Occupy London

[rebelgran]

This movement takes place on the 15th Oct at the Stock Exchange. People should watch News on Russian channel as it is covering the Wall st Occupy movement so this will be informative, also Kaiser Report excellent. Our News must be censored as we only got coverage of the demo on Westminster Bridge. I think we are about to see big changes globally- see Obama's facebook page and also check out the Occupy FB page too. It would be good to support the movement as this is Democracy in action. We all want a peaceful protest so don't miss this opportunity. There are many different groups & individuals protesting at bankers greed, bad goverence, democracy now etc.
Hope you make the effort to come.

[Andrewofgg]

No: democracy does not stop people going about their lawful occasions. That's an individual right and therefore not "sexy" in the media sense of the word, but it's the beginning of all freedom.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

The news isn't censored. The pathetic bunch 'blocking' Westminster Bridge made the news because the bridge was already closed. If anything was going on elsewhere, it was too small to be noticed. We have democracy in the UK.

[Ryoko]

Sky, ITV and BBC couldn't be arsed reporting on the stop the war coalition demo in Trafalgar square the other week only people there was Al Jezeera.

They never bothered with Slut Walk London as well.

[telsa]

You can forget TV - not interested in anything that shakes the status quo of 'we love celebs' and 'bankers are the bulwarks against barbarism' - ecept if there's a bit of violence, of course - then the crapheads can all get on their high horses.

[Ryoko]

Depends on the kind of violence, when Bullet Trains collide in China it doesn't even make the news, 70 dead in India train crash, not even a mention despite the high levels of people of Indian origin in this country, news simply isn't news any more thank god for the net.

[ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs]

Since the 15th is a Saturday, will it really inconvenience the stock exchange?
Genuine question.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Of course it won't inconvenience anyone in the City. It's shut at the weekend and dead as anything in the square mile. Whilst respecting people's right to protest, I think they'd get considerably more respect and generate more column inches if, instead of sitting in the streets, they were to use the fact that so many want to get together and (picking something out of the air) planted up a community garden or cleaned up a park. Like those people who gathered with brooms to clean up after the riot. Makes the point against the 'idle rich' by being the 'constructive poor'.

[ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs]

Well put Cogito. I've only been back in England for about two months now, so wondered if I was missing something vital.
I agree totally.

[kelly2000]

How is a minority of people trying to cause inconvenience for the majority an example of democracy in action?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Being the granddaughter of a Jarrow Marcher, I have to stick up for the democratic right of the minority to protest :) But men marching hundreds of miles to petition a government for the opportunity to work and feed their families, supported by thousands en route, destroying nothing & inconveniencing no-one, has a noble quality to it that a lot of the more recent protests lack.

[dikkertjedap]

How can the City be all deserted during the weekend, I thought those well paid bankers (who apparently are expecting large pay increases and bonuses this year) deserve them because they work 7 days a week ...

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

You'll be familiar with the 'mobile phone' the 'internet' and 'e-mail' ... ?

[dikkertjedap]

Ah, that type of hard working from the pub you mean?

[rebelgran]

Still time to educate the masses that we have a sham of a democracy, the monetry system rules and it is corrupt. Capitalism RIP. Londoners need to think for themselves as the media has dumbed down peoples brains and this includes the politicians.
"You cant solve todays problems by the same thinking that created them" and 'the greatest evil in the world is when good men do nothing.'' Be the Change, Be There.

[Solopower]

Cogito's got a point there. The next protest could be a Long March from London to to Newcastle, say, or from Aberdeen to Cardiff.

I agree that people 'marching hundreds of miles to petition a government for the opportunity to work and feed their families, supported by thousands en route, destroying nothing & inconveniencing no-one' would have a noble quality to it. (But so did the brave protests against the NHS cuts, the Uni fees, the abolition of the EMA, etc, imo).

If a few thousand people demonstrating against the government are too insignificant for the national media to report, you'd hope it would be big enough news for the local media along the way to take it up.

[rebelgran]

in answer to the question that it will not inconvience the area as it is a Sat,I don't think the intention was to do that but the Stock Exchange is symbolic of the monetary system and as good a place as any. I am just an ordinary person/ a grandmother with real concerns for the future. Only recently have I started to question how our country is goverened as I had a self imposed obedience to the State. Now were in a mess,I'm thinking for myself and educating myself on how the Fed ,Bank of Eng ,Politics,Greenwash,Climate Change, Wars and the Democratisation of Disempowerment in the Third World all inter relate. Sadly our News is censored and I am considering not paying licence fee but need more support with this. Of note there are many poor people constructively doing vol work and supporting elderly/disabled in the community as services cut and yes some have replanted in local park!!

[ChickenLickn]

Ah yes, do something constructive, like volunteer to polish david camerons shoes.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

'Capitalism RIP'... so you'd prefer all property to be in public ownership and we just work for and rely entirely upon the state for our well-being? Like communist China or the Soviet Union used to operate? Would you like to give up everything you own to HM Gov and trust them to look after it on your behalf? There are too many simplistic knee-jerk reactions swishing around at the moment like 'capitalism RIP' that haven't been thought through. Beware of swapping one form of brainwashing for another. If you like cliched quotes look up 'Four legs good. Two legs bad.'

[rebelgran]

Debate is needed, I'm not advocating Communism but our social democracy only worked from 1945 - 60's, after that the 70's saw rt wing ideology with the merits of the markets over gov and globilization = Greedy Capitalism. At present were watching the demise of the Euro as Europe is imploding. HM Gov has devalued the £ and out of interest does anyone know where all the money has gone. My guess is that is being deliberately removed and money people are buying gold as the £ in pocket will devalue more. The Gov is buying time so Greece's default is less damaging to themselves and big companies. These trans national companies have no national loyality they follow the fast money and the country left bankrupt. We need to act now to limit further damage/ corruption.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Hang on a minute. The 70's were the epitome of 'Greedy Socialism'... massive wage-claims forced through by strikes and failing, out of date, industries propped up with public cash that had to be borrowed for the purpose. Finally collapsing late seventies with the Winter of Discontent mega inflation, IMF bailouts and leaving the UK in the kind of state Greece is now. That's why Labour couldn't get arrested until 1997. The current government is trying to attract companies to return and invest - like the BP announcement today - and keep the economy in reasonable shape until markets like the US and the Eurozone get back on its feet. The £ has not been devalued.

[rebelgran]

Yes both are guilty, but I'm not sure if extremes of both approaches have been allowed as the people in the middle were propping up both the people at the top and the bottom.Of course the gov has a duty to try and get companies to invest here to limit damage done. It would be interesting to see the small print. Does printing more money not devaluate?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

'Quantitative Easing'... putting more money into the system can result in increased inflation but that's not the same as devaluing a currency. If you check sterling against other major currencies over the last 5 years, it's fairly level.

[rebelgran]

Thanks, other currencies too are in trouble so this may explain some things. However according to the info on This is money web page the pound has dropped since 2008 and Gov wishes it to stay low as it boosts exports, good for business.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Yes, it dropped after the credit crunch in 2008 hasn't changed much since against either the dollar or the Euro. A lower rate makes imports more expensive but exports more attractive... useful when you're trying to create business growth and new jobs at home. That's why some think Greece should leave the Euro.