Pope speaks out against greed and inequality. Republicans ripping their hair out and asking why this guy does not understand Christianity.

Courtesy of Reuters:  

Pope Francis said in the first peace message of his pontificate that huge salaries and bonuses are symptoms of an economy based on greed and inequality and called again for nations to narrow the wealth gap. 

In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, marked around the world on January 1, he also called for sharing of wealth and for nations to shrink the gap between rich and poor, more of whom are getting only "crumbs". 

"The grave financial and economic crises of the present time ... have pushed man to seek satisfaction, happiness and security in consumption and earnings out of all proportion to the principles of a sound economy," he said. 

"The succession of economic crises should lead to a timely rethinking of our models of economic development and to a change in lifestyles," he said.

This has GOT to be driving the Religious Right, and the Republican party out of their damn minds!

First they convince themselves that the President is a socialist and now this guy comes along.

Oh well perhaps he just knows which way the economic wind is blowing these days.

Apparently the FBI and Homeland Security were too focused on the Occupy movement to prevent the Boston Marathon bombing.

Courtesy of Truthout:  

The ACLU was able to obtain documents of intelligence reports filed in 2011. They reveal that on September 30, the DHS-funded Boston Regional Intelligence Center, or BRIC, was collecting information about an upcoming Occupy Boston rally in Dewey Square, just two days after Russia sent them the second warning about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis recently told Congress he “would have liked to know” that there was a potential extremist with violent intentions living in his city, and accused BRIC of failing to properly inform local law enforcement about a possible terrorist threat. 

The DHS, which spent billions of dollars on fusion centers like BRIC, has been accused of gathering “crap intelligence” and using federal anti-terrorism programs and resources to spy on nonviolent protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, rather than stopping terrorists. When they should have been investigating Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s extremist ties, the intelligence arm of the Boston Police Department was busy collecting information on peaceful antiwar activists from Code PINK and Veterans for Peace. That information was assembled in dossiers categorized under “Criminal Act,” “Extremists,” “Civil Disturbance,” and the more disturbing “HomeSec- Domestic.” 

In fact, monitoring the Occupy movement became DHS’ key focus in October of 2011, when the movement’s power and influence was at its peak. Among the topics included in the DHS’ daily intelligence briefing was “peaceful activist demonstrations.” That section was included in the same briefings as “significant criminal activity” and potential domestic terrorist acts.

Yes, well I think we can ALL see how a group dedicated to protesting the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process in this country would warrant that kind of intense scrutiny from our government, while a warning about a potential terrorist barely registers on their radar.

One has to wonder if Obama has done enough to rid of DHS of the Bush administration influences, or if they are now working from his playbook.

Perhaps we have NO real hope of severing the control big business has over government in this country until the day that we see the swearing in of one President Elizabeth Warren.

For those who believe the "Occupy" movement has died, here is a picture of German police removing their helmets and escorting a march of 20,000 for an Occupy Frankfurt protest.

This from the article:

German police officers escort an anti-capitalism protest march with some 20,000 people in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, May 19, 2012. Protesters peacefully filled the city center of continental Europe's biggest financial hub in their protest against the dominance of banks and what they perceive to be untamed capitalism, Frankfurt police spokesman Ruediger Regis said. The protest group calling itself Blockupy has called for blocking the access to the European Central Bank, which is located in Frankfurt's business district.

It looks like the Occupy movement is not only a live and well, it seems to be gaining support from some rather surprising places.

P.S. For those of you who are wondering how the protest is doing these days you can check here at Occupy Wall Street for updates. Though we hear little about it these days it appears to be going strong.

"Stop raping people!" Andrew Breibart loses it at Occupy crowd protesting CPAC.

Okay I would like to present some argument against Breitbart's atttack on the protestors, but I just don't have any idea what his point was supposed to be.

I mean what the hell?

Could it just be that he's a douche?

The Grizzled Mama roared her terrible roar, and gnashed her terrible teeth, and rolled her terrible eyes, and showed her terrible claws, and the CPAC crowd ate it up.

Palin is fired up like we have not seen her since the 2008 campaign.

Clearly this is what she has been preparing for during the last several months.

