Removing the Distractions to Prosperity
October 5, 2011 in World
Critics say that the Occupy Together Movement wants to destroy capitalism. Does it?
If we use the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City as a guide, we see that this movement wants to open the doors of capitalism so that more people may go through them. However, it is a stretch to say Occupy Together wants to destroy capitalism.
The game of capitalism, as it is currently played, puts excessive money and power into the hands of a small percentage of people. I can’t fault those people who play the money game and acquire significant revenue. In addition, I can’t fault those who don’t understand the money game and are losing it. This describes many people in the Occupy Together movement.
Humans have an amazing ability to recover from dire situations. Americans have a reputation for creating financial success stories. If that’s the case, then why are Americans choosing to show up in the streets to protest instead of recovering and creating success stories? I believe it is because they are distracted by two things: the loss of their homes and the loss of their freedoms.
Distraction number one comes from the debt created in the first decade of this century when the Federal Reserve flooded the economy with money, creating an economic bubble. This created easy credit and inflation. Now that the bubble has popped, there is less money available and the prices generally remain high. The only way to put more money into the system is through additional debt. However, the banks have tightened their lending requirements and fewer people are eligible to acquire loans. This situation has put many at the risk of losing their homes.
Distraction number two comes from the loss of our freedoms. As I wrote yesterday, numerous civil rights are being violated. The truth of the matter is that those rights no longer exist. They have been legislated away thought the courts. However, no one told Americans about this. Therefore, when someone attempts to make a stand based on the Constitutional Rights taught while in school, they realize too late that this defense is nothing more than quicksand.
I’ve discussed this situation with numerous attorneys. All say they don’t know what to do about it. They are telling their clients to, “Just be quiet. Don’t say anything. Just fade into the woodwork and let them forget about you. Something bigger will come along to distract them.”
This strategy leaves legal issues unresolved and rents creative space in the brain, space that would otherwise be used to solve the financial challenges. In addition, it allows the police state to continue to operate. Even those who attempt to fade into the background by finding alternative ways to live come under scrutiny for violating food laws, medical laws, zoning laws, or compulsory education laws.
Each experience leaves an individual disgusted at what has happened. From my perspective, the only way to change the system is to fight it through the courts if you can find an attorney who is willing to help. However, few people have the war chest to do this. Therefore, the situation worsens as individuals accept deals instead of trials so they can go on and live their lives.
These two distractions to recovery drive the protest. Americans and world citizens feel as if they can’t participate in the current system of capitalism because of these distractions, so they are seeking to remove them. Occupy Together is the method they have chosen. When these distractions are removed, a free capitalistic society can operate that allows all to play and benefit.
I’m writing about a potential solution in the Finance section of this site.
Feel free to leave your suggestions below.
