David Freddoso, the Washington Examiner’s online opinion editor, has written an open letter to the protesters [1] currently causing chaos in New York City as they protest Wall Street and the fact that, you know, people and corporations actually make money to keep this country going.
When interviewed by a reporter, one youthful protester was asked if she would take a job if a CEO walked up at that moment and offered it. “No way!” she disdainfully retorted.
And, therein, is the crux of the problem.
Freddoso’s letter, that has generated over 150 comments so far, begins:
You are not 99 percent of America. I don’t mean that in the obvious numerical sense. If 99 percent of Americans had actually joined your march, Manhattan would have flipped over by now.
What I mean is that if 99 percent of Americans actually sympathized with your cause, the entire nation’s economy would have collapsed long ago — apparently to the delight of the organizers of this current protest.
What I mean to say is, you have a marketing problem.
When you decided to sit in traffic and block the Brooklyn Bridge a few days ago, with that blazing pink “SMASH PATRIARCHY-SMASH CAPITALISM” sign in hand, you probably didn’t see the regular people you stranded in traffic.
You know, the ones with real-world concerns, business to attend to, families to go home to, et cetera. You may have read about such people during college in a book called “The Petit Bourgeoisie,” or something like that. Many of us grew up calling them “the middle class.”
Whatever you call them, they are hurting badly in this economy, probably more than you are. (I’m just judging by that sweet digital video camera I see you holding out in front of the cops, in hopes of provoking them into a viral-video police brutality incident.)
Those people you left stuck in traffic have a hard time paying their bills and rents and health insurance and mortgages. They worry about things like finding decent schools for their children to attend and making sure they don’t get fired at work, and fixing leaking roofs and chimneys.
You know what they don’t worry about, ever? Smashing patriarchy and capitalism.
You have to read the rest of his letter … he nails it.
Shaun Kenney, Bearing Drift contributor and Fluvanna County supervisor, came up with a list of thirteen counter-demands [2]that he calls the “Restore America Movement.” Included are such radical — gasp! — suggestions as restoration of the free market, tort reform, and personal responsibility.
While the protesters proclaim themselves “the 99 percent,” Redstate’s [3] Erick Erickson responds, “If you want to see how foolish these people are, consider their demands [4], which range from nuts to pure insanity.” His accompanying photo, mimicking the protesters, notes, “I am the 53% subsidizing you so you can hang out on Wall Street and complain.”
With unemployment over 9%, many are concerned that America is not creating jobs and that subsidies are growing by leaps and bounds on the backs of hard-working Americans who were raised to work hard, pay their bills on time, buy a house, raise their families, and help their neighbors. Why aren’t there more jobs in our country at this time?
A clue may be found in the current leadership at the White House. “You don’t have some inherent right just to– you know, get a certain amount of profit,” [5] is what President Barack Obama told George Stephanoupolos in a recent interview. Indeed, one of the protester demands is $20-an-hour minimum wage for everyone, whether working or unemployed. No problem worrying about a profit with that kind of mismanagement.
So the New York protests continue for a third week. How many people with a mortgage hanging over their heads can afford to take three weeks out of their lives to hang out on the street and hold a protest sign? How many people even have three weeks of vacation to frivolously fritter away? How many people would want to fritter away their vacation in such squalor instead of heading for the mountains or the beach?
As a matter of fact, how many of those hard-working Americans are even paying attention [6] to this kindergarten charade? The ones stuck in already-horrific New York City traffic are ticked off at youthful shenanigans that block the streets and bridges, and the rest of America is going about the business of earning a living.
Hey, Wall Street protesters, get a job, already!
Cross-posted at LynnRMitchell.com [7]