Comments on: Disrupting Bloomberg

By: dem

dem — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:33:00 +0000

I hate when people talk about it because it is almost always steeped in some classist form against rich AND poor. “Those evil, rich businessmen should have known that the poor and upwardly-mobile-middle class couldn’t pay back those loans!” I seriously don’t think we need to be attacking them for giving out loans to those who were high risks but how they did it without proper security. They waved their hands to make the loans look better to the people buying “Get this really great interest rate with no credit check!” and never saying that in the future that great rate will skyrocket.

It is sad that whenever anyone talks about it they always talk about how they gave loans to people that they shouldn’t. I feel bad for the people who were finally able to get that loan but lost it for whatever reason and now are even worse off with no home and even less access to credit. I believe that it will be a long time until credit will be available in the lower income brackets again because of this.

By: MikeF

MikeF — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:18:09 +0000

Holly, I just don’t get what could possibly be considered undemocratic about an elected public official having a public discussion with business leaders, journalists and professors at a public university. It would be nice if Bloomberg met with more advocacy groups for disadvantaged folks. I would support a polite or clever protest to that effect. But the democracy slogan was meaningless and the opposite of enlightening; and the boorish tactic of shouting over someone makes people feel embarrassed for the protestors rather than their target.

By: catfood

catfood — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:09:27 +0000

Holly, thanks for the further exposition in #10. It does make more sense with the background you provided.

By: Holly

Holly — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:37:02 +0000

Reading comprehension, Mike. It’s so important to do more than just watch the video. I know the moving pictures are distracting.

By: MikeF

MikeF — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:33:03 +0000

Democracy looks like interrupting a dude talking about affordable housing to chant a meaningless slogan for two minutes?

By: anon

anon — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:28:33 +0000

There is a mist blowing into our society and it smells and sounds like the French revolution.

Thanks for posting this video. What else can we expect from a billionaire? He wants to overturn term limits to keep the status quo. And how can he even bring up the 1970s of NYC? His logic is so flawed – we should be happy because things have been worse? And the tried and workable 9/11 analogy. The bottom line is the ultra-wealthy are completely disconnected from most people. Unfortunately, the media and entertainment industry has been glorifying them for the past decade. But in economic downturns people wake up.

By: Yolanda C.

Yolanda C. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:10:29 +0000

Does Bloomberg not remember that it was “rich people” and “profitable businesses” who screwed up the economy in the first place? And he thinks people are wrong to be upset about city officials having $250-a-plate dinners with these “profitable” rich folk to decide the “future of New York?” Who would want these idiots running the city—I wouldn’t trust these guys to get me a soda from the store without stealing the change!

I mean, why is there any argument about this simple fact—it looks really freaking bad for corporations who begged for public dollars to be spending it on shit they neither need nor can afford. Bonuses, corporate jets, exclusive banquets? Seriously, when people are losing jobs, getting evicted and freezing to death in their homes? Even Obama had to call Wall Street out yesterday! What is it going to take for corporate America to get it?

By: Natalia

Natalia — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:02:19 +0000

But Holly! Everyone knows that poor people are dumb! Why ELSE would they be so poor, huh, huh? If anyone lets them into fancy meetings, they’ll blow their noses on the tablecloth before making off with the silverware! Not to mention all the poor people cooties they’ll spread around! Gross!

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(yes, the above was sarcasm. in case you are wondering)

By: Holly

Holly — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:27:09 +0000

Like I said, you can’t really hear the demand being made. They were also passing out fliers with a demand, but were not allowed to deliver a letter to the mayor. The demands were basically to create ticipation of low-income New Yorkers in decisions and this kind of “closed meeting” about the economy of the city, especially since poor people are usually the hardest hit.

By: catfood

catfood — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:18:22 +0000

Oh god, I hate to sound like a concern troll, I honestly don’t mean it, but… I don’t think that was a very good protest. It looked as though the protestors were expecting to be dragged out before getting a chance to say anything. Instead, they had the floor for a minute or two and failed to deliver a demand or an opinion of substance. Unless visibility is an agenda in itself. Is that what the demonstration was for?

On the up side, I admire anyone who disrupts business as usual, if the cause is just. That was cool.