Occupy the System

The recent NATO conference in Chicago saw protesters filling the streets in opposition to the Afghanistan War.  American citizens have the right to peaceful protest, but sometimes those protests turn ugly.  The recent Chicago protests turned ugly with police officers dressed in riot gear using their batons to fend off angry protesters.

     Some of the angst is driven by the Occupy movement.  I support the Occupy movement, although I wouldn’t dedicate my life to the cause because let’s be honest I would love to be in the 1% one day.  Whatever name you want to call it, there is unfairness to the system.

     I understand unfairness is a part of life.  One of my mother’s favorite quotes growing up was “Life’s not fair learn it now.” The top bracket should pay more because trickle-down economics only works in a utopian society. 

     The idea being that the rich “job-makers” need to have a tax break so that they can employ more workers stimulating the economy.  However, the tax breaks usually go to padding the pockets of the board and CEO.  Our economy is strongest when middle class individuals have the ability to own their own businesses and make a profit from them.

     Having said all of that, I will finally get to the point.  The Occupy movement doesn’t really work.  Protesting works on smaller more direct means, not in on a large, universal scale.  The policy makers aren’t really listening to the people in the streets.

     The Occupy movement has to move into the political arena.  It can’t bring about the necessary change making clever signs smoking pot in a drum circle.  The Occupy members need to take a book out of the Tea Party handbook of bringing about change.

     I am not suggesting that the Occupiers take their place as the antithesis of the Tea Partiers, but let’s face it, they are.  The Occupy movement needs to start endorsing candidates, regardless of party affiliation.  Young people have become disenfranchised with the system, and the Occupy movement needs to bring those people back to the voting booths.

     One day the generation of Occupy influenced people will be the policy makers in this country.  The Jon Stewart audience needs to do more than get high and shake their heads at the new crazy thing to come out of Bill O’Reilly’s mouth.

     Let me finish this will a story about some people I know.  One day I was trying to talk about some politics with a couple of guys who were Ron Paul supporters.  They were going on about how he was this brilliant man with all of these awesome ideas, and the American people are idiots if they don’t elect this guy.

     I was listening quietly taking in all of the misguided things they were saying (not all of Ron Paul) when I asked them a simple question, “So where are you guys registered to vote at?”  They just looked at me with dumb expressions and said, “Oh, we don’t vote, the system is rigged.”

    Now the system is rigged I will give you that, but these are the people we need voting in this country.  If the Occupy movement can convince these people to get up and do something about the problems in this country, then maybe we can turn this country around.