The purpose of this blog is awareness raising and having a space for dialogue with the greater public. My own vision of this is a palatable, reader friendly publication that brings the discussion to the public in a way that makes them WANT to read it and shows how this movement is also relevant to them.
Since the movement is about a mosaic of complex issues, there is a wide variety of things you can write about. People have raised issues ranging from government misspending, student debt and aboriginal rights to food production and community service on a local level. There is room for all that here! Let’s clarify our ideas and educate ourselves and others. Try to have fun with it too. This is an optimistic movement!
I know we have a number of writers out there, myself included. So let’s see if we can use our skills to get some real support.
If you would like to contribute please send your post to occupiedcalgaryfreepress@hotmail.com. Be warned. We WILL edit spelling and grammar or possibly suggest revisions for length.
If you want to be a regular contributor you will need a WordPress account. Once you have one send your request to be a contributor to the email above and include the email address linked to your WordPress account.
Here are some guidelines to consider when posting:
Send a positive message. Obviously we are here to shed light on problems, but this is all about the hope and the determination that the problems can be solved
Don’t be boring. We all have an axe to grind and plenty to say, but 2000 words about income disparity statistics is going to put the average reader to sleep. We want them to read it, so try to keep it fairly concise and as entertaining as possible.
Be intelligent, not intellectual. We are trying to bring this to as wide a range of people as possible. Activistspeak is all very well internally but sounds like a lot of irrelevant jargon to anybody else. So please present well thought out points in a way that the average reader can relate to.
Do your research. There is a lot of information available that isn’t presented by mainstream media. Part of our job here is to dig it up and bring it to light. Make sure your facts are straight.
Proofread and spell check. We will have editors working on the site that can help if spelling and punctuation aren’t your strong point.
Get writing! Let’s change the world!
So let me get this straight because I am confused… this is an open, free forum to discuss ideas but you get to edit and decide what is posted.
From what I have seen in this forum, very few posts where opinions differ from yours exist and you blast those reponses for being ignorant, misinformed and wrong.
According to Occupy, the mainstream media is biased and only promotes content that supports their interests… wierd.
You apparently haven’t looked too hard then. I delete only the posts which contain no more than “filthy hippie squatter” type references. I believe in respectful disagreement and debate, not abuse. There are numerous dissenting opinions in the comments and I do not “blast” anyone. I address what I disagree with and what I agree with. There are several non supporters who read this blog and many of them have respectfully stated things I DO agree with. And I’m not afraid to say so. I’m also not afraid to challenge points of view. Like now.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the material people have contributed.
“Respectful disagreement and debate,” such as portraying Naheed Nenshi as a chicken.
“Not Abuse,” such as swearing at police and disagreeable onlookers.
The only thing that impresses me about Occupy is how well they communicate their problems.
“There sure are some problems. Things need to change.”
“Like what?”
“Yeah, it sure isn’t fair.”
“How so?”
“It’s not fair!”
“What?”
“We are the 99%”
Not to mention the upside-down Canadian flags.
You are all down there getting pissed that the City has had enough of the damage that you caused and telling you that you have over stayed your welcome. I thought you were all protesting to be against the man and how they take advantage of the public, guess what your just as bad. Guess who’s tax dollars is going to be used to clean up your mess, mine and everyone else in this City I bet half are you are unemployed living off of you guessed it tax payers dollars. I work my but off I have two jobs and work more than a person should like most of those people out there. You know why I don’t wine and complain because we have it good in Canada go and live in a third world country, go live in a country that is being led by dictatorship or communism or war. Suck it up taxes are a part of life our taxes go to a lot of good things that you are taking advantage of. If you are against the MAN then do something productive that isn’t embarrassing the rest of the people who take our first world country by advantage. I am sick to my stomach on all of your behavior go have a show shave and get some clean clothes and get a job and shut your mouth and be thankful for everything that you have up here.
Every time I read a comment like this the irony almost makes me laugh. “I work 2 jobs to pay outrageous taxes and inflated energy bills and everyone I know has to do the same despite the fact that we live in a resource rich country. The companies I work for could never survive without the efforts of people like me and the CEOs of those companies make more than everyone on the shop floor combined! How dare you protest the system that forces me to do this??? Get back in line with the rest of us and don’t complain when you have to take a pay cut so they guy at the top can have a bonus!”
I think the reason people are so incredibly angered by us is because they know the deck is stacked against them. They know it and they feel powerless and it fills them with rage. But because of the powerless feeling the rage gets directed at those who want to empower them instead of those who took their power. I don’t think you should have to work 2 jobs. If our government cared about what is good for people instead of corporate interests you wouldn’t. It really makes our case for us every time someone speaks this way.
If you are concerned about how your tax dollars are being spent I’d have a look at this: http://greenparty.ca/blogs/467/2010-11-26/canadas-bank-bailout
You also paid these guys a lot of money: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/TransAlta+Corp+admits+market+manipulation/5671487/story.html
Who are you mad at now?
You don’t like it, move to America. They’ll treat you the way the real 99% want to: Without fear of legal retribution.
I think its really funny how you come to a website owned by others and presume to tell them where they should live based on the opinions expressed in said website. It would be like me saying, “You don’t like my website? Cancel your internet service.” Smug, sanctimonious and totally irrelevant. Do better.
What right do you have to complain about our economic situatuation? Canada is one of the lowest taxed nations worldwide, and Alberta one of the lowest taxed provinces! You want to complain, go for it! Let’s have no taxes whatsoever, and no health benefits, or anything! Go for it, ruin our livelihoods and become completely dependant upon your jobs! If you quit, you’re screwed, because uh-oh, there’s not unemployment insurance, nor a CPP!
