And now we're terrorists..

[Aadill]

Yes and no... I mean unless I'm mistaken, "no untraceable anonymous money in campaign funding" is a big one. Amendment 28.

Things like reinstating Glass-Steagall because that's where shit started getting fucked up may not be on every person's mind in particular, it's another big issue. Maybe I'm only speaking from my experience with ORaleigh (and maybe we're a bit more organized), but those are two really big things that for some reason people still seem to think is not the issue and instead focus on whiny college kids getting pepper sprayed for trespassing.

[Daldolma]

Originally Posted by Aadill [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Yes and no... I mean unless I'm mistaken, "no untraceable anonymous money in campaign funding" is a big one. Amendment 28.

Things like reinstating Glass-Steagall because that's where shit started getting fucked up may not be on every person's mind in particular, it's another big issue. Maybe I'm only speaking from my experience with ORaleigh (and maybe we're a bit more organized), but those are two really big things that for some reason people still seem to think is not the issue and instead focus on whiny college kids getting pepper sprayed for trespassing.

It's not that people think that's not the issue. It's that those two issues are some of the least divisive being supported by OWS, and they're muddled by a dozen other issues that aren't supported by the average citizen. You can be pro-life without being a Republican. Similarly, you can be pro-Glass Steagall without sympathizing with OWS. That's because OWS has a platform that's far too wide at the moment.

For example, another of the common complaints of OWS is wealth inequality, but the average American voter does NOT believe wealth inequality is something that needs to be legislated against. There is an ideological reason people from lower income brackets consistently vote against tax hikes on the richest of the rich. Without passing judgment, many of the 99% don't feel entitled to the wealth of the 1%. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it's true. So when you conflate that with Glass-Steagall, you're going to lose supporters.

Another example is the general anti-war rhetoric of OWS. Many OWS protesters have cited the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and military spending in general, as targets of their protest. But there are a lot of people that would be on board for campaign finance reform and the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall, but are not passionately opposed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or military spending.

The point isn't that people prefer focus on kids getting pepper-sprayed. The point is that the general public may agree with some of the goals of OWS, but they are alienated by others -- and that prevents them from buying into the movement.