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You Know What I'm Talkin' About???

“YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT???” VALIENT THORR’S VALIENT HIMSELF ON THE OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS

 Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 4:00pm by

Valient Thorr MetalSucks - You Know What I'm Talkin' About?

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”

My thoughts kept racing back and forth about what is happening in our country right now just underneath our noses.  SO CLOSE!  It’s so close!  It’s the same kind of close as when someone has stepped in dogshit and they walk into the room, and you kind of catch a whiff of it.  Enough of a whiff that you walk off into a corner and check the bottom of your shoe to make sure it’s not you.  THAT’s how close this happening is. Or THESE happenings are. The Occupy Wall Street movement has spread to so many different cities that it’s pretty hard to keep up with what’s happening. I couldn’t sleep because this is something I’ve been dreaming about for a number of years. This is the beginning — NOT of a revolution (because revolutions just REVOLVE around and end up in the same place) but an EVOLUTION in our thought processes (taking us to a higher state of thought).

This gigantic hivemind group has come together despite their differences.  Despite the things that politicians would use against us to pull us apart.  They always pit the American people against each other.  Left or right.  Liberal or Conservative.  Black or white.  Rich or poor.  Gay or straight.  None of that shit matters.  That is the significance of the idea of the 99%.  There has been an unbalance in this country for too long.  The network or cable news wouldn’t let you in on this stuff.  It’s not them who’s out there protesting.  AND their paychecks come from those same people who’ve bought our government.  It took so goddamn long for something like this to happen.  And you know why?  Of course you do.  If you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be wasting your time on the internet reading something that some rocknroll singer wrote.  There is about 1% in this country that have the bread to buy those in charge, reaping the benefits and the rewards of all of your hard work.  It’s the reason that most people give up voting.  They think, “Well, these candidates are all bought.  What does it matter?  What good will my vote do when in the end if either way it goes we’re all fucked?”

Well, the people out there in the street have had enough.  It only took fifteen years and about 5 wars.  That’s just since Bosnia.  Think of all the dollars and bullets.  Think of all the dead.  Think of all the homeless and hungry.  Now think of some of these corporations and their pet politicians who’d rather forget those homeless people existed than pay the same percentage of their pay that everyone else pays — to feed the hungry, build the roads they drive on, and on and on and on.  I want to stay focused here.  This much pent up aggression can cause you to ramble on and on and on…

Have you been fucked over by banks, or insurance, or laid off because of some ridiculous reason, or promised something that they now decided that you’re not gonna get?  Then you know what I’m talking about.  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t see it this same way.  It seems like we are all on the same page.  Except for those who are blind to injustice.  Those who are well-off enough to not have to deal with the everyday common struggles that people who make under $20,000 a year deal with.  Or try $12,000 a year.

I know not everyone can drive to a major city and lay down in the middle of the street for what you believe in.  BUT I’D ASK YOU TO AT LEAST CONSIDER IT.  If the shit goes down… what will you do?  If they pull another Kent State… what will you do?  What do they have to do to you to get you to pay attention?

Here are some things that I think we can do to help:

VOTE LOCALLY:  Your community is what matters the most.  Take an active role.  Get the kooks out of there.  Stand up for what you believe in.  The presidential election isn’t the election that is going to affect you the most; it’s the elections that happen in your towns and in your state.  Just because the news doesn’t say so doesn’t mean you aren’t a part of a majority.  There are more of us than there are of them.  I’m talking about real people.  The people who don’t have 401k’s, the people who have no idea how to use the fucking stock market.  If you can’t make it work, get the fuck outta there.  Mark it off the map.  Don’t be scared to make a move.

SHOP LOCALLY:  When you’re out and about, and you actually have some bread, spend it at mom and pop stores.  Steer clear of the Walmarts and even the CVS’s.  Go to the farmer’s market and buy food that is from less than 60 miles away.  Support local farmers and restaurants.  When you see a McDonald’s or a Burger King, and you know for you it’s morally wrong to eat there, but you still love convenience and the occasional dose of things that are bad for you, think of it as more than just “I don’t eat there because its bad for me,” think of it as “I don’t eat there because its bad for EVERYONE.  Spread your money around in YOUR community.  Do research on places you go, products you buy, and businesses that you are a patron of.  If you find out some heavy shit, call them out on it — in real life, not on YELP.

