Forum Post: 99% is not the amount of people supporting this movement.
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 10, 2011, 7:47 p.m. EST by jph
(2652)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
There seems to be a lack comprehension (or even basic understanding) of the concept of the 99%. It is defined by that fact that 1% of the population controls the vast majority of the wealth, and wealth is increasingly being concentrated in the hands of this few.
This is not a disputable claim, it is an empirical fact. The wealth is not created by the 1% it is shifted from the many to the few.
We don't claim to represent everyone, we claim to be of the 99% who are done passively watching this process. We have decided to take action now. By organising through consensus we aim to hear all reasonable voices and work to create an alternative to the current one sided wealth concentrating machine that has been dominate our culture for far too long.
Note to trolls; Right wing hate radio, FOX "news" and others have been pushing falsehood and manipulating peoples baser emotions, to divide people and pit them against each other and their own interests. There is an influx of misinformed posts, uneducated hatred, and silly but destructive memes, on this forum. Unfortunately for the paid trolls in Langley Virginia, and where ever the Koch Bros keep their bought and paid for spam bot forces, this forum is not the movement. Actual reasonable debates rage all over the net. You will not be able to stop this. Posting pointless vapid noise will not silence the voices of decent, they will only grow and spread further as you attempt to derail change. This is useless, the change has come, deal with it.
I agree brother. We are the 99% United as THE PEOPLE. We will Never Be Defeated.
Not unlike the Detroit Loins
lol
Well said!
This radical 99%'er makes less than $40K and has busted ass for 30yrs. and has put away (invested) for retirement by not borrowing, financing, not buying what I want (only what I need), and living simply. There are lot's of us, too. So don't interfere with my nestegg while bitchin' someone else
woah someone help me i am confused on the 99% deal is it 99% dont have enough wealth or how much of the population owns 1% of the wealth
woah someone help me i am confused on the 99% deal is it 99% dont have enough wealth or how much of the population owns 1% of the wealth
well said! truth always comes out... <3
How about "we work for the 99%" whether they like it or not.
I am not a paid troll. And you are advocating hatred towards all those folks on the right who do not necessarily agree with your views. I don't mean to put words in your mouth but I bet you hate the Tea Partiers too.
Listen, my brother is someone I call a 'flaming liberal' and even he and I can't get along these days.
Dividing along party lines is - shall I say it? Bullshit. Shut the front door, man. Fox News lies, CNN lies, MSNBC lies. We get it.
Well you are putting words in my mouth,. "you are advocating hatred towards all those folks on the right",. hatred? where? I consider myself a conservative in many ways,. however most of the so called conservative media is not conservative at all,. it is corporatist. There is a huge difference between being a conservative and a fascist.
jph got it. tell'm what time it is jph!
most of the so called liberal or mainstream media is corporatist as well. maybe you should be getting your news from alternative websites.
How do you have any idea where I get my news? Why do you assume? Why not debate the issues instead of the ad hominem,. .
An ad hominem (Latin: "to the man", "to the person"), short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it.[1] The ad hominem is normally described as a logical fallacy,[2][3][4] but it is not always fallacious; in some instances, questions of personal conduct, character, motives, etc., are legitimate and relevant to the issue.
I said this because of your own words: "Right wing hate radio, FOX "news" and others have been pushing falsehood and manipulating peoples baser emotions, to divide people and pit them against each other and their own interests".
from regan on - show me anywhere at any time in the US the republican party as a majority did something populist and to the benefit of the working class and i'll concede the point.
and not by proxy either, directly. giving rich people more money does in fact not lead to their employees having more money.
withholding JFK, show me where the democrats did anything populist. Come on, man! Am I the enemy? What the hell? I want a better world. I consider myself a libertarian.
In all honesty, I just want the government to leave me the hell alone. I'm making friends with my neighbors, I grow my own food, I have chickens, I vote, I think we're screwed, I hope we're not. My brother and my father are rapid democrats. They disagree with almost every political view I have. I believe in gold and silver, sound money, ending the Fed, Ron Paul. Geez o' pete's - give up the f'ing blue team red team crap, that's all I'm sayin'! You guys have to come together to fight these almighty forces that have come to bring down our mighty and beautiful country.
peace out. if you want to tear down, go someplace else. I'm baby-steppin, I'm not a slacker. and I'm not a hater either. I'm sayin that both those groups of folks claim to represent and they're both full of some serious horse shit.
hey you called out party lines first, not me. and no, i don't have enemies, just folks i don't like lol. and calm down some. i have to disagree tho about the media. there are those who sensationalize peoples misfortunes and tell non-facts but they are not the majority. even fox news sometimes has a point. it is up to the consumer to be watchful and aware that all companies are out there to make money. be an adult with respect to the free market and it works well. the problem is capitalism and freedom can be abused and are being abused by lots of people every day. this is amplified when you combine this with humans that have a large impact on society. what needs to happen is certain economic levels need to be quarantined so to speak to keep them... off us. this was the purpose of the glass stegal act and that was removed by clinton. this was his paperwork trick to show the awesome numbers under his admin, just an illusion. this quarantine has been put back in place by the Dod - Frank bill your party wants to tear down. this is the democratic position and mine.