The Global Warming Farce – Just continuing on with some of the non-issues facing OWS movement. I was surprised the other day to see yet another article on global warming as it relates to CO2 production and release. Having spent some time trying to understand how I could have let Al Gore rip me off for $50 to listen to him lie to me about what was causing global warming is beyond me today. He is still trying to pitch “his theory” while being sued by hundreds of scientists worldwide.
Let’s cut to the chase: Number #1 cause of global warming is animal factory farms. Carbon dioxide contributes to greenhouse gases, but the most potent and adverse of greenhouse gases is methane and with forced GMO corn feeding, one factory cow produces about 500 to 700 litres of methane PER DAY. Funny, no one ever talks about this….anywhere! Al didn’t mention it in his $50 talk. Factory farms produce more “global warming gases” than all the cars and trucks in the world….by a factor of two….on a daily basis.
Here’s a worthy read:
http://politicaltarot.com/2010/07/climate-change-and-factory-farming/
Now tell Al Gore and his cronies who are getting rich off your carbon taxes to take a hike! If these taxes were correctly called “Methane Tax,” Al and his buds would have to sell their factory farm shares.
Carbon taxes are collected and sent to a company owned by Al Gore (off shore). From there, Al takes a huge cut and forwards the money to his Black Nobility masters (Rothchilds) who again get richer from the naivety of the common folk.
Choose to stop eating factory farm products. The meat is contaminated (with GMO feed) and the animals undergo insufferable pain while being fattened up for your dinner plate. Go organic….the taste is superior and the nutrition gained cannot be surpassed.
Some good films to watch:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/food-matters/
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/food-inc/
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/blue-gold-world-water-wars/
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-coconut-revolution/
Many are waking up to the reality of our times. Facing the enemy and taking back control of our food, medicine, water, financial welfare and most importantly, our freedoms, can be accomplished through a peaceful and anonymous movement. Each one of us can crush the big multi-national corporations and banksters by CHOOSING not to do business with them. Here’s just 10 simple ways to win the occupy movement.
1. Choose to move your money to a local credit union or take it home
2. Choose to go organic and support your local farmers
3. Choose to boycott Walmart, Coca Cola, GMO’s, Macdonalds, Banks…you get the picture
4. Choose to support local restaurants and establishments (i.e. Olive Garden ain’t Italian)
5. Choose to exchange your fiat dollars for physical gold & silver to hedge against the coming devaluation in all paper currencies
6. Choose nutrition/organic vitamins over pharmaceuticals AND choose education over medication
7. Choose alternative media over main stream news
8. Choose to stop watching television. Period.
9. Choose to participate in the occupy movement in any way you can and spread the information
10. Choose to do at least one kind act every day and smile now that you are in control of them!
See, winning this is about CHOICE. Choose your path.
Turn on the sprinklers and bring out the water canon
It is very nice for granola muching celeberties to say No to the pipeline–it is also reality that they have enough money and freedoms that they do not have to worry where they get their oil to power their Escalades. USA needs this oil and it will also provide many jobs and spin-off benefits. If everyone rode a bike then No to the pipeline but that is NOT the case. Grow up and find better means to make the pipeline safer.
Montgomery is awesome!
Montgomery triangle is awesome!
Well, I ride a bike everywhere I go, even now that it’s snowy and cold. I can’t force others to follow my example, I can only set one. If the example some choose to set is bigotry and violence that is their right to freedom of expression under the Charter in action and therefore a wonderful thing. If violence and bigotry happen to you I won’t even object to your right to complain about it! Nor will I imply that you did anything at all to deserve it. Though I would hope you would choose to take action in setting a positive example in fighting these wrongs and not sit idle as a silent, therefore collusive victim. I would wholeheartedly support you in that action.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. Everyone who visits our site helps the cause. Dissent and critique is an essential part of dialogue and shaping our intent. It always makes me happy to see examples of attitudes in need of repair. This is how we can help the movement grow and develop. Thanks for your time!
It is good that you ride a bike. Crappy that you have two jobs and still struggle to get by. May I suggest that you work hard to find one better job that pays all your bills and then some. Take some training or find a program that provides the training. Make the extra effort–push yourself to achieve more and you will. Much better than squatting in a park and speaking about inequailities that will always be. World es not a perfect place–those that work harder or smarter or are just lucky will always achieve more. And the result will be inequality. My people want more, are more and will always be more. And we will remove you.
Why bother complaining? Canada is in an excellent position economically. How much is our GST? Oh yeah, 5%. And we don’t even HAVE PST in Alberta. You people are a joke, why don’t you complain about issues that actually relate to you? You’re caught up in the mob mentality. Go somewhere where there actually are troubles and complain there, like NY or something. We don’t have problems of that great a magnitude in Canada, much less Alberta.
You are very silly. The fact that you think we don’t have a problem here because we can still rape the earth and profit by it, or that our lack of sales tax somehow makes up for the many, many taxes we pay that are simply included in the price of things just shows that you haven’t thought out your comments. And why should you? If you took the time to actually see what is going on you might be terribly uncomfortable with the situation. Like we are.
And I suppose you think that we can walk around without taxes? Where will we be then? We won’t have benefits of any kind. And you’re discussing the rape of the earth. The Occupiers caused over 20000$ in damages to the Olympic Park, disrespected the soldiers who died for us with your upside-down Canadian flags(don’t tell me that was an accident, several of your supporters changed their FB profile pictures to match the flags) and burned things. One of you tried to sue the city for not giving you electricity. He was wearing a skirt. Average campground costs are 25$ a day. You payed US nothing, yet you expect change.