Occupy movement filled with hypocrisy – contradictions

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I don’t understand the Occupy Movement, at least I don’t understand a lot of what they do.  I mean what’s next for them?  Their approval ratings are down by 20% since last month.  They claim to have a message but sometimes those messages are filled with contradictions.

occupy filled with contradictions madmikesamerica

Their claim is the 1% have all the wealth while the 99% have none of the wealth, or at least not enough given their numbers.  They have a point.  The deck is stacked in favor of the rich, and that is a valid position.

The Occupiers are also unhappy with Obama.  No surprise there. Perhaps he gave them less than what they thought their vote was worth.  I hear that.  Trust me. I do.

But, they use bathrooms and pitch tents in parks that belong to other people.  They make no effort to pay for their occupation of these public and sometimes private areas.  They somehow feel like they are entitled.  Wow.  Entitled.  Entitlements.  Interesting words but a less than interesting protest, or, as they call it, a movement, when hypocrisy raises its ugly head much like a Republican on the campaign trail.

Now, the “movement” is hiring lawyers to stop a city from exercising their authority to maintain public order, health, and general welfare of their citizens.  It seems to be as if there are a lot of “contradictions” here.

Read the story:

The battle over a patch of grass outside Los Angeles City Hall is about to involve lawyers’ fees. Granted a reprieve from eviction earlier this morning, Occupy LA planned to file a federal injunction today to stop the city from removing protesters later on. In return, the city says it’s ready to file not one, but three, declarations that oppose the restraining order, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Occupy’s complaint refers to previous exceptions the city has made to its anti-camping provision—like allowing about 500 “Twilight” fans to camp out “for several days to be first in line for the midnight showing of the first ‘Twilight’ sequel.” It also points out that the City Council had passed a resolution approving the camp-out, and that aides to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa personally told Occupiers they could stay.

It goes without saying that our country, and in a few cases, our freedoms were built on “movements” that grew into revolutions.  In most cases, however, a movement is something we are lucky enough to have every day.  I suspect this is more like the latter than the former.

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Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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Nichevo
12 years ago

Phil,the problem is, they condemn violence in the chat rooms but through silence and omission in public still allow it to take place. I can condemn racism in my home but, if I allow it to take place in public and do nothing about it, I am a hypocrite and as guilty as the person committing the act. Burke was right, all that is needed for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing. In this case, those good people whom you say are in the chat rooms opposing violence are doing nothing to actually prevent it.

Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking I gather my news from the MSM exclusively, (if at all.) First, I am in Afghanistan so that makes tuning in every night at 11 pretty impossible. Second, I prefer to develop my own opinions, not have them given to me in 2 and a half minute sound bytes.

Maggie, sorry we won’t be able to have the Army/Navy bet for our blogs that we have had in the past, perhaps next year.

12 years ago

I hate to say it but the Occupy movement needs identify and accept leaders. It has not. It will always be a place for the disgruntled to go who are too lazy, apathetic or who knows what to organize as a united force as the Tea Party has done.

I can identify with anger towards bankers who sold derivatives and bad loans as safe investments. It frustrates me that these people aren’t in jail. Blocking traffic and disrupting lives will rally no one to the cause.

How many of these people are going to vote next November. I guarentee every one who identifies with the Tea Party will vote. And they will help mobilize voters and write letters and donate to candidates that identify with their values. The Occupiers will do none of this. They will not rally behind anyone. When the election is over they will complain and block traffic and scream of injustice when the system to change it was easily within their grasp and they failed to use it.

The real failure now, and in the future is the Occupy Wall Street movemement.

Limbo17
12 years ago

Let me get this straight: The Occupy gang is opposed to the 1% and yet they hire lawyers, no doubt part of that same 1%, so they can have their way with the 1% while interfering with the lives of the 99%. Why doesn’t that seem just like the contradiction the author addressed? Help me understand this oh wide-eyed liberals.

12 years ago

You say “They have a point”, though you have summarized their claim as wealth redistribution, yet ignored their goal of getting money out of politics.

But your main complaint is that they don’t pay for the use of public facilities. Do you pay for driving on public roads, accessing public databases, or using FDIC-insured banks? Please don’t claim that you pay taxes for these services; so do protesters, whether through their jobs (yes, many work) or local taxes.

Nichevo
12 years ago

“then you can talk like you know what’s going on in the movement. Right now, you don’t.”
It’s that elitist gnosticism that people see and resent especially the 99% that the occupy movement claims to represent. I’ve yet to see anyone from the movement denounce the racism and antisemitism seen in Oakland or NY.I have yet to see anyone in the occupy movement condemn the looting and violence that took place in Oakland. I have yet to see anyone express regret for the businesses that have been forced to close their doors due to the presence of occupy camps. I have yet to see anyone condemn the calls for violent revolution as espoused by speakers at occupy rallies.
I am not in the chat rooms, (and have no plans to go there), and I really don’t care “what’s going on in the movement.” When the movement’s speakers actually offer something beyond blaming another group for all of the ills in their lives, (which to be fair did wonders for the Germans in the 30s), when they produce viable solutions and a willingness to work towards them, (and by work I mean just that, not sitting around on what is often someone else’s property), when they can face their own hypocrisy, (such as attacking and condemning banks while at the same time opening accounts with those same banks), and when they show respect for the nation they live in and ALL of its citizens, then maybe I’ll listen. In the meantime, I will be working to make things better not demanding that someone else do it.

