A Government, by of and for the people - my thoughts on the occupy movment

I have been thinking deeply about the Occupy Movement.  I have committed to attend the event in Davenport next Saturday (22^nd) to add my support.  I was curious when the movement started, and then surprised when I saw that it lasted as long as it did in New York.  I was astonished to see how quickly it spread. It is heartening to see the young people of this country become engaged.   I hope that the Occupy movement is not completely coopted by but rather integrated with other activist movements . 

I am not sure what the 1% slogan means.  I know it is a symbol for those in power, for the wealthy.  The average income of the top 1% of the people in this country is over 1 million dollars a year.  Is that what this movement is about?  I have had numerous discussions with family and friends about just what is middle class?  I have discussions with people who make over 100k a year who truly believe that they are middle class.  So that will be a discussion for another day.  My point is, where do you draw the line.  Does someone making 900k fit into the 99% Are we talking about lifestyle excess? Are we talking about lack of opportunity for all? Are we talking about our lack of ability to control our own fate? Are we talking about rage against a rigged system?  Or possibly all of the above?

I see a demonizing of business and businesspeople. Not all business are evil. Capitalism has often provided the incentive for tremendous creativity and invention.  On the whole businesspeople do not see themselves as evil.  Investors have risked capital and want to reap the rewards of that risk. They see themselves as playing by the rules of a game, and they are the best at playing the game.  I think that is the point.  The problem as I see it is that we have gotten to the point where the business people are writing the rules to the games so as to create a rigged game. 

As Theodore Parker, a Unitarian Minister in the 19^th century said:

“The idea that all men people have unalienable rights; that in respect thereof, all men people are created equal; and that government is to be established and sustained for the purpose of giving every man person an opportunity for the enjoyment and development of all these unalienable rights. This idea demands, as the proximate organization thereof, a democracy, , a democracy, that is, a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people; 

I do believe there is a purpose for responsible business.  The goal of most investors though is to maximize profits. This however must be balanced by the common good of society.  Business has shown it has the inability to regulate itself. Therefore the only recourse for the citizens is for the government to be a counter measure of business so as to protect the citizens from the excesses of business.  The pendulum in this country has continued to swing back and forth throughout its history.  We never seem to find a balance. It just keeps swinging from one extreme of business run rampant (child labor, unsafe working conditions, no concern for the environment, etc.) to regulations that have diminished business’ creativity and inventiveness.  We need to find a balance.  A balance where the workers rights and rewards and the needs of the greater society are balanced against and linked to the investors risks and rewards.  In our current climate of fear and recession, business’  are using this as an opportunity to take advantage of the workers and taxpayers of this country. 

What must be done?

I think first and foremost we need to repeal the Citizen’s United decision. Corporations are not people. They do not have the same goals or ends as the citizens of this country and thus they should not have the same rights as citizens.  The rage that I sense within the Occupy movement is that Business is controlling the government.  Business has rigged the system in their favor.  This has been exacerbated by the unlimited funding of political campaigns by business. We need to get business out of the business of choosing government officials. Secondly we have to enact some lasting campaign reform and term limits for government officials to obviate entrenched special interests. 

If we are to survive and stay strong as a country, we need to avoid excesses and find balance.  The pendulum has swung too far.  The Occupy movement is the step to bring us back into balance. This is why I will support the Occupy movement. A Government, by of and for the people, not a government by of and for the corporation.