Today, the occupation of Wall Street spreads to Washington, where it’s gaining momentum. These occupations are focusing the nation’s attention on confronting the giant corporations that have grabbed too much economic and political power after decades of deregulation, subsidies, tax avoidance, and bailouts. In cities across the country, other occupations are beginning with the message that we must shift from a speculative Wall Street economy to a green Main Street economy and address extreme wealth inequality.
The roots of this new social movement reach deep into the soil of Egypt and Wisconsin, where hundreds of thousands of people made the statement with their bodies that they would be present until governments that were oppressing their basic rights were changed. Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC are aiming their sights on both a rapacious Wall Street and a corrupt Washington. They are demanding that jobs come before cuts, and that Wall Street, corporations, and the wealthy pay for those jobs.
This week, IPSers Chuck Collins and Sarah Anderson joined courageous lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Barbara Lee to release a new study on tax dodging corporations at the “Take Back the American Dream” conference hosted by our board member, Robert Borosage. Our “America Loses” study exposes 58 “built-to-loot” firms that reaped billions from a 2004 “tax holiday” and then proceeded to slash nearly 600,000 jobs. Many of these corporate giants are now lobbying for another “tax holiday.” We urge you to add your voice to those saying no.
And as we say no to Wall Street, we say yes to honoring today’s heroes. We invite you to join us Wednesday, October 12 at the National Press Club for the 35th annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights awards reception and ceremony as we pay tribute to the leaders of the progressive Wisconsin struggle and a valiant Mexican group that protects the rights of migrants. Don’t miss out on one of DC’s must-attend events for progressives. Buy your tickets today.
Please join the youth-led movements on the streets and donate to help the Institute’s efforts to do the work that provides the facts, figures, and analysis that will help these movements win.
Sign up to receive the Institute’s Unconventional Wisdom newsletter every Thursday.