So just who is the 99%?

[crazy canuck]

I disagree. Being in the top 30% still makes you likely to belong to the bottom 99%.

Excellent Marti, you are able to do math.  But of course you missed the real point which is that most of the so called 99% are themselves relatively very affluent.

[Martinus]

I disagree. Being in the top 30% still makes you likely to belong to the bottom 99%.

Excellent Marti, you are able to do math.  But of course you missed the real point which is that most of the so called 99% are themselves relatively very affluent.

Which is addressed in the rest of my post, which you didn't quote. Seriously, you seem unable to carry any form of discussion in this thread (and judging from puzzled responses to your posts from others, I am not the only one thinking so).

[crazy canuck]

I'm not sure what you're saying.

University students should not be allowed to protest?

Universtiy studetns are not part of the 99 per cent?

Please clarify.

University student protests are fine.  Its a kind of rite of passage.  But they are claiming to be something they are not. As stated before this protest has more the feel, at least in Canada, of a faux protest.  Most university students are well off and largely come from the elite of society.  Further, in Canada, University education is largely paid for by government through direct funding to the Universities. 

That is probably the reason the Canadian protests are not being taken very seriously.  The day I see middle class folks taking to the street to demand changes is the day I will take it all much more seriously.

To put it in perspective during the early 80s in this province there was general labour unrest and the Unions were able to moblize tens of thousands to protest.  There were so many protestors in fact that their meetings had to be held at a sports arena.

This is nothing compared to that and I find it difficult to understand why some say that we should consider a protest by a handful of students in a handful of cities across Canada as being meaningful.

[MadImmortalMan]

I don't think it's a fair way of looking at it.

The protestors - mostly young people - want for themselves what the older/richer generations got, admittedly and apparently while getting us all into the huge debt in the process. The older/richer generations now tell the protestors (rightly) that they can't have it since we are deep in shit and you can't run deficits like this anymore, but the protestors (also rightly) tell the older/richer generations then fine, but since it's the older/richer generations that got us into this, they should share some of their wealth (gotten by getting us all into debt) with the protestors.

I think the latter demand is fair, and presenting is as class warfare is simply dishonest.

I approve of this reasoning.

[garbon]

I don't think it's a fair way of looking at it.

The protestors - mostly young people - want for themselves what the older/richer generations got, admittedly and apparently while getting us all into the huge debt in the process. The older/richer generations now tell the protestors (rightly) that they can't have it since we are deep in shit and you can't run deficits like this anymore, but the protestors (also rightly) tell the older/richer generations then fine, but since it's the older/richer generations that got us into this, they should share some of their wealth (gotten by getting us all into debt) with the protestors.

I think the latter demand is fair, and presenting is as class warfare is simply dishonest.

I approve of this reasoning.

Except the protestors themselves are portraying it as class warfare. What are the 1% if not but a separate class from the rest of us?

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I'm not sure what you're saying.

University students should not be allowed to protest?

Universtiy studetns are not part of the 99 per cent?

Please clarify.

University student protests are fine.  Its a kind of rite of passage.  But they are claiming to be something they are not. As stated before this protest has more the feel, at least in Canada, of a faux protest.  Most university students are well off and largely come from the elite of society.  Further, in Canada, University education is largely paid for by government through direct funding to the Universities. 

That is probably the reason the Canadian protests are not being taken very seriously.  The day I see middle class folks taking to the street to demand changes is the day I will take it all much more seriously.

To put it in perspective during the early 80s in this province there was general labour unrest and the Unions were able to moblize tens of thousands to protest.  There were so many protestors in fact that their meetings had to be held at a sports arena.

This is nothing compared to that and I find it difficult to understand why some say that we should consider a protest by a handful of students in a handful of cities across Canada as being meaningful.

Most of the people I know going to the protests are in their 30-s to 50's, mostly with far better jobs than I have: Teachers, social workers, small business owners, and the like. But maybe that's just my peer group? I don't know what the young 'uns are up to with it all other than providing the youthful idealism. Which as you say is what they are there for.

