OWS demands and commentary
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Here is what the OWS movement has decided they want. This is not an official list. This is built from items submitted by members of the movement so far. I've provided commentary on each. Enjoy the show.
- Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act. Unionize ALL workers immediately.
Not all workers WANT to be unionized. Forcing a union on people is the same as banning unions for the people that it makes sense for.
-Raise the minimum wage immediately to $18/hr. Create a maximum wage of $90/hr to eliminate inequality.
And who is paying for this. Is the profit margin at Office Depot high enough to pay the 16 year old stocking printer ink $18 per hour? Or will Office Depot have to double the price to account for that. It's already cheaper to buy a printer than to refill the ink in some cases. That's just one example. What about people that respond to "CLEANUP IN AISLE 6" when some numbnuts kid knocks pickles off the shelf? $18/hour to push a mop. Makes perfect sense to me.
-Institute a 6 hour workday, and 6 weeks of paid vacation.
$18 an hour to NOT work for 6 weeks? Employers have no discretion anymore? I'm not sure I even understand the purpose of this one. They want opportunity but don't want to work for it? "We want jobs, but we don't want taxing hours. Let's make it easy." It's not supposed to be easy... it's WORK!
- Institute a moratorium on all foreclosures and layoffs immediately.
So if people can't pay their mortgages, they should do what? Just keep the house? For free? No layoffs? How is a business going to buy products to sell if they're paying all of their employees and bills and having a hard time selling what they already have in inventory?
-Repeal racist and xenophobic English-only laws.
In Italy, they speak Italian. In Germany, they speak German. The language of this country is English. I'm well aware it is not declared as an official language, but let's face facts, it damn well should be. Or pick a new language. Make it Spanish for all I care. I'll learn it if that's the way it goes. Making a standard makes it easier to communicate. It goes on in the tech world constantly. We institute a standard do everyone can interact and communicate.
- Open the borders to all immigrants, legal or illegal. Offer immediate, unconditional amnesty, to all undocumented residents of the US.
The borders are open. People can come in, just like my family did. Sign a paper, become a citizen. Have some allegiance. Nothing wrong with that. Amnesty for illegal residents makes NO damn sense. If they are illegal, then they've broken a law. I want to drive a car with no license. I'll be an illegal driver. Give me amnesty. You can't do shit to me. At that rate, let's just dump laws altogether if there's no accountability for them.
- Create a single-payer, universal health care system.
It would be awesome to have 20%+ sales tax to cover that cost. I mean I totally want to pay $7 for a half gallon of milk so someone who doesn't work, feeds off the system and has no moral compass can stay healthy. This it takes a village to insure a lazy sack of shit doesn't work with me. I work. I'm compensated. You work. You're compensated. No such thing as a free lunch or free healthcare.
- Pass stricter campaign finance reform laws. Ban all private donations. All campaigns will receive equal funding, provided by the taxpayers.
So if I make a ton of money and become Oprah rich and truly firmly believe in a candidate, I can't support him/her?
- Institute a negative income tax, and tax the very rich at rates up to 90%.
To become the super rich, you have to be educated and a hard worker. Bottom line, the lazy ones that work 15 hours per week or can't spell the word spell, don't make millions. So those that learn a business, get educated, put in 80 hours per week and rise to become the cream of the crop should be taxed 90 cents on the dollar. At that rate, they won't be the super rich and end up in the negative income tax bracket. Additionally, negative income tax? So these people should work at low paying jobs at less hours a week and be rewarded for their efforts? Produce and contribute and be rewarded.
- Pass far stricter environmental protection and animal rights laws.
I won't even argue this one. I agree with the concept and the demand is very vague, so we will see how it plays out.
- Allow workers to elect their supervisors.
This may reduce the number of Peter Principle-esque bosses out there and that's not the worst thing in the world, however, this is a stupid solution overall. You already have that right. Are you a slave? No. Don't like your boss? Quit. Start a company. Be your own boss? Don't know how? Should have gotten educated. Can't afford it? Grants, loans, scholarships. You can get SOME FORM OF EDUCATION, you ignorant asshole.