Her big comeback.

As much as I hate to say it, she hits EVERY note that this crowd wants to hear, and throws out more red meat than a train slamming through a herd of caribou.

Just a sample: "The Tea Party rose up, because Americans WOKE up! And our movement, it is bigger than one person. It is bigger than one candidate. It is bigger than one party. It's about one country united under God. We aren't red Americans.  We're not blue Americans. We're red, white, and blue, and President Obama we are through with you!"

Even at the 7:00 mark the OWS protestors cannot stop her momentum.

She not only leads the crowd in a chant to shout the protestors down, which evolves into a chant of "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," she then takes a victory lap at the end, in which, bathed in the crowd's adulation, she trumpets her victory over the interlopers, "See you just won! You see how easy that is?"

There is little doubt that this speech, chock full of attacks on the President, will inspire her followers to start throwing money at her again by the truckloads, while fantasizing that THIS clearly means that she has reconsidered and is now ready to throw her hat into the ring and save the country from the evils of the Obama administration.

And that is exactly why she showed up.

P.S. After ward some of her fans waited outside in the hall to greet her. Desperately singing "Happy Birthday" in the hops that she certainly could not ignore them if they did. But to their disappointment they learned she had already taken the money and left.

But take heart little Palin-bots.  She will still allow you to show you to grovel at her feet by sending your hard earned money to SarahPAC.  On that you can rely.

Update: Here are some pictures of Palin and her girls in DC.

Palin in CPAC

Sarah with Willow.

Bristol looking thrilled as always.

There are many more pics at the link.

For those of you who believe that the "Occupy" movement has been a big waste of time, former President Clinton begs to differ with you.

Courtesy of Forbes:

When someone you don’t know, that you’ll never meet again, who is just going to shake your hand and sign a book for you and say thank you before turning to the next person in line actually engages you with a genuineness that is as surprising as it is disarming, you realize that person is different. 

But, that’s not all that happened. 

His handshake was not quick, it was purposeful. And as we were smiling at each other, I asked, “Mr. Clinton, may I ask you a question Sir?” He signed the book, handed it to me and immediately said, “Yes, of course.” 

What happened next totally surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. He was confirming another rumor I had heard about him. 

I asked, “What do you think about the Occupy Wall Street movement, personally, and what do you think it says about America?” 

He looked at me and with as much sincerity as I’ve ever encountered, he said, “I’m glad you asked me that, that’s a great question.” 

Rumor number two was confirmed, this man is sincere. 

Rumor number three took several minutes to confirm. 

That’s because even though the Honorable Mr. Clinton didn’t know who I was, he would hold up a long line of well-wishers to address, with passion, his vision of America through the eyes of the public, which is the way he likes to see his country. 

“I think what they’re doing is great,” he said. “Occupy Wall Street has done more in the short time they’ve been out there than I’ve been able to do in more than the last eleven years trying to draw attention to some of the same problems we have to address,” he said. 

Without once looking around, but completely engaging me, the statesman continued. “There are a lot of young people out there, I see a lot of unemployed students and they are upset, he said. They don’t know where the jobs and opportunities are for them, and they are worried about how they’re going to pay off their student loans without going broke.” 

But I learned instantly that Bill Clinton doesn’t just acknowledge problems he has solutions at the ready. He went on to say that student loan reforms were absolutely necessary and that limiting annual loan payments to small percentages of income made sense to not impoverish students as they struggle up the ladder in pursuit of the American Dream. 

I asked if the Occupy Wall Street movement should have a platform. I was getting into another area he is passionate about, delivering messages on point. “Yes,” he said, “But it doesn’t have to be a platform; it doesn’t have to be twenty pages. They should start with three or four points to generate a political movement to get heard more clearly.”

 "Occupy Wall Street has done more in the short time they’ve been out there than I’ve been able to do in more than the last eleven years trying to draw attention to some of the same problems we have to address." THAT is a rather powerful statement. Especially coming from an individual who prides himself on his ability to problem solve.

Giving that kind of credit to OWS, and saying that they have managed to do what others, including himself, have failed to do up until this point, is the kind of endorsement you don't usually expect to hear from someone with an ego as healthy as Bill Clinton's.

