The Movement Marches On

It's been a minute since my last post, and so many things have occurred in relationship to the Occupy Wall Street movement.  Grass roots Occupy movements have been developing not only within the nation, but world wide. Republican politicians are doing their infamous "side step shuffle" by first denouncing the movement and condemning the occupier for exercising their I Amendment right to freedom of speech, then upon realizing that the 99% are people from all walks of life, some of whom are their own constituents, they subtly begin to change their tune by recognizing the legitimacy of their, only to flop back to their original posture when the audience they're addressing expects that type of rhetoric, and the movement marches on.

Mayors of some cities seem to act in a collaborative effort to remove occupiers using various levels of force, and attempt to justify their actions by saying "freedom of speech does not include the right to pitch tents and sleep in public/private parks."  This appears that these actions serve to strengthen the resolve of the 99%, and the movement marches on.

Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) Foreign Affairs CMTE; MIDDLE EAST SUBCMTE. introduced an Occupied Amendment in an attempt to deal with the corrupt nature of government and dependence of fundraising in the election process.  There is ample evidence that corporate influence in our government has essentially hijacked our democracy, turning our system of government into an oligarchy.  Let's see what kind of welcome this Amendment receives, as the movement marches on.

Money is speech, and legal bribery has been shown to produce powerful results in the policies our nation chooses to implement, and the movement marches on.

American Jobs Act Bill

It is prudent that we educate ourselves and families on the American Jobs Act Bill in order to effect change.  If we agree that something must be done immediately to increase employment opportunities in this country, then must must respond by urging Congress to stop playing politics and ACT for the benefit of the American people.  The goal of the Republican Party should not be to beat President  Obama at all cost, but rather to improve conditions in America, at all cost.  Watch the President's speech made today (and view archived speeches), and read the Bill here.

Resource Guide For the Occupy Protest.

Below is an email that I received from the editor at Thinkprogress.org.  Read more here and here.

Dear Maria, As you have undoubtedly been witnessing, the Occupy Wall Street protests have spawned a nationwide movement for progressive change. Thousands of inspiring protesters are gathering in cities across America – in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and more – to call attention to a political system that unfairly and unjustly rewards the wealthy at the expense of everyone else. ThinkProgress has put together a resource guide to arm you with the key facts as we work together for economic justice: Why They're Protesting What started with about 1,000 people in New York City is a civil disobedience campaign to draw attention to economic inequality and the need for structural economic reforms. In the true spirit of the Boston Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street protesters are practicing civil disobedience for many of the same reasons. They demonstrating in opposition corporate greed; demanding that government support education, infrastructure, and jobs; getting rid of corporate tax loopholes; and strengthening democracy. Read more here. How Unequal are We? Protesters call themselves the 99 percent – meaning the portion of the nation pushing back against the top 1 percent of the most wealthy Americans. Here is an explanation of exactly how economically unequal we are: 1. The top 1 percent of Americans owns 40 percent of the nation’s wealth. 2. The top 1 percent of Americans takes home 24 percent of national income. 3. The top 1 percent of Americans owns half of the country’s stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. 4. The top 1 percent of Americans has only 5 percent of the nation’s personal debt. 5. The top 1 percent is taking in more of the nation’s income than at any other time since the 1920s. Read more here. Who's Involved The number of people behind Occupy Wall Street has grown from that first group who started the demonstrations in New York. Now, people ranging from labor unions to celebrities and veterans are protesting in the streets across the country. Here's an Iraq veteran who joined the protest in Boston because the future is at stake and "it's not going to fix itself": But of course not everyone has been giving the Occupy Wall Street protesters fair coverage. After Fox News had mocked and tried to "prank" protesters in its coverage, the news channel did not air this interview with Jesse LaGreca in which the protesters clearly explains why he's there protesting and what he thinks of Fox's coverage, even scolding the Fox staffer for his network’s role as a far-right “propaganda machine." Watch the unaired interview: Read more here and  here. If you found this content useful, please consider forwarding it to your friends. Thanks, Faiz --- Faiz Shakir Editor, ThinkProgress.org

Occupy Wall Street: Violence erupts as protesters attempt to cross Broadway

The organization that Ben Bernanke referred to in his address on Capital Hill address, Occupy Wall Street.Org, is in their 18th day of protest down in the financial district in NYC. This evening the protest got violent with police brass, and uniformed officers beating protesters with clubs, and spraying pepper spray as they attempt to clear Broadway in an effort to prevent protesters form crossing their barricades. See video here.  Protesters consist of recent college graduate who have been unable to find employment, as well as labor union members who are facing layoffs due to budget cuts.  As protest numbers swell, protesters vow that they are in it for the long haul.

Federal Reserve Chief Warns Congress That Economic Recovery Is Close to Faltering

Ben Bernanke warns Congress the economic recovery as is now is close to faltering.  Europe has a debt crisis, America has a job crisis, and the world finance Markets are fermenting.  When asked about the 18 days of protest that is happening in Wall Street and cities all over the country, Bernanke responded "I think people are quite unhappy with the state of the economy and what is happening.  They blame, with some justification, the problems n the financial sector for getting us into this mess and they're dissatisfied with the policy response here in Washington.  And, at some level, I can't blame them."

Republicans and the few Democrats who oppose the $447 billion job-creation bill must do something to stave off a double dip recession.  At the rate things are going, the 9% unemployment rate will remain well into 2013
You can read more on the issue here.

Trader's Banking Confessions Appear To Not Be a Hoax.

According to reputable sources, at "The Guardian co,uk", independent trader Alessio Rastani, was not posturing for the Yes Men.  Although "The Guardian" referred to Rastani as "small potatoes", he is a real trader and said nothing to suggest otherwise.  He was simply being more candid than other insiders would be.  You can read the article in its entirety here.  The reason why what happens in Europe is important to America is that all markets are tethered to one another.

"Governments Don't Rule the World, Goldman Sachs Rules the World" says Alessio Rastani in an interview with BBC News

An interesting interview appeared on BBC News where trader, (view video here) Alessio Rastani--whom some say is also a prankster, and member of the yes men--made a strong prediction that the Eurozone  market is going to crash with the next twelve (12) months, and that people need to prepare themselves.  He says "there's money to be made if you know what to do."  Was it a hoax or not?

The United States' Free Trade Agreements

What is NAFTA?  NAFTA is an acronym for the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement which exists between three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico.  This trade agreement is the world's largest free trade area in terms of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and was launched 15 years ago to reduce trading cost, increase business investment, and help North America be more competitive in the global market place.
Has it worked, and if so, for whom?
Over time, we will begin to develop an answer to this question by considering the pros, and cons of Neoliberalism, and how its policies and practices effect our lives.

As of January 1, 2008, all tariffs between the three countries were eliminate.  Between 1993-2009, trade tripled from $297 billion to $1.6 trillion.
(Source: USTR, NAFTA)
In addition to NAFTA, the United States has signed free trade agreements with 17 countries.  These countries are:
Australia;Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Mexico, Morocco,
Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, and Singapore.
The United States has signed free trade agreements with Colombia, Korea, and Panama, but Congress must enact legislation to approve and implement each individual agreement in order for them to go into effect.

The United States is also in negotiations as a regional, Asia-Pacific trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) Agreement which the objective of shaping a high-standard, broad based regional pact.
Related Links
World Trade Organization (WTO) & Multilateral Affairs
Trade & Investment Framework Agreements
Bilateral Investment Treaties
Other Initiatives