Fish?
The little fish eats the tiny fish,
The big fish eats the little fish -
So only the biggest fish get fat.
Do you know any folks like that?
It's interesting that a poem by a children's author is one of the most honest illustrations of America today. Then again, one can't be too surprised Shel Silverstein is quite brilliant. This four line poem taking up a small portion of one page of a large book, says far more than so may activist ever have. It isn't a matter of the 99% versus the 1% the lines aren't that clear and the distinction isn't so black and white.
I would like to make the small disclaimer that I am completely and absolutely in favor of peaceful protest, political activism and social voice. All of which are literally protected and provided for in the first amendment. However I was sorely disappointed with the "occupy movement." Though an interesting concept of protestation I never really got it. I understand the need to make the power relations in society fairer and the need for economic structure. I am also not saying that the movement did not accomplish a lot. Even Andrew Haldane the Bank of England's executive director for financial stability, said that the Occupy Economics was correct in its attack on the international financial system (Oct 2012). But that's in England, not that they aren't great people over there across the pond.
If my generation's great political protest is that of the occupy movement, I have to admit I'm kind of disappointed. There was the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s that brought about a global change. There was the Vietnam Protests in the 60s and 70s that that showed the world for the first time the strength of the youth and the power the young adults of this country truly hold. In the 2010s unemployed Americans protested not owning a house or having a job. I get that there are things that need to change, I see that just as clearly than anyone else, but I don't see how sleeping in a park gets that accomplished.
You can't blame only the 1%, I would love to have even 1% of their wealth, but the fact that I don't have it isn't their fault alone. The system is flawed I'll give you that. But it isn't just the biggest fish eating those smaller than them the middle class fish are stepping on the backs and devouring all those smaller fish too, they just aren't getting as fat is all. It's hard for me to listen to someone, despite the fact that I may agree with them politically, talk about the fact they have been unemployed for x amount of time unable to get a job, unable to keep a roof over their head. I'm sorry I truly am, I know there are a million reasons totally and completely out of someones control that would force them to be come homeless, however I don't agree with this fact they can't get a job. They may not be able to get THE job they want, but they can get A job. McDonalds is always hiring and restaurants always need busboy. I studied Chemistry and I nanny and make coffee. It's not THE job I want, but is A job.
The American Dream may be dead and unobtainable, but even when it was possible they didn't just hand it out. It took hard work to obtain the American dream. The beauty of it was that honesty and hard work did in fact get people their white picket fences, despite the rising cost of white paint. The operative element being however hard work. My generation seems to have this silly illusion that in the good old days things were just given out. Banks need to be held more accountable, corporations need to have guidelines insuring moral and fair dealings the international financial system needs serious work and we as a country need to give up the dream of ever owning a house outright and realize the world isn't what it used to be. A hand shake isn't what it used to be. And a dream is just that a dream, not wholly unobtainable, but also never quite what it seems.
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