GET YOUR MONEY OUT OF BIG BANKS:  I am personally searching for a small local bank or some type of credit union to store what little bit of capital I have.  I don’t want to support these giant corpo banks anymore. These banks like Citibank, tricking kids into signing their lives away on a loan for college that they’ll never be able to pay back, or Bank of America charging you to HAVE an account and now charging you to USE the account.  I encourage you all to take your money away from them.  They get paid so much, my measly bit of bread taken from their plate won’t matter much, but if enough of us take action, they won’t be pulling some of these crazy extravagant vacations / outlandish raises / etc. etc. etc.  No need for examples, you guys know how to use search engines.  Look them up. These greedy motherfuckers are about to get theirs.

FOLLOW ALT NEWS ORGS ON TWITTER:  I know millions of you are on Twitter, and I know millions of you have no idea how to use it.  If you are not on it, and you depend solely on CNN, Fox, MSNBC or the like, then you are out of touch.  If you want real news, from the source, and from the people, there are thousands of organizations to follow… Again literally thousands — from low budge bloggers to pro journalists to man on the street, get your news before the news gets the news here.

SEND HELP IF YOU CAN:  If you can’t personally go yourself but you are moved by the actions of those who choose to stand out in the streets, send them some help.  Whether its support via explaining to your neighbors how significant this all is, or monetarily by sending them pizza or clothes or care packages.  There are many different webposts on how to do these things.  Again: use a search engine. Send food to OWS.  It’s not that hard to help.  And if you’re feeling particularly generous, donate to local shelters in your town while you’re at it.  Hell, donate your kidney if you feel inclined.  Trust me, it feels really good to help others.

We live in a country where the news tells us about how much money the politicians are raising like whoever raises the most cash is the most worthy of our votes.  Where the fuck did that come from?  Why should we care about that?  Why don’t they use that money to feed some people who need and deserve it?  I’m not talking about handouts.  The people out there protesting have lost their jobs or have lost their ability to strike.   But they said fuck it.  We’re gonna do it anyway.

Real change is staring you in the face.

This IS what happened in the 60s.  People saw corruption for what it was, and decided they weren’t going to let it stand.  No matter who we vote for, the money that changes hands between the corporations and the goddamned lobbyists before any policy or any thought about making any change on/or about anyTHING could yield enough to feed thousands.  These lobbyists make so much money greasing handshakes that they have to come up with ridiculous legitimate scams to write it all off.  Who do you think runs the ART WORLD???

I’m gonna wrap up these thoughts here with some things for you to toss around in your heads.  There are literally hundreds of different posts that are spread around facebook and twitter that each blow me away with the staggering facts that show the unbalance, the unfairness, and the ridiculousness of it all.   If one sounds interesting to you, READ IT!  Educate yourselves!  Take the time to read these things rather than passing around funny pictures to each other!  I definitely lean as far away from the crazy shit I hear coming from the conservatives’ mouths on a daily basis.  But this isn’t a party issue.  This affects us all.  I don’t want you to be confused out there.  This is a movement of the people.  This is the time for you to stand up if you’re tired of having to lie down.  This is the time to go to meetings in the community.  This is the time to voice your opinions and not to wait around for someone else to do it for you.  The forum is there.  The people are listening.  We need you.  Get involved in one of the Occupy movements.  I know they’d rather stick together and not splinter off, but let’s be honest:  anything will help.  No matter who you are helping, as long as you are helping in some way, go for it.

Now is the time

Take your money away from them

Think about the future

Think about the world

Think about someone other than yourself

If you do all you can for others, you will be taken care of when it comes your time.

THAT’S what this is all about.

Don’t sit around with a smile on your face eating spoonfuls of their bullshit.

