#OccupyWallSt

I’ve waited a long long time to get my chance to be part of a true movement. Before I arrived at UC Davis, when I was still in the holding cell that grown-ups call “high school,” I dreamt of the day my generation would have it’s time to change the world. I idolized the participants in protests of the 1960’s and 70’s during the civil rights movement and Vietnam War. They had found something larger than themselves to become knowledgeable about and devote their lives to. When was my day going to come?

Last month, I had all but given up that dream. I graduated from UC Davis with my bachelors in Economics, and absolutely no experience with popular movements. I was confused by the fact that no one was in the streets about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I figured the population had grown complacent—after all nothing was being taken from them. They didn’t have to stop wearing panty-hose, or watch their friends family or neighbors carted off to serve in-voluntarily in the armed forces. All in all, it seemed people couldn’t be bothered. In the past two weeks, I've realized that it just took a little longer than I hoped it would.

#OccupyWallSt, is the first movement for the people by the people that I have seen from my generation since I started looking back in 2006. Criticisms from media outlets [The Economist, NYTimes] that this occupation doesn’t have a “purpose,” are missing the point. There is something to be said for restoring the faith and power of the people. The truth is that it's hard for the demands of 99% of the nation to be captured in a soundbite. It is an amazing feat that the leaders and participants of the Occupation have inspired me and others in my position to believe that the United States of America still has the ability to change and outgrow its habit of pandering to interests that hurt its people. Even though there is a clearly laid out agenda on the Occupy Wall St website, I don’t see that as the true value of the protests. They have incited a will and a force that is bound to gain momentum and to cause a serious stir for our nation.

That said, we still have a long way to go. The number and vastness of the problems with the system feels entirely too large to combat with one protest.  To those who were brave enough and had the will power to make change a reality, I urge you to remember that the issues are not independent—all of it is related. That means you do not need to compete with each other for media or political attention. Also remember not to be frustrated when idiots in charge ask the question, “How do you suggest we fix this?” It’s not your job to supply the right answer. You can research and think and perhaps propose a solution you believe would help; but they were elected to do that job. Your real role is to remind them of that responsibility and to stress that their ineffectiveness, does affect our lives.

Defining our Generation

Biases are not random: they are a result of an environment. When an entire generation is exposed to the same trauma around the same time, it can define that generation and give it a unique identity.

The children of the Great Depression were born and raised in a time of hardship, where their wants were often compromised. Poverty stricken families often pulled their children from school and tried to find them work. Children were forced to grow up fast, many had a mere 4 year of childhood before they were expected to contribute to the family. They went without food, shoes, clothing, heat, and other staples. As these children grew older, they vowed never to put their own children through such a grueling childhood.

In turn their children grew up with a sense of entitlement. They had been given everything, and so they grew up expecting everything. This “baby-boomer” generation came up during the post WWII era, when the US had no competition to speak of and every sector of our economy was in rapid growth. Many families at this time saw the American Dream come to life before their eyes. When they worked hard and saved, they were able to achieve a very comfortable lifestyle.

Fast forward to 2011. More children than ever are attending college. The value of education has been drilled into them by their parents and teachers (members of the baby-boom generation), but perhaps less emphasized was the debt burden that would come along with the 4-year degree. Two-thirds of bachelor’s degree recipients graduated with student-loan debt in 2008, compared with less than half in 1993. Last year, graduates who took out loans left college with an average of $24,000 in debt. But the real kicker is that today’s graduates are having a harder and harder time finding a job. A larger percentage of recent graduates are un- or under- employed today than at any other time in the past 50 years. With mounting debt and no traditional income to pay it off, this generation I going to have to face unique challenges. Unique challenges give rise to a unique outlook.

How will chronic unemployment, student debt, and the Great Recession impact this generation? I plan to make some predictions, but first I want to hear yours! Comment below, and share your thoughts.

Nine|Eleven

As I reflect on the tragedy of 9/11, I can’t help but remember the ominous warning of Osama bin Laden in 2004, "We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah."

The question still stands: Did bin Laden win?

The United States’ ever-increasing total debt is nearing 55 trillion dollars; US unemployment is approximately 9%; the infrastructure, education system, and healthcare system of this country are seriously underfunded and are dragging the US down in the international race for leadership. The difference in the standard of living from September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2011 is astounding. Over 10 million homes have been forclosed upon during the past three years alone; real wages are down; more people are homeless, imprisoned, and ill today compared to a decade ago—all indicators seem to sing the same tune: Americans are suffering.

It looks like Osama laid a trap, warned Americans of it, and the US responded by brazenly stepping right into it.

I attribute the rise of China partially to the US defense spending in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The stated purpose of these costly endeavors was to "fight terrorism," like the kind bin Laden orchestrated against the US a decade ago. Even though tensions have been high between China and its competitors and traditional enemies, China has managed to stay out of costly military action. Rather, their defense spending (second only to the US) is focused on R&D, creating more high skilled jobs at a fraction of the cost. The United States has tangled itself in a web of military obligations, for which it has had to borrow gross sums from (low and behold) China. If the US had instead focused on education for the past ten years, we might have had a new workforce that could compete with that of China, which might have counteracted the oppressive force of national debt and recession.

I suppose the US Defense Department has one recent “victory” that cannot be over-looked. They did find and kill Osama bin Laden. Unfortunately, his plans are already in motion, and sometimes it seems that our leaders are hell-bent on carrying that plan out to completion.

Sources: 

http://articles.cnn.com/2004-11-01/world/binladen.tape_1_al-jazeera-qaeda-bin?_s=PM:WORLD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States

http://www.housingwire.com/2011/01/12/foreclosures-reach-record-high-in-2010-realtytrac

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/how-serious-chinese-challenge-part-i

Hello World