OCCUPY WALL STREET

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Corkey

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Citi-a...83525.html?x=0

And Herman Cain wants you to blame yourself if you don't have a job and aren't rich..isn't that rich!

But that is the way it's supposed to be, no? That's American culture. You should be able to support yourself and not rely on "hand-outs from the gummit". Your lack of a job, your illness, your poverty is of your own creation and not the fault of anyone else in the world, don't'cha know? If you ask for help then you're a socialist and that ain't American. What are you? Some kind of anti-American!? You traitor you. (this is said in a sarcastic tone).

But really. From an outsider, this isn't a surprise since this is very much the neo-conservative American cultural view that I'm used to seeing about Americans. When I read the piece on the Washington Post that Miss Tick had linked, I read the comments. It was interesting to see how many commenters believe this. It might have been true back in the 1700-1800s, when America was first developing and it wasn't unusual to have a homestead where you were isolated. And it may even be true in some places in the US today.

It is, however, far from reality. We are an interconnected, inter-dependent global society. If one part fails, then we all do. And if a large chunk fails, we all do. I wish people would stop demonizing the idea that helping one another, whether through the creation of a national program or otherwise, as socialism and realize that it can do so much to encourage people to do more. In the corporate world (and I think of my own company), the balance of life and work, makes harder working employees. Lessen stress and it causes productivity to increase.

Well, by that logic, would the same be true in the country itself? Help the individual to meet basic needs (and based on some of the pictures that Ebon had posted) many people aren't meeting those basic needs (they trade off medication vs food vs rent).