For those who say the Occupy movement didn't inspire good ideas

Here are 3 articles of a series of 5 from alternet with new ideas for a new economic system. Some ideas are already implemented, some took off after the OWS movement or became stronger by it. So yes there are true alternatives and many people are working on them as we speak.

The Rise of the New Economy Movement

Activists, theorists, organizations and ordinary citizens are rebuilding the American political-economic system from the ground up.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/155452/the_rise_of_the_new_economy_movement

There Is a Way! Beyond the Big, Bad Corporation

New corporate models focus on ownership, governance, sustainability and social benefit.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/155339/there_is_a_way!_beyond_the_big,_bad_corporation/

Cooperative Banking, the Exciting Wave of the Future

Rather than feeding off the community, banking can nourish the community and local economy.

http://www.alternet.org/visions/155454/cooperative_banking,_the_exciting_wave_of_the_future

Why Building Community Wealth is a Key Challenge to Corporate Power

Partly self-help, partly local mobilization, and partly sketches for future system-wide expansion, community wealth-building ventures are sweeping the nation.

http://www.alternet.org/visions/155451/why_building_community_wealth_is_a_key_challenge_to_corporate_power

Yeah, whatever.

And absolutely none of those will come to fruition anytime soon.

That's nice. :)

The occupy movement in Toronto literally had no point. Every time they were interviewed it was something else...like "Lower taxes, more public services"...how the hell does that even work? Lower the taxes that provide the money for public services, but add more public services from the money they no longer have?

Wonderful. Now can they fix the park they ruined when the occupied it over the fall, winter, and the first half of spring?

Half the park is still fenced off while they try to grow back grass. Also, it would be nice if they would clean up their graffitti.

Bunch of pigs.

The occupy movement in Toronto literally had no point. Every time they were interviewed it was something else...like "Lower taxes, more public services"...how the hell does that even work? Lower the taxes that provide the money for public services, but add more public services from the money they no longer have?

Andrew_Xavier

The ones that made me laugh in the USA were the ones who wanted 100% of student debt forgiven. At that point I knew that OWS had really no point and a lot of the protests were just bored college students thinking it was a chance for them to make demands of our government.

None of those ideas will become a reality anytime soon. And as far as OWS goes...

Nuf' said.

And absolutely none of those will come to fruition anytime soon.

Obviously_Right

The occupy movement in Toronto literally had no point. Every time they were interviewed it was something else...like "Lower taxes, more public services"...how the hell does that even work? Lower the taxes that provide the money for public services, but add more public services from the money they no longer have?

Andrew_Xavier

The whole movement was a joke. All they did was bumb around public parks and just be lazy and trash the area, how is that supposed to accomplish anything is beyond me. "Hey screw you corporations, look at me I'm going to show you buy sitting in this park all day and night like a homless person. That will show you"

Ya sorry it did nothing. And they harrassed innocent people who went shopping for Christmas. Some even got violent and threw bricks and rocks at people.

None of those ideas will become a reality anytime soon. And as far as OWS goes...

Nuf' said.

tomo90

The whole movement was a joke. All they did was bumb around public parks and just be lazy and trash the area, how is that supposed to accomplish anything is beyond me. "Hey screw you corporations, look at me I'm going to show you buy sitting in this park all day and night like a homless person. That will show you"

Ya sorry it did nothing. And they harrassed innocent people who went shopping for Christmas. Some even got violent and threw bricks and rocks at people.

ShadowMoses900

None of those ideas will become a reality anytime soon. And as far as OWS goes...

Nuf' said.

tomo90

That's like saying that you can't criticize the government because you use public services...

kuraimen

They want to GET RID OF corporations (according to that picture at least :P).

Bad comparison.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

That's like saying that you can't criticize the government because you use public services...

Necrifer

They want to GET RID OF corporations (according to that picture at least :P).

Bad comparison.

Every organization inspires good ideas. Its just that their bad ideas are pulling them in the wrong direction.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

That's like saying that you can't criticize the government because you use public services...

Necrifer

They want to GET RID OF corporations (according to that picture at least :P).

Bad comparison.

Yeah I was just kind of using that as a light hearted stab at the hypocrisy that surrounded the majority of the OWS demonstrations. Like someone pointed out previously the majority of those involved had no idea what they wanted and on the whole gave conflicting reasons as to why they were there in the first place. They were doing more harm than good.

The links you gave were optimistic and there's nothing wrong with that. I personally don't see them coming into action anytime soon but then I'm not an economist or anything. The system does need to change but from the inside and through discussion. Not from hypocritical demonstrations like the ones we saw all over the world.

Looked like the occupy movement was full of homeless people trying to get handouts.

Looked like the occupy movement was full of homeless people trying to get handouts.

ristactionjakso

[QUOTE="Andrew_Xavier"]

The occupy movement in Toronto literally had no point. Every time they were interviewed it was something else...like "Lower taxes, more public services"...how the hell does that even work? Lower the taxes that provide the money for public services, but add more public services from the money they no longer have?

kuraimen

I still think the London rioters were even more pathetic than the occupy lot. I remember watching BBC news and the reporters asks some girl why she was stealing from Currys (an electronics store) and she said that she was 'reclaiming her taxes', although I suspect she hadn't paid a single penny in taxes her whole life, and probably lives on a council estate and on benefits.Crunchy_Nuts

Amen.

I pray it doesn't happen again this summer what with the Olympics. Otherwise I might just move to Sweden.

