Why is that fools who claim they are the 99 percent make up less than one percent of the people. Seem to have plenty of funds for airfare, hotels and food but need more government handouts becasue they cannot work.

If it wasn't for the fact that NBC is so far up Obama ace is the only reason your in the news. Your the reason we can not do away with the 2nd Amendment

Fricken morons. How would you pay for the games? I know, just tax the rich more. If you don't have the brains to disregard the commercialization, take a vacation to Canada's Northwest Territory for the next couple of weeks.

TR- Speak for yourself! I am part of the 99 and I do not agree with you at all. One of the problems in our country is too many people waiting for the nation to take care of them. Remember the words of one of our great Democratic presidents and quit asking what your country can do for you.

Fred,

So, what's your solution? Your problem is... Some of us worked hard to get some marbles, some give them to those that didn't have any and some of the kids in the playground don't think that is fair and what to take them away and redistribute them acorrding to their rules. Your goal isn't that everyone has some marbles...it's you want to make the rules... Which is really what pees us off.

When you read that some of the athletes competing are millionaires, it is tempting to jump to the conclusion that the games have been taken over by the wealthy but that obviously isn't true. Many, many competitors are from poor nations, or from families that don't have tremendous wealth. It does take money or sponsors to get to the Olympics but more than that, it takes dedication, guts, and exceptional athletic ability.

Yes, money that is spent on the Olympics could be used for other things, but athletic competition is as old as man. The people who compete ARE special and the games ARE worthy of the effort and expense it takes to hold them.

It would be a sadder world (which seems to be the mission of some people) without Olympic competition.

Meaningless talking points. Whichever party you belong to, "taking our stuff" is what governments do. How will Romney who's plan to give the rich a tax cut and pay for it by taxing employer health plans which mostly benefit the middle class benefit you? Romneys only other plan is to cut social programs 120 billion a year but raise military spending 260 billion a year. It might make people like you to feel better to cut things for the poor but we'll all have to be taxed another 140 billion a year to pay for the increased military spending. Your marble analogy is rediculous, getting irate because anyone suggests raising taxes on people like Romney is unfair and trying to take some of his marbles has anything to do with you is BS.

Possibly the most moronic post I've seen in a long time. Do you really believe that "voting straight democratic" will be an effective tool for change. And capitalizing your talking points had me in stitches... Yeah, I think that post of yours will really change the voting this fall.... go drink more of that KoolAid crap...

Between the Fed and State the government took 36% of my income last year. The tax changes will make it 43% Half the people don't pay any income tax. I define that as unfair. The only thing I can do is pick up my mables and leave...like the Facebook guy...

The olympics are very, very expensive to put on. Without corporate sponsors, there would be no olympics, which would probably be fine with hippy degenerates.

Here are more stupid people protesting for stupid reasons. If there were no corporate sponsors, there would be no Olympics. Even if you took all the pagentry away, it would still cost tons more than any one country could afford. So, either you have corporate sponsors, or you have no Olympics. Personally, I could care less if the Olympics were done away with. The money could be used better elsewhere.

How can anyone but the wealthy 1% vote for evil Republicans. America is tired of Republicans using dirty, underhanded, bigoted tricks to inspire their base? They are nutjobs and want to take America back 200 yrs. Progressives are voting Democratically and are going to eliminate the Tea Party and GOP zealots from our political system. Take back the House and bolster the Senate to 60+ seats while allowing Obama to continue his re-building of America's middle class.

Sighber, thank you very much for your comments and shedding some civil light in these discussions. What would humanity have without the games? Who is in position to fund the games? How can we nations get together for a moment without our differences other than the Olympics? The Olympics is not only America's. It is the world's.

Hmmmmm,

I wonder how much these "activists" contributed to the estimated $15 billion dollars it will cost to put the 2012 Olympics on.

As usual it's the unwashed masses from the "Occupiers" and other "I want more of what you have" whining organizations. They only want everything to be free in life but they don't want to work to contribute because they're owed something in their delusional minds.

Maybe protester George Barda should have made his own shoes and backpack, I think more people would be impressed, rather than brandishing his Adidas. Self sustainability will get you much more support than self pity.

But then again that’s what these bobble head activists are all about. They'll sit around tonight, smoking a few blunts, discussing their wonderful vision of how the world should be a Shangri-La of peace, love and Rap-N-Roll. Tomorrow they'll be protesting in front of some corporate office or in front of a CEO's house telling them they should pay for their little wet-dream delusions. Here's a little advice for all you activists to solve all the world’s problems:

TAKE OVER ALL THE FORBE’S 2000 CORPORATIONS AND MAKE THEM THE UTOPIA YOU SO REVERE.

