General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo when Sandy devastated New York, did Wall Street come to the rescue? No, it was Occupy.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021778163Thanks to Liberal N Proud for pointing this out.
randome
(34,845 posts)And Red Cross. And hospital workers. And one subset of OWS. Why would a stock exchange be involved in rescue efforts?
Shouting "OWS!" every five minutes on DU still isn't going to make people worship it.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)You asked "Why would a stock exchange be involved in rescue efforts? " Well, why did UPS get involved in rescue efforts? Because it's their Country that was harmed and they care about our People. So why can't Wall Street help out?
As for "shouting OWS", I'm not into worship. However, I found it noteworthy that a bunch of scorned activists are helping people while the wealthiest citizens are not sharing any burden.
But thanks for weighing in.
randome
(34,845 posts)But UPS has physical resources that can actually help. Wall Street manages international money markets. I'm sure as hell not defending Wall Street but I don't see what they could do to help as an organization.
People can volunteer and for all you and I know, some people who work on Wall Street are helping right now. They have families and neighbors, too.
And I don't hear much from the other organizations wanting 'credit' for their help. But when it comes to 'OWS', it always seems to be 'look at us!'
Bibliovore
(185 posts)They may not have anything as physically practical as trucks, but they have the attention of a lot of people with wealth, both as customers and as employees. Maybe some Wall Street firms have been encouraging people to volunteer or to donate, or have offered to at least partially match donations made by their clients or workers. If they have, though, I haven't yet heard of it. Admittedly, I haven't gone looking for information on that. But then, I haven't researched what OWS or marathon runners have been doing to help, either; it's simply been in the news as noteworthy.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)with all their huge profits ought to do a lot more. And what the hell do those companies do with all their profits besides pay CEO obscene salaries and bonuses and pay their rich stockholders? Yeah, I know, many pension funds are invested also but these funds always take the first hit when shit goes bad. It seems to me that the energy power companies have not invested in more up-to-date technologies for protecting their infrastructures and ability to detect most needed services. And at a minimum, fuel companies ought to have mega disaster vehicles and better plans for delivering fuel in emergencies. If the government can fuel planes in the air, there just ought to be some way to better deliver fuel on the ground.
geckosfeet
(9,644 posts)are calculating how they can benefit from the damage inflicted by the storm. I do not think that there is anything, nothing, NO THING that these people do not try to leverage for $$$. Take war for example. To them it is just another opportunity. Witness the business model for Bain Capitol and countless other wannabe capitol leveraging firms.
Admittedly I too, have not canvassed Wall Street trying to determine which companies have set up rescue funds, but my guess is that that would be a very short list.
myrna minx
(22,772 posts)Try as one might.
rocktivity
(44,577 posts)Last edited Sat Nov 10, 2012, 10:08 AM - Edit history (1)
that Romney and Chris "Governor Soprano" Christie complain about?
rocktivity
randome
(34,845 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)from any other organization helping. Read this: (and I suggest reading the whole piece)
Occupy Sandy: Onetime Protesters Find New Cause
You might be surprised at what has become a lauded and effective relief organization for victims of Superstorm Sandy: Occupy Wall Street.
The social media savvy that helped Occupy protesters create a grass-roots global movement last year one that ultimately collapsed under its leaderless format is proving a strength as members fan out across New York to deliver aid including hot meals, medicine and blankets.
They're the ones who took food and water to Glenn Nisall, a 53-year-old resident of Queens' hard-hit and isolated Rockaway section who lost power and lives alone, with no family nearby.
"I said: 'Occupy? You mean Occupy Wall Street?'" he said. "I said: 'Awesome, man. I'm one of the 99 percent, you know?'"
<snip>
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/occupy-sandy-onetime-protesters-find-17685552#.UJ5fcWetDfY
randome
(34,845 posts)And I'm not taking anything away from OWS or any other organization that is helping.
Kudos to all of them.
MattSh
(3,714 posts)It was a well-orchestrated police crackdown organized by the Feds and involving all kinds of force by law enforcement at all levels to intimidate people from exercising their rights.
PuraVidaDreamin
(4,101 posts)This definitely points out who care more for humanity than bankers.
Blanks
(4,835 posts)The leadership issue needs to be resolved. The nuisance component will only take the effort so far; they need a plan to implement their mission statement.
The fact that they aren't as visible doesn't mean the movement has failed. I still support it; even though I am currently not involved in any way.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)malaise
(269,111 posts)Greedy and uncaring - fugg Wall Street's fat cats.
vlyons
(10,252 posts)or that investment bankers and bond traders have gone to Staten Is or New Jersey shore to bring generators, blankets, food, trucks, or simply pick up and haul away trash.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)that makes sense. But then, that would require using some of those profits for the public good. They never look at it as supporting their customer base.
randome
(34,845 posts)My company, Nestle-Purina, donated money and resources. I doubt you'd have heard of that, either.
Investment bankers and bond traders have friends, family and neighbors, too. Neither you nor I have any idea who is helping. It's not like there is a check-in sheet or something.
Again, I am NOT defending Wall Street, just pointing out that that not everyone who deals with stocks and bonds has some evil persona.
barbtries
(28,808 posts)the good citizens of Occupy. love them.
vaberella
(24,634 posts)mathematic
(1,439 posts)Doesn't anybody do any research anymore?
It's not even hard. I typed "citibank sandy" into google and out pops
http://blog.citigroup.com/2012/11/following-hurricane-sandy-citi-is-trying-to-help-by-doing-its-part.shtml
Here's a list of Red Cross donors of $1 million or more after Sandy:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corporate-donations-help-red-cross-respond-after-superstorm-sandy-178107451.html
Goldman Sachs has pledged $10 million in aid ($5m of donations & $5m of emergency loans to small businesses)
http://www.goldmansachs.com/media-relations/press-releases/current/11-2-announcement.html
randome
(34,845 posts)I'm still not defending Wall Street but facts are facts.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)CitiBank will make about a billion dollars in 2012. One million is one thousandth of one billion. Mathmatics indicates they're not contributing much.
ananda
(28,870 posts)Occupy, just people with a heart and a spirit of altruism, reminding us of our good inherent nature!
Scuba
(53,475 posts)And no, I'm not in debt.
George II
(67,782 posts)....other than a one-line post on DU linking ANOTHER one-line post containing MORE links - two links to tweets???
Sounds like a lot of bluster to take credit for some of the work of THOUSANDS of relief and rescue workers.