Well whattya know...
A pair of Republican presidential candidates had some harsh words for the protesters who've been hectoring Wall Street for the past three weeks: Cut out the "class warfare" and "blame yourself" for being poor and jobless.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said the demonstrators are coming across as "anti-capitalism." The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza said the Occupy Wall Street protesters are trying to distract the country from President Obama's "failed policies."
"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!" Cain said. "It is not a person's fault because they succeeded, it is a person's fault if they failed. And so this is why I don't understand these demonstrations and what is it that they're looking for."
At a campaign stop in Florida Tuesday, Mitt Romney said the demonstrations were "dangerous" and "class warfare."
When ABC's Emily Friedman asked Romney today about the protests, the GOP front-runner declined to elaborate on his previous comments, saying "I'm just trying to get myself to occupy the White House." [continued (video included)...]
Guy's getting pretty interesting...this is on the heels of him saying the black community has been 'brainwashed' into voting for Dems
Meh. These guys are borrowing rhetoric to protect themselves. I bet Mitt Romney doesn't really care about class warfare; he cares about trying to help himself at the expense of everyone else (not in the entrepreneurial sense, but the political sense).
I wouldn't agree with Cain that if you fail in the market that it is entirely your fault. Sure the buck stops with you and you are ultimately responsible, but there are always circumstances that are out of your control. Some people just don't have the intellectual skill to make it big in the marketplace as well. Not that this makes them owed, but that statement just seems analytically false. I don't know what people see in Cain as he seems to be an obtuse and shallow thinker.
I can see where he's coming from though, getting to where he's gotten from where he started. There has to be a sense of "you're insulting me by claiming you can't do it."
It's their own fault in the sense that they bring the poverty upon themselves through the constant push for more socialism.
John:Guy's getting pretty interesting...this is on the heels of him saying the black community has been 'brainwashed' into voting for Dems
The guy used to be the chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, John. I find that to be pretty interesting, but not in a good way.
The keyboard is mightier than the gun.
Non parit potestas ipsius auctoritatem.
Voluntaryism Forum
If you're talking about they are collectively responsible, yes.
Consumers, the ninety-nine percent, are responsible for who is rich or poor. They are responsible for consumerism, capitalism, and everything else people like or hate. They contribute to the culture. And the culture reflects their values.
In fact they have the ability purchase what they want. Or help whoever they want. And make those decisions all the time.
Most of them don't want to help anyone, because they think that as long as rich people exist, there is an unlimited amount of other people's money. Not unlike the families that these young people come home to after college.
Autolykos:The guy used to be the chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, John. I find that to be pretty interesting, but not in a good way.
Great. So you agree with me.
Maybe you might be interested in some more
Did you seriously think I was expressing support for Cain for the presidency, or that I wasn't aware of his background?
John James:Did you seriously think I was expressing support for Cain for the presidency, or that I wasn't aware of his background?
I wasn't sure, to be honest. Your statement that "guy's getting pretty interesting" seemed ambivalent, if not outright supportive. In any case, thanks for the clarification.
Of course all I meant was exactly what I said. He's getting interesting. I always assumed he would be quietly forgotten, and barely make any noise...he'd just be that business-minded black man with his ebonics-inspired accent and his quaint too-simple-for-Washington plans (e.g. his "nighn-nighn-nighn" plan.)
But he's coming out telling protesters to blame themselves, and saying black people have been brainwashed to vote democrat, and criticizing morgan freeman for playing the race card. Pretty entertaining if you ask me. A nice change of pace from the normal political show. You can only find presidential gaffs and high-ranking official infidelity humorous for so long.
So it sounds like you find him interesting in terms of pure amusement. Okay. I will gladly stand corrected.
I think this idea strikes at one of the key problems in our society. Government has removed the sharp fangs of the consumer and now the consumer whines against capitalism.
This is a very important concept to understand.
I find it quite interesting that people say "Walmart puts small businesses out of business", while it is actually the consumers. By being unaware of their own conflicting desires they are themselves the beast.
Indeed. Wal-Mart would be nothing without consumers willing to buy at its GREAT LOW PRICES.