Wake up and look around.  Seriously, this isn’t a call to arms, this is a hey- hey-

HEY MAN ARE YOU FUCKING PAYING ATTENTION??  MOTHERFUCKERS ARE IN THE STREETS MC5-STYLE RIGHT NOW!!

I implore you:  Don’t sit there idle.  Look around and see what’s happening before it’s too late.

 

Thank you and be safe.

BANG FOR WORLD PEACE,

Valient Himself

 

PS: Here’s a really great article to get you started on educating yourself.  It’s one guy’s essay and idea on how we should seek an amendment to separate corporations and state just like the separation of church and state.  Very interesting read: http://www.novaspivack.com/best-articles/proposal-for-a-new-constitutional-amendment-a-separation-of-corporation-and-state  See?  One guy can make a difference!!

Thanks again!

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  • andy

    Eh…governments gonna govern.

    • Major Bedhead

      this type of attitude is what got us here in the first place

      • andy

        I’m pretty sure the government knows it’s fucked up. If even Ivy League graduates can’t resolve this country’s issues, then we’re screwed plain and simple. I don’t know much about politics, therefore I shouldn’t say shit. But those suits are working behind curtains we can’t look past and we have no choice, but to trust them to do the right thing. And I’m sure it’s gonna come to a point where we’re fighting each other over something as pathetic as money. Whatever…I just want a third Necrophagist album.

  • Jerkoff_guy

    Ugh, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone on here commented on the OWS crap and make themselves look ignorant…

    Corporations are not the immediate problem, THE GOVERNMENT IS THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM. People should be in ONE PLACE to protest: Washington D.C. Sick of hearing this liberal-slanted crap all over the place. CORPORATIONS AREN’T GOING TO CHANGE FOR YOU.

    • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

      Corporations and the government are both the immediate problem

      • Amusicalweapon

        So whens the last time the government gave you a job?

        • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

          …the government gives plenty of people jobs

          • Amusicalweapon

            The government doesn’t produce jobs and yes I’m serious.

          • The Flying Scotsman

            This without exception, the most ignorant thing I’ve read on MS. First of all, every single member of the armed forces is a Govt employee, therefore the govt created those jobs (and the way it’s going they’ll be creating more soon…Hello Iran!). There are of course the elected officials themselves, however perhaps you will contend they are in the Constitution and not ‘created’. I would proffer that the bedrock document of the GOVT requiring employees would be most certainly creating jobs. Every staffer, office worker, FBI, CIA, & ATF agent is a govt employee. At the local level police, firemen, teachers are all govt employees. I could go on, but I suspect I’ll just get a barrage of right-wing tropes in response. I’ll preempt  that by saying I win. Thanks.

          • Batholith

            Obviously you are not considering the bigger picture. As a matter of fact, I believe the gentleman commenting at the top of the page is a direct employee of the government (Army Reservist).
            Personally, I work for a corporation that holds many large contracts with federal, state, and municipal governments making sure people have clean water to drink, have roads and infrastructure to use, and ensuring that your precious corporate polluters clean up their toxic messes. You and your right wing ideologue buddies can make up all the shit you want about the ‘gummit not creatin’ one damn job’, but you need to realize you are living in a fantasy world. The guy you see driving a road roller at the new freeway interchange has a job created by the government. The guy who plows the roads in town has a government job. The person flipping the switches at your local wastewater plant is employed by the government. Not to mention every person who works to keep you safe from fires, criminals, toxic vapors in your house, toxic bacteria in your food, and foreign threats. I would love to continue in this vein, but I think I’ve made my point. Accept reality, sir.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

          Are you serious? 

        • monkey knife fight

          When was the last time a profit motivated entity ‘gave’ you a job? No such thing as a free lunch. It should be obvious to you but you make a trade when you get a job. You get some money/benefits and the other side gets your time/skills/efforts etc/

          And part of the OWS stuff is that that trade is far too one sided.

      • Dubs

        *Corporations IN BED with the government are the immediate problem.

