Are Americans revolting?

[basilio]

The pun is intended...

Many ASF members might be aware that there is currently a siege in Wisconsin aimed at preventing the new State government from slashing pensions, jobs and services and then privatizing Sate assets in what many observers think will be a fire sale to local business supporters.

Tens of thousands of people have turned up for over three weeks now to protest and stop these actions. I came across a speech by Michael Moore to the crowd which encapsulated the argument. I think its worth the time to have a look and a comment.

Michael introduces his speech with a simple observation.
At this stage apparently the 400 wealthiest people in America people own as much as the bottom 155 million. (Half the population..)

Is this the way to go ? Are Americans revolting ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgNuSEZ8CDw


"Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich." -- Michael Moore

 

[Knobby22]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

I think it is going the other way.

There is a big push from conservative interests in the USA to outlaw collective bargaining and privatise the fire brigade, police force etc. There are some States wanting to cut wages by up to 20%.

I watch with interest to see how whether their is much resistance. Mike Moore is hardly mainstream over there.

 

[Calliope]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Not nearly as revolting as some of their critics.

 

[Knobby22]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Not nearly as revolting as some of their critics.

You should apoligise Basilio. It is a racial slur.

 

[burglar]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

You should apoligise Basilio. It is a racial slur.

Why so Knobby22? Which race is mentioned?

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

The 'old school' ways of making money in big business seemed to involve a lot of control tactics, manipulation, coercion and exploitation. Every company seemed to do it to some degree. Marketing and advertising is about manipulation of attitude, and is fairly harmless. Then there are all the harmful ways of controlling situations like price fixing, restricted professional membership (in order to boost members incomes), hostile takeovers, outsourcing manufacturing to sweat shops, 'creative' accounting, screwing naive customers, etc, etc.

New ways are gradually taking their place. Tolerance for control tactics is disappearing.

 

[Calliope]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Michael Moore is revolting.

http://www.mooreexposed.com/

 

[GumbyLearner]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

I watch with interest to see how whether their is much resistance.

0.3% v. 99.7% (I wonder if that percentage will ever eclipse the Great Don Bradmans record) Getting close just 0.24% to go.

 

[basilio]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Has anyone actually had a look at Michale Moore's speech yet ? It is quite fiery and his critical point is that the attempt by the uber rich in America to force drastic living cuts on the rest of the population is just wrong.

I think this scenario will play out all over the world. How will our societies deal with falling incomes and increasing debts? Do we simple sxxx the poorest and allow the richest sectors in our society to protect their wealth and in fact increase it at the expense of the majority of the people?

Will Americans revolt against this scenario? Does Michael Moore have a point worth considering ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgNuSEZ8CDw

___________________________________________________________________

Senator Bernie Sanders says it just as well. Great find Gumby !

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Calliope;

Michael Moore is revolting.

He's a hero to people who value a good quality of life and don't want to move into a dark age scenario.

 

[GumbyLearner]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Has anyone actually had a look at Michale Moore's speech yet ? It is quite fiery and his critical point is that the attempt by the uber rich in America to force drastic living cuts on the rest of the population is just wrong.

I think this scenario will play out all over the world. How will our societies deal with falling incomes and increasing debts? Do we simple sxxx the poorest and allow the richest sectors in our society to protect their wealth and in fact increase it at the expense of the majority of the people?

Will Americans revolt against this scenario? Does Michael Moore have a point worth considering ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgNuSEZ8CDw

__________________________________________________ _________________

Senator Bernie Sanders says it just as well. Great find Gumby !

Michael Moore is in show business. His movies do nothing more than make feeble attempts to arouse an annoyed public toward populism. The problem is the system needs a good flush and to rebuilt from the ground up. As Jim Rogers would say "..these bankers should be driving tractors not lamborghinis and they should have failed."

If you want to see a good doco, less involving the emotional score and the aftermath tragedy melodrama. Don't forget a lot of defaults came from NINJA liar loans and the banks also played their part shorting & on-selling the toxic sludge through CDO's.

I suggest you watch Inside Job by Charles Ferguson. If you can't get your hands on a copy then read through the Bernie Madeoff thread. There is plenty to be gleaned there which I have been yapping on about on ASF for quite a while, that is also mentioned in the doco.

PART IV - ACCOUNTABILITY of the documentary Inside Job probably sums it up best. You have 5 Wall St banking lobbyists for every member of congress who throw billions around. You have academics at the top from places like Harvard, Columbia School of Business, former ex-Federal reserve members etc.. who have written academic papers in support of a deregulated financial industry in Iceland and been paid $100,000's of dollars the year prior to that States' complete collapse. There are ratings agencies who gave Lehman Brothers an A2 rating 2 days prior to it's collapse. The interviewer probes many for answers and tries to ask these so called doyens of academia about any potential conflict of interest, profiting from their position etc... And they want the cameras turned off!

