Is the Occupy Wall Street movement in the process of eclipsing the Tea Party in popularity?

I was trying to be modest. Rhine44 20 days ago .

We are watching the beginnings of the defiant self-assertion of a new generation of Americans, a generation who are looking forward to finishing their education with no jobs, no future, but still saddled with enormous and unforgivable debt. Most of working-class or otherwise modest backgrounds, kids who did exactly what they were told they should: studied, got into college, and are now not just being punished for it, but humiliated – faced with a life of being treated as deadbeats, moral reprobates. Is it really surprising they would like to have a word with the financial magnates who stole their future?

Just as in Europe, we are seeing the results of colossal social failure. The occupiers are the very sort of people, brimming with ideas, whose energies a healthy society would be marshaling to improve life for everyone. The ultimate failure here is of imagination.It's clear that the rich are determined to seize as large a share of the spoils as remain, tossing a whole generation of young people to the wolves in order to do so.

But history is not on their side. Occupy Wall Street Spreads WorldwideOct 17, 2011 The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to grow and has now spread across the world, motivating thousands to voice their anger at financial and social inequality, and in some places merging with existing anti-government protests. On Saturday, a global "Day of Rage" was observed, and demonstrations took place in more than 80 countries around the world.

Protesters took their messages and anger to the streets from Hong Kong to Fairbanks, from Miami to London, from Berlin to Sydney, and hundreds more cities large and small. The demonstrations were largely peaceful -- with the exception of some violent clashes in Rome. Collected here are some images from the past several days as the Occupy Wall Street message continues to resonate and grow.

50 photos: http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-spreads-worldwide/100171/ com/infocus/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-spreads-worldwide/100171.

Stanley wrote in this thread: "Those participating have stated a deep dissatisfaction with the lay of the land in the relationship between the government, its citizens and corporations. The universal complaint from protesters can be summarized as "The government has failed in representing the interests of its citizens. " We on this site go back and forth over this issue daily, and there's little point debating the issue now.

But there is clearly a perception in the streets that the game is fixed and the deck is stacked against the people. ">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Articulate and honest as usual. Thank god we have some original thinkers here.

People like Stanley are going to save this site.

Nope. And comparing them to the T.E.A. Party is merely more slander by the media who are secretly afraid of these older people who have the money and cajones to say what they mean and not take any TV's word for it. The members of the T.E.A. Party clean up after themselves.So far, these asinine "protests" are costing municipalities millions of dollars they don't have, from PD overtime to strain on services to clean-up.Wired.

Com, normally a very good source, has articles on how the protesters worked up ethernet and computer links for the protesters but NOTHING about who's cleaning up, providing port-o-potties, etc. Thus, to your question: very soon, the municipalities will run out of $$ and evict these freeloaders for the obvious reason of cost. Then they will be old news while the T.E.A.Party will be organizing their next election. I haven't heard any fat lady singing; have you?

The "OWS" movement has become the "Please Give Us a Reason To Be Here" movement. Quick question -- Who is the Single Main Beneficiary of Wall Street money? Quick Answer -- The Federal GovernmentAnother Quick Question - Who's in charge of The Federal Government?

If you answered "The Obama Administration", -- Ask yourself -- Why protest on Wall Street instead of Pennsylvania Ave? I can't wait to see who is actually pulling the puppet strings on these groups.

One thing is for certain, it isn't the Koch brothers. Rhine44 20 days ago .

If it was the Obama Administration, you've got to admit it was a shrewd political move. Rhine44 20 days ago .

You must then really hate those puppet masters who want to raise your taxes, and get more money from you.

No. The OWSies have been watching their kindred wastrels in Europe protest and are just following their lead like a bunch of lemmings. The only thing they eclipse the Teapers in is the number of arrests, the filthy messes and the cost to the cities for extra police, extra sanitation work and property damage.

I am sure that there have been thousands if not millions of conservatives who have been detrimentally hurt by the greed on Wall Street. Why fight against each other when their is a common enemy we both dislike standing before us? Does that make any sense to you?

Just imagine the effect it would have on Congress if members could see both political sides of the spectrum speaking in one voice. Rhine44 19 days ago .

They don't see a common enemy. The Teapers know there is some greed in corporate American just like there is in every other sector of the economy including the government. The LOWSies blame Wall Street first and government second.

Teapers know that the government is the biggest cause of the economic problems.

I am sure they are more popular than anything other than oxygen, food, and water. They don't have any concrete positions, so they basically have something for anyone that is mad about anything. I have seen 'end the fed' signs- I can go along with that.

I have seen 'end capitalism' signs- not so much on board with that one. They may be able to claim fidelity with 99% of the population by being mad at something and looking for someone to blame for it. But let's just see how many real candidates they get elected running on a platform demanding sweeping unspecified change.

I am not entirely sure what is actually going on, myself. However, what I do know and recognize is that something serious is afoot. Where it will lead is anyone's guess.

Rhine44 19 days ago .

Always remember no poor person or government has given more jobs to people then most of the companies on Wall Street.

That's a nice sentiment, and partly true. But it does not reflect the real reality of the present moment. Rhine44 19 days ago .

You cannot complain because some make more then others. I understand greed and overdone. ( most of those get whats coming to them) You complain about wall street what abouth athlets who make 200 million over ten years?

As one who participated in the marches against the Vietnam War, but who eventually got a job and raised a family, I can say that I agree with many of the Tea Party's positions, especially their basic thrust against excessive government spending and excessive taxes, even though I am an independent. One thing I have learned. Big demonstrations require big money -- somebody's money.In the old days of marches, we used to call it "street money".

