From our local "mainstream" news organizations, that is.
You can certainly find negative stories at sites like Gateway Pundit, or our own Orbusmax, but these are not "mainstream" news sources. What I am asking is whether you have seen or heard them from sources like the Seattle Times or King 5.
(Please limit your comments, this time, to the news coverage that you have seen or heard. I may, later this week, put up an open post on the protests, if I get some emails requesting such a post.)
Posted by Jim Miller at October 17, 2011 10:07 AM | Email Thishttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016523940_occupy17.html
Posted by: Tomas de Torquemada on October 17, 2011 10:15 AMThe Seattle Times (whcih I rarely defend because it's lame overall) has reported that the protesters are breaking the law. But I think any analysis of the protesters' demands (which range from reasonable to silly) belongs in an opinion piece. Danny Westneat, their only columnist to address the protests, has been consistently quite critical of some of their demands.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016527467_occupy18m.html
about a woman who threw her cup of coffee at a police officer when he tried to get her to move her mat while they attempted to clear the illegal campers out. Nice going, girl. No style points for lashing out at the officer just b/c you've been busted for doing something the City does not allow.
Same article says some of the campers commented "We need jobs." Gee, when a family member recently needed a job, instead of camping all day, she went out and applied and interviewed for jobs. Today, she's working. How about 'yall get out of your tents and do what she did? It actually works, if you are persistent.
Posted by: Michele on October 17, 2011 06:32 PMOh, and let's not forget the Communist Party participants. And of course they're rockin' the Che "I love communism and Fidel Castro was my commander-in-chief" Gueverra t-shirts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avG4LgTF0ho&feature=player_embedded
What would a leftist mob like "Occupy" be without the communists?
Posted by: Michele on October 17, 2011 07:34 PMThe President goes out of his way to put forth a lame attempt to identify with them as his fanning the flames of unrest with his community organizer tactics. Those who are capable of connecting the dots should realize that he has made things worse since his term began and is pulling another bait and switch, when the Occupiers should be blaming him and his crony capitalism along with the bankers, Wall Street tycoons, etc. However, he has some company of "soulmates", as the American Communist Party and American Nazi Party and the affiliated SEIU, and AFL-CIO unions that also support the demonstrations.
There are some villains that need to be brought to justice (I don't mean killed). The crony capitalists and Wall Street tycoons have been out of line as have been the lobbyists. It is the corruption from DC, Wall Street and the me-me-me attitude common in this country. Mr. Obama's willingness to own the vapidness of many of these demonstrations may well be his downfall - so I say - Bring it BO !
Posted by: KDS on October 17, 2011 07:43 PMBut there's plenty of examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjm4LxFa1c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55OAozWeNo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRkKdiFn7ls
Posted by: Palouse on October 17, 2011 08:12 PMHow many? 0.
Both groups are being pitted against each other when in reality their share a big enough goal that they should be working with each other rather than against each other. That you are buying the media spin to pit us against each other says alot.
Posted by: Lysander on October 17, 2011 10:00 PMIt's hard to get a read of their motives b/c not even THEY know why they're there. One guy told a reporter "Um, we'll let you know tomorrow what we want". Uh, okay.
Then there's all the random "We want (fill in the blank with demands for any number of free stuff)".
Basically it's all the usual far-left hippie suspects with drum-beating, trashpiling, Che t-shirt-wearing, pooping on police cars and urinating on the streets, police-attacking, death threatening, predictable anti-semitic ranting ("The zionist jews who are running these big banks...need to be run out of this country!!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjm4LxFa1c&feature=player_embedded ) while railing against "the corporations!" (Yah, those corporate titans Steve Jobs and Bill Gates never really did anything good for anybody...unless you think useful products and job/wealth creation is good, which these people obviously can't understand).
You can ask what they want. Many have tried. But they are scattered, unfocused, capitalist-hating (many have said as much), communist (see above link for proof) coddling Kamp Alinsky Kids.
