The power of My Generation
Posted by Nathan Erkkila in Activist groups, American History, American People, Liberal, National Politics, Occupy Wall Street, Tea Bag Party on November 26, 2011
It’s always amusing to hear the older generations and political pundits criticize our generation, that we feel too entitled or we weren’t spanked enough or whatever the fuck old people complain about nowadays. For those of you who do not know, Generation Y or the millennial, is anyone who was born in the 80′s or early 90′s. Generally the most solid line rests between the inauguration of Reagan in 1981 and the fall of the Soviet union in 1992. It is the generation that is now either in college or recently graduated. We are the ones who played Mario and Sonic while watching Rocko’s Modern Life and Pete & Pete. We are the generation that started the internet boom with Youtube, Facebook and the likes.
We are sometimes called the worst generation. I don’t get why. If anything, this generation is by far the most powerful. Sure, we are a generation that feels entitled, that the world should be given to us. But we are also, a generation that had the idea of teamwork drilled into our heads. And as a result, our sense of entitlement is not selfish. We were told the world is our oyster. While the baby boomers said the world is mine, we said the world is ours. On top of that, we are tenacious. Mix that in with our technology and our ability to network, and you have raw power.
Why am I bringing this up? As you can tell, our generation is not in the best shape. We have a lot of debt both personally and, thanks to our IOU currency known as the National Debt, as a group. A lot of us are living with our parents. We are criminally unemployed. We have a failing economy while unrestrained, greedy corporations continue feeding at the trough with full support from the government.
However, the issue is one that is way more optimistic. We all know of the occupy movement, the Arab Spring, the riots in Europe. All of those were caused by the Y-gen. That is our movement.
Generation X? They were sold out by the rich. The Baby Boomers? They were the ones who voted for the neocon criminals in the 1980′s. The Y-gen? We made information accessible on the internet and in return, Democrats won the 2006 midterm elections. In 2008, we voted for Obama and shined the old voters. Then in 2010, our retraction allowed Republicans to take over and when we saw the consequences of that, we lit the fucking world on fire. We saw no future the way things were heading and we responded in force. The Tea Party, comprised primarily of the old was never this popular and is fading fast, literally dying out.
For Occupy, the cities and police have tried just about everything to stop this movement and if it were any earlier generation, they would have succeeded. But we have advantages. We are tenacious so that we resist any move from the opposition. We are better at teamwork and are more unified, so it’s impossible to target a leader. And if they manage to, we will easily find another. We are more tech savvy, so we can organize more efficiently and spread information faster than the opposition. We are well informed and rule the internet, so politicians can’t get away with lying to us or being hypocritical for very long. And most importantly, we have numbers. Big numbers. Larger than any other generation out there. That means that we are the generation to rule to world and make it a better place. Already, as our generation is allowed to vote, elections are now swayed by whether our generation votes or not. Corporations, conservatives, they hate that. Y-gen is more liberal than previous generations and that is what they feared.
It’s not that the corporations are afraid of losing, it’s that they have already lost.
When do you stand up for yourself?
Posted by Martin Bammes in Capitalism, china, Democrats, Equal Pay, Equality, Jobs, Socialism, Tea Bag Party on November 25, 2011
Dear People,
I’m not so convinced you are aware of how bad things can get if you don’t stand up to corporate greed. In my travels around the world, I’ve seen countries in various levels of rise and decay.
I assure you, things can and will get much worse.
Earlier this week I met a man that claimed to make 600 million dollars a year. I asked him to stop raping the American dream. (Did I go to far?) I think not. Something happened to you America and there are very real reasons the world hates you. This black Friday, that I made a point not to buy a single thing, is a great opportunity to share with you where your Christmas presents come from.
The truth is that all these things and all these factories could be in America, and all these employees could be paid a real wage. The only thing that stops them is the drive for Billions of dollars in only the pockets of executives. Keep in mind when you walk into Wal Mart almost everything there was made in a place like I’m about to show you.
You have a sense of detachment I’m sure. Those people (and children) are thousands of miles away. I take this opportunity to reinforce my statement from my first post. IF THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO PAY YOU MINIMUM WAGE… THEY WOULDN’T. Think about it Social Security, Medicare, Minimum Wage, Job Banks, even your Military, all of the government blankets that protect you. Can and will be taken away by the very people that tell you that tell you, you have the capitalistic opportunity to make as much as they do.
The top 1% actually believes that your stupid enough to buy into their scam. I cannot legally condone violence against wall street. so I hope you will help them collapse by the same greed that got them there.
Happy Christmas shopping,
Thank you and Semper Fidelis,
Martin Bammes
Jury Nullification. Every Juror’s Right
Posted by Ken Bingham in This Blog on November 25, 2011
Juries are the last line of defense against bad laws and have the right to refuse to convict based on the law itself being unjust or unjustly applied. However, most juries are completely unaware of the power they have. You have heard judges say, ”The law is not on trial here”? When a judge says this they have violated their oaths of office and are attempting to take away the rights of jurors. The law is on trial in every court proceeding in this country.
