Occupy Wall Street: Are you one of the 99%?
The Occupy Wall Street protest movement is making headlines all over the world and has spread to numerous cities across the continent.
One of the more interesting things to come out of the recent demonstrations is the We Are 99% Tumblr.
At the site, people hold up signs that explain their current circumstances. Their testimony tells the stories of a whole range of folks struggling to make it in what they clearly know is a recession.
Just who are these people? Although the numbers are a couple of weeks old, blogger Mike Konczal found the median age of the protestors to be 26, with the average age to be 29, which means there are quite a few older people involved, all of whom feel disenfranchised.
Not sure just where you fit? Macleans magazine has created a simple online calculator to help Canadians see where they belong on the income inequality scale. Click here to plug in your annual income and find out where you fall and then head over here to tell your story.
"The people in the tumblr aren’t demanding to bring democracy into the workplace via large-scale unionization, much less shorter work days and more pay. They aren’t talking the language of mid-twentieth century liberalism, where everyone puts on blindfolds and cuts slices of pie to share," Koncsal writes.
What they want is straight out of antiquity: Free us from the bondage of our debts and give us a basic ability to survive, he declares.
Do you feel the same way? Even if you're not on the street, does it seem that things are just seriously out of whack?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Please continue to miss the point | Oct 28, 2021 11:40:35 AM
All these people defending CEOs are missing the point entirely. Maybe that's the fault of the mainstream media, maybe it's their own fault. I don't know. The protests are about corporation's influence over government. A party up for election in the US gets donations from corporations and then when they are in power, pass legislation that is not in the best interest of society as a whole but in the best interest of the corporations they are beholden to.
Furthermore, the protesters are also mad that the 2008 financial crisis was caused by bad lending practices and and taking on undo risks, then packaging these riskyi loans into derivatives and getting CDS's against them. This caused AIG to collapse as well as several other banks. The result was that 20% of the total worth of the US economy is syphoned off, then banks got bailed out by the taxpayers. These banks then paid out bonuses in the millions to their executives. They didn't earn that money, they should be in jail and to think they deserved that money is naive and juvenile.
Meanwhile you have Republican party members talking about "class warfare" and "wealth redistribution" when Obama talks about raising taxes on people making more than 1M a year. Not a single banker went to jail while millions of people lost their jobs and the global economy teeters on the brink. But hey, Fox news does such good research and journalism, don't believe me.
Posted by: self employed | Oct 28, 2021 11:41:45 AM
It would be interesting to know if the 26 to 29 average age of these protesters want for a job if they are unemployed?? I am 50 and self employed!!! Many of these younger ones do not want to work unless they are offered a high paying job. I remember when I started working at 15 making $3.01 in a local corn factory on a line processing it for the freezer. The attitude of "I deserve" has to change!!!
Posted by: just wondering when it will stop | Oct 28, 2021 12:34:30 PM
As per my previous case point. Please see Whirlpool to cut 5000 jobs. Didn't meet expectations !!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking Stock market is going to put us all out of work or better yet pay $20 for a slice of bread!!!!! Still no win!!!!!
Posted by: cross2bear | Oct 28, 2021 12:43:31 PM
Well, that tears it - there is an online rule that once Hitler is invoked, all discussion stops, because there is nothing so ridiculous as bringing that name into a debate.
Posted by: joannie | Oct 28, 2021 1:38:09 PM
No, I;m definately NOT in the 99%. I'm 71, recently retired, and had worked for 40 years, saved, and made certain that I would have a good income in retirement years. I'm lucky-I have good health, active life, and feel badly for those who did not have the foresight I had. Where did they think it would come from??
Posted by: bob | Oct 28, 2021 1:49:32 PM
wake up its all fake lmao and it will fail
Posted by: Hrd Wrker | Oct 28, 2021 3:25:50 PM
Man i wish I could go to the protests too, sadly I am to busy WORKING!!!
Posted by: Jesse | Oct 28, 2021 3:54:10 PM
where can i find the demographics on this.
Posted by: aaa | Oct 28, 2021 4:36:11 PM
Want change??? Go to the barter system. Any other ideas that will work???
