September 30, 2011

Paul LePage is a Lying Douchebag

If you don't already know, Maine Governor Paul LePage took down a mural in the Maine Department of Labor which depicted the struggle of organized labor throughout the last century.

When he originally did this, he was renaming rooms originally named after pillars of organized labor, to be "more business friendly." He said that the mural was "too one-sided." That it didn't tell the story of the job creators. You know, sure it showed the children who were forced to work in factories for pennies a day before child labor laws were put in place... but what about the factory owners who employed them?

Well, now Paul LePage has a different reason for taking down the mural:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Now, the fact that he's squirming, and laughing at the fact that he's lying to Brian Williams and ostensibly getting away with it is reason enough to be suspicious of this flip flop.

But let's dig a little deeper.

Okay, well not too much deeper. We don't actually have to dig very far at all. Just as far back as this article over on CNN which states that the labor mural paid for out of a FEDERAL ART GRANT.

"Most of the artist's commission of $60,000 was paid from federal money, made available by transferring it to the state's account in the trust fund."


And not only that, the Federal Government bought that public art with a contract, stating in no uncertain terms the placement of where the mural was to be displayed. And taking it down violates that contract.

And so the Federal Government has threatened Paul LePage, that if the art is not put back up, in accordance with the contract, they will demand their money back.

Which, in his new version of reality, is exaclty what Paul LePage is saying HE is doing. In an post-Orwellian game of "I know you are, but what am I?" Paul LePage has taken this very threat and lawsuit against him, and flipped it on its head.

The worst part is that nobody is willing to call him out for being completely full of shit. Brian Williams just lets LePage's bullshit slide.

Even this Bangor Daily News article takes an "even-handed" approach to the subject.

Watching this idiot laugh at himself getting away with lying, I can't help but be reminded of the bumbling idiot leaders of the Soviet Union during its collapse. They, like Paul LePage, lied broadly, and brazenly. They, like Paul LePage, had no legitimacy.

I think it's time the State of Maine, like the former soviet states, had our own nonviolent color revolution.

This is exactly how I feel right now



Please use and reuse this image.

September 29, 2011

Occupy THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA



Report breaking news tips or story ideas to

CNN @ (404)-827-1500 (option 1).

Sample script:

"Hi there, I've heard that there are peaceful protesters occupying wall street, and they are being treated with unprovoked and unwarranted violence by the NYPD. I haven't seen any coverage of this."

Contact NPR here: http://www.npr.org/contact/investigations.html

And here's Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting's media contact list:

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111

CALL IT IN!

#occupywallst Shuts down NYC streets



We are winning.

Military Speaks Out #occupywallst



The caption reads:
"I was deployed to Iraq 4x

5 of my friends are dead
1 of my friends is missing his arm
1 of my friends killed himself
I've been blown up 2x by roadside bombs
Hearing fireworks makes me nervous
I can't sleep at night

All so bankers and war profiteers could get richer
I am the 99%

OccupyWallSt.org"
via AnonPress

The Flow of US Debt

The Great Flow of US Debt
Created by: MBA Online

Portland Paste, chalk, and #occupywallst

via Portland Paste:








The sad thing is, that last photo isn't even an exaggeration:

September 28, 2011

Elizabeth Warren on Debt Crisis, Fair Taxation



ElizabethWarren.com

Damn straight. Please visit the above website and donate to her campaign for US Senate.

Dr Cornell West joins #OccupyWallSt

We the people have found our voice




Since the NYPD has prohibited the protesters from using any electronic form of public address, the protesters use a "People's Mic" where speakers address the crowd in short phrases, which those who can hear repeat so that others further away can hear.

New Anon Communique: Occupy Everywhere




You don't see that somethings wrong earth's spinnin outta control / Everything's for sale even souls / someone get God on the phone/ Northside/ Southside / Shits poppin off Worldwide
- The Roots, Rising Down

NYPD Dept Inspector Anthony V. Bologna SHOULD BE FIRED! #occupywallst

From CommonDreams.org

Identified: NYPD Officer Who Maced Peaceful Protesters

A photographer has identified the cruel and cowardly NYPD supervisor who point blank maced a penned in group of young women and then slinks away Saturday at the Occupy Wall Street protests:

Deputy Inspector Anthony V. Bologna of the NYPD Patrol Borough Manhattan South.

TAKE ACTION
If you think Deputy Inspector Bologna should be fired and prosecuted for his abuse of power, file an on-line complaint with:

UPDATED: The Guardian is reporting tonight that Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna also stands accused of false arrest and civil rights violations in a claim brought by a protester involved in the 2004 demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Then, 1,800 people were arrested during protests against the Iraq war and the policies of president George W Bush. Alan Levine, a civil rights lawyer representing a protester at the event, told the Guardian that he filed an action against Bologna and another officer in 2007. The case is expected to be heard next year.


