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What’s really behind the impetus for the Occupy Wall Street (et. al.) horde? What is the cause-and-effect relationship? Here’s my take: The multitude is consumed with resentment and humiliation, but they don’t understand why. Not really. And as is often the case, perceived reasons are seldom real reasons, which they sense but cannot identify. You see, this crowd has not been taught to do their own thinking. They’ve been raised on polarizing talk show sound bites, pop culture, the Internet, and the belief that John Stewart’s fake news show is the real McCoy. The resulting confusion between perception and reality has spawned frustration, helplessness, and anger. It’s like they just discovered there’s no Santa Claus. To confuse things even more, there are some real Scrooges in the mix from government, banking, and business. They got that part right. Bottom line: These presumptuous (but ignorant) aspirants have discovered the entitled life that they were taught belonged (owed) to them is a mirage. They also have the unfortunate affinity to attribute accomplishment (including stereotyping successful people) to “luck” and/or “pull”. This kind of thinking is the root of envy, and has been the time-honored formula of socialists for co-opting “movements of unrest”; the idea being to create class warfare; to characterize all who succeed as greedy and unworthy. Aside: I’ve also noticed by observing OWS living (camping?) conditions, personal hygiene, and odor that they abhor water, although they seem attracted to urine—at least they spread it everywhere they roost. This smacks of poor or indulgent home training. They lack knowledge of two essential truths: 1) good ol’ boy cronyism IS NOT the main factor behind most successful people; and 2) free-market capitalism IS the main engine for a successful society. Capitalism is not what got us into economic trouble! Economic failure is mainly due to government interference with (or taking aggression against or tampering with) the capitalistic system. This meddling is fueled by cronyism with lobbyists, big banking, and big business. What OWS is bitching about is not capitalism, but a goofy, random-walk, hybrid rife with special interests that are bred and nurtured in DC! In addition: Why the growing gap among the one-percent who seem to get wealthier, and the rest of us? Two things: technology and global economy. GM makes and sells more cars in China than the US. The new US autoworker jobs are $18 an hour not $60 as in former days; and many factories are virtually “lightless”; i.e., relatively few skilled workers and managers are needed. The world has changed over the past 30 years, and it’s NEVER going to return to the way it was. Personal example: I can electronically send a manuscript to India for editing, and have it prepared for publication by a Ph.D. for the cost of a six-pack. There are two economic fundamentals that are inviolate: 1) there is no such thing as something for nothing, and 2) the law of supply and demand always prevails. I am not equating capitalism with democracy. Democracy has its own problems including a typical life span of about 250 years. According to Jefferson, democracy ceases to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who are not. Presently, there are an estimated 48% of US citizens who do not pay taxes; and another 45% who are government workers on the dole—they create nothing! I’m not connecting the dots, just saying it’s an interesting observation. Draw your own conclusion. In ancient Greece, Isocrates said democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality, that is; it teaches its citizens that audacity is a right, lawlessness a freedom, abrasive speech initiates equality, and anarchy generates progress. You see, what we’ve got here is the first wave of humanity taught by parents and teachers that personal self-esteem is more important than all else—including gumption and individual achievement. After all, IQ tests are “fixed” so certain ethnicities score better, red check marks on homework cause hurt feelings, and what’s the deal with grades? No one should fail because they refuse to turn in homework or score badly on tests. Everyone gets a trophy. Still in metropolitan areas no matter how much money is pumped into the government funded school system, graduation rates are 30% and falling. From the affluent beach areas of Southern California I am amazed at the number of “special” young men who attended junior college for seven years on the State’s dime then got pissed-off at interlopers from eastern prep schools and colleges who came west and took the good jobs. Today they’re sitting on bar stools wondering what the hell happened. And what’s the deal with Simon Cowell? How dare he criticize your dreadful singing when your parents and teachers have told you how wonderful it is? This limp-wristed madness may have started with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) whose motto is “everyone plays”. Nobody may be cut, and each player must play at least one-quarter of the game. It was originally intended as the counter culture to everything that had gone wrong with Little League baseball, and its byproduct: the aggressive, profane “little league parent”. The intent of AYSO is honorable: exercise, good sportsmanship, and low-key competition. Every team is supposed to be arranged for parity. AYSO started out mellow enough. Parents didn’t understand the game enough to criticize coaches and referees; and it was cute to watch the little ones run amok chasing after a ball. Parents and children were mostly interested in bonding and having pizza after the game. Then, as typical with our human condition, some of the players stood out, dominated the game, and scored most of the goals. They were the top achievers. Local league board members took notice and stacked their teams with the best-of-the-best, counter to the spirit of AYSO—good ol’ boy cronyism. Playoffs were introduced and a league champion crowned. Some players were honored by their coaches as being “most valuable”, and received awards. Why? Because they were more proficient at kicking a soccer ball into the net. Poor little Billy who couldn’t walk and chew gum simultaneously—but might be a terrific piano player—was left out, and with quivering lip and a tear asked his parents, “Why?” After all he’d been taught his whole life that he was special. So parents of the athletically-challenged came together and made sure everyone received the very same trophy whether they earned it of not. After all, self-esteem is paramount even if it is neither realistic nor prepares them for what they’ll face in life. OWS is the first group of these special children to reach adulthood. And there are legions to come. I saw a video on the Internet of a little boy throwing a tantrum because his Philadelphia Eagles were getting clocked by the Patriots. Through screaming tears, the boy cried, “I hate Tom Brady! He’s an idiot!” His father said, “I think he’s an idiot too.” One of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, Brady has the audacity to achieve. For that he is labeled an idiot. Next year the PC crowd will probably demonstrate against him until he takes an empathy seminar, apologizes, and agrees to throw the football with his left hand. When I was young and walking downtown with my father a gentleman drove by in a luxury automobile. He and Dad exchanged smiles and waves. “There is a fellow to be admired,” said Dad. “Ten years ago he was driving an old, beat up wreck, and barely getting by. We worried that his family had enough to eat.” “He looks good now,” I replied. “Sure does. He scraped, saved, borrowed, and worked his fingers to the bone. Built the factory on the east side, became wealthy through his own labor, and created good jobs for several hundred people. People like him built this country.” I was silent because I didn’t understand how people could build countries. Years later I got it. The point of that recollection is that OWS would look at the man, his automobile, and home with sneering distain and yell, “Hey, man! Why do you need all that stuff?” These self-appointed social critics are infected with the green monster called envy. However, if they’re honest with themselves; that is, if they go into a dark room and strip away their delusions, they might get it. They may discover they’re ashamed of themselves, and are employing the psychological process of projecting blame (for their condition) onto those who achieve. I see members of the entitled generation all around me. At the athletic club they’re the ones who create messes in the locker room—leaving lavatories filthy and towels strewn all about because they expect to be picked-up after. At home I suppose their mothers or wives clean up in their wake or they live in a pig sty. Once I challenged a fellow, and he haughtily replied he was creating job security for the janitors. Of course this prevailing world-owes-me-a-living attitude happened over several generations; snuck up on us like dusk on the night. Where do we go from here? Copyright 2011 by Gene Myers. Click-up my name on Amazon Kindle for more.
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