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Some time ago, around 1996, it was undertaken by the powers of the elite and corporate america to end Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). They did it through the body known as congress. But, I caution you, that is simply my opinion. You see, one Governor Tommy Thompson spoke to the Wisconsin Restauranteurs Association, telling them that he had their labor 'problems' taken care of. He was stealth in his reference to the coming welfare reforms. Who better to consign to the for profit dinner table then single mothers and others like them? Corporate America sat up and took notice. I believe its one of the places where they saw an entire group ripe for the raping. Wage rape.
Here it is 2011 and we've seen the wages of the group just above those single mothers take a hit in wages. All those blue collar workers who'd been propagandized by the Reagan years of 'welfare queen' labels and the like found themselves experiencing smaller checks, and some downsizing. Little did they know they were not to be alone in the checking account shock that travelled round the nation. For awhile the union workers felt secure... until the Koch brothers and their ilk got busy rubbing their hands together at still more shrinking wages and larger profits. Now the middle class of folk who have some education and felt totally secure are staring in stunned disbelief at the loss of jobs, lowering of entry level wages in fields that once were thought to be family building careers, that would take them to the upper rim class, where indeed, some smart investing might win them the golden ticket.
Once that wage rape was begun it became even clearer that there was more to be made on the backs of citizens in any class but their own... hell, let's work that housing market, and then the student loan market, and yeah, let's skim those pesky programs that make workers so pricey! And, while they were at it... some wise risk money would do the trick. Bingo. We've got ourselves a captive citizenry.
It suffices to say I have some anger. It welds its ugly head every time I see the middle class and their children scream 'unfair!' and 'We are the 99%', as if they are only now seeing the light and find it harsh.
For the last decade we've known the measure of the elites wage rape. We felt it first, were actually the first victims... and the middle class said as much as, 'you were asking for it'.
Now, however, we here the call for unity. Yep. Unity. Without so much as a thank you, or a 'you told us so'. Join us. Fight. We're in this together. Now, we're part of the 99%. But it wasn't so long ago that we were lazy and looking for entitlements. Never mind the planned orchestrated effort by the ... 1%?
I'd say the 1% had a little help. And, its why I call 'wannabe' often and loudly. So.. you can imagine my chagrin when the Occupy in my little part of the world announced they are being evicted and the call has gone out to 'come one come all' to DEFEND the camp. And in the name of democracy too. First Amendment. Freedom. Our Response to the villainy of that nasty 1%. When in fact, all I really want to do is say, with a resounding clarity of voice and heart... '@!$%# YOU'. Never mind that I really can't get arrested as I'm needed to maintain the one job this family has... thanks in part to bankers everywhere. Never mind that we've so left undone the unity part that I don't think there is enough donations to actually fund the defense of those who would be arrested. No. Just for the sake of clarity... the @!$%# you comes from the part of this thing left undone. the 'sorry' those of us in poverty feel we deserve.
The apology will never come. Most of us who lived the welfare reform years, suffered the nasty slings and arrows of a secure middle class spouting that 'deserving' language know that the middle class are far to busy now fighting for their lives. So, just for the record, many of us are occupying in the name America and the dream many of us have never known. We have not pointed any fingers from our low rent moldy households while shouting 'where the @!$%# were you'! NO. We've been using the last vestages of a days energy to drag our asses down to the GA, the marches, the unending monopolized meetings, to be part of the fight for what we've always known we needed unity to keep. Valuable life giving wages. We know this by experience. That experience we had when the middle class turned their backs on us and we were consigned to slave wages.
And now we need a new way. Cause the one you played to was scathingly self interested and will not allow any more new members. We know because the middle class treated the poor the very same way not so long ago. But never you mind, we forgive, we join when we can, and we do it cause we know we lose without that little thing called unity. And we lose big. Just look at us next time you think you can win this alone and don't forget to listen too.
We are a bit more complicated then that 99% thing. And the enemy isn't just the wealthy... you always forget to mention those pesky gatekeepers.. the ones who called us welfare queens. We had a purpose, and we understood it... and we're still perfectly clear about what justice for all means... so we sigh, and we stand with you, even when its in the back.
Occupy Wallstreet.