Whatever you do, don't miss this gem of a carrot-top lookalike "occupier" ranting about "sustainable stars" (whatever that is) and goodness knows what else:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=539_1318434275
And that awareness comes mainly in the form of the average Joe voter making a note to himself of what kinds of people make up the Occupation. And these union mobs, restless unproductive youth, professional protesters and aging hippies wasting time on Wall Street do not represent hard working average Joe.
These Occupiers are not doing Democrats any favors.
Posted by: Jeff B. on October 18, 2011 01:12 AMDo you think that might explain why all those countries are going broke right now?
Posted by: It Takes a Village to Convene a Grand Juty on October 18, 2011 11:14 AMI can see tc, tensor, Bruce had no reply to this.
Posted by: SmoledMan on October 18, 2011 12:19 PMMy question for Jim has to do with understanding why he was asking the question. It was not clear to me what the purpose of the post was. By his last statement, he didn't want the thread to become an open one commenting on the protests in general. What you are asking is in conflict with what Jim was stating he wanted the comments to focus on.
If you want my opinion, I think if the point of the protests are to focus on the financial sector abuses and difference between Wall Street's view of the world and Main Street's view, then I think it is an appropriate vehicle, but not necessarily being well executed. If the purpose is to stand around and gripe, then I say it is a worthless endeavor.
Regarding the specific quote you mentioned, it is good that the family member found a job. Other families have not experienced the same success. There are plenty of hard working people who are taking whatever temporary work comes there way, but can't find a permanent position. They are continuing to look, but due to their background and skills (and age) it does get harder. What the students have going for them is they are young. The ones I feel for are the people in their forties and especially fifties that lost work and will have a harder time starting over. Whether it is blatant or not, there is somewhat of an age issue when it comes the current employment situation. If you are in the high-skilled class, you shouldn't have that hard of time, but if you are one whose area of work has been phased out, it is hard learning a new line of work later in your career.
Posted by: tc on October 18, 2011 03:30 PM"SEATTLE -- A MAN ACCUSED OF EXPOSING HIMSELF TO CHILDREN AT LEAST FIVE TIMES across Seattle was arrested early Tuesday morning.....
Officers had been given a composite sketch of the suspect and DETECTIVES LEARNED HE HAD BEEN AT WESTLAKE PARK TAKING PART IN THE OCCUPY SEATTLE PROTESTS." (my caps)
Neither story mentioned in the headline or the news summary that the arrest was connected in any way to the protests, though. Think that would be the case if these were Tea Partiers? No, me either.
Posted by: jvon on October 18, 2011 06:05 PMBut this whole thread is ridiculous. Of course there are nuts attracted to a political rally in a major city downtown. That's about as big "news" as saying it might rain in Seattle this winter.
Posted by: Bruce on October 18, 2011 06:27 PMWas he waving a sign about shooting people, like plenty of Tea Partiers have been?
Posted by demo kid at October 18, 2011 06:25 PM
PUt down the bong ! You're incoherent and are wearing Saul Alinsky on your sleeve. I know your game - suicide bombing.
Posted by: KDS on October 18, 2011 07:47 PM
"Even as protests over its political influence grow louder, Wall Street is one of the leading sources of money so far in the 2012 race for the White House.[...]
Not surprisingly, the biggest beneficiary has been Republican hopeful Mitt Romney, according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan campaign-finance watchdog group.
Indeed, the former Massachusetts governor is the top recipient of campaign cash from employees of the five biggest Wall Street banks. Goldman Sachs gave the most -- $352,200. The firm paid a $550 million settlement last year in a fraud case that grew out of the subprime mortgage scandal that helped bring the U.S. economy to near collapse in the late 2000s.
The other banks were Morgan Stanley ($184,800), Bank of America ($112,500), JP Morgan Chase ($107,250) and Citigroup ($56,550).
A spokesman for the Romney campaign could not be reached for comment."
