How to become pen pals with an actual 1 percenter!

[telemann.livejournal.com]

OWS has developed a a rather clever way to reach out and touch the 1 percent: by encouraging people that have lost their homes, job and lives to connect directly to the investment banks and their executives by listing dozens of executives' contact information (all nicely divided up by the bank they work for and their job title but with E-mail addresses blocked out). The wording is clever and silly, and the design is most extremely professional and elegant (if you're into graphic design like I am). The strategy is a good one (because it humanizes what happened by direct contact). But why not do something more productive by writing Congress, or use this web site as a launch-pin for voter registration information? Meanwhile, the 3rd edition of The Occupied Wall Street Journal has been printed and and available online.

Comments

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

Shit. Yes.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

If the emails get past the spam box, I'm sure Ellen or whoever receives it will sob uncontrollably, until the masseuse knocks on the door or it's time to get off the plane at Lake Como.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Well in Ellen's case, since they're using her American Natural History Museum contact, and considering her reliance on interaction with the public (e.g. possible donations, exhibits, social events, yadda, yadda, yadda), there's more than a reasonable chance she will see some of the letters sent by the OWS supporters. Unless of course they use @try_viagra.com. The corporate mail accounts will be a bit more of an issue for spam folders etc, I agree.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Stupid question, but how does on identify a member a "1 percenter"?

Is there a specific wealth/influence threshold that must be met or is it more like being a "class enemy" where someone just puts your name on a list?

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

From what I was told that if you have assets of a million dollars you are part of the 1% (a scary thought, as if the housing market comes back, I could be there, then people will be writing me nasty letters :D)
It is amazing how many people I know that are in the 1% who never made much over 60K while people I know who have made 120K on up have gone into bankruptcy.

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

"I could be there, then people will be writing me nasty letters"

You will no doubt have your buttler filter them out.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Si senor.

That does not sound right.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The million dollar rule may apply to Kansas, but I doubt that it applies to California.

Re: That does not sound right.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

For a change I agree with you :D

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

There are a few dozen people on this list and there should be a few million in the top 1%, this is hardly an exhaustive list. It looks like they got them from SEC filings and probably googled their name to get an email.

If you happen to be named "Lloyd Blankfein" or "Brian Moynihan", you're probably getting spammed.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

I don't get what's up with this desire to throw as much chaff in the air and presume it means efficacy.

I just with the howler monkeys would get over themselves and just move on.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Do you think if Mitch McConnell received 200,000 pieces of mail from his constituents in Kentucky to support the President's job bill, that it would make his change his vote?

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

If 200,000 people take the time to write a letter, sure. If he gets a form letter that 200,000 people took the time to print out and mail, maybe, if he gets spammed with 200,000 emails saying the same thing, probably not.

[malakh-abaddon.livejournal.com]

There is an old saying. If you throw enough sh-t, some of it will stick on the side of the barn.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

All snark aside, I do like the Idea.

Seems to me that it probably has a better chance of actually effecting change than messing up a cities green-spaces.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Fuck the Occupiers.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Oh my!

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Rabies...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... comes to mind.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

What's going on with you today?

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

today?

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

If you could find your own dick.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

THIS is a hell of a lot more constructive than the tour of 1%ers homes that some of the protesters were doing. As long as they're not giving out personal information (like home addresses, private phone numbers, the names of their family members, etc.), then I think this is a valid way of making their voice heard. If people supporting OWS had done this in the first place, I'd probably respect them more.