Naomi Klein, who recently spoke at the protest in New York City said that if one thing is for certain it is that the 1% love a crisis because it destablizes people making them panic and unsure of where to turn, ultimately making them freeze in fear. This ” allows the 1% to push through their ‘wishlists’ of pro-corporate policies: privatizing education and social security, slashing public services, getting rid of the last constraints on corporate power…” She links these global protests to the protests in 1999, the last time something this momentous happened. “Many people have drawn parallels between Occupy Wall Street and the so-called anti-globalization protests that came to world attention in Seattle in 1999. That was the last time a global, youth-led, decentralized movement took direct aim at corporate power. And I am proud to have been part of what we called ‘the movement of movements.’ (Klein)” In 1999, the targets of the protests were the WTO (World Trade Organization), the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the G8 and basically the short term ‘summits’ that they were all apart of then. The difference today is that these current protests have chosen a fixed target (Wall Street and corporate greed) without a fixed end date and (most importantly) has committed to a non-violent movement. Another main difference Klein points out between the 1999 protests and today is that, back then, the economy wasn’t in such a slump. People were suffering but nothing even close to how the majority of populations are suffering today. It was easy to dismiss it then but today it is far too hard to ignore. “Ten years later, it seems as if there aren’t any more rich countries. Just a whole lot of rich people. People who got rich looting the public wealth and exhausting natural resources around the world (Klein).”
She points out a few things that seem almost too simple to say, but because of the nature of our current society (especially in America) and the proliferation of news and media are required as this movement picks up more speed and news coverage:
“A few final thoughts. In this great struggle, here are some things that don’t matter.
§ What we wear.
§ Whether we shake our fists or make peace signs.
§ Whether we can fit our dreams for a better world into a media soundbite.
And here are a few things that do matter.
§ Our courage.
§ Our moral compass.
§ How we treat each other. (Klein)”
Here is a video clip, captured early in October, by shaky camera phone but the point of the video is clear. The interviewee is very articulate and this clip apparently never made it on the air. What makes this clip even more awesome, especially for the witty, sharp tongued gentleman, Jesse LaGreca in the video was that even the Daily Show picked up the clip:
…and here is LeGreca’s reflection of that interview and he has even more great things to say:
livingtheamericandreamineurope.com 
Also, as a note – has anyone seen this: http://deadpeasantinsurance.com/which-employers-bought-policies-on-the-lives-of-employees/ ?
Basically corporations can take out life insurance on their employees and if they happen to die then they company can make some money!!!!!
Yet another reason to be a part of the 99% Occupying Wall Street around the world!!
More about “Dead Peasant” insurance:
http://jonathanturley.org/2009/02/25/peasant-uprising-widow-sues-late-husbands-employer-over-dead-peasant-insurance-policy/
Seriously messed up!!!
This article is about how Big companies basically screw their employees (legally) out of pensions and other benefits – AWESOME!
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2011/10/17/executives-exploited-pension-surpluses.html
Here is a blog written by Naomi Wolf, about how she was arrested at an Occupy protest outside of an event that she had been invited to. It is pretty interesting: http://occupycyberspace.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/how-i-was-arrested-at-occupy-wall-street/