OWS is wrong...You are the 99 percent who enable the 20+ percent of resources from planet earth to b

The 99 percent crowd decrees wallstreet to be criminal in nature. Yet it is the entire US population that lives in the over consuming culture.

You are the 99 percent who make the majority of the world miserable. I'm not proud to be an American. I'm not ashamed of to say I'm part of the problem. I'm comfortable acknowledging that I am part of the problem. However...I find it very ironic that the very core of the issue is not the 1 percent wealth...but we the 99 percent who consume 20 or more percent of the entire earths resources in one country.

It's not right...Lets simply get the percentages right...We ought to be arguing that we are sick of being the 99 percent who make the rest of planet earth miserable.

We are capable of doing better for ourselves and families. It's a global struggle and we must unite to promote a real solution. Although financial institutions are largely responsible for the demise of our prosperity we are also the demise of most other nations.

It is time Americans fight back with simple tactics. The only way to win is to stop buying things we don't need.

reply to post by RightWingAvenger


Yes, the 99% think they are the poor masses but really when compared to the rest of the world they are the greedy rich. The average American consumes 20 times as much as the average Indian. If they want to do something about greed they should clean up their own act first, lest they appear so hypocritical.

Good premise. But American's are lazy and don't want to put the effort into self sustaining themselves on a scale of that magnitude. Thats the only thing holding us back from making this country a great country again imo. We would rather follow than lead as we have been imprinted that thats how things are. And sadly thats how things will stay. Unless we change it. OWS is in my mind the first great step into real reform in government and everyone should do their part.

Nothing worse than someone spouting off an opinion on here without any sources with the facts posted to back up their statements.

Originally posted by polarwarrior
reply to post by RightWingAvenger

 

Yes, the 99% think they are the poor masses but really when compared to the rest of the world they are the greedy rich. The average American consumes 20 times as much as the average Indian. If they want to do something about greed they should clean up their own act first, lest they appear so hypocritical.

Well, that is something people talk about OWS, it seems OP is pretty uniformed. Many talks at OWS are about living more sustainably and using less resources. A lot of people think it's just about taxes and hand outs. Those people make up a fraction of OWS, but a lot of the people there, the base of the group, are not really represented in the media.

There needs to be a paradigm shift, to end the consumerist culture in a America. That is what many at OWS believe.

Many are there for other reasons too. But it really shouldn't be the 99% v the 1% because there is ignorance and greed on both sides. It IS true however, the 1% control much of the media, the banking systems, and government. So even many in the 99% gets informed, the 1% really needs to change their act as well because they really do have a lot of responsibility for how they heard the sheeple, but at the same time it's the sheeples fault for being sheeple.

Separation and hate, and labeling entire diverse groups (like what the OP is doing, and some at OWS do, but I wouldn't say most at OWS, most are there for the right reasons) is a large part of the problem.

We ALL really NEED to come together in solidarity to find solutions, which should be the core idea behind OWS(and is according to what is posted on the official website, but again that unfortunately does not represent everyone there), and IS the core idea behind OWS for many. Because the way the US is going is not sustainable.

Step 1 is too wake up the sheeple and get people informed, which undeniably OWS is doing for many.

Originally posted by cconn487
But American's are lazy and don't want to put the effort into self sustaining themselves on a scale of that magnitude.

I beg to differ. I know Americans on all ends of the economic spectrum that are hard working, no shortage of that in the US. There is also no shortage of ignorance which is the real problem.

Originally posted by RightWingAvenger
The 99 percent crowd decrees wallstreet to be criminal in nature. Yet it is the entire US population that lives in the over consuming culture.

You are the 99 percent who make the majority of the world miserable. I'm not proud to be an American. I'm not ashamed of to say I'm part of the problem. I'm comfortable acknowledging that I am part of the problem. However...I find it very ironic that the very core of the issue is not the 1 percent wealth...but we the 99 percent who consume 20 or more percent of the entire earths resources in one country.

It's not right...Lets simply get the percentages right...We ought to be arguing that we are sick of being the 99 percent who make the rest of planet earth miserable.

We are capable of doing better for ourselves and families. It's a global struggle and we must unite to promote a real solution. Although financial institutions are largely responsible for the demise of our prosperity we are also the demise of most other nations.

