The 99 Percent

There are days when things just come to mind and I have post after post. This is one of those days.

You have to look at this.

This one made me tear up.

I'm fortunate enough to have parents who would ultimately "save" me if I didn't have a job and/or was riddled with debt. Other people are not so lucky. And even my mom and dad, who worked their asses off for over 30 years, have saved up barely enough to retire in decency. They did everything right--worked hard, saved up money like no other (you know the Asian money-saving ethic). I have never, ever seen them spend frivolously. Even so, they've had precarious situations in the past. Failed business. Layoff. Losing money in investments. If my parents have done all this, and are only what I would consider satisfactorily middle class, what about countless other Americans who faced more severe financial and life hardships and obstacles?

Meanwhile, we have our government fighting each other like mad dogs, GOP candidates catering to batshit crazy political parties, and claiming to fight the good fight for the little guy, when in reality they allow these atrocious amounts of money to serve things like "severance pay" for CEOs while attacking regulations that are supposed to keep reckless financial institutions in check. The little guy, who needs the most help, is the one working more than he's sleeping (literally, because the US has the longest working hours of any industrialized country), while simultaneously seeing their income stay the same or decline, seeing his cost of living go up, yet feeling completely helpless about all this because what else can he do but rely on this paycheck to get by? Fed up but voiceless. He wants to stick it to the man, but the man has a monopoly on his lifeline. And the man has allies. They're in the government.

This is why I don't like thinking about the future too much. It dampens the optimism I have left for myself and life because when I am daring enough to look far forward, my positive spirit encounters gloominess.

Listen to those people occupying Wall Street and our city halls. They are speaking for YOU.