Forum Post: The Conundrum of the 99%

Even during a good economy, a person needing food, clothing, and shelter cannot afford to be picky about which job to take. Often, there is no choice to be made aside from taking a job or taking no job. However, the responsibility of a person does not lie solely in the needs of today, but also in the needs of the future. That is, every person wants a society conducive to a life of freedom and prosperity.

By working for a company with a different view of how our society should work, I work against the future I want. Any action taken for my future outside of a job is eroded by working to feed my children today. This is the disparity between the 1% and the rest of us.

The 1%y can direct profits as they see fit with no input from those making the profits for them. The 1% give you a job with one hand and erode your efforts toward a better future with the other.

Corporate profits can never be truly free speech because the people working for those profits have no say in how those profits are used. This movement, at its heart, is formed from the frustration caused by this conundrum. This is what we seek to eliminate in order to live in a better democracy.

This movement cannot be about parties or social issues. Environmental protection, the rights of a homosexual, and issues of religion must be set aside in order for all of us to gain a better future. We can argue about the things which we we disagree another day, but for now we must fight together for what we do agree needs to be changed in this world. Only then will this movement succeed.

This movement cannot be about changing the fundamental type of economic system or method of governance. All economic systems and governments are composed of human beings and therefore are susceptible to the same corruption plaguing us today. This movement must be about removing the ability of corruption to grow and influence our society. Only then can this movement succeed.

This movement cannot be about pride or personal agenda. Only as one can we succeed in excising the cancer destroying our societies. The moment we spurn those for reasons of pride of selfishness this movement will fail. The moment we single ourselves out we lose the power of numbers. Only through humility and sacrifice can this movement succeed.

We are all angry, frustrated, and fed up with being stepped on. However, without focus, without solidarity, without meaning, this movement becomes nothing more than a collection of trolls with nothing better to do. We are better than that. We refuse to be what the media and politicians say we are. We are hope and a force for change. We are the 99%, here to take back what is ours.