Wall Street Whiners

By Raleigh Bean

Now five weeks old, the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations consist of a motley gang of people that range from socialists to libertarians. Numerous signs advocate for the execution of Wall Street employees, the return of Crystal Pepsi, or simply state, "My arms are tired!" It amazes me how some of these people (a number of whom are Starbucks-toting, Levi-and-Converse-garbed, and iPhone-tweeting) can simultaneously call for Wall Street's blood and stand in silence for Steve Jobs.

But what do these people actually want? That depends on who you ask. Sources like The Huffington Post and The Guardian state that they are protesting against social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government. Meanwhile, US News asserts that some of the college graduate protestors are clamoring for the U.S. government to forgive all student loans — which would immediately add $1 trillion to our $14.88 trillion national debt and lead to the total collapse of our already struggling education system.

I think that at the core of this whole public fiasco is our generation's delusional sense of entitlement and people relying too much on Social Security. A retired citizen is supposed to receive income from three places: a Social Security check from the government, a 401k-retirement savings plan and their personal savings account. According to Brian Riedl, a heritage expert, "Entitlements and other obligations are driving deficits. Specifically, social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and net interest costs... The Bush tax cuts are a convenient scapegoat for past and future budget woes. But it is the dramatic upward arc of federal spending that is the root of the problem," he said in The Wall Street Journal.

I couldn't agree more. In his two and a half years, President Barack Obama has managed to rack up over $5 billion in debt. Most economists will tell you the economy is still stagnant, and the U.S. Department of Labor puts the national unemployment rate at 9.1%. Fuel prices have seen huge spikes, 50 million people are reliant on food stamps and Congress recently downgraded the national credit. Our President has railed against "fat cat bankers" and the "millionaires and billionaires"  in between his trips to Martha's Vineyard, Vail and Southern Spain.

Many websites even claim that Barack and Michelle took two separate planes to the same location merely four hours apart. All the carbon footprint rhetoric goes right out the window when it comes to the White House's use of taxpayer-funded fossil fuels.

So to the protestors: what you're doing is not going to impress or motivate the most influential executives and politicians who have dedicated themselves to a lifetime of work, focus, compromise and delayed gratification.

In this life, you get what you earn. Expecting "the man" in power to just give away what has taken a lifetime to earn is naive, foolish and fraught with disappointment. My advice is to engage the system and change it as a successful member, not standing out in the cold as a disaffected whiner.  

Raleigh Bean is a sophomore political science major.