"Mitt Romney came to the state with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation and said he wants to allow home foreclosures to "hit the bottom" to help the housing industry recover.Posted by: commenter on October 19, 2011 05:02 AM
In an interview published Tuesday ahead of presidential debate, Romney told Las Vegas Review Journal's editorial board that solving the foreclosure crisis would require letting banks proceed against homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages"
The Seattle Times, King 5 and all the rest are not "news organizations", but propaganda outlets for the Dimocrat Party and other hard left entities and causes. They discount and ignore any and all legitimate stories that do not benefit their agenda, which is to advance the causes of leftism/collectivism/statism.
Posted by: Saltherring on October 19, 2011 06:37 AMOOPS.
Posted by: Medic/Vet on October 19, 2011 02:48 PM"Who should be informed of the opportunity to meet with their elected officials? Who decides how that should happen? According to U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, she does.
Herrera Beutler told the approximately 24 people who attended her community "coffee" Monday that her office contacted "between 5,000 and 10,000 people," inviting them to the meeting."
"'When word gets in the paper, you get a certain set of people,' [Herrera Beutler staffer and Communications Director Casey] Bowman said."
TEA PARTY! F**K Yeah!
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on October 19, 2011 02:53 PMHAHAHAHA, here is a guy who not only works for O-dumber but also got millions in green energy from him.
So what did he do with the cash. He sent his factory to China.
You fools want to complain about not having jobs and big biz influence. Try the White House lawn.
Morons.
Posted by: Medic/Vet on October 19, 2011 02:56 PMProof?: Decades of observation. But in your case this wouldn't work, as it also requires a brain and a bit of objectivity and you are obviously lacking in both.
Posted by: Saltherring on October 19, 2011 04:19 PMOne needs a brain to lead. Seriously doubt you'd find a functioning one in the OWS crowd. Cut the government handouts and most of them would choose to starve rather than work.
Posted by: Saltherring on October 19, 2011 04:31 PMYou might want to have your vision checked. (Once we get single-payer healthcare in this country, you might even be able to afford a vision exam!) Here's what I'd already written about Michelle's claim:
...her entirely unrealistic view that a good job is easily available to anyone who wants one.
Since Michelle did not feel any need to give any corroborating evidence for her family anecdote (most likely because she has none), there was no point in tc, Bruce, or myself attempting any further reply.
Posted by: tensor on October 19, 2011 07:19 PMhttp://www.theblaze.com/stories/rnc-asks-top-dems-wheres-the-outrage-on-occupy-wall-street-anti-semitism/comment-page-2/#comment-2089721
Posted by: Michele on October 19, 2011 09:06 PMBut let's even assume some truth in Michele's implication that some of the Occupy protesters are lazy, irrational, unbathed scofflaws. So what?
Posted by: Bruce on October 19, 2011 09:47 PMhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-has-more-cash-from-financial-sector-than-gop-hopefuls-combined-data-show/2011/10/18/gIQAX4rAyL_story.html?hpid=z1
Oh goody, conservative logic!
I'm game. From my decades of experience, anyone that identifies with modern conservatives tends to be: a real dick, stupid, greedy, crazy, or just a combination of the four. By your reasoning, this is true. So which are you?
@41: One needs a brain to lead. Seriously doubt you'd find a functioning one in the OWS crowd. Cut the government handouts and most of them would choose to starve rather than work.
Please. I'm commenting on their leadership style, which is related to extreme forms of consensus governance. I don't particularly think that it's that effective, because it's just plain tiring. However, it takes more thought than the typical Tea Partiers, who simply strolled into DC, yelled a lot about how the government was evil, probably (in a burst of unintentional irony) took in the Smithsonian, and went back home.
But hey, at least OWS aren't being hijacked wholesale like the Tea Party. (Yet.)
@43: Finally the RNC begins to go after democrats for their support of "occupy" while racist, anti-jewish sentiments abound at the rallies. No democrats have condemned the frequent anti-semitic sentiments of those they support.
