Numbers May Lie

How many of these "I'm not one of the 99%" signs have you seen? They say similar things: I work hard, I have a small house, I pay my credit cards, I'm not complaining. I've seen plenty of them. The problem is that these are people who, for the most part, miss the entire point of the Occupy movement. Even the ones who do seem to understand the issue don't sympathize with those who are trying to change things because, as they see it, this is our bed and we better lay in it. (I pray I'm making an accurate generalization, because this has been the attitudes I have most been exposed to.)

That being said, I think there are people flocking to the cause out of "Sheepism", meaning that it looks like the cool thing to do, they hear things they generally agree with, and are looking for an outlet. I know that's not the entire case, but that's also something I've been exposed to within the movement. These people are also missing the point.

How did the 99% thing start? Well, it came from this chart (borrowed from SodaHead):

As you can see, the chart shows that the rich are getting richer and the not-rich are staying about the same. I can pull up any number of other resources from the US Government that outlines this, but as far as I can see, this simple chart is the catalyst that started the reaction from a composition of unemployment, a depressed market, and a government that allows businesses to outsource our jobs and puts our wars on a Visa Card (aka credit).

Now all of you who say you're not in the 99% should be more accurate. The statistics say that like it or not, if your income isn't over $750,000, you're in that 99% category. You may not support the movement, but you are still included in that statistic. Your claim is inaccurate. When the Occupy movement speaks, they're including you even if you don't include yourself.

How about numbers? Numbers do lie, they can be manipulated. There are some who claim a different percentile, others who say they are happy with their lot. And who knows, maybe the Occupy movement is manipulating the numbers. Maybe the government is, too. We all do what we want to make our causes seem correct. We hide smugly behind our "proof" and use it to disprove someone else. We're all trying to be a little superior, aren't we?

Not really so, I think. The way I see it, everyone's tried to get a leg up on the other. Good intentions led to corruption and mismanagement. I'd love to have the giant cosmic reset button on our government or summon the spirits of the Founding Fathers so they could say, "Damn you, kids, that's not what we meant!" I wish we could fix the salaries of politicians so they can be in government because they love our country, not because the pay is good. I wish we could break the bond of friendship and need between our government and business and make it how it should be: the governing and the governed.

There's nothing wrong with being rich. There's nothing wrong with having a mortgage and working hard for dinner. Complacency is wrong. Greed is wrong. Sending our jobs overseas is wrong. Letting people starve on the streets is wrong. Police hurting people trying to exercise their First Amendment right is wrong. Being "right" without listening to each other is VERY WRONG.

Put the numbers aside and start paying attention to what people are saying.