Cultural Shift

I don’t know much about the “Occupy Wall Street” and “99 Percent” movements that are going on right now. Partly because it frustrates me to read about it. I do know, however, that they are protesting “Corporate Greed”. I find this interesting. It seems like in the last generation or so we’ve seen a shift in cultural paradigm from one view to another. The generation before this protesting generation saw that the “boss” made more money and therefore the strove to work hard so that someday they could be the boss and make more money. Capitalism the way it should be I suppose. Motivation derived from a desire to better one’s standing in society and therefore bettering society in general.

This protesting generation, however, seems to have a view of entitlement. “The boss makes more money than me and he shouldn’t because I can’t afford my high speed internet and my college loans that I received when I was working on my obscure degree that couldn’t get me a good job even in a good economy”. Where did this entitlement come from? We see average people make millions for “surviving” on an island for a few months. We see people living their lives as “real housewives” and making much more money they we likely ever will. So where’s our break? How can we get that money without working?

I’m so thankful that my parents raised me to not expect handouts. To work hard for my goals and to manage what I have, being sure to help those who are less fortunate when possible. It makes me wonder how these protestors were raised. Sure there are lots of people without jobs right now, but I can say with 100% certainty that they will not find a job standing on Wall Street with a sign. I don’t know what they hope to achieve but I don’t think they’re going to end up with someone giving them the money to fix their problems. Truthfully, I don't think money, in any quantity, would fix their problems...

Also what are they protesting Wall Street? I recently read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the author makes a good point:

That the economy is “the sum of all the goods and services produced......the products that are made, sold and bought - that’s the Economy”
And he goes on to say that in the Stock Exchange there is no economy and no production of goods and services.
There are are only “fantasies in which people from one hour to the next decide that this or that company is worth so many billions more or less.
It doesn’t have a thing to do with the...economy.

That makes sense to me...and I think I agree though I'm not economist and don't totally understand how the NYSE works. Why protest Wall Street when they're not the one's responsible for our current economy? Maybe the finger for your lack of job should be pointed elsewhere...
Here's one option:

http://www.popecenter.org/commentaries/article.html?id=2590