Forum Post: I understand the anger, but..
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 11, 2011, 3:41 p.m. EST by spadeaspade
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you can't blame these companies for taking bailouts that were spoon fed to them by the real criminals who make up our federal government. It makes no sense to blame those who took advantage of a broken system. Everybody cuts corners and prioritizes, whether its to our liking or not, if it's legal it's legal. Corporations making excessive profits is no different than a "poor" single mother who goes to tanning beds and bars every week while in turn she is feeding her baby hot dogs and mac & cheese every day (true story). It's just on a different scale and another context. You can make moral arguments all day long, if you live in a vacuum. Welcome to the human race.
Government policy cultivated an environment that encouraged the behavior we are NOW demonizing. Even though we were given fair warning by many economists to include a GOP presidential candidate who will remain unnamed. Like the saying goes: "don't hate the player, hate the game."
On a second note, America LOVES rich people, especially the filthy rich. The sports and entertainment industries are just as cutthroat as the big banks, Wallmarts, and Monsantos of the America. But we happily prop these industries up by "voting with our dollar", to steal a talking point from the film "food inc."
If you ever wondered why hundreds of thousands of poor southerners were willing to die for rich plantation owners during the civil war, it is because they wanted to believe that one day they might be those rich plantation owners with a field full of slaves, a coffer full of money, and a name that brought respect. The same trend continues today, social networking sites are popular because it gives people their very own personally-published tabloid. They project on individuals a false sense of fame and popularity. People convince themselves that wealth brings happiness and an easy life, but in reality life is life and its tough no matter who you are. I'll admit not everyone is born into equal circumstances, such a utopia is impossible. But success awaits anyone who is willing to apply themselves and on occasion accept defeat as long as they pick themselves back up and try again.
There is a problem, but sleeping in a park in NYC and yelling at suits wont help anything, you're drawing a crowd and media attention (props to that), but the main body of this march needs to lead up to the steps of congress and the white house to demand economic freedom, sound money, and responsible federal spending,then we will make moves toward economic equality. You want to hurt the corporations? Make them obsolete. The market will bend to your demands. If every member of facebook deleted their accounts today that company is no longer worth billions. Apply the same principle to the publicly-traded big dogs. If you feel like you are a slave the only way to become free is to break your own chains and then break others free by your example. The slave master isn't going to magically have a change of heart.
All that being said, I love anyone who uses their 1st amendment rights. Good on you. Whether I agree or not with what any one individual or group is all about, if they don't use their voice, they'll lose it.
I disagree with you in your first premise. It is time to stop accepting unethical behavior simply because it is "legal." It is time to stop shrugging our shoulders at unethical behavior and saying, "everyone does it." It is not difficult to act morally and ethically. No one has to be perfect, but we can stand to be a little better than we are.
It is, in fact, part of being human. So welcome to the human race. Do your part.
No one accepts unethical behavior, but ethics are relative. Look at the abortion issue, I think it's a vile practice, other see it as a right, I recognize that disparity and accept that I can't change everyone to believe as I do. My only hope is to foster an environment that supports my views, in the hope to change by example not force. I strive to be better everyday, but forcing that on others only hardens ones heart. A good example of this is in the story of Moses and his struggle to free the slaves of Egypt. The plagues only strengthened Pharaohs resolve to keep the slaves.
If, as you say, you don't accept unethical behavior, then you must hold people responsible. If you don't have a consensus, then you don't get to throw people in jail - but you still protest, and you make your complaints heard. Because that's the only way to get people - bystanders, spectators, people with unformed ideas - to question their own beliefs and decide what they believe in.
So I also disagree with your second premise. It makes perfect sense to protest the influence of money in government, and it makes perfect sense to protest exploitative business practices to make "excessive" profits. We had a generation grow up under the banner of, "Greed is good," and those of us who found that ideology questionable remained silent. Our bad. Whoever you think the "real" criminals are, we were all complicit.
You're right that the goal shouldn't be to change the minds of every trader on Wall St. But protesting serves multiple purposes. It creates an atmosphere that encourages people who question to awaken. And it strengthens the people who know Something is Wrong.
The government and the big business owners are the exact same people. Therein lies the problem. That is why protests are happening in NYC, DC, and 150+ other cities around the country. The government should be run by the people, for the people. Right now it's run by the rich, for the rich.
I get that, but the ties need to be cut at the policy level. Lawmakers should be incapable of getting to work without wading through a sea of dissatisfied American citizens. Right now it's a war of attrition, lawmakers are just waiting out the storm. (or trying to jump on the bandwagon)