Occupy What?

So, what exactly is your point? asked Sue looking up from her rum and coke. I dont think it will change much. I just feel that we are just going to start the historic cycle over again. Why dont you think there will be any change? Oh, there will be at first. There is always change at first. But, as time goes on, people fall into their same old habits and slowly a group takes over as the new ruling class. I think Orwell depicts that rather well in the book, Animal Farm. Personal greed coupled with immaturity takes over and before you know it, you will have another Shark Tank. What is up with that? On that one episode they explained how they felt about the labor of this country and of where their true loyalties lie, yet, there are still millions of so called Americans supporting them by watching the show. Bill smirked as he said, That is exactly what I am talking about. People in general have no true understanding of economics. They do not actually know that is exactly why jobs are disappearing here. They dont understand that that is exactly why we are not bringing in the tax revenues because jackasses like Mitt Romney want to give these guys tax breaks and they are sending the jobs overseas anyway. They dont understand that this is exactly why the current administration must constantly borrow money to pay for programs that they are hoping will jump start the economy and to keep existing ones going. These are the same people we are relying on for change. So, you think that all of these Occupy Movements are a waste of time? asked Sue with a searching look. No, I am not saying that. I hope they will bring change. But looking back over history, I find it hard to get my hopes up. Throughout history you see the same thing over and over. A community works hard together and slowly some families earn more and more. They become used to the luxury. They become addicted. They use their financial power to persuade public policy to favor them. People let them because they must be right; they are rich. They also have the ability to hire goons to make sure that they get their way. A lot like insurance companies? Yes, people are dumb enough to let the insurance companies have their way too. Think about it. Insurance is nothing more than investors who take full advantage of personal fears. They are also investors that can manipulate the factors of their investments. Look at how many cities have illegalized certain types of foods because they contain certain ingredients. I have even

heard that some communities are now considering banning sodas for children. I know that there is nothing wrong with the foods they are outlawing if they are treated with respect and used in moderation. Parents should teach their children self-control and teach them healthy habits; instead, insurance companies push politicians into banning, another responsibility is removed from us and more dependence is given to the government. They wont ban alcohol or drug companies pushing every pill for every little thing, but soda they will ban. Unlike other investors, they take an unfair return considering the risk. What exactly do you mean by that? asked Sue. Think about it, if you go into the stock market tomorrow, you are armed only with your money and what information you may have gathered about the company you are thinking about. Prospectus, Pro Forma, financial reports, news articles, and legal proceedings? Exactly, you have only what it has done, a statistical comparison to others in its industry, and future possibilities which for the most part are an educated guess. Unless you buy a major stake in the company, you will be lost to the whim of the majority and you will average about an eight percent return before taxes. With an insurance company, they have all the statistical number crunching of the greatest Vegas bookies. Their stats are fantastic and cover a wide range of situations. Lets say you are a white woman, age 38, with a masters in sociology, living at this address for so many years, you are working as a social worker in this location, your eyes are this color, your income is this level, your husband of eighteen years is in management for retail, at this level of pay, white, clean record as well as yours, and so on and so on, they will be able to predict roughly within six months how long both of you will live. They look at what you want and figure that to give you that, they will need to pull in so much money with a certain amount going to different investments to cover things that usually rise for individuals within your statistic ranges and then tag on their sizeable commissions. Your premium goes up or down as the investment is able to cover or falls below what is predicted. Sometimes, theyll send you an adjustment check; that is when the investments do far better than first thought. So, basically, the only way you would come out ahead is if you have far more unusual bad luck than others that are close to your characteristics. Well, no, as soon as you set a trend outside of the others, your premiums will be adjusted or theyll drop you as high risk just the same if you miss a payment or two, you will be assigned as high risk or dropped even if you never filed a claim. Thats the neat thing about them. They can make investments and they get to make the rules. Now, besides car, home, life, pets, appliances, and anything else, you have to buy health insurance. Hey, they own and back a lot of republicans and democrats.