1. Go to business school for 4-8 years; learn about accounting, economics, human resources, management, payrolls, benefits, inventory and a few hundred other aspects of running a business. Especially a Forbe’s 2,000 business. These are the root of all evil in your self-pity world.

Right?

2. Now, after accumulating over $200,000 or more in student loans, go get a REAL JOB! Work your way up the corporate ladder, for 25 years or so, based on merit rather than affirmative action. This will be an unknown accomplishment for you, but you’ll pick it up quickly I’m sure. You have such superior intellect, as to what it takes to become a fair CEO and create a level playing field, as compared to the rest of the world.

Right?

3. Once you achieve your position as CEO or president of the company refuse to accept any more than $1 dollar a year in salary than your highest paid employee. No perks, no benefits, no stock options, no bonuses, no pensions and no golden parachutes, because you know these are all the root of capitalisms failure.

Right?

4. Now, DO NOT allow your company to make ANY profits because as all you Liberals/Progressives so proudly proclaim, PROFITS ARE BAD! Tell any investors and shareholders that they will most likely lose money if they invest in your company because that’s the cause of all the world’s problems, greed.

Right?

5. Let the unions dictate all your wages, benefits and pensions because unions only care about the poor “little guy”. We know the unions would never use any of the rank-and-files money for anything political, corrupt, fraudulent or imprudent.

Right?

6. Let the EPA, environmentalists and other “happy” groups determine how, where and when you can produce your product. They, of course, are only concerned with protecting trees, lizards, smelt, turtles and other cute little things.

Right?

7. Oh, and make sure you tell Barrack Hussein you are willing to pay much more in taxes than you are responsible for to help all those who don’t want to work. It’s a free country, but it’s YOUR responsibility to give them your own money, even though they can work but just don’t want to. Everybody needs to pay their “fair share” and of course we know the government has done such a good job of managing our economy for 100 years.

RIGHT?

See how easy it is? Seven (7) simple steps.

This is all you Liberal/Progressive activists have to do to create the utopia of social and economic justice for the collective you all cherish so dearly.

Good Luck! ! ! !

Now I see why Romney had to show his face over there.

'TR' Rose II

We're voting 100% STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC and rid our selves of this corruption ONCE & FOREVER!

LOL! That's a good one... ummm... You were kidding, right?

and during the opening ceremony the corporate/obama shills at NBC showed a meaningless costas interview with michael phelps instead of the tribute to the 52 london victims of muslim terrorists. nbc is the ultimate in political correctness. comments?

In spite of the snotty article aimed at holding the protestors up to ridicule I'm for them.

You can really see how "objective" the corporate media is when they do hit pieces on these kinds of protests.

Politicians are corrupt liars no matter what party they belong to. Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, whatever. They're all the same. They are all bought and paid for by special interests who fund their campaigns.

"targeted issues including free tickets for sponsors, missile sites on residential blocks and the ethics of Olympic corporations such as BP and Dow Chemicals."

If this is Olympics, what is the use of such a sports event?

If the organizers can go with BP and Dow Chemicals, there will put up with medal fixings for monies too!

@ guesswho Progressives are the problem, not the solution. In case you didn't notice, the 2010 election spanking the Democrats took was directly caused by their voting habits, which the American people are mad about. This will continue in this election, for one, to continue to get rid of those who voted for Obamacare, and to vote in those who can spend our taxes in a fiscally responsible manner. What we need to get rid of is the biased media, which has been lying and twisting the truth to benefit the Democrats. The heads of those organization, which by the way, are the 1% are doing a great job of manipulating people like you.

@ Jack - if the IOC wouldn't allow a memorial for the Israeli athletes who were murdered 40 years ago, why would they allow a tribute to these Londoners? This was supposed to be a "non-political" event. That tribute would not be in line with their position.

@ Jim Spence - great post, but I doubt the brainwashed will understand.....

@JimSpence - While I appreciate your well-articulated points (and I don't mean that sarcastically) you do seem to have missed one rather important point: the 2012 London Olympics are taking place in the UK. The points you make against these British protesters are couched entirely in terms of an American system.

For example, a University degree in Business or Economics takes a mere 3 years; a British student only accumulates around 40-50,000 dollars of loans (as higher education is subsidized); affirmative action is illegal in the UK; Union law in the UK prevents them setting wages; we don't have the EPA - although environmental impact is always a concern given we have 63 million people living in a country smaller than the state of Oregon; we don't have to pay Obama any taxes...