Reply to  Nichevo
12 years ago

“I have yet to see anyone in the occupy movement condemn the looting and violence that took place in Oakland” yet “I am not in the chat rooms, (and have no plans to go there).”

I am in the chat rooms, and I can assure you that the vast majority of protesters disapprove of any kind of violence. If you venture beyond FOX, NBC, etc., you will find a vigorous discussion of constructive solutions.

Mike Kirby
12 years ago

As a now-famous pictures says: don’t mistake the complexity of the movement for chaos. Obviously you’re not at the GA meetings, in the chat rooms, at the camps talking to people. You’re listening to the media and forming a half-baked opinion of a lot of people’s very hard work. That’s fine, you may have other priorities than to commit yourself at the level required to see firsthand what’s going on. No judgement there. But if so, the least you could do is refrain from trying to tear it down. It’s a little bit insulting, to be honest.

You could take a wait-and-see attitude. Fundamental structural changes are going to take a LOT longer than 2 months. That’s just reality. Check back in a few years. There isn’t going to be much instant gratification with this one.

Yes, the camps are a problem in a lot of cases. There’s also a LOT more to the movement than the camps. Most of the people most heavily involved in my Occupation live in houses, not in tents. Get in the chat rooms, get in the discussions on the Occupy site forums, then you can talk like you know what’s going on in the movement. Right now, you don’t.

Reply to  Mike Kirby
12 years ago

Mike – I have been to the Dewey Square, Boston location a few times. I am not in the chat rooms, but I have had many email, Twitter & FaceBook discussions with people who are there and believe. I don’t attend the GA meetings, but in Boston, they transcribe them as they happen and I have read along.

My opinion was formed from that, not Fox News or NBC.

From my observations, they have one good point – Big money/corporate money should be out of politics.

But they are drowning in a sea of chaos and anti-semiticism and nonsense.

Rhonda
12 years ago

I participated in OCLA. I was fully engaged and pumped up. Within two days my purse was stolen as were my shoes, tent and bicycle. The site was filled with drunks and druggies and panhandlers. People were spitting at the police and throwing things at them when their backs were turned. I had enough and went home. This wasn’t a protest it was a mob and I congratulate the police for showing remarkable restraint when people were calling them names, insulting their families, and daring them to react.

Lee g.
12 years ago

I supported these clowns at first. Now they’re just a disgruntled that shows no respect for the property of others. They need to pack up their tents and go home.

Scott
12 years ago

I was on board with them for a while but it just looks like they are turning into an outlet where angsty youths go to get ticked off. I’m sure there’s a bunch of them who don’t even know what they are protesting. It’s turned into an event that is “cool” sort of like a Woodstock of the new millennium. Until they weed out these elements, or educate them, and get a clear message, nothing will come of this.

12 years ago

Brenda, I disagree. Being willing to take a punch does not make you a boxer. Legitimate protest can make some people uncomfortable. But generally, don’t you try to focus that discomfort on people causing your problem?

A perfect example of a good and focused fight is the young lady who fought the $5 Bank of America fee. She used social media to encourage people to move their money to smaller banks and credit unions. She was successful and caused discomfort for her target. She didn’t destroy private or public property. She didn’t use taxpayer dollars. She didn’t misdirect charitable donations. She didn’t tie up traffic and inconvenience the very class of people she espoused to support.

Some people are willing to camp out and enjoy discomfort for black Friday bargains and concert tickets. That doesn’t mean they have a worthy cause.

Brenda
12 years ago

The problem with any type of movement is it has to make some people uncomfortable. Yes, they are doing all of those things but is it better to have people sit at home and complain about the status quo or get out and cause a disturbance so people have to take note.I will continue to support them because without people who are willing to go to the wall and take the discomfort, the police brutality, the pepper spray we saying do to us what you will; Its ok because we are too lethargic to fight. Obama is not the problem! The system is the problem. I remind you of what a wise man once said. All it takes for evil to prosper is for good people to do nothing!

Nichevo
12 years ago

There is no shit for them to get together because they don’t have any. Claiming to be the 99% means nothing. All I have seen so far is not that they are pointing out inequality, simply that there is not inequality in their favor. What I have seen is bigotry, antisemitism, racism, and a demand that the same government that contributed directly to these problems is now the only way to fix it. They claim to be a leaderless movement, that is simply a polysyllabic way of calling yourself a mob. A mob has no mind and follows the sound of the loudest voice.

The same small businesses who run the economy, (and who are truly part of the 99%), are being forced to close because the occupy people create a hostile environment that prevents those business owners and their employees from making a living. These people contribute nothing, they offer no solutions, they simply claim that their presence grants them carte blanche to do and say as they please. It’s entitlement run amok. They are parasites.

12 years ago

I don’t think “getting their shit together” is possible Jeremy because they don’t see the problem. The things they are doing that are losing them support are not viewed as a problem.

For example, in Boston, #Occupy was using the facilities at St. Francis House. People give hard earned money to St. Francis House to benefit those among us with no resources. To see people with plenty of other options using those precious resources is the same as stealing to many. And those in OccupyBoston that I have asked about it, see it as no problem. You can’t “fix it” until you acknowledge that it’s a problem.

They may pull together a more coherant agenda and talking points in the future. However, if and when they do, most people on both sides will be resistant.

Polotics aside Occupy has a huge image problem that they are oblivious to.

Jeremy1981
12 years ago

Sorry man I disagree. They just need time to get their shit together, no pun intended.

Mike Kirby
Reply to  Professor Mike
12 years ago

That’s a very uninformed opinion.

12 years ago

Concur.

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