Glass Steagall should be reinstated. It was a huge win on the part of the banksters to be able to trade/speculate and screw the people at the same time.
Here's a story from Huffpo (liberal) saying Dodd-Frank did not solve the problems. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/26/robert-shiller-dodd-frank-too-big-to-fail_n_774302.html I also read financial/investment news daily, and many of the sites I frequent (zerohedge, Dailycrux, MoneyandMarkets) all reiterate that the problems that created the 2008 crisis have NOT been fixed, and have generally all been made worse as we've up the ante,so to speak.
The main reason I have strived to become more personally independent is because the U.S. dollar is in dire straights - it will fail either weeks or months after the Euro; we are heavily invested in the Eurozone but also Bernanke has tripled the money supply of a fiat currency. If you follow finances it is impossible to miss the skyrocketing (and extreme volatility) of both gold and silver. Gold and silver prices are both being suppressed by major interests (J.P. Morgan and silver comes to mind) but they won't be able to suppress forever. Especially once Greece defaults and the Eurozone does its final unraveling. Whew.
i know, freaaaaky stuff.
yeah, I know what ad hominem means,. you are questioning where I get my news,. this is not the issue,. Do you disagree that much of the right wing AM radio is filled with hatemongering, or that FOX "news" lies??
NO! I am saying that the liberals are doing the same damn thing!!
Although I'm all in favor of taking down today's ineffective and inefficient Top 10% Management Group of Business & Government, there's only one way to do it – by fighting bankers as bankers ourselves. Consequently, I have posted a 1-page Summary of the Strategic Legal Policies, Organizational Operating Structures, and Tactical Investment Procedures necessary to do this at:
http://getsatisfaction.com/americanselect/topics/on_strategic_legal_policy_organizational_operational_structures_tactical_investment_procedures
Join
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/StrategicInternationalSystems/
if you want to support a Presidential Candidate Committee at AmericansElect.org in support of the above bank-focused platform.
"We don't claim to represent everyone, we claim to be of the 99% who are done passively watching this process. "
The motto is inaccurate then that says and reads, 'we are the 99' - even the picture on the home page - it should say, 'we are part of the 99' to avoid this misunderstanding.
splitting hairs and semantics,.
Not really - more like confusing vs. clear.
The people spouting this sort of you-aren't-really-the-99%-nonsense are being willfully ignorant. Just remember to stay calm, stay positive and stay proactive. Continue to correct them without being derisive or overly defensive. Eyes on the prize!
End private money's presence and influence in our political and electoral systems! Government for the people, by the people! Separation of business and state!
Hear hear!
This is NOT a political movement it's an Ethical one.
99%ers are those that have no voice in this country. It doesn't matter if you are a Republican, Independent, Democrat, Tea Partier, believe in Socialism or Capitalism. Contrary to what we believe none of us actually has a voice in this country. We have been taught to believe that if we elect our respective parties into power that our goals and ideas will be done. Well guess what people, it won’t. The only people in this country with a voice are the 1%ers and they have no allegiance to any specific political party!
Who are the 1%ers you may ask? Well I say they are the large corporations and special interest groups who TRULY run this country. They are the groups of individuals who spend millions upon millions of dollars each year to convince YOUR congressman, YOUR senator, and YOUR President to do what best suits them regardless as to what's in the best interest of the rest of the 99% of this country.
Think about it, the root of every problem we face as a country regardless as to political beliefs boils down to who's willing to pay the most money to see their agenda done. So until we fix this system of legalized BRIBERY also known as lobbying this country will never ever be the place we dreamed that it could be.
Oh and for those of you who don't believe me, ask yourself when was the last time you tracked down your congressman or senator in the capital between meetings and offered up a large sum of money in order to see a piece of legislation passed that best interested you?
The 1%ers are not seen-they are behind the scenes. Our politicians are to blame for most of what is wrong/non-constitutional - THEY have allowed it all by not abiding by their Oath to preserve, support, uphold & defend the constitution.
You will never see/know the true 1% ... however, we are capable of holding our public servants accountable for dishonoring their oath, for committing crimes against the people, etc.
I'm clapping out loud for you! well put.
Wow-thanks. I'm willing to hold them accountable & am working on filing criminal complaints. If you wanna know more, just contact me.
