Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Philadelphia. Occupy D.C. Occupy Chicago.
What do all of these things all have in common?... Those doing the Occupying are still unemployed.
Yes, it’s sad, but true.
The "Occupy" protests, as defined by Wikipedia, “are an ongoing series of international protests which began in mid-September 2011 and are primarily against social and economic inequality, corporate greed and influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government. The protests take their name from their solidarity with, and similar organizational tactics to, the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City. "Occupy" protests commonly use the #Occupy hashtag format, the slogan “We are the 99%,” and organize through websites such as "Occupy Together."
Protests have taken place in over 900 cities across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas.”
In speaking solely on the efforts here in the US, my number one issue with the protests and ultimate rationale for HATIN’ is due, largely, on the fact that “Occupyers” have no REAL demands.
HATIN’
In my previous post, I'm HATIN': Because We The People Just Aren't That Organized, you heard me say that we, the “People,” aren’t organized enough to elicit social change; that we aren’t mad enough, and how I wished that I could take part in championing for a cause that would actually change policy for me and generations after me. So, upon first hearing about the “Occupy” protests, I was intrigued and excited. We, the people, were finally pissed off. But after weeks of ho-hum marches, supposed hunger strikes and quasi-entertaining signage, I see absolutely NO CHANGE! Sad to be the one to break it to you folks, but #Occupy is not the answer.
I think the fundamental issue with the “Occupy” movement is that they haven’t yet asked for anything concrete. Saying you want more jobs, without any specific ideas/recommendations as to how those jobs would come into existence, is a detriment to your cause. In reality, the “Occupyer’s” have shown no real reason as to why new jobs should be created for them nor have they shown what lengths they will go to in order to get what they want. Sitting on City property, beating bongos, drinking $4 vanilla chai latte’s and checking in to the protests via Foursquare from your iPad, hardly shows your seriousness and dedication to equal opportunity.
When the media compares your protest to Woodstock, you, my friend, should pack up and start working on a Plan B.
In order to affect the supposed 1% of the country’s wealthiest people, you have to hit them where it hurts, their wallet. Just asking for them to “be fair” isn’t going to work. We have to demand it and, for those less radical than me, you may want to close your virgin eyes to what I’m about to say next…TAKE IT (if necessary).
What should we be demanding, Good Haters? I’m glad you asked. Below is I’m HATIN’s list of demands from the nation’s 1%, hoping to improve the lives, if only by a little, of the other 99%.
- Stop offshoring jobs. Companies that ship jobs overseas should be required to pay $16,000, per job that is not on US soil ($16,000 reflects what one person would make (approx), per year, under Federal minimum wage). It doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you’re talking about 10,000+ jobs, the numbers get steep. Oversight will be crucial to the success of this and the money collected from this initiative would go to assistance for budding entrepreneurs, who look to keep jobs here.
- Free college tuition for career paths that would grow our national economy and lessen our dependence on foreign goods and materials. Liberal Arts majors need not apply, but agriculturalists/farmers, energy/natural gas sciences, architecture and construction; you, my friends, are eligible.
- Expunge all college loan debt. Hey, the taxpayers bailed out the banks, it’s our turn. Quid pro quo, mothersuckers… or do I mean moneysuckers?
- No Fundraising for Government Officials. This means you Barack Obama. Our President is set to break the fundraising record and raise $1 billion dollars for his re-election campaign. SERIOUSLY? You know what re-elects you? RESULTS. If we gave everyone the same amount of advertising, speaking and debate time, as opposed to giving it to those with the fattest wallets, imagine what our votes would be based on. GASP, perhaps, the issues! Plus, imagine what programs could be funded with all those billions of dollars.
Now, we probably wouldn’t get all of this… or any of it, really, but hey, at least it’s a jumping off point to begin negotiations.
I’m just Sayin’
Also, as I said, we have to show we’re serious. If they don’t expunge college loan debt, everybody STOP paying. We’ll start with Fannie Mae and work our way down until all institutions don’t have any money. We engage in class action suits against the banks and colleges and universities for faulty promises of job security. We have to be vigilant.
I can’t tell you how much it angers me that “Occupy” protesters are actually asking for the right to protest, including obtaining city permits, like it is some type of block party. WTF? You’re not supposed to ask. You’re angry, remember? JUST DO IT.
SMH
Though, despite all my HATIN’, I failed to mention some of the things I like about the “Occupy” protests, such as many sites providing lectures on "Financial Inequality" and, in Philly, even beginning a "People's Law School," providing community legal services to attendees.
I guess it’s better than nothing!
Power to the HATIN'
