Letter from Carroll Wikander | Portland Occupier

The idea of good government is built around a fairly simple premise, to pursue the common good and protect the innocent. This idea evolved because of the tyranny brought on by dictatorship or when governance was used by a few very privileged people to oppress and control the population. The pursuit of change began hundreds of years ago when revolts began to bring down governments of tyranny. The new governments began to establish laws that regulate the abuse of wealth and its devastating effects on the poor. These laws were eventually used to abolish indentured servitude, slavery and created basic human rights. A middle class grew and thrived in this new environment. It is only recently that true equality has gained wide acceptance as a human right but this struggle for equality, human rights and the common good still goes on. In today’s world the wealthy continue to create financially predatory ways to make sure that the rich stay rich and others stay quite poor.

Today in the United States poverty is on the rise and the new indentured servitude is marked by overwhelming debt, unemployment or under employment and diminishment of everyday needs. A huge population of people have simply been cast out of the system, unable to qualify or afford even the most basic services. What once stood as a thriving middle class in the United States is gone, eliminated through oppression, legislation, price manipulation and deregulation. No amount of rhetoric will change a fact that stands loud and clear, the rich do not care about equality or fairness. With all their wealth their perception is that they stand above others. Their money and power allow them to twist the rules and laws in their favor. The rich are not invested in this country in spirit or otherwise, when they wave the flag it is to protect their interests not as a sign of solidarity. The wealthy show no loyalty to this place or its people, they have taken their business interests to the most repressive countries they could find, governments that would allow them to pay their worker next to nothing. They searched the world for cheapest labor and then came back with their newly acquired wealth to try and circumvent our government. They claimed they could privatize schools, our social security, prisons, the military and just about any aspect of government. Leaving the assumption there is no need for government. And without the support from a middle income tax base to maintain infrastructure services our government had let go of many of the services they once provided. This left the government looking ineffectual which gave the rich even greater opportunities to get more politicians elected that promote their views, the views of the rich. So now our government is stymied by politicians that in truth don’t really believe in government, they stand as obstructionists to any legislation that would interrupt or interfere with the flow of money to the rich. The politicians that the rich have bought only give lip service to the democracy they were elected to represent. Our tax dollars are now used as favors to be passed out in and around our government in committees and between politicians and lobbyists, at luncheon and fundraisers. The common good is only a bone that is occasionally thrown to placate the commoners. Corportocracy has circumvented our democracy.

Up until this month my wife credit card interest rate at Chase Bank was 29.99% (charging an interest rate this high used to be against the law) all of our attempts to request a reduction over the last year where met with rejection. Just this month my wife opened an account at OnPoint Credit Union her new credit card interest rate at the credit union is 6.99%. This is only one example of a host of reasons to support the ideals of the 99%. I could go on with even more graphic examples but this clearly illustrates one of many ways the rich take advantage and it is the multitude and complexity of problems that the rich impose on everyone that degrade the general welfare of the citizens and our nation. This is why I support the 99% movement.