Just in case you are wondering, and I know that the regular media is not reporting on it much, the OWS movement is still very active, and has moved some of their focus to helping people whose homes have foreclosed, while currently preparing to come back stronger than ever in the spring.

As Clinton has noted their victories have already been many, in fact there are some who credit the movement with providing the pressure that helped President Obama stand up to the Republicans and appoint Richard Cordray to head up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and there is no reason to believe they will not continue to have a profound impact on the politics of this nation moving forward.

OWS: One More Step.

November 17, 2011 saw record numbers of people taking to the streets in New York City and cities all over the U.S. and the world, in support of the Occupy Wall Street Movement on it's two month anniversary. A particularly moving moment was a live projection mic check on the Verizon bldg as thousands crossed the Brooklyn Bridge from downtown Manhattan. Another world is possible.

I thought this was a very beautiful video, and compelling message, from the Occupy protesters.

Their message is definitely beginning to resonate even with politicians as evidence by an amendment introduced by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL).

Courtesy of Think Progress:

Deutch’s amendment, called the Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy (OCCUPIED) Amendment, would overturn the Citizens United decision, re-establishing the right of Congress and the states to regulate campaign finance laws, and to effectively outlaw the ability of for-profit corporations to contribute to campaign spending. 

“No matter how long protesters camp out across America, big banks will continue to pour money into shadow groups promoting candidates more likely to slash Medicaid for poor children than help families facing foreclosure,” said Deutch in a statement provided to ThinkProgress. “No matter how strongly Ohio families fight for basic fairness for workers, the Koch Brothers will continue to pour millions into campaigns aimed at protecting the wealthiest 1%. No matter how fed up seniors in South Florida are with an agenda that puts oil subsidies ahead of Social Security and Medicare, corporations will continue to fund massive publicity campaigns and malicious attack ads against the public interest. Americans of all stripes agree that for far too long, corporations have occupied Washington and drowned out the voices of the people. I introduced the OCCUPIED Amendment because the days of corporate control of our democracy. It is time to return the nation’s capital and our democracy to the people.”

 I can't say  I have a great deal of hope in this amendment passing, but just having it introduced is in itself "one more step." And ultimately it will be these single steps forward which might finally give this country back to, those from whom it was stolen, the people.

Did you see Ed Schultz's interview with Occupy Oakland's injured Marine Scott Olsen?

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I know that many of you were worried so I am glad to see this young man making a slow, but steady, recovery.

Hearing him struggle to speak is somewhat heartrending, especially since what happened to him was completely unnecessary and an indication that some places in this country are little better than a third world dictatorship.

"I'll Occupy" Recruitment Song: The 99 is Pissed and We Will Not Be Dismissed!

Here are some of the lyrics courtesy of Freaked out Nation:

We’ll protest on, with catchy phases 
We’re going global 
From London to Uc Davis 
If you think that your batons are going to get us to go home 
GO on and hit me, 
I’ll just upload it from my phone.

The song is pretty ingenious, though a little tongue in cheek.

However it may come in very handy to help inspire the Occupy LA protesters who are scheduled to be evicted tomorrow, which might result in a whole new group of citizens finding themselves on the receiving end of a blast of pepper spray or a police baton.

The movement is over two months old now and despite the frigid temperatures seems to be gaining in both strength and influence.

P.S. By the way I don't believe this song is the official anthem of the OWS protestors, but it IS catchy!

UC Davis Chancellor blames pepper spray incident on police. Wait, what?

Courtesy of CS Monitor:

The chancellor of a US university who has faced widespread criticism following the pepper spraying of peaceful demonstrators has told an assembly of 1,000 students that she had instructed campus police not to use force in breaking up the protest. 

"I explicitly directed the chief of police that violence should be avoided at all costs," she said. "It was the absolute last thing I ever wanted to happen." She stressed that students have a right to demonstrate peacefully. 

"Because encampments have long been prohibited by UC policy, I directed police only to take down the tents," she said. "My instructions were for no arrests and no police force." 

