When did “entitled” become a dirty word? Why do we hear “entitled” being used as catch-all slur, a derogatory description to be thrown at progressive people working for change? And why should we permit this word to retain such a heavily negative connotation? Here are some people I have seen
Continue readingTag: Occupy Movement
Canadian Progressive World: Occupy Movement Call for Global Day of Action: Chalkupy the World!
via Occupy Los Angeles: On July 12th, participants in OccupyLA met to raise awareness for unlawful arrests of activists that had been targeting a lobby group with a stranglehold on power over local and state politics. The activists handed out chalk and shared the story of unlawful arrests and police
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Quebec Students and the Occupy Movement
It was such an awesome sight. Tens of thousands of people marching through the street on a muggy Montreal afternoon. To show their support for the student movement, denounce a fascist bill. And show Jean Charest and his corrupt government that they are still THERE. Read more »
Continue readingThe Tea Party outperforms the Occupy Movement
The financial and economic collapse of 2008 in the United States precipitated two “revolutionary” movements: one on the right, the Tea Party, and one on the left, the Occupy Movement. If we now ask what each has accomplished, the answers are straightforward: the Tea Party a great deal, the Occupy
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: A more realistic approach to limiting the influence of money in politics
Cenk Ugyur, host of the popular The Young Turks (a progressive, internet-based US politics show), frequently like to deride the pervasive and damaging influence of Big Money in US politics, especially in the post-Citizens United era. He is right to do so for this is, indeed, among the most corrupting
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Disaffected Lib 2012-06-07 11:58:00
An article from Reuters asks “Can Occupy Wall Street Survive?” “More than eight months after Occupy Wall Street burst onto the global stage, decrying income inequality and coining the phrase “We are the 99 percent,” the movement’s survival and continued relevance is far from assured. Donations to the flagship New
Continue readingwmtc: viral video too good to be true: the frankfurt police did not join the demo
The photo is real. The interpretation, unfortunately, was not. Police in Frankfurt, Germany, did indeed remove their helmets, and they were walking ahead of Occupy protesters. However, they were not escorting, they were using a blocking technique similar to kettling. They also arrested hundreds of people who were peacefully demonstrating,
Continue readingwmtc: german police recognize that they are part of the 99%, take off helmets, escort protesters
This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a very long time. The German police took off their helmets and marched with the protest clearing the way for them. . . . . German police officers escort an anti-capitalism protest march with some 20,000 people in Frankfurt,
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Quebec Students and the Occupy Movement
On my way home today I visited the park where Occupy Toronto once lived. And I could hardly recognize the place. The old gazebo where so many passionate speeches were made, and so many dreamed of a better world, was quiet now. And where there were once tents huddled together
Continue readingwmtc: the whole world is watching: veterans to return medals in nato/poverty protests this weekend
All eyes will be on Chicago this weekend, as thousands of protesters from all over North American converge on the the NATO summit. The symbolism could not be more trenchant, as Chicago was the scene of protests and rebellion against an earlier US war, and famously out-of-control police violence. Iraq
Continue readingwmtc: healthy eating costs more. fact or fiction?
Conventional wisdom has it that healthy foods cost more than junk food, that buying and preparing nutritious food is more expensive than eating processed food. How many people bemoan the supposed fact that low-income people cannot afford to eat healthfully: “When carrots are less expensive than chips, then everyone will
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Solidarity with Quebec Student Protesters
Quebec students, outraged over a 75% tuition increase, have sparked the largest protests in Quebec’s history and have already managed the rare achievement of achieving genuine, if minor, concessions that would have almost certainly not happened were it not for the protests. As is common when protests rise up, there
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Quebec Students and a Maple Spring
What do you think about the student strike in Quebec? What do you think of the Manifesto for a Maple Spring? Some of the Politics, Re-Spun crew explore it from each of our perspectives: 1. Are people naive to expect the Quebec tuition protesters to be the leaders of a
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Quebec Students and the Angry Canadians
At first glance they are two very different stories. Quebec students stripping down to their underwear, and then meeting with the government. Hoping that they can also make the Education Minister an offer she can't refuse. And the British criminal Conrad Black cavorting on the grounds of his massive mansion,
Continue readingwmtc: occupy may day
Today is May Day, the International Workers’ Day, a day to celebrate our strength and our unity as working people. Although May Day is an official holiday in many countries around the world, many working-class Americans are unaware of it. 2012 might change that. There has been talk of a
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: On Feminism
I am proud to call myself a feminist. I take it as a first principle needing no further derivation that all people deserve equality of freedom and opportunity, and that it is both morally right and morally obligatory to fight for this in society. Feminism, to me, is simply the
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Quebec Student Protests: ‘Going International’
A recent article by Stefani Forster, of the Canadian Press, suggests that the Quebec student protests may be starting a larger social movement outside of Quebec. According to the article: In the last few days, Quebec’s student protests have received coverage in French news outlets like Le Monde and Agence
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: On Wednesday in Ottawa, Occupy This!
I just received an invite from an activist friend to attend the Ottawa launch of Judy Rebick new book on the Occupy movement and solidarity-building, Occupy This! The book excites the activist in me already, even before I’ve read it. … Continue reading →
Continue readingwmtc: pity the 1%
“Cash bonuses on Wall Street are expected to drop by 14 percent during this year’s ‘bonus season’.” Only 20 billion will be doled out instead of the usual 121,00 billion. How sad. That’s billion, with a B. Bankers’ trophy dates are sad, too. Be sure to click – and read
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