Occupy Wall Street: A Muddled Message
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) continues to grow and so does the gap between the left and the right. The occupiers are yelling and camping and doing all kinds of weird things, and only making right wingers uncomfortable. The problem isn't with the message but the solutions OWS proposes. Here's the message: 'inequality exists in America' Here's the solution they seem to propose: 'capitalism doesn't work, we want socialism.'
Inequality Grows in America
The message about inequality is ultimately true. But OWS says things like the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, which is not necessarily true: take a look at this video. So it's too easy to debunk these statements and declare the occupiers wrong, yet even if everyone is getting richer, like the video argues, it is still true that inequality is growing in America. Follow this link and take a look at how the gap between the middle class and the rich is widening. But the right won't listen if these 'crazy leftist' occupiers keep sabotaging their own message with faulty statements.
Is it Really Class Warfare?
Calling it class warfare makes it class warfare, but is it really class warfare? The problem is that OWS focuses on the relative gap between rich and poor and NOT that the rich are controlling Washington and for their benefit. Isn't the real problem the symbiotic relationship between wall street and washington and the bastardization of capitalism? The poor man only has votes while the rich man has votes AND cash to sway gov officials. In Joe Keefe's critique of campaign finance he states that, "Thus far in the 2011-2012 cycle, the financial sector leads in campaign contributions once again, far outstripping even the enormous sums spent by health care companies, lawyers and lobbyists, energy companies and agribusiness." America needs to fix the problem by attacking it at its core and taking away the power that the financial sector has over gov instead of just attacking the rich for being rich. If OWS could focus on this, maybe they wouldn't scare away the right.
America Needs Capitalism
As it turns out America has a problem: the lower class is losing mobility while the upper class is gaining control; thus, a class society is emerging. Occupy Wall Street has the right idea. The problem? Advocating for socialism instead of true capitalism. The occupiers need to keep shouting, but they need to shout about the real problems and real solutions.
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Comments: 11
I'm generally mainstream liberal and I have problems with this movement too, but mostly because it's too easy for biased, dishonest pundits or lazy reporters to stereotype. Kind of like what you've done here.
Also you've fallen into a trap with your right wing characterization of socialism vs capitalism. It's silliness. What is capitalism? What is socialism? There's no such thing as a capitalist country beyond maybe Somalia. Every market economy on the planet is a socialist country. The question is simply which costs and services are best provided collectively and which are best provided individually. At the far right extreme, the energy put in by each individual to staying alive and getting around prevents any positive advancement. At the far left extreme, programs overreach into things they can not do efficiently and it stifles innovation.
The thing is if you talk to real capitalists and entrepreneurs, they know all this. It's only phony right wingers (characterized more by a narcissistic character flaw than any business ambition) who tout these false lines. Most businesses depend fully on the nation's infrastructure to support its activities and a robust middle class to buy its products.
Odd that it's Occupy Wall Street and NOT Occupy Washington?
From Occupy Wall Street homepage - "The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."
Hmm, no mention of government, just common call against greed and corruption of the rich.
What is your source for what OWS "proposes", "says", "focuses on"?...The overall idea is that voices aren't heard in Washington anymore
What is your source?
Leftists need someone to vilify during their "Two Minutes of Hate".