- Lower the retirement age to 55. Increase Social Security benefits.
Oxymoron. Social Security is hemorrhaging money as it is. People are living longer. Starting them earlier with more money is impossible. That's like opening the drain, lowering the faucet and expecting the sink to fill.
- Create a 5% annual wealth tax for the very rich.
Define very rich and tell me where the money will be appropriated to and we'll see.
- Ban the private ownership of land.
Dumbest combination of words in the English language. I refuse to dignify this with a response.
- Make homeschooling illegal. Religious fanatics use it to feed their children propaganda.
I actually support it 10000% but for different reasons. School teaches more than books. It teaches social maturity, interaction, how to learn, how to teach, how to be a person in a multi-cultural society. I do not support homeschooling. I know more than one person homeschooled so I don't judge them, but in concept, I'm not a supporter.
- Reduce the age of majority to 16.
There are 18 year olds joining the military now that I wouldn't trust with a sling shot let alone a gun. You want to lower the bar? If a student can't pass a test, the fail. We don't write a test they can pass. Rebuilding the system doesn't work. Lowering the bar doesn't work.
- Abolish the death penalty and life in prison. We call for the immediate release of all death row inmates from death row and transferred to regular prisons.
Because people that are on death row are just misunderstood? Some people are bad eggs. Not everyone is capable of being rehabilitated. Abolish the death penalty? Maybe. Life in prison? Better not do it, some people don't belong in society; they are just dangerous.
- Release all political prisoners immediately.
Purpose?
- Immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Do me a favor and pull the emergency brake in the car while going 90 mph down the highway. Let me know if you have a smooth exit from the vehicle.
- Abolish the debt limit.
Germany and Austria are establishing debt limits because they see how that'll save them and you want to get rid of ours? Let's just keep piling up the debt. Let's never make good on what we owe. Forget reconciling and being positive. Borrow, borrow, borrow. Until we are borrowing on (and losing) YOUR money. Then you'll be PISSED!
- Ban private gun ownership.
Constitutionally protected right. Part of the values this country was founded on. This is not a change to a rule. This is an effort to turn this country into a different country. If you hate this country so much, there's a much easier solution - MOVE THE FUCK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
- Strengthen the separation of church and state.
Fair enough. My religion is not your religion, but my state is your state. Nothing against Jewish people, but I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God. I don't feel that a Menorah should be on top of a public building either. However, putting a cross on the side of the road where a Christian person died in an accident is not the state on a crusade for Christianity (pun intended). It's commemorating the life of a Christian that has died and the state is not involved. Free exercise of religion, brother. You should be looking at traffic and not the trees anyway. Mind your business sound familiar?
- Immediate debt forgiveness for all.
While I would personally love this because nobody WANTS to owe anything, it goes back to personal accountability. You spent it, you pay it. That's a choice. You didn't NEED the TV, you chose to buy it. I have absolutely ZERO DOLLARS in necessary debt. Whatever I owe comes from choices.
-End the 'War on Drugs'.
So now the super rich are paying for degenerates to have better, legal drugs. They are unhealthy. They are destructive. If you want to smoke crack in your apartment and fry your brain all day, I'm all for it. That's less of you wackos to make lists like that. However, when the drug addiction becomes greater and money gets slimmer, you have to venture outside to get your fix. Too often, a step in that process requires the violent acquisition of that money. Now your problem becomes someone else's problem. Cannot work.
I know I wanted a list. I wanted to see their goals. Now I'm sorry I did. Actually, scratch that. This list is amazing. It is SO farfetched that I cannot imagine anyone taking it seriously.
Ideas for additional items:
- Make the moon be ACTUALLY made out of cheese.
- Cats should have opposable thumbs.
- Polar bears should come in more colors.
- Bring back the Delorean car (with or without a Flux Capacitor, your choice).
