Are you the 99% ? - Wallstreet Come Get It...

[Grine]

Found this tumblr: (Real Life Truth)

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/

Below are just the few that I found from there:

My mother (leader in her field of pathology, MA) is upside-down on her house. My father (multiple PhD’s) lives in his car so that he can do what he loves for a living rather than be a slave to the system. 

I am lucky to have a steady job doing what I love. I live frugally and without debt. All of my friends are jobless or homeless or swimming in debt or all of the above… I wonder how long it will be before I join their ranks… and the government DOESN’T CARE.

We are the 99%.

I want a government that puts PEOPLE before corporate BOTTOM LINES.

HUMANITY BEFORE MONEY.

(peace & love)

in my last year of college, an african american woman with a double major and $100 k debt to match. “dream degree

 

[e3lal]

They should be more mad at Obama/Congress for handing over money to Wall St. without any caveats and continuing to spend billions on wars.  And Wall St. has always been like this so I don't know why they are protesting now.

I'm also disappointed in Bill Gates.  He says he wants to help the world yet he continuously turns his back on America.

Edit: Read more stories & I am even more depressed.

They need to occupy every politician's home.

 

[Grine]

I agree with you but  really we can't blame Obama on this...Wallstreet is truly not to be blamed, either. However, our gov't is truly the problem. They been running circles for a very very very long time.

 

[Grine]

 

[e3lal]

Originally Posted by marmourjr

I agree with you but  really we can't blame Obama on this...Wallstreet is truly not to be blamed, either. However, our gov't is truly the problem. They been running circles for a very very very long time.

Glad we agree. Protesting Wall St. won't do anything, but if they would protest in front of politician homes with this type of emotion, I'm sure it would scare them into action.  It a shame that some people constantly vote for a party who has a different interest/loyalty.

Maybe its because I'm a finance major, but I've come to appreciate Wall St (for the most part).  It incredibly hard making money grow in an global economy that has lost at least 7 trillion in the past 4 months.  I don't like General Electric or oil companies - GE constantly ships jobs overseas or brings in outside workers for less pay & oil companies still receive tax breaks that were only meant to help them establish themselves.

  Why I tie Obama to this is because the GE CEO is the head of his job creation council.  He's like the worst possible option to have.   http://theeconomiccollaps...ina-at-a-blistering-pace

 

[al audi]

well. guess im not in the 99%

im not ballin but im very well off.
especially since i didnt finish school.

one day....maybe.

 

[Grine]

This is the downfall of capitalism... Capitalism at it finest.

 

[al audi]

that website/tumblr is depressing as hell tho

honestly if i ate 1 meal a day/drowned in debt id prolly think about offin myself everyday

 

[hizzle]

As a college graduate who has some student loan debt, I really can't find it in me to feel sorry for people with tremendous amounts of student loan debt. You didn't have to go out of state, you could have applied for dozens of scholarships, did your first two years at a community college, secured a university or employer program to have graduate school paid for, etc.

 

[godie]

Originally Posted by Al Audi

well. guess im not in the 99%

im not ballin but im very well off.
especially since i didnt finish school.

one day....maybe.

This is exactly how THE MAN wants you to think.
Give us just enough crumbs to think we have no need to fight the system.

 

[al audi]

Originally Posted by goDie

Originally Posted by Al Audi

well. guess im not in the 99%

im not ballin but im very well off.
especially since i didnt finish school.

one day....maybe.

This is exactly how THE MAN wants you to think.
Give us just enough crumbs to think we have no need to fight the system.

no it is a messed up system but at the end of the day what can i do?
was i gonna call out of my FT job with premium health insurance to go stand on a bridge?

 

[b smooth 202]

Originally Posted by marmourjr

This is the downfall of capitalism... Capitalism at it finest.

I agree with all of these notions...but I think people should put more emphasis on developing the alternative...because we still have to live. Capitalism is still very well alive...I think the times call for change in the nature of production and social relationships within capitalism...but I feel most people are still consumer-minded instead of revolutionary-minded. Instead of occupying wall street why not make it your responsibility to undermine the system by developing a superior ideology? The only thing thats street protests are going to get you is arrested or gunned down by the police who are paid to protect all the wrongs in this culture. You can tell there are still a lot of colonized minds out there. 
The 99% should be focused on organizing and developing force...because force is the only thing that can achieve true material change for the people...a lot of people are on the right track...but its almost like they stop themselves from going all the way...