I still think the London rioters were even more pathetic than the occupy lot. I remember watching BBC news and the reporters asks some girl why she was stealing from Currys (an electronics store) and she said that she was 'reclaiming her taxes', although I suspect she hadn't paid a single penny in taxes her whole life, and probably lives on a council estate and on benefits.Crunchy_Nuts

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="Andrew_Xavier"]

The occupy movement in Toronto literally had no point. Every time they were interviewed it was something else...like "Lower taxes, more public services"...how the hell does that even work? Lower the taxes that provide the money for public services, but add more public services from the money they no longer have?

Andrew_Xavier

[QUOTE="Crunchy_Nuts"]I still think the London rioters were even more pathetic than the occupy lot. I remember watching BBC news and the reporters asks some girl why she was stealing from Currys (an electronics store) and she said that she was 'reclaiming her taxes', although I suspect she hadn't paid a single penny in taxes her whole life, and probably lives on a council estate and on benefits.kuraimen

What happened in London was not a revolution.

It was just pure daylight robbery and violence, orchestrated by sick twisted individuals who didn't have anything better to do other than making everyone elses life hell.

If we're going to overcome the crushing socioeconomic inequality in the US, slacktivism isn't' going to cut it. We need something like the French Revolution where we just murder all of the rich people and redistribute everything they stole from us. bigfoot2045

If we're going to overcome the crushing socioeconomic inequality in the US, slacktivism isn't' going to cut it. We need something like the French Revolution where we just murder all of the rich people and redistribute everything they stole from us. bigfoot2045

[QUOTE="bigfoot2045"]If we're going to overcome the crushing socioeconomic inequality in the US, slacktivism isn't' going to cut it. We need something like the French Revolution where we just murder all of the rich people and redistribute everything they stole from us. ristactionjakso

Occupy was an example of what happens with vague ideals left to be twisted and mutated by loud voices.

Whoever yelled the loudest had their ideas heard most, it seemed. Occupy had too many things all at once. Not everything that came out of that was bad, but a LOT of it was TERRIBLE. Signs saying, "pay my tuition" or "jobs are a right" were just terrible, terrible examples of socialists who don't understand the US Constitution.

The simple fact remains that in the United States of America, the US Constitution does *NOT* permit anyone to have a right to a job, right to healthcare, right to education, or the right to a loan even.

You must understand what a right is -- it is inalienable, it is a natural part of who you are that cannot be taken away from you, and our government, at all levels, MUST protect such rights. Are we saying that the govt then is OBLIGATED to provide everyone with a job? With healthcare? With education? With loans?

Think about it people, seriously. If the govt is obligated to provide these things, then the govt becomes your caretaker, you become dependent on the govt. The more dependent you are, the less free you are, the less powerful you are. Do you wish to become a child again, to answer to your mommy and daddy govt? Or do you want to live your own life, free to do as you please within a reasonable means established by the community (local laws)?

This is the problem -- Occupy points to how corrupt and screwed up the govt is, but then wants the govt to have MORE CONTROL over them! That's just an absurd notion, that the govt is the problem, but MORE govt is somehow the solution?

Just look to Greece, or Italy -- see what happens when the govt starts "taking care" of the people. The public sector grows so large and cumbersome that the private sector cannot generate enough productivity to sustain it.

Socialism is just another form of Communism -- it doesn't work because it is antithetical to the very nature of human beings: the notion that we will all work together for the common good even if it doesn't directly benefit oneself. Capitalism wields the natural greed of all human beings for the benefit of society -- it inspires competition to encourage growth and improvement. It is not perfect, don't misunderstand me -- it is NOT perfect: but it is a h*ll of a lot better than socialism.

Capitalism on its worst day is better than socialism on its best day.

And absolutely none of those will come to fruition anytime soon.

Obviously_Right

[QUOTE="ristactionjakso"]

Looked like the occupy movement was full of homeless people trying to get handouts.

DroidPhysX

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="Crunchy_Nuts"]I still think the London rioters were even more pathetic than the occupy lot. I remember watching BBC news and the reporters asks some girl why she was stealing from Currys (an electronics store) and she said that she was 'reclaiming her taxes', although I suspect she hadn't paid a single penny in taxes her whole life, and probably lives on a council estate and on benefits.tomo90

What happened in London was not a revolution.

It was just pure daylight robbery and violence, orchestrated by sick twisted individuals who didn't have anything better to do other than making everyone elses life hell.

[QUOTE="bigfoot2045"]If we're going to overcome the crushing socioeconomic inequality in the US, slacktivism isn't' going to cut it. We need something like the French Revolution where we just murder all of the rich people and redistribute everything they stole from us. ristactionjakso

With healthcare? With education?FoxeoGames

[QUOTE="ristactionjakso"]

[QUOTE="bigfoot2045"]If we're going to overcome the crushing socioeconomic inequality in the US, slacktivism isn't' going to cut it. We need something like the French Revolution where we just murder all of the rich people and redistribute everything they stole from us. kuraimen

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="ristactionjakso"].......I wouldnt say the rich are the ones to be targeting. Corrupt government officials are more to blame than anything. Not just one of them like Bush or Obama. It's all of them.

kingkong0124

[QUOTE="kingkong0124"]

[QUOTE="kuraimen"] As of right now we're governed by plutocracies that means the government and the rich are mostly the same.kuraimen

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="ristactionjakso"].......I wouldnt say the rich are the ones to be targeting. Corrupt government officials are more to blame than anything. Not just one of them like Bush or Obama. It's all of them.

kingkong0124

Good ideas? That's debatable.

most people dont get what its all about. its about the need for stong services and stop companies like goldman doing there evil deeds.

Whether there were good ideas or not, Occupy's existence should have raised awareness on socioeconomic inequality. Too bad the average Joe (who is also getting the short end of the stick in this recession) can't look past this issue without thinking about homeless freeloaders.

i wish it had turned into a riot which lead to revolution instead of the sht we see todayZumaJones07