Forum Post: I'm the 1%???
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 9, 2011, 7:13 p.m. EST by keh435
(3)
from Colorado Springs, CO
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I am 23 years old. I went to school for free because I worked hard and got a full ride scholarship. I have a excellent job and I'm about to go to medical paid for by your tax dollars. I am not dictating your life, I'm dictating my future.
You must have earned it then. This movement is not protesting people who actually worked hard for their money. This movement is protesting who earned money not on actual hard work, but by cheating the American people and not paying back to the society that helped him or her to rise up.
Hi keh435...Our politicians and our media are owned by the wealthiest interests in the world. This is objectively verifiable...did you know that 94% of the time the winner of any American election (in 2008) spent the most on their campaign? I saw Obama's current election campaign has received +70% of his funds from only 250 donors. There are 300 million Americans he is elected to represent, but these 250 donors have much more influence over his policy than 300 million minus 250 Americans . He knows that if he doesn't secure enough money, he almost definitely will not win reelection. So what does he and every other politician do? Represent his donors. Because the donors deliver the voters. The authors of our Constitution simply didn't know the system could get rigged like this eventually, so there are not (yet) checks and balances in place to level this out.
I understand you are somebody who has worked their ass off and are doing well because of it. Sure people like yourself can still make opportunities because America's fucking awesome, but the alliance between money and politics is bad for democracy. Do you know only 12% of Americans say they have confidence in our Congress right now? A healthy democracy has politicians who represent the voters, not the highest bidder. Unfortunately we have had the exact opposite system for decades now. I hope this helps you feel a little more sympathetic to our cause.
Thanks...I am honestly trying to figure out what occupy wall st is all about. I have seen a lot of conflicting ideologies on this site...
i personally like to think of it as an opportunity for an open forum with people, but the internet and streets can be a filthy place. the strength of this movement comes from having so many varied opinions and active voices. we all share a belief that social inequities are on the rise right now, and our politicians are busier than they should be working to further the interests of their donors than the voters.
here's a link to alan grayson's explanation under a minute about occupy wall street http://www.politicususa.com/en/alan-grayson-occupy-wall-street
here's a link to a good video from the only place i get my news, worldstarhiphop.com http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhy6pK6WO57d9jZP2x
lol
You are not the 1%. You do not, and most likely will not ever own enough money to make you the 1%. PLUS the 1% is more of an idea than a statistic. The 1% are the people who own billions of dollars at the cost of human lives, human freedom, and whole nations. You could own billions for all I care. I don't care if you swim in it. You are not the 1% unless you earn those billions through unethical means.
Yes, collynyc (below) is on to the issue about "unethical." The 1% problem is systemic. Unearned income is taxed at half the rate as the tax on earned income. It is not unlawful to simply benefit from the lopsided tax code. So, yes, the 1%-ers are the problem, unethical or not. The continue to win based on an unethical system.
yeah, we all automatically assume that if you are a billionaire... you must be unethical.
No, no we will not. For example, I think Bill Gates is a pretty swell guy. Some people are talented, and they make money in an inspiring way. That is the American Dream. Other people profit from war and buy politicians like Obama to continue the wars. THAT is the 1%
I love capatilism. I like that I can invent something the world loves and earn money that I only dream about. However, I do not like that somepeople use their money to buy more money: ie, investing a million dollars into congress so they pass a tax law that let's you make billions. All while we all suffer. We do not ask that the 1% pay triple what we pay. We ask that they pay their fair share and keep their greedy hands off of our government.
Here is an example of a corrupt 1%
mark zuckerberg: Started with a revolutionary way to socialize. made millions: Capitalist dream! That is awesome, he was awesome! NOW his site sells it's users information, leaves gaping security flaws that put it's users at risk and most don't even know it. If he stopped the selling of information and prevented law enforcement and identity theives from exploiting his site, he would once again be awesome. This was a small and relatively unimportant example, but I think you get the jist. Wealth is awesome, except when it is used wrongly.
We give tax breaks to the 1% to "create jobs". Well they are creating jobs....In china and India.
Agree with everything up to "unethical means". Its not just how you earned it, its also how you wield it. If you buy congressman with it, that is part of the1% problem too.
Well yes, you are right. But I assume they do that to unethically earn more money
that's not fair!! I need you to redistribute your GPA to all of us with lower intellect.
lol
You got a full ride and you're this dumb?
what do you to contribute to society?
What do you?
I fight for your freedom to protest...