And what does the "99%" define as a "reasonable voice"?
Anything that does not oppose Bigger Govt, more hand-outs/entitlements?
Specifically what is a "reasonable voice"?
People who can engage in a debate on the issues, in a respectful manner, without ad hominem attacks.
rea·son·a·ble/ˈrēz(ə)nəbəl/ Adjective:
(of a person) Having sound judgment; fair and sensible. Based on good sense: "a reasonable request". Synonyms:
rational - sensible - moderate - fair - sane
Not reasonable; yelling profanities, threatening violence, going off topic, spouting gibberish,. .
Not reasonable - expecting others to pay for what you want. Reasonable - Accepting Personal Responsibility for oneself.
Not reasonable - democracy.... Reasonable - Republic
Democracy is a form of government in which all people have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. How is this "not reasonable" ?
A republic is a country with a government, in which the people, OR SOME SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEM, have supreme control over the government. (emphasis added) So elite rule over the majority is good enough for you?? Wacky!
Who said anything about others paying for what I want? I don't like that 1% of the population has stolen the vast majority of OUR resources for person gain,. they did not create the world and they have no right to control its resources.
Democracy is mob/majority/loudest group rule to legally take away the rights/property of others, AND where programs are developed to help those who do not accept Personal Responsibility for oneself (welfare, social security, etc) AND where property/money is taken to pay for things for others.
Republic is where 99% cannot take away the rights/property of 1%, nor can 1% lawfully take away the rights/property of 99% AND where Personal Responsibility is accepted for oneself, AND where no public program is forced (mandatory voluntary participation).
Any questions?
I see, you value property rights over human rights,. So under your mythic republic only property owners get to vote or have any say in the organisation of society. Why not just white men,. or white men with top hats and monocles. Good luck with that.
Who said I value property rights over "human rights"? Where did I say "property owners get to vote..."? Why are you making things up/putting words into my mouth (type)?
Clearly "rights/property" does not claim one to be more valuable than the other....
Damn straight I value ALL of my Rights, including the right to protect my property. Since it's clear you do not understand what "property" IS I will assist you here. My car, bike, house, dog, xbox, AND my blood, breath, urine, fingerprints, hair, dna, etc are ALL my property (the list is longer, but I think that should help you understand that property is NOT just owning land).
If you don't know what your rights are, then you will never know if you are waiving them nor will you know if they are being infringed upon/violated.
quotation; But only a fool would swallow such reasoning. What a Republic establishes (unless it is a fully democratic republic, which equates to representative democracy) is the rule of the few over the many. It does not protect everyone's individual rights: it protects the rights of the ruling minority. The Liberty of the minority becomes the subjugation of the majority. The only thing Ron Paul and I agree upon, within this topic, is that the federal government, under the Constitution, was designed that way.
The minority of 1789 given power by the U.S. Constitution were mainly descendants of European aristocrats, though some were from merchant families or had made it in the U.S. despite humbler ancestry. Who were they establishing power over? Women, for sure. Native American Indians. Slaves from Africa. White slaves (indentured servants). And, in fact, most white men, because most white men did not have enough property to qualify to vote.
Liberty is an ugly thing when it is the liberty to own slaves, to prevent women from owning property, to grab Indian lands protected by treaties, and to crush poorer white men under your boot with laws and a swarm of lawyers.
How many slaves did Patrick Henry own when he said, "Give me liberty or give me death?" Over forty.
from; http://www.iiipublishing.com/blog/2007/10/blog_10_04_2007.html
Hahahaha, you are funny. Ironic that you bring up slavery when it was Legal. The govt attempts to make us ALL slaves (voluntarily) and it is NOT legal now (unless one becomes a slave voluntarily).
We have a constitutional republic. It puts the LIMITS of powers/abilities upon the 3 branches of govt...Whatever is NOT stated in the constitution is left to the States & the People.
We do NOT get our rights from the Constitution - that's why they are referred to as "Inalienable."
BTW: the 1% did NOT steal anything - you have voluntarily waived rights in exchange for privileges/benefits. You have voluntarily given what you have "lost"; albeit usually due to not receiving full disclosure and ignorance.
What's the difference between Ignorance and Stupidity?
Ignorance IS Curable ;o)
I have voluntarily waived nothing! What "privileges/benefits" ?
Do you have a Drivers License (privilege) or do you exercise & enjoy your Right To Travel? Did you register your car (privilege)? Do you pay IRS taxes (it IS voluntary)? Do you participate/pay into Social Security, Medicaid, etc (voluntary program for benefits)? Have you ever gotten a permit for something (ask permission of the govt to do something)? I could go on and on...but I think you are getting the idea now.