I have seen the news on the protests going on at Wall Street and originally I was not going to comment on it as my first impression was one that it was more for publicity than anything else. I made this opinion when reporters spoke to the "protesters" and when asked why they were there the answers literally made me laugh! Talk about clueless, they were it. I don't recall anyone of them stating any facts about the Wall Street "greed" and why it angered them.
Even if I don't agree with you, the right to speak your mind is something I respect greatly. I respect more when an opinion is based on facts that can hold up to some debate. I also respect it when people are honest and say that their position is simply their opinion based on feeling as more often than not, people tend to just make up some fact when their opinion is called into question instead of just saying that something in the opposing view point rubs them the wrong way and that's why they differ! I would like facts but I do respect honesty when it's put up front and center too.
I mean, the people that I saw interviewed on Wall Street said anything from global warming (a later topic for this blog for sure, talk about jokes), to saving the earth, to world-wide fairness for all! They really needed to have some marshmallows to roast there and start singing Kumbaya for crying out loud.
All the above reasons are why I really think it's just a protest funded by some zany people that want.... hmmmm, I don't know. Anarchy? Blaming capitalism? Really? Capitalism, the social state that along with our freedoms provided in the Constitution has been the recipe for our country's great success in this world! Sooo many people have it all wrong. Capitalism on its own would not fare better than any other social system, period. All systems have the good and bad sides to them and with capitalism, it's bad side is UNCHECKED greed. Not greed, but as I said, unchecked greed. What do I mean about that? Simple, greed can motivate people to push forward and drive their businesses to new heights. They will hire the smartest people and work the hardest and tweak their plans to achieve the best success they can. All that is fine and dandy.
Unchecked greed leads to the capitalism examples from the mob to current day Russia. I mean Russia became a capitalist nation quite a few years ago and how are they doing? Al Capone was definitely a capitalist but how did he use it?
Capitalism kept in check by our justice system and the good ole American Way. They were the ingredients for our beloved country's success. As a whole, America believes that hard work and a good work ethic should be rewarded. A person that has some good ideas and if he works hard at it can be socially and financially successful. Of course our justice system can always be improved! I mean, no one thinks it perfect but it is the best one going one the planet today and if someone is within the law and really uses greed as his/her fuel, that in itself is not evil.
All the above is the easy part. Now here is the unpopular part. I know of NO one in my life nor have I ever even heard of anyone getting a job or obtaining the resources to open a new business, get a patent for an idea, or anything even remotely close to any of those things from a poor person! Now, before you start throwing stones at me, listen to this. I am NOT picking on the poor. I am using their situation to make a point that soooo many of the so called "99%'ers" are speaking of. NOT ALL RICH PEOPLE ARE BAD!
Who creates the majority of ALL JOBS IN THE USA? Small business owners, corporations, and yep I'm going to say it, people more wealthy than the person they are hiring. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being a maid or gardener or butler or private cook or any of a number of jobs that the wealthy of our society employ due to their having the means to do so!
So, 99%'ers, stop hating on the rich just for being rich! Now you can hate on the people that caused the Enron thing or Bernie Madoff or any of those rich people that have broken the law to obtain or increase their wealth! I would march with you on that one! Protest to change the criminal justice system to bump up punishment for "white collar" crimes and I'll support ya!
For example, why does the jail time given for a conviction of possession of X ounces of crack cocaine BY FAR EXCEED the jail time given for the same X ounces of powder cocaine in almost all states? Many would say race, but I say social status. Poor people by in large get hooked on crack and rich people, again in large, get hooked on powder cocaine. Rich people can lobby for laws and get listened to whereas most poor people cannot. Hence the legal disparity.
How does Linsey Lohan (or any of your picks of actors, sports personalities, or famous people in general) get to basically thumb her nose at the courts time and time again without any real punishment by the law? If I did exactly what she has done, I will bet you a very large sum of money that I would have or still be serving much more time in jail than poor little Linsey did!
You know, the drug dealer that shoots and kills an innocent person in a drive by is definitely a bad person and deserves the full weight of the law for the murder. However, think about this. How many families are in total ruin and in every way except their physical lives, were murdered by Bernie Madoff? So why does Bernie get house arrest pending his trial (I'm warping back in time a bit here, bear with me) and not the drug dealer if both items happened at the same time?
I say this. White collar crime that has a wide affect on society should not be treated with kid gloves. Put Bernie in a 6x9 with good ole "Bubba" if you please! The Enron people too. If white collar criminals would not serve their sentences minimum security prisons that are closer to a cheap hotel than prison and instead were in with the 6x9 with "Bubba" then I would bet there would be more of a deterrent to the white collar crime!
Kinda weird I know but that's how I linked the 99%'ers topic with white collar crime topic! Basically, I think the protesters are out to lunch overall but the point of their protest has some merit just not in the poor vs the rich aspect as they are doing. It should be the country vs the criminal rich. Then I would be with them!
I mean the American dream is to be able to give your family the easy life and the house on the hill and vacations that are true vacations! Cruise to Italy or stay a week on an island off Hawaii being waited on hand and foot or any of a number of dreams we have all had without the financial backing to make it become a reality. I hope to one day achieve that dream. So I guess one day, I will have angry people in my yard? Maybe, but I would have something Wall Street doesn't have. A really big dog to keep them off my lawn!!! :-)
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