[crazy canuck]

Most of the people I know going to the protests are in their 30-s to 50's, mostly with far better jobs than I have: Teachers, social workers, small business owners, and the like. But maybe that's just my peer group? I don't know what the young 'uns are up to with it all other than providing the youthful idealism. Which as you say is what they are there for.

I saw not one person matching that description on my walk by the protest camp.  You are likely referring to the march on Saturday. Saturday indeed seemed to be made up of your peer group - ie the usual crowd of hard core NDP/Union supporters who will get together to  protest pretty much anything on a nice sunny day which was in effect what that was -  a protest against anything and everything.

Also, keep in mind that the numbers of protestors was small by Vancouver standards and the "occupiers" are far less than 100.

[viper37]

You have to hit about $500K as a household to be in the hated 1%.

that means nearly all professional sport players are in the hated 1%.  I wonder if they all realized that.

[Josephus]

I'm not sure what you're saying.

University students should not be allowed to protest?

Universtiy studetns are not part of the 99 per cent?

Please clarify.

Most university students are well off and largely come from the elite of society. 

See, right there I think you're exaggerating. Seriously. I don't necessarily disagree with most of your premise, but then you throw an over-generalization statment like that.

[Valmy]

that means nearly all professional sport players are in the hated 1%.  I wonder if they all realized that.

Oh they realize it.  At least they act like they do.

But still the 99% slogan just sucks since it is not people sitting on money they are upset with but rather how the system bails out the corporations at the expense of the little guy and things like that.  At least it seems to me.  It is not simply 'oh that freaking Lebron James makes so much money!  Gimme some!'  At least I presume not.

[viper37]

But still the 99% slogan just sucks since it is not people sitting on money they are upset with but rather how the system bails out the corporations at the expense of the little guy and things like that.  At least it seems to me.  It is not simply 'oh that freaking Lebron James makes so much money!  Gimme some!'  At least I presume not.

depends where.  While it makes sense to complain about bailout in New York, there was actually no bailout in Canada... so what are they protesting about?  That the socialist dude they all loved 3 years ago is doing exactly what we expect from a socialist, i.e. to give government subsidies to private corporations for anything?  The same people complain the governments doesn't do enough to promote "green energy", but when a corporation gets a tax break for that it's no longer ok?

They are a hard bunch to follow.  And during media interviews, they always look as completely stoned.

[Valmy]

While it makes sense to complain about bailout in New York, there was actually no bailout in Canada... so what are they protesting about?  That the socialist dude they all loved 3 years ago is doing exactly what we expect from a socialist, i.e. to give government subsidies to private corporations for anything?  The same people complain the governments doesn't do enough to promote "green energy", but when a corporation gets a tax break for that it's no longer ok?

They are a hard bunch to follow.  And during media interviews, they always look as completely stoned.

Oh heck I have no idea what the copycat demonstrations in other countries are about.

As for the other part...well I have no idea what these people think about green energy or other specific government intervention but yeah I think the sorts of people you are describing fail to realize government intervention into the economy is going to produce stuff like bailouts inevitably.  Populism is rarely ideologically consistent anyway which is why people from every political background can use it when convenient.

Wait socailists are in favor of the government giving breaks to big business?  Then I guess the US has been leading the Socialist revolution long before it became cool.

They are not particularly unified, and probably will not until the Democrats finish co-opting them, so trying to follow them is a challenge and, like I said, the media will want to sensationalize it so picking the stoned dudes to interview is job one.

[Ed Anger]

I'm stockpiling gold, guns and canned goods.

[Valmy]

I'm stockpiling gold, guns and canned goods.

Always a good plan...well except the gold.

[Ed Anger]

I'm stockpiling gold, guns and canned goods.

Always a good plan...well except the gold.

I've done pretty good with gold lately.