'ANYTIME YOU BEG ANOTHER MAN TO BE FREE, YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE, FREEDOM IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO FOR YOURSELVES' 

 

[omgitswes]

I find it hard to feel bad for those people. Especially ones like the dude with the useless degree and blaming it on the "failed institutions" you knew you weren't going to find a job when you majored in underwater basket weaving. stop complaining

I understand crap happens though and there's no controlling it whatsoever. I just think a lot of people who are joining in on this were/are simply lazy and it's finally catching up to them.

 

[al audi]

i wouldnt call it being lazy...........naive maybe.

 

[e3lal]

Originally Posted by omgitswes

I find it hard to feel bad for those people. Especially ones like the dude with the useless degree and blaming it on the "failed institutions" you knew you weren't going to find a job when you majored in underwater basket weaving. stop complaining

I understand crap happens though and there's no controlling it whatsoever. I just think a lot of people who are joining in on this were/are simply lazy and it's finally catching up to them.

But it is not the "underwater basket weaving" majors failing to get a job.  You have BAs and education majors failing to get jobs.  Universities have not adapted to this new norm and are still functioning as if it was 2000.

 

[jking0821]

Originally Posted by omgitswes

I find it hard to feel bad for those people. Especially ones like the dude with the useless degree and blaming it on the "failed institutions" you knew you weren't going to find a job when you majored in underwater basket weaving. stop complaining

I understand crap happens though and there's no controlling it whatsoever. I just think a lot of people who are joining in on this were/are simply lazy and it's finally catching up to them.

Trust me a lot of people with degrees in business and accounting and finance don't have jobs either.  Its a downward spiral.  Pay to go to college, graduate can't get a job.  Your loans are compounding on top of everything else you have to pay (rent, utilities, food etc).  The longer it goes the worse it gets.   A lot of the time this isn't due to laziness.  You can insert an entry level job and still be in the same rut just able to get buy with normal expenses better yet college loans.

The system is flawed.  I think over time it could correct itself but its gonna be hard.  There is such a stress from employers on college degrees.  You go get a college degree.  From an institution that won't give you a lot of financial aid.  You get a loan from a bank/sallie mae they tell you "oh it's easy to pay back everyone does it".  Give you a decent size loan even though you have 0 credit history.  You put in the work and graduate college.  You are now screwed because the businesses aren't hiring and you have debt.  If you don't get that degree you can kiss any chance at a real career goodbye (yes exaggeration but thats the way it is set up)

Eventually employers won't make these entry level jobs that require very little real world knowledge have a college degree.  Then you can work your way up a good company without a degree and without tons of debt.  But businesses aren't hiring.  Or college will become affordable for the middle to lower class.  Would be nice to see something change.

 

 

[hizzle]

 

[crcballer55]

I really find it hard to feel sorry for most of them.  Other than the first one, they are all victims of the choices they made.  Nobody forced you to go to college and end up with thousands in debt.  Nobody forced you to give up on the American Dream.  I graduated college right before the recession with several thousand in debt.  Because I worked my butt off, I paid off that debt within 2 years and managed to save up an emergency fund on top of it.  Although I agree that there needs to be major reform enacted, it seems like most of the "99%" are playing the victim card and not taking responsibility for their own actions.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

These groups should be protesting the rising tuition prices and its current ridiculousness plus Congress's bs. Claiming your in the 99% and have major student debt isn't enough. Protest to lessen tuition so the people after you don't have to take your L.

 

[rashi]

 

[kilojules64]

Originally Posted by crcballer55

Nobody forced you to go to college and end up with thousands in debt. 

This.
If you did well in school from the day you turned responsible enough to do so (around 3rd grade I'd say), someone would be PAYING you to go to school.
It's no one's fault that you have parents that are only making 50k a year each and you decided instead to go to school out of your state or with expensive room and board.
This is coming from a high school drop out (for personal reasons) who was completely ready to go to a CUNY school and pay only 2500 a year full time while living at home because I thought I wasn't going to have any other options that wouldn't put me in debt.
Luckily for me I'm great at math and science and I retain information like a sponge; my test scores (along with maybe some AA if that still exists

) got me into my top choice of school. For less than free.

