Is laying the ‘intellectual foundation’ of OWS something one ought to brag about?
I got a chuckle when I saw this Associated Press story:
WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is taking some credit for the Occupy Wall Street protests.
The Democrat and longtime consumer advocate says her work over the years against Wall Street abuses created much of the intellectual foundation for the demonstrators.
Because I immediately remembered reading this, from New York Magazine’s Daily Intel:
Over the past month, the crusaders at Zuccotti Park have braved the elements, tussled with police, and stood their ground against Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg. But how much do the protesters actually know about the economic system that they’re fighting to change? To find out, we asked 50 occupiers a series of questions about Wall Street, taxes, and government. The results were mixed.
To call the results “mixed” is to put it charitably. Here are some of the results:
- Q: What is the Dodd-Frank Act? Most common answer: “Don’t know,” with 84 percent of the vote.
- Q: What is the “S.E.C”? Most common answer: “Don’t know,” with 68 percent of the vote (though I smiled to see 4 percent, in New York, answer “The Southeastern Conference?”).
- Q: What is the top marginal income tax rate for the richest 1 percent? An astonishing 30 percent actually thought it was “Zero to 10 percent,” and another 32 percent said “10 to 25 percent.” Add the 26 percent who admitted not knowing, and there’s a whole lot of ignorance among the Occupiers about the 1 percenters they so detest.
- Q: What does the government spend more on? Health care and pensions, education, or the military? The answer by 94 percent of those polled: the military. Which, in fact, takes up less than half the spending that health care and pensions do.
The Occupiers were more knowledgeable about whether we’re experiencing inflation or deflation, and about whether President Obama controls the Federal Reserve (although just 38 percent knew that Ben Bernanke is the Fed’s chairman). But my favorite answer, given the aforementioned boasting by a certain Democratic candidate for the Senate from Massachusetts?
Q: Who is Elizabeth Warren?
Don’t Know: 64 percent
“Warren Buffett’s wife?”: 10 percent
“First female president/hero”: 2 percent
Warren will, I’m sure, be flattered to know that the rest of her alleged intellectual offspring actually recognized her name.
Suggested new name for Warren’s Army: “We are the 24 percent!”
– By Kyle Wingfield
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247 comments Add your comment
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
11:51 am
OWS protestors are losers.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
11:51 am
The only reason Warren is popular with the left is because John Stewart is in love with her. Most of his viewers are drug addicted crybabies.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
11:52 am
“Your tea party gave us our first downgrade to further our recession but that is okay.”
getalife please get off the drugs.
saywhat?
October 26th, 2011
11:53 am
I now know that if I make a joke, and the punch line has content regarding the inbreeding, idiocy and lack of morals rampant among southern conservatives, it’s o.k., because it’s just a joke. Good to know.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
11:55 am
Speaking of “intellectual influence”, one of you cons’ smarter compadres has long since woken up and smelled the coffee. You other cons would do well to observe his example.
Andrew Sullivan on how he learned to love the ‘goddam hippies’—and why their protests aren’t going to end.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/10/23/how-i-learned-to-love-the-goddamned-hippies.html
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
11:56 am
“You other cons would do well to observe his example.”
Or we could just sit here, laugh at you and vote out the Dems again next year. You can keep your smelly hippies.
DannyX
October 26th, 2011
11:57 am
*******CAUTION: ALLEGED HUMOR********
Seriously Kyle, you must be proud of the intellectual foundation this blog provides. This statement is brilliant,
“The only reason Warren is popular with the left is because John Stewart is in love with her. Most of his viewers are drug addicted crybabies.”
You must be so proud.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
11:58 am
Billy Bane: “Or we could just sit here, laugh at you and vote out the Dems again next year. You can keep your smelly hippies.”
You think this is about votes?
He he, he he …. keep dreamin’ buddy.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
12:00 pm
The most ignorant people in our country talking about other American’s intellect is hilarious kyle.
The only poll that matters is the 9 % approval rate for corrupt congress.
That is hilarious too.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
12:04 pm
Billy Bane: “Or we could just sit here, laugh at you and vote out the Dems again next year. You can keep your smelly hippies”
The whole point is the democratic system has been bought, Einstein. We’re past that now, don’t you see?
Votes, even whole elections, will not save us when the system has been bought wholesale.
Thus you get: occupations.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:04 pm
DannyX
Warren is a hack. She’s someone who hates capitalism and rails against “evil corporations.” Not my fault if you’re not smart enough to understand this.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:05 pm
“You think this is about votes?”
No, I just wanted to add that in to piss you off.
DannyX
October 26th, 2011
12:05 pm
*******CAUTION: ALLEGED HUMOR********
“Or we could just sit here, laugh at you and vote out the Dems again next year. You can keep your smelly hippies.”
Your intellectuals are so awesome.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:05 pm
“The most ignorant people in our country talking about other American’s intellect is hilarious kyle.”