    • m33bles

      Government and corporations are the same problem

    • http://twitter.com/MetalBusiness Metal Business

      It is a systematic issue of finance, trading, taxing, banking and political funding. Don’t make this a chicken/egg issue. 

      • Jerkoff_guy

        It doesn’t matter. Protesting in NY’s financial district isn’t going to do shit. Politicians are so batshit blind that anything short of a protest on their workplace steps isn’t going to do anything. Mark my words that if serious DC protesting doesn’t happen, people will forget this happened in a year.

        • Alexmonro83

          Well most Americans can’t get to DC. Should they just never protest then?

  • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

    i like the idea of the Occupy protests but I don’t understand what the ultimate end goal is. call me a cynic, but it seems to me that these are largely symbolic protests that don’t offer much in the way of actual solutions to the problems at hand. “we are the 99 percent” is certainly a good rallying cry, but insinuating that the US’s financial issues can be solved by pressuring one percent of people to change their financial policy is a little short-sighted. It will help to increase taxes on the very rich, but in order for the system to actually right itself, great changes need to be made from top to bottom. 

    Here’s hoping that at the very least these protests will force government officials to take some action, if for no other reason than for fear of losing their jobs. And I certainly agree with Valient Himself that it’s important to educate yourself actively and not to just go by what’s reported on by major news outlets, and also that a lot of people doing little things can lead to change, if it’s planned well and there’s willingness to devise real solutions.

    • Jacob

      This is really it.  A ton of people are meeting up and protesting under the banner of unity and 99 percent and diversity, but they’ve really failed to get an end goal organized.  It seems to me like a lot of people are very unhappy, and they probably should be, but they aren’t adequately voicing what they want to change.

      All of that said, I’m out on the frontlines with them this weekend.

    • Kuranes

      I agree with the premise that the ultra-rich have a lopsided influence on government policies and that the conservative tax policies started under Reagan have favored the highest earners at the expense of the middle class.  And there are people in these protests that are legitimately suffering through no fault of their own – most of these people have serious health problems and are being willfully neglected by a for-profit insurance industry. 

      But many (most?) of the people on the wearethe99percent tumblr are there because they personally made stupid decisions: if you incurred $80k in student debt getting a degree in Medieval History and now you can’t get a job, that’s your lack of foresight.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

        You had me until that short-sighted second paragraph.

        • Kuranes

          Corey, I didn’t mean to bag on your Medieval History degree.  You seem to have translated that into a successful writing career :)

      • monkey knife fight

        Right – stupid decisions. Like those made by the greedy fuckers in Wall Street, the lobbyists, the corrupt politicians. 
        It wasn’t someone dutifully taking on a student loan in an effort to better themselves that brought on the GFC, it was unrestrained corporate greed coupled with poor governance. 

    • http://twitter.com/MetalBusiness Metal Business

      To suggest that the protesters need an “ultimate goal” is an inherently flawed way to look at protest movements. It isn’t their responsibility to change the system, they are not the ones in power. They simply want to get the change started and push it in a particular direction. 

      A group of individuals from multiple backgrounds and perspectives may not all have the same “ultimate goal”, but they all voice the concern that there is a problem with what the current system of corrupt/deformed capitalism that controls our lives and bleeds our wallets. 

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

        Beautifully stated. People that bemoan the #OWS protesters for not being focused spend too much time listening to (and parroting) the corporate media making the same claims. If the government hasn’t been able to fix the problem over nearly three decades, how can one expect a random grass-roots gathering of average citizens to coalesce and create the perfect solution in less than five weeks?

        • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

          i’m just saying that making a lot of noise won’t help on its own.

          • Alexmonro83

             I actually read a list of pretty specific aims by some group representing OWS. I forget where I saw it but Im sure you can find on the net if you search.

        • MachinaeSupremacist

          True, but that means this movement will have to *last* more than five weeks. And come up with something in the meantime.

    • Anonymous

      I’d like to think that most people on this site don’t rely on CNN for their news. Most metalheads I encounter are pretty good at educating themselves outside of the mainstream mediums.