This is a NEW explanation coming from the Chancellor, who certainly did not mention a break down in communication between herself and the police earlier.  Bringing it up after all of this time certainly does nothing for her credibility.

So are the students buying it?

Doesn't look that way.

Yet not all students who attended the town hall in a performing arts complex were satisfied with the response from Katehi. 

Puneet Kamal, 22, an environmental science and policy major, was among those lined up to ask questions Tuesday. 

"She didn't say 'I'm sorry that I did this, or I'm sorry I made this call,'" Kamal said. "She said 'I'm sorry that this situation had to happen.' Where's the blame going to?" 

Natalie Poulton, 20, a communications major, said Katehi has not fully explained what she knew in advance about the police plans for clearing out protesters.

"I want more answers," said Poulton. "She totally didn't explain if there was a miscommunication with the cops and what exactly happened in terms of the higher-ups."

In a further effort at damage control the university itself has offered to pay for the medical expenses of the students sprayed by police, AND launch an independent investigation:

University of California officials said Tuesday they will pay the medical expenses of students who were pepper sprayed during an Occupy Davis protest last week. 

Authorities have also decided to drop charges against 10 people who were arrested during the Friday protest on the campus of UC Davis. The university system has also created an advisory panel to look into the incident, University of California President Mark Yudof said. 

Bill Bratton, who has led police departments in Los Angeles, Boston and New York, will head the panel, Yudof said. 

"My intent," Yudof said, "is to provide the chancellor and the entire University of California community with an independent, unvarnished report about what happened at Davis."

In my personal opinion the Chancellor has lost all credibility and until she is removed from her job, or resigns willingly, there will be no opportunity to the university to start earning back the student's trust, and to allow the healing process to begin.

 I will predict right now that Chancellor Katehi will be out of a job before the Christmas break.

Rachel Maddow addresses how the President responded to his OWS mic check moment, among other topics.

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As you may remember I also pointed out how cool Obama was during what could have been an embarrassing moment, but clearly Rachel did it much better.

Of course I feel I should point out that we were more or less in sync, even down to some of the examples she used of the Republicans NOT responding well to their own mic checks.

President Obama responds to Occupy Wall Street "mic check" with class.

Now look everybody who comes here knows that I support this President.

I also support the OWS protesters, and I find no conflict with that.

So of course it is perfectly reasonable to expect our President to get a mic check just like any OTHER politician who has not done enough to address the fact that Wall Street and banks have done such damage to our economy and today remain virtually unscathed. 

However having said that I have to point out how incredibly well the President handled himself during that interruption. He did not storm of the stage like Michele Bachmann, or yell back at them like Karl Rove, he handled it calmly and even quieted his own supporters who were trying to shout the protesters down.

I watched the entire speech and the President also made a point to go back and mention the protesters, and his support for their cause, a couple more times.

That is how a REAL leader handles dissent.

UC Davis Chancellor apologizes to students amid cries for her resignation.

Courtesy of LA Times:

"I am here to apologize," Katehi told hundreds of students and faculty who gathered for a rally on the campus quad. "I feel horrible for what happened on Friday." 

Campus police sprayed a group of students who were sitting down and protesting peacefully as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Eleven students were treated for the effects of pepper spray, including two who were taken to an area hospital, where they were treated and released. 

"I don't want to be chancellor of the university we had on Friday," Katehi told the crowd. "Our university has to be better than it is. And we need all of the community to come together to do that. We need to work together. ... I know you may not believe anything that I'm telling you today, and you don't have to. It is my responsibility to earn your trust." 

Katehi left the podium to chants of "Resign, Resign!" and "Not Enough!" 

Wow, THAT was awkward!

I don't believe the students are in a very forgiving mood, and I seriously doubt that the Chancellor will be able to hold onto her job much longer. When she said "I don't want to be the Chancellor of the University we had on Friday," I think she just might be about to get that wish.

Some are already comparing this pepper spraying incident to the Kent State shootings in 1970. Personally I don think they are really all that comparable, yet they might be comparable in the fact that they provide a touchstone that unifies a movement and helps them to find their voice, which this incident at UC Davis might just do for the OWS protests.

