I just landed in Madison, Wisconsin and I'm currently enjoying a pint of Spotted Cow beer with fellow kossack Giles Goat Boy and his lovely spouse before I head on over to the #OccupyWallStreet protests here, but first I wanted to share with you an infuriating article by Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone as well as why I officially turned down an interview with Fox News.
First off . . .
I have done 3 interviews by now with Fox News. You've seen one, the other two (with John Stossel and some other producer) were not recorded on youtube and never aired by Fox.
So you could imagine my surprise when I met Sally Kohn of Fox News. Now, before we jump to conclusions, let me say that Sally is one of the few people at Fox whom I truly respect. Her honest and straightforward reporting on the #OccupyWallStreet movement has been a breath of fresh air amid the stagnancy of the corporate media, particularly one of her more recent pieces titled 'Occupy Wall Street' -- It's Not What They're for, But What They're Against in which she painted an honest picture of why we are protesting.
Critics of the growing Occupy Wall Street movement complain that the protesters don’t have a policy agenda and, therefore, don’t stand for anything. They're wrong. The key isn’t what protesters are for but rather what they’re against -- the gaping inequality that has poisoned our economy, our politics and our nation.
In America today, 400 people have more wealth than the bottom 150 million combined. That’s not because 150 million Americans are pathetically lazy or even unlucky. In fact, Americans have been working harder than ever -- productivity has risen in the last several decades. Big business profits and CEO bonuses have also gone up. Worker salaries, however, have declined.
~snip~
I’ve even met a number of Libertarians and Tea Party conservatives at these protests. So the critics are right, the Occupy Wall Street movement isn’t the Tea Party. Occupy Wall Street is much, much broader.
Maybe it’s hard to see your best interests reflected in a sometimes rag-tag, inarticulate, imperfect group of protesters. But make no mistake about it: While horrendous inequality is not an American tradition, protest is.And if you’re part of the 99% of underpaid or unemployed Americans crushed in the current economy, the Occupy Wall Street protests are your best chance at fixing the broken economy that is breaking your back.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/...
Now, when Sally approached me for an interview on the street at Liberty Square I had just finished doing a long documentary piece for Kevin Breslin. Feeling tired, I thanked Sally for her honest coverage of #ows, but I reminded her that I had already done 3 interviews with Fox, none of which have aired. I thanked her for her consideration, but respectfully declined. Here is why . . .
The honest truth is, while I respect Sally Kohn, I have ZERO respect for her bosses. I refuse to put myself in a position to be misquoted or creatively edited by Roger Ailes and the Murdoch criminal empire. Some may call this hypocritical on my part, honestly, I don't care. I will not retract my previous statements about Fox News, they are a propaganda network for the GOP Establishment, and I have given them 3 chances already. 3 strikes, you're out.
So I'd like to apologize to Sally Kohn for not giving her the opportunity to hear us out at #OccupyWallStreet. Though I respect Sally's work, I have zero respect for her bosses and the dishonest work they do, so I must respectfully decline at this time.
Moving on, Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone has some harsh but justified words regarding the current corrupt state of our union and the #OccupyWallStreet movement, all below the weird orange squiggle . . . .
Occupy Wall Street: Washington Still Doesn't Get It
Barack Obama is apparently expressing willingness to junk big chunks of Sarbanes-Oxley in exchange for support for his jobs program. Business leaders are balking at creating new jobs unless Obama makes compliance with S-O voluntary for all firms valued at under $1 billion.
Here's how to translate this move: companies are saying they can't attract investment unless they can hide their financials from investors. So the CEOs and gazillionaires on Obama's Jobs Council want the politically-vulnerable president to give them license to cook the books in exchange for support for his jobs program.
~snip~
For Obama to pull this in the middle of these protests is crazy.
If anyone thought OWS has already done its job, and Washington has gotten the message already, think again. They're not going to change until the protesters force them to change, it seems.
Bold text added by the diarist
Please read Taibbi's full article, as always, it will be worth your time. There is not much more for me to add, and I have to board my flight to Madison in a few minutes, but I thought it was important to share Taibbi's story because it highlights perfectly how corrupt and out of touch our politicians and their campaign financiers have become, and why it is so important that the #OccupyWallStreet protests go on and on, because the job isn't done, not even close.
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For more on my travel schedule . . . .
Oct Sat 22 - Madison, Wisconsin
Oct Sun 23 & Mon 24 - Seattle, Washington
Oct Tues 25 & Weds 26 - Denver, Colorado
Oct Thurs 27 - Chicago, Illinois
Oct Fri 28 & Sat 29 - Washington D.C.
And for more info
1. Get this message out there. Get the word out about these protests of Wall Street's greed to everyone you know. Raise awareness, even if it is via word of mouth, every little bit helps.
2. Use the twitter hashtags #OccupyWallStreet and follow us on facebook and twitter accounts related to the ongoing protests. Help put this video on your facebook pageand any other social media that you use. Make it viral.
3. Make a donation to WeAreTheOther99%'s media fund. They need funding to stay active, and without huge corporate interests backing us up like the Teabaggers have, the only way this works is with your small donations.
4. Go to OccupyWallSt.org and make a donation to our General Fund to support the ongoing protests.
5. To send care packages to Liberty Square, go to OccupyWallSt.org for more information. WE NEED WATER.
Info from http://occupywallst.org/
MAIL
The UPS Store
Re: Occupy Wall Street
118A Fulton St. #205
New York, NY 10038
Money orders only please, cannot cash checks yet. Non-perishable goods only. We can accept packages of any size. We're currently low on food and water.
6. Find out if there will be an #Occupation event in your neighborhood and participate and contribute there if you can't come to NYC.
7. Be a better person to your brothers and sisters around you.
You can follow me on the series of tubes they call Twitter @JesseLaGreca