'Occupy Columbia' highlights political problems, provokes thoughts
The chasm between society’s upper echelon and the middle class is both staggering and deepening.
Unemployment rates have soared; here in South Carolina, certain counties are now above 15 percent. We face a slowdown — and in some places almost a total shutdown — of new businesses. Jobs report after jobs report show discouraging figures. A double-dip recession has undoubtedly slammed our country with woes we didn’t expect.
And there is little reason to believe this economic slump, which blasted many Americans from the pursuit of their dreams, won’t continue to linger. Partisanship roars in the Capitol, where even the simplest economic bill brings exaggerated and severely misguided pleas from both Republicans and Democrats.
Only those completely naive would believe Washington, D.C., has previously been perfect. Far from it. But has our country ever faced such complex issues with so many leaders who only desire re-election? You would be hard-pressed to find another time. A recent poll shows more than 80 percent of the country disapproves of Congress. We’d like to meet the other 20 percent.
We are wallowing in mediocrity on many levels — losing years, falling behind, becoming a country uninspired. Will we find our place? Will we recover from such perilous worries?
It seems unclear, but we applaud “Occupy Wall Street” folks for at least trying. These are sloppy protests with little direction, yet they highlight discrepancies, showing how the elite continue to prosper while the poor suffer.
We do not condone every bit of these protests: They are sometimes misguided, sometimes passionate but not grounded in reason and occasionally they cross the line.
Yet, even in their worst state, they are by and large accomplishing more than our nation’s leaders.
And that should occupy our thoughts.