Dallas Fed: Top 5 Wall Street Banks Own More Than 50% Of US GDP

March 27, 2012

Alexander Higgins Blog

By Alexander Higgins

The Dallas Federal Reserve blasts too big to fail as a perversion of capitalism, outlining how Wall Street bailouts resulted in an unprecedented concentration of wealth.

The Dallas Federal Reserve has just released its damaging annual report titled “Choosing the Road to Prosperity – Why We Must End Too Big to Fail—Now” which reads much like a manifesto of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The report holds no punches in pointing out the concentration of wealth that has been amassed in nation’s top Wall Street Banks following the bank bailouts and directly calls out too big to fail as a perversion of capitalism.

If it wasn’t for the pro-federal reserve talking points in the annual report, you could replace the title on the report with “Why We Occupy” and use it as a handout for the Occupy movement.

In any case, the Dallas Federal Reserve’s annual report hammers home the case of why the “Too Big To Fail” Wall Street banks need to be broken up to restore a more balanced approach to economic equality in the United States.

Click here for the full report.

NYC Cops Attack OWS Protesters

March 23, 2012

RT

By RT

“The cops are at in again in NYC – attacking protesters. What great public service they are doing.” –KTRN

Police rushed a crowd of OWS protesters near Union Square Park in Manhattan early on Wednesday, shoving and attacking people. Activists report a woman was badly injured after officers grabbed and threw her to the ground.

The officers, some in riot gear, were trying to force out Occupy protesters and homeless from the sidewalk after police had barricaded and closed the public city park, usually open-24-hours a day.

Activists said about 500 people came out near the park late on Tuesday. Protesters went face-to-face with police, chanting “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?”

Police reportedly filmed the activists’ faces, which caused some to tweet about the need for bringing bandanas or masks for those arriving to “reinforce” the protest. From one to four people were arrested, according to various sources.

Officers also blocked subway entrances to prevent any protesters from escaping. There were reports on Twitter that WiFi service was cut from the Union Square area.

Police left the area at about 5 am local time and protesters started to return to the park, saying “goodbye” to police. The park officially reopened shortly after.

The protest comes after a rally the Occupy Wall Street protesters held on Tuesday calling on New York City’s Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to resign. Occupiers claim the officer “authorized brutality and extreme abuse of police power.”

The rally was inspired by Saturday’s re-eviction of Liberty Square in lower Manhattan and mass arrest of at least 73 Occupy protesters. Many activists have described Saturday’s events as one of the most violent police crackdowns since the movement against US government financial policies and what they call “financial greed” began in September.

Click here for the full report.

Government Pressures Twitter To Hand Over OWS Protester’s Location Without A Warrant

February 22, 2012

Activist Post

By Hanni Fakhoury

“The US government is afraid of its own people.  They know we have the power to chance everything.”  –KTRN

On October 1, 2011, over 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. Most of the protesters, including Malcolm Harris, were charged with the mundane crime of disorderly conduct, a “violation” under New York law that has a maximum punishment of 15 days in jail or a $250 fine.

And yet on the basis of a charge no more consequential than speeding ticket, the New York City District Attorney’s office sent a poorly worded subpoena to Twitter requesting “any and all user information, including email address, as well as any and all tweets posted for the period of 9/15/2011-12/31/2011″ regarding Mr. Harris’ Twitter account, @destructuremal. Unsurprisingly, the government wanted to keep it quiet, but thankfully Twitter didn’t listen. Instead, as it has consistently warned law enforcement, Twitter notified Mr. Harris, who through his lawyer, Martin Stolar of the National Lawyers Guild, has moved to challenge the subpoena in court.

The subpoena is astonishing not only for its poor grammar, but also for the breadth of information the government wants for a trivial crime that hardly requires it. The government’s request that Twitter hand over Tweets is unlikely to succeed because consistent with the Stored Communications Act, Twitter releases “contents of communication” (effectively Tweets and private messages between Twitter users) only with a search warrant. In any event, Mr. Harris’ account is “public”, meaning the government could obtain Tweets simply by checking out Mr. Harris’ Twitter feed. Plus, requesting Tweets only highlights the absurdity of the entire situation: why would the government need Tweets from both before and after the October 1 protest to prove he was obstructing traffic on the bridge? In any event, government fishing expeditions like this raise serious First Amendment concerns. Mr. Harris was very outspoken about his support of and involvement in the Occupy Wall Street movement. With this overbroad subpoena, the government would be able to learn about who Mr. Harris was communicating with for an extensive period of time not only through Tweets, but through direct messages. And with the government’s request for all email addresses associated with @destructuremal, they could subpoena Mr. Harris’ email provider to get even more information about who he communicated with. The First Amendment shouldn’t be trampled with only an expansive subpoena in a case that barely registers as “criminal.”