Have a look at what these clowns did to Brooksley Born when she was at the CFTC? Have a look at how they responded when people raised questions about the insider trading practices to the SEC?

Goldman Sachs and Scott Talbott (Chief Lobbyist of the Financial Services Roundtable in D.C.) are a good starting place. Just watch the video below.



I like rich industrial capitalists, they create jobs. What have the above finance capitalists done? Created nothing more than a dodgy OTC derivatives market.
Bring more of that garbage on, it suits my investment style!

 

[GumbyLearner]

Re: Are Americans revolting ?

Michael Moore is in show business. His movies do nothing more than make feeble attempts to arouse an annoyed public toward populism. The problem is the system needs a good flush and to rebuilt from the ground up. As Jim Rogers would say "..these bankers should be driving tractors not lamborghinis and they should have failed."

If you want to see a good doco, less involving the emotional score and the aftermath tragedy melodrama. Don't forget a lot of defaults came from NINJA liar loans and the banks also played their part shorting & on-selling the toxic sludge through CDO's.

I suggest you watch Inside Job by Charles Ferguson. If you can't get your hands on a copy then read through the Bernie Madeoff thread. There is plenty to be gleaned there which I have been yapping on about on ASF for quite a while, that is also mentioned in the doco.

PART IV - ACCOUNTABILITY of the documentary Inside Job probably sums it up best. You have 5 Wall St banking lobbyists for every member of congress who throw billions around. You have academics at the top from places like Harvard, Columbia School of Business, former ex-Federal reserve members etc.. who have written academic papers in support of a deregulated financial industry in Iceland and been paid $100,000's of dollars the year prior to that States' complete collapse. There are ratings agencies who gave Lehman Brothers an A2 rating 2 days prior to it's collapse. The interviewer probes many for answers and tries to ask these so called doyens of academia about any potential conflict of interest, profiting from their position etc... And they want the cameras turned off!

Have a look at what these clowns did to Brooksley Born when she was at the CFTC? Have a look at how they responded when people raised questions about the insider trading practices to the SEC?

Goldman Sachs and Scott Talbott (Chief Lobbyist of the Financial Services Roundtable in D.C.) are a good starting place. Just watch the video below.



I like rich industrial capitalists, they create jobs. What have the above finance capitalists done? Created nothing more than a dodgy OTC derivatives market.
Bring more of that garbage on, it suits my investment style!

And if they ever want to make a movie about Scott Talbott the lobbyist. A Hollywood production house could get Christian Bale to play the role. Dead ringer for Scott Talbott.

 

[Happy]

To me looks that Tea Party will shake few things.

But revolt is not going to reverse living beyond means for good part of 50 years or so!

 

[skc]

Try this...

http://playspent.org/

 

[prawn_86]

Western life is still too comfortable at the moment for a true peoples revolt. History tells us there will be one, but i think it will come more so when people are starving and virtually forced into serfdom.

At the moment, even in America, you can still lead a very comfortable life with just a bit of hard work. Very few are dying of starvation, or without a roof over their head

 

[basilio]

Try this...

http://playspent.org/

That was very thought provoking. SKC. Poverty is real - this clever game brings up all the issues.

Thanks for the link.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Western life is still too comfortable at the moment for a true peoples revolt. History tells us there will be one, but i think it will come more so when people are starving and virtually forced into serfdom.

At the moment, even in America, you can still lead a very comfortable life with just a bit of hard work. Very few are dying of starvation, or without a roof over their head

Good points and perspective prawn.
When business people chuck it in then jobs go, people lose it and it all goes to crap.

 

[wayneL]

Western life is still too comfortable at the moment for a true peoples revolt. History tells us there will be one, but i think it will come more so when people are starving and virtually forced into serfdom.

At the moment, even in America, you can still lead a very comfortable life with just a bit of hard work. Very few are dying of starvation, or without a roof over their head

Exactly, Americans still have too much to lose to buck city hall. People only revolt when they feel they have nothing left to lose.

 

[ChaoSI]

Try this...

http://playspent.org/

thanks for the link.

 

[skc]

That was very thought provoking. SKC. Poverty is real - this clever game brings up all the issues.

Thanks for the link.

It's amazing how a simple game like that gets the message across much better than if you just read it somewhere.

I found myself depressed when playing the game. But after stepping away from it, you think about how the person got into that situation in the first place. It could be recklessness, ignorance or bad luck...