“Enough is enough,” says Ryan McKenna. “You can only get pushed around and lied to for so long before you have stand up and say ‘enough.’”
McKenna is participating in Occupy Nova Scotia, a local offshoot of what is now the global Occupy Wall Street movement. Inspired by the Arab Spring as exemplified in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, the Occupy organizations are non-hierarchical, leaderless movements making broad use of social media and their physical presence in high profile locations to make the point that the power structures of society have abandoned the vast majority of people.
“We’re the 99 percent,” says McKenna. “There’s one percent, or less, that own the wealth and direct the economy. And they’ve forgotten us.”
McKenna is 25 years old; he says most of the group is in the 25-35 age range, but “we have 60- and 70-year-olds drop by, and high school kids; it’s across the board.” A meeting at a coffee shop on rainy Tuesday night brought 35 people out. McKenna speaks sheepishly, stressing that he’s no leader and steering the conversation away from himself, although he does allow that he is a former soldier.
By design, the Occupy groups come to “demands” through what can seem like a painfully long process of consensus. The local organization is discussing such issues as the hiking of tuition fees and the governmental focus on the financial centre. Canada is tied into the US financial complex, says McKenna, which results in “buying fighter jets, the tar sands, the list is endless.”
Occupy Nova Scotia meets every day at 3pm, usually at Veith House (3115 Veith Street), but those interested in attending should check the group’s Facebook page to make sure the location isn’t changed, and for other updates. In coming days, the group will announce a public event for this Saturday, Oct. 8, “to assess what are numbers are,” says McKenna, and in preparation of an “occupation” of Grand Parade on Saturday, Oct. 15.
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2011.
Does he have a job and if not, why not ?
What education/skill does he have ?
A JOB? You mean part of THE SYSTEM? Mannnnnnn
Cranky – Yeah, a job. Contributing to society.
Or maybe he is an entrepreneur like Steve Jobs.
Or like Bill Gates.
What is THE SYSTEM ? Explain yourself.
The article says he’s a former soldier, so he’s definitely “contributed to society” and probably gained some valuable skills in the process. But you should probably ignore that fact, since it totally contradicts the ridiculous and tiresome image of social activists as burnt out, welfare-sucking hippy types.
“Contributing” to society… Those burger flippers who cook so we don’t have to, the cleaners who deal with our messes because we can’t go anywhere without picking up after ourselves, the car salesmen who rope us into payment plans that leave us paying way too much for transportation we don’t need? The gas station owners who fill up those cars that pollute out atmosphere, and the landscapers who rip out beautiful natural growth and replace it with more profitable beds that require constant maintenance, the rig workers who pull toxic sludge from the ground every single day. The military men who go off to kill or be killed or the bank worker who up-sells you on the credit card that allows you to buy things you don’t have money for?
How is that YOUR job contributes to this society JoeBlow?
If you are wondering if the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and its sequelae are important to you and your family, watch the documentary “Inside Job” by Charles Ferguson, then decide.
Do you have a job? or are you part of that 1%?
Whos kidding who… The “SYSTEM” likely screwed him over just like it is screwing the other 99%… which is why the group calls out to the rest of the population! Get together, stop whining.. AND take action!!!! I’m guessing there is a reason he is an EX soldier and I’m also willing to bet that it was not because he did not want to work or not participate in society but the exact opposite. Lack of education shouldn’t even be a topic! HA!
It’s a common misconception that this movement is about lazy, unemployed people whining for handouts. You don’t need to be poor in order to care about our economic system! In fact these issues probably have a greater impact on the employed. I second the Inside Job recommendation. Get informed!
http://hypervocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2…
I feel like “If you want to make money, you need to work hard” has become “If you want to make money, become an investment banker”.
Comparing the growth of US family incomes: http://i.imgur.com/4u6Hc.jpg
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/1…
I don’t understand why people think that all activists don’t have jobs or that people who are flipping burgers don’t have valid political and social opinions. You are the ignorance feeding the problem. I have a job in IT and a good paying one at that. I support this movement and as soon as I return to Halifax this weekend I intend on getting more involved.
So, the Wall Street/Bay Street lads and lasses are going to return their huge bonuses after listening to the disjointed ramblings of 35 dossers in a coffee shop in Halifax? Viva La Revolution and pass the latte and organic sugar!
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/…
Wow! there are people in third world nations that only dream what we have in the West? These people still get state benefits and many in other places in the world only dream how good we have here.
Why are they complaining? Wait! the far left needs another ’cause’ since this is what most do for a living is protest about something..
Also they do not speak for the Majority of people. There are lot of places that are hiring and are well paying Jobs out there.
Also Capitalism has:
Rise the standards of living
Famines are rare thanks to Capitalism.
Technological advances (Wonder why Steve Jobs made iPods, iPads? they did for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$)
Also what these people do not get ? We do live in a different world then we did 10-20 years ago. The current crisis is not caused by Banks in today’s world we have to compete against another nations for labour and even the cost of Labour.
Also you think you are deprived of something then please go to third world nations or communist nations which the left love to death. Guess What! They only dream for what we have here.
They say this protests are like the Arab Spring when they are not. Do these people even know what they are dying for? Does the Canadian Government stop these protests by ordering the mass murder of defenseless people? Have they been murdering thousands and thousands people?
NOPE!
Also these idiots say “we are 99%” try the 0.005% see when you have your little protest most people other then peace, anti war or far left groups do not even care. As with most of planet.
