Not Sure Why They're At The Port

Well, the Occupy Oakland folks are in full moronic swing right now. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't understand exactly what it is that these folks have a beef with. And I'm starting to think it's because there isn't really any sort of particular beef. It's looking more and more just like an opportunity for folks who aren't real happy with the way that their life is going to get together and bitch about it. Oh, and to drum about it. (What is it with these sorts of movements/protests and drums? I'm guessing it's because drums playing doesn't really require a whole lot of training and/or musical talent. Hell, the guy from Def Leppard can play the drums with one arm, so it's not even a requirement that someone have all of their limbs in order to actually drum. But that guy from Def Leppard really does kick ass, so let's really try not to impugn his character and talents during this little screed, shall we?)

The current plan of action for the occupiers appears to be to shut down the Port of Oakland for some reason. Now, I understand most of their frustration with Wall Street. Why they expect Wall Street to do anything about their behavior is beyond me. Why they aren't occupying capitols and Senate buildings is beyond me as well. If the politicians could do a little more regulating of certain things, then perhaps all of the scumbag moves that the bankers make would be curtailed a bit. But if you think that someone who is making a gazillion dollars a year (possibly multiple gazillions) is going to stop doing that because there are a bunch of hippies in the street, well, I admire your magical thinking abilities.

So they've all meandered down to the port because I guess they all got together and thought, "I'm pretty unhappy with what's going on over on Wall Street right now. You know what would fix it? Shutting down port traffic in Oakland for a night. Yeah, that should do it. Damn importers/exporters of a variety of goods through one of our many ports. We'll show them! Thinking they can just import and export like that! Who do they think they are? Wall Street! Are you listening?!" Does that sound ludicrous? So does shutting down port traffic when you're allegedly upset at bankers. You're with me, right? I thought so.

Nooooowwwww...pictures! The following pictures were taken by a very talented photographer and humorous captioner, a one John V. Robinson.

"This chick was slicing the bologna pretty thin." She might be demanding structural change, but she probably should have first demanded a bigger sign.

"Ronald McDonald crucified on a cross of dollar bills." Are they against the makers of the glorious Shamrock Shake? That's weird.

"This kid in the kitchen was being bitched at for being a freeloader." Shocking, I know.

"The dude with no shirt was angry at the revolutionaries: "We been chillin in the park for years, drinking and smokin weed. And y' all mother fuckers is bring the heat down on us." He socked one of the young revolutionaries." I gotta say that I'm kind of on the side of the drinking weed smokers. They were there first.

"Waving a Palistinian flag and yelling things like: "Death to Capitalism; Death to Isreal...ect" I never have a Rocket Propelled Granade when I need one." Right. Because doing things the way that the Palestinians do them is going to fix things. Then again, maybe they have a point. I don't think that Palestinian bankers were writing up thousands of sham mortgages. Granted, that's because those things don't really exist in Palestine, but I guess it's something to wave a flag about.

"Good work if you can get it." God, I do not even want to think about where that mattress has been.

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You Can Pay More If You Want

OK. That's it. I don't know exactly what all of you Occupy Wall Street folks think you're going to accomplish, but I'm pretty sure you're barking up the wrong tree. Why these people are not occupying the spaces in front of places like the Capital or the House is beyond me. If they want regulations to change, I don't think that protesting in front of the people who are not making the regulations is going to do a lot of good. But that's just me. Then again, since I'm not really all that clear on what they want to begin with, maybe my thinking on the matter is just off. I am, however, disappointed that all of the signs are spelled correctly. Then again, how else are they all going to put those liberal arts degrees to good use?

But this is what really irritates me: All of the people who are in the "one percent" that are constantly saying that they want their taxes to be raised. Yep. Those people irritate the crap out of me. See, when you pay your taxes every year, there is a little section at the bottom where you can opt to pay more than you owe. That's right. There is a section on your 1040 where you can volunteer to pay more money if you want to. Get a refund? You can give it back if you want to. It's right there. Now, I haven't heard one, not ONE of these people (I'm talking to YOU Warren Buffett, Russell Simmons, Al Sharpton and the insufferable Kanye West) mention that they have been paying MORE than they have been required to because they feel like it is the "right" thing to do. Not ONE. Maybe they have been. I really don't know. But I kind of think that if that is what they'd been doing that they would have mentioned that right away. But they haven't. So here's my proposal: When those people want to start paying MORE than what they're required to pay, THEN they can talk about how they want their taxes raised. In the meantime, they need to pipe down.

And as long as I'm on this subject, I don't see how raising the taxes on 1% of people who make a truckload of money is going to do any good. Do all of these occupiers realize that approximately 50 percent of the country pays NO income tax?! NONE! And I understand that they're "poor". I get that. But I also get that they're not only just not paying taxes. They're also getting some sort of benefits on top of that. Whether it be food stamps or a rent reduction or Medicare or Social Security checks or whatever. Am I sorry that there are poor people? Yeah. Do I realize that every society has tiers and that's just how society works? Of course I do. But that doesn't change the fact that you can't alter the disparity in a society by simply asking for more money from a select 1 percent of your population while ignoring what is almost a freaking majority who contribute nothing to that society.

I just want people to understand that there are so many people out there who aren't paying their fair share. Hell, they're not even paying A share, let alone a fair one. But yet, these people get to vote on how tax dollars are spent. MY tax dollars. And when more and more and more people just want and want and want, then what happens? I'm guessing you end up with a bunch of people across the country protesting in front of financial institutions and pooping on the sidewalk! At least, that's what San Francisco looks like. (I had to navigate my way through an obstacle course of fecum the other day. It was like an Olympic event that no one wanted.)

I really want to know who all of these people voted for, if they even voted at all, in the last election. I also really want to know (if they did vote) if they're going to vote for someone different this time around (especially in elections for senators). I'm also dying to know if they're going to vote for President Barry again. (And don't get me wrong, I want to like the guy as a President. I really do. But I just don't. He doesn't DO anything. NOTHING has gotten done.) Statistics would have me believe that only 49% of those protesting actually voted (assuming they were eligible). Huh. That might explain a lot, actually. It doesn't explain the poop on the sidewalk, but I think it does explain an awful lot about other things.

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