112 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 7 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
Exclusive to OpEd News:
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 11/20/11

Who's Wrecking America? Vote on the 1% Nominees (VIDEO)

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   1 comment
Message Robert Greenwald

The Occupy movement has drawn attention to how too many in the 1% get to play by their own rules while exploiting the 99%. But who's doing the most to damage our economy and democracy?

You tell us.

We at Brave New Foundation have launched a website where you can vote on some of the most infamous members of the 1% -- financial fraudsters, union-busters, weapons contractors, and more. Then we'll make a series of videos exposing the ones that you rank as the very worst. As our friends at Fox News might put it: We film. You decide.

Let's look at some examples. Lloyd Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs, is one of our nominees. He touted mortgage assets to clients while privately betting $10 billion they'd fail. Then he lied to Congress by claiming that Goldman Sachs had not, in fact, bet against its own clients. These actions helped spur the excessive risk-taking that led to the financial meltdown and put millions out of a job.

Or take a look at Paul Singer, who has earned the nickname "the vulture capitalist." He exploits poor nations by buying their defaulted debt for cheap and forcing them to pay in full--plus interest. The Congo was one of Singer's victims. That country had just gotten out of a civil war and half of its citizens live on less than a dollar a day. To Singer, that was a business opportunity. He bought the Congo's debt for pennies on the dollar and then sued to win far, far more than he had paid for it.

Of course, simply bandying names about isn't the point. The point is that the activists fueling social movements like Occupy need to be able to understand exactly how oppression works and which individuals are controlling the process. Where would our nation be if, in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, activists had spoken only of the systemic issue of segregation and didn't have George Wallace and Bull Connor to single out as perpetrators? We at Brave New Foundation are helping build a narrative so that citizens can draw a straight line between the cheats and bullies misusing their wealth and the economic predicament in which our country is now ensnared.

We aren't alone in this effort. Our partners include progressive media truth tellers like AlterNet, TruthOut, the Nation, PoliticusUSA, CARE2, the Center for Media and Democracy, the Young Turks, Campaign for America's Future, Free Speech TV, Thom Hartmann, and MichaelMoore.com.

So who do you think deserves to be exposed? Vote and make your voice heard. With the Occupy movement at a critical point, this is the moment to double down on illuminating our nation's vast inequalities and--just as important--how things got this way. This is a chance to take our democracy back.

Must Read 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Robert Greenwald Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Robert Greenwald is a producer, director and political activist; the founder and president of Brave New Films, a new media company that uses moving images to educate, influence, and empower viewers to take action around issues that matter. Under (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Is your Senator Representing Charles and David Koch?

Inside the Koch Brothers' Expensive Echo Chamber

Are the Koch brothers teaching you?

Want to see how the Kochs are ending public education?

In the lead: Rupert Murdoch and the Koch Brothers

Lost, Abused and Neglected for a Profit

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend