We are the 13%

I appreciate what the Occupy movement is trying to do...

But I am not the 99%.

No - I am not a millionaire. I am barely a thousand-aire. Most months I am lucky if I am a hundred-aire.

The reason I am not part of the 99% is that there is no such thing as the 99%.

Do you know why there are so few in the parks for the Occupy protests?

Not because most people like to bathe daily or get sick of drum circles - which also happens to be true.

The fact is that there is no movement no matter how broad that could hope to cater to 99% of any population. Think about how hard it is to make dinner for a family of five to agree to the same food items.

Yes - there are plenty out there who think that the rich and some of those "bankers on Wall Street" (whoever that really is) are living off the backs of the middle class and the poor.

There are also those who resent the financial crisis and the ensuing bailouts who think there is something inherently dangerous about the coziness of the government and the financial sector.

And there are those are unemployed and are pissed that some people make oodles of money for what seems like little work.

So then why is it that there is not MORE rage in the streets.

Two reasons that I can see:

1. Many, if not most, people somehow believe that they will make it into the 1%. This sounds dumb.  But how many times have you thought about how you would spend your lottery winnings?  Don't deny it. The American Dream PROMISES us that if we work hard we will be rich.  Not comfortable. RICH.
2. The Occupy movement is not just about bailouts or financial ruin. It is also about unemployment, out-of-control capitalism, legalizing marijuana, pretending to be a hippie, sticking it "the man", yelling at those guys that two years earlier drove a Beamer on campus and popped their collars, political impotence, lack of voice, etc... In short - people are pissed about a lot but they are not quite sure how to phrase it or where to go to the bathroom - and is that incense? Or at least that is how we see the Occupiers.

So to #1. Many people believe that someday they might become rich.  And therefore they want to protect their future wealth from those jerks the middle class (which they are) so that they can stay as the elite (which they will never become). We want to believe that we can all make it big.  If we just save enough, if we work overtime a couple times, if we just have a brilliant idea.

Yes of course I want all leather seating in my car.  I deserve it.

So many in the middle class - while definitely drowning in debt - are also in many ways comfortable.  They have a house which they pay a mortgage, they have food, they have two cars and two kids.  They just can never save anything and they can never pay down the debt.  But even this is not enough.  We deserve more.  The Joneses have it - 'and you know we work harder than they do'.

Is this everyone? No.  But then again that is my point. The middle class and the poor represents a full spectrum of wealth and possession. One may easily be in poverty and yet have cable.  Others may not live in poverty, but are one missed paycheck from insolvency.

As to #2.  Occupy ____________ (your city here). You know those crazy kids and their pot and their peeing in the streets.  Nothing exemplifies liberal movement better than this clip from the Daily Show (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-november-16-2011/occupy-wall-street-divided). I apologize if this link is no longer active.  But it is great to watch true democracy in action...which is hopeless inaction and debate.  Even the people in the same protest are divided on strategy, message, purpose - everything!

That's why I say "We are the 13%".  What that 13% is, I would be hesitant to say... but I do know one thing.  13% is still bigger than 1%.