I don’t know how many times I have heard a juror, after the fact, say they would have voted to acquit but the law tied their hands. They did not understand what it means to be a juror.
As a juror you are not an officer or agent of the court. You are an agent of the people themselves and thus given the power of the people. Your voice is stronger than the judge, the Congress, the President and even the Supreme Court. You are independent of the government and the courts.
It is a usurpation by the government to not fully disclose to the jury their rights and worse yet to give them instructions that go against their rights. For a judge to instruct a juror they cannot evaluate the law itself is no different than if a judge orders the accused to testify against themselves.
If you are called to jury duty know and understand your rights and don’t let any judge take them away. There is a movement in this country to require judges to inform jurors of their rights. This is a good idea.
Fully Informed Jury Association
Also read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/zenger/nullification.html
What non-lethal rounds do to a person
Posted by Nathan Erkkila in Occupy Wall Street, Police Brutality on November 25, 2011
With the abuses that police officers have committed; and especially when Fox News talking heads insist on ridiculous ideas like pepper spray is a food, it’s hard to ignore the weapons that are used by the police. A good way to show the effectiveness of the non-lethal weapons can be evident in this video.
Now obviously the video above is used for the value of slapstick humor. However with the video, it is apparent that these weapons are excruciatingly painful to the victim. Even then pepper spray in the video was only a canister used by civilians. It was a lot weaker than the one used by the officer at UC Davis. When it comes to non-lethal rounds, I believe that a police officer has every right to use such methods when his life or well-being is in danger and if someone attacks an officer and gets hurt, then they have nobody to blame but themselves. However I assume you all have seen the video of the protestor getting shot with a rubber bullet or the video of the college students getting maced out of their circle. Neither of those situations involved protestors putting anyone’s life or well-being in danger. In no way should those have been used in either situation.
Have You Ever Heard
Posted by Larry Bergan in American History, American People, This Blog on November 25, 2011
“Get away from those left wing hippy @#$%s”
Posted by Martin Bammes in Activist groups, Afghanistan, American People, Bailout, Bush Failures, Capitalism, Iraq, Liberal, Occupy SLC, Occupy Wall Street, War Crimes on November 23, 2011
That’s what I was called wearing my ribbons and my chevrons on my suit down at the Occupy SLC a couple days ago.
( as he wrenched his toddler into the air away from us )
Let we make one thing explicitly clear. You are the 99%.
As days go by we are all watching as the police beatings and media cover ups raging across the nation. Oakland and New York city police departments are now targeting war veterans. Even RT Television is referring to us as the new American “Civil War”. By definition I cannot condone violence against the system, as long as the rule of law still exists. However, I did swear to uphold the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.
This is the second time I fought for my country.
This is the first time I know who my enemy is.
A few weeks ago I looked my wife’s Iraqi roommate in the eye and apologized for what my nation did to hers, and realized the role I played in history was not all that different than any invading force.
The only thing I need to say to you is, America in Occupying. You do not want to grow old and remember the revolution against inequality and say you didn’t participate.
Hind sight is 20/20, and in 60 years when George W Bush will be looked at in the same light as Adolf Hitler, lets just say you need to get to the occupy SLC movement today and say you did something about it.
Thank you and Semper Fidelis,
Martin Bammes
This is What Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Wants and We Want it NOW!
Posted by Cliff Lyon in Activist groups, Corporate Socialism, Democracy, Economy, Free Speech, Occupy SLC, Occupy Wall Street, Poverty, Unemployment on November 23, 2011
I want to think this is a broadly acceptable message everyone can agree upon. Lets occupy our democracy.
RIP Author Anne McCaffrey
Posted by Glenden Brown in This Blog on November 23, 2011
I saw this the other day and haven’t had a chance to comment. Author Anne McCaffrey died on Nov 21, 2011, she was 85 years old.
McCaffrey was one of the first science fiction authors to create strong roles for female characters. She also created vibrant, interesting worlds for her characters – Pern, Ballybran – and interesting characters – The Ship Who Sang. I can still remember the first time I saw one of her books in the school library – it was Dragonsong, about Menolly and Half Circle sea hold and fire lizards. As I reread it now, as an adult, I see the problems in the plot and characterization, but it still enchants me, takes me back to the first time I read it, on a cold, wet weekend in the Utah mountains. I think Moreta is one of her best novels – mature, balanced, with well rounded characters.
An author whose books you like becomes a friend, someone you feel you know and who you feel knows you. When Madeleine L’Engle died, I felt as if I’d lost a childhood friend and thinking about Anne McCaffrey, I feel the same way.
