Anti-capitalist protesters set up tent cities

My thoughts on this: unfortunately, this means it is mostly unemployed people taking part in the protests, diverting attention from the legitimate claim for accountability and real democracy, not this financial oligarchy masquerading as "government" we currently have. People unsympathetic to the movement will now dismiss them as a bunch of unemployed layabouts.

Second: all banks have to do is to play time until winter settles in...

Don't these folks have to work or go to school?

Is nice to see The Local has shown it true leanings. That's twice they've led with an 'Anti Captialist' headline on the article. I thought one of the critisims of the Occupy Wall Street movement was the lack of coherent message. It seems the Local has taken it upon itself to decide it for them. Tsk tsk.

So... if you are "anti-capitalists" than you must be "pro-communists"! Pack your bags and head east young man... head east! Enjoy the communist life style for awhile and then talk!

@LiberalGuy

Despite your insistence that theLocal adhere to your Newspeak guidelines, the cat is already out of the bag. It is very interesting to see the control the American Left has over its sheep in Europe.

I went to the protest here in L.A. I interview quite a few people taking part. ~99% are simply young, uneducated people agitating for communism. Not the brightest bulbs on the tree.

Derexdeutsche

Isn't it time for one of your anti Obama rants? Oh wait, we've been down that road already today. I guess I'll wait for tomorrows episode

Despite what you might think, I'm pretty old school when it comes to news outlets, in that they should report the news and facts rather than editorialise every news story. Now if the protestors had proclaimed to be anti capitalist then it should of been reported in one of the previous stories the Local published. So it's either lazy journalism or making a headline more sensational. You can be the judge.

I'm niether pro or con for this movement/protest/what ever you want to label it. I just think it's indication of the editorial staff's leanings that this article has had 2 'Anti Capitalist' headlines that the local has presented to this story.

Now if you don't mind BAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I thought they were "Pro-regulation", not "anti-capitalist". At least in the U.S., it's not about being communist or something. It's wanting to close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. It's about why the Supreme Court gave corporations in the U.S. the same rights as citizens in the first place. And wanting to rescind the Bush Tax Cuts. And for those making millions to pay in more.

The majority aren't protesting capitalism itself. They like stuff. They want jobs and want to make money and buy things they don't need like everyone else. They just want the divide between the Have's and the Have-Not's to stop growing so wide based on gov't policies that lean more towards one side than the other.

Do you really want to "rescind the Bush tax cuts"?

The one group who received the biggest tax cuts were the poorest of tax payers.

That;s a fact, something you may not be familiar with, since your ilk seem to be more concerned with feelings!

Oh my goodness! These people are anti-capitalist? On top of that, they are left wingers? Too much spinning...I feel dizzy...Is this how we find truth???

There is simply no legitimate reason to dismiss these people as illiterate or extreme wingers-of-any-stripe. They are complaining about corporate greed. Perfectly good reason to exercise freedom of speech (that is OK, right?). We don't live in the 1890s (I think).

I don't believe that they are holding anything ransom for anything else. They just need people to hear.

I was never crazy about calling things 'liberal' and then making a bunch of assumptions about it. Those people probably don't LIVE on the liberal-conservative 'line' and don't appreciate your telling them that they do.

The Local does not editorialize in its news coverage. We have an Opinion section for commentary. The term "anti-capitalist" was used in the headline as shorthand for the sense that the protestors are against how the current capitalist system is run. Any other interpretation is inferring a bias that isn't there.

then may i suggest the local merely call the protests etc the 'occupy movement' as that seems closer to the truth than anti captalist. Going by your argument above, anti bank, or anti finance would be a much more suitable headline than trying to make it anything more than it is..

@ Liberal Guy & the rest

Don't waste your energy with feedback which is not welcomed! Is it not clear from their reply that The Local would not use feedback, even if it is polite & constructive?

Im all about this 99% movement capitalism was built on slavery and when that was abolished they had to find some way to keep geting rich and then you have immigration, cultures clashing and the poor get poorer.

Capatalist or communist, black or white - The goal at the end is for the (not)Federal Reserve in the US, the central European nation banks, and the central European bank is to OWN YOU. the borrower is ervant to the lender - hear of Greece?

Note - find out what the ESM is and whythey are pushing for it in 2013.

The EU is lusting for more power - you read about it everyday in the news. The goal is to get rid of nations.

INFORWARS DOT COM

give it a rest "liberalguy". If you want to be the editor then perhaps start up your own newspaper. I was at the Hamburg protest, and it was a protest not an occupation. It was decidedly anti-capitalist, and it does clearly have links with the anti-capitalist movement of 10 years ago

melbournite

I hope you're not a Collingwood supporter, because I'm bound to dislike you if you are.

You've just done a better job of verifying the anit-capitalist stance of these protests than what was reported on this site. That was my main point. No need for the hate. Unless you support Collingwood

Collingwood? Its the cricket season mate ;)

See they have no problem using capitalist made tents!

actually the tents were made by workers

Does this mean that I can finally go wild camping in Germany...

Melbournite: That's true about anything, but those EVIL corporations made money selling those tents to these anti capitalists! All most as bad as those that don't like fur or leather but see nothing wrong with wearing peterolum based clothing.

