Like a virus, the “Occupy†movement has moved worldwide with people proclaiming a seemingly unified slogan that “We are the 99%â€
I would take a stab at it and say that the majority of “Occupy†protesters and identifiers are Democrats in the same vein that the majority of Tea Party campaigners are Republican. However, the political affiliation actually serves no purpose here.
Ok, what are the commonalties, in my opinion? Here they are… these are 2 groups of people who do not like the way things are happening and want change….. They ask 2 similar questions:
1. First major question: What is wrong with the system?
2. Second major question: What are we going to do about it?
It ends there….
What the Tea party said: There is a problem with the economy and the way the administration has handled it all, including dealing with excessive corporate greed and a lack of accountability! On top of this was a desire to return to the more Republican convention of a smaller government more concerned with overall governance and regulation with businesses geared to stimulate the economy.
What the “Occupy Wall Street†Movement said: There are a few people, 1% of the population and they are all on Wall Street. They make excessive profits, have unethical business practices, have no accountability, and are they are reason we don’t have jobs and why the system is messed up.
What’s the difference here?
The Tea Party understands that business only does what it is allowed to do, and that the reason they do it is because of what is lobbied and then legislated as well as general administrative ignorance on the part of lawmakers in power. They understand the root cause of the problem.
The Occupy movement has seen the results of bad government and corporate governance like the Tea Party. However, they would chop the head off a serpent, only to have another two heads rise in its place. Their anger is misplaced, due in main part to an absolute ignorance of understanding how business works. What makes it so irritating for the writer is that they seem to be led by a bunch of typical democrat intellectuals who talk a great game, but don’t have the foggiest clue about creating wealth for others or how the real world and people operate. Their solutions sounds great, but their understanding of the system and the way things work are superficial at best.
What the Tea party did: They organised a mass grass-roots movement, identifying political leaders who were allied to their cause and started a campaign for real change. They campaigned on the doorsteps of Washington DC and in the hearts and minds of every citizen in the country. They understood that the real power lay in the power of the ballot. They campaigned hard and they won. Had all the Senate seats been up for re-election there is no doubt whatsoever that the entire balance of power would have shifted. President Obama called the results a “shellackingâ€
What the “Occupy Wall Street†did: They got very upset and went viral and told everyone who works on Wall Street as well as around the world that they were very upset and that they need to change so that everyone can live in peace and harmony!?!?
I’m really trying not to make fun of them. I understand their anger, but it is so very misplaced. The more I hear intellectual protesters spout conspiracy theories or how naughty it is to make so much money and so forth; what irks me the most is that there are no workable solutions forthcoming. They are just angry…… and boy are they letting you know it! Their anger at Capitalism is the funniest because it is in fact many Socialist agendas and laws which have resulted in them getting the shaft. If Capitalism were allowed to truly reign supreme the markets would have been allowed to sort themselves out.
This is my message to the Occupy Wall Street protesters…. Please, oh please understand that business only does what it does, ethically or unethically, because it is allowed to do so by Government!! You are actually making your leaders happy by shifting the focus from them to Wall Street!! Please leave the business of “change we can believe in†to the Tea Party. 2010 was the start, 2012 will be the fruition. But in the mean time, please let people return to business, and if you really want change, then use your vote and vote wisely to change / affect the Master of Puppets. Many great leaders over many hundreds of years fought and died to get you Democracy and Universal Suffrage…. Don’t make them turn in their graves….
Oh, and Peter Schiff, if you are out there, please help a brother out in educating the kind folk :)
