Power to the People (Blog Post #5)

“We are the 99 percent,” “Solidarity forever,” and “Save schools, not millionaires” are just some of the statements declared during the Occupy Wall Street protests. The 99 percent refers to the percentage of Americans who are affected by an unstable economy with record-breaking unemployment rates, high home foreclosure rates, low funding in schools, and overall social unfairness. These recent demonstrations exemplify the actions resulting from the disgruntlement over the decisions made in the past few years, but who the messages are aimed at are the one percent of Americans who made, and are still making, these decisions. These are people in government, large corporations, and of course, banks that although make up one percent of the population, still make up forty percent of the country’s wealth. Unlike the majority of the U.S., they’re not affected by their actions.
In “The Poverty Business,” Brian Grow and Keith Epstein target companies run by individuals that share a similar characteristic to the people being demonstrated against in the Occupy Wall Street movements; That characteristic being greed. Owners and managers of companies like J.D. Byrider Systems Inc., Jackson Hewitt, Tribute Mastercard and BlueHippo are people who are well aware of the opportunity divide and the people on the opposite side. They are also mindful of the colossal damage they inflict on those people by bamboozling them into preposterous interest rates and payment plans. They are cognizant of the fact that they are destroying the lives of people who have little hope to begin with. Unfortunately, the victims are oblivious to what's occurring to them until it’s too late.
Albeit the companies previously mentioned are conscious to the repercussions that they bestow upon the general public, they are not solely responsible for the results of their deceit. The people need to take responsibility for their lack of comprehension when it comes to malicious companies and their treacherous methods. To end this disarray they need to organize themselves and bring this to the attention of the government. These companies and their greed will not cease until they make it illegal for them to continue their reign.