We can ask for any ridiculous thing at this point. Thank you OWS for writing your list from so far out in left field that you are now a joke.
- Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act. Unionize ALL workers immediately.
Not all workers WANT to be unionized. Forcing a union on people is the same as banning unions for the people that it makes sense for.
-Raise the minimum wage immediately to $18/hr. Create a maximum wage of $90/hr to eliminate inequality.
And who is paying for this. Is the profit margin at Office Depot high enough to pay the 16 year old stocking printer ink $18 per hour? Or will Office Depot have to double the price to account for that. It's already cheaper to buy a printer than to refill the ink in some cases. That's just one example. What about people that respond to "CLEANUP IN AISLE 6" when some numbnuts kid knocks pickles off the shelf? $18/hour to push a mop. Makes perfect sense to me.
-Institute a 6 hour workday, and 6 weeks of paid vacation.
$18 an hour to NOT work for 6 weeks? Employers have no discretion anymore? I'm not sure I even understand the purpose of this one. They want opportunity but don't want to work for it? "We want jobs, but we don't want taxing hours. Let's make it easy." It's not supposed to be easy... it's WORK!
- Institute a moratorium on all foreclosures and layoffs immediately.
So if people can't pay their mortgages, they should do what? Just keep the house? For free? No layoffs? How is a business going to buy products to sell if they're paying all of their employees and bills and having a hard time selling what they already have in inventory?
-Repeal racist and xenophobic English-only laws.
In Italy, they speak Italian. In Germany, they speak German. The language of this country is English. I'm well aware it is not declared as an official language, but let's face facts, it damn well should be. Or pick a new language. Make it Spanish for all I care. I'll learn it if that's the way it goes. Making a standard makes it easier to communicate. It goes on in the tech world constantly. We institute a standard do everyone can interact and communicate.
- Open the borders to all immigrants, legal or illegal. Offer immediate, unconditional amnesty, to all undocumented residents of the US.
The borders are open. People can come in, just like my family did. Sign a paper, become a citizen. Have some allegiance. Nothing wrong with that. Amnesty for illegal residents makes NO damn sense. If they are illegal, then they've broken a law. I want to drive a car with no license. I'll be an illegal driver. Give me amnesty. You can't do shit to me. At that rate, let's just dump laws altogether if there's no accountability for them.
- Create a single-payer, universal health care system.
It would be awesome to have 20%+ sales tax to cover that cost. I mean I totally want to pay $7 for a half gallon of milk so someone who doesn't work, feeds off the system and has no moral compass can stay healthy. This it takes a village to insure a lazy sack of shit doesn't work with me. I work. I'm compensated. You work. You're compensated. No such thing as a free lunch or free healthcare.
- Pass stricter campaign finance reform laws. Ban all private donations. All campaigns will receive equal funding, provided by the taxpayers.
So if I make a ton of money and become Oprah rich and truly firmly believe in a candidate, I can't support him/her?
- Institute a negative income tax, and tax the very rich at rates up to 90%.
To become the super rich, you have to be educated and a hard worker. Bottom line, the lazy ones that work 15 hours per week or can't spell the word spell, don't make millions. So those that learn a business, get educated, put in 80 hours per week and rise to become the cream of the crop should be taxed 90 cents on the dollar. At that rate, they won't be the super rich and end up in the negative income tax bracket. Additionally, negative income tax? So these people should work at low paying jobs at less hours a week and be rewarded for their efforts? Produce and contribute and be rewarded.
- Pass far stricter environmental protection and animal rights laws.
I won't even argue this one. I agree with the concept and the demand is very vague, so we will see how it plays out.
- Allow workers to elect their supervisors.
This may reduce the number of Peter Principle-esque bosses out there and that's not the worst thing in the world, however, this is a stupid solution overall. You already have that right. Are you a slave? No. Don't like your boss? Quit. Start a company. Be your own boss? Don't know how? Should have gotten educated. Can't afford it? Grants, loans, scholarships. You can get SOME FORM OF EDUCATION, you ignorant asshole.
