Perhaps it shouldn't be "throw the bums out" but rather, "start paying attention and participating". I'm no idealist, I realize that popular opinion is bought and paid for by the leaders that want to obtain or remain in power via aggressive, high powered, expensive psychologically sophisticated marketing campaigns. Perhaps political reform, REAL political reform is necessary. But what does that look like? Or perhaps a viable 3rd, 4th, 5th party needs to emerge. I'm going to post this as it's own thing but here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIraCchPDhk
"moderates" like to take the position that everything can be solved by working within the system. Anyone who lived through the 2000 presidential election, however, should understand in their heart of hearts just how broken the system truly is. If a presidential election can be stolen in broad daylight, how reasonable is it to presume that 538 congressional elections can't be stolen similarly? Further, what sort of interest has the ability to coordinate theft on such a scale? That's easy. The bums on Wall Street.
It's all bought and paid for. It's scripted. It's no use. So what now? People are obviously motivated to push back, but how do you push back effectively? I think the only way to do so is economically. Make a push to withdraw all savings from BOA to start. Once the establishment sees buying power in action... you'll at least have their ear. Then what happens? What concessions would you want? Nothing they'd offer would amount to a real change. "96% of elections are won by the dude with the most money" -That's just fucked up! Our system is so effing screwed up.
I have a business banking account at Wells Fargo, which appears to be the least-evil of the major financials to deal with, and a credit card at Bank of America. I've been meaning to swap out of it but the terms I have on it are completely unavailable to new members... and, like most everyone who can afford to, I'm "de-leveraging" as quickly as I can. It's not like I endorse the bullshit system we have, I've just been profoundly jaded ever since spending hundreds and hundreds of hours attempting to get John Kerry elected in 2004 only to have his weak ass capitulate within hours of a truly shady election. And then I ended up with a financial planner. Probably quickest just to link: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/gs6ov/people_are_... So for me, everything has become "work within the system" or "work outside the system." "Work within the system" means "play like you're rich" which means "make end-runs around the system everywhere you can, get yours, fuck the suckers, and recognize that rules bent for the rich also work for the less-than-rich." That's where I'm at. "Work outside the system" means tear some shit up. Know when the WTO first started stumbling? Seattle, 2000. Know why? Mutherfucking riots. Protest all you want. Occupy whatever you want. "Change" comes from breaking windows, looting and immolations. Sad but true. "non-violent protest" works, but not a millionth as quickly as "violent protest." Qaddhafi is dead. Assad is in power. And the Occupy Wall Street message will start changing things when the first skull gets cracked, no sooner.
I wish I didn't agree with you regarding the "skull cracking", but I do... it would be the quickest route. That said, a well organized boycott of BOA could speak volumes. 10,000 people simultaneously walking in to branches across the country to close their bank accounts/tear up their credit cards. That's some seriously powerful stuff. -It scares them more than skull cracking does.
Commercial real estate is in the doldrums right now but there's not a lot of reason to assume it's leaving the doldrums any time soon. Meanwhile, many people are predicting a "multi-family bubble" as far as apartments, etc. Real estate is local. You have to know what you're buying and where.