Wow! What The Coast fails to say in Canada the Unemployment Rate is falling. These leftest Idiots say there are no jobs I’m guessing they are not even looking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/07/ca…
Who is saying anything against capitalism? It’s the illegal use of the system corrupting itself, interpreting the laws in immoral ways so that only very few make a profit. That’s what the problem is. As far as I know, no one is calling for a socialist state, but one that’s responsible with the wealth. Do you people ACTUALLY agree that those crooks on Wall Street (and other similar locales around the world) should just continue on the way they’re going without anyone trying to temper the free reign and legislate more responsibility?
@ralmn
It’s called Capitalism. It was greed that made Steve Jobs to make iPods, iPhones, and iPads. It was the same wall street that make technological advances in the world from Microsoft to Apple from Intel, AMD and VIA. It’s greed that makes the products we all enjoy. It is the same system that has improved living standards in this world. Also it is what creates jobs too sadly.
Wealth is apart of Capitalism just because some leftest idiots can not understand how the system does not work for them but works for the 99% of us does not give them the right to say they are the majority when they are not.
Also please tell us if you have a different system that works. Communism is only works on paper then tell us what is the alternative? Sadly people in the third world and in Communist nations have to work 7 days a week for almost nothing and they could only dream about welfare checks, days off, the right to protest, or even the rights we enjoy in Canada.
Oh Yes! we keep on forgetting it’s Wall Street fault, the evil banks, Capitalism, Greed etc…
Not so tough or dedicated protesters :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8814277/Re…
Look up the definition of capitalism. These massive banks and corporations scream to the highest heavens for deregulation and than come running home to big government for a bailout when they fail. Capitalism is good. Innovation and the honest to goodness quest for wealth is good. Corruption and abuse of the system is what caused this mess – not the system itself. But hey – too big to fail right.
hockeynut
What caused this current economic problems was people buying things they could not afford or not living with in their means. Capitalism is based on Greed anything we buy is because someone wants to have $$$$$$$$$$$ off of it. Also legally when people buy a house or a car they usually have to get a loan from the bank and it means buying something they can afford which in the United States Americans do not even know what that is. What caused this current crisis people bought things on a loan usually and bought things they simply. In this case it was a millions of people who were buying things they could not even afford and could not pay their debts back. In this case it was so many people who could not pay their debts back caused the banking system in the United States and Europe to collapse. Also with the lack of government interference in the banking system cause it to collapse since the banks did not have a rules to follow on what is allowed to run the banking system. In Europe and the USA they have few regulations on the banking system and in the case of Europe the debt crisis is only effecting the Euro Zone since it is run by Germany.
Also another factor that made the economic crisis even worse around 42% of Americans and most Europeans simply do not pay their taxes and this is what caused governments in Europe and in the United States to have the lack of funds to deal with the current economic crisis. In both parts of the world few people pay their taxes might be a issue since to get out of this crisis is usually by raising taxes but it does not help when nearly have of the population does not even pay them.
In Canada this is not the case. Our Banks have not gone broke because the government watches what they do. Most people do pay their taxes and the government in Canada does watch the banks and usually the banks do have a lobby in Ottawa but what they usually push for laws to what they are going in Europe or the United States that is legal to make it illegal in this country. The reason they want to maintain their monopoly in Canada and even to move into other markets. Currently most banks in the USA today are not American. They are Canadian or European banks.
Blame the Banks, blame Capitalism all you want… But I think they are not even the problem in Canada to say the lease. Also the unemployment rate in Canada is dropping not going up
In the immortal words of Gordon Gekko – Greed is Good.
The entire problem has been created by the banking industry & that farce which is fiat currency.
Just because the government sanctions these bozo’s & their policies…doesn’t change its simply a ponzi scheme.
But what I find very distressing, is the commodities market aka rippoff consumers market. Because that is all that system is, a way for those with piles of paper cupons (aka money) to buy up articls of real value in bulk to the point where they corner the market on needed items (think rising gas prices when oil prices are falling) & then jack the prices of these things to make obscene profits, from those who have no choice but to buy what isn’t available elsewhere. Then allowing these same bozo’s to ‘speculate’ on the ”future” deliveries of a product, & drive up the price today on speculation about tomorrow !
I often wonder why different gas stations in the US have differnet prices for the same product (gas) often within a block or 2 of each other…yet you never see that here !
Canada, the home of the monopoly, cause that’s got to be good for us ! NOT ! ! !
More
If you want cheep gas then demand the Socialist on Hollis Street to get ride of the government controlled price on Gas????
Exxon would be more then happy to comply
Well you know it’s serious when the Zombies come out. I wonder how many protesters wouldn’t take a CEO job if offered.
People stage protests in other countries because they do not have the right to vote. Here in North America you have a mechanism for change – it’s called elections. No one is going to change their ways because a bunch of people got together with some bristol board and camped out on the sidewalk. But if you don’t like the way the government is being run, vote for someone who you agree with next time there’s an election. Don’t like any of the options available to you? Then develop a plan for how to do things differently and run to be a party leader yourself – if so many people feel the same way you do then they will vote for you – for change – and you can make a real difference. If you don’t win, it’s not because of big business or investment bankers, it’s because not enough people feel the same way you do. In a beautiful place like North America where we have been afforded the right to vote you have to understand that politicians will never make everyone happy, they have to please the majority. Don’t take what we have for granted, you can change the way things are, and you have both the right, and mechanism, to do so.
Note that many of the major changes in the past 200 years came from people protesting (see: Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., etc). Many of these changes weren’t as the result of voting, though voting can affect change as well, provided the party in power doesn’t win by just around 9,000 votes (see: Canada election 2011). These major events in the past were situations of the majority speaking out against the minority in power.