The Class War Has Begun

New York Magazine:

During the death throes of Herbert Hoover’s presidency in June 1932, desperate bands of men traveled to Washington and set up camp within view of the Capitol. The first contingent journeyed all the way from Portland, Oregon, but others soon converged from all over—alone, in groups, with families—until their main Hooverville on the Anacostia River’s fetid mudflats swelled to a population as high as 20,000. The men, World War I veterans who could not find jobs, became known as the Bonus Army—for the modest government bonus they were owed for their service.

Read the whole story: New York Magazine

 

 

Comments

[ApprxAm]

12:29 PM on 10/25/2011

it's gonna be Hoover and Carter

[Joseph Furtenbacher]

03:22 AM on 10/25/2011

Class war? I'd settle for a class act... someone with enough class to admit that maybe someone else has more.

Class dismissed...

[just11]

10:47 PM on 10/24/2011

why cant the 99% fight back?

[ruleoflaw66]

10:30 PM on 10/24/2011

So general Douglas MacArthur used front line military troops in the streets of America in defiance of not just the posse comitatus act forbidding it, but the very Constitution itself!

And Hoover applauded.

And when the military takes to the streets of America once more, will we all look the other way as the last vestiges of our Bill of Rights is Trashed?

[MaryfromIL]

05:37 AM on 10/25/2011

The 1% will convince the public that it was caused by the _____, _____, _____ protesters (fill in the blanks with slams.

[BMcCue7]

07:55 AM on 10/25/2011

Those blanks are already being filled in.

Listen to what the Right wing media is saying about these courageous people. It isn't pretty.

[Rooster Coburn]

09:15 PM on 10/24/2011

Presidents serve a four year term of office. There was no such thing as the "death throes" of President Herbert Hoover's administration. He served his allotted four year term just as President Obama will. Talk about biased reporting.

[PatrickforO]

09:03 PM on 10/24/2011

Most people want things like health care and social security, affordable college for their kids and strong safety nets in case something goes wrong. The corporatist state being advocated by the GOP, which is owned lock, stock and barrel by transnational corporations and Wall Street financiers, has already been discredited throughout the world. Massive deregulation, privatization and gutting social programs actually has been proven to work so badly, it must be imposed by force. Sure it's class warfare - we really can have a better world, and these protesters as well as up to 57% of Americans, feel like they want that American dream back now!

[SageFire]

08:38 PM on 10/24/2011

Another reason Portland is awesome! WI and those in OWS are the heroes of this time.

[ameriki00]

08:08 PM on 10/24/2011

Which city will be the first to call in the National Guard? Which governor will be the first to send in the National Guard? Which city will be the first to kill a protester?

[PatrickforO]

09:04 PM on 10/24/2011

Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
We're finally on our own;
This summer, I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio

Gotta get down to it!
Soldiers are cutting us down!
What if you knew her, and found her dead on the ground?

How can you run when you know?

[bestealth]

04:01 PM on 10/27/2011

Put all your money on Florida!
Huge military presence.
Very conservative and old population.
Criminal serves as governor.
Warm enough to protest through the autumn.
All of our football teams are sucking.
It's a disaster waiting to happen.

[mydangself]

06:35 PM on 10/24/2011

The Class War didn't just begin, it's been going on for over 30 years...it's just taken this long for the Have Nots to start fighting back.

[MaryfromIL]

05:40 AM on 10/25/2011

The undercover war went public in the last 10 years. The public, with Katrina, realized that "we're finally on our own." Instead of subtle changes that slipped by the average person, it was all out assault, really ramping up since 2009 started. The 1% tipped their hand too soon.

And the sleeping giant is waking up.

[cdchicago]

05:53 PM on 10/24/2011

And in one of the most tragic events in US history, soldiers opened fire on other Americans, killing several, though no law was broken, including an unarmed child. Yhose Bonus Army members wanted the benefits hey were promised when the went to Europe to indulge in trench warfare.

[BeckyJustice]

04:06 PM on 10/24/2011

Why isn't Huffington Post reporting on this?
http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/10/24/police-arrest-130-tear-down-first-aid-station-at-occupy-chicago/

Only the much lambasted Unions have the story.

Interesting......

[IdeatoEmpire]

03:42 PM on 10/24/2011

When the White House and Congress favor banks over average citizens it is business as usual, but when citizens demand a fair deal it is class warfare?

[BMcCue7]

07:47 AM on 10/25/2011

You got it.

[insider9909]

03:36 PM on 10/24/2011

Any comparison of Wall Street to the mafia needs to be examined.

Mafia, compared to the thievery, pillaging, and homicide of Wall Street, are choir boys.

[usna73]

03:30 PM on 10/24/2011

Rich has it right. 2012 will settle nothing. The witch's brew has yet to boil. It WILL get worse, much WORSE before it gets better. Like the violence of the 1960's, don't act surprised when it comes.

[maybealittlecommonsense]

03:29 PM on 10/24/2011

There's war within the ranks. OWSers are fighting over donated funds for sleeping bags, tents and new bongos. Imagine if it was money they earned?1?