#OccupyWallStreet
by justin on Oct. 6, 2011, 11:42 p.m.I don't intend to normally talk about politics here, just tech stuff, but I'm making an exception here. I've been watching news about Occupy Wall Street and have a tab permanently open on twitter.com watching #occupywallstreet and #occupywallst tagged tweets.
I think this is a great thing and very important. It's something that I expected would come eventually, but certainly did not expect it to happen now. Many people are complaining that it's pointless because no one has an actual solution, that people who support Occupy Wall Street just want everything given to them for free, and there is a lack of well defined goals.
I don't think these people get it and maybe don't want to get it. No one has a solution, but the first step to getting one is to point out that we know there's a problem and that we want it solved. A few people are making unreasonable demands, want to see capitalism fall, etc. but there are TONS of people involved, millions if you count the online supporters who can't make it to the protests and easily tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands actively getting out there across the country. Obviously when that many people are involved, some are going to have views that fall in the more extreme ranges. Everyone I know who supports this just wants to be paid fairly rather than laid off so that executives can continue to earn more in a year than many of us will earn in a lifetime, to be able to afford the college education that employers demand we get (and rightfully in many cases, for sure), and for corporations and those making the decisions for them to be held accountable for their bad and/or illegal decisions just like the rest of us.
And now for a few links that I pulled out of the #OccupyWallStreet tweets that I liked.