You know I am a bit behind on actually writing about this story. Though we have covered it extensively on "The Ed Springston Show" actual writing time has been limited so here you go.
Is OCCUPY WALL STREET relevant? In many eyes, mine included, not necessarily so.
Though I have always advocated, and continue to do so, that people need to take to the streets in protest, the whole occupy wall street movement just does not seem to fit with any perceived agendas. There appear to be NO demands and NO direction. It seems that people are protesting just to be protesting with no thought to an eventual outcome.
If you are going to protest then have an agenda or an end result in mind.
It seems on the surface that this group is an ultra left wing attempt to match the TEA party success but it is doubtful they can get close.
Why would I say that?
For starters there has been an "unofficial" list of demands that have been accredited to a single individual which I find suspect to begin with. Though I am no fan of mainstream media in general, even mainstream would not blame an entire movement on the ramblings of a singular individual. Not in a mass protest of this size anyway.
OCCUPY WALL STREET demands "unofficially?"
Check out a few here:
Demand one: Restoration of the living wage.
Demand two: Institute a universal single payer healthcare system.
Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.
Demand four: Free college education.
The list itself of this unofficial demands is actually found on the occupy wall street website at www.occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-for-occupy-wall-st-moveme/
So why would they even list this if they didn't want someone to infer that they may be behind these demands?
Who knows but we do have to face reality here at some point. This list of "possible" demands just is not realistic.
Suppose America itself banded together and gave in to just the above demands. Would we better off? Of course not because it is fundamentally flawed.
Free education? Great I'm for it, but how will it get paid for? Taxes? So how much do you want to pay out of your income to provide for a free college education when we have done such a pathetic job of our lower education possibilities.
What is the value of a degree currently, when so many cannot even find a job within their career field. How much more value would that degree have if everyone had one.
Living wage? No problem.
Define living wage and what amount would be considered a living wage. If you base it on today's economy that number would be less than one in a different economy where everyone was making the same amount per hour.
Say you make it $15 an hour. Sounds good when you make $8 or $9 today right? But what happens when you raise the wages across the board to an equal level?
Trickle down economics come into play.
As an employer when your costs go up so does the price for your goods, or services accordingly. Those costs have to be paid for by someone. Contrary to popular belief, the regular small business guys that are the backbone of our Nation's employers simply do not work on a profit margin that would allow them to pay without increasing the price of goods or services.
I have to be honest here as well. Guaranteeing someone a "living wage" for working the counter at a Thornton's, or asking if you want fries with that at McDonald's, just doesn't seem appealing to me.
Those type jobs were always designed to be starter jobs. You want more money go work for it. Make yourself marketable. It really is that simple. To think that anyone should be guartanteed the same as everyone in an economical sense is absurd. There will always be givers and taker sin this world. It is human nature. I am not going to give to someone who doesn't want to attempt to earn it. That is a major problem today with this type of mindset.
I am as angry as anyone at Wall street. They are the greedy pigs that are destroying this Country.
But I don't blame them or the Corporations.
I blame our elected leaders. Our President. Our Congress.
We elected them to represent our interests and they have failed miserably. We can put a name and a face on each and every one of them and know who to blame for our problems today.
The corporations themselves are a nameless, faceless entity. You want to make a difference? Quit being the ultra left wing liberals who continue wanting something for nothing. Quit playing the victim card and band together. Fight against those who have made us a welfare dependent nation. Both corporate and individual.
Start with each and every incumbent in Washington.
I am reminded of an old joke. What do you call 100 Louisville Lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.
I would change that to say, what do you call 100 incumbent politicians at the bottom of the ocean?
Get the picture?
Is OCCUPY WALL STREET relevant? In many eyes, mine included, not necessarily so.
Though I have always advocated, and continue to do so, that people need to take to the streets in protest, the whole occupy wall street movement just does not seem to fit with any perceived agendas. There appear to be NO demands and NO direction. It seems that people are protesting just to be protesting with no thought to an eventual outcome.
If you are going to protest then have an agenda or an end result in mind.
It seems on the surface that this group is an ultra left wing attempt to match the TEA party success but it is doubtful they can get close.
Why would I say that?
For starters there has been an "unofficial" list of demands that have been accredited to a single individual which I find suspect to begin with. Though I am no fan of mainstream media in general, even mainstream would not blame an entire movement on the ramblings of a singular individual. Not in a mass protest of this size anyway.
OCCUPY WALL STREET demands "unofficially?"
Check out a few here:
Demand one: Restoration of the living wage.
Demand two: Institute a universal single payer healthcare system.
Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.
Demand four: Free college education.
The list itself of this unofficial demands is actually found on the occupy wall street website at www.occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-for-occupy-wall-st-moveme/
So why would they even list this if they didn't want someone to infer that they may be behind these demands?
Who knows but we do have to face reality here at some point. This list of "possible" demands just is not realistic.
Suppose America itself banded together and gave in to just the above demands. Would we better off? Of course not because it is fundamentally flawed.
Free education? Great I'm for it, but how will it get paid for? Taxes? So how much do you want to pay out of your income to provide for a free college education when we have done such a pathetic job of our lower education possibilities.
