New York City is known as the “big apple”, “the city that never sleeps”, “Gotham” and is the largest city in America. The city is also known as the financial and real estate center of the earth. It is the home of the Knicks, the Jets and the Giants. Then there are the Mets and the soon to become the Brooklyn Nets. Now it appears it has become the “Demonstration City”. It’s mind-boggling to see how many activities and additional people can fit into this City.
We have front row seats to some major demonstrations here in our neighborhood, also known as the Financial District of New York City. It has made for some interesting times as well as an opportunity to learn about the issues. We have learned about police brutality and how the media can make or break these kinds of activities depending upon whether they choose to cover them or not.
Mayor Bloomberg predicted two weeks ago that there would be rioting in the streets if the economy, jobs and poverty aren’t dealt with effectively. President Obama encouraged people to quit whining and get their marching shoes on. Considering the state of affairs the lack of activism and revolutionary like tactics has been mind-boggling to me. Perhaps what we are seeing now is a beginning.
The “Occupy Wall Street” group has been occupying Zuccoti Park (they call it Liberty Park) just around the corner from Wall Street now for 11 days. They state they are a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing they all have in common is “We are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.” Take a look at their website for a lot more information. Click here. Recent supporters on site include Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon.
One of the groups that is participating in this occupation is the Granny Peace Brigade. Check out their website by clicking here.
Yesterday, September 28, 2011 also saw over 700 United and Continental pilots marching on Wall Street. They marched in an orderly, single file (in contrast to the Wall Street Occupation group) around the financial district all morning and then had a rally in Battery Park. It seems they took a 40% pay cut in 2006 and have been working/flying without a contract ever since. Like the one pilot I talked with said, “Our offices fly at 500 miles per hour so we think we deserve a decent wage.” The pilots converged on New York City from all over the country on their days off. They believe that Wall Street Financiers must take steps to improve the economy.
Meanwhile in another part of the City there are demonstrations at the United Nations. I don’t know much about them but they are concerned primarily with the Israel-Palestine issues being dealt with or not. There are a few other groups up in arms which I don’t know enough about to comment on at this point.
So currently New York City is a laboratory for the political and economic issues of our times. It is mind-boggling!
Stan the Man
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