Occupy Building a 1% Database

[eridani]

http://www.thepierceprogressive.org/occupydatabase

When Don Pugnetti Park at the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 21st Street, owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation, was un-occupied at the end of February 2012 many thought the Occupy Movement was probably dead. Washington State Trooper Guy Gill indicated the state would "continue checking the area" as the campers complied with the eviction notice. Many in the press threw ink and wondered if Occupy is Dead. The idea of speaking truth to power lives on and Occupy isn’t dead. Occupy.com offers to undertake a huge project as they investigate and identify the powers that move the planet.

I mean it. The most influential in the highly complex and integrated network wielded by relatively few individuals that moves power on a national and transnational basis. "This is not a study of wealth, but a study of power." The Global Power Project starts with a huge fact: "The richest 1% own 40% of the world’s wealth." and expands to, "The richest 10% account for 85% of the planet’s total assets." And this is only Part One.

The background piece, where Occupy.Com sets the ground rules for the study, sets out, "examining the connections, affiliations and cross-memberships through which elites govern our dominant social, economic and political institutions." Very powerful goals when Singapore can’t breathe and the CEO of Nestle, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, believes water should be privatized, so it can be sold at a profit and Monsanto wants to own the genome of the food supply.

[tclambert]

1. Madame Defarge's knitting?

[East Coast Pirate]

2. Why do that when you can go with the flow?

[gordianot]

3. Point taken.

My Grandfather had a very good influential friend who was a well known U.S.Representative. His line was the real wealthy power holders who have the most influence never directly do business and work at being anonymous. It would be worth the time and effort to know who they are and what they do. Creatures such as the Koch brothers are not typical and vultures who run for public office such as Romney do not fit the mold.

[starroute]

4. Look to the "philanthropists"

The people who show up on the social pages. The people who are always endowing concert halls or getting college buildings named after them. This is how wealth gets translated into power. And much of it takes place on a local, city-by-city level and it's immediate effect is never visible beyond local city politics. But those are the names you'd want to start with.

[Hydra]

6. Most of the people in power you see, even the really well moneyed ones

Like Romney or the Congresscritters are actually reps of higher food chain powers, possibly even 2+ steps removed from the real power brokers.

There are exceptions, of course. The Kochs, Bill Gates, The Goldman Sachs peeps...but I notice that those people are the newer players.

If Occupy were to identify the generational power player families...

[rhett o rick]

5. Where is Penny Pritzker on the list? nm

[Flatulo]

7. Can't help but wonder what this list will be used for...

[Fire Walk With Me]

8. The revelation of the hidden, corrupt and corrupting powers that be?

Have you failed to notice that Occupy is a peaceful movement, even when enduring more than a year of domestic terrorist acts against us by "our own" government?

[Flatulo]

9. Sure, Occupy is peaceful. But not everyone else is.

It doesn't take much imagination to envision some lunatics taking kids hostage or such for ransom.

This project has a subliminal threatening smell to it, never mind any issues of privacy. It reminds me of that rag in NY state that published the names and addresses of all gun owners in the county. It wasn't illegal, as that information was available through other means, but it was an ugly move, and they removed the map after enough complaints.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. I understand where you're coming from and agree to a great extent. However, if it didnt' include

addresses and such direct information it would serve a great and general purpose in shining the light where it most belongs.

[Teamster Jeff]

11. Occupy is dead?

Bullshit. Another great idea