Are you part of the 53%?

[MothBalls]

There's a new movement in America called "We are the 53%" http://the53.tumblr.com/

Few other news links about them:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...41-503544.html
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/26/news...lash/index.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...-we-are-the-53
As always with American media, the stories have two sides, depends if you're left/right.

A lot of the stories on the groups website, which will only publish it if you write it and take a picture (not sure why) sound like many of the people I know. My story is the same as many of them.

Grew up poor, worked my ass off, educated myself, worked hard all of my life, paid my bills, paid my taxes, raised a family, put 2 through college, had ups and downs, good times and bad times. Welcome to America, it's the same story that happens for 53% of us.

I happen to be in the 53% and fundamentally agree with the movement. The reason I agree is simple, most of my friends and people I know aren't really affected by what's been happening with the economy. They work hard, pay their bills, pay their taxes, and if out of work spend 50 hours a week looking for work until they find it. The people who are affected, like my neighbor who told me he wasn't looking for a job yet because "my unemployment hasn't run out yet", are the ones crying the loudest right now. Maybe in his spare time, while I subsidize his unemployment, he can go join the OWS group and protest.

My favorite posting on the 53% website;

"Blaming Wall Street for your financial shortcomings is like blaming Beyonce for your inability to sing."

So are you part of the 53%? What says you?

[mookiemookie]

So someone that works 60 hours a week should be just scraping by? Borrowing money from your parents to pay for school so that you don't go bankrupt (in a system where bankruptcy doesn't disgorge student loan debt) should be the standard that people need to live up to? These "53%" have never heard of the payroll, sales or excise taxes that the rest of those that supposedly "don't pay taxes" you know, um, actually pay?

Guess what, you ignorant dips? http://actuallyyourethe47percent.tumblr.com/

[CCIP]

I actually think both the 53% and the 99% (and the 1% and every other %) are an utterly moronic sloganization campaign that instantly takes away all credibility from these movements. The moment you start speaking for a % number, you're actually delegating your right to speak for yourself. And that's a terrible waste.

So, I delegate my further input on this matter to Sailor Steve's forum signature! (no, really, it's getting at exactly my problem with this whole % thing)

[geetrue]

I am 99.9% sure that someone is wrong on this percent stuff

It's like so easy to arrest the organizers and hold them personaly responcible for no viloence in a peaceful assembly.

Put up a bond and be willing to pay for any expenses your rally causes

[Krauter]

Did you know that 87% of facts, statistics and percentages on the Internet are made up?

[MothBalls]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

These "53%" have never heard of the payroll, sales or excise taxes that the rest of those that supposedly "don't pay taxes" you know, um, actually pay?

Guess what, you ignorant dips? http://actuallyyourethe47percent.tumblr.com/

You're missing the point, for one. Two, you picked the wrong person to tell they don't know about paying taxes, I own a small business. Might not be a fortune 500 company, but I've had over 20 people on my payroll at one time. So don't even begin to tell me about what you think I know or don't know, especially when it comes to paying taxes. Please don't get me started.

There's a lot of things I'm unhappy with. My unemployment insurance premium went up 8% to cover an extension for the unemployed. My answer to that is "if you pay people to not work, they won't". Want to help them get jobs? Quit cutting the checks, trust me, they'll look harder.

Health insurance, bailouts, economics, sure a lot of things suck right now. But don't blame 1% of the population for all of it. There are many other factors.

Originally Posted by CCIP

I actually think both the 53% and the 99% (and the 1% and every other %) are an utterly moronic sloganization campaign that instantly takes away all credibility from these movements. The moment you start speaking for a % number, you're actually delegating your right to speak for yourself. And that's a terrible waste.

So, I delegate my further input on this matter to Sailor Steve's forum signature! (no, really, it's getting at exactly my problem with this whole % thing)

See that's the point. The 99% who claim to be representing 99% of the population, aren't. The 53% group are there to tell them don't speak for me (us) because I've worked my ass off to get to where I am and I don't blame anyone for it. Don't blame your lot in life on the 1%. Times are tough, life sucks, drive on.

Originally Posted by Krauter

Did you know that 87% of facts, statistics and percentages on the Internet are made up?

I think you just made that up, cause I read it was more like 78%.

[joea]

Originally Posted by Krauter

Did you know that 87% of facts, statistics and percentages on the Internet are made up?