Why I Do Not Support the 99%

            The 99% is really worse than the Tea Party. At least the Tea Party understands how the system works. Raise money, find people that support your ideology, and push forward in the political arena- not the streets. But when I see grown men and women destroying mom and pop shops, trying to bait the police into conflict, and making life miserable for the rest of us, they have to go. 

            Yes the banks screwed up, but so did deregulation, tax breaks, the prison systems, and a failed educational system. The people have to take responsibility as well. Our current system has a bit of socialism in it, but it is not like Cuba.  We do not stand in line and wait to get bread.

            I see protestors with ipads, backpacks, and gas masks, acting like they are poor and struggling. But the reality is even the poorest people in our country live better than any other country. Capitalism is a system that has built a wonderful empire, but there is a time to pay up. The credit card bill is due, and the interest is adding up.

 There is a time to pay taxes, and get rid of the cuts for all of us. It is time to stop spending more than any other country in the world on arms and military. In 2010 the Department of Defense’s budget was $680 billion. And that was more than Obama even requested by $16 Billion. Wonder who had their hand in the cookie jar?

But then when we look at education there is a huge discrepancy.  In 2010 we were ranked 12^th among industrial nations and educational spending. Yeah that is right, the so called number one country in the world is ranked 12^th out of a list of 16. But the numbers get even worse.  “Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14^th in reading, 17^th in science, and 25^th in math”. Even though these numbers are from 2009 I am sure that there has not been a huge acceleration in this area.

Enough with stats- but this should lead to a better understanding of why the 99% think the way that they think. We are not teaching to a level that allows our young people and adults can make the proper decisions, and read the small print.

We have raised a country that is searching for the fast way out, a nation that thinks those that have made it should be punished. By no means am I rich.  But I do understand that it is not fair to allow for those that have made it pave the road for the rest of us. But rather the rest of us buckle down and mash out.

In capitalism you have those that eat, and others that get eaten. This is how the system works. The only way to beat the system or be a part of the system is to be educated, and informed. Start your own business, hit the library, and do not wait for handouts, because we are broke, and the 99% is bringing us closer to the third world status than they can imagine. It is not about socialism, handouts and punishing those that have made it. But rather taking responsibility and fixing our country, not breaking windows and relieving ourselves on police cars.  

Capitalism Has No Ethics

While the world is caught up in bra straps and a mother’s right to feed her child, the media is missing an important story- the loss of ethics, period.

 There was a gentleman that felt the need to cash in on the death of Trayvon Martin. So he drew a little picture of what could be considered a representation of a teenager in a hoodie, including the skittles and ice tea, and turned them into paper targets… as in shooting targets.

These paper targets sold out in two days. I was upset, and posted a link to an article on my personal page. These paper targets got me all in a whirl-wind. I felt frustration and some of my personal opinions on race and ethics were put on trial.

The final verdict is that capitalism has no ethics, and this is something that I have to come to terms with. Is it unethical for a product like this? Of course it is. But there are many unethical products that we could demand be pulled from the shelves.  Exploiting people and events for profit is not a new concept.

If you think about it, there are many unethical products that are on the market. The music that we listen to, the clothes that we wear, the movies that we watch, and a whole list of other products that we consume in huge numbers. And think of all of the people who made money off of 9-11 propaganda and products.

The idea of ethics has been removed from capitalism.  Is it unethical to test animals for cosmetic products?  One side would say yes and one side would say no. Is it unethical to subject children to the moral decisions in the Hunger Games? Children being killed in front of audiences, and the ability to define when it is justifiable to kill a friend to be with your family are two moral dilemmas that are brought to the forefront of this series. But ethics are thrown out the window for entertainment.   

Even with the Trayvon Martin case there are tons of products on EBay that are being sold related to the issue. Are they morally correct because proceeds are going to the family, or to the defense?  

            Both sides are wrong, but the fact remains that a young black teenager lost his life, and there are tons of adults collecting money and cashing in. So of course there is going to be a white guy that takes it a step further, and cashes in as well by creating a paper target.

There is nothing stopping a person from making a paper target of a fat white guy in a NASCAR shirt. There is nothing stopping a person from making an application that allows for people to grow hemp and sell it. So morally we are fucked because capitalism is what drives our empire.

There are no morals, just dollars, and no sense. This is what we have come to. The black community can’t comment when they cash in on the same unethical practices. It is all fair in capitalism, and we wonder why our society is slowly destroying ourselves. I support capitalism, so I have to forget what is moral or unmoral too, I guess.