  • Neit

    I do support your suggestions encouraging people to become more involved in local communities, politics, and advocacy. I do support campaign finance reform and would consider increased separation of corporation and state. However, most of what you said  in your introduction is simple minded and purposeless, betrays a basic misunderstanding of human nature, and reminds me greatly of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. I’m in the Army Reserves and I make 25,000 a year. I’d prefer it if we just kept things here as metal as possible.

    • Anonymous

      This guy knows what’s up.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

      Where, specifically, does Valient’s intro remind you of Marx? How is it “betraying a basic misunderstanding of human nature”? 

      • The Yeast And The Harlot

        Someone totally didn’t cite Wikipedia as a source.

        • Occupy My Pantsweat

          ???

          • The Yeast And The Harlot

            Do you honestly believe that dude came up with that quote on his own?

          • OccupyMyPantsweat

            Ah, gotcha. A little slow today. 

          • Neit

            Lol you can try to find it if you like but it’s all mine.

          • The Yeast And The Harlot

            Talking about Corey, but I suppose this thread IS a little hard to follow.

          • Fried Dong

            Actually, he was talking about Neit who Corey quoted.

          • The Yeast And The Harlot

            No, dude. I AM talking about Corey.

          • Fried Dong

            Then I’m totally lost. What did you mean in your original comment?

      • Neit

        Corey, I’ll discuss this with you further when you finish another Bleeder’s Digest.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

          Hey Neit! Yep, I am halfway done with August and still have, literally, 72 hours of September tunes to listen to. Been covering film festivals lately.

          I look forward to our discussion. 

          • Neit

            Best news of the week. Releases I’ve picked up solely because of Bleeders’ Digest: Cerebral Bore, Horned Almighty, Jungle Rot, Infestus, ArchEnemy, Vastum…etc.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

            Cool. I’ve got plenty of new bands that have never been mentioned on MetalSucks in the next two Bleeders’ Digests. 

            Interesting Karl Marx quote:

            “Democracy is the road to socialism.” 

    • David

      Actually, economists have been realizing lately that Marx ended up being pretty spot on regarding a few of his ideas/predictions, especially considering his book was (co)written 150 years ago.  For example, the struggle and conflicts regarding global labor are far from over.  Communism itself…not such a good idea.  

      Anyways, I think there is room for debate in all arenas (good on Valiant).  However, in real discussion, people should to be careful to not resort to name-calling and put-downs when they don’t have anything else say…it’s good for trolling but not much else.

      Signed, simple-minded and purposeless

  • Dolebotixstudios

    Awesome.  Free Your Mind… and your ass will follow

  • Charlie D

    lol@”worked in the 60s!”

    That’s why 40 and 50 years later things are “so bad” again?  Buy them pizza made with locally-grown ingredients I guess?  I make like $10,000 a year and blame myself for it because I didn’t work towards anything.  When I’m in a monetary bind because of car trouble or something I say, “Oh shit, this was my own silly fault now wasn’t it?”  Because it was.  Sidenote:  The Occupy thing in my city was going on during local election day so as logic would dictate, none of them voted.  I feel sorry for the few people legitimately fucked over who are out there lumped in with a bunch of living-off-their-rich-parents, suburbanite-bred college kids playing revolution.

    Valient has a sweet beard, though.

    • benthic

      living off their rich parents? is that why they have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt from school? what this problem really boils down to is that the CPI is rising at a rate that is higher than peoples wages are. when bread and milk continuously go up, yet wages don’t, well you see the problem…one thing that deffinitly adds to this is that college is now multiple times more expensive than it ever was, since when did it become acceptable to charge 50k per semester? its a system of control. if you saddle the young with debt then all they think about is there own problems, not the problems of the world like they did in “the 60′s” where as valiant pointed out, is when all the good protests happened. those people werent worried about being fired because by in large they were in nowhere near as much debt as we youth are today, but the youth of today now instead of voicing there opinions and risk being fired, therefore not being able to pay back the massive amounts of debt theyre in, they stay quiet and post on facebook/twitter instead of protesting these problems.

