Who are the 99%?

I recently read Brian Stelter’s article, “We are the 99% Percent Joins the Cultural and Political Lexicon”.  He discusses how the catchy slogan of the Occupy movement has now made it’s way into modern vernacular as far more than just a rallying cry against the wealthiest of Americans.  While the slogan worked for the Occupy movement, Stelter’s point is that it works for more than just those protesters camped out in parks and before city hall.

 

 

Politicians, of course, were some of the first to seize on the phrase to promote their own agendas.  If there were ever a prime example of the 1%, our elitist political class would be it.  With the current debates in Congress over exemptions for politicians from Obamacare, and subsidies for themselves which wouldn’t be seen by anyone else making their salaries, the use of the whole “99%” quote is a bit hypocritical.  The one group who actually fights for the non-elites and who hasn’t seized on the slogan is the Tea Party. 

 

The Tea Party and the Occupy movement have many similarities.  Both are protesting government actions, they just happen to be on different sides of the coin.  And while the Occupy movement has fizzled out in recent months, the Tea Party moved into the political spectrum and got some of their own candidates elected into office.  In spite of both groups fighting for the well-being of the everyday American, the Tea Party is one of the few groups who hasn’t seized on the “we are the 99%” slogan, preferring old favorites like “Give me Liberty, or Give me Death” and “No Taxation without Representation”.

 

Stelter goes on in his article to describe some slogans that caught on from protests over the years.  All of us can think of a few from the Vietnam era, from the civil rights movement, even from the revolution.  While the 99% slogan is catchy and somewhat appropriate for the cause, the lack of follow through on the protesters part will probably cause it to die out in a few years.  The children today won’t remember “we are the 99%” the same way as other political slogans from the past, mostly because of the failure of the Occupy movement to organize and solidify what they were protesting.

Can We Start With Politicians?

First, Eat All the Lawyers

 

 

 

Recently for our rhetoric class, we had to read a selection of short research essays.  The one I found most applicable to our current social situation with the government shutdown was “First, Eat All the Lawyers”.  It discusses our love affair with zombies of late and the rise in movies and TV programs that follow the “zombie apocalypse”.

 

I myself admit to having the guilty pleasure of watching zombie themed programming, and I completely agree with Bosch’s analysis of part of why we love it.  As one of the blue collar workers she discusses, I do see the end of the world themes as being ones of working class comeuppance.  The skills that I have learned in my life are far better suited than those that academia pushes as being important.  Take in consideration, this class.  While in a professional environment and even in college, the skills that my rhetoric class teaches may prove useful, they do me absolutely no good when my car is broken down on the side of the road.

 

As a society, we are developing this elite upper class of white collar workers who think that their skills are better than those of the blue collar class.  As you can see by books like The Working Poor: Invisible in America and Working in the Shadows these people don’t even pay attention to those that deliver their food, check them out at stores, or fix their toilets.  I would disagree with Bosch in her analysis that these workers will only have valuable skills if the world ends.  If her toilet was broken, she might value the skill set that every plumber in this country holds, but that she never bothered to learn.

 

I think that this article points towards the growing trend of demeaning those who work for a living, a major sociological change in our society.  Not that long ago, being a factory worker or an electrician were respected fields than made it possible for you to live a comfortable life.  When did working with your hands become demeaning and only fit for the lower classes?  Maybe if more journalists and even politicians spent a day in the life of those they employ on a daily basis, it might give them a bit more perspective on how most of the country lives.

 

I think the government shutdown might actually be a good thing for the country.  As things continue to function with little impact on most of our daily lives, maybe we will start to take a look at those we hold in such high esteem, and ask, would we need them if the world ended?  What are the skills that they have which make them so valuable to our society? Can we just let the zombies eat all the lawyers? Or would the poor zombies just starve?

 

My Top 5 Break Up Songs

Everyone has been there.  You've just broken up with your ex and now you are down in the dumps.  These are my five favorite "break up" songs.  This is the music that helps me work through the anger, pain, and heart ache that accompany any break up.  Sing along, rock out, whatever it takes to get that catharsis, these are great songs to do it to.  So sit back, listen, and let the music play!

The first song on the list is "Misery" by Maroon 5.  This is a great, actually upbeat song that describes being in misery.  It's fun and cathartic at the same time

Second is "Call Me When You're Sober" by Evanescence.  I think the title says it all there.  The best line is in the end for me where Amy Lee sing "Don't cry to me/ if you loved me, you would be here with me/Don't lie to me, just get your things/I've made up your mind".  I think everyone has reached this point in a relationship, and this song just perfectly captures it.

Third is if "I Never See Your Face Again".  Again, perfectly titled and enough said.  Just sing along.

Fourth is "Bad Girlfriend" by Theory of a Deadman.  It's twisted and fun to sing along with.  While it doesn't really apply to most real life situations, it's just a good one to rock out to.

And finally we have "Too Close" by Alex Clare, or the one from the IE9 commercial.  This has a bit more of a techno beat, but the lyrics work perfectly for the theme.  It's probably the best song if you did the breaking up, but it works for everyone.


And there we have it.  My top 5 break up songs.  So listen and enjoy all.