I need some help understanding something. My Facebook feed is filled with people shouting with glee over the Occupy Wallstreet protests. I understand that people are angry about corporate greed. I understand that people are angry that they can't find a job or their income has been cut drastically. I understand that people are frustrated and angry right now, period. I get that because I'm often right there with you - when I'm not taking a deep breath and telling myself that we're all where we're meant to be and this is all happening for a reason.
I understand that people are angry about bank bailouts. I was livid over that myself. The whole point of capitalism is that no one is too big to fail. If you make poor business decisions and your product isn't attractive enough to make people want to purchase it, you'd better find a new business model fast or you're done. Sink or swim. When the government undermines capitalism, of course it's not going to work. It's not capitalism anymore.
But here's what I don't understand, protesters. The Apple Corporation didn't bail out the banks. Nordstrom doesn't raise your taxes. Dairy Queen doesn't tell other corporations that they get a free pass on paying taxes this year. Who does all of those things? Your government. Your government engages in backroom deals with corporations. Your government bails out banks. Your government artificially lowered interest rates and created the climate that led to the housing bubble. Your government is the root of the problem.
You're protesting the wrong thing. If you really want to see change, you should be outside your capitol buildings. Outside the White House. You should be screaming about a tax code that allows some to pay nothing - at all levels of income. You should be angry that your money is being poured into an educational system that fails our kids and prevents our teachers from being able to teach properly. You should be apoplectic that balancing our budget is not the number one priority of our government. You should be angry that we're all putting money into Social Security and it won't be there for those of us who are due to retire in 30 years. Corporations don't do these things. Your government does.
A corporation is trying to make money. That's their goal; to make money and hire the best people they can to help them achieve that goal. When government starts regulating corporations to extremes and makes it unprofitable for them to stay in one place, they move to another. The same way you might choose to move if you got a more lucrative job offer in another state. Hence, we have a lot of American corporations going overseas. Who is making it difficult for these corporations to meet their financial goals while keeping jobs in America? Your government.
If you are a corporation and you see your competition getting back room deals and tax breaks from the government, you're going to jump in there, too. It's fairly normal human behavior to not want to fail or let your competitor get an edge. But who ALLOWS these deals and tax breaks to happen? Your government.
You're screaming about a symptom instead of the root cause. Until we have a government that does not allow corporations or unions or any other third party to have an influence on it, we're going to have this kind of massive corruption. Yes, I said unions. Because they're in there, too. Like corporations, they also give money to the candidates they like and who will back up their agendas. And yet there they are on Wall Street, protesting the corporations for doing exactly what they (the unions) do. It boggles my mind.
I don't object to the protests. Peaceful protests are our right, as Americans. I think that we need people speaking out and saying, "No more!". But say it to the right people. The people who count on your vote.
I have a hard time getting worked up about them one way or another because I've yet to see any coherent statement come out of the protests about what EXACTLY they're protesting.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen, it's mostly the influence of business on politics. But they have no list of aims, no goal of what exactly they want to see happen. And you're right, it's not business's fault - they're trying to make a buck. But I think the problem is that the money/benefits go both ways. Businesses donate money to politicians to get them elected. The the politicians enact laws that are favorable to them making more money. (and then bail them out when things get too tough) It's not like this is new.
The problem is - what to do about it? Well, that's a huge question. I don't think the solution is just 'get new politicians' because pretty much all politicians engage in this. And the solution isn't 'let's all be communists' either because there's plenty of corruption in that system as well.
But it would be nice to be able to say "hey businesses, stick to making stuff and stop bribing politicians" and "Hey politicians, stick to governing the people and get out of bed with big business." I just don't think that's ever going to happen.
Honestly, it seems like one big, "We're fed up with feeling scared and helpless and like we don't have control of our own lives" rally. And, really, who can blame people? It seems like every group is in there, shouting about something that's unjust.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Rebel. I don't think new politicians are the answer if we don't change the system. But I think new politicians with term limits would be a good start. I think we need to get rid of career politicians. You get voted in, do what the people ask you to do and then at the end of your term, you go back to your real job. You live by the rules you create. No lifetime health plan, no pension, no taxpayer money goes in your pockets once your term is done and we're not paying your salary anymore.
I don't know if getting corporations and unions out of politics can't be done. Anything is possible. I hope.