Kanye, Kanye, Kanye... facepalm.jpeg

[Duffa]

Kanye West wears gold teeth at Wall Street protest

Also relevant:

[dari]

I don't think people are protesting ALL corporations, a lot of people don't even see themselves as "protesting," just unifying against the gov't/corporation/big bank unions that allows for the continual fucking of the middle class until there is no longer a middle class. A lot of people who work really hard, or are willing to work really hard, are tired of having all their money stolen by Enron or whoever's stealing it this week, and they're tired of seeing big corporations get billions in bailouts while their homes get foreclosed on and their parents retirements and pensions disappear. There is not really much of a middle class in America anymore, we're all poor now. Just because someone thinks that corporations shouldn't control the gov't doesn't mean they can't have an ipod or shave or even have gold teeth, for that matter.

[Duffa]

@dari - my sincerest apologies if my post in any way offended you or anyone else as it wasn't my intention at all.

I understand and think that the economic situation in the states, and the current eurozone crisis is completely fucked. People have every right to be pissed off and to unite in the hopes that their voices will finally be heard and that the economic systems (and greed) that has led them to this point will be changed for the better, by both Government and Private Sectors.

And I am in no way rich by any sense of the word, in fact far from it. I guess where the Kanye thing came from was, well on some level you have to admit it was in kind of bad taste no? I'm sure some of the people in the rally had lost everything, and then Kanye is there all blinged out?? He could have left all that at home...

I don't know I guess what pissed me off was that it seemed that if he truly cared about the cause he'd just be a bit more sensitive to peoples plights, and not be wearing a piece of jewelry that probably cost twice as much as most people earn in a year in the states.

I was watching a report not long ago and the economist who was being interviewed couldn't understand why the American Government would give trillions of dollars to companies to bail them out. These same companies had been integral in the screwing of everyday, hard working people - they lost all their investments, life savings, superannuation (401K in the states?) and instead of giving the money to the people who really need it - average americans, they give it back to the same ones who caused the problems in the first place? If the money had been given to people to help pay off their homes then the housing bubble might not have crashed so hard, and then there wouldn't have been such a big domino effect. Although I'm not an economist and realise its not simply that black and white...

Either way, as mentioned I apologise if any offense was taken in any way shape or form. This type of action is something I support whole heartedly and think there should be more of it, the second photo I posted may have been in bad taste without further context (which had something to do with hipsters)

[dari]

No, no, no offense taken. I've actually seen that 2nd photo posted on FB, I just vented here 'cause I felt like I had a few minutes, and LST is more personal to me than FB. And Kanye can wear whatever he wants, IMO, he is the man who said on live TV "George Bush doesn't like black people." He can make a suit out of $100 bills for all I care, especially if it mobilizes more people to get up and fight fascism. Again, just my opinion, @Duffa, we can still be BFF.

[Duffa]

@dari thats excellent, I am very glad we can still be BFF's ;)

Re. Kanye - its hard for me, on the one hand yes he is the man for saying what he said about Bush, and for a few other things he's done in his career... but I don't know it just urked me for some weird reason? I guess I just thought it was a bit insensitive, but as you put it if he's out there helping to publicize the actions and helping mobilising people against the tyranny and greed of the world then he's doing more than I am and I can't really say shit!

I'd also just like to add that its awesome that you feel that LST is more personal than your FB. As someone who doesn't have an FB account it makes me happy!

[Duffa]

And @dari thanks also for the links to that video and the table of banks and how they had been eaten up, rather interesting to say the least

[Duffa]

This seems like the thread to put this in now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhrwmJcsfT0

[Kev]

Mainstream media sez:

Dressed down: "Dirty hippies need to get a job!"

Dressed conservatively: "Entitled bourgeois is clueless!"

Dressed expensively: "Rich idiot trying to act 'normal'!"

It's the media, paid by corporate sponsors, who are driving this divide and conquer BS. I don't see anything in the list of Occupy demands about what people choose to wear = )

[joerob04]

Love the protest picture. Friggin hillarious.