Occupy Portland Analysis
There seems to be a lot of misconception about what the Occupy Portland protests are about. People are deriding the protesters, without really knowing who they are. They merely complain about the how it’s going to affect the commute home. The entire Occupy Wallstreet movement’s lack of clear goals is hurting them in the press.
But the protestors are not “snot nosed kids,” “hippies,” “welfare scum,” or “homeless unemployed.” The average age is low 30’s. A lot have homes. Many have jobs. Many have been recently unemployed or are fearful of their jobs being cut. Many no longer have savings or a 401k plan. They come from a multitude of backgrounds, truck drivers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, warehouse clerks, etc. They come from ALL political parties, but are heavily represented by the Swing Voters that both parties try so hard to court. Many are recent college graduates who haven’t been able to find a job no matter what degree they got. And there are a LOT of 50+ year olds in the group who are just plain tired of it all and fondly recall when things “truly were better.”
While the overall movement seems to be some what jumbled in it’s goals, it’s quickly becoming apparent that the biggest complaint is how much the “Government” no longer represents the “People,” but rather Corporations. Many are starting to believe that the repeated economic woes are directly tied to how Government continues to bow to Corporate Interests to the detriment of the Citizens.
They’re tired of corporate bail outs, massive tax breaks (and rebates,) for industries that are making record profits. They’re tired of being told “the wealthy need tax breaks as they’re job creators,” when all evidence and common business sense dictates that jobs are created when they’re needed, not because someone got a tax break and can “afford” to hire someone. They’re tired of excessive copyright and patent rules that stifle innovation. They’re tired of being told all their life “go to college, get a great job, live the American Dream,” but finding that there are no jobs, and they’re in debt for tens of thousands of dollars with no hopes of getting out of debt any time soon.
They’re tired of not being heard and represented by their elected officials.
The only thing keeping this from becoming a second American Revolution is these people still have hope that change IS possible. That Corporate needs must come in second to Citizens needs instead of the other way around. If that does not happen, the seeds of revolution that were cast into the wind of the Middle East will find roots again among the birthplace of Democracy.
You shouldn’t be worried about your commute home. You should be worried that things will continue the way they are.
