The incoherent "Occupy" demonstrations that have sprung up among the intellectually challenged and morally bankrupt crowd have given the country's leftists some of the Obama promised "hope" they have been pining for since some political slickster came up with that slogan to lure the useful idiots * into electing him in 2008. But it seems their hope will be dashed once again even though the dominant media refuses to interview the demonstrators in (or show the video results of) any depth about what precisely they are trying to accomplish.
Thankfully, now-a-days we have the internet where some semblance of the truth can be sorted out from the nonsense if one gives it some time and thought. It's a darn sight better than letting the main media filter it for us like they used to before they had some good old fashioned competition.
The main theme of the demonstrators, if there is one, is that rich people are greedy because they have more money than some other people and something should be done about it. It's not entirely clear what they think that should be, but since they appear to be supporters of the Democratic party, it's safe to speculate that they think more big government laws and regulations are one answer.
It all brings up some interesting questions about greed. Who is greedy anyway? Milton Friedman summed it up succinctly when he said, "It's only the other fellow who is greedy."
Are the wealthy greedy because they already have enough (however one defines "enough") but want more? Or are those who already get money and benefits provided by the wealthy greedy because what they get is never "enough" and they want more? In a country where the more well to do pay all the taxes and about 50% of the rest of the people pay nothing, what is the the latter's "fair share" as Barack Obama is fond of terming it?
The above cartoon explains that concept better than I could ever do it, but still there are many who don't (or refuse to) "get it." The Merriam Webster dictionary definition of greed is: a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed.
So the question remains, who is greedy? Those who have their own money and desire to keep it? (perish the thought of actually desiring more) Those who have some OPM (other people's money) but want more because it's "fair"? Or politicians at every level of government who are flush with taxpayer money but never have enough to buy even more votes with? One thing is certain, all of those groups will define "needed" in a different way.
The video below was sent to me by one of my unpaid researchers and it shows a young greedy man at one of the demonstrations complaining that other men not in attendance are greedy because they won't forgive his student loans so he can spend his money on other things he wants but no one will give him. (So far you can't buy an i-Pad with food stamps)
The reason I don't pay my researchers is that this blog has no advertising and therefore no one makes any money from it, least of all me. And since I'm not starving, I don't really "need" the revenue, but if I ever put ads on here or ask for donations, you can assume I am greedy. And I'm okay with that.
* Not everyone who voted for Obama was an idiot. But the people who did so because they believed in the political rhetoric of "Hope and Change" and class warfare certainly qualify.
3 comments:
Geeeez! I suppose it's too late to change the voting laws in this country so that people have one vote for each dollar they pay in federal taxes, Too bad!
I haven't watched the video but I don't need to. I walk through these people on LaSalle St everyday. Between the body odor and the inability to articulate a position on anything other than "We are the 99%" (mmmhmmm), it's made for a less pleasant commute. I propose a new demonstation. I call it "Occu-pie Chicago" and it's a bake-off. The smells emanating from the street will be much more exciting, people will wear chef's hats instead of rastafarian hats, and the goods will be fully baked, unlike the people who are half baked. I find it odd too, that the people protesting unemployment problems in this country don't look like the people who I know who were gainfully employed and lost their jobs due to downsizing. They look like people who either A) don't want jobs or B) got fired from babysitting.
Can you tell this nonsense makes me nuts?
That is one of the best comments ever left on this blog.
I am going to start demonstrating too because I WANT SOME PIE! And not just a piece of the pie, I want the whole thing! (And it better have ice cream on it too)
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