It is a slightly strange that your criticism of British protesters wandered so much because in some respects you have a good and fair point.

More concerning is that you concentrated on the Occupy movement alone from some 35 protest groups.

Only a few months ago the US was quite happy protesting against BP for what they did in the Gulf of Mexico: as this is proclaimed to be a 'green' Olympics the involvement of an oil company involved in such a huge disaster could raise eyebrows (and questions).

After the vast death and injury toll of the Bhopal incident and the rather shabby way Dow got out of picking up the agreed liabilities of Union Carbide to the victims, again, could be cause for question.

The Olympic Park required the bulldozing and moving of some 200 small businesses (many old family firms that had been there for more than a century): that upset quite a lot of people.

The Winter Olympics going to Russia - a country that seems to have a problem with a number of indigenous ethnic groups within its borders (and various important freedoms) - should also raise questions about the Olympic 'ideal'.

The article does not once mention the actual background of any of the protesters involved: the protest was on a Sunday - a day when traditionally few of the British population work - which is why protests, rallies and demonstrations tend to happen on them. Protests happen on Sundays so that working people can protest without their wages being stopped - it's been that way for centuries.

On the subject of profits, the British people have no problem with making money, it's how you make it (whether it's done fairly) that matters.

I may not agree with some or any of what the protesters were talking about but the existence of this protest at an Olympic Games reminds me why I can be proud to be British: the protest was allowed; nobody got clubbed or shot by the authorities.

You can't say the same about China; I doubt we'll say the same about Russia.

@WillowBrook - there was a quite significant trubute to the victims of the London terrorist attacks during the Opening Ceremony. The tribute was apolitical. Apparently NBC cut it; the BBC thankfully did not - the joy of having a broadcaster which doesn't have adverts!

Honestly. If the media didn't give these yahoos their 15 min, we wouldn't have to hear about their gripe of the week. And now that I've heard their complaints, I still don't care.

I will do constructive hard work; save monies and buy a house on mortgage.

Then I am thrown out of job and mortgage company takes away my home!

All my constructive work; hard work and savings; and job gone out of the door!

Jonathan ---- Save some of the money you earn because there comes a rainy day in all of our lives and that big flat screen, cell phones, etc. etc. etc. are what caused you to loose your home!

The things you mentioned were the last reasons to lose money.

Hope you know (in many/most cases) they were because of unlimited greeds of bankers, manipulators and lobbyists.

chefaz-1319563 Does it matter that BP provides fuel so you can get to your doctor's appointment, or heat your house, or employs thousands of people who can provide for their families?

chefaz

You really need to get out more. DOW chemcial did not own the plant in Bhopal India when the disaster occurred, Union Carbide did.. Just what is the moral and ethical duty for DOW.

Lastly, 50 percent of the Bhophal was joint owned by the Indian Government controlled banks and the Indian public.

Yes, Ronnie it does matter. For the record, I do not purchase BP products. Guess what - they're not the only game in town. There are many who do not purchase their products. I will concede that for those of us who avoid BP, it is in vain. If I'm not mistaken, retail makes up about 6% for this company. Also for the record, I am a Gulf Coast resident.

proudamericanveteran, YOU'RE RIGHT!!! good job and I should have caught that. What you read in the block quote was taken directly from the article. Please take your complaint to Alastair Jamieson and Jim Seida (article authors) and Julian Cheyne of the Counter-Olympic Network.

“We are representing their views and making sure that opinion is expressed

Cheyne may be interested in knowing exactly what they are representing.

And you're also right about needing to get out more. ☺ It ain't easy.

So, have you been able to scrape most of the oil off your shoes yet?

Um...do you gulf coast people wear shoes?

BP and autos running on gas are their due to their monopolies and lobbyists throttling oil substitutes.

If humans can go to moon, what is the big deal about oil substitutes?

Do some of you agree that big corprates, their lobbyists, bankers, insurance companies and manipulators control the keys of democracy?

These politicians have trillions of dollars for wars to save oil cartels and make them earn more profits, but not much monies for the soldiers returning home, old and sickly, unemployed and other hard hit sections!

Rest are all lectures, singings and dances for the rest!

On the 6th July 1988 the American-owned and operated Piper Alpha Drilling Platform in the British North Sea exploded: 165 British workers died in the inferno; 2 British rescuers also perished; 61 surviving British workers were injured.

The American owner-operator, Occidental (Oxy) Petroleum, was found guilty of operating highly inadequate maintenance and safety procedures. No prosecutions were made - it was made 'difficult' by the US.