Given that much of Mr. Harris’ Twitter information (like Tweets and followers) is already public, it’s very likely that the government was really after something else: location data. By attempting to subpoena these records, the government can get around the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against warrantless searches by requesting information that includes IP addresses. Twitter keeps track of IP address information regarding every time a person logged into Twitter, as well as the IP address information related to a Twitter user’s direct messages to other users, and the date and time information related to these log ins and direct messages. Armed with IP addresses, the government — without a warrant — can go to an ISP to determine who was assigned that particular IP address. And if that person connected on a mobile device — which is where the majority of Twitter users access their accounts — the ISP will hand over to the government the specific cell tower (and its corresponding geographic location) which that person used to access Twitter. This allows the government to piece together a map of where a person physically is when he opens Twitter on his smartphone, sends a direct message to a friend, or Tweets. And with that information, the government could get a record of Mr. Harris’ movement over the three months it requested from Twitter. Its no surprise then that the government singled out Mr. Harris for this request: he currently has over 1,500 followers and 7,200 Tweets.

Click here for the full report.

The Saudis, a Twitter Investment, and the End of Arab Spring?

February 6, 2012

WhoWhatWhy

By Russ Baker

Is Twitter (a) a leading vehicle for freedom movements, or (b) primed to control and shut down open discourse throughout the world?

This question emerged recently when we learned that the global messaging service was planning to abide by the rules of each country in terms of content it carries. Here’s New York Times:

This week, in a sort of coming-of-age moment, Twitter announced that upon request, it would block certain messages in countries where they were deemed illegal. The move immediately prompted outcry, argument and even calls for a boycott from some users.

Twitter said it would also “give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world.””

Now, you may be one of those people who very proudly have not incorporated Twitter into your life, but this development is still of enormous relevance to you and your world. Why? Simply because Twitter, with its declared 175 million registered users (many of whom, it must be said, are inactive) has become one of the most powerful forces in communication today, arguably more relevant to more people than even traditional heavyweights like The New York Times, CNN, and the BBC.

That’s why we at WhoWhatWhy use Twitter as one of our basket of social media tools. It allows individuals and groups to communicate directly with other individuals, in groups, on an instantaneous basis. As such, it was a vital tool for activists in Egypt and elsewhere (including the Occupy Movement in the United States) to quickly mobilize and have an impact.

Thus, Twitter is viewed as a tremendous opportunity by those who seek to regain the upper hand from the small elites that dominate the political and economic systems throughout most if not all of the world. To those elites, however, Twitter spells doom.

Unless they can neutralize it.

Click here for the full report.

Roseanne Barr Launches Her Bid To Become President

February 3, 2012

Daily Mail

By Thomas Durante

“If Ron Paul does not get the nomination or runs as a third party candidate, then we should all vote for Roseanne Barr as a protest. She can’t be any worse than Mitt Romeny.” –KTRN

It’s no joke – Roseanne Barr has submitted her plan to go from the nut farm to the White House as the Green Party’s presidential nominee.

The TV star said in a statement that she’s a long-time supporter of the party and looks forward to working with those who share her values.

As for her platform, Miss Barr said she will push for the legalisation of marijuana.

She said the two major parties aren’t doing enough to properly serve the American people.

‘The Democrats and Republicans have proven that they are servants – bought and paid for by the 1 per cent – who are not doing what’s in the best interest of the American people,’ Barr said.

The Occupy movement popularized the ‘We are the 99 per cent’ slogan in their fight against economic disparity and perceived corporate greed.

Miss Barr’s hit TV sitcom Roseanne aired from 1988 to 1997 and earned her an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Click here for the full report.

Bid To Halt No-Camping Rule For DC Protesters Denied

February 1, 2012

Reuters

By Ian Simpson and Lily Kuo

“The government does not want the protests to continue – here is just one more example that showcases this to be true.” –KTRN

A federal judge denied a petition on Tuesday that would have allowed anti-Wall Street protesters to keep camping — at least temporarily — in two parks in the nation’s capital where they have lived for months.

The National Park Service had banned protesters with the Occupy DC movement from camping in McPherson Square, a few blocks from the White House, starting at noon on Monday.

Scores of protesters have vowed to remain entrenched at the square and at a second site, Freedom Plaza. The demonstrators have been camped at the parks since October.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg rejected a motion by Dane Primerano, of Riceboro, Georgia, for a temporary restraining order halting enforcement of the no-camping rule based on constitutional guarantees of free speech.

While similar “Occupy” protests against social and economic inequality in other U.S. cities have been shut down by police, the demonstrations in the capital have survived an unusually warm winter and a permissive approach by federal authorities reluctant to provoke confrontation.

The judge, in declining to halt enforcement of the no-camping rule, cited a 1984 Supreme Court ruling that barred demonstrators from camping in Lafayette Park next to the White House to draw attention to the plight of the homeless.

