Link to Really Great Read From The Boston Review. The Graeber Book Is Going To The Top Of My 'Must Read' Stack

oldenough2burmom:

Graeber’s book apparently discusses at length the disenchantment felt by young people who played by the rules: They studied hard, were admitted to the nation’s elite universities. Then they found they were saddled with $50,000 in debt and could only find low-waged jobs as banks were bailed out and left off the hook for their malfeasance. 

[SIGN THE PETITION] For months, a massive federal settlement with big Wall Street banks over their role in the mortgage crisis has been in the offing. The rumored details have always given progressives heartburn: civil immunity, no investigations, inadequate help for homeowners and a small penalty for the banks. Now, on the eve President Obama’s State of the Union address—in which he plans to further advance a populist message against big money and income inequality—the deal may be here, and it’s every bit as ugly as progressives feared. The Associated Press reports that a proposed deal could be announced within weeks. Five banks—Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Financial (formerly GMAC)—would pay the federal government $25 billion. About $17 billion would be used to reduce the principal that some struggling homeowners owe, $5 billion more would be used for future federal and state programs and $3 billion would be used to help homeowners refinance at 5.25 percent. Civil immunity would be granted to the banks for any role in foreclosure fraud, and there would be no investigations. [Read More] Many progressive groups have begun a massive petition drive to push back against the settlement and demand fair investigations. Moreover, attorneys general in California, New York, Delaware, Nevada and Massachusetts have previously said they won’t be a part of any deal that offers civil immunity. So the deal is far from done—but it’s certainly moving towards an undesirable conclusion. We’ll have plenty more in this space all week.
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[SIGN THE PETITION]

For months, a massive federal settlement with big Wall Street banks over their role in the mortgage crisis has been in the offing. The rumored details have always given progressives heartburn: civil immunity, no investigations, inadequate help for homeowners and a small penalty for the banks. Now, on the eve President Obama’s State of the Union address—in which he plans to further advance a populist message against big money and income inequality—the deal may be here, and it’s every bit as ugly as progressives feared.

The Associated Press reports that a proposed deal could be announced within weeks. Five banks—Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Financial (formerly GMAC)—would pay the federal government $25 billion. About $17 billion would be used to reduce the principal that some struggling homeowners owe, $5 billion more would be used for future federal and state programs and $3 billion would be used to help homeowners refinance at 5.25 percent. Civil immunity would be granted to the banks for any role in foreclosure fraud, and there would be no investigations.

[Read More]

Many progressive groups have begun a massive petition drive to push back against the settlement and demand fair investigations. Moreover, attorneys general in California, New York, Delaware, Nevada and Massachusetts have previously said they won’t be a part of any deal that offers civil immunity.

So the deal is far from done—but it’s certainly moving towards an undesirable conclusion. We’ll have plenty more in this space all week.


(via boldprogressives)

socialismartnature: (Photo) Advertisement for #OccupyBoston in The Metro, the largest-circulating free daily newspaper in the greater Boston area. Nicely done Occupy Boston!
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socialismartnature:

(Photo) Advertisement for #OccupyBoston in The Metro, the largest-circulating free daily newspaper in the greater Boston area.

Nicely done Occupy Boston!

Call to Action: Occupy Tiny Tents Task Force

Occupy Boston is credited with starting a Tiny Tents Task Force, calling people to action in making and designing Tiny Tents to place around your city to maintain visibility and convey helpful information/facts. Many other cities are joining in on the creative endeavor. 

Check out the Tiny Tents Tumblr where people have submitted their Tiny Tents and you are encouraged to submit your own.

FOR FABRIC TINY TENTS (SLOW BUT FANCY):

Tiny Tent Task Force Pictorial Turtorial @ The Daily Kos

Download PDF Instructions

-OR-

FOR PAPER TINY TENTS (QUICK BUT EFFECTIVE):

Download the following PDF Template to make a PAPER TINY TENT. …Simply print, cut, fold, glue, and occupy!

Download PDF Template

Source: tinytents

brendanzig:

“On December 17th, 2011, three months after the start of the #Occupy movement, Occupy Boston finally realized they had it all wrong. This is their march.”

