The strength of peaceful protest

In aikido, one learns the process of self-defense by using their opponent's strength against them. With the proper practice, a 100 lb woman can defeat an attacker 4 times her size. The purpose is not to kill, but to disarm, to neutralize. Aikido is not about performing spectacular leg kicks or destroying your enemies in a flurry of punches and screams. It is the "gentle way", the "path of least resistance".

This applies to the art of peaceful protest, the kind we see going on now with Occupy Wall Street. This is how we will take the violent actions used against us and with gentle guidance, disarm those who attack us, in a figurative sense of course.

First there are the attacks upon character. Calling those who protest "dirty hippies and communists", "lazy" or whatever other ad hominem charges is a common technique used in propaganda. We have already defeated that by showing the world that we are a collection of people from all backgrounds and social groups.

Now they have brought in the police and riot gear. This is the only other way the status quo knows how to confront dissent. Ironically, with every arrest, with every video of police brutality on the evening news or Facebook, we will win. This is the way of aikido, using the attacker's strength against them. Stand together, stay peaceful, and vote.

Saving capitalism and the true free market

I believe in capitalism, a system where one is free to make as much money as they want off an honest idea or product. I believe that if you are willing to put in the effort to create a successful business, you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

At the same time I believe you also have responsibilities. As the saying goes "with great power, comes great responsibility." If you are a successful person, you should make sure that you are not exploiting others in your trip to the top; and once you are there, help others climb the same ladder, instead of kicking out the rungs on your way up.

This is what Occupy Wall Street is about. Sure there's people in the crowd that believe in Communism but most of us know that isn't a successful economic model. We are trying to save true capitalism from corruption, corporate socialism, and greed. A true "free market" would never have bailed out banks who made terrible business decisions, got saved by the taxpayers, and then thanked us by foreclosing on our homes instead of negotiating new mortgages.

Our issue is not with the people who have legitimately accumulated wealth through hard work, reward the employees who helped get them there and don't try to find ways out of paying their taxes. That is what makes America great, that is the "American Dream". Our beef is with those who have made their wealth by manipulating financial markets, exploiting their workers, employing lobbyists and accountants so that not only do they not pay taxes, they manage to get corporate welfare that we the taxpayers end up paying for. That's not capitalism, that is the very "socialism" that their most brainwashed supporters ironically denounce.

The "free market" is one in which consumers get to choose which company they want to do business with and there are more than just one choice. The free market should be one where a business thrives because of the product it produces, not by using politicians to pass regulations that stifle anyone else who tries to compete. In the free market, the bad apples would be allowed to rot, without contaminating others.

We are the 99% and we support the honest 1%.