Click here for the full report.

Park Police Stun Occupy D.C. Protester Sunday

January 31, 2012

WTOP

By WTOP

“The cops are still at it.  Who knew that peaceful protesting was a crime.”  –KTRN

An Occupy D.C. protester was shocked by stun gun Sunday afternoon at McPherson Square, as Park Police were handing out fliers about the upcoming Monday deadline on overnight camping.

U.S. Park Police Sergeant David Schlosser tells WTOP the man got angry about the fliers and confronted officers about the ban.

Schlosser says officers used a Taser on the man when he wouldn’t comply with police orders.

Police arrested him and took him to the hospital, after he informed them about a previous medical condition.

The man was taken to George Washington Hospital where he refused treatment and was charged with disturbing the peace.

Starting noon Monday, Park Police will enforce a ban on overnight camping in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza.

Click here for the full report and video.

U.S Falls To 47th In Press Freedom Rankings After Occupy Crackdown

January 30, 2012

Daily Mail

By Ellen Connolly

“Remember when American used to be seen as the land of the free?” –KTRN

Sweeping protests around the world made it an extremely difficult year for the media, and tested journalists as never before, the annual report into press freedom reveals.

The annual report by Reporters Without Borders has been released, showing the United States fell 27 points on the list due to the many arrests of journalists covering Occupy Wall Street protests.

The slide in the United States places it just behind Comoros and Taiwan in a group with Argentina and Romania.

Reporters Without Borders said the heightened unrest around the world resulted in a significant shake-up of the group’s annual Press Freedom Index, which assesses governments’ commitment to protecting media freedoms.

The Paris-based non-governmental Reporters Without Borders has named “crackdown” the word of 2011 in an assessment of global media freedom during a year in which journalists covering sweeping protests were tested as never before.

The non-governmental organisation seeks to defend journalists’ freedom to work and combat censorship internationally.

Click here for the full report.

US’s Press Freedom Ranking Plummets

January 27, 2012

Daily Mail

By Ellen Connolly

Sweeping protests around the world made it an extremely difficult year for the media, and tested journalists as never before, the annual report into press freedom reveals.

The annual report by Reporters Without Borders has been released, showing the United States fell 27 points on the list due to the many arrests of journalists covering Occupy Wall Street protests.

The slide in the United States places it just behind Comoros and Taiwan in a group with Argentina and Romania.

Reporters Without Borders said the heightened unrest around the world resulted in a significant shake-up of the group’s annual Press Freedom Index, which assesses governments’ commitment to protecting media freedoms.

The Paris-based non-governmental Reporters Without Borders has named “crackdown” the word of 2011 in an assessment of global media freedom during a year in which journalists covering sweeping protests were tested as never before.

The non-governmental organisation seeks to defend journalists’ freedom to work and combat censorship internationally.

Despite the big changes, some constants remained. The country with the freest media in the world was Finland, followed by Norway, Estonia, the Netherlands and Austria. Eritrea was last, with North Korea just above.

The United States was not alone in the falling grades: Bahrain fell 29 points because of the crackdown in that country.

Click here for the full report from Daily Mail.

Elites Pushing Class Warfare is Just Another False Paradigm

January 25, 2012

Activist Post

By Eric Blair

Why is it when the rich super class speaks about class warfare, the downtrodden applaud? When billionaire Warren Buffett said, “There’s class warfare all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning,” the struggling middle class treated him like one of them, as if he’s on their side.

More recently, billionaire investor George Soros warned of a coming class war in the U.S. as reported by the Daily Beast, where he proudly points out that his prediction of riots in the streets has already begun.

With the Occupy movement’s beginnings having ties to funding by Soros, many believe him to be stoking this so-called class warfare. Although Soros denies directly funding the movement’s beginnings, his vast philanthropic contributions have far-reaching tentacles into many revolutions around the globe.

Even if we are to naively take Soros’ word that he was not involved in spurring these global revolutions, despite the evidence to the contrary, he clearly promotes the idea of class warfare with the political left cheering him as a crusader for good.

Conveniently, the Occupy movement has adopted the catchy but brainless “us versus the 1%” mantra as the rallying call for everyone in the 99% to blame their problems on the so-called rich 1%. It sounds a lot like stoking class warfare to me.

However, in order to instigate warfare there must be a crisis to cause enough pain to force people to arms, and the sides of good and evil must be defined. Soros does just that in the Daily Beast article where he says people “have reason to be frustrated and angry” at the cost of bailing out the financial system, and that ”the world faces one of the most dangerous periods of modern history—a period of evil.”

Of course, those statements are hard to argue with and calling the ruling class “evil” will resonate with the masses. But again, Soros is clearly in the ruling class 1%, so why would he, like Buffett, pretend they’re outsiders while stoking hatred toward themselves?

Click here for the full report.

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