Occupy Boston protesters arraigned; some get probation Arrested on the denuded Dewey Square early Saturday, 24 Occupy Boston protesters were arraigned yesterday in what has become a familiar place to the movement, Courtroom 17 in Boston Municipal Court. Five men and three women refused offers of probation and decided to continue to fight the charges. Another 16 defendants accepted probation, from six months to a year, and were ordered to stay away from Dewey Square. “I think it’s very clear the city used this arraignment and the charges against us as an excuse or reason to keep us from doing what they don’t want us to do; they want us to stop engaging in civic disobedience,” said Daniel Chavez, 23, who agreed to a year of probation for trespassing. A charge of resisting arrest will be dropped as part of the agreement. “It’s a shame the city feels it has to use the courts against us in order to prevent us from taking any action outside the law, despite the fact that this nation has a long history of civil disobedience.” Chavez’s opinion was echoed by other protesters, who had gathered in a tight group before the arraignment to weigh their legal options with several lawyers. They entered the courtroom as a group, squeezing into whatever seating was available or standing along the walls. One by one, their names were called, each defendant appearing at a lectern before Judge Shannon Frison and listening to the back-and-forth between their lawyer, Myoung Joun, and prosecutor Ryan Mingo. The arraignments went by script, except for one, when defendant John Ford stepped to the lectern and spoke into the microphone. “Your honor, before we proceed, I would like to state that the only reason I accept guilt on this charge—” he began. “Huh…you’re kicking me out,” he continued, as several court officers rushed to the lectern and led him to the hallway. His arraignment was rescheduled for later in the day. Twelve male defendants were charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. The resisting arrest charges were dropped, and the defendants agreed to be placed on pretrial probation for a year, with the trespassing charges to be dismissed with the successful completion of probation. Four female defendants were charged with trespassing and unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct. They received six months of pretrial probation. Eight defendants refused probation. They were scheduled for pretrial hearings on Feb. 28. Today, 22 more Occupy Boston protesters will be arraigned on similar charges.
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Occupy Boston protesters arraigned; some get probation

Arrested on the denuded Dewey Square early Saturday, 24 Occupy Boston protesters were arraigned yesterday in what has become a familiar place to the movement, Courtroom 17 in Boston Municipal Court. Five men and three women refused offers of probation and decided to continue to fight the charges. Another 16 defendants accepted probation, from six months to a year, and were ordered to stay away from Dewey Square.

“I think it’s very clear the city used this arraignment and the charges against us as an excuse or reason to keep us from doing what they don’t want us to do; they want us to stop engaging in civic disobedience,” said Daniel Chavez, 23, who agreed to a year of probation for trespassing. A charge of resisting arrest will be dropped as part of the agreement. “It’s a shame the city feels it has to use the courts against us in order to prevent us from taking any action outside the law, despite the fact that this nation has a long history of civil disobedience.”

Chavez’s opinion was echoed by other protesters, who had gathered in a tight group before the arraignment to weigh their legal options with several lawyers. They entered the courtroom as a group, squeezing into whatever seating was available or standing along the walls.

One by one, their names were called, each defendant appearing at a lectern before Judge Shannon Frison and listening to the back-and-forth between their lawyer, Myoung Joun, and prosecutor Ryan Mingo.

The arraignments went by script, except for one, when defendant John Ford stepped to the lectern and spoke into the microphone. “Your honor, before we proceed, I would like to state that the only reason I accept guilt on this charge—” he began. “Huh…you’re kicking me out,” he continued, as several court officers rushed to the lectern and led him to the hallway. His arraignment was rescheduled for later in the day.

Twelve male defendants were charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. The resisting arrest charges were dropped, and the defendants agreed to be placed on pretrial probation for a year, with the trespassing charges to be dismissed with the successful completion of probation. Four female defendants were charged with trespassing and unlawful assembly or disorderly conduct. They received six months of pretrial probation. Eight defendants refused probation. They were scheduled for pretrial hearings on Feb. 28. Today, 22 more Occupy Boston protesters will be arraigned on similar charges.

Source: bostonglobe.com

Police arrest 47 as Boston Occupy camp is broken up

Published at 5:20 a.m. ET: Police moved in on the Occupy Boston camp Saturday and began tearing down tents, according to reports.

The Boston Globe, in its live blog, said protesters had sat down in Dewey Square with their arms linked.

