We are the 99%

Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations. They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and corporate power and their influence over government and of lobbyists. "We are the 99%" refers to the difference in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. This movement symbolizes a rise of direct democracy that hasn’t been since ancient times.

In a nutshell, “They want more and better jobs, more equal distribution of income, less profit (or no profit) for banks, lower compensation for bankers, and more strictures on banks with regard to negotiating consumer services such as mortgages and debit cards. They also want to reduce the influence that corporations—financial firms in particular—wield in politics, and they want a more populist set of government priorities: bailouts for student debtors and mortgage holders, not just for banks.”

If the government is going to bail out the big banks and giant corporations, they need to also help out the 99% that are getting screwed. It’s like when I was in elementary school and on Valentine’s Day, I had to bring a Valentine card to everyone in the class, not just my friends. The government is only willing to help out the 1% because that is where the money comes from – from their “friends.” It isn’t fair. I know that in elementary school it was more about not having my feelings hurt or hurting the feelings of my classmates, but with the bail outs, it’s more than just feelings – it is our lives and the lives of our families and their well-being.

Occupied - What Now?

Occupy Wall Street has been an extremely hot topic in the recent weeks so I thought of no better topic than this to blog about. Occupied – What Now? by David Swanson on The Smirking Chimp is a great blog about what comes next in the Occupy Wall Street protests. The participants of the protests are mainly protesting against social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government, among other concerns. He suggests ways on how to nonviolently keep the protests alive and in new ways. He suggests setting up permanent encampments in town squares with free medical clinics and legal services. My favorite suggestion of his was his idea that instead of closing down public roads, which would be disruptive for the daily lives of the 99% not being targeted, that they block driveways of the 1%. Set up at their homes with breakfast and coffee and do not allow them to leave until they answer some questions regarding what direction they will take out country. All nonviolently, of course!

I believe that the big question when it comes to protests like this is always, what’s next? This gives good suggestions on how to keep the movement going. I feel that a lot of times things like this can almost become a “fad”. Will we be talking about Occupy Wall Street next week? Next month? Hopefully this read will be a good way to let people know that there is a next step.

He also talked about that Saturday, October 15th is International Day of Action.  “This is an opportunity to build an international movement to oppose the international corporations that fund the elections of U.S. politicians, write our trade policies, and set our national course toward that cliff just up ahead. Let's make this into a show of brotherhood and sisterhood across borders. Let's do this without politicians or parties. Let's make this a people's demand for global social justice.”