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DESCRIPTION:Make them pay! \nWells Fargo Headquarters \n75 registered participant(s) 
 (501 maximum) \n420 Montgomery St. \nSan Francisco, CA 94163 \nHosted by 
 Lawrence Abbott, Frank Burton \nDescription Wells Fargo has been one of 
 Wall Streets worst offenders. This Tax Day lets meet here with our partners 
 to tell Wells Fargo that big banks must pay their fair share of taxes. We 
 will present them with a symbolic bill for the actual amount that they 
 should have paid!  
 \n\nhttp://my.firedoglake.com/kevinzeese/tag/big-finance/\nVeterans For 
 Peace Endorses the April 15th Rally and Protest in Union Square Park\nBy 
 Kevin Zeese\nVeterans For Peace has joined in endorsing “Sounds of 
 Resistance,” a concert and protest against Wall Street banks that draws 
 the connections between militarism, Wall Street, the wealth divide and the 
 downward spiral of the wealth of most Americans. The event, on April 15 at 
 11:00 a.m. in New York City’s Union Square Park, is part of a democratic 
 awakening that more and more Americans are joining.\nAmericans are 
 recognizing the link between the military-industrial complex and the Wall 
 Street oligarchs—a connection that goes back to the beginning of the 
 modern U.S. empire. Banks have always profited from war because the debt 
 created by banks results in ongoing war profit for big finance; and because 
 wars have been used to open countries to U.S. corporate and banking 
 interests. Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan wrote: “the large 
 banking interests were deeply interested in the world war because of the 
 wide opportunities for large profits.”\nMany historians now recognize 
 that a hidden history for U.S. entry into World War I was to protect U.S. 
 investors. U.S. commercial interests had invested heavily in European 
 allies before the war: “By 1915, American neutrality was being criticized 
 as bankers and merchants began to loan money and offer credits to the 
 warring parties, although the Central Powers received far less. Between 
 1915 and April 1917, the Allies received 85 times the amount loaned to 
 Germany.” The total dollars loaned to all Allied borrowers during this 
 period was $2,581,300,000.  The bankers saw that if Germany won, their 
 loans to European allies would not be repaid. The leading U.S. banker of 
 the era, J.P. Morgan and his associates did everything they could to push 
 the United States into the war on the side of England and France. Morgan 
 said: “We agreed that we should do all that was lawfully in our power to 
 help the Allies win the war as soon as possible.” President Woodrow 
 Wilson, who campaigned saying he would keep the United States out of war, 
 seems to have entered the war to protect U.S. banks’ investments in 
 Europe.\nThe most decorated Marine in history, Smedley Butler, described 
 fighting for U.S. banks in many of the wars he fought in.  He said: “I 
 spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that 
 period I spent most of my time as a high-class muscle man for Big Business, 
 for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster 
 for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for 
 American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place 
 for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the 
 raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall 
 Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of 
 Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for 
 the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the 
 American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that 
 Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have 
 given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket 
 in three districts. I operated on three continents.”\nIn Confessions of 
 an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins describes how World Bank and IMF loans 
 are used to generate profits for U.S. business and saddle countries with 
 huge debts that allow the United States to control them.  It is not 
 surprising that former civilian military leaders like Robert McNamara and 
 Paul Wolfowitz went on to head the World Bank. These nations’ debt to 
 international banks ensures they are controlled by the United States, which 
 pressures them into joining the “coalition of the willing” that helped 
 invade Iraq or allowing U.S. military bases on their land.  If countries 
 refuse to “honor” their debts, the CIA or Department of Defense 
 enforces U.S. political will through coups or military action.\nTarak 
 Kauff, Veteran For Peace activist and organizer, stated, “There are 
 trillions for wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and now 
 Libya, billions yearly to support Israel’s occupation and oppression of 
 Palestine, again trillions in bailouts to make those at the top of the 
 economic food chain even more powerful, but relative pennies for our 
 children’s education, adequate health care, infrastructure, housing and 
 other necessities of Americans. Yet big corporate banks are thriving and, 
 like Bank of America, pay no taxes. But you do, and I do, and working 
 people all across this country pay taxes.  I ask, what are we paying for 
 and into whose pockets is it going? The wealth of this country is 
 disappearing down the tubes into the stuffed pockets of the 
 financial/military/industrial oligarchs. Americans are being bled dry while 
 people of the world are literally bleeding and dying from U.S.-made weapons 
 and warfare. Do we not see the connection?”\nMore and more people are 
 indeed seeing the connection between corporate banksterism and militarism; 
 they are seeing how uncontrolled spending on war is resulting in austerity 
 at home. In a recent interview, Cornel West brought the issues of the 
 wealth divide, Wall Street and militarism together. Prof. West also spoke 
 about Obama, calling him “a cagey neoliberal at home and a liberal 
 neoconservative abroad” who expanded the wars and military while 
 re-enforcing the existing Wall Street-dominated power structure at home, a 
 president who has abandoned the poor and working class and is becoming” a 
 pawn of big finance and a puppet of big business.” See the interview with 
 Professor West here:\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/14/18677205.php
SUMMARY:Tax Day Make Them Pay
LOCATION:Wells Fargo Headquarters \n420 Montgomery St. Near Sacramento\nBART, Muni 
 Routes 1, 10, 12, 8x\n   
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/14/18677205.php
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