# Occupy (insert name of city here) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182 "2011-10-29T13:58:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![G-SE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@G-SE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-SE)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/21 "2011-10-30T15:04:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Basically, it is what the Tea Party claims to be. It’s rather unfocused currently because it’s a grass-roots movement, without an overarching organizing force like Fox News. It always takes a while for order to emerge out of true grassroots. [yeah](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/26/exclusive-acorn-playing-behind-scenes-role-in-occupy-movement/) [you’re right](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jOxERtkwN4) :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/22 "2011-10-30T15:15:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > :rolleyes: And you try [this.](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/24/1028379/-Breaking-news!?via=user) Breaking News: Daily Kos mocks conservatives! Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/23 "2011-10-30T16:41:51Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Breaking News: Daily Kos mocks conservatives! > Yawn. The point is that (1) Tom Tomorrow mocks conservatives **better** then you mock “hippies” and (2) that is not surprising, because he also has an easier task to do. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/24 "2011-10-30T16:43:46Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > How did Fox News organize the Tea Party movement? :dubious: You can’t possibly be ignorant about that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/25 "2011-10-30T17:49:59Z")
[http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/07/30/where-are-the-prosecutions-sec-lets-citi-execs-go-free-after-40-billion-subprime-lie/](http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/07/30/where-are-the-prosecutions-sec-lets-citi-execs-go-free-after-40-billion-subprime-lie/) Here is another example of what is wrong in the marriage of bankers and the regulators .It sure makes it worthwhile to cheat your customers. Steal 40 billion and get a 100 thou fine. The guy fined only made 19 million plus. That’ll stop em. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/26 "2011-10-30T18:10:29Z")
He didn’t steal $40B. He didn’t cause his customers to lose $40B. I recommend reading your cites before posting about them. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/27 "2011-10-30T18:14:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He didn’t steal $40B. He didn’t cause his customers to lose $40B. I recommend reading your cites before posting about them. OK concealed 40 billion in debt. They lied to their customers. Are you OK with that?. You are investing your money with a company that lies to its customers and the SEC. All is well. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/28 "2011-10-30T18:16:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He didn’t steal $40B. He didn’t cause his customers to lose $40B. I recommend reading your cites before posting about them. What’s the saying about insanity? Something about a doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/29 "2011-10-30T18:42:34Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > OK concealed 40 billion in debt. They lied to their customers. Are you OK with that?. No. > [@](#): > > You are investing your money with a company that lies to its customers and the SEC. All is well. No, all is not well, otherwise there would not have been a fine, which included [$75M from the corporation](http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/29/news/companies/sec_citigroup/index.htm). Not sure why the lefty blog you quoted didn’t note that, but we are talking about a story that is well over a year old, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/30 "2011-10-30T18:49:57Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The point is that (1) Tom Tomorrow mocks conservatives **better** then you mock “hippies” and (2) that is not surprising, because he also has an easier task to do. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/31 "2011-10-30T18:50:24Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Can someone help me out with why the Occupy protests seem to be on weekends? Because many, or most, have a job or 3 they need to hold down? I don’t see how that can be puzzling, unless perhaps you share **Oakminster** ’s charmingly anachronistic, but mis/un-informed and unhelpfully misanthropic, view of them as useless “hippies”. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/32 "2011-10-30T19:32:29Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > What’s the saying about insanity? Something about a doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result… I have to apologize. I accused them of theft when it was mere fraud. I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/33 "2011-10-30T19:58:43Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Because many, or most, have a job or 3 they need to hold down? Makes sense, I really hadn’t given the Occupy thing much thought. > [@](#): > > I don’t see how that can be puzzling Well, I see plenty of other protests, rallies, 5Ks 10Ks, marathons, run/walks, ride for various causes, and other assemblies of all different kinds, festivals on fairgrounds or shutdown areas of public streets that take place during regular business hours. Many of them manage to completely choke large areas of downtown Milwaukee. Hence my asking why something that’s trying to change the ways of the banking industry takes place when all the bankers are at home…it just seemed like a ‘preaching to the choir’ type of thing. But what you said makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/34 "2011-10-30T20:10:30Z")
> [@G-SE](#): > > [yeah](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/26/exclusive-acorn-playing-behind-scenes-role-in-occupy-movement/) [you’re right](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jOxERtkwN4) > > :rolleyes: [Yeah, we’re right.](http://mediamatters.org/research/201110270020) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/35 "2011-10-30T21:09:38Z")
I have been in the outreach meetings at occupy Detroit several times. The ACORN influence is zero. The SEIU influence is zero. The entire group is self organizing . ACORN does not even exist. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/36 "2011-10-30T21:31:51Z")
I’ve been to 2 events here at Occupy Rockford (IL) and my takeaway is just the tremendous frustration that the deck is stacked against most people. That the American dream actually is unattainable for a wide swath of society. Is the problem (or the answer) 100% within “Wall Street”? Probably not, but it’s as good a place as any to start. The people are frustrated that while Wall Street got a bailout, they ultimately didn’t change their policies (nor did the government put these demands on the bailout funds). In my opinion the movement needs a whole lot more focus. And it really needs some leaders to step forward and be able to articulate the issues. It’s a myth that most of these folks are unemployed college aged hippies. Our local community has 750 members and they really come from all walks of life. It’s easy (or biased) reporting that the members are reduced to a few easily understandable stereotypes. I honestly don’t think this country is ready for this movement (or vice versa) but this is a good dry run and at least some of these topics have already been added to the conversation. This movement will fade, but I believe soon and more organized will rise up to take it’s place. Then, watch out. An Arab Spring style movement is not out of the question in some big cities. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/37 "2011-10-30T21:44:12Z")
The timing sucks. The movement started just before winter. The occupiers will have to stay through the winter or risk killing the movement. Detroit will be in trouble soon. They got a permit for occupation but it is running out. They have asked for a new one but the response has been silence. That generally means the authorities has decided on confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/38 "2011-10-30T22:49:01Z")
Unless they involve themselves in the political process, they’re going to end up being a curiosity, assuming they have staying power. Back in the 70s there was a period of several years when you couldn’t go to a city center or airport without encountering Hare Krishnas. They were everywhere. But people got tired of them, because they didn’t really do anything. The longer these guys just sit out in parks, the more people are going to get annoyed with them. The movement is just too small to be effective, as a protest. They like to compare themselves to the Arab Spring folks, but they are at least 1 and probably 2 orders of magnitude fewer in number. Americans are frustrated, but not enough are so frustrated that they’ll stand in a park and protest. As I said in another thread, they probably should band together and march on Washington. Then get involved in the political process-- that is how you get something done in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/39 "2011-10-30T22:55:33Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > The timing sucks. The movement started just before winter. The occupiers will have to stay through the winter or risk killing the movement. > Detroit will be in trouble soon. They got a permit for occupation but it is running out. They have asked for a new one but the response has been silence. That generally means the authorities has decided on confrontation. Occupy Detroit has a permit and they put in a request for another permit. While it’s pending, they’re still fine to be there. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182/40 "2011-10-31T01:03:16Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Occupy Detroit has a permit and they put in a request for another permit. While it’s pending, they’re still fine to be there. Which is what I said. they asked for a new one. No response at all from the authorities. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupy-insert-name-of-city-here/601182.md?page=3)