Unemployed Yet Again

Hey everyone,

I gave up on this blog for a while, since I was trying to focus on my new grad program, but I do have a few complaints to share… so here I am!

Recently, I came across a site called “occupy occupy wall street.” This group is apparently united under the premise of “the 1% strikes back.” Yes, because, clearly, they really need to strike back against something??! (Needless to say, I am one of the 99%.) I know that the occupy wall street protests haven’t really articulated their goals and objectives in terms of what they want to gain from protesting, but I think it’s important to draw attention to the huge income disparity in this country, so I support them. Anyway, this site stated the following:

“To be angry at the wealthiest Americans for their success is simply childish jealousy from those who have failed to create the same opportunities themselves,” representative John Selvig states. “America is not kindergarten; there are winners and losers. This is a country where if you work hard in the right field you can become extremely wealthy. We are proud of that wealth and will not sit back and watch a group slander it in our own backyard. We will not stop until #OOWS out-occupies the occupiers.” This movement believes that “The system is not broken and we will fight, at all costs, to maintain the status quo. We are the 1% and we are 100% proud!”

Wow, really? The system isn’t broken? Oh, so you (you meaning the Wall Streeters actually responsible for the recession, which is not all of them - many people worked in departments unrelated to subprime mortgages) MEANT to bankrupt all the banks? You did that on purpose? The recession was intentional? Rising unemployment in the U.S. is all fine? People just need to work hard in the right field?? (If you are unemployed, how are you supposed to work hard? Not everyone has the start-up money for their own business.)

Also, apparently, life IS fair (according to this guy, at least). Who knew? Certainly not me. I thought it was pretty obvious that not everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of how hard they work. Luck and timing play a huge part in any kind of success.

Whoever John Selvig is, I hate him.

100% proud? Of what? Having no compassion or empathy for other people? Refusing to see that there are hardworking people out of work all over, and it’s NOT THEIR FAULT, it could happen to anyone, and it could happen to you too, asshole.

After I read this, I was thinking - if someone said this to my face, this is what I would say to them:

“I graduated from college when I was 20 years old. I worked full-time for a few years, then went to business school. My GMAT score was over 700. For a year, I worked 9-5 and went to class at night. Then I went to school full-time and worked part-time. One semester, I took 3 classes and worked 2 part-time jobs. I was a leader in a student group (leaving out the details here that could identify me), maintained a decent GPA, and earned my MBA before I turned 27. I went to every networking event, job fair, headhunter, and contacted every connection I ever hard. I spent years looking for a job, went on dozens on interview, and didn’t get one. Look me in the eyes and tell me that this is my fault.”

Then, if the person I was speaking to wasn’t sufficiently contrite, I would continue yelling at them:

“Do you want to tell me that it’s my fucking fault? Do you? Do you? Huh?”

Ok, so this fantasy got away from me a little.