The Rubes rarely blame the person that ripped them off.

Ace of Spades looks at the "occupiers" and realizes there's something many have common

One very common thing here: They are all white and mostly college-educated. Some have multiple degrees. However, they mostly chose the degrees you're not supposed to choose unless you are some kind of standout or come from a rich family -- psychology and the other degrees that don't immediately scream out "Job prospects!"

Why did they do that?

Who knows. But they ignored advice to think practically about their future earning power and now find themselves lacking earning power.

So what they want is for the government (that is, you) to step in and make them whole, immunizing them against their own choices, giving them the earning power they believe is due them.

I don't see one goddamned accounting or engineering degree in the tales of woe.

And note that instead of protesting and complaining to the people that sold them this bill of goods, they run off and blame people not willing to buy the lousy product they're selling.

(Here's a hint prospective job seekers, it's not about what you want. And it really is about selling out to the man you have to convince someone else to buy your time and effort. Good luck making that sale. Seriously, good luck. It's hard out there, don't make it harder by being a twit.)


Glenn Reynolds has related thoughts.

And this is mostly an advertisement for the bursting of the higher education bubble. “Did greedy capitalists convince these hapless kids to spend a king’s ransom for a BA in World Politics? Did Exxon Mobil make them sign a contract to borrow $110K in exchange of a Masters in Global Social and Sustainable Enterprises? Did Bank of America trick the kids into borrowing more money than their useless degree is likely to generate in net worth in a lifetime?”

Once again, Republicans should be piling on the higher-ed bubble / student loan issue. Make fun of these people all you want — no, really, make fun of these people all you want — but underlying this are practices that in any other industry would be universally denounced as predatory.

That's also another difference. Exxon Mobil cannot make you buy their product of sign a contract with them. Only the State has that type of compulsory power.

Speaking of the term "occupation"

A quick Tuesday morning thought experiment: Can you imagine the paranoia and faux horror that would ensue were a right-wing protest movement to couch a sit-in in such historically insensitive and martial language as “occupation”?

Yes, the "Imagine if the Right..." card gets a lot of play, but that's because the double standards are so stark, and show how Institutionalized the idea of different rules for different ideologies is.

And, of course, the most galling part is that the people pushing the Left line and these double standards maintain the facade of their own neutrality and impartiality. It's a naked doublethink.

At least I didn't go for the "occupation for those that don't have an occupation" pun.