      this issue of not having a clear goal/solution well you cant pin it on anyone organization or department of govt theyre all equally to blame and equally responsible. i think that we as a people are just voicing our opinions that this situation is fucked and were tired of it, where are our taxes going? besides the obvious answer of fire police etc. in the end its just a feeling of why are we being fucked on both ends of it as consumers and tax payers. as an example, i work at xxxx bank and lately weve been fielding a lot of questions concerning a x$ fee. the answer we give is that because of the dodd frank act we cant raise a fee on the merchants that pay a fee everytime someone uses there debit card as a POS card, it explains why at some convienance stores make you buy atleast 7-10 dollars to use your card. with that in place the only way to make up that revenue is to charge a fee to use it. either way you look at it, the consumer is getting the hit, either by paying a .45 cent fee buy something or xxx amount a month to use it. i know i know i think we should just eat the hit and not pass it on to the customer but, im just a pawn who like my youth brethren is living from paycheck to paycheck trying to not get in more debt.

      • Sergeant D

        Your ignorance is obvious: the CPI does not include food.

        • benthic

          are you really going to say that? really? did you not see the period after that statement? learn how to read, trollings not gonna pay your bills forever.

  • Zaomustdie

    just get a job, and don’t act like scooping up  turds and cleaning bathrooms is beneath you. earn some shit for serious

    • monkey knife fight

      Easy to do when there are jobs going around. Have you paid attention to the jobless rate? Or are you like me, and so poor that you can’t pay attention?

    • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

      there are always shitty jobs going around. chain stores and restauraunts are always hiring help, even if it might only be part-time. they’re shitty jobs, but they’re jobs, and if you really need money they are rarely unavailable

      • benthic

        hey, point me in the direction of that shitty job, i cant find one. oh and btw ive been a janitor, a door to door salesman and a telemarketer all three are the shittiest jobs ever but hey ill take what i can get at this point. oh and none of those posistions are hiring.

        • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

          mcdonalds cook? cashier? i work at a bowling alley for minimum wage and i know for a fact that they’re hiring. it’s not enough to live on but it’s better than nothing

          • benthic

            exactly my point. not enough to live on, then what exactly are we suppose to do?

        • No

          Yes. I’ve held two out of the three jobs mentioned above and I can tell you this for certain: in my metro area you’d be lucky to even score any of those right now. Right wing or left wing, if you can’t realize just how hard it is for a lot of people right now out there you just might not be metal at all.

  • Amusicalweapon

    Why the fuck do you guys keep putting up political shit?  This movement is going to go away and they aren’t going to get what their demanding (which is stupid as fuck).  This is a METAL website, not a political blog.  Fuckin A.

    • http://www.facebook.com/ken.wilhelm Ken Wilhelm

      It’s also their blog, not yours…

      • monkey knife fight

        Hell yeah.

    • Alexmonro83

      Im pretty sure Valient Thorr is in a metal band. So I guess its your comment which is stupid as fuck.

    • Standingdead

      whatevs/long as we’re not talkin @ ratt or courtney love er some shit

  • Metalguy

    I should have known his (and Axl and Vinces) “opinion” on the matter would be showering praises. 

    • Metalguy

      Also, nice job writing this on you macbooks Metalsucks, way to stick it to the man.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=24400560 Tom Smo

        this type of comment seems to be some sort of rallying cry.  “they have iphones? the hypocrites!”

        but you know what?  these people aren’t luddites.  they aren’t communists.  they’re not asking for all corporations to stop.  they’re not trying to stop capitalism.  they’re just calling for reform and accountability.

        http://youtu.be/yhrwmJcsfT0

        i went down there yesterday.  right now their goal is to start a conversation about these topics.  if you want to blow it off, fine.  but you’re still talking about it, so it’s working.  people keep asking them how they propose to fix what’s wrong.  but they’re just trying to tell you what’s wrong.  sure maybe they’re telling us a few too many things.  but it’s up to us to do something about it.

  • Amusicalweapon

    Wow, so I guess you guys don’t like comments that ask why your putting up political shit hmm?  Nice, guess your not for free speech.  You should leave the comment.  There was nothing wrong with it. 