The website editorial in #11 is obtuse. Calling the group anti-capitalist is needlessly broad. They are clearly complaining about extreme corporate greed, it is abusively broad to generalize that to complaining about capitalism.

You guys can exercise free speech in any way you desire (just like the campers). Some obtuse comment will arise that accuses you in a similar way. Perhaps then, you will gain perspective on the abusiveness of overly broad characterizations.

It isn't good journalism. They do it on some cable news, but it doesn't help their appearance of impartiality.

Cable news is run by the worst of the worst: Geo. Sorros....he's two faced, big time capitalist and liberal agitator.

I'm just guessing, but I'll wager those tents and their laptops, cell phones and Ipods were made by greedy evil capitalist pigs.

Soooo, more overly general characterizations...

Perhaps the guessing that smearing folks like this just isn't a valid way of establishing the truth. Maybe it is not truth you are after...

My father always told me "Do not tear something down before you have something better with which to replace it." Has anyone in this movement stated a viable replacement for Capitalism? I agree that Capitalism has its flaws as well as its positives, but are present alternatives--Socialism, Communism any better? There are no successful Communist countries today. Those who tire it found it a failure. The Germans and the British have forms of Socialism yet the people are protesting as well. Rather lhan screaming, "Down with Capitalism" these people should be using their intelligence and education to develop a better system.

I like to think of myself as a responsible capitalist.

I often put the lion's share of the money that I earn from my projects back into my community in the way of social programs and activities that promote unity, tolerance and, most importantly, compassion and support for the disenfranchised.

This does not make me a "communist".

What is DOES mean is that I care about people and the community at large and I believe that is a good thing for business to do. It should be the primary objective of business to create sustainable futures for the community at large and not just for a select few.

If you really still believe labels like that still exist in the 21st century i think you need to read more. It is important to remember that both the USSR and the USA had a middle class and all that middle class ever wanted was to raise their kids in an environment of positive inspiration. If you ask me , the "Capitalists" and the "Communists" represent the extremists in our society and extremism has been equated to terrorism in the last 10 years, so I have no time for either of them.

Unfortunately I have had occasion to do business with what I call "übercapitalists". It has been unpleasant every time.

Übercapitalists are defined as those that uphold the economic principles and theories of Friedrick von Hayek. Hayek decreed that the marketplace should be unregulated. An unregulated marketplace is geared towards the sharks and wolves of our society who would prefer that we stay divided as a community, afraid for our well being and communicationally dysfunctional because it serves their personal interest, an interest based in greed. It is these people that rig democratic elections, cheat, lie, steal and make our democracies truly untenable.

For me, these people are democracies enemies and societies criminals. I am still amazed that more of them aren't in prison (which would have to be an island the size of Australia to house them all).

Governments are supposed to be the buffer zone between business and the people. In the last 30 years we have seen business infiltrate governments and make them dysfunctional. It serves their profit agenda to do so. Like a thug with a big stick, Übercapitalists have forced the majority of us to believe that this is the way it is.

However it is not.

The solution to the current global crisis is actually an easy one. Remove computers from the electoral process and return to paper ballots. Elect officials who will start to put regulations back in place that protect the people from predatory business practices and practitioners. Elect officials who will tax the rich, remove the corporations right to personhood, make corporations environmentally accountable and have the global debt repaid by those who have stolen most of the money.

This is the only way.

Doctor Economy:

I assume that your reply is in answer to my comment. The ideas you suggest sound viable, but they still fall under the label of "Capitalism" which your comments appear to criticize. I just this evening read a CNN article quoting a 2 billion dollar profit by one US corporation this year. That is obscene. No entity needs that amount of money. The Capitalist system is being grossly abused, yet I still do not see a fair, workable alternative to it. Pure Communism is a lovely pipe dream that would work if human greed could be eliminated and pure equality practiced. Sadly, both are impossible as long as we are human beings. There will never be economic equality or even fairness. The Christian Bible states, "The poor you will have with you always" while exhorting us to take care of the poor--quite a contradiction. Few of us are willing to share. I admire your personal practice of giving back to your community. If all of us practiced that concept, we would have far fewer economic problems.

On the headline "Anti-capitalist protesters", It's probably accurate. Just this week we learn that the brutal North Korean regime has given its blessing to these tent-living public space nuisances.

How interesting that a seriously failed economic military threat such as NK (that starves its own people) has given its support to this "movement". Sane people should consider carefully what ideology NK has in common with these self-appointed troublemakers that would bring such a hideous communist ally so quickly to their side.

Rarely do we hear North Korea comment on western matters. But, suddenly, the universally disliked (and somewhat feared) regime sees something highly appealing to their belief system, and smiles down upon it.

If that is not a warning sign, I don't know what is.

And the campers repeatedly speak for 99% of their population. Well most people I associate with are average salaried workers, and we don't know anyone who gave them permission to speak for the rest of us.

What arrogant misrepresentation.

I'm seeing an interesting contrast between European protesters/ politicians and American protesters/ politicians. The Europeans have already articulated the need for improved banking regulation. The Americans are still muddling around with vague platitudes like 'corporate greed is bad'. That's the sort of answer little Billy might give in his 4th grade Civics Class, but hardly something that government can act on in order to make changes.