Nah, the most ignorant are those who live off of welfare like you.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:06 pm
“Your intellectuals are so awesome.”
Insult fail.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
12:13 pm
No, I just wanted to add that in to piss you off.
Do I look pissed off?
He says after 4 posts in two minutes. I love it.
Chuck Doberman
October 26th, 2011
12:17 pm
@ UGA
I respect your opinion and your presentation of it. I myself believe the idea of “trickle down” and it’s implementation are the biggest contributor to the decline of the middle class and to the present mindset of corporate welfare. I also agree that things have not improved over the past 3 years, but think that our situation would be worse had McCain (who I voted for btw) been elected. IMO the bottom line is that our middle class has been whalloped and is presently on the ropes; and that if we continue the assault then the mission to defang it will actually destroy it. Without the middle class in America the bottom falls out for ALL of us and disaster ensues
Chuck Doberman
October 26th, 2011
12:18 pm
“Nah, the most ignorant are those who live off of welfare like you.”
Yea you’re right, this isn’t an ignorant reply AT ALL (eyeroll)
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:18 pm
“Do I look pissed off?”
Yes
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:19 pm
“Yea you’re right, this isn’t an ignorant reply AT ALL (eyeroll)”
Not sure if you know this or not Chuck, but getalife is a regular on Bookmans blog and has stated that he smokes weed and is “retired” living off of taxpayer dollars.
DannyX
October 26th, 2011
12:20 pm
“Insult fail.”
Didn’t you read my disclaimer at the top of my post? It wasn’t an insult, a failed attempt at humor maybe, but not an insult.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
12:24 pm
“Didn’t you read my disclaimer at the top of my post? It wasn’t an insult, a failed attempt at humor maybe, but not an insult.”
I stopped reading after your attempt at discrediting conservatives as intellectuals. BTW, what degree do you hold?
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
12:25 pm
vote out the Dems again next year
you’re going to need a lot more than 44 million republican voters to do that in a general election.
Good luck with Mittens leading the charge.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
12:32 pm
Chuck Doberman: “I myself believe the idea of “trickle down” and it’s implementation are the biggest contributor to the decline of the middle class and to the present mindset of corporate welfare”
Speaking of intellectual inspiration, there’s none greater for the con movement than that Trotskyist retread Irving Kristol, not that very many of the con riff raff we see around here have ever heard of him. (Wingfield MIGHT have heard of him, once.)
Anyway, here’s what this former Communist, bomb-throwing conservative “intellectual” had to say about how “trickle down economics” should be sold to the public, despite the fact that it’s obviously a fraud. He was quite open about how cynical the ploy was.
It is often said that capitalism – that is, a market economy is morally obnoxious because its “trickle-down economics” inevitably creates inequality of income and wealth. Now it is certainly true that “trickle-down economics” has that effect. It is also true, however, that if you want economic growth and greater affluence for all, there is simply no alternative to “trickle-down economics,” which is just another name for growth economics.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
October 26th, 2011
12:39 pm
Thanks for reminding us that capitalism, or “trickle down”, is the best economic system. The lack of newly-communist countries says or all.
commoncents
October 26th, 2011
12:43 pm
LBB “Thanks for reminding us that capitalism, or “trickle down”, is the best economic system. The lack of newly-communist countries says or all.”
Didn’t Castro even recently say that “communism doesn’t work”?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
October 26th, 2011
12:43 pm
“If you want economic growth and greater affluence for all, there is simply no alternative to “trickle-down economics,” which is just another name for growth economics.
———-
Why don’t Obozo and the Democrat party want growth and greater affluence for all?
It won’t get them elected, that’s why.
Obozo & Democrats: America haters.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
October 26th, 2011
12:46 pm
If Castro didn’t say it, he sure as hell was thinking it!
getalife
October 26th, 2011
12:46 pm
The real Americans will get our country back.
You cons stay bowed down as usual..
Be the silent minority because you zero credibility.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
12:48 pm
“Romney Fundraising With Solyndra Lobbyist, Despite GOP Blasting Company”
See.
Zero credibility.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
12:55 pm
Lil’ Barry Brainout: “Why don’t Obozo and the Democrat party want growth and greater affluence for all?”
Don’t know, guess you better ask him.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
12:58 pm
So the cons will stay bowed down to 1 % power but the real American patriots will get our country back.
Corporate media is fascinated with this movement and so are the American people.
cain did not pay his taxes.
Get him cons.
You don’t even know he is punking you.
You cons are so smart.
Yeah right.
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:08 pm
Getalife….please show proof of your 9% number. I can prove the 39% number approval for Obama.
Welcome to the occupation
October 26th, 2011
1:08 pm
Mark it down. Mitt Romney’s a union busting thug.
And the Oakland police department?
He hee ..
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:08 pm
Getalife…something tells me you have experience being the “minority” haha.
