Occupy Wall Street

I’ve been out of work three weeks today. Many others have been out of work for much longer. It’s disheartening to pound the pavement looking for work but I do what I can to keep my chin up. I don’t have a husband, children or a mortgage so the only person affected by my job loss is me. And the economy.

I did find some entertainment when I was on the treadmill at the gym today. Fox News was on Wall Street speaking with protestors who want answers and to some extent, retribution. They (and we) are tired of investors who have been bailed out, tired of hearing rich politicians tell us times are tough but ‘we’ll come through this together as a nation’. I want to speak with the hedge fund managers, leaders at all levels of government, heads of industries and ask them how they feel things are going to get better. What are they doing to pump money into the economy? Many protestors said they were tired of being educated but jobless, being ignored and marginalized by lawmakers and disgusted by the handouts given to corporations (not to mention tax cuts) when the average citizen doesn’t have that. The response from the ‘reporters’ was surprising. They mocked those gathered on Wall Street, calling them hippies, saying they are leaderless and need to get a job.

I was stunned by their response. I shouldn’t be, its Fox Channel and they are deeply Republican which means they are in bed with big business. What stunned me more was their ‘let them eat cake’ attitude. These reporters (I chuckle when using that term for this particular group of people) actually said on national television that these protestors were (wait for it) anti-American. Excuse me but its gathering to protest something in the Bill of Rights? Our entire way of life was built on people not being happy with being taxed to death, having absolutely no say and then being taxed again by the king. True, we have no royalty in this country but I’d be willing to make an argument that those in the 1% tax bracket are what we would consider nobility. They’re well-educated, moneyed and full of self-assurance. They also tend to act entitled though they’re not titled in the monarchy sense. And they mock those who only want a better future.

In the span of three weeks I’ve lost my job, health insurance, had to give notice that I’m vacating my apartment, sign up for food stamps and unemployment while the talking heads on Fox are telling viewers  the protestors are getting in their way and slowing down their drive to their Hampton homes for an end of summer BBQ.

I’m saddened at the state our economy is in, I’m angry with silly politicians and I’m disgusted with what passes for news on Fox. Their behavior was so ridiculous I thought I was watching the Colbert Report.

Today’s lie: better times for the economy are just around the corner.