In response to the pepper spraying of non-violent, SEATED protesters last Friday, two UC Davis campus police officers have been suspended. But is that enough? Updated!

As I am sure many of you are aware that the UC Davis pepper spraying incident has gone viral on the internet and has resulted in a firestorm of protests from people all around the world and the demand for the removal of UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi.

Here is the video just to bring you up to speed.

In response the University has suspended two of the officers involved:

Two campus police officers from the University of California, Davis, campus have been caught on video using pepper spray on Occupy protesters. The incident occurred on Friday and the video was posted on YouTube. 

The university announced today that the two officers have been put on administration leave in light of the video. UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi said in the statement: "I spoke with students this weekend, and I feel their outrage. I have also heard from an overwhelming number of students, faculty, staff and alumni from around the country. I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident.” 

"However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again," she said. "I feel very sorry for the harm our students were subjected to and I vow to work tirelessly to make the campus a more welcoming and safe place." 

Katehi also went on to say that a task force consisting of faculty, students and staff will be chosen this week. She has set a 30 day deadline for the task force to report on the events surrounding the arrests, including communication between the police and the administration.

Apparently yesterday Chancellor Katehi held a press conference which resulted in a rather strange, and fascinating confrontation with students of UC Davis:

Katehi held a press conference on Saturday to address the incident. Students began to surround the building in protest and she reportedly refused to leave amid safety concerns. 

Finally, the students cleared a path for her to exit. As she walked back to her car, surrounded by students, some began to ask her questions, which she mostly brushed off "Chancellor, do you still feel threatened by the students?" someone asked. 

She replied, "no" and a companion said that "we've asked for it to be a silent, respectful exit." 

Words fail to describe this scene between the students and their Chancellor, so here let this video to give you a clearer idea.
I actually got a chill watching that.

So what do you think?  Is the suspension of the two officers enough, or should the Chancellor also lose her job for ordering the removal of the students through force with little consideration for their safety?

And will these images be enough to FINALLY convince the police around the country that liberally firing pepper spray into the faces of non-violent Americans is NOT acceptable in this country?

Update: If you want to help see justice prevail, perhaps you would like to sign faculty member Nathan Brown's petition requesting that Chancellor Katehi resign.

Artist who designed iconic Hope poster for Barack Obama, now has a new poster with a slightly altered message.

You might remember Shepard Fairey, the artist who designed this poster for the Obama campaign.

Well now Fairey is back with a new poster. One a little more reflective of the times.

Here is what Mr. Fairey has to say about his new creation:

This image represents my support for the Occupy movement, a grassroots movement spawned to stand up against corruption, imbalance of power, and failure of our democracy to represent and help average Americans. On the other hand, as flawed as the system is, I see Obama as a potential ally of the Occupy movement if the energy of the movement is perceived as constructive, not destructive. I still see Obama as the closest thing to “a man on the inside” that we have presently. Obviously, just voting is not enough. We need to use all of our tools to help us achieve our goals and ideals. However, I think idealism and realism need to exist hand in hand. Change is not about one election, one rally, one leader, it is about a constant dedication to progress and a constant push in the right direction. Let’s be the people doing the right thing as outsiders and simultaneously push the insiders to do the right thing for the people. I’m still trying to work out copyright issues I may face with this image, but feel free to share it and stay tuned… -Shepard Fairey

Well I don't know about the copyright issue either, but I agree with Mr. Fairey's point of view, and hope the President is paying attention.

In case you missed it, here is the Chris Hayes story about lobbyists planning to target OWS protesters and the Democratic politicians who support them.

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Courtesy of MSNBC:

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead. 

According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.” 

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.” 

Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker; Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy. A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly “tight” with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website. 

For all of those who said that this protest was not focused, and that it would have no effect, I think these lobbyists disagree with you. You don't spend just under a million dollars to discredit a movement, unless they are scaring the bejeezus out of you.

Movie star Anne Hathaway joins the Occupy Wall Street protesters and somehow the conservatives believe this discredits both of them?

From the damaged frontal lobe of The Blaze:

She is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, but $58-million-dollar lady Anne Hathaway feels so much solidarity with the 99%, she chose to join them for an Occupy Wall Street pro-socialism rally on a cold, rainy day in Union Square. 

