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It is with detached curiosity that I’ve watched riots from around the world; Greece, Egypt, Libya, Iran (and other places interesting). A common thread is that people are fed up with something; and “are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore”! I know we’re supposed to give a damn about international and national affairs, but I’m, well, not willing to put myself in the blender of eons of repeated human condition. What a clusterf**k! Such a waste of one’s life! It’s either silliness or madness; I haven’t decided which. Like the old beatniks, I’ve dropped out. There seems to be three defined steps to these uprisings. At the onset, poorly organized protests are led by a few heart-felt zealots with a just cause, followed by “hangers on” who just want to get in on the action. Usually most of the second group don’t know what they’re protesting or (at least) are completely and totally inarticulate relative to “the cause”. The third group is one with a specific agenda who has been insidiously watching from the sidelines. This bunch is very well-organized, and they step in and co-opt the movement to promote their own purposes and desires. The media flocks to this group, and the others, caught up in the frenzy; and yielding to publicity and superior organizational skills, go along for “the cause”. Those in the third group, whether right or left, consider people like me dangerous. I have zero agenda, but I am a thinker who observes what’s going on and forms an opinion. Is my opinion always right? Probably not, but I’ll put it out there anyway. Depends on one’s agenda, doesn’t it? If you think I’m wrong, well, I’m always willing to listen. Anyway, with all the to-do going on around the planet there are two American phenomena that have caught my (detached) interest; viz, the Tea Party (TP) and the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) gang. My observations are as follows: The Tea Party is comprised mostly of working American men and women of all colors and political persuasions who are sick-and-tired of 1) excessive government taxation, 2) attempts to redistribute money from those who earn to those who will not help themselves, 3) brutally inefficient bureaucracy, and 4) the increasing, creeping manipulation of big government. The TP has been characterized by Nancy Pelosi and her minions as bigots, causing chaos, and trying to collapse the system. Most in the mainstream media gleefully agree. TPers have been accused of spitting on a congressman and hurling racial epithets, but in spite of extremely close scrutiny (cameras and microphones) I’ve yet to see any of this confirmed. The group seems relatively well-behaved. Pelosi says, “These people are dangerous.” Arianna Huffington adds, “They should not have First Amendments rights!” The Occupy Wall Street gang is frustrated and angry about crooked bankers and greedy corporations. They detest capitalism and prefer (I think) a form of socialism or maybe full-on communism. OWS is comprised by 90 percent twenty-something, mostly college educated whites frustrated by lack of jobs and a lousy economy, which they blame on big business and big banking. They’re also disturbed about the shrinking middle class and perceive the country is being polarized into super-rich “haves” and poor “have-nots”. OWS carry signs that read, F**K AMERICA, Down With Capitalism, several literally took a dump on the flag, others whiz on police cruisers, and they openly say they intend to cause chaos and collapse the system. Most look like they live with their parents. In what must be the height of hypocrisy, I watched several Hollywood-types arrive in Bentleys to encourage the gang. You'd think they’d have rented Fiats. Mental giants those. Pelosi says of the OWS, “God bless them.” Huh? I don’t get it. Reporters interviewed a number of OWS supporters. Here are some comments: One young lady declared, “Anyone making over $200,000 is greedy, and their money needs to be redistributed to those who deserve it.” “We need to kill the rich!” yelled one fellow. “Yeah! Kill ‘em and eat ‘em!” hollered another. Placards expressed the same. One nose-in-the-air pseudo intellectual sniffed, “Even those who own restaurants (points to a storefront mom-and-pop Chinese café) are a part of the bourgeoisie—greedy businessmen taking advantage of their workers.” At this point the reporter pointed to a fellow with a hot dog stand, and asked about him. “Also a part of the greedy bourgeoisie!” was the reply. More hypocrisy: Alex Baldwin, spokesman for Capital One, visited OWS to give his support. Another observation, perhaps a bit off-the-wall, but the vast majority of those who make-up OWS are those schooled in the era of personal self-esteem uber alles, no personal responsibility, no dodge ball, everyone gets a trophy, entitlement mentality. Just a coincidence? Maybe. They haven’t been taught to compete nor do they value the concept. They are entitled to whatever their little hearts desire. Now the Country is in the tank, and someone must be to blame. That would be bankers and greedy corporations, right? How about big government that passes Swiss-cheese laws used by bankers and corporations? Doesn’t it have some culpability? Bottom line: TP wants freedom. OWS wants equality. Freedom, as I defined it in an earlier article, means an individual has freedom to pursue life as he pleases without intrusive interference so long as he does not harm or take aggression against another. TP perceives the government is taking more and more aggression against the people thereby squashing freedom. One TP fellow who was compelled to join a union (SEIU) was informed an additional mandatory $5.00 per month was being withheld from his paycheck to combat law suits against the union. The communication called it a “voluntary contribution”. Pure Soviet Union stuff. Equality is not mentioned in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Federalist Papers. To me equality means everyone is born with and entitled to equal rights. If I interpret the sign, slogans, and rhetoric of OWS correctly, equality (to them) means everyone is entitled to equal stuff. Pure Karl Marx. Usually, people of this mindset are anti-freedom backed-up by totalitarian laws, which of course are enforced vigorously for “your own good”. Maybe it’s just me, but the TP seems to have good points, at least those for which I have empathy. OWS seems like a bunch of whining, elitist brats who have been reared on socialism by their professors and are pissed-off because their entitlements have been threatened and/or taken away. I can see, based on the unrealistic expectations under which they have been raised, why they are angry. My advice to them is to leave Wall Street and go to DC. Be concerned about those who pass the laws, and screw-up Sallie May and Freddie Mac. Go kick Barney Frank’s ass. I could be wrong, but that’s the way it looks to one without a horse-in-the-race who is standing on the sidelines. Copyright 2011 by Gene Myers. Author of "After Hours: Adventures of an International Businessman" and "Songs from Lattys Grove". Go to Kindle's site, and type in my name for eBook information. Do me a favor: Hit on my books frequently.
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