Oh goody, conservative logic!
One fringe group at a rally expresses racist views, and the whole thing should be disavowed and discredited completely.
Therefore, everyone in the Tea Party is a racist, and the whole movement means nothing! And Michelle Bachmann hates black people! Thanks for clearing that up, buddy! So nice that conservative logic came to the rescue.
@46: I second Medic/Vet @ 37. How come these cowards "occupying wall street" aren't protesting the man that resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue who received all of the monies from them in 2008? Simple. Just like journalists (of the ilk today), these simpleton's can't think past their collective snot-nosed whining noses.
Oh goody, conservative logic!
How come these coward Tea Partiers didn't protest George Bush when he was in office and starting wars that we couldn't afford? Simple! Just like Fox News "journalists", I guess these simpletons can't think past their collective snot-nosed whining noses.
Honestly, I see very little "objective" journalism today and truly believe it is quite dead for that matter and has been for years. I'm just not sure those that have been propped up to present it have read their own obituary.
Take comfort. Now, news organizations are rebranding themselves as the propaganda wings of political parties. Just look at right-wing radio and Fox! It's the wave of the future!
"Drinking affects your decision making, sir"~ Arthur's Butler
"You may be right,...I can't decide" ~ Arthur's reply to the butler.
Posted by: Rick D. on October 19, 2011 11:00 PM"It's wrong to create a mortgaged-backed security filled with loans you know are going to fail so that you can sell it to a client who isn't aware that you sabotaged it by intentionally picking misleadingly rated loans most likely to be defaulted upon"
I'd love to see a reference link to anyone at an OWS protest saying or carrying a sign saying "I don't feel I have to payback what I borrowed". Unfortunately TCP/IP does not yet support linking into your imagination.
And regarding the teabagger message, who can forget 'Goverment, Keep yore hands off my Medicare'?
Yes, link to a photo: http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Medicare-keep-your-hands-off-my-medicare.jpg
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on October 20, 2011 06:53 AMSo who are the bad people in all this? How about "all the above". Dodd and Frank should be indicted and tried for fraud, for insisting as late as 2007 that Fannie and Freddie were sound. Seeing Frank and Dodd occupying the same cell block as the worst of the Wall Street securities bundlers would give the American people some measure of justice. As for the drooling Carter, having to live with his legacy is probably penalty enough.
Posted by: Saltherring on October 20, 2011 07:43 AMCome to think of it, that's Leftism in general. A nice fantasy that isn't compatible with human nature and attracts freeloaders that ultimately make it so overloaded, it fails.
The only answer is personal responsibility and individual accountability. Buck up Lefties, you created the age of austerity. And after you realize that drum circles, free food from the unions, and chance hook-ups in the park have come to an unsustainable end, there will be nothing left for you to do than go find something productive to do like the rest of us.
Posted by: Jeff B. on October 20, 2011 07:49 AMPlease explain how Barney Frank "blocked the GWB administration's attempts to rein in Fannie and Freddie as these entities underwrote huge numbers toxic mortgages, placing the burden on the U.S. taxpayer."
Please account for the fact that as a Democrat Barney Frank was incapable of "blocking" any legislation in the House while it was controlled and led by the Republican majority.
"Fannie and Freddie as these entities underwrote huge numbers toxic mortgages"
Fannie and Freddie were bad actors in the housing bubble, but not a cause of the 2008 debacle.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-04/fannie-freddie-role-in-the-financial-crisis-commentary-by-phil-angelides.html
You lampoon me for "conveniently ignoring" things. Your post is simply a rehash of debunked right wing talking points. Understanding what happened in 2008 is not hard, but it takes significantly more candle power than you've ever displayed.
I'll put up an open post on the protests later, maybe as soon as this Friday.
(Quibblers: Please note the "almost" qualifier.)
Posted by: Jim Miller on October 20, 2011 08:24 AM