Last year’s Oscars hostess stood alongside NYU students, professors, and labor organizers as she held up a sign that said: ‘Blackboards not bullets’. 

Hathaway wanted to show support for the “Students and Workers United” rally in Union Square on Thursday, which was just one of many Occupy Wall Street-affiliated protests in the city. 

Hathaway’s films have grossed approximately $3.2 billion.

I have to admit that I am at a loss as to HOW this is perceived as a bad thing for Hathaway OR the OWS protesters. 

Here we have a wealthy, famous individual showing solidarity with those who are asking that Wall Street, corrupt corporations, and crooked politicians be held accountable for their actions.  She certainly does not HAVE to join the protest, she is essentially in that 1% category, but she chooses to show she cares about their cause, and understands its importance.

In my mind that makes her more impressive than ever. And I am actually already a fan.

And as for the OWS movement, it certainly does not hurt them to realize that they are not only reaching everyday Americans with their message, but that even the rich and famous are feeling solidarity with their cause.

Apparently in the world of conservatives, the line that separates the 1% from the 99% is a bottomless chasm that NOBODY can cross over without a complete loss of their credibility. Sort of telling isn't it?

Rachel Maddow reveals how Fox News used Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, the man who attempted to assassinate the President, as an excuse to further smear the OWS protesters.

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Personally I think Fox News is trying to connect Ortega-Hernandez to the OWS protesters as a pre-emptive strike in case it turns out he got his ideas about the President from watching their programs.

If you have a strong constitution and want to learn more about Ortega-Hernandex, you can click here to watch his entire video and learn more details about him.

The new face of the Occupy movement? Update.

Courtesy of The Star:

Photos of 84-year-old Dorli Rainey being helped by fellow activists after Seattle police blasted a crowd of Occupy protesters with pepper spray Tuesday have popped up on news websites and blogs around the world. 

Occupy Seattle condemned the force, posting a statement on its website shortly after the incident saying “we offer our sympathies to the many protesting patriots that were indiscriminately pepper sprayed including a 4’10” 84 year old woman, a priest and a pregnant woman who as of this writing is still in the hospital.”

Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel told the Associated Press he didn't have the details on the Rainey confrontation, but he said pepper spray is “is not age specific. No more dangerous to someone who is 10 or someone who is 80.” 

It is images like this which are going to inspire more and more people to support this movement, and to start believing that the police of this nation are nothing more than jack booted thugs doing the bidding of the 1% instead of fighting alongside their fellow 99% for a better future for them and for their children.

And it is incidents like this that which me wonder if the police are actually getting the proper training they need to understand how dangerous pepper spray can be to certain individuals, such as the elderly, the sickly, or pregnant women?

This device was created to be a non-lethal alternative to drawing a gun in response to a dangerous altercation, it was NOT designed to be indiscriminately sprayed into a crowd of peaceful protesters.

And on that topic here is a statement from the priest who was also sprayed during this incident.

Update: Keith Olbermann interviews Dorli Rainey. This is a MUST SEE! Could the police have chosen a sweeter person to abuse? Like I said, this is going to really bite them in the ass.

Young guitarist brings the Occupy movement to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and to President Obama, with song.

Courtesy of Think Progress:

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is currently being held in Honolulu, Hawaii, bringing together many of the world’s leaders in both the public and private sectors. Last night, APEC held a gala attended by President Obama and his wife in addition to a number of other world leaders. 

Hawaiian guitarist Makana, who had previously played at the White House in 2009, was slated to play at the gala. Rather than play his normal routine, Makana decided to make a statement. He opened his suit jacket to reveal a shirt that read “Occupy Aloha.” He then proceeded to play a protest ballad title “We Are the Many,” wherein he blasted corporate lobbyists and called on Americans to occupy “the streets.” He played this protest song for 45 minutes in a room full of the world’s elite.

This article was sent to me by a Hawaiian, who says that Makana's act of protest is a big story on the islands, and that there is even talk of making his song the official anthem of the Occupy movement.

Here is the song for your enjoyment.