ROBIN HOOD TAX GROUP AT COMICON CALLS FOR "HEROES FOR JUSTICE": SEEKS TAX ON WALL STREET

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By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

July 31, 2014 (San Diego)--One of the myriad of groups at Comicon San Diego was Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street, which came fully armed with street theater. The group’s members contend that since the big banks and hedge funds caused the nation’s financial crisis, they should pay their fair share to clean it up.

“Are you ready to be a hero for justice in the real world?” the group’s Facebook asks.

ECM talked with Chris McKay, spokesperson for the group. They came to Comicon since this is one of the places where “the most apathetic people in this country come, every year because of Hollywood and superheroes.”

He said that most people are not aware of what is going on in the country, or why, partly because the media refuses to go in to the real issues and educate people. He also said that people come to these massive popular culture events, “while their country and their communities are falling all around them.”

Among other things, he said that the student debt is crushing people. It used to be the American dream to go to college and get a degree, and in exchange you had a good life. That promise has been broken.

ECM asked McKay about the posters they had of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In his view the first three created social movements for change, the last two are just politicians. That was his personal opinion and did not speak for the group. In his mind these days money has bought off politics, even those politicians we might otherwise respect.

He does believe that activists who were involved with Occupy San Diego should try to run for office. The ideas are there, and the system needs challenging, but money needs to get out of politics.

The reception from Convention goers was anywhere from paying attention, it was one more piece of street theater, to just ignoring it.

If you want more information go to http://www.Robinhoodtax.org

 


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