Michele Bachmann Fear-Mongering Fail
Posted by Richard Warnick in 2012 Elections, Foreign Policy, Lying, Michele Bachmann, National Politics, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Republicans, Terrorism, This Blog on November 23, 2011
During last night’s 11th Republican presidential debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann uncorked the threat of nuclear terrorism in a desperate bid for attention. This debate was co-sponsored by CNN, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Heritage Foundation – your “liberal media” at work! There are 13 more Republican debates scheduled.
Disputing Texas Governor James (“Rick”) Perry’s suggestion that the U.S. cut off aid to Pakistan, Bachmann argued that “it’s kind of like too nuclear to fail.” She stated that 15 Pakistani nuclear sites are vulnerable to terrorist attack, and appeared to claim that al-Qaeda has already made six attempts to seize Pakistani nuclear weapons, then speculated: “These weapons could find their way out of — out of Pakistan, into New York City or into Washington, D.C., and a nuclear weapon could be set off in this city. That’s how serious this is.”
“This is more than an existential threat,” Bachmann declared nonsensically.
Some suspected that Bachmann, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, had made news by releasing classified information. CNN later speculated that Bachmann simply exaggerated from reports already in the public domain.
According to Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, six incidents at sites considered known or likely nuclear installations in Pakistan have occurred. But they do not appear to represent threats to the country’s nuclear arsenal: a suicide bomber drove a motorcycle into the side of a bus and killed eight air force personnel; seven people were wounded in a school bus bomb explosion; a munitions factory blast killed scores of civilians; a suicide attack killed a civilian, a vehicle-borne IED killed 33; and militants assaulted a naval aviation station.
There have been no reported attempts to steal nuclear weapons in Pakistan.
UPDATE: Neocon Bush Alums Question GOP Candidates On National Security
UPDATE: Spencer Ackerman: The GOP’s National Security Debate Sucked
DOJ Goes After H.B. 497, Utah’s Unconstitutional Immigration Law
Posted by Richard Warnick in Bigotry, Immigration, National Politics, The Constitution, utah, Utah Legislature, Utah Politics on November 22, 2011
BREAKING, via TPM:
In a suit filed in federal court in Utah late Tuesday, Justice Department officials argue that the government “has preeminent authority to regulate immigration matters.”
“Utah’s adoption of its own immigration policy disrupts the federal government’s ability both to administer and enforce the federal immigration laws including as set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), and to establish and pursue federal policies and priorities pertaining to, inter alia, the identification, apprehension, detention and removal of aliens unlawfully in the United States,” the suit claims.
We told you so. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom thought that it was OK for Utah to ignore the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution in an attempt to score political points with right-wing opponents of immigration. The DOJ has already sued Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina. Now it’s our turn.
More info:
US Dept. of Justice sues Utah over immigration law
Filthy, Stinky, Jobless Occupiers: Newt’s Dirty Little Secret
Posted by Cliff Lyon in Occupy SLC, Occupy Wall Street on November 21, 2011
Please go “rec” this diary at DailyKos 
Within seconds of the unfortunate death of a homeless man in Pioneer Park, the Utah freak-show cheered in unison; “SEE? We told you! The Salt Lake City occupiers are all homeless, drug addicts!”
For many Utahns, it was better than if the historicity of The Book of Mormon were provable.
I got pissed. I grabbed my video camera and went down to the new camp at Gallivan Center. I interviewed ONLY people who had or were still camping. All of them had jobs and NONE were homeless.
This is a snapshot of those interviews (Full interviews at OneUtah.org )
We can fight this plutocracy-funded propaganda by publishing many and often, ad hoc interviews of the regular Americans who are showing up for Occupy. We must do it locally, keep it “close to home.” Keep it real.
Last Saturday, Newt Gingrich stepped up the smear campaign against Occupy Wall Street (I didn’t know, you could get high on Cialis).
It was a full-guns-a-blazing frontal assault on every single American including the assholes that cheered when he said the “…after you take a shower” part. Check Mika Brzezinski’s gut reaction.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Expect great things from Occupy Salt Lake City (OccupySLC)
For those of you who don’t know, Salt Lake City is VERY liberal. We like to say, “Salt Lake is a world class city surrounded by Utah.”
The massive show of police force for the Pioneer Park eviction on November 12th was clearly orchestrated by PERF/DHS. There were at least 4 policemen for every camper.
I’m SURE DHS threatened Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder with funding cuts to get him to mobilize every scrap of metal in the county with flashing lights.
SLC Mayor Becker was punked by DHS. He was so disgusted about having to evict the occupiers from Pioneer Park, he disappeared (“vacation”) the next day. Chief (police) Burbank proved by his actions throughout the 2-year Tim DeChristopher sham trial, to be a great and respectful advocate of civil disobedience.
Christ, protesting in SLC, you practically have to BEG to get arrested. The authorities are on our side. If we can nudge them over, we will have won!
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