It's a movement against the 'power elite', the 1% of Americans who exercise a disproportionate amount of control over the financial system. The power elite has three segments : mega-corporations, financial institutions, and, perhaps most importantly, Congress.

Here's a couple examples of how the 'new' Congress 'works' :

- A big private financial institution makes a lot of questionable mortgage loans. When the loans are defaulted on, Congress bails them out with taxpayer dollars.

- When corporations don't want to pay a proportionate share of taxes, they pay lobbyists to sway Congressmembers. Corporations are also major contributors to Congressmembers' campaign efforts.

What this means is that Congress (both parties, by the way) is OWNED by mega-corporations and private financial institutions. Congress is passing laws specifically defending their 'bedfellows', the other two segments of the power elite. It has become quite apparent that Congress is no longer 'connected' with the average American citizen. THAT'S what the Occupy movements seek to change.

Congressmembers enjoy :

- the right to vote themselves a raise every year

- multiple weeks of vacations each year

- a private retirement/pension plan (underwritten by, of course, one of the private financial institutions that was one of the first to be bailed out, namely AIG).

- a private healthcare plan

Congress is now a special-interests group 'puppet'.

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A few of the key points of the Occupy movements that are emerging are :

- limit Congressmembers' terms. No more 'stay in Congress your entire life'.

- limit campaign funding. Put a 'cap' on the amount of money candidates can receive. One of the slogans for this is 'Get corporate America out of Congress'. (Corporations are the biggest funders of campaigns). These days, candidates are marketed just like products. Whoever has the biggest and best marketing campaign tends to win. And we all know how good the politicians have become as far as keeping campaign promises once elected.

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There's actually a term for what is now being attempted by the power elite in America. It's called 'cultural hegemony'. That's when a small ruling class (the 1%) attempts to change the belief system of the rest of the populace (the 99%), usually with promises of a 'brighter future for your children'. It all sounds good - but in reality it is only the power elite, the ruling class, who benefit.

And with all the big bailouts, etc., that are public knowledge, the attempt has failed. Too many people are aware that they have been tricked or were on the verge of being tricked. The Occupy movement is NOT going to go away. It is past the 'point of no return'. What will come of it is uncertain. But it's unstoppable now; it has too much momentum.