- Lower the retirement age to 55. Increase Social Security benefits.
Oxymoron. Social Security is hemorrhaging money as it is. People are living longer. Starting them earlier with more money is impossible. That's like opening the drain, lowering the faucet and expecting the sink to fill.
- Create a 5% annual wealth tax for the very rich.
Define very rich and tell me where the money will be appropriated to and we'll see.
- Ban the private ownership of land.
Dumbest combination of words in the English language. I refuse to dignify this with a response.
- Make homeschooling illegal. Religious fanatics use it to feed their children propaganda.
I actually support it 10000% but for different reasons. School teaches more than books. It teaches social maturity, interaction, how to learn, how to teach, how to be a person in a multi-cultural society. I do not support homeschooling. I know more than one person homeschooled so I don't judge them, but in concept, I'm not a supporter.
- Reduce the age of majority to 16.
There are 18 year olds joining the military now that I wouldn't trust with a sling shot let alone a gun. You want to lower the bar? If a student can't pass a test, the fail. We don't write a test they can pass. Rebuilding the system doesn't work. Lowering the bar doesn't work.
- Abolish the death penalty and life in prison. We call for the immediate release of all death row inmates from death row and transferred to regular prisons.
Because people that are on death row are just misunderstood? Some people are bad eggs. Not everyone is capable of being rehabilitated. Abolish the death penalty? Maybe. Life in prison? Better not do it, some people don't belong in society; they are just dangerous.
- Release all political prisoners immediately.
Purpose?
- Immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Do me a favor and pull the emergency brake in the car while going 90 mph down the highway. Let me know if you have a smooth exit from the vehicle.
- Abolish the debt limit.
Germany and Austria are establishing debt limits because they see how that'll save them and you want to get rid of ours? Let's just keep piling up the debt. Let's never make good on what we owe. Forget reconciling and being positive. Borrow, borrow, borrow. Until we are borrowing on (and losing) YOUR money. Then you'll be PISSED!
- Ban private gun ownership.
Constitutionally protected right. Part of the values this country was founded on. This is not a change to a rule. This is an effort to turn this country into a different country. If you hate this country so much, there's a much easier solution - MOVE THE FUCK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
- Strengthen the separation of church and state.
Fair enough. My religion is not your religion, but my state is your state. Nothing against Jewish people, but I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God. I don't feel that a Menorah should be on top of a public building either. However, putting a cross on the side of the road where a Christian person died in an accident is not the state on a crusade for Christianity (pun intended). It's commemorating the life of a Christian that has died and the state is not involved. Free exercise of religion, brother. You should be looking at traffic and not the trees anyway. Mind your business sound familiar?
- Immediate debt forgiveness for all.
While I would personally love this because nobody WANTS to owe anything, it goes back to personal accountability. You spent it, you pay it. That's a choice. You didn't NEED the TV, you chose to buy it. I have absolutely ZERO DOLLARS in necessary debt. Whatever I owe comes from choices.
-End the 'War on Drugs'.
So now the super rich are paying for degenerates to have better, legal drugs. They are unhealthy. They are destructive. If you want to smoke crack in your apartment and fry your brain all day, I'm all for it. That's less of you wackos to make lists like that. However, when the drug addiction becomes greater and money gets slimmer, you have to venture outside to get your fix. Too often, a step in that process requires the violent acquisition of that money. Now your problem becomes someone else's problem. Cannot work.
I know I wanted a list. I wanted to see their goals. Now I'm sorry I did. Actually, scratch that. This list is amazing. It is SO farfetched that I cannot imagine anyone taking it seriously.
Ideas for additional items:
- Make the moon be ACTUALLY made out of cheese.
- Cats should have opposable thumbs.
- Polar bears should come in more colors.
- Bring back the Delorean car (with or without a Flux Capacitor, your choice).
We can ask for any ridiculous thing at this point. Thank you OWS for writing your list from so far out in left field that you are now a joke.