CE: 99% vs 1%

"People of all ages and backgrounds were on hand for Wednesday’s Occupy Wall Street march that drew tens of thousands into the streets in downtown New York City. Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman reports from the street to bring you some of their voices" - Democracy Now's Occupy Wall Street

     As some may be familiar with, there are movements all over the world about the Occupy Wall Street March. But what exactly is Occupy Wall Street about anyways?


Well most likely, you and I, your mother and neighbor, your teacher and pastor, and your crazy ex girlfriend are probably a part of the 99% of America. We work hard to pursue the American dream and STILL get fucked over by the system that said we can do it all. Therefore some are fighting for our political and economical rights on Wall Street.
"They’re small stories of people who played by the rules, did what they were told, and now have nothing to show for it. Or, worse, they have tens of thousands in debt to show for it."

The 1% represents the wealthy elite class of the American population that get to manipulate the future with their money. These are the people that profit by destroying our lives. Don't even get me started on the 53%.

A degree doesn't secure anything any more. Many go to college and garner tens of thousands in debt to receive a degree which only qualifies for jobs that pay less than many entry level food service jobs. They don't educate you of the downside of college or talk about what happens of you drop out. They don't talk about the burden of student loans. Not discouraging anyone from receiving a higher education, but be informed.






College debt shows up a lot in these stories, actually. It’s more insistently present than housing debt, or even unemployment. That might speak to the fact that the protests tilt towards the young. But it also speaks, I think, to the fact that college debt represents a special sort of betrayal. We told you that the way to get ahead in America was to get educated. You did it. And now you find yourself in the same place, but buried under debt. You were lied to. 

-Ezra Klein, The Washington Post

     Well doesn't that shit suck. To add injury to insult, protesters by the hundreds are getting their ass handed to them by the NYPD. The injustice that goes into the thousands of arrests are sadistic. They should be charged with false imprisonment and aggravated assault. They may wear a badge but they're clearly not enforcing any laws by beating people senseless, arresting innocent bystanders, pepper-spraying the peaceful, and racially profiling in order to make an example.






     Personally it seems like an unorganized protest that no one knows what it's definitely about. Don't get me wrong, I (being the 99%) am completely behind the fundamental message and support it; however, the fact that it's basically about everything that fucked over middle-class America doesn't exactly give it a voice. "Oh the banks are evil, we hate the rich, college debt, no jobs and unemployment, free healthcare!" It's really terrible and all, but... what do you propose we do? Okay, you've picked up some momentum and gain some celebrity endorsements, but that's no where good enough to get a whiff of revolution. This is considered "the cultural equivalence of a temper tantrum." For it to have the potential to alter the corrupt systematic structure of America, it must evolve beyond an unfocused expression of socio-economic frustration. But hey, their exponential growth is accumulating by the thousands, which could possibly lead to something big.
If anything, I'm down.