It is time Americans fight back with simple tactics. The only way to win is to stop buying things we don't need.

Just because Americans consume 20% of the entire earths resources doesn't mean OWS is wrong per se but it should perhaps acknowledge that the wealth distribution on this planet is skewed to the 1% not just in America but also the world.
If anyone is at fault of the miserable suffering on this planet it is not American citizens who are protesting amongst OWS and bringing these kind of issues to light. It is certain individuals and organizations who have, through a corporatocracy, used deception, manipulation, lies, theft, murder, corruption, and consumerism to keep American people distracted, which has caused all this


I've heard this kind of argument before at my campus when were protesting the horrendous quality and odor of our tap water. Certain campus staff bashed us for being ungrateful that our water was not comparable to some unfortunate people in Africa.. so what does that mean we just sit back and say everything is ok because someone else has it worse then us ?

This kind of passive thinking is what allows the few to further expand their grip of control on the many and it is backwards step towards doing better for ourselves and families

Originally posted by RightWingAvenger
It is time Americans fight back with simple tactics. The only way to win is to stop buying things we don't need.

Yeah I agree. You can start by getting rid of your computer!

Honestly, I understand why some people have this anti-consumerist attitude but I think the people who buy into this mindset are just being manipulated by people who have other ideas. They don't care about people. They're looking for justifications for their ideologies. Frequently, you can trace it directly to some kind of Marxist ideology.

I decided a long time ago that Marxist activists were simply users who exploit minorities of all types to build a large political base. They always follow the same M.O. They get people all riled up about inequality and the unfairness of it all.

Originally posted by EndGovtCorruption
Nothing worse than someone spouting off an opinion on here without any sources with the facts posted to back up their statements.

You seriously need a link to tell you that Americans over-consume ??

In 2004, the United States accounted for less than 5% of the world's population and 33% of global consumption

facingthefuture.org...





And of course its not just Americans participating in occupy or over-consumption...

The world's richest countries make up only one-fifth of global population but account for 45% of all meat consumption, 58% of total energy use, 84% of paper use, and 87% of vehicle ownership. At the other end of the spectrum, the poorest fifth of the world's population - more than one billion people - still lack food, shelter, housing, water and sanitation, and access to electricity. (United Nations Development Programme)

Well, I agree that over consumption is a huge (possibly the greatest) problem in the world today. I believe a good number of OWS supporters are probably also concerned about this problem, since the problems on "Wall-Street" and Over Consumption have a lot to do with each other.

This is a great thread. So far I agree with both sides of the arguments made. Rather than being contradictory I see them as as complimentary. The scary thing is watching all the regulations being created to prevent self sufficiency, so all are dependent on the government.

I wonder sometimes if all Americans should come over to Australia (large landmass, low population) to see the corporations suffer with out their much needed flock. Would they just set up camp elsewhere? But alas we are quickly following the US's suit anyway.

Originally posted by polarwarrior
reply to post by RightWingAvenger

 

Yes, the 99% think they are the poor masses but really when compared to the rest of the world they are the greedy rich. The average American consumes 20 times as much as the average Indian. If they want to do something about greed they should clean up their own act first, lest they appear so hypocritical.

Varanasi




You should go to India and live as they do then. I guarantee it's not fun. It is interesting but you have to be hardy. There's no central air or heat and bucket baths are really cool once you get the hang of mixing the burning hot with the extremely cold in a small bucket. Don't forget to use bottled water when you brush your teeth so you don't get parasites. Milk comes in powder. They make great Chai tea though.
That must be what you want for us I guess. They consume just as much water, they just don't put chlorine in it. They burn stuff to keep warm at night too. It has an interestingly pungeant scent. Who could say just what it is they are burning though.

