Obama Gets Occupied
The Editors
[h3]Obama Gets Occupied[/h3]
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Some may worry that Obama is trying to co-opt Occupy in an election year. We saylet him try. The fact that the presidents speechwriters are cribbing from Occupys handmade posters is just one more indication of the movements major victory so far: it has changed the national conversation, giving us a new vocabulary, the 99 percent. If this framing succeeds, its impact will surpass any one speech, or even any one presidents re-election. It will be the paradigm within which all politicians will be judgedwhat have you done for the 99 percent?
This framework has already scored a win in New York, birthplace of the Occupy movement, where after months of maneuvering against progressives and catering to Wall Street, Governor Andrew Cuomo reversed course and partially restored a millionaires tax he had pledged to let expire in his campaign. The outcome is not idealthe new tax raises less money than the one it replaces, and grave budget cuts still loombut whats worth celebrating here is how established progressive groups worked alongside Occupy to break Cuomos will, tarring him as Governor 1 Percent [see Noted]. In the end, it was a label he couldnt bear and sustained pressure he couldnt withstand.
If Obama is to avoid becoming President 1 Percent, hell have to take up more than Occupys language. Hell have to change the conditions that have so immiserated and enraged the 99 percent. The presidents Kansas speech was a welcome sign that hes willing to draw a few hard lines, but he could show where he stands by acting swiftly to back legislation that restores economic fairness, even if it will fail this time around. The most ambitious agenda on the table is the omnibus American Dream legislation from the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), which would put 5.4 million Americans to work in two years. The bill would also create a National Infrastructure Development Bank and shore up Social Security and Medicare. It would raise revenue and reduce the deficit by more than $2 trillion over ten years by ending the war in Afghanistan, introducing a speculation tax, eliminating subsidies for Big Oil and raising taxes on the 1 percent.
The CPC bill isnt perfect, but in an atmosphere stunted by a misguided Beltway obsession with deficits, its the best thing going. If the president doesnt move in its direction, we will face continued high unemployment, declining wages, spreading poverty and deepening inequality. Yes, we can do better.
http://www.thenation.com/article/165157/obama-gets-occupied
provis99
(13,062 posts)They're against Obama; that means they should be thrown under the bus.
xocet
(3,871 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)Last edited Tue Jan 3, 2012, 10:09 PM - Edit history (1)
and never signed the NDAA into law. We are also working to bring those who have put nearly half the country into or approaching poverty, to justice (not to fund-raisers).
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002110420
Waiting on SOPA...tick tock, tick tock...
I wanted Dennis Kucinich.
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)Did you ever hear of multi-tasking?
U4ikLefty
(4,012 posts)ooglymoogly
(9,502 posts)Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)do they support?
Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)This includes from governments who have been purchased by financial interests as well as candidates who do not represent the will of the people they are supposed to represent. Dem OR Repub or independent.
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)living in the world. These people would be doing the same thing while Hitler was taking over and how did that end? At some point you have to add some thought and plans to your ideals or you will just end up as a footnote to history. And you may just screw it up for the rest of us.
Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)in 11 months that is going full steam ahead. Maybe just teach how important it is to not let the de-reulators and those that refuse to tax the 1% to get into power. Make it as part of the lesson because unless we get rid of those people we are doomed.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)esp with concrete examples like Cuomo in NY ...
this epitomizes the term "OCCUPY THE VOTE"
Yowzers!!
dennis4868
(9,774 posts)Occupy should demand that Obama fight for jobs plans and tax increases for the wealthy...oh wait a minute....
Skittles
(153,160 posts)in the meantime, let's put jobs on the back burner and extend the tax cuts for the obscenely rich
dennis4868
(9,774 posts)Obama did that? Typical DU BS...hyper crazy speculation....hahaha!
girl gone mad
(20,634 posts)dennis4868
(9,774 posts)I am sure he did...hahaha!
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)anti-abortion bills - the Republican congress!
When the president doesn't act like a dictator people scream that he is a failure. The President has brought up jobs bills and every single one of them has been shot down by the Republican congress. So what the heck are you doing acting like he has done this all on purpose for? He actually brought us back from the brink of a full on depression and for the last several months we have been gaining jobs were as when he took office we were hemorrhaging them monthly.
Can you please be a little more realistic?
hay rick
(7,608 posts)Difficult for me to believe any populist rhetoric from Obama. President Lucy van Pelt is really going to hold the football for us the NEXT time...
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)instead of Fox.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)K&R for OWS!
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
[font size=5 color=green][center]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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independentLiberal
(15 posts)great article.
Magoo48
(4,709 posts)my hope is that some pols might regain their humanity while the rest are swept aside making way for a more honest group with fresh ideas. Pollyanna or possible? Must wait and see...Thanks for the post. Good stuff.