Several people have asked my opinion of the Occupy Wall Street protests and I feel it’s time to articulate my thoughts in a meaningful way. My initial reaction was based on past observations of similar movements and, honestly, stereotypes. Sure, I have a tendency—as all people do—to make rash judgments where hackneyed folk are involved (i.e. dirty hippies, smelly anarchists, etc.).At first, I was unimpressed with what I saw. It was just another gathering of 20-somethings and hippie-rejects looking for an opportunity to lash-out at their wealthy parents for not “being there” when they were children, for not buying the car they wanted at 16, or for not sending them their first college of choice. It’s easy to assume these people are just looking for the next trendy social movement so they can feel part of something bigger than their tiny, enclosed world of iPads and Gears of War. It’s understandable. I was a rebellious 20-something myself once. It’s too easy to make these assumptions when the usual suspects are involved.
It’s tempting to think this entire movement is manufactured and orchestrated from plush conference rooms of organized labor and other special interest groups. It’s tempting to think the left-leaning groups supporting the protests are hoping for violence so they can swoop in to save the day and protect us from evil corporations. It’s easy to classify these protests as left-leaning events when Cornel West, Van Jones, Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton, unions, socialist groups, and others are praising it.
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It is too easy to point out that these same people were silent when the bail-outs were distributed in 2008 and 2009. It’s easy to point out that these same people were silent when Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac were making fraudulent loans to families who couldn’t afford the mortgage notes. It’s easy to point out that in interview after interview the protesters are having difficulty articulating a clear and concise purpose and solution. It’s easy to think the protesters are provoking the police in hopes of capturing brutality on their iPhones to broadcast instantly across the world and cry foul. I won’t spend any more time stating the obvious.Many average folks are unwittingly taking to the web to show solidarity. The sense of entitlement coming from these average Joes and Janes is what irks me most. Many of the “99%” are posting pictures of themselves stating their education level or qualifications followed by “I am the 99%.” For example, one I saw this morning stated, “I served in the US Army. Served 16 months in Iraq. Now I deliver pizza. I am the 99%.” Did he expect to come back from Iraq and have a cushy office job?
The only message I’ve been able to glean from the entire event is “Hate Wall Street.” That’s all fine and good. Now, what do you intend to DO about Wall Street between tokes of marijuana? Is this an “awareness” campaign, photo-op, or a precursor to revolution? Revolutions have agendas and goals—not vaguely worded “demands”.
The protesters are demanding free education for all and a $20 per hour minimum wage among other things. Education and jobs are privileges and not rights. Rights are inherent and do not require the infringement on others (Read: excess taxes) to institute. Rights are inherent and not granted by an all-powerful State. Privileges are perks.Needless to say, I’m still unimpressed with the protests. Do these protesters think “change” will magically occur like everything else in their cushy lives? Do they think sitting around in one spot for an extended period of time accomplishes anything other making them look like lazy, trust-fund babies? I don’t exactly understand what the protesters are hoping to accomplish other than bitching and moaning and I don’t think they do either.
Hey, protesters, if I'm wrong, show me.
im a huge fan of your blog and i often comment.
ReplyDeletehowever, im really disappointed in this post. i come here to read about ending religious indoctrination. it's your blog, and you're welcome to post what you want, but not only is this completely off topic, but i really do not appreciate your bias and stereotyping. yes, you've acknowledged the fact that you as well as all of us are subject to doing that. but it's what you did for the entire article. the photos you chose and the people you're shitting on are just a percentage of the whole movement. judge the movement for what IT is, not for what SOME of the PEOPLE are. it's not about being pissed off about not getting a cushy office job after you come home from iraq. it's about 1% of the nation having 99% of the wealth. that's it. what people do with that is their choice, whether it's their signs or their marches or their internet posts.
please, write more about christianity and religion, and not about your ageism and other snobby biases.
Thanks for visiting my blog and reading my posts. "Ageism"? OK, another -ism to add to the countless others. Please explain to me 1) what the problem is with people being wealthy 2) what is your solution? Confiscate this wealth?
ReplyDeleteFurther, anyone who looks to the federal government as the solution to every problem and curing every ill is religiously indoctrinated in the cult of government. So, this blog is entirely relevant.
