Hippies, Wall Street, and Kanye West

Well, there are three things I never thought I would put together. I usually like to write about lighthearted subjects. The recent protests on Wall Street have gotten a lot of attention lately and I think most people have an opinion. As far as the movement itself, it seems only a handful of people know why they are protesting. Sure, most of the kids will give you the standard answers about greed and taxes but for the most part they are just there to be a part of a movement.

People have every right to protest, it’s the American way. As long as you’re not infringing on others' rights, everyone has the right to assemble peacefully. There have always been protests and demonstations in this country and our government protects that right. It's just a little scary when Iran is backing the protests.

There are some questions that come to mind. Why is Kanye West visiting the protests? This guy's a millionaire many times over and is definitely in the 1% range. Which brings to mind another question. Why is it that rappers can boast about taking over the music industry, crushing the competition and becoming wealthier than all the other rappers? A CEO who does the exact same thing is deemed evil or greedy. Now rappers don’t take bailout money so I can see the point there, but the hatred for the rich is intense today.

Not all rich people are hated, movie stars, sports stars and anyone in the entertainment industry are worshipped, their paychecks are never scrutinized. There are plenty of small business owners who have worked very hard and sacrificed their time and energy only to be vilified by some because they are successful.

I don’t want to get in to the current tax debate. Most people have their minds made up and it will do little to argue about who pays what and what is fair. People want to believe this is about the little guys standing up for themselves. As these protests start to spread, as is the goal, we may see our cities start to look like Egypt and Libya in the coming months.

I do have sympathy for those who have lost their jobs and/or homes in the past few years. I do believe we need regulations so we don’t have companies doing whatever they please for profits. That being said, in some cases there has to be some personal responsiblilty. That may not be a popular opinion these days. There is no doubt some people got a bad deal, but if you run up a credit card debt, it has to be paid. The same goes for corporations or even the country for that matter.

I worry about my personal finances, not anyone else's. I like the freedom of making choices and having options. Everyone needs help from time to time. I'm thankful for everything my family has done for me and at the same time I'm aware that not everyone is as fortunate. I also realize others have had more opportunities than I have. I think it is what this country was built on. The working class, the upper class and the lower class. That’s just the thing, there are going to be classes in America. Everyone is not the same. People are individuals and every individual is different.

I think the answer to the current situation is somewhere in the middle. Can’t the blame be shared? I don’t understand how someone can take student loan after loan and go in debt for tens of thousands of dollars and think they have a right to a job. An education is to educate, it helps prepare you for a job, it can make you more marketable for prospective employers. A job is not a guarantee.

Not to imply that all banks are great and corporations should be able to run wild. I don’t agree with the too big to fail policy or the bailouts in the first place. But what is the end goal of these protests? Does anyone know? Living wages? Jobs for everyone? Where does the money come from? If you taxed the wealthy for half of everything they are worth would it be enough to support all of the government programs wanted? I'm not writing this to dismiss the Occupy Wall Street crowd, I certainly don't have the answers and I'm willing to listen to both sides. Times are tough, people are upset, I’m just not so sure a revolution is needed.