Occupy Wallstreet... and Bs As?

[PhilipDT]

A lot of these people would also like to "grow their wealth" and work hard like you but they cannot find any work.

Some of you would like them to just roll up in a dirty blanket and die on the street but many are not going to go down without a fight.

That's what irks me. Where does this arrogant entitlement come from?

 

[mariposa]

who said anything about either "arrogant" or "entitlement"?

 

[steveinbsas]

That's what irks me. Where does this arrogant entitlement come from?

Perhaps it stems from the belief that the resources of the world are rightfully owned by everyone equally and should be shared as such...regardless of individual ability or effort...simply on the basis of need.

It was tried in a number of places in the past century..at the cost of many tens of millions of lives.

The arrogance is apparent in the words (as well as faces) of those who presume to possess the superior knowledge of how to (re)distribute those resources (aka created wealth)...and are willing to do so by force if necessary (as it always is).

 

[mariposa]

people who have lost their jobs, pensions, homes etc because of irresponsible (to put it kindly) bankers and mortgage agents, and young people who have exorbitant student loans which will hover over many years of their lives while their job prospects are bleak or worse, are hardly arrogant and don't expect entitlements. they are looking for a fair chance. they have a point, especially in view of exorbitant executive pay and obscene rewards for ceo's who have run their companies into a ditch and then get fired. and walk away with millions.

 

[Ries]

I havent seen a single sign in any of the pictures that says anything about "the belief that the resources of the world are rightfully owned by everyone equally and should be shared as such...regardless of individual ability or effort...simply on the basis of need".

What I have heard is a disgust for the speculative derivatives and mortgage backed securities swindles that drove the entire world economy into recession.

What I have heard is a disgust for those same bankers giving themselves multi million dollar bonuses, with taxpayer bailout money, while their firms lost money.

What I have heard is a disgust for hedge fund managers, over 25 of whom made over $1 billion dollars each last year, scamming the tax code and paying taxes at a rate lower than a bus driver or a plumber pays.

What I have heard is a disgust for making teachers, policemen, and firemen the scapegoats for the failed gambles of billionaires, whilst said billionaires, like for instance the multi-bankrupt Donald Trump, continue to be rich, pay low taxes, and get government subsidies for their projects.

Marx has been conspicuously absent from these protests, although his spirit does live on in the huge government giveaways to oil companies, defense contractors, banks, insurance companies, and hedge funds- they are all getting government mandated redistribution of MY wealth...

 

[gsi16386]

A lot of these people would also like to "grow their wealth" and work hard like you but they cannot find any work.

Some of you would like them to just roll up in a dirty blanket and die on the street but many are not going to go down without a fight.

Unemployment is high, but producers/hard workers/and people with half a brain cell get jobs and make money...it might not be what they want to do, but they make money. No one FORCED you to become whatever you are are, you chose your path and considering that the US is the most opportunistic country in the world your options were abundant (AND STILL ARE!!).

These guys are all a bunch of Commis and Socialists that want to corral, hold hands, light a joint, and sing Kumbayah. These are also the same people who will be holding out their hand for subsidies when they're older. I mean, just look at some of their demands. It's so laughable. I mean, this is just great entertainment of nothing else. Gawd help us all...

- Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.
- Open borders migration. anyone can travel anywhere to work and live.
- Decommissioning of all of America's nuclear power plants.
- Minimum wage to twenty dollars an hr.
- Institute a universal single payer healthcare system and the banning of private companies.

 

[French jurist]

people who have lost their jobs, pensions, homes etc because of irresponsible (to put it kindly) bankers and mortgage agents, and young people who have exorbitant student loans which will hover over many years of their lives while their job prospects are bleak or worse, are hardly arrogant and don't expect entitlements. they are looking for a fair chance. they have a point, especially in view of exorbitant executive pay and obscene rewards for ceo's who have run their companies into a ditch and then get fired. and walk away with millions.

And you forgot to mention that the young generation is to pay for the debt -whatever form it takes- (like in EVERY occidental country hence the protests in Spain, Israël, etc.).

Like said (not long ago ) a former US President :
Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.

 

[gsi16386]

What I have heard is a disgust for hedge fund managers, over 25 of whom made over $1 billion dollars each last year, scamming the tax code and paying taxes at a rate lower than a bus driver or a plumber pays.

Are you familiar with the tax code? They pay lower taxes because they pay capital gains taxes, not income tax...it's two different things.

By offering a lower capital gains tax it encourages investment. Not only that, but they put their capital at risk...shouldn't the reward be higher? They're willing to risk what they've earned to invest in you and the future of America, but what if they lose money? They're out of luck...

You as a worker cannot lose money, you continue to accrue income so you pay a higher rate. Seems pretty fair to me...

 

[mariposa]

well i'll weigh in one more time, then i have had enough. i am writing from new york city where i live 6-7 months out of 12. i personally know quite a few college-educated people who have been out of jobs for a year or more and can't get another one despite the fact that they have worked hard all their lives and never got, or wanted, a handout from anybody.

in the past week i have been down to wall st/ zucotti park twice, and i intend to go to their rally planned for wednesday afternoon. among the demonstrators i have seen a cross section of u.s. american society: whites, mostly, but also african americans, latinos, asians. i have seen young people with huge college loan debts and no jobs, middle-aged people, senior citizens, teachers who have been laid off, union members, and (last sunday) at least one member of the u.s. army (in uniform) who held up this sign : I AM FIGHTING FOR MY COUNTRY FOR THE SECOND TIME. THIS TIME I KNOW THE ENEMY.

these people are not slackers or losers or doped-up hippies looking for the latest thrill.

 

[Joe]

The other 99% didn't complain when the uber-rich 1% took 80% of the country's wealth.

They didn't complain when they took 90% of the country's wealth.

But as history has show us, greed has no limits.

The Right Wingers (who ironically are not in the top 1% but have a fantasy that they are going to get there "some day") believe that their view is the morally correct one. Maybe it is - I don't know. Perhaps Marie Antoinette was in principle correct when she said let them eat cake. I wonder if the thought that she was morally correct gave her comfort when her head was in the guillotine?

Of course the US is far from the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution but it is certainly heading in that direction. Once Joe Six Pack's unemployment insurance runs out, his cable TV is switched off and his house is finally foreclosed upon... Well I hope your principled beliefs give you comfort.

And don't get me wrong I'm not advocating violence. My house will probably get burned down before they get to yours. I'm just acknowledging that when people have their back against the wall, they will fight. I don't really care who is "morally correct" in their economic theory when the streets are ablaze.