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:11 pm
“Mitt Romney’s a union busting thug”……..AMEN! Good for him and us!
Filter
October 26th, 2011
1:16 pm
Continue to belittle the Occupy protesters at your own peril. I have no problem with a broad brush dismissal of the entire movement based on your own bias because all of your protestations don’t change the real game. Now I’ll admit there is always a chance that I’m wrong as this is only my opinion but it seems as if the tide is turning and people are starting to realize that something is seriously wrong with their country (and yes it is theirs too) even if they can’t quite put their finger on it. Is this movement the answer? Who knows, maybe not. But this much is certain; they appear to have ignited a fire that is not going to be doused by the normal channels of the 24 hour news cycle and the talk radio sound machine.
The reason I believe this is that I was in NYC for business a week ago. I decided to take a walk to Zuccotti Park to see with my own eyes who these people were. True, it did have the vibe of the hippie but the smell of patchouli aside the people down there are a very clear cross section of America. There were more young than old, but all ages were represented and I saw many different races as well. I certainly did not feel I was surrounded by extreme America hating communists as the Hannity’s of the world want us to believe.
And while I do think it is fair to say that many of them can’t exactly put into words exactly why their anger exists, I walked away with this: The anger is real and they all seem to possess the basic understanding or belief that the deck is stacked against them. They know there is a serious problem and some serious inequities even if they aren’t able to articulate them. I do not think this should be seen as a point for which to dismiss them. But if it makes you feel better about yourself go ahead with the belittling. But be aware of this.
I’m still not certain that I buy into a lot of the ideological points I heard in NYC, but I am convinced that these are people serious about changing the system by shaking corporate and political America to their foundations. If this movement can progress beyond its’ infancy, sharpen its’ focus and avoid the corporate astroturfing that befell the Tea Party (evident to all but the most partisan) then it will morph into corporate and political America’s worst nightmare.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
The super corrupt congress has a plan.
The 1% have the cons, corporate media and most of corrupt congress fighting for them.
Guess who will lose?
We, the people.
That includes you dummies.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
1:19 pm
ug,
I don’t engage with no credibility cons.
You lost so get over it.
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:22 pm
Filter….I was in NYC about two weeks ago as well. I walked down to battery park and wall street. I saw the protesters. Really had a Woodstock type of feel. However many many many of the people out there have not idea what they are talking about and are just protesting to protest. They want to be part of a movement that has no legitimacy at all.
Dusty
October 26th, 2011
1:22 pm
OH my, now the liberals here are digging into their propaganda suppliers AND “Mitt Romney is a union busting thug”!! Got any more shady stuff you want to present here? Still scraping stuff out the bottom of the barrel?
But I was wrong. Liberals do have comedians. GETALIFE makes me laugh everytime he posts. Or maybe it is because he so well respresents the liberal “intellectual” personality. Ho ho ho….and away those liberals go!
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:23 pm
Getalife….”I don’t engage with no creditlbity cons”…..hmmmm now that is a double negative (which means you do). So either you have no use for the English language and proper grammar or you agree with me. Which is it?
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:28 pm
OWS….Look at the CLOWN in the middle. He is scared to expose his face!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
getalife
October 26th, 2011
1:32 pm
I think we are witnessing the end of the globalization scam for the 1 %.
Bring our jobs back home and end this scam.
UGA 1999
October 26th, 2011
1:34 pm
Getalife….”bring our jobs back home”…..Now THERE is something we CAN agree on.
Billy Bane
October 26th, 2011
1:39 pm
“I don’t engage with no credibility cons.”
Now there’s some stellar grammar.
Filter
October 26th, 2011
1:41 pm
UGA,
But that is exactly my point. I think it is intellectually dishonest to dismiss this movement based on the idea that they are unable to articulate the conviction they have that something is fundamentally wrong with the direction they see this country moving. I dare say that in the early Tea Party rallies (before the astroturf) there was the same lack of focus and inability to go any further than “I know there is something wrong here, even if I’m not able to put it into words.” I believed it was wrong to dismiss them at that point just as firmly as I believe it is wrong to attempt to belittle and dismiss these people as well.
And I remain convinced that these attempts to dismiss and belittle are more dangerous for the person attempting to do so than for the movement itself.
Filter
October 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
And FYI, I use the term movement not as term of endorsement or accurate description, simply as a convenient label.
TRUTH
October 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
And the GOP Presidential field is STILL a CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD….
None of them are electable, but sure are a hoot to watch…..
OBAMA 2012
Dusty
October 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Of course we want our jobs brought back home. But we are bringing the Chinese with the jobs. Chinese company going to open plant in Georgia and hire 300 people. Yep! New jobs, with the profit going to China.
I don’t hate the Chinese. We already owe them huge sums of money. Now they build our plants. Well, OK. But I hope the number of American plants in China are equal. Something here makes me feel a little nervous! We are getting too dependent on China. There goes our independence.