Despite the huge loss of life and devastating economic consequences, there was no anti-American rhetoric from the British Government, press or public.

This remains the world's worst offshore oil disaster in terms of loss of life and economic impact.

The Trojan Pole Jump?

proudamericanveteran Just thankful we are not hosting the Olympics in this country. Thats one good thing obama did for us.

Disgusting and revolting comment. Is there nothing a Republican won't say right now? Anything to get power back so you can wreck the country again with more corporate tax breaks and deregulation.

Thanks for your service but look at what a curmudgeon you have become, not much to admire about that. You are probably just upset because we have a minority President. Hope you get to suffer for another four years like we did and the economy certainly did under Bush. Go ahead and be p-ssed at Obama because he is not a miracle worker. Not a single notable economist predicted a recovery in the job market for at least a decade after the collapse. Presidents don't run the private sector any way (which is now sitting on trillions in profits and not hiring). And few thought we would get the 2016 Olympics either (which is the vote you are referring to, not these games).

Note to NBC that is "adidas" (always lower case).

It is interesting to note that the reason companies are sitting on billions is uncertainty with taxes, regulations, and the economy. I don't have a clue why you threw out the race card other than it's a defensive reaction. I along with most have nothing against his race. It's all about the direction he want the country to go and my personal opinion on how to lead and issues he has run into in this area. On economists, not sure where you get your info, but I have heard many on what could be done to improve the overriding issues. Watch...a change in November will drive a recovery. Much like Reagan after Carter. Did Reagan make things better? Maybe not as much as Carter exiting stage left.

Had we hosted it here----I am sure that it would have reduced the unemployment rate down a notch or two-------"but that is of no censequence!!"

I agree with proudamericanverteran. The Olympics cost a fortune to host. Glad we're not paying for it. The Brits will be decades paying off their loans to build all those facilities, never mind all the security and whatever the 4-hr opening ceremony cost.

So you are saying that 'no one' benefits from the Olympics'----can you substantiate that---or is it just a guess?

Heaveto: Are you talking to me? If so, you clearly don't read well. Where did I say no one benefits? I said they cost a fortune to taxpayers and I don't want to foot the bill.

Also, once the Olympics are over, the stadiums get abandoned. Sure, they get used for some events, but most of the time they are just empty buildings. I'm really glad we are not hosting the Olympics.

had chicago hosted the olympics in 2020 or whenever where would obama have been during the opening ceremony:

a) out there protesting with the ows frootloops,

b) fighting black-on-black crime on the south side by organizing community watch groups with black zimmermans, or

c) in the GE luxury corporate box with speilberg, spike lee, george soros and phil knight?

Not forgetting the work it brings to a lot of people!! as well as revenue into a community--etc.

They are just young idealists---some of whom will perhaps grow up to head Corporations!!!

Heaveto, that is a great notion, I hope you are correct.

It is a given, that a large number of young protesters come from the schools of higher learning------remember the 70's?-----remember people like "Abby Hoffman?"-------what goes around, comes around!!---the uneducated don't protest!!!!

Well, that remark, about uneducated people (re the Tea Party) is purely political--------uneducated people stay home and drink beer!!!-------throughout the centuries protest has started with the Universities and from people educated enough to "think for themselves"------not from the rank and file!! The protests that resulted in the War of Independence came from the educated!!!

More ignorant misinformation regarding who fought for independence. In the events leading up to 1776 the common people (i.e., farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen, hunters, trappers, etc.) fought at Bunker hill, Philadelphia, Fort Ticonderoga, etc. They were not grads of Yale and Harvard or some other institution of higher learning...they were everyday, as you call them in a demeaning way the rank and file. The educated and uneducated fought for our independence from England and did not stay home drinking beer like you suggest.

Oh, you are correct----the journey men did the fighting---but the politics relating to the protests were formented by an educated segment of the middle class!!

To this day it is the farm workers and tradesmen who do the actual fighting---but that has nothing to do with the political protests that started the revolution---talk to a 'Historical Sociologist'---they will 'fill you in'

Why is it that so many tea baggers have missing teeth?

the same reason ows anarchists have missing common sense-- they ignore self-improvement.

Once again Heaveto misrepresents history. You suggest talking to a Historical Sociologist but I would rather learn and understand history. I invite you to research the Son's of Liberty who participated in the Boston Tea Party in addition to other actions against England. When you complete your research you will find that my statements are correct and that the fight against unfair taxes was by in large the common everyday man not the educated elite.

Sucks to be you.

If you write to Mr. Putin, don't put a return address on the envelope.