Would you like some satire with your greed?
Occupy Wall Street has been going on since September 17th, but most of us will say the date that it officially popped up on our radars as a “big deal” was October 2nd when 700 peaceful protestors were arrested while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Some, myself included have been obsessed with promoting and furthering the movement by going to protests and using social networks like twitter to communicate the latest news about the movement. I have my own views about the movement, but I’m pretty sure more than a few identify with what I’m about to say, as millions around the globe have become passionate and enthralled by the Occupy movement in just a few short weeks.
Personally, as a well-informed and left-leaning College student at San Francisco State University, I was about 95% certain that I would need to move away from the United States at some point during my life time. Where would I go? Sweden, Finland, or the oh-so-typical Canada? It doesn’t really matter, I just know that every day I see that our great country is declining so fast. It is very difficult to look forward with any optimism. By the time I have kids, or better yet by the time they begin grade school, will this be a country anyone is proud to call home anymore? I hope so, but I have had my doubts for longer than I would like to admit.
We’re slashing social services left and right, and our newly Republican congress absolutely refuses to raise taxes on the richest members of our society even though it is likely a necessary step just to have a balanced federal budget. So we just sink further into debt while giving the people that really need it less and less help.
For those that don’t know the tax rate on the highest bracket is much lower now than it once was. In 2003 the Bush tax cuts, which are still in existence today, lowered the top bracket from 38.6% to 35%. When you’re dealing with that much money 3.6% per year can add up to billions lost over eight years. Then looking just a little further back to most of the Reagan years between 1982 and 1986 the top tax bracket was a whopping 50% (use the same hyperlink to source all tax rates). During 1981, Reagan’s first year in office, just following Jimmy Carter’s departure from office the top bracket was 70%. That’s not a joke, it really was 70%, check for yourself. And that’s where I’ll stop, as the year’s where the top bracket was taxed 90% or more are likely gone for good (oh, but in case you were wondering, they do exist).
So wait, why do we not learn about that in history class? Hmm…. Anyway, not that income tax should increase to 70% for anyone making over $200,000 per year, but it’s something to think about for the ultra-rich as they fall into the same 35% tax bracket that upper-middle-class folks do. It’s really just something to know and then to ponder. If we, as a society, are informed then we can make conscious and educated decisions and intelligent arguments to back up these decisions. And this, in essence is why Occupy Wall Street is so important for the general public.
The movement gets much of the American public curious to learn more and to truly understand why thousands upon thousands of American citizens are so angry at our financial sector and our elected representatives that they are willing to sleep outside for an indefinite period of time just to make a point. After a few days no one listened, but when people realized the good folks of Occupy Wall Street had rallied together all day and all night for over two weeks, then people perked up a little.
“Really? They’ve been out there for over two weeks?” some of the students in my American history class asked our teacher when he mentioned the movement early on last week. And then people like myself, people that see much of what will lead to the collapse of our society in the not-so-distant future now see that, “Wow, people actually care… A LOT of people ACTUALLY CARE!” and this is why Occupy Wall Street is so important to “radicals” (I use that term loosely) like myself .
It gives us hope. It gives all educated Americans that see our country headed towards a dark future a whole lot of hope for the first time in a long time. I finally see a movement that could actually steer our mess-of-a-country down a new path; a new path that could potentially allow me to raise a family of my own in the country my family has known for many generations, a country I am still proud to be a part of.
That is why the movement is important to me. It gives me hope, in a country that, just a short month ago, seemed hopeless. So Occupy Wall Street, no matter how rough it gets, keep charging ahead at full speed? You have my full love and support from nearly 3,000 miles away in San Francisco, and the support of the many occupiers across the country. Oh, and thank you for the hope! It feels really, really good.
Have you thought about how many protestors are being paid to be there, by George Soros and the like? Marxists have plans you’ve not yet thought about. Agenda 21 would have you living in condominiums on the coast, all other land would be government-owned, and you’d be slave to the “society.”
Better you work within the system than abandon the nation, as the USA is the only way to stop the marxists from their “new world order.” Freedom is only free when individuals actually have rights, many of which are currently being eroded.
It sounds like you’re making the accusation that rights are being eroded by Marxists? Where in this government, better yet, in any government around the globe do any marxists have any power at all? Since the early 90′s communist countries have been virtually dead.
Regardless, I don’t think that the United States practices Communism or Capitalism. As Ron Paul says often, we favor Corporatism, and that has never done us any favors. We need to scale things back and stop giving huge corporations advantages that they don’t need at all so that other businesses and people have a chance to compete.
I would personally favor the onset of socialism in this country, but even a truly free-market is better than what we have now. Right now the government seems to actively make sure that the powers that be stick around whether they would or would not without their assistance.