ReplyDeletehey, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. nothing at all! if people get wealthy in the process of being decent human beings who value other humans over power and who don't take advantage of their privileges while hurting others, AWESOME! dude, i'd love to be wealthy. i try to make as much money as i can. i need it, and i'd also like some extra to buy myself nice shit as well as give it to people who need it more than i and who cannot get it.
ReplyDeletethe ageism comment was because you seem to be a little discriminate against the younger and less experienced. i have no idea how old you are, and i might even be older than you (i'm not sure) but it still bothers me to see that attitude. i could be misperceiving you, though.
and i see your connection between the religious indoctrination... but again, i come here to read about it directly, not indirectly. but that's not really a complaint, just sort of a personal bummer.
lastly, here is a comment my friend posted on my facebook as i was discussing this photo with him: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/310637_2401946404850_1136777814_3897571_1123034735_n.jpg
"This person just seems like a dick who's not self aware enough to be able to examine his own privilege. He won the genetic lottery on a ton of different levels. He didn't have to deal with a lot of obstacles that other people do, obstacles that would have been out of his control. And I don't just mean him being a white male, but also having the amazing faculties to apparently be 100% on his shit 100% of the time. It's cool that he can do that, but unreasonable to expect that from everybody, especially from those who either dealt with a lot more obstacles than he or for whatever reasons wasn't able to respond to them as well (for a multitude of reasons, whether it's emotional/psychological problems, different education, poor family/home/social life, living in a ghetto, etcx100000). And the fact is that we can and SHOULD change society so more people don't have to deal with those obstacles in the first place, especially considering they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the greed of the powerful few. I know it "built character" or something, but everybody SHOULDN'T have to work their ass off just to get by, and, like I said before, he's one of the lucky few who's not only super responsible, hard working, and level headed, but also didn't have to deal with a lot worse things that are out of the individual's control. If only he was born with a bit more empathy. We're not all supermen, nor should we have to be in order to survive or be happy."
You judge this kid in your pic as I judge the kid in my pic. You actually believe every person who CLAIMS to be downtrodden. I don't. We all have the same opportunity to be who we want. That's liberty. Some people have more money in life to succeed and others don't. That's the gamble. That's liberty.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a poor family. My dad TOLD me to stay home and work in a factory. I chose to go to a private Christian university with no means of support. I took out a ton of private student loans. I worked one full-time job and one part-time job with 16 hours of classes every semester. Some people try harder than others. I can point to people with psychological problems or born in the ghetto WHO ALSO SUCCEEDED. There are almost no excuses.
It's sad that you think everyone is a victim. That's how people STAY victims.
BTW, I'm 37. No kids. Divorced. Self-employed. Freelance graphic designer. Former Southern Baptist Convention employee and former youth minister. I spent most of my childhood in North Memphis where I was the only white kid on the block. Surprisingly, it wasn't until I moved to a rural area that I realized I was poor and "down-trodden". I didn't hear the n-word in a derogatory sense til I moved from da 'hood. I say all of that to say that the people I met in the poor area never complained about their lot in life. The old black men I looked up to taught me to work hard and never complain.
So, I despise complainers.
BTW. The guy in your pic is a hero. An example to all.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I shall address the picture of the man with the sign about serving in Iraq for 16 months since I'm the one who shared it on facebook: The man's statement has nothing to do with delivering pizza (since you wanted to make such a huge deal about that on my post). He is presenting himself as an average American, the 99% who cannot afford lobbyists but still deserve their voices to be heard as citizens. His reference to military service is not a plea for charity, it is a demonstration that he is a contributing member of society, and obviously NOT some lazy hippie (as you like to group everyone involved in the movement as). For all you know, the man is going to college, raising a family, and slangin' pizzas all at
ReplyDeletethe same time.... despite having images of bodies being blown up flashing through his mind on a daily basis.
I myself did not attend the protests, though I do identify with the people of the 99%. To me, these people represent the majority of Americans- the working class and middle class. I find it disturbing that the extremely wealthy and corporations have so much influence on the government. We are the people, we pay the majority of the taxes, so our voices should be heard the loudest. To me, the movement has nothing to do with capitalism, socialism, communism, or any of the other -isms some (a very few) of the participants are making it about. It is about people coming together in a peaceful fashion to speak their
opinions. It's about liberty, free-speech, and voicing our concerns in the hopes that politicians will take notice. It is a strike against apathy in politics amongst the citizens, and a call to be more pro-active:
research, vote, make a difference. Many people I correspond with are active in the protests, none of them are remotely close to the stereotypes you present. The people I know who are most active in the movement are over age 35.