    • Acronymnemy

      WTFRU talking about?

  • Amusicalweapon

    Nice deleted two of my comments. 

    • Anonymous

      Y u mad tho?

    • Abc

      U paranoid, bro?

  • Ninja Bike

    It’s good to see people starting to wake up. Now these questions I ponder:

    Question the first: Seeing as the internet has been a great tool in exposing the corruption, how long until our government pulls a China-Google and restricts our internet usage?

    Question the second: How long until these peaceful protests turn into a violent upheaval?

    Question the third: If the current corporate owned government relinquished control back to us, the people, would we be able to create a working system or would there be more issues?

    Question the fourth: Given all these conspiracies and prophecies orbiting around 2012, isn’t it weird things are starting to get the way they are?

    • Metalguy

      Never, life being shitty isnt the same as Big Brother China
      Have you seen the protestors? They couldnt become violent if they wanted to
      No, it would be even worse. Anyone who thinks otherwise is the reason it wouldnt
      Really?

    • andy

      As long as we get a third Necrophagist album!!

    • http://twitter.com/orbsonb Ben Robson

      there would be violent protests everywhere the second the government restricted internet usage. not going to happen.

    • Anonymous

      2012? What the fuck? Here is a little archaeology lesson for you: The year of our Lord two thousand and twelve marks the end of the 12th baktun of the Mayan Long Count Calendar. From which, the 13th baktun will commence. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m surprised that you didn’t try to make a Hitler comparison of sorts.

    • Alexmonro83

      Yea those ancient Mayans were so great at predicting the future. Its why they were so prepared for the Spanish.

    • MachinaeSupremacist

      “isn’t it weird things are starting to get the way they are”?
      Like they haven’t already?
      Maybe you should re-read the part about getting news from sources that aren’t insansely sensationalist.

  • Big P

    I just want to say how hilarious it is I got a donate to Ron Paul banner ad at the bottom of this article.

  • Amusicalweapon

    I wonder why certain democratic politicians and SEIU members have been spotted among the ranks of these so called protesters?  Kanye west has shown up?  Give me a fucking break.  This is all politically orchestrated.

    • Charlies Bondage

      “This is a METAL website, not a political blog.” – Amusicalweapon
      So, shut the fuck up!!

      Thanks for playing.

  • Dubs

    What do I do if I’m working a minimum wage job, while saving for the future?  I can’t shop locally because that cost too much and i’d have to stop buying weed and concert tickets.  Yeah, basically I would stop supporting guys like you VT because I’d be too poor to do otherwise.  Or I’d end up fucked because I’d have no emergency money.  Basically, what I’m saying, is that you have no basic understanding of economics.

    • Dubs

      *By locally I mean “mom and pop” stores that charge too much because they need the extra profit in order to stay afloat, unlike Wal-Mart or the Goodwill.

    • Clintopsy

      The fundamental issue here is that too much money is kept at the top. If it were not for corporate greed that has eliminated our manufacturing/technology base you may be able to find a better job. The minimum wage should be higher anyway…….it should be livable at the very least.

    • Freddy

      he has no basic understanding of economics because he didn’t take into account YOUR need for concert tickets and weed? of course, what a fool!

  • Bonechamp

    People that are nay saying this. Its better than doing nothing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002131340820 Pat Arriola

    I love you Valient. My hat goes off to you and all the Wall Street protesters. *salutes*

  • Anonymous

    Valient! Dude! You should stick to writing party rock anthems and leave the political rantings to the unemployed, disillusioned BComm graduates smothered in loan debt.

    Rock on brotha!

