I originally wasn't going to post about this, because well: Who on earth could be against Occupy Wall Street?
But then, much to my complete inability to understand, some people actually are against it.
I can not, for the life of me, understand how this can be. I mean, seriously, peaceful people gathering to protest greed.
Not corporations. Greed. There is a BIG difference, and I think that is why people are supposedly against it- because they don't understand it. (Or, they only watch FauxNews and for some reason believe what is said on that so-called station).
Liberals and democrats are all for businesses. We're all for hard work. What we are NOT for is CEO's getting a 27% pay increase while middle-class workers get a 2% pay raise. What we are NOT for is CEO's pocketing millions of dollars while they ship jobs overseas. What we are NOT for is CEO's taking billions of dollars of bail-out money, and holding on to it: refusing to lend so that thousands of small businesses go under.
What is to like about those CEO's?
Let me give you a personal example.
My mom lost every penny of her retirement- retirement she had dilligently saved for over 30 years of dedicated service at Washington Mutual. When it went under (in very shady circumstances if there ever was one), she lost EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY.
What did Washington Mutual's CEO get? He got paid 21 MILLION dollars for 17 DAYS of work.
Yup, TWENTY ONE MILLION for 17 DAYS.
What hard-working middle-class citizen thinks that is just great? Fair? Reasonable? Right? What true, hard-working American is not furious that we live in a society where that is not only OK, it's acceptable?
That's what Occupy Wall Street is about. It's about this top 1% who DID NOT work hard to get where they are. They simply screwed the most people.
And, I'm so incredibly SICK of people saying that the poor are lazy. I grew up so poor the stories I could tell you would make your head spin. But my dad was, and still is, the absolute hardest worker I know. He worked three jobs to make ends meet. Those bastards on Wall Street who stole my entire mom's retirement have no clue what hard work is- they have never done what my Dad did. They have never sacrificed and worked like I watched my dad.
The janitors, mechanics, and factory workers are the TRUE hard workers in America. Screw you Republicans who think if you have money it's because you "worked harder." Screw you Herman Cain for treating the poor like trash, saying they just need to work. Screw every person who honestly thinks that "working hard" automatically equates to making money.
I have, unfortunately, seen how the "real world" works. I saw my mom cry for weeks while some Wall Street hypocrite took everything from her.
So, yeah, I'm pretty pissed at Wall Street. Not businesses and corporations in general. At these selfish, greedy, despicable men (who I am absolutely certain will rot in Hell someday) who are stealing from the working class, and then blaming the working class for being in such a plight.
And if you're not angry, you don't get it. Start researching, and you'll be angry.
UPDATE: I will note, that I do NOT think the violence in Rome is OK. The protests in the USA have been incredibly peaceful. In Denver, the leaders of Occupy Denver actually went around the park and collected and got rid of anything that could be used as a weapon (large rocks, sticks, etc.) and held several meetings discouraging violence. Even though the police came, it was incredibly peaceful with no violence from either side. Peaceful protests should always be encouraged in a country that claims democracy.
7 comments:
please contact me ,it's in reference to the wamu case....very important ...ac421@verizon.net
we are still fighting the case 3 years now ...i'm here on the east coast trying to get some people together to head to wall street ..we have some very important info
Good blog! I agree with everything you said. Sorry about your mom and hope she is able to get something if there is an on going case with wamu.
Wow, great post Christina. I couldn't agree more. Your personal experience makes it all the more meaningful.
A guy in the editorial of today's local rag was saying how we're discouraging inventors and smart people in general by demonizing "millionaires and billionaires". Because if you're rich you must've invented something and be super smart, and you know because demonizing is equal to wanting them to pay their fair share of taxes. How dare we ask such a thing of those in power!
I have a friend who is headed to NY the end of next week so she can participate. Wish we could all go with her.
Am I against greed? Absolutely. Does there need to be reforms? Absolutely. Do I think its great for people to voice their outrage by peaceful protest? Absolutely yes! And in regards to your mom's retirement, what a tragic (should-be-illegal) experience. There must be legal means to recover what is lost. My parents lost a major part of their retirement through a more local investment fraud case, and they were apart of a legal and civil actions.
Surprised? Haha! However, I don't understand the concept of "occupy". I've got plenty to do, kids to feed, a job to hold down, no time to spend 5+ weeks camped out in Zuccotti Park. And thank goodness it hasn't followed the same violent pattern as Rome, but there have been estimated 1000+ arrests made nationwide. Peaceful, yes. Without major incidences, no. And I have a hard time taking them seriously, when they don't have any unifying and actionable goals. (That, and applauding with spirit fingers).
In 2009, through a political cartoon about the Tea Party, you questioned the legitimacy of the "grass rootsness" of their movement. I'd like to beg the same question. I'd prefer both the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street being grass roots. But the possibility is there that they are well manufactured and funded "astro-turf" protests, and its worth looking into.
Thanks for updating!!
What was once peaceful is not peaceful anymore. Rapes, drug dealing, drug use, complaints from the local businesses, assaults against police officers. It's getting out of hand. I wish they would have not only had a message, but a true plan to fix what they don't like. You might not like the Tea Party, but they have a message they are making headway with and it carries influence with political figures. Not to mention that their rallies have been much much more peaceful than this fiasco. I agree that change needs to take place and what happened to your mother is horrific. I understand the point that you are making. I also I don't think that all poor people are lazy and that all rich people are hard workers but I don't think that all rich people are greedy also. However, the principle of "you reap what you sow" does hold a lot of value. Their needs to be less greed AND less freeloaders. It just seems that the efforts of "Occupy Wall Street" are back firing because of the lack of a plan and all the illegal actions and violence. I think it is sad that the real message is being tainted.
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