I've been working since I was 17. I pay my bills and pay my taxes. I am completely debt free. I save up and pay for things I want outright. I didn't have rich parents. I didn't
have good role models. I grew up filthy poor in a trailer park. I consider myself successful. Maybe not to everyone's standards, but to my own, and that is all that matters. I like my blue-collar job, and though I may bitch about it from time to time, because it's a fun topic amongst me and my co-workers, I am happy where I am, or else I wouldn't still be there after 6 years. I do not smoke pot or do any illegal drugs. I am not dirty, a hippie, or an anarchist. I am not a Democrat. I am not a Liberal. I am not a Socialist. I reject all political labels. I do not want hand-outs. All I want is to be recognized as being a human being, not the products which I consume. I am the 99%.
And yes, I am pissed off about some things. I am pissed that politicians sit in mansions while the people who actually go out and fight in the wars come back and struggle to make ends meet. I am pissed that boys who kick footballs make a gazillion dollars a year while teachers make only $44,000. I am pissed that skanks that fuck on camera make a million dollars a year while policemen make only $50,000. I am pissed that a large percentage of the $70 that came out of my paycheck goes to kill innocent children as casualites of war in other countries. I am pissed that education and medicine are so absurdly expensive. I am pissed that YOU told ME that I shouldn't even be alive right now, that I should have starved to death as a baby because the government shouldn't help poor people. At the time, I thought it was some bad joke I didn't get, that I would come to understand as I came to understand you. Now, though, I am certain that you were serious.
(had to split this into 2 comments bc I went over character limit)
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the silliest, most hateful blogs I have read in a while. It sounds like a parody of some of Rush Limbaugh's rhetoric. You accused me before of making a "rash judgement" when I said you lacked empathy for your fellow humans. What exactly do you think you are doing? You judge people based on a glance and presumptions, without even speaking to them. I have a month and a half of observations and first hand experience to base my claims upon. You judge people so harshly, you are quick to generalize and stereotype. You hurt people's feelings on purpose because you are hurt, bitter and angry inside that you put the whole of your faith into a lie for 20 years. You say yourself that you oftentimes "put on a show", that you pretend to be things that you are not. For your band, you pretend to be straight-edge, because it attracts people. As a DJ, you pretend to be a "player", because it gets an audience. Amidst of all of this pretending, do you know who you really are? I sure don't. But... I can tell you who you are presenting yourself to be: A smug, judgmental, condescending, know-it-all, ignorant asshole. As I have said before, if you do not desire to be perceived in a certain way, do not present it.
Once upon a time, I was in awe of you. You were mean, yes, but I had compassion towards your cruelty, in regards to religion. In this case, I do not understand your cruelty at all. Like it or not, you are the 99%. The 1% represents the extremely wealthy. You are not wealthy. If you think you are not included in the
99% because you are not protesting, you are under a misapprehension.
Their protesting is no different than your blogging. "Sitting in one spot for an extended period of time, bitching and moaning"...that is exactly what you do in this and some other blogs. You are not better than everyone else. Get over yourself.
Awwww...that's sweet.
ReplyDeleteAnyway...these staged protests may not represent socialism to you, but, as I stated in the blog, the original agitators behind the protests are socialist/anti-capitalists. The magazine, AdBusters, where the initial planning meetings began, is a blatantly anti-capitalist publication and proud of it. I've seen plenty of anti-capitalist, socialist themed signs in the parades and ZERO pro-capitalism signs. In fact, I have spent a lot of time on the OWS LiveStream chat and have raise the simple question, "What is the plan for reducing the debt and deficit?" Only to be labeled as a spammer/troll and blocked from participating. The core of this contrived movement is socialistic in nature. Further, the planning groups are called "General Assemblies". Anyone loosely familiar with socialist groups understands this is paying homage to them.
People who claim to oppose labels usually fall into two categories--they are liberal/socialist/freeloaders or are just plain ignorant. I subscribe to labels because, to quote the Bible (which is shit btw), "You shall know them by their fruit." If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.
Now, as for your direct comments regarding me, I will let those stand, because they are ad hominem and not based in reality. You're only upset because I don't agree with you (and probably one other reason). That's it.