“We’re all feeling helpless right now,” protester Ryan Cahill said on the Occupy Boston live stream, the Globe reported. “The spirituality tent is being torn down.”

The paper said police had warned protesters they were “trespassing on Greenway property” and “if you do not leave you will be subject to arrest.”

Updated at 6:40 a.m. ET: Boston police says about 40 people were arrested at the Boston Occupy camp and are being charged with trespassing, WCVB TV reports.The camp was being cleared with two dump trucks brought in to remove tents and debris.

Police superintendent William Evans tells reporters that “it went very peaceful,” the station reports. “There was a certain element we might have had trouble with, but that element didn’t show up,” he added. “They overstayed their welcome.”

Updated at 1:42 p.m. ET:  Boston police say they have made 47 arrests, with 33 men and 14 women taken from the Boston Occupy Camp, mostly for trespassing, according to The Associated Press.

At a news conference at police headquarters on Saturday, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino praised officers and restraint of the protesters during the clearing of the camp.

“In the interest of public safety ultimately we had to act,” Menino said, adding the city would stop any attempt by protesters to set up camp elsewhere in the city, AP reported.

There is a video here.

By about 4 p.m. ET, Occupy Boston stated that the last of the arrested protestors had been released, and that the group was planning a march to Dewey Square ahead of a 7 p.m. assembly on Boston Common.

Information Release by Occupy Boston:

On December 10, 2011 at 5 am #OccupyBoston’s Dewey Square encampment was raided by the Boston Police Department and other officials. Thirty-five peaceful protesters were arrested on the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway just two days after Mayor Thomas Menino issued a notice of eviction. Eight others were arrested in the streets and sidewalks surrounding Dewey Square and three were detained in South Station. Throughout the two-hour period during which the arrests occurred, #OccupyBoston members remained resolute andnonviolent in the face of a disproportionately large police presence. At least 100 officers were counted inside Dewey Square at 5:30 am, while some estimates place the count at greater than 200.

Credentialed press, citizen journalists, academic researchers, and #OccupyBoston media members were repeatedly corralled and moved to surrounding areas 50 feet away or more, prohibitingmany from thoroughly covering the raid. From pointing lights in photographers’ lenses to targeting the two official #OccupyBoston USTREAM live videographers for removal, officials went to great lengths to block media access.

Source: MSN

Occupy Boston Still Awaiting Eviction; Holding Scheduled Entertainment to Keep the Square Filled from 10pm-2am Fri-Sun; List of Live Streams Planned

Following a ruling on Dec. 7th by Judge Frances A. McIntyre to lift the temporary injunction preventing police from raiding Occupy Boston’s Dewey Square site, Mayor Tom Menino set a midnight deadline for the vacation of Dewey Square. If the protesters do not leave, he said, he would “take further action.” A statement being handed out by BPD officers indicates that, as of midnight on December 9th, anyone on the grounds between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. would be subject to arrest and that tents would be considered refuse.

Boston police Supt. William Evans told protesters that even though Mayor Thomas Menino set the deadline, he did not specify when the camp would be shut down. Many protesters had pulled up stakes and left the encampment Thursday after learning of the deadline, but others stayed, and some said they were prepared to be arrested. Only about 40 protesters and 35 tents remain, covering less than half the area the protest once did.

Demonstrators and their supporters began gathering in the hours before the midnight deadline. Occupy groups from Worcester and Providence, R.I., helped swell the ranks, along with university students, a group of Quakers and some veterans, including a Marine in full dress uniform. About 1,000 people filled the streets around the financial district and a party-like atmosphere reigned as a marching band played and people sang and danced.

As midnight approached, Occupy Boston members began organizing those demonstrators willing to be arrested, telling them to stay in the encampment and link arms.

Hours later, as dawn approached, the scene was markedly quieter, with only a handful of police officers keeping eye on the remaining protesters, a few of whom were still packing up tents and gathering belongings. One protester was raking part of the greenway that had been vacated by other members of the movement.

