more than gossip. I don't actually find it funny at all.
Govt Core Database Tracks 'Enemies Of The State'
www.rense.com
James Berkheimer - I do find it funny. I'm not motivated by fear or conspiracy. I'm motivated by facts and reality. So let me drop some facts on you about Joel Skousen (which was pretty easy to find on wiki btw). He makes his money by selling Survivalists non-fiction as well as being a consultant for building survivalist and fallout shelters.
So it is in his best interest to create an environment of fear and mistrust of the government. The more people who believe in his ideas, the more people will buy his books and pay him to build shelters for him. This alone should discredit him as a source of factual information because he has a profit agenda for writing articles like the one you provided.
As for these lists. Could you please reference these people who have spoken out with their experiences with enemy lists. Also, do you have any references to documented cases of people being arrested based on nothing more than gossip? Oh, and I mean cases in recent history, say the last 10 years.
LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco - There are children on the no-fly lists. There are blogs, interviews, and articles all dedicated to those who found themselves on the no-fly list under suspicion of terrorism. Not because they actually did something wrong. They just happen to have the wrong name.
Funny how you said you are not motivated by conspiracy or fear when a large chunk of the American public is. Use the word terrorism, and we all line up to sign away our rights. And the further the government pushes without resistance, the more outlandish the legislation and attack on our freedoms becomes. No? Then you don't find it rather frightening that Obama would love to incarcerate American citizens based not on what they have done but on what they are capable of doing...maybe? Without probable cause. Without evidence. Without a time limit in their detainment since they would fall under the large, overpowering, all-encompassing umbrella of "terrorism".
Add to that the fact the government's partner, Media, doesn't report some pretty big stuff to us keeps too many people ignorant of what is going on right here in the land of the free. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100309/0012138472.shtml When we let things like this go by, say "Naw, it's okay. As long as you are fighting the bad guys, go ahead and do whatever you want, even retroactively, ensuring nothing is illegal if it is performed by our government in the name of freedom and fighting terrorism.", then we don't actually deserve those freedoms that we so willingly give away. If you think people being arrested on nothing more than rumors is so farfetched, just wait a bit. The President wants to... Americans blindly follow where led... and it will end up becoming a reality. Just as long as terrorism is the word of the day. One must never forget that a country big enough to give you whatever you want is also big enough to take it all away.
Where's The Outrage Over The Gov't Brushing Mass Privacy Violations Under The Rug? | Techdirt
www.techdirt.com
James Berkheimer - Story is on Slashdot
Conflict Between Occupy Wall Street Protestors and NYPD Escalating - Slashdot
http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/09/27/1836203/conflict-between-occupy-...
Anonymous - I noticed a few people from our area going. We will see how far this thing goes.
James Berkheimer - This might be worth a whole other thread. But I am honestly curious what Casey and LeAnn think of this story. More specifically LeAnn due to her remarks on a perceived loss of our rights and freedoms. I feel this story plays into that conversation.
FBI Arrests Man For Plotting To Attack Capitol, Pentagon With C-4 Loaded Remote Controlled Plane
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/rezwan_ferdaus_fbi_arr...
Anonymous - What's a or the "UC"?
James Berkheimer - I'm not sure what you are asking.
Anonymous - Its in the article. "Ferdaus stated that he devised the idea of attacking the Pentagon long before he met with the government's cooperating witness (CW) and UC, and that his jihad had, 'started last year.'"
James Berkheimer - Oh geez, they updated the article after I posted it. I need to reread this.
Now this is how you do it. Maintain focus and grow.
Occupy Wall Street Protests Poised to Grow Rapidly With Union Support
http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/occupy-wall-street-protests...
Octavian Ketterman - in general, it is difficult to perceive all those events which might help in this time; the animal nature, as it rises, diminishes the imagination ... or so it seems.
what will most definitely awaken the working class ... a few more mysterious offshore missile sightings, like little specks of raw unbridled glory amidst the past riddled with near delusion.