What's your opinion of the HERO the other commenter posted?
I AM the 99%, too. I just don't think the 1% should be punished if they are following the law. If they have broken any law, punish them to the fullest extent. What's wrong with that?
In closing, I've never known you to be one who looks for hand-outs, so I'm obviously not clumping you into the groups I've listed above. I think you care about people, but we disagree on how help should be achieved.
One other thing, if you're hurt or upset with me on a personal level, please send a direct email. It's unbecoming and classless to post on a public blog.
ReplyDeleteCan't help myself. Two last things: you and I are different, because I don't worship the government. You are part of religious cult of government which thinks it is the ultimate power on earth. I can recommend some Oxford philosophers for you to read if you'd like. Also, as with all mind-numb, government cultists, you accuse me of sounding like Limbaugh. If you were lettered enough to spot the nuances in my position, you would accuse me of sounding like Hayek or Berlin. Typical mistake among the unwashed masses.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of the "hero" is that he sounds pretty awesome. I think he was also confused as to what the term "the 99%" referred to.
ReplyDeleteI don't worship the government, that's bonkers. I barely even pay any attention to politics. I got into it for about 3 months, then quickly lost interest.
I'm adamantly pro-death penalty and hardcore liberals attack me for that. I also think that "free legal abortion on demand" is nutty as hell. I quit getting on Twitter bc of all the psychotic self-proclaimed liberals pissing me off. I don't wish to be in their club. Granted, they are not all that way... but enough to turn me off.
Nah, I'm not personally upset with you. I would've blocked you from my fb by now if that were the case. Your blog attacked many people whom I care about and I took that personally. I felt I should speak up for them. You said horribly cruel and hateful things about people you don't even know, I think you should keep in mind that humans are human and we all have feelings, thoughts, and reasons of our own... we are individuals, not stereotypes and labels. That's a gross way of thinking. If you dish out all this judgement and ridicule unto others, it is justice that you receive the same in return... hence my venom. If you are going to be a big meanie, you can't go boo-hoo when someone is mean to you.
Here's another thing... I was under the impression that the protests were just for a day or two, to make a statement and get a point across. Why people are still camping out and taking up residence at their protest sites is beyond me. Personally, I am sick of hearing about it and feel the point has been made and it should be over by now. But hey, to each his own, I suppose. I'm sure they have their reasons, which I may or may not agree with. As long as they are being peaceful and not rioting or doing crazy stuff, I don't care.
My goal was never to be classy, it was to point out what a turd you were being. Respect earns respect.
I will ridicule ANYONE who worships ANYTHING. Christians are ignorant for what they believe and liberals (and defenders of liberals) worship in the cult of government. ALL are brainwashed and ALL are fair game to demeaned.
ReplyDeleteIf a person wants to disagree with me, they must do so on intellectual terms. I do not respond well to emotional pleas as that is a propaganda tool. "Poor people need X." Screw that! It's not an argument! Just as "you have to believe or you'll go to hell" is NOT an argument. They're both baseless and merely tug at heart-strings. SCREW ALL RELIGIONS including Government worship.
"Christians are ignorant for what they believe and liberals (and defenders of liberals) worship in the cult of government. ALL are brainwashed and ALL are fair game to demeaned."
DeleteWow. You wouldn't be too popular on PZ's blog. By the way I agree with you 100%.
It's interesting that many people think all atheists are liberals. The truth is liberals make the most noise, for example the strange wall street protesters who would rather complain about unemployment than actually look for a job.
Everyone should read both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
I don't understand why you feel that ridicule and demeaning are necessary to make valid points and argue your side of a debate. If you would have simply stated your facts demonstrating why you felt the subject was negative, it would have been fine. You utilized "emotional propaganda" (slurs, insults, etc) to elicit a response from the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe Wall St Occupiers lump ALL of Wall St into one category as a means to ridicule capitalism as a whole when everyone KNOWS (or should know) that not everyone on Wall St is naughty. They reveal their ignorance of the issues by not making this clear distinction or maybe their end goal is to end capitalism. Either I oppose.
ReplyDeleteBullshit arguments deserve bullshit and ridicule. I've presented my argument in a fair way. You made your entirely emotional plea and I countered with ad hominem. I think that's entirely fair. Once you provide facts, I'll counter with facts.