During a visit to the site at about 8 a.m. Friday, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis still wouldn’t say what the city plans to do about the remaining protesters. [Source]

From Occupy Boston:

In the next 72 hours, with your help we will fill Dewey Square between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. -If you have a band, a costume, a secret stash of giant puppets – if you can show up at midnight and run a teach-in on ANY subject — if you have been wanting to organize a build party, a workshop, or a flashmob – please come out between now and Sunday!    The daytime hours, from now until Sunday, will be spent cleaning, organizing, discussing, and figuring out how to move forward.

Join us by scheduling programming between the hours of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. between now and Sunday.

We’re looking for people TONIGHT, tomorrow, and Sunday, get on the schedule of events for the next 72 hours. We have GA tonight at 7pm in Dewey. We will generate an updated schedule for tonight by 6 tonight.  Please be in contact with Katie or Kevin:  katie.gradowski@gmail.com,kevin@occupyboston.org, and cc fsu@occupybosotn.org if you are available to occupy any time, any day after 11pm. 

A list of live streams which will attempt to cover any eviction attempt in the coming days.

Main feed: http://livestream.com/occupyboston
OBRadio: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupybostonradio
theother99: http://www.ustream.tv/theother99
Tracy: http://ustream.tv/channel/tbeantown
Eli: http://ustream.tv/channel/sharksocks
oldnumber7: http://ustream.tv/channel/dondurito
Ryan: http://ustream.tv/channel/occupy-bostonmedia
endgegner: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/endgegner
Ross: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/obross
Ross: https://qik.com/deleuzer

Source: thedailyoccupation.org

How Occupy Boston’s PR Strategy is Working

Occupy Boston a new tent arrives. 

Something clicked with the often savvy, yet sometimes self-destructive Occupy Boston info disseminators. As demonstrated at their inclusive off-camp assembly in Copley Square this past Saturday – attended by dozens of newly interested Occupiers – Hub operatives are actively showcasing that they’re not the dirty and disorganized Neanderthals that bureaucrats have pegged them as.


With the sink showdown went viral thanks to lifts from Daily Kos and Wired, Occupiers highlighted the irony in claims that their encampment is unsanitary; the powers-that-be say that Dewey Square is infested, yet won’t let them improve conditions (they’ve also yet to cite them for health-related violations). Similarly, despite claims that the camp is combustible, they’re not permitted to install protective measures.

On Monday, Dec. 5th, Occupiers gathered on the South Station side of Dewey for the arrival of a military tent the likes of which police have been instructed to keep out (along with any other building materials or so-called structures). This was no sneak job, like when their ninja unit smuggled in the current food tent two weeks ago. This was a PR job – announced days ahead of time.

Occupy Boston a new tent arrives. 

Whereas the sink incident was a phenomenal lesson that evolved from a practical mission – to secure an apparatus with which to help clean dishes – the tent event was pure theater. Occupiers never intended to actually erect it or throw down with cops – they just wanted the press, whose attention they had after the sink story, to see first-hand how ridiculous police are being.

Beyond the symbolic cue of the tent, Occupy forces got an opportunity to debate inspectors and authorities in front of a crowd filled with reporters. On that front protesters also delivered a decisive beat-down, as Boston is essentially arguing that while it was alright to bring tents in before, that is no longer the case. The city’s insincere stance was cherry-topped with its suggestion that Occupy secure permits.

This campaign can’t go on forever, as looming decisions in county court – and ultimately at City Hall – will dictate the fate of Dewey Square (whether Occupiers stand their ground or not). There’s also an outside chance that campers will dismantle things themselves and call it a win. But for the time being, there’s no doubt about which side looks justified, and which is making rules up on the fly.

Source: blog.thephoenix.com

Bank Of America "settles" overdraft fees... again, the house always wins...

 Bank of America recently won approval for $410 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed Bank of America maximized overdraft fees by waiting to process debit transactions or changing the sequence of transactions. The lawsuit basically accused the bank of manipulating accounts for personal gain. The $410 million seems like a huge amount of money, until the gravity of the amount of money made off the fees by the bank is realized at $4.5 billion.

Offshore Banking and Tax Havens Have Become Heart of Global Economy

How some protesters are hurting Occupy...

occupy-boston:

This is a more balanced and level way of putting it than I have heard in a while… and from “Cracked” of all places… let’s keep it REAL, non-partisan, and ON TRACK! :)

OCCUPY

plasticshakeupsnow:

Occupy Boston