Look at Katrina. They were even allowed to say how much they were going to pay out for the damages and anybody else was s.o.l., having to wait on the government to fix them. True, if insurance companies actually did what they try to make themselves look to be, they would be broke in days. And it is not a new thing either. Insurance has a long history of trying to not have to pay out anything. Like the case of Gregson v Gilbert (1783); a horrendous example, but an example all the same, was simply an insurance company trying to get out of paying for jettisoned cargo. Cargo of humans, interjected Sue. Yes, of course the great thing was that it was the beginning of the end of Slavery in England. Yes, people seem to think things are tough for everyone, yet, they dont realize that billions are being made from this depression. Unions were chased out of some areas, stocks are being sold at bargain basement prices, companies have been able to greatly reduce their work forces while reducing pay rates, and Obama and Congress have decided to sell the foreclosed homes to private investors. Yeah, that one should have had the public up in arms. Think about it. You have all of these families who have had their homes stolen from under them and now they are being practically given to private investors with no disclosure of the prices being settled on. General public does not have access to these homes. Chances are the homes are being sold at greatly reduced prices. They say they are doing this to protect the housing market from being flooded with all of these homes which would drive prices down. I say it is to take advantage of stolen goods. The rich make out and the working class gets to pay for it. Nothing new there; history is just full of greedy assholes driving the economy down and revolts by the people when they had enough. I was listening to this interview with one multimillionaire who sounded just like the French Aristocracy in the late 18th Century. He claimed that he would have no problem paying more taxes but legally his hands were tied. Of course he wasnt actually pushing to pay more just like the aristocrats of 18th Century France werent pushing to actually pay any taxes. Ive noticed that the biggest things that Americans for Prosperity, New Majority Agenda, and a Different Direction motivated on were any of Obamas plans to get the rich to pay their fair share. So, What exactly would you say would create true change? asked Sue. I dont know if it would actually create change, but I think that it would make some possibilities for potential change. But, anyway, here it goes:

Create a flat tax of 10% across the board. No loopholes for the rich to squeeze through; everyone pays ten percent of their taxes. Of course this would eliminate the multibillion dollar business of preparing and collecting taxes. Eliminate insurance and expose people and the various industries to the free market system. All social programs should be run at the local level, by local communities. Who is better equipped to understand your needs? A statistician thousands of miles away or the people who are right here with you. When the founder of a company retires or dies, there should be made every effort for the ownership of the company to be taken over by the employees. Employee stock ownership is essential. If you truly want to make a company responsive to the local community and be ethically responsible to its employees, then the employees should be the owners. Eliminate huge charities which like insurance, use fears to rake in huge profits right Susan G? Support locally owned businessesprevent the true problem of capital flight. Illegalize lobbyist and parties just as the Founding Fathers had tried to warn us. Start your own business and hire local workers and suppliers. Hold your representatives accountable. Think about it, how many state and local governments are making all types of cuts to programs and budgets not to mention state employeesyet, how many of them started any cuts in their own perks and benefits? Look at Corbett of Pennsylvania. He made huge cuts but his staff, friends, and wife has every luxury. Post Office is reducing its cost by eliminating post offices and the people who actually deliver the mail. Yet, individuals like the Post Master General, who have actually nothing to do with the actual processing and delivery of mail are the top priority of jobs to save. Take back your community, your state, your country, your government, and your life. Stay informed Get government out of our personal lives and back on the job of governing. Help out your friends, family, and neighbors Realize that we are all in this together. We are only as strong as our weakest members.

Sounds like you gave this a lot of thought. What do you think will happen to the Occupiers? Hopefully, nothing, but from history, the plutocracy will put pressure on politicians. Politicians will hope that it winds down and people lose interest. If not, when they think no one is looking, they will strike and try to turn these RAMS into little sheep. Hey, Kiss me, you fool.