Sunday, November 6, 2011

Occupy Wall Street

Steve Chapman writes for the Chicago Tribune.  His column is syndicated and carried in many 'local' papers.  The Wisconsin State Journal carries his column on Sundays.  He tends toward the conservative point of view but he isn't bound by ideology and his pieces are always worthy of my time.  ;  )

This week, however, I felt the need to rebut.  You can likely find his piece on the interwebs.  Occupy Wall Street Has Got It Wrong is the title that I see.  here's what I had to say:

I like reading Steve Chapman's column on Sundays and I hope the WSJ continues to carry it.  He misses the mark a bit, though, this time around.  It IS difficult to say exactly what the Occupy movement is all about; many different issues are mentioned via signs and interviews.  But there IS a common thread, and he mentions it in his conclusion.  "When the economy crashes, it's those with the least ... who suffer the most."   What he ignores is that "the economy" didn't just mysteriously "crash."  The reckless, greedy actions of a few, aided and abetted by a money-corrupted Congress, CAUSED it.  And to date not only has no one been punished but the worst offenders have been rewarded with taxpayer-funded bailouts used primarily for "bonuses" and gobbling up smaller banks.  The issue, then, is not that the rich have so much wealth but that they have excessive political influence.  A government that represents the interests of the few at the expense of the many is NOT a  democracy.  THAT'S worth protesting and I'm glad somebody is.

They usually print my letters, now that I've ceased sending them almost daily.  We'll see.  Probably about Wednesday is my prediction.

5 comments:

  1. Kev,
    You know my position on lobbyists and the whore politicians who are on the take. The wealth of those in Congress clearly shows that they are the 1%. What that means is that they share no commonality with the 99%. They say they do but they lie through their teeth...


    Sarge

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  2. Kevin,
    Keep those cards and letter going. Corporations have grabbed much of the power in this nation, slowly, it creeped in on us unnoticed and with the help of the religious right which was duped into helping. (did you see Rachel Maddow piece about Ralph Reed getting the churches to lobby for Made in America labels to be granted to some island nations on the grounds they are exposed to the teaching of Jesus at work, but as she points out also forced sex on a mass scale) Yesterday the government corrected for a mistake of a few days earlier on the extent of poverty, it is 47 million, about 1 in 6 Americans. This must be reversed.

    I feel powerless don't you? I can't go to a private dinner with my Senator, those chairs cost 2,000 sometimes 20,000 each. I can't get anything but a form letter back from them, they are busy writing their doners/owners. I can't get them to meet me for lunch, they are busy with oil or medial companies at lunch. I can't get anyone on the phone when I call but young gals adept at fobbing me off to another young gal who "will give my message to the congressman". I just don't own any of our government, thats a terrible situation to be in, to be outbid in a time when the congress and senate, and the state house too, is clearly a product on the market.

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  3. Darrel,
    You have a voice. I did so today as I walked up the way to the polling place - I was set upon by a man with a Greg Ballard sticker on his shirt - Ballard is the Republican incumbent for Mayor of Indianapolis. He pimped me with, "Do you wan t your property taxes to go down"? I told him I live in an apartment. "Oh, then you get a reduction in your rent". I looked at him and replied, "Are you going to talk about Jesus next"?
    Oh, the way out I did do a rant. It was righteous and good to me. Kevin, I am getting madder by the day...

    Sarge

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  4. notacynic:

    You are right! Plutocracy is what we now have.

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  5. They printed it Wednesday. Yes I do feel (almost) powerless.

    I want my democracy back!

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