#OCCUPYWALLSTREET - YOU ARE NOT ALONE HERE! ;)
Here’s some talking points in case you’re interviewed - speaking concisely and directly about the reasons protesting is important, and you never know when there are cameras BESIDES the news camera that will likely not appreciate comments that don’t meet their narrative. These come courtesy of B.Dolan and http://www.Knowmore.org
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Point 1. All Corporate Money Out of Politics, Heavy Restrictions on Lobbying
If this was the only thing the #OCCUPYWALLSTREET movement accomplished, it would be a completely revolutionary change. We need to understand that the fundamental reason our democracy is broken has to due with Corporation’s ability to buy politicians.
Instead of demanding Universal Health Care as if someone could wave a magic wand and make that so, think about why Universal Healthcare wasn’t even allowed to be a part of the public debate in a serious way. It’s the same reason it took decades to even BRING UP the subject; because the Healthcare industry OWNS so many politicians.
Apply this same idea to any number of debates; imagine the US foreign policy conversation without military-industrial money in the mix. Imagine the conversation about green technology and the environment without oil companies’ ability to buy votes, etc.
Get the Corporate money out of politics first; then we can have a real national debate on any number of issues without our voice being suppressed and drowned out.
Point 2. Closing of Tax Loopholes and Fair Taxation of the Richest Americans
This is perhaps the most immediately accomplishable of these goals, as it’s an aim President Obama has shown a recent willingness to address and deal with. With the knowledge that there is a populist movement in the streets supporting his agenda, the President might be enticed to expand and strengthen his aim in standing up to the richest 1%. Conservatives have been quick to label this Class Warfare, but poor people know that the war’s been on for years.
Point 3. Sincere Efforts Toward Anti-Trust Breakups of Every ‘Too Big To Fail’ Entity in the Nation
The emergence of these entities has created powerful market advantages, but their inability to sufficiently insulate themselves from risk has made their existence catastrophic for the larger economy. We don’t need to wait for proof of this; we’ve seen it and are actively living in the aftermath.
Point 4. Expanded Criminalization and Punishment of White Collar Crimes
It’s time to arrest the people responsible for the global financial crisis, and give the judicial system some teeth in regard to White Collar Crime.
For starters, we should accept no nationwide settlement with the banks over the mortgage fraud debacle, particularly not one that’s a slap on the wrist. Wall Street is negotiating these settlements to let itself off the hook for crimes it already committed.
Point 5. That Our State and Local Governments Restore Local Authority Over Our Food, Water, and Resources, and that the U.S. Withdraw From Any Trade Agreement that Pre-Empts Control of These Resources.
Federal and state governments, pressed by the agribusiness industry and bound by free trade agreements like NAFTA and the WTO, are actively removing local authority over resources like our local food and water.
This means that even if you don’t have clean water to drink, you can’t stop a multinational corporation from mining your local drinking water to sell elsewhere. It also means you can’t prevent business from genetically modifying your food, or stop Wal-Mart from coming to your town and burying locally owned business.
Under these agreements and pre-emptions, businesses have the ability to take precedence over local, and even national, control of food, agriculture, and other areas of the economy. This situation must be addressed if we’re to effectively control corporations.