Today marks the anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street. One year ago, activist descended into Lower Manhattan in an effort to confront the banks and businesses that were largely responsible for the financial crash. The idea caught on. Occupy camps went up across America and around the world.
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The Cleveland Plain Dealer, among other outlets, has the story of five young men who were arrested for plotting to blow up a commuter bridge near Brecksville, OH, roughly 15 miles south of Cleveland city center. Unsurprisingly, the lead paragraph conflates the planned act of terrorism with the May Day protests set up around the country (including in Public Square in Cleveland). Continue reading
Well, it has been an exciting year in politics. From Tunis to Boston people took to the streets to demand change. Meanwhile, the world’s politicians continued with their usual asshattery, especially in the US, where another election promises more annoying declarations from the sad group of candidates who seek our votes. The Crasstalk News and Politics team has been here to hold your hand as we pass the horrific car accident that is our future, and we have picked out a few choice moments of the year for you to laugh at through the tears. Here are our picks for the best (and by best we mean lulzy) political moments of the year. Continue reading
How does an oligarch spend his time prior to the holidays? Buying out entire floors of FAO Schwartz? Flying in a plane full of hookers and coke?
Well, if the oligarch in question is JP Morgan chairman Jamie Dimon, you complain to anyone who listens that the mean folks whose economy you helped crash and homes you foreclosed while pocketing $23M in 2010 are being mean to you. Continue reading
Early this morning Occupy Wall Street Protestors swarmed downtown Manhattan to block off access to the stock exchange. After a confusing start, protestors brought the neighborhood to a near standstill. Police are reporting that so far about 200 people have been arrested today. Continue reading
When I first drafted this article, the Mean Young Liberal, age 4, was busy constructing “Occupy Wall Street” out of Lego figures. I guess he was impressed with the display of Occupy Lego Land. As I finished it two days later, the NYPD had evicted Occupy Wall Street from Zuccotti Park and were, at that moment, apparently being directed to defy a court order that had permitted the Occupiers back into the park with their equipment.
This past Sunday, I brought the MYL (my nickname for my four-and-a-half year old son) to visit Occupy Wall Street. You see, my husband and I had decided to raise our son in the Religious Society of Friends. (“Hicksite” version). Due to some logistic oddities, we travel from Westchester County to the East Village to attend Meeting and First Day (what Quakers call Sunday) School. Typically, I try to make those days into adventures for the MYL and that Sunday would not be an exception, at least I hadn’t planned it to be. It turned out to be a fairly exceptional day indeed. Continue reading
A very special thanks to Sir Digby who put together this story for us.
On his October 26 broadcast, Jon Stewart ran footage of peaceful, sanguine scenes from various Occupy Wall Street protests across the country before cutting to teargas, blood, and chaos on the streets of Oakland, California. “What the fuck happened in Oakland?” he asked. Stewart was speaking for many people when he puzzled over the raw anger and violence on display as cops attacked Occupy Oakland protesters with flash bang grenades, teargas, and less-lethal projectiles in Oakland. What made this city so different? What’s the matter with Oakland? Continue reading
Presented for you, the beloved crassholes (all editing mistakes are the original author’s).
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Earlier today, Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and one of Facebook’s earliest partners, as well as a partner in Spotify, tweeted “You guys are really attacking me for being the 1%? I was broke and couch surfing just a few years ago. […] I have a whole new set of problems to deal with now: security, extortion attempts, kidnapping threats, death threats, etc. Life better b4?”
Mr. Parker is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.1 billion. That got me thinking: why can’t we help relieve this nation’s billionaires of the terrible burden of their wealth, while helping ordinary Americans make their dreams come true? Continue reading
The Occupy Wall Street movement has the attention of the mainstream media.
It’s slipping, though. Last weekend, I saw no reason to include Occupy Wall Street in my newscasts. Going through my wire copy, transcripts, and tape today, I see no reason — again. Maybe a couple lines on a march against health care. There’s nothing here, except a bunch of people sleeping in a park and a handful of a demonstrators getting arrested in smattering of cities across the country. So what? What’s new here? Continue reading