Obama re-election: four more wars - exclusive interview, Occupy Chicago spokesperson

Occupy Chicago: ‘We do not endorse a candidate as the US capitalist system is broken’ – interview

Robles : It looks like the elections are coming to a close pretty soon. What do you think about the candidates? Do you think Romney will do the same thing or even worse maybe? 

Wahlberg: Yes, Romney and his Bain Capital Company have outsourced jobs overseas, while under-employment and unemployment are running at record highs in the US. 

Near Chicago there is this company named Sensata, they’re based out of Freeport, Illinois, and they are actually one of the companies that is closing and the jobs are being shipped overseas. For more information on Sensata, check out their twitter feed at hash-tag Sensata. 

Robles: For the internal political and social situation in the United States for the common Americans it will be much worse with Romney, would you say or better? 

Wahlberg: I mean honestly, they’re two sides of the same coin. They are both funded by corporate money and will never represent the needs of the 99%. 

Robles: So you see no difference whatsoever? 

Wahlberg: No difference. 

Robles: What about the Green Party? 

Wahlberg: That’s an impossibility given the corporate controlled politicalsystem but I think it is amazing and very interesting that Jill Stein herself and her running mate were jailed, shackled to metal chairs for 8 hours when they attempted to go to the debates. It shows what activists face, it shows people of color face! The intimidation and soiling by police department and the government. 

Robles: These were candidates for president and vice president. I mean normally they get secret service protection etc. 

Wahlberg: Exactly. But their voices, like the voices of the 99% are not recognized by Romney or Obama. 

Robles: What would you say that does to the American system in the eyes of the world? 

Wahlberg: Obviously the Obama administration comes out looking like complete hypocrites when we advocate with drones and bombs across the world trying to create democracy but the Obama administration doesn’t let a third party candidate be at a debate. 

Robles: How is it possible that in a so-called democracy candidates can be just barred from what should be public debate? 

Wahlberg: I would direct you to democracynow.org for further information. 

Robles: If Obama is in the White House for four more years, what do you see going on in the Middle East? Where do you think that is going to go? 

Wahlberg: If Obama is re-elected I foresee four more wars. 

Robles: Four more wars? 

Wahlberg: I mean he wants to say, like, he’ll get 4 more years, I say 4 more wars. 

Robles: I see. So, Romney, I think, he will pretty much “gut” the middle class and the working class. Would you agree with that statement? 

Wahlberg: Yes. 

Robles: If he is elected, Obama will continue to slowly, kind of support the middle class and the lower classes? Or also“kindly gut” the entire country. 

Wahlberg: “Kindly gut” the entire country, sure. That sounds about right. 

Robles: I can’t think of another way to describe what they do. Anything else you might want to add about where the country is headed and what people can do and if there is any chance that the people can take the country back? 

Wahlberg: Both Obama and Romney support the Keystone-Excel Pipeline, that is the oil pipeline, from the Karzans in Canada that is going though the US and causing environmental devastation in an attempt to continue our reliance on fossil fuel. 

There are some very brave men and women fighting and I would direct you to support them. They need funding, they need awareness. Also, both Obama and Romney have not proposed to do anything about the foreclosures and evictions that are happening across the United States, so I would recommend what everyone can do is support Occupy Our Home, which is a campaign by the Occupy movement that focuses on re-taking foreclosed-upon homes, and taking houseless families off of the street and putting them into existing structures. 

Robles: The whole oil thing, I mean, going back to that for a minute, it seems like the United States and the American people become slaves to oil. 

Wahlberg: With the Keystone-Excel Pipeline the most we can do is keep talking about it, seeing what the environmental activists are asking for, how we can support them from wherever we are and, secondly, we can consider alternate fuel sources. 

Robles :They have been able to make electric car for the last almost 50 years already that would have been workable and cheap but of course they are not going to release that. 

Wahlberg: Actually it was released but big oil lobbies like the big oil companies that have a hand in this Keystone-Excel Pipeline, they killed the electric car, so until we release the stranglehold that big oil and its corporate money has on the American political system, I don’t honestly think we will see a change. 

Robles : Do you see any way to quietly bring that about? 

Wahlberg: I think that part of the beauty of the Occupy movement, is that we have extensive networks of dedicated activists that are committed to raising awareness about Occupy Our Home campaign, about anti-oil, about anti-corporate money campaign. 

If there are more people that become educated and informed and therefore have the possibility to become radicalized, we can start making some substantive social change. 

Robles: Ok, thank you very much, Natalie. I appreciate you speaking with me.