If you go to an expensive school, expect debt. Where is the part that is the man's fault?

 

[nktran001]

 

[kilojules64]

Originally Posted by Jking0821

Or college will become affordable for the middle to lower class.  Would be nice to see something change.

How is college not affordable for the middle to lower class?
Haven't people always had to either be really smart or work really hard to work themselves up to a solid career, even before needing a degree became the norm?
If you're very smart or work very hard or both and don't come from a family with money, your local school will help you out. FAFSA will help you out. Private scholarships will help you out. Public scholarships will help you out. If you need to go to a CC because you can't afford anything else, go to a CC and kick it's @#$. Do amazingly and someone will pay for you to get your next degree and then you can repeat the same steps after that.
I just feel like there will always be a school you can afford if you care about your education enough to work at it.

edit: I don't mean to be combative at all, by the way. I'm really wondering because I grew up in a low-but-not-low-enough-to-get-help income household in NYC and my opinion is shaped by that experience.

 

[teamjordan79]

Originally Posted by crcballer55

I really find it hard to feel sorry for most of them.  Other than the first one, they are all victims of the choices they made.  Nobody forced you to go to college and end up with thousands in debt.  Nobody forced you to give up on the American Dream.  I graduated college right before the recession with several thousand in debt.  Because I worked my butt off, I paid off that debt within 2 years and managed to save up an emergency fund on top of it.  Although I agree that there needs to be major reform enacted, it seems like most of the "99%" are playing the victim card and not taking responsibility for their own actions.

Responsibility, by all means. You worked your butt off when there was a good chance you would get a job. Now its not as easy to do so and hence the reason for this movement now. One has to admit that the current system is pretty much designed to entrap people in odious debt. Whether its car payments, mortgage, college loans or even your cell phone bill. We are tantalized with images of the american dream which is being rationed to the masses at interest. Even if most of these protesters are irresponsible with money,  made unwise decisions, or just plain naive and stupid, I def see where they're coming from - that the govt no longer represents their interests as it should.  

 

[jking0821]

Originally Posted by kilojules64

Originally Posted by Jking0821

Or college will become affordable for the middle to lower class.  Would be nice to see something change.

How is college not affordable for the middle to lower class?
Haven't people always had to either be really smart or work really hard to work themselves up to a solid career, even before needing a degree became the norm?
If you're very smart or work very hard or both and don't come from a family with money, your local school will help you out. FAFSA will help you out. Private scholarships will help you out. Public scholarships will help you out. If you need to go to a CC because you can't afford anything else, go to a CC and kick it's @#$. Do amazingly and someone will pay for you to get your next degree and then you can repeat the same steps after that.
I just feel like there will always be a school you can afford if you care about your education enough to work at it.

edit: I don't mean to be combative at all, by the way. I'm really wondering because I grew up in a low-but-not-low-enough-to-get-help income household in NYC and my opinion is shaped by that experience.

My personal experience is completely different from others.  But I think too many people judge without being put in some ones shoes.

I personally came from a low income single parent house hold.  I lived with my mom my entire life.  I applied for FAFSA and other scholarships.  But due to the fact that I was claimed legally by my dad in the divorce even though i lived with my mom i got next to nothing in help.  He makes too much money.  My dad refused to help me go to school because "no one helped him".

So I got the loans out myself with no co-signer because it was basically my only option to attend school.  I went to a 4 year private university.  Paid 25k a year.  My interest rate is through the roof on my loans about 9%.  I graduated college in 2009 and have since paid over 28k in college loan debt.  I have a career job that I love.  But due to my high interest rate am getting no where on my loans.  I pay over 1200 a month in an attempt to get them down while still living in a townhouse and paying my day to day bills.

It is my fault for going to an expensive school.  But i talked to financial aid and was denied almost any money.  I talked to sallie mae and they said it would be easy payments of around 600 a month.  By the time i graduated my interest rated had doubled because they were not fixed rate loans.  My loan amount has almost doubled as well from deferment.  I can easily pay back everything i borrowed with some interest but not 9% interest.  It is a daily struggle to save money.

I know people have thier own story and some are "i was lazy" but a lot of them are just hardship stories of bad breaks after bad breaks.  These giant financial institutions give out toxic mortgages and the government bails them out.  Students take out too much money in loans......where is our bail out???? whats the difference???? we aren't too big to fail...i forgot