Occupy Pittsburgh is pretty big. (Rome: low income, unemployed, buy)

[UKyank]

To the rest of the world the average American is the 1% (well actually we are the 19%), but I don't think any of the occupy people would advocate for a more global distribution of their income.

[SteelCityRising]

All I know for certain is that after watching Michael Moore's documentary about Capitalism yesterday with my partner I am more infuriated than ever in regards to our nation's incessantly deteriorating economic conditions. I can't believe Wal-Mart secretly took out life insurance policies on their employees so they could collect benefits when they died. I can't believe that workers in Chicago had to stage a sit-in at their factory for days just to receive an average of $6,000/each in back-pay, benefits, and severance owed to them when their employer abruptly shuttered and left them unemployed with a three-day notice. At one point in time it was possible (and commonplace) for just a husband (or wife) to work full-time while providing his or her family with a comfortable standard of living that would include never having to worry about paying for groceries, never having to worry about taking little Timmy to the doctor when he had a high fever, and being able to take at least one paid vacation annually. Today? I struggle daily to make ends meat just to support myself. I don't have health insurance. I don't receive any sort of paid time off. My scheduling is at the mercy of my employer. I still have neck pain from a car accident six weeks ago, and I'm afraid to seek treatment because my auto insurance policy will only compensate medical bills up to $10,000.

This just makes me more determined than ever to run for elected office myself someday to try to improve this nation. Our parents and their parents were all able to live the "American Dream". Why should our generation have to endure a strongly diminished quality-of-life due to the avarice of the Top 1% of our nation, whose share of the overall wealth in terms of percentage values has mushroomed over the past two generations?

A LOT of people I talk to are furious with the way our nation's economy is being handled right now.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by UKyank

To the rest of the world the average American is the 1% (well actually we are the 19%), but I don't think any of the occupy people would advocate for a more global distribution of their income.

I actually wouldn't mind having a new "Foreign Goodwill Tax" (or something of the sort) enacted upon me so I'd annually have to contribute $100 (or some other arbitrary amount) for the greater good of those residing within developing nations. $100 is a hard hit in the pocket for me, but I could earn that back by working just one extra shift. That $100 might feed a small family in Cambodia for an entire year for all I know.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I actually wouldn't mind having a new "Foreign Goodwill Tax" (or something of the sort) enacted upon me so I'd annually have to contribute $100 (or some other arbitrary amount) for the greater good of those residing within developing nations. $100 is a hard hit in the pocket for me, but I could earn that back by working just one extra shift. That $100 might feed a small family in Cambodia for an entire year for all I know.

We already give away an unprecedented amount of foreign aid all over planet Earth via your tax dollars:

Interactive Map: Foreign Aid Analysis Made Easy

So while we can't get a break on such necessities as basic health care, we give away that much to nations that hate us.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

We already give away an unprecedented amount of foreign aid all over planet Earth via your tax dollars:

Interactive Map: Foreign Aid Analysis Made Easy

So while we can't get a break on such necessities as basic health care, we give away that much to nations that hate us.

Israel=2.2 BILLION!

[SteelCityRising]

Yet we can't afford to fix the Squirrel Hill I-376 Interchange?

[Picksburg Stillers]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I actually wouldn't mind having a new "Foreign Goodwill Tax" (or something of the sort) enacted upon me so I'd annually have to contribute $100 (or some other arbitrary amount) for the greater good of those residing within developing nations. $100 is a hard hit in the pocket for me, but I could earn that back by working just one extra shift. That $100 might feed a small family in Cambodia for an entire year for all I know.

Oxfam America - Donate online


You don't have to wait for the government to force you.

[Jrn14]

Ughhh... knowing about corporate greed just upsets me lol... I swear sometimes it's better off just ignoring it. ... Ignorance is bliss! (I'm not serious, but it just sucks because this whole occupy movement is probably going to help corporate greed rather than hurt it... The average american looks at the protester as just a lazy bum who wants free money.. The 1% is going to see this and realize that the "people" have no real fight in them and will continue to control politics and probably take it to us even worse.)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by UKyank

To the rest of the world the average American is the 1% (well actually we are the 19%), but I don't think any of the occupy people would advocate for a more global distribution of their income.

You should try asking them! They are very approachable and seem more than willing to have such discussions.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Israel=2.2 BILLION!

Our aid to Israel is pure insanity. Last time I checked it was around $110+ billion or so total I believe.

This brings me to strange encounter I had recently. I was at my local gun range and had a friendly chat with an older gentleman who was unemployed. He told me he had been spending some time at the range to fill some time since he was unable to find a job.

I had a holster that was made in Israel and he made a comment about, "boy I sure hope we keep them as allies!". What's screwed up is that this is an American out of work and probably doesn't have health insurance while our country has given over $110 billion in "aid" to Israel over the years. For some reason that pro-Israel comment seemed really ironic and it stuck with me. It's a crazy world.