Posted by: Spoiled Brats!! | Oct 28, 2021 5:46:11 PM
One World...why don't you get a high paying job and give away your money then? Oh right, because you're a moron like these other whining assholes camping out on the streets crying for a piece of the pie when you don't even have a fucking fork to eat it with. FYI, was it not just in the news that Gates, Buffet, and other likes of the mega wealthy were in talks to give away half their fortunes? Pretty generous of these Hitler-esque entrepreneurs. YOU are what is wrong with my generation. Your sense of entitlement is nauseating. Get a job, start at the bottom, work hard, put in your time, like your fathers did before you. I bet your Great Grandfather would beat you with a sack of rocks if he heard your insolent whining. To all the other cry babies...life in North America isn't that fucking bad. Go live in Africa if you want a real reason to bitch about financial struggles and a shitty economy. Losers. (PS I have sympathy for the cancer patients. But that's a health care issue, not a Wall Street one.)
Posted by: Dr. J Lindon | Oct 28, 2021 7:16:45 PM
I am sick of hearing about these lazy whiners particpiating in this Occupy crap. I am in the top 0.1% of the income earners, not out of luck or privilege or screwing other people. I work extremely hard to get what I have. No one works for me. I have no subordinates. I am only responsible for myself. I am in extremely high demand, to the point that I have to turn away work, and those who get my work pay me very well for it. It's caledl supply and demand." I paid attention in High School and University, not trying to get laid every Friday night.
"What they want is straight out of antiquity: Free us from the bondage of our debts and give us a basic ability to survive, he declares." Give me a break! If you are in debt, it's your own damn fault. I have no sympathy for you. I am tired of paying for other's stupidity. Lazy bums.
Posted by: Dr. J Lindon | Oct 28, 2021 7:30:52 PM
Oh, I forgot to add this statement. If my comments offend you, GOOD!
Posted by: The Lone Gunman | Oct 28, 2021 8:31:35 PM
Capitalism is old, fat, decrepid, and failing.
Our society is slowly moving towards somthing else. Some think its communism, others socialism, others something else entirely. Its gotten to the point where many of us will never own a home now, because were too busy struggling to just eat.
Make no mistake, those in power may slow the decay of capitalism. But it will inevitably fail and collapse. It wont happen tomorrow, it may take another 100 - 200 years, but we will be without capitalism soon.
Posted by: Lisa | Oct 28, 2021 10:09:09 PM
The majority of people's salaries are not adjusted to reflect the inflation rate. A lot of these people are not getting raises and have a hard time paying off their living expense just to survive. The 99% work just as hard as the CEOs do and we don't get big raises or bonuses like they do. Now, is that fair? If you go back 10 years, people's salaries did not change by that much. But the CEO's salaries, from 10 years ago, all I can say is that I am shocked. This is the problem that needs to be corrected. Increase everyone salaries.
Posted by: Snob Rob | Oct 28, 2021 10:21:17 PM
These people are demonstrating against the greed which has had disasterous effects on the U.S. economy. The may not fully know it but that is what it is all about. The U.S. went to far to the right towards capitalism and paid the price of greed. The same companies begging for capitalism begged for a communist-like bail out once everything went downhill. Why did they get the bail out? Because politicians are bought and the greedy capitalists have infiltrated their government (ie. Henry Paulson from Goldman Sachs being Secretary of Treasury). If you think these people are protesting because they are lazy, etc. you may be partially right but they are also a symptom of an illness. If you think all these CEOs are worth what they are paid you are simply a moron. They just know how to work in a system that is set-up to eventually fail the United States as a country. The economic system is imbalanced and the deficitis and debts are an indication of that. The U.S. is eventually going to default on their loans and then everyone is going to feel the pain. It is a matter of time. You cannot keep adding trillions of dollars to debt and expect to get out. Especially with all your jobs going to China. Especially with the middle class shrinking who is now most of the country's tax base since the rich aren't paying a large share like they used to. Canada is very closely linked if the U.S. gets into loan defaults. If you think at that point hard work and being ambitious will get you ahead as much as you want, you may be wrong. Every day a little bit more is being sucked away from the lower and middle class. Too many people fail to realize that their life is out of balance due to working too any hours to buy things they don't really need. They don't realize that decisions being made at the top have sucked a little bit of money and or family time out of their pocket every day. The greed must stop. These people just manipulating money and really creating nothing must be stopped from having all the money and therefore having all the power. A power being used to slowly but surely destroy the society most of us on this board currently enjoy.
