The title will probably be the closest this post gets to a film. Rarely do I speak bluntly about my personal beliefs or core values on this blog, outside of the spectrum of film/video production. But, recently, I have been invigorated by the protests that are going on in their third week on Wall Street. People, many my own age, taking their time to stand up for what they believe in and show that the working and middle class Americans are tired of being treated as second rate, while we continue to line the wallets of those in the 1%. Being in North Carolina and bound to work commitments and other obligations, I can’t make it to Occupy Wall Street to share in the warmth of the fight for what is truly right. What I can do is offer my opinions on how to grow this front into something that truly evokes change.
One of the primary criticisms of the movement itself is the lack of focus in what the protestors are demanding. However, in contrast to many protests of the past, this is not a protest that demands one single point of change. We, as a people, have not been wronged by one single wrong. We have been exploited and denied to an amalgam of rights including, but not limited to, a fully integrated healthcare system that provides for one and all, a refund on the billions of dollars from our pockets that bailed out greedy banks, an education that doesn’t set us behind financially before we can even start our adult lives, homes that can be manageably paid off and protection of our valued possessions in times of struggle or need that is beyond our control, the removal of money from our politics, and an equal tax code in regards to taxation on the rich and corporations.
Though the suits on Wall Street laugh and chide over the protestors’ “meaningless” rants and the Bill O’Reillys of the world refer to our cause as “liberal sludge,” what they don’t understand is that we are the true voices of the nation. These types of people, however, people that are hinged on one thing and one concept: the growth of their material wealth, can only be educated in the same manner. Hence, to get the true message across and truly incite change in our country without lending to violent behavior, we have to hit these people where it hurts the most: their pocketbooks. How might we do this? Who consumes their goods? Who truly has control over the markets on a day to day basis? Us, the 99%. We are the backbone and the foundation of the country that keep everything from completely falling apart.
How then might our numbers truly hurt these people of power? Shut it down. That’s right, let’s just shut it all down, press the “off” switch, quit consuming. A strike that involves this entire nation. We’re not asking for justice and an economy that works, not only for the wealthy, but for the working class and middle class people as well. No positive change was ever introduced without the willingness for taking a risk involved. I’m not saying muddle your lives to the point of misery, but the foundation of a capitalist economy is consumption and we, the United States of America, are the biggest consumers in the world. Continue to go to work, continue to provide food for your family, and continue to provide the necessities of life. If we could cut out the “wants”, however, and I mean completely quit consuming or drastically cut down our daily consumption as much as possible, then the markets would start to reflect the degradation in purchasing. The longer we could stand without, the longer we could hold off on buying extraneous goods/toys/services that are truly not needed for basic survival, the more the companies, the wealthy, the politicians, and the economy itself would feel it. We need to show that if they will not listen and abide to our appropriate demands, then we will not abide to their greedy desires and continue to line their pockets. They can either accept a just amount of wealth, or we will strip their capitalist economy to the bone and they will all suffer losses they have never dreamed of.
If you believe in the idea of this post , please pass along and share with others. If you feel you could elaborate on this idea, please comment and discuss. I’m tired of how our country is running, this is not the country I love and I want to see positive change happen now so that my children will be able to be proud of the country they live in.
notesonafilm 