What is the value of a degree currently, when so many cannot even find a job within their career field. How much more value would that degree have if everyone had one.
Living wage? No problem.
Define living wage and what amount would be considered a living wage. If you base it on today's economy that number would be less than one in a different economy where everyone was making the same amount per hour.
Say you make it $15 an hour. Sounds good when you make $8 or $9 today right? But what happens when you raise the wages across the board to an equal level?
Trickle down economics come into play.
As an employer when your costs go up so does the price for your goods, or services accordingly. Those costs have to be paid for by someone. Contrary to popular belief, the regular small business guys that are the backbone of our Nation's employers simply do not work on a profit margin that would allow them to pay without increasing the price of goods or services.
I have to be honest here as well. Guaranteeing someone a "living wage" for working the counter at a Thornton's, or asking if you want fries with that at McDonald's, just doesn't seem appealing to me.
Those type jobs were always designed to be starter jobs. You want more money go work for it. Make yourself marketable. It really is that simple. To think that anyone should be guartanteed the same as everyone in an economical sense is absurd. There will always be givers and taker sin this world. It is human nature. I am not going to give to someone who doesn't want to attempt to earn it. That is a major problem today with this type of mindset.
I am as angry as anyone at Wall street. They are the greedy pigs that are destroying this Country.
But I don't blame them or the Corporations.
I blame our elected leaders. Our President. Our Congress.
We elected them to represent our interests and they have failed miserably. We can put a name and a face on each and every one of them and know who to blame for our problems today.
The corporations themselves are a nameless, faceless entity. You want to make a difference? Quit being the ultra left wing liberals who continue wanting something for nothing. Quit playing the victim card and band together. Fight against those who have made us a welfare dependent nation. Both corporate and individual.
Start with each and every incumbent in Washington.
I am reminded of an old joke. What do you call 100 Louisville Lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.
I would change that to say, what do you call 100 incumbent politicians at the bottom of the ocean?
Get the picture?
Here's some of my insights on the OWS movement and some history on its evolution. It will help you understand why the lack of demands.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2011/10/08/occupy-wall-street-a-blank-slate/
Beautiful commentary about this Occupy Wall Street movement. I can't imagine how out of touch these people are when they think that they deserve free education or healthcare on a free basis or even equalization of wages. You will always have people that will make more than others unless you live in some so called socialist utopia that won't exist and everyone will be equally poor. I'm all for protesting the corruption of corporations and politicians equally because they are the problem. Not to mention the massive bailouts and welfare that went to corporations, Wall Street, General Electric and other parasites.
ReplyDeleteI support the protest of corporations of Wall Street because they are the cockroaches who are sending millions of American jobs overseas and then bringing back the products to sell here at huge profits. Meanwhile 25 million people in this country are either underemployed or seriously unemployed. However, destroying the capitalist system isn't going to make things better or bring about a return to prosperity. Maybe instead, they should be protesting the Federal Reserve system which is not even controlled by government but by private banking monopolies. There are some great resources that explain how fractional reserve banking is a fraud as well as the inflation that is created not by increasing prices but by government printing more money and having a hidden tax on the people. Thanks for clarifying these issues because I like you suspect that this is a setup and more of a power grab for those who want more government and having government giving them anything
Great read Mike as always. fascinating that the "roots" of this movement started where? Outside the US. We can't even organize ourselves anymore we have to import outside forces. Just how sad is that really......
ReplyDeleteThe wild demands and lack of direction remind me of the Tea Party circa 2007. Remember when a bunch of retirees gathered in Sacramento demanding things such as a return to the Gold Standard and repeal of the 14th and 16th amendments?
ReplyDeleteFortunately the movement didn't make any sense and never found a consensus or gained any political clout... oh,wait...
You have no clue. These people do not begrudge the wealthy. You used to give everything you had to a company and in return the company took care of their employees. You had a pension, you had health care, you had paid vacation. Now if you ask for any of this the company threatens to go overseas. No the wealthy can keep their wealth, just be good citizens when it comes to those that work for you.
ReplyDeleteCruise who said anything about glorifying the wealthy? My argument and point of contention is that it isn't corporation fault. Bold statement? You bet.
ReplyDeleteThe fault lies not with a nameless, faceless corporation but with the names and faces of each and every member of Congress from BOTH political parties.
They are the ones who have made the rules for others to follow. Want proof that they are at fault?
Who authorized the TARP bailouts that bailed out the banks to begin with? It wasn't you or I it was the elected leaders. From BOTH parties.
Then they go and try to immunize the banks for any repercussions against their illegal home foreclosures as one example.
No I believe in protest and fighting for what is right, but I also believe that if you are to protest bring some substance to the plate.
Unfortunately, in this case the protests are against the wrong people IMO.
Thanks for writing.
Do you really think that the gov't and wall street isn't designed to work hand in hand. We,the people need to accept the fact that we have been bamboozled. Our politicians think that we're stupid and take advantage of us because they know that our focus is on survival.That is more than enough to think about. We need to take our money out of the banks. See what kind of attention that rings. It stops all the crap,midstream and other. We need to take control of the situation and prove that we are the people.
ReplyDelete