Street money was used to rent a bus, buy cardboard to make posters, buy bullhorns, pay for lunches -- even marchers have to eat --and sometimes for hotel rooms and such for organizers who had to whip up the crowds into the night. It adds up. Using street money is a common practice known to every street organizer or community organizer I know of.

I also find it interesting that this natural combustion of populism happenend more or less overnight. And almost instantly was followed by a push to make this new movement and the Tea Party antagonistic to each other. These are not coincidences.

Now who, I wonder would benefit from an attack against Wall Street and a simultaneous attack against the Tea Party? And who has the knowledge of a community organizer to start activating street money? Sounds like Obama and his supporters to me.

Both these developments appear to obvious sleight-of-hands to distract from Obama's sinking poll numbers these days.

Even with vague definition of goals, OWS has already eclipsed the tea party, and become a world wide expression of discontent. Those who would pooh-pooh the protests as the work of silly or misguided "lemmings" should pull back and take a serious look at the implications. Regardless of the reasons for the protests, ANY situation resulting with this many people in the streets, is a very serious and sobering business.

Story is replete with examples of great social upheavals initiated by crowds in the streets, and the extent and duration of the current episode is unsettling indeed. It's clear that the protests represent more than unhappiness with the current recession. Those participating have stated a deep dissatisfaction with the lay of the land in the relationship between the government, its citizens and corporations.

The universal complaint from protesters can be summarized as "The government has failed in representing the interests of its citizens. " We on this site go back and forth over this issue daily, and there's little point debating the issue now. But there is clearly a perception in the streets that the game is fixed and the deck is stacked against the people.

With George Soros pouring his money into OWShttp://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/9269-big-soros-money-linked-to-occupy-wall-street http://www.conservativerefocus.com/blog5.php/2011/10/14/reuters-finds-connection-between-soros-and-occupy-wallstreet-protests-tides-foundation-funds-adbusters-occupy-movementand with the support, people and money from the SEIUhttp://www.seiu.org/2011/10/seiu-supports-occupywallstreet.phphttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/03/occupy-wall-street-transport-workers-union-seiu-to-join-protests.htmlthey are bound to have a jump in popularity for a minute...let's see if they have the staying power that the TEA Party has displayed. As a side note to this, I saw some of the AV members who responded to this question repeatedly assert (in past AV posts) that the TEA Party was a racist organization but I see those same people speaking up in support of OWS when there is clearly anti-semitism in their ranks....so, anti-semitism is acceptable? bookwormroom.com/2011/10/13/the-antisemi... com/usnews/politics/9269-big-soros-money-linked-to-occupy-wall-street.

And here I just posted the stats elsewhere: 30% support of the Tea Party from Republicans, 35% support of OWS from Republicans. I'd say "in the process of" is a little mild.

Quick Answer -- The Federal Governmentthe federal government only gets 15% of it...

Always remember no poor person or government has given more jobs to people then most of the companies on Wall Street. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Adm... only "job creation" ever has been makework projects. No business in their right mind would engage in makework on anything resembling a large scale, because there is no profit in it.Org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration.

Keep dreaming. How many people are in the OWS mob? How many people are in the tea party?

I really can't say with certainty. However, do you know how many belong to the Tea Party? Rhine44 20 days ago .

I keep dreaming that someday you and I will reach an agreement on a particular subject. Rhine44 19 days ago .

I don't know any reliable number for the tea party but from the overhead pictures, the tea party crowd was much larger.

Yep. That's why the teapers are so scared of them. Occupy Wall Street is fueled by youth.

Reporters covering the ongoing occupation of Zuccotti Park have encountered and profiled a host of characters from all walks and stages of life. One of my favorite interviews so far has been Marsha Spencer, a 56-year-old grandmother who can be found on weekends at the Park's western edge, knitting gloves and scarves for fellow protesters. She makes no bones about what's driving Occupy Wall Street — young people: college students saddled with years of debt, 20-somethings struggling to land a job, and an entire generation banging its head on what seems to be the ever-lowering ceiling of their possibilities."It's all about them," Spencer told me on a rainy morning last week in Zuccotti Park.

Not true for the Tea Party, whose typical supporter is older, wealthier, and whiter than the American demographic average. It is a movement, by and large, of the haves — not the have nots."It's essentially reactionary," says David Graeber, a professor of anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, who helped set up Occupy Wall Street's much-heralded General Assembly and is one of the first people to push the movement's now ubiquitous slogan 'We are the 99%'. "The Tea Party core group is white middle-class Republicans who are angry that they seem to be losing their position of preeminence in society.

" .

I think it's too early to tell this. But it is certainly growing in popularity, and the tea party movement hasn't had much energy lately. Having attended Philly's occupy protest, I was very surprised by what I saw...it wasn't what I expected it to be; it was much better-organized:cazort.net/topic/occupy-phillyGiven the level of organization in Philly's protest (the group had their own library, security and medical teams, solar panels, a wireless network, and an efficient food operation), I wouldn't be surprised if they eclipsed the tea party.

But I've heard that NYC's protest is much more chaotic than Philly's...the people who have been to both say that Philly's "did everything right", learning from what went wrong in NYC. Either way though, it's radically different from depicted in the media. I think this opinion piece is among the most accurate depictions:cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/rushkoff-occu... whole thing actually sparked my interest and it made me curious about what various tea party groups are like--if they are indeed like depicted in the media, or if they are possibly different as well.Net/topic/occupy-philly.

I felt from the start that it was a positive event. Hopefully it will continue to grow. There is enough anger simmering among the public toward Wall Street, banks, etc to keep the fires stoked.Maybe...just maybe some good will come out of it.

Rhine44 15 days ago .

One thing is for certain, it isn't the Koch brothers. Rhine44 46 months ago.

One thing is for certain, it isn't the Koch brothers. Rhine44 51 months ago.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.