Obama’s “Getting growth back on track” is a road to ruin without new controls on capital

Simply sparking unsustainable consumer demand does not cure today’s crises.

If the Occupy Wall Street has a single grievance or goal it could be the concentration of capital in the hands of too few people and how to undo its undue influence over too many of us.

The movement's name says it all: public control of capital.  Who creates credit and controls currencies is a core concern of any capitalist system, and Wall Street is the icon of today's financial system.  Public pressure is demanding democratic accountability and responsibility. As key constituencies converge around a common agenda, their growing political force seems unstoppable.

Olsen: When police violence masks corporate violence

Oakland Police’s attack on Scott Olsen and other peaceful protesters should be seen in a global context of Olsen’s serving his country to protect the freedom of people worldwide. He is part of human history’s habit of bringing public grievances to public squares and occupying that space until demands for democratic accountability are met. 

This time-tested and legitimate form of protest happens everyday in China, Mexico, India, Nigeria, and countless other countries that many Americans may consider to be undemocratic.  Perhaps one place where is does not happen is in countries that explicitly allow no political opposition, which often are the very countries most likely to have terrorism. Terrorism is what happens when people have no political space in a society to peacefully bring forth complaints.

Regardless of the rightful outrage about the attack on Olsen, movements might recall an important lesson learned by global justice groups in the 1999 Battle of Seattle and other efforts to occupy public spaces: do not allow predictable police provocations to divert public attention and pressure away from the silent yet often more violent exploitation of people and the planet by corporations, which are the very reasons that so many people to took to the streets in the first place.  We must expose all injustices without losing sight of those responsible at the very top.

We will demand answers about who hurt Scott Olsen. Investigations into the police actions will be watched closely.

We will also demand that those who are charged with the responsibility of reigning in the power of private capital, such as President Obama, stand up, or lose legitimacy.