Jews and Politics: What Is Occupy Wall Street?

“Economic progress, in capitalist society, means turmoil.” (Joseph A. Schumpeter)

Demonstrations, mass arrests and occupied public spaces have now become the norm across the country. From New York to Boston and from Houston to Los Angeles, all have encountered groups of the Occupy Wall St. movement. Occupy Wall St. are groups of people who are frustrated with, and tired of, the 1% of the population making the majority of the wealth in this country, while the rest linger with no hope or salvation.

Who is the 1%? Well, depends who you ask. If you ask members of Occupy Wall St., they will tell you it’s the big banks, financial firms and the wealthy Americans who have made fortunes off the little guy – the average American who has gotten the raw end of the stick, with unemployment, a massive national debt and politicians who care only for special interests.

However, if you ask the 1% if they are responsible for what has become of the American economy, they will say no, it’s our government. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and others spend millions on lobbying congress so that they can remove the many obstacles placed in their way to running a successful operation. Is it wrong that some of these companies care more for their brand name and profits than their employees? Yes, but without these companies being successful, many more Americans would be without a job.

In reality, the Occupy Wall St. movement is seeking nothing more than to destroy a fundamental principal of our democracy: Capitalism. Greed is not good, but that is what has driven our economy ever since the founding of this nation. Just look around: why is it that investors flock to our shores? Why not invest in Cuba, Venezuela or other countries where the wealth is more equally spread among the population? Because those countries have stifled the will and ability to succeed, especially when the government involves itself too much in its citizens’ lives.

Are we frustrated with the stagnation of our economy? Yes. Is Wall St. greedy? Yes, but they have a right to be – as this is their incentive to succeed. Is sharing the wealth important? Yes, but we can’t force our citizens to share their hard earned money with those who don’t want to go to school, get a job and attain the American dream.

What role should the government play in all of this? The government should make sure Wall St. and the big banks don’t take advantage of the little guy. Big banks and Corporations that made bad decisions were bailed out by the hardworking taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of billions. Politically connected mega-corporation GE doesn’t pay a penny in corporate taxes, while struggling small businesses are given no such reprieve.

Another thing the government should do is revamp our outdated tax code. The current tax code defines someone making over $250k a year as wealthy; however, with today’s cost of living and the desire to send one’s kids to good schools – yearly expenses will be more. So, in reality, someone making 250k a year is what you would consider a middle class American.

It’s time for “the people” to wake up and realize that class warfare and blaming the rich are not going to solve these problems; electing moral and ethical people to office will. Instead of asking the government to solve all our problems, we need to try and solve some of them ourselves.

The American dream is attainable, just ask some of the 1% – like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and others – how they made their fortunes, and they will tell you it was through hard work and dedication to success.