#1 from Donna Plamondon on February 02, 2012 at 1:58 am

The Tea Party blames President Obama and Democrats. Occupy in general blames most EVERY politician in office over the past 30 years for the state of the economy.

#2 from Tim Tayshun on February 02, 2012 at 5:07 am

I wrote this prior to reading this article...in response to specific statements in a thread: (note:permission to edit) Tim Tayshun ‎@ Garen - I've been very actively following OWS as well as very actively participating in this discussion since Sept. 19th (two days after the NY Occupation began). I will say that I do know what OWS is about. However, I do also know what OWS is about to ME. I know others who know exactly what it is about ...to THEM. Collectively, we know what a lot of it is about to a lot of us and a lot of YOU. But, we also have and respect some of our differences. We try to be inclusive in our conversation and discussion and not divisive. In doing so we often educate each other on our individual core convictions and how they relate to the issues being discussed. Therefore, as in any collective, there will be some differences of opinions. LET'S REVIEW YOUR OWN COMMENTS PIECE BY PIECE AND SEE HOW THEY STACK UP TO LOGIC: 1.) YOU:"...anyone who actually compares the occupy movement to the tea party obviously does not understand the occupy movement...." ME: Do both seek to address corruption? Yes. OWS sees (Goldman Sachs/ BofA/ etc.,) paying to receive favoritism. TEA sees politicians accepting and receiving this money for those special favors and then using it to create more regulations skewed to favorbigger monopolies, so that they can in turn receive even more money and create even bigger Govt.(and more laws and regulations that favor the rich and powerful). 2.) YOU: "The occupy movement does not carry guns during their protests" ME: Even so, TEA Protesters have not been infiltrated by factions of vandals, anarchists, and ....(not sure how to say it, but some people who are simply mentally unstable, some due to homelessness, others drugs, etc.). Although the media would like to make it much more than it is, and exaggerate it every chance they get, there have been at least one or more incidents of a shooting, a rape or two, a heck of a lot of property damage, and a lot of thievery that has gone down in or around various OWS camps across the country. Although this isn't indicative of the great majority of OWS'ers, and although some self-policing, vandalism cleanup, and overwhelming efforts to keep things peaceful, in general; facts are facts. So, although TEA carries guns to some of their protests, none go off. Yet, although OWS do not carry guns to their protests, one goes off and kills someone over a weed deal. ON A SIDE NOTE: BTW, the reason TEA carries guns is because they have been aware of the impending police state which was just since September ruthlessly demonstrated upon the OWS'ers (and coincidentally not the TEA Partiers). This demonstration of the police state we are seeing has been very reaffirming to TEA, I'm sure. They may have expected it, but not this soon. NDAA has equal opposition from both groups. If military or police come to a TEA party home to arrest them without a warrant, they WILL shoot to defend themselves, while OWS'ers will have to throw flowers and depend on The Constitution - which is the Bible for TEA Party members. (Just curiously, do you even know what TEA stands for???). OWS is pissed that TARP took tax payer money to give to the (too big to fail) banks. TEA is pissed that the TOO BIG GOVERNMENT first took our taxes and then, were BIG enough to have the jurisdiction or authority to give this tax money something that was no longer functioning as "Free-Market." 3.) YOU: " (a)... the occupy movement is not made of a racist group of people, (b)the occupy movement seeks to create a healthcare system, (b)an economy and a country that will benefit everyone." ME: (a) My mexican girlfriend's father would be very offended. I don't really think I have to go further than that on this part of your comment. (b) This IS a key difference between OWS & TEA: While OWS is opposed to banks being bailed out, health care and students should. Kinda a 2bl standard IMHO. When Govt. pays for ANYTHING the cost goes up (which is reflected in higher taxes. Hence: TEA - Taxed Enough Already! (c) "That government is best which governs least." - The additional 30% of your income which you should be able to keep (or additional 15% if you're Mittens Romney) would easily cover the best healthcare and education, if it were privatized and not government involved. Drunken Hollywood hookers on cocaine would probably manage your money better than the govt., in fact! " 4.) YOU: "The tea party will only offer those to you if you are wealthy." " ME: TEA just wants its freedoms and Constitutionality back." 5.) YOU: "The occupy movement is not funded by the democratic party unlike the tea party which is funded by the republican party" ME: I'm sorry to inform you, but there is no longer any difference between either party. As of present, they have both been completely bought by the people and corporations that OWS is against. TEA doesn't like this either. So, what now?

#3 from James Birkholz on February 03, 2012 at 2:58 am

Very little of the facts given in this article are very accurate. For example: "The Occupy movement, unfortunately, has been marred by various forms of law-breaking since its inception." Very little law breaking has occured, other than minor ones which are almost always thrown out by the judges. On the other hand, a great deal of unjustified police brutality has occurred. The Tea Party does not so much blame the government for economic stagnation, as it advocates cutting government expenses in a futile attempt to reduce public debt. The original issues have been co-opted by the GOP, but it is more rabid and unreasonable than the GOP would like. OWS doesn't blame the "1%" so much as the system that allows the 1% to ruin the economy, the middle class and democracy. I would rephrase this part as "corrupted politicians with corrupting businesses." An important omission about the Tea Party is its rapid literalness of interpretation of the Constitution. I wouldn't call the occupations "events", they are the base of operations for actual events.

#4 from Antigona on March 13, 2012 at 7:59 pm

Take the housing fsacio for instance. They try to blame it on Bush but there are videos of Bush and others trying to make Congress regulate it more. Do you think this was not purposely done? Countrywide, Fannie and Freddie. All the people there were experts in the real estate field. Do you think that they didn't know that selling homes to illegals and others who had no means to pay for them would not cause a disaster? They have stolen our jobs and now our homes and allowed illegals to invade our country and gave them benefits to lure them into doing so. In order to implement the NWO.And most of the people in OWS don't even know anything about all this. The people there who are interested in saving this country have no idea how vicious and dangerous the Unions and Communist party can be.What isn't being reported about OWS are the rapes going on. People complaining that stuff has been stolen from their tents.People who are so innocent that they thought they could leave expensive IPods etc in their tent and it would be safe.If they want to change America then let them start with Barney Frank who led the housing slump and even got his boyfriend a job there so he could cash in on the money they left Countrywide and Freddie with. These people should be in prison instead they left with millions of dollars.They should be aware that Wall St was B.O's biggest campaign donor and he gave them back their money in bailouts from his stimulus plan.Every politician should be in jail even if they were only complicit by keeping their mouths shut.Do you see any signs being held up that even mentions this?Do they know how many people have been hired by the govt since B.O took office So many that they will insure along with the people on welfare assistance that the Dems will always be in office because they want their jobs and freebies? Do they know we spend billions a yr in welfare, rent assitance, free schooling, free Med Ins. on illegals.Wall Street and the Unions own B.O. That is why Union people have joined OWS along with the Communist Party.To pretend that they and B.O are against Wall St. But Wall St is still donating to B.O. And now they are setting us up with RINOS asour candidates in the next election. Romney for instance who's health plan was a test run for Obamacare. The same thing they did with McCain who took a dive for B.O. If we cannot find a loyal honest America as our next Pres then we can kiss America good bye.