But that was apartment life in New Delhi

The more we penetrated into the interior the more we asked ourselves in which age we were stepping back. People live like centuries ago and time seems to stand still there. The small houses often are made from loam with thatched roofs and small openings for the windows. The equipment is accordingly poor and mainly consists of a kind of handmade camp beds from wood and hemp. Often there is no water and no electricity. So the woman fetch water from a well and carry it in globular vessels, so-called "matkas", from clay or brass on their heads to their homes as they carry everything on their heads. If you watch them as they walk in their beautiful saris they truly have a kingly appearance (see chapter about traditional clothing). We have the deepest respect for those people, who despite of their poverty keep their self-respect and sense for beauty. However, beggars are everywhere...

www.sights-and-culture.com...
But carry on though, and don't let your socially conscious Starbucks latte get cold while you google on your iphone.

reply to post by RightWingAvenger


Here is more on living conditions in India, which you seem to want here in the West because some environmentalist has convinced you that Americans are parasites

Unsafe disposal of human waste is a major health hazard in the country

More than half (55 percent) of the households have no toilet facilities at all.
Seventy-four percent of households in rural areas lack basic toilet facilities,
compared with 17 percent of urban households.
Most families in India follow unsafe practices for disposing of children’s
stools. For 80 percent of mothers in rural areas, the stools of the youngest
child under 5 years are thrown into the garbage or left in the open

.

Almost half of all households (49 percent) have to travel to get their drinking water. For 37 percent of households, getting water takes less than 30 minutes
for a round trip, and for 12 percent of households getting water takes 30
minutes or more. The job of getting water still falls overwhelmingly on women
and girls.
About one-third of households treat their drinking water by boiling or other
methods to make it safer to drink.

Smoke from solid cooking fuels such as wood, charcoal, and animal dung can
can
lead to a range of serious health problems including respiratory infections, low
birth weight, and eye problems. Almost half (49 percent) of households in
India cook with wood, and 11 percent use dung cakes.

hetv.org...


Well, gee I guess that beats using coal and nuclear energy and all you have to do is go out in the back yard and grab it from the cow.

reply to post by polarwarrior


Yes. Either post links to facts that back up your post or don't waste our time. I did not say I did not like the post, I did not say I disagree with the post, only that if you are going to post something do it with facts or half the people on here will just start spouting off garbage that isn't true. When I read a thread I expect the facts to be present, I do not have 45 minutes a post to spend researching a posters opinion.

As if!

Laughable!

Reduce on the limited items that are afforded to us? Reduce that of which we do not currently have?

We are not wrong. There is no paradigm in our world. There is only right and wrong.

reply to post by RightWingAvenger


Complete rubbish. Its not the people at all! Its the corporations that plunder resources for greed! If the corporations didnt plunder resources there woouldnt be a problem, and there would not be as many people on the planet.
So what resources are we talking about? Please explain.

It's a good point the OP makes, but then just goes to show how much wealth the top 1% of the world have. The top 1% in the world own 40% of the worlds wealth. I would say that was fair.

II'd almost be willing to be that the global warming "experts" burn more fossil fuel just jetting all over the darn place for their many "global warming conferences" each year than I'll use in my lifetime!!!
same goes for the politicians who are always getting to this place or that...on official business of course!!!
heck, I'm sorry, but the rich person's mansion has probably four times as much in resources in it that my humble little home, and just how many do they have???
and well, come chat with some of the people I know at work. a good number of them spend two to three times the time to get to work than they should have to, simply because they use the mass transit. a few have had their electricity shut off at least once this year. I go around the shop in hand me down pants that were once my sons, with holes ripped out in various place.
when it comes to "over consumption", well, how much money you have to use to consume becomes a major factor!!!
gore's mansion probably cost more money to heat than I make!! and yet, he'll jump on his jet and fly all over the place to discuss just how us pions need to turn down our thermostat and walk to work to save the world!!!

someone posted a nice description on how much fun it is to be one of the 90 percent in india....
and yet, just how is the top 10 percent living in that country?? nice warm mansion in the winter, nice cool mansion in the summer?? all the clean water they could ever hope for?? private jet to fly around the world in?? golden faucets in their bathtup??
it's the same story, only a little more perverse, there!!

OWS is an international movement to hopefully slow down american and european corporate imperialism throughout the globe. Corporations from the wealthy developed nations invest in the under-developed.

I agree americans could and should consume less, but this arguement is of secondary importance at the moment. We have bigger fish to fry because unless financial greed subsides everyone will be doomed.

Being ethical is paramount. Did they stop teaching that in college lately?? It was mandatory at my time!