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cinepro wrote:Apart from their specific politics, it seems to me that the Tea Partiers have benefited from an organization and focus that the Occupiers have lacked (and even rejected).

If you ask any Tea Partier what they stand for, they will probably express goals related to a limitation on governmental power and concerns over the national debt, the level of taxation, and government spending. And behind those goals, they have supported specific politicians and worked to get them elected so they could turn their philosophies into real legislation. They are a real force to be reckoned with for politicians that are seeking votes from conservative voters.

While the Occupiers express philosophical problems with "greed" and wealth distribution (among other things), as far as I can tell there has been no success in getting their dissatisfaction translated into any kind of practical action. In order to make changes, they need to use either political power or violence. So far, they have chosen neither. Perhaps next year we will see them attempt to use the former. Hopefully, they never get desperate enough to use the latter.

Brackite wrote:Is there really that big of a difference between the Tea Party Movement and the Occupy Wall Street Movement?

Core Values

-Fiscal Responsibility
-Constitutionally Limited Government
-Free Markets

Brackite wrote:The Tea Party Movement and the Occupy Wall Street Movement:

What is the big difference between these two movements?
Is there a big difference between these two movements?

Discuss.

cinepro wrote:Can anyone explain to me what the protest in Oakland yesterday had to do with any of the Occupy movement's goals? I understand it was in reaction to a man being injured by the Oakland police, but until that happened, I hadn't heard that "police brutality" was part of their grievances.

Policeman are unionized, middle-class members of the 99%. Why would the Occupy movement be fighting against them?

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A day of demonstrations in Oakland that began as a significant step toward expanding the political and economic influence of the Occupy Wall Street movement, ended with police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters who had marched through downtown to break into a vacant building, shattering windows, spraying graffiti and setting fires along the way.

"We go from having a peaceful movement to now just chaos," said protester Monique Agnew, 40.

The far-flung movement of protesters challenging the world's economic systems and distribution of wealth has gained momentum in recent weeks, capturing the world's attention by shutting down one of the nation's busiest shipping ports toward the end of a daylong "general strike" that prompted solidarity rallies across the U.S.

About 3,000 people converged on the Port of Oakland, the nation's fifth-busiest harbor, in a nearly five-hour protest Wednesday, swarming the area and blocking exits and streets with illegally parked vehicles and hastily-erected, chain-link fences.

Port officials said they were forced to cease maritime operations, citing concerns for workers' safety. They said in a statement they hope to resume operations Thursday "and that Port workers will be allowed to get to their jobs without incident. Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers, truckers, and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region."

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