At 12:42pm on 4th mo. 11, 2012, Forrest Curo said…
I don't know why we are having this conversation on your page, but hello! (I guess Jame's reply hit your profile instead of the post?)
The point, as I think we both see it, is that young people have been forced to fit themselves into an unjust system, and done so as constructively as they knew how, in the hope that they might at least escape being crushed under it-- and in the process, have been taken for more than they can ever expect to make... I don't know whether James has actually been down to talk to any of these people and find out what they actually want. Around here they want to see a system that's more fair-- not something biased in their favor. To close down the casino & put in a functioning economy, as you've implied.
I don't think we're going to see this happen without a spiritual revolution, as I think James is talking about. I think that's what we're called to help in... but supporting a public call for justified & necessary mitigation of a rigged and parasitized economy seems an obvious part of that.
Anne & I haven't been downtown ourselves since the weather got bad... & we're currently recovering from The Bug. We're old; there's a limit to how much we can/should seek to influence people who've been undertaking some real hardships to keep this going. We want to help, and we want to see them continue deserving more support than we've given, so far.
I have no problem with individual Quakers supporting the Occupy movement but I don't believe that Quakers as a whole should do so at this point. The point that young people have simply made a mistake isn't the point. The point is that they want a bail out just like the corprate greedmeisters got. And I don't see any sign that they see the light or the folly in their ways. From what I can see they are as materialisticly driven as their protagonists. I don't live in a cave but I don't believe in living large. I have been lucky to have lived through a very prosperous time here in the USA. Life dealt me a generous hand, although not as financially generous as others, and I have managed to use it well enough to be comfortable. Simplicity doesn't mean you have to live in a cave but you should make a conscious decision on the life style you believe will best serve your family first and your community second. Then you should make your decisions based on that goal. Allowing the men in the gray flannel suits to lead you down a path of materialism instead of having a plan or vision is the way to self-destruction. Progress is a great thing but for every success story there are failures. I have failed at too many things to not know that. There's a price to pay for failure. Recognize what you can afford to lose, draw a line and don't go over it. I am not against helping people who make mistakes but it has to be within a context where they can learn from their mistakes. The government doesn't provide that context, as attested to by bonuses and excessive salaries paid by bailed out companies.
Did you know that QuakerQuaker is 100% reader supported? Our costs run to about $50/month. If you think this kind of outreach and conversation is important, please support it with a monthly subscription or one-time gift.
Comment Wall (2 comments)
You need to be a member of QuakerQuaker to add comments!
Join QuakerQuaker
I don't know why we are having this conversation on your page, but hello! (I guess Jame's reply hit your profile instead of the post?)
The point, as I think we both see it, is that young people have been forced to fit themselves into an unjust system, and done so as constructively as they knew how, in the hope that they might at least escape being crushed under it-- and in the process, have been taken for more than they can ever expect to make... I don't know whether James has actually been down to talk to any of these people and find out what they actually want. Around here they want to see a system that's more fair-- not something biased in their favor. To close down the casino & put in a functioning economy, as you've implied.
I don't think we're going to see this happen without a spiritual revolution, as I think James is talking about. I think that's what we're called to help in... but supporting a public call for justified & necessary mitigation of a rigged and parasitized economy seems an obvious part of that.
Anne & I haven't been downtown ourselves since the weather got bad... & we're currently recovering from The Bug. We're old; there's a limit to how much we can/should seek to influence people who've been undertaking some real hardships to keep this going. We want to help, and we want to see them continue deserving more support than we've given, so far.
I have no problem with individual Quakers supporting the Occupy movement but I don't believe that Quakers as a whole should do so at this point. The point that young people have simply made a mistake isn't the point. The point is that they want a bail out just like the corprate greedmeisters got. And I don't see any sign that they see the light or the folly in their ways. From what I can see they are as materialisticly driven as their protagonists. I don't live in a cave but I don't believe in living large. I have been lucky to have lived through a very prosperous time here in the USA. Life dealt me a generous hand, although not as financially generous as others, and I have managed to use it well enough to be comfortable. Simplicity doesn't mean you have to live in a cave but you should make a conscious decision on the life style you believe will best serve your family first and your community second. Then you should make your decisions based on that goal. Allowing the men in the gray flannel suits to lead you down a path of materialism instead of having a plan or vision is the way to self-destruction. Progress is a great thing but for every success story there are failures. I have failed at too many things to not know that. There's a price to pay for failure. Recognize what you can afford to lose, draw a line and don't go over it. I am not against helping people who make mistakes but it has to be within a context where they can learn from their mistakes. The government doesn't provide that context, as attested to by bonuses and excessive salaries paid by bailed out companies.