Ongoing "Occupy Wall Street" Coverage & Discussion

Alex Jones is a subversive crank. That said, OWS is still about as organized as the european ponzi is, if not a good deal less.

On the other hand, most of the people at OWS are still just sheeple. They have only the most basic idea of what they're fighting against and absolutely no idea of how to fix it. They also have no interest in being educated about PMs, the federal reserve, economics, the banking system, or real freedom.

Furthermore, they can't even agree as to whether the Fed should be abolished or if it should be simply constrained somehow, and I guarantee none of them (and probably none of the people here) have any idea of the consequences of making sudden major shifts in the economic foundation (money), or of allowing the big banks to fail without taking measures to limit the exposure to smaller banks.

I would not even trust Ron Paul to handle this situation without a catastrophe.

...your blurb describes me as well. I stopped calling myself a Republican shortly after 9-11. Now I am just a Conservative (not a necon) but I also have some Libertarian views.

I want to protect and restore the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and free markets. That is my basis and starting point for standing together with anybody on the left, right or middle. We may not agree on every point, but that should be the minimum. I hope the TEA party can clean house on the RINOS/NEOCONS, and I hope the Democrats vote out the Progressives that ate their party whole. Where are all the Bue Dogs?

We need to end this public/private partnership (PPP) monopolistic capitalism, which is really nothing but collectivism. We need to get back to free market capitalism. That is how we became the most successful country the world has ever known. We stand for equal opportunity, not equal outcome. Coveting what your neighbor has is not a founding principal.

We need to get back to limited government, I say a reduction of 50% over the next 3 years, and the elimination of many useless departments, and a big reduction of the military industrial complex. Close most of our 800 military bases. Bring the military home, and use some on our borders. Close down the TSA and its police state.

Send the power back to the states and local governments. So for example, if RuNutz didn't like one state, and desired a more "spread the wealth" state, he has the freedom to move there. And if that state went insolvent, like California and Illinois, they could fail. No bailouts. Then they would rethink collectivism, and learn what history has taught us.

And don't even get me started on Term Limits! Pelosi, Reed, Mitch McConnel and more should have been kicked out long ago. I want to see more businessmen and less lawyers. 2 terms max.

Link saved for when I'm off work, thanks! I fell out when he described Michael Moore's appearance in NY earlier this week as the green billed warbler. ;-D

I think two terms is a bit restrictive (although presidential terms are too long), but I do agree that term limits for all bureaucrats (including judges) is a necessary minimum.

That said, only Ron Paul would even consider it, and from what I've seen, a good portion of the Tea Party has been disenfranchised by the Republican party and is essentially just a bunch of neocons who have hijacked the party banner. Since the blue dogs never really got in on the Tea Party, the pcons in the party are without support.

Either way, the next election will see a major change in the composition of congress. Sadly, the pirate party in the US never took off, although it would be nice to see them in 2012. Whoever gets voted in, though, will be faced with an "or else" situation up front.

That was a good take. Maybe 2 4-year terms for senators, and 3 2-year terms for congressmen.

What is your opinion on abolishing the IRS and the personal income tax? Would you favor a flat tax, or consumption based FairTax? Any thoughts?

I was thinking more like 4x 3 year terms for president, same for senate, and maybe 4x 2 year terms for house. Of course, if I had my way (which I won't) then I'd make house members co-act as state legislators and cut the senate in half by merging the governors' roles with senators'. That way people would see up close what their elected officials are doing, and gives them responsibility for running their native state as well as voting on the national level. Crappy leadership would become much more obvious.

As far as taxes go, here's my list of taxes that I would abolish in the order of greatest importance to least:

1.import/export duties

2.capital gains/dividend taxes

3.progressive taxes

and

4.personal income taxes entirely

I would rather not be forced at gunpoint to pay any crony ruling class to do anything, but if I had a choice between bad or worse, a VAT tax sans other taxes is less bad and less strangling on the economy than any other form of institutional theft.

Stephanie, Cain was a Fed governor. There is a difference between working as a clerk or low-mid rank officer at the Fed versus being a governor. He is an insider. He said, 

Oops, he got his economic philosophies and policies education from the Fed. What did he learn from the Fed? Keynesian, may be? Helicopter money drop, may be? 

You can see from this video: 

Publicly, Cain stated that he wanted to preserve the Fed, but eliminating the employment mandate while keeping price stability mandate. He saw nothing wrong about how the current Fed president is elected. 

What on earth makes you think that Cain, a true card-carrying fed-skull&bones ponzi, would EVER think of giving Ron Paul a second thought in any capacity? Zero chance. None.

Cain is also no Donald Trump. You don't get on the federal reserve board by being honest, and you don't rise up under bonesmen's wings by being a productive, competent worker.

"This is a big club, and you and I ain't in it." - George Carlin