#OWS
I've been following the Occupy Wall Street movement these last couple of weeks. I find it amazingly inspirational, and I hope it'll open people's eyes to the many injustices of the world we live in.
It's also made me realise how stupidly privileged and lucky I am. I read the stories posted on http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/, and cry. Yes, I have about $36 000 in student loans that I need to pay off, but I also have a full time job where I make a little over $55 000 a year. A job I got less than a year after graduating from University. I make more money than my mum. I live in a country where health care and education is free and available to all, a country where workers are entitled to 5 weeks of paid vacation every year, a country with religious freedom where gay couples are allowed to marry. A country where the police say no to carrying guns.
I'm not saying things are perfect, far from it, but it's a complete fairytale compared to what's going on other places.
I read the stories on We Are the 99 Percent, and I feel like the bad guy. But I'm not. I am part of the 99%, and I dream of a world where people strive for equality rather than money and power.
I realise how naive that sounds, but I really don't care. I wish I could go to the many protests in the US and show my support. I'm glad the Americans are standing up for themselves, I'll continue to follow the movement with hopeful enthusiasm, I really hope this leads to something.
There were worldwide Occupy____ protests today, and I stopped by the camp in Oslo to see what it was like. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, because the truth of the matter is that the financial crisis never hit us as hard as it did other places. Most people here don't have anything to be angry about. That doesn't mean we're not allowed to show our support for those who are fighting for their right to live, though. About 150 people showed up for the protest in Oslo. There was a really lame drum circle, but apart from that, good atmosphere. There was a workshop where you could paint your own posters, and posters were placed all around the camp. Which were in front of the parliament building, because there's no room for a protest of any sort in front of our stock exchange. So you could say we were occupying the parliament. You have to admit that has quite a nice ring to it.
People making signs, parliament building in the background
'Occupy ALL the streets!'
'Spend the Government Pension Fund on alternative energy', 'Small country - big polluter', 'Solidarity with 99% Occupy Wall St.!', 'Clean energy - no tar sands', 'Vigilance committee - not government forces', 'Use the Government Pension Fund for alternative energy'.
... I guess it's pretty obvious that the Green Party was in on arranging our protest.
It's also made me realise how stupidly privileged and lucky I am. I read the stories posted on http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/, and cry. Yes, I have about $36 000 in student loans that I need to pay off, but I also have a full time job where I make a little over $55 000 a year. A job I got less than a year after graduating from University. I make more money than my mum. I live in a country where health care and education is free and available to all, a country where workers are entitled to 5 weeks of paid vacation every year, a country with religious freedom where gay couples are allowed to marry. A country where the police say no to carrying guns.
I'm not saying things are perfect, far from it, but it's a complete fairytale compared to what's going on other places.
I read the stories on We Are the 99 Percent, and I feel like the bad guy. But I'm not. I am part of the 99%, and I dream of a world where people strive for equality rather than money and power.
I realise how naive that sounds, but I really don't care. I wish I could go to the many protests in the US and show my support. I'm glad the Americans are standing up for themselves, I'll continue to follow the movement with hopeful enthusiasm, I really hope this leads to something.
There were worldwide Occupy____ protests today, and I stopped by the camp in Oslo to see what it was like. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, because the truth of the matter is that the financial crisis never hit us as hard as it did other places. Most people here don't have anything to be angry about. That doesn't mean we're not allowed to show our support for those who are fighting for their right to live, though. About 150 people showed up for the protest in Oslo. There was a really lame drum circle, but apart from that, good atmosphere. There was a workshop where you could paint your own posters, and posters were placed all around the camp. Which were in front of the parliament building, because there's no room for a protest of any sort in front of our stock exchange. So you could say we were occupying the parliament. You have to admit that has quite a nice ring to it.
People making signs, parliament building in the background
'Occupy ALL the streets!'
'Spend the Government Pension Fund on alternative energy', 'Small country - big polluter', 'Solidarity with 99% Occupy Wall St.!', 'Clean energy - no tar sands', 'Vigilance committee - not government forces', 'Use the Government Pension Fund for alternative energy'.
... I guess it's pretty obvious that the Green Party was in on arranging our protest.