Photo/ http://davidscameracraft.blogspot.com

Photo/ http://www.thevillager.com/villager_113/afteryearsoftrouble.html






Chief Police Spokesman, Paul Browne, said that the policeman used pepper spray "appropriately."

It's appropriate to mace people for doing nothing?



Lawrence O'Donnell's commentary on MSNBC:

September 27, 2011

Lawrence O'Donnell - Trouble Makers Turn #OccupyWallSt violent




And those troublemakers are the White-Shirt NYPD commanders:





"There is no conceivable justification for [this]." - Lawrence O'Donnell

"There is a Rodney King every day in this country." - Lawrence O'Donnell

Cheri Honkola for Sheriff of Philedelphia - Zero Eviction Policy



Cheri Honkola crowd surfing at a Dead Milkmen show.

"It's 2011, we don't need to throw people out of their fucking homes!" -rodney anonymous

Michael Moore @ #occupywallst

Law Student Arrested at #OccupyWallSt



This is a powerful and beautiful act of nonviolent resistence.

I agree with Howard Stephens, the man in the video, 100%
"I will not stand by and just watch... I would rather die than be quiet."

September 26, 2011

Protesters gathered in nets- maced at #occupywallst



NYPD have started punching protesters as well:



For no goddamned reason.



From OccupyWallSt.org:

We demand that Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly resigns.

We demand that this man is charged for maliciously spraying protesters and blue-collar police.


We demand jail time - for this man and others like him.
We demand that no blue-collar police is charged for the crimes of their supervisor.

We demand that Mayor Bloomberg address our General Assembly and apologize for what has occurred.

A message to blue-collar police:
Do not do what you are told. We are peaceful and you know this. We offer you coffee in the morning and water in the day. You always refuse and we know that's because they told you to.
Speak of the crimes of your supervisors. We will help you. We are expressing the same frustration that you feel. You are the 99 percent. Join us. Join our conversation.


To that end, I think Police who agree with the #OccupyWallSt protesters need to start heading down to Wall Street and arresting those in the NYPD who are being abusive, beligerant, and combative. There is no reason for the police to be instigating and/or initiating violence against peaceful protesters.

To the protesters: You are building a peaceful society. A peaceful society is made of peaceful people. Keep up the good work. Your refusal to take part in acts of violence shows the world the stark difference between yourselves and the hired thugs who are trying to keep Wall Street gentrified.

[VIDEO] Block By Block, City By City

09/23/11; Day before Mass-Arrests from JRL on Vimeo.



This video is beautiful

[VIDEO] Nobody Can Predict The Moment of Revolution #occupywallst



We want to share insights into the formation of a new social movement as it is still taking shape in real time.
The video was shot during the 5th and 6th day of the occupation.
This idea to occupy the financial district in New York City was inspired by recent uprisings in Spain, Greece, Egypt, and Tunisia
which most of us were following online.
Despite of the corporate media's effort to silence the protests, and Yahoo's attempt to to censor it in e-mail communication,
the occupation is growing in numbers and spreading to other cities in the US and abroad.
Please forward our video to likeminded people via email, facebook, twitter - and make the voices of dissent circulate.

Find the latest news, learn how to participate and support:
https://occupywallst.org/

Chris Hedges at #OccupyWallSt

"I'm sitting in a park with the only free people in New York City." - Chris Hedges

Part 1:




Part 2:


September 22, 2011

Actual Class Warfare




I realize after watching the final edit that I didn't make it as clear as I'd have liked, that I do not support violent revolution. My point is that if we do not make our economy more equitable, hungry people may start doing terrible things.

To further clarify my position, my video on nonviolence:

Fmr Verizon CEO, Denny Strigl - "You can protest ANYTHING."



Bridge the Digital divide!


MOBILIZE YOUR COMMUNITY

OccupyWallStreet.org



PUT THIS POSTER UP IN YOUR TOWN



1: save file
2: print copies
3: put this up in your town - on college campuses, on telephone poles, on cafe bulletin boards, etc
4: occupy wall street OR wait for October 6th and Occupy DC

September 20, 2011

Which Side Are You On?

This song goes out to the policemen on Wall Street:



Come all of you humans,

Good news to you I'll tell,

Of how that revolution

Has come in here to dwell.

CHORUS:
Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

My daddy was a union man,

And I'm my father's son,

And I'll stick with the union,

Till every battle's won.

They say down on Wall Street,

No human can relax.

You'll either be with anonymous,

Or a thug for Goldman Sachs.

Oh, Policemen can you stand it?

Oh, tell me how you can.

Will you be a hired thug,

Or will you be a man ?

Don't scab for the bosses,

Don't listen to their lies.

Us poor folks haven't got a chance,

Unless we organize.

Dylan Ratigan on #OccupyWallStreet



I love how questioning a system that is rigged to extract wealth from the poorest is "class warfare."

No sir, you are a parasite. Questioning why parasites get to have 80% of the wealth and only pay 35% of the taxes, is not class warfare.