The Occupy Movement

 Response to Michael Moore comments on Keith Olberman from article in National Memo

http://www.nationofchange.org/keith-olbermann-interviews-michael-moore-about-occupy-movement-1319299608

I love Michael Moore but his call for both Repubs and Dems to embrace the Occupy movement ignores the fact that the Occupy movement is saying they don't want endorsement from any groups because they don't want to be co-opted by any groups.  They are happy to have Unions and people with differing agendas join in the Occupations but the problem comes in when each group starts lobbying for their special wants and needs and insisting that their way is the only way it can be.  What we all want is Social Justice, and that includes economic, political, medical, environmental, old age security, or whatever you believe important.

I am well aware that both Democrat and Republicans take money from the same people.  In spite of that, you must be blind to say there is no difference between the two parties. I am a Democrat, and you cannot tell me that it makes no difference who I vote for...I did not vote for GWB...I did vote for Obama...there is a difference.  The RWNJs and LWNJs and Tealiban and whatever else is out there that wants "my way or the highway" needs to stay the hell out of the Occupy movement.  I'm 67, but I love the energy of this movement, I love the FDR optimism of this movement, and I love that the people in Occupy believe they can change things.  The Eyores are always with us, nay-saying with their constant mantra of "it will never work" " it's hopeless" "it's doomed to failure" .  Maybe so, but at least we aren't sitting on our hands whining about how it can't be fixed, and how we need to get rid of all the bums, and how we should throw them all out and start over.  Bull!

We have an wonderful Constitution, it does not need to be thrown over. We do not need to build the damn world from scratch. We do not need to wreck the whole house because it is dirty.   What we need is to use our votes as Democracy intended to vote in those who have the Peoples' Agenda in mind, regardless of party.  We need liberal filibuster-proof control of both House and Senate so we can get some laws passed to fix the problems.  Primarying the President, or writing in some 3rd party candidate, or writing in "the 99%" or "Occupy"  will only guarantee the GOP status quo wins. Then the President   will likely be re-elected, but will still only be able to get done those things that the GOP allows.  They will not allow votes on anything progressive, they will not agree to make the rich pay their fair share.  This President has gotten a lot done in spite of the GOP.  When not impeded by their stonewalling, he has managed to get rid of Osama Bin Laden, Khaddafi, rescue an American from Somalia pirates, and end the Iraq War.  He has shown he understand the nuanced subtleties of working with your allies so that we do not need to send our military into more unnecessary wars when a surgical strike will work.   Imagine all the stuff we could have fixed if there had been any cooperation. The Ayn Rand worshipping nutcases are not examples of true Americans.   They are not the kind of people American's have always been who care and help one another.  They do not accept that our religion in America never was something we shouted from the street corners while blaming the poor, old, weak and disabled for their own lot.   It was the quiet religion of handouts to the starving from a million kitchen doors in the Depression. It was farmers buying their brothers' farms at auction and then giving it back to the ones who lost it.  It was the everyday heroism of a country that went to work to rebuild itself by rebuilding its foundations and filling the holes and helping each other to move up.  It's the true religion that provided for our elderly and poor and starving with programs that ensured a base of security for the people.  Our religion is the brilliant Democratic Republic created in the Bill of Rights and Constitution that calls for our nation to promote the general welfare of all.