    • Anonymous

      “You’re asking existential questions that are best left to Russian novelists and kids on acid.”
      -Wilfred 

  • http://twitter.com/vyrm j isaac

    he does have the greatest music podcast on the web:http://www.mixcloud.com/Rocknowledgy/

  • Enemyofgod72

    We may differ on what we believe the solutions are Valient but we agree that now is the time. People need to wake up and join the conversation. Something has been wrong in this country for longer than anyone can remember and we all know it. Why should anyone have to be homeless or hungry when it is not an issue of lack of resources just a lack of money to buy homes or food. Is this taking care of our fellow man? It’s not about taking from one and giving to another, it’s about providing what is readily available to our fellow human beings because that is the very definition of humanity! Valient is right, educate yourselves, the end of ignorance is only a click or two away. I encourage everyone to just google “resource based economy” — the answers to transform our world are there if you only seek it out.

  • Thenihilest

    Bravo, sir.  Now is the time when every man must stand up on one side or the other.  Choosing no side puts you against your fellow man.

  • Anonymous

    I for one am excited about the movement and since I’m a half-hour away from NYC here in NJ, I plan on making a visit soon. This is an important movement and believe if we are persistant we can force legimate change. The more jobs this country loses, the more people you’ll see protesting.  Like that Coalesce song goes “You Can’t Kill Us All”. See I made it relevant to metal.

  • http://twitter.com/CoryJWKamermans Cory Kamermans

    i’d like to join in but im also pretty fed up with everything that has to do with this and just want to ignore it for a while cause thinking about it just angers me.

  • Nobul Thorr

    Here’s an example of the Politicians bullshitin you at the debate last night:
     http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-12/republican-candidates-stretch-truth-in-debate-salvos-on-jobs-health-care.html

  • Eyereality

    I see the OWS takeover attempt in full swing. Look what happened in Greece, in Spain and elsewhere where they protested against similar situations. They got nothing. The one unified demand should be for the occupiers to surround the banks, Federal Reserves, and never leave until the bastards come out with their hands up.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=9391234 Ryan Sean Heron

    right on valient! this is the time for action . enough is enough. this isn’t a right vs. left issue. this is about getting the money out of politics and ending corporate control of our gov’t. 

  • Sklives

    The same sons of bitches that have been tryin to stifle (Our) evolution for the last 400 years…
    Its on now bitches.

  • Duke and Banner

    We love you even more now. Thanks for postin’

    —-Duke & Banner

  • Duderino

    “the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx”…. seriously, no seriously!? That quote really constitutes the totally fuc… now wait, rigged American way of thought. I mean even when you “subside” to solidarity and socially “normal” way of seeing the society, you still have that FUCKED up misunderstanding of social values, which are broadly accepted in the rest of the world. Capitalism is a never ending parasite eating up your collective mind and preventing any social commonsense.
    As Oliver Wendell Holmes so beatifully said: “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.”

  • metalhead616

    OW is a bunch of communists. Shut up. now that the communist come you get involved in politics. you jerks dont get it when you are overtake by them.

    Vote for Ron Paul. The only last and best political decision you can make, till USADSSR will reign forever.

    Take your money back from the FED. wallstreet is only the system slave.
    The FED makes the money.

    • Ick

      There’s always one.

    • Alexmonro83

      OW is a bunch of communists? Yea I’m sure adopting Stalinism is one of their chief goals. Idiot.

  • cougar party

    When I woke up this morning.  I fully expected the butthurt from this post to exceed 100 or even +200 comments.  I am sorely disappointed at the lack of internet rage.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Mitchell/660352330 Corey Mitchell

    Hey Valient, sounds like someone out there is listening to you:

    http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_19100787

    -Church takes $3 million out of Bank of America and $1 million out of WellsFargo.

  • Taintraker

    This protest is mostly made up of those butthurt over being deceived by electing the corporate pawn Barak Obush, but they are too scared to go to DC cause that would make them “racist”

    • Taintscrape

      Grow the fuck up.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jamal-Mohmed/663730590 Jamal Mohmed

     “Well, these candidates are all bought.  What does it matter?  What good will my vote do when in the end if either way it goes we’re all fucked?”
    “Here are some things that I think we can do to help:VOTE LOCALLY”
    Wait wut. 
    Some links to the alternative news websites/twitters would have been cool, I’m always looking for new ones to add to my arsenal. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/bdanielson1 Brian Danielson

    occupy sesame street