You are about to learn my opinion of the Occupation Movement.
Winter has arrived, and the occasionally occupied tents have been collected by municipal workers, and when the snow melts next year the parks will reveal patches of mud in place of grass. One wonders if, next year, more tents will be set up on the mud patches or on new grass.
Is this comment deserved, or even relative? I believe so, because we can be sure that new grass will be damaged again and, that, is my first point ... carelessness.
Thus, this is not surprising, when they say that there is no ‘leader’ because they do not ‘need’ a leader. Therefore, do we assume that the person leading the parade through town should be arrested because he, or she, is leading an illegal parade that has no official permission to disrupt traffic? Do we arrest the occasional member of parliament seen in the parade, after all, is he not a kind of professional leader. No, sensibly, we let them go, after all, there is not a sign of any professional rioters ... absorbed in there plans for next year’s G20 Summit, no doubt.
So, what is it all about? It seems to be about the rich 1%, which is understandable when, today, it is revealed by the OECD that the income gap in Canada continues to grow placing it the worst of 34 analyzed countries except for the U.S. Now, this attracts my attention, wages being one of my pet peeves. If it is noticeable for Warren Buffet to express concern of the increasing income gap, then, I know that I am in good company.
Therefore, what must be done? We live in a democratic society, even though some believe that it is a Harper dictatorship in Canada. Nevertheless, there is a justification, the leadership question aside, for the ‘Movement’ to become a political party, before it is divided by the existing parties and their false promises.
The income gap would become their platform and, in my opinion, very successful. Of course, those in the 1% division, will complain about an increase in the minimum wage, and increased income taxes, crying; “Don’t you know that people earning $120,000 annually are in that group!” As if one can hardly afford to live on that figure. The party theme song would become, “Don’t cry for me ....”
Could it, should it, and would it happen? Certainly, the next few years are going to be politically interesting.
They are, especially in Europe. In NL an extra 10 Billion is needed, on top of the 16 , so will my pension and possibly I survive? With our government, who are extremely right and think that nature here is not important so can be used for "other things" . It is the worst lot I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI am confident that your pension will survive — the Occupying 99% will ensure that.
ReplyDeleteAs long as beautiful tulips thrive in the Netherlands fields and snow appears on top of the mountains, there will be a Spring.
Bernie, my friend, you might be optimistic about the power of the 99% but there are no mountains in the Netherlands that I know of. There are lots of tulips in the spring. All the tulips may be controlled by the 1%, who knows.
ReplyDeleteReferring to the 'Occupation' was somewhat flippant, I was implying that, in my opinion, no government would deplete pensions. But, on second thoughts, relative to today's dollar, there is a remote chance that in a few decades it could be different because at that time today's youth will have their own private pensions ... on the other hand, I am known to have quite an imagination.
ReplyDeleteSorry. I am very familiar with The Netherlands — 'Anonymous' is a good friend of mine, and the Netherlands mountains is a running joke between us.
I was being facetious too Bernie.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the face value of a pension may remain constant purchasing power can decrease as the relative values of currencies change and inflation chews up what a euro or $C can buy.
I imagine that that is the difference between corporate and government pensions, not that I have experience of the former.
ReplyDelete