Posted by: Sam | Oct 30, 2021 5:45:22 PM
The majority views capitalism as one of the freedoms that make this this continent great, and yet here everyone is whining about the "1%" that has too much. If you don't like it then why do you keep voting for it? Canada being socialist evens the field out slightly, but not much. You can buy a steak sandwich in Uncle Sam's territory for two bucks right now (that's not a great sign). The world economy is severely damaged and yet the rich still have enough to feed the world over. Instead of trying to enact a sense of libertine doctrine, why not just place your vote more wisely. How about saving some money? Investing properly? You can bit*h all you want about the financial imbalance, but when the hammer hits the anvil it is still you giving capitalism the big hoorah and then failing to follow the steps. If you don't like it, either give up your "freedom" or try your luck at voting for a new regime.
Posted by: Who's money | Oct 30, 2021 8:32:14 PM
To the commentor who said she researches where her money goes and how she invests good for you. However most pension investments are run by employers and I encourage all workers with a company pension fund to get in the know what is happening with your fund who is administering it and what funds are being used for what purposes. Friends of mine in the auto industry have no idea of their fund msanagement yet it doesn't come as surprise that the big buyouts to workers for companies to downsize and form mergers came from those surplus funds. Now these companies are in a position where they tell workers they need to roll back pensions or wages while at the same time they are increasing executive pensions and getting big bonuses for how they scheme this pension ponzi enterprise. JP Morgan and Chase where paid back 6 billion by GM using company pension funds. I'm afraid pensions in the future will not be there for workers when they retire. \Workers will have to work longer. The youth will be delayed in the work force. Check out Ellen Shultz a wall street journalist who wrote "Retirement Heist" and you will get a clearer picture of what is happening to pensions in North America. If there is something to be disenchanted about it is definitely the future of pensions.
Posted by: cuckholddon | Oct 30, 2021 11:08:43 PM
It's "Funny" reading the comments here!
It breaks down to mirror the protesters Vrs wall st!
The folks/Smart/Lucky & "usally" born into the Right family Have oppist views than most of the poulation!
Make no Mistake---Luck plays a big role in life!!!
With Few(very few) exceptions---If your born into the Botton30% of the income scale--You shure arn't going to reach the top---The MONEY PEOPLE Want us to believe that Anyone can reach the Top--So that they can better control us with that carrot--Dangling it Just out of our reach(we are more productive that way)! They make more& more money by giving us FALSE HOPE!
And allso--By keeping a good%age of people "Scraping" the bottom of the barrel so they(rich folks) can Point to the Least Fortuneate& say--"SEE your doing better than them""
To Banks/corpoations& investors-It's all a game to Control people!
Posted by: No... | Oct 31, 2021 8:33:37 AM
To "Who's Money," there's a reason I said I research where I invest. Both my spouse and I got told to invest with the companies we work for. (Yes, there were incentives, that many employees did go for.) Neither one of us did. Maybe that tells you something?
To "cuckholdden," I agree with you that alot of it is luck! Were you born to a family with any money? What did you do with the family money? Another circumstance, were you in the right place at the right time and what decision did you make at that time? Now, my question is, if luck never seemed to go your way, in any scenario, what do you say to those people? It's now wall streets fault? No.
Posted by: Jolly Rodjer | Nov 22, 2021 7:44:45 PM
Working hard for any of us is OK however if there is one group of people who can create money out of thin air and lend this at interest and collect a fat profit out of it while lending to select friends who can write off the cost of borrowing against the tax payer we need to examine this.
I am talking about fractional reserve banking where borrowers provide the deposit of say ten dollars and a bank can multiply this amount into one hundred then lend the hundred at interest, this is legal provided by your government to the banks, if you borrow you may not be able to deduct this interest charge as a tax deduction, however clever corporations do this also by law.
What this means is that there is an elite who can multiply the money they get from the public make a fat profit on it and lend to friends who do not pay very much for it and use this to establish monopolies which remove the jobs of those who supplied the deposits in the first place.
This fractional reserve banking should be studied in depth there is a crash course on the web to do this, and much comment about it being fraud and such, without this mechanism the rich elite would have to work as hard as the ordinary man and woman who supply the means to keep this show on the road it is delusional to assume that the elite rich are smart or give you a job all this is done by tricking you into thinking they are above you when all the time you the worker and consumer paid taxes to provide easy street for a bunch of cunning robber barons.
This is where we are at today believing that these people were too big to fail, so you come to the rescue again but your jobs are going your future is not the same, the cost of bailing this lot out will ruin the good life it is time to get rid of these free loaders who look down on you because they think you are too stupid to not see what they are up to.