Flea Party revolution!

'Flea Party' revolution! Originally published October 14, 2011 The Frederick News-Post By Steven R. Berryman

Viva la revolucion! I for one am happy that what had been Occupy Wall Street, the protest group, is stepping out. The activism is healthy. The conversations generated are productive; what's missing is a sense that they understand the context of their own complaints and disappointments. Of course most of the rallying cries are still wildly diffused and confused; some conflict with each other. A general sense of anger is unifying until they get it right. Greed and corruption in our corporations and financial institutions seem to be central. None of the "how we got here" happened by accident. Much of it was broadcast in print and on television -- in the open. The stock market ride that this propelled was capitalized on by the parents of the protesters, and funded their higher educations in many cases. "The rich have too much money!" is another popular slogan for signs. The concentration of wealth among the innovative, creative and risk-takers is a function of how needfully greedy our capitalist system is, however. It's the incentive for all to work harder to get their piece of the action. Many of the original protesters did form pictures that conjured up visions of the old Vietnam protests for peace. Younger white kids wearing ratty old knit skullcaps is now their crown of thorns. The derogatory term "Flea Party" used to label them is an obvious bow to Tea Party. Despite Obama adviser Al Sharpton's assertions to the contrary, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are now noticeably absent. Coordination of these revolutionary-styled protests is routinely made via Apple tablets and iPhones. This is strange, as the price points are for elites, and the late Steve Jobs certainly ran a successfully greedy corporation. Yes, they need to work on that image thing. In Frederick Wednesday there will have been a "Jobs, not cuts" rally by the time of this column's publication. MoveOn.org organizers are capitalizing on the pull of the "Flea Party" to promote their sacred cow, the president's jobs bill. Folks, good jobs are not a right that can be protested for. Do look for the forces behind sending them overseas. Good jobs come to those who work hard for them. FLASH: Democrats in Congress have already sided with Republicans in voting down the legislation, reducing it as a partisan issue. But do let others glom onto the budding protest generation, home of the 1 percent vs the 99 percent slogan. Something about the too few having too much; what share of taxes seems lost on this convenient equation, though? One blog by activist Erick Erickson offers a numerical alternative, "We are the 53%," tossing the numbers right back. This is the percent of Americans paying any income taxes; working a job as a function. The motto of the 53 percent seems to be "work for what you want" as opposed to the "complain that you don't have enough" used by the other side. It's called capitalism; open to all comers. Steven R. Berryman writes from Frederick. (srbmgr@comcast.net)

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