Occupy Wall Street Protests For Dummies

If you enjoyed this tweet the video: http://clicktotweet.com/be0tR

Find me on facebook - http://www.facebook.com/therosseverett
Hear my every thought - http://www.twitter.com/therosseverett
Let's look at each other - http://www.dailybooth.com/therosseverett

Like the guy? Get the shirt: http://therosseverett.spreadshirt.com/


Music by Kevin MacLeod

• Category

  Comedy

[Rob Speed]

That's not a very good analogy. Total bandwidth is fixed, total wealth is not. When person B gains wealth, that does not mean person A is less wealthy. That's not to say that things are pretty fucked up, but that analogy missed the actual issues completely.

[TheRossEverett]

the bandwith was just to illustrate the numbers that the top 1% control 42% of the nation's wealth (while not fixed, looking at a snapshot in time will remain the same). The percent Will was paying of the Internet bill (what the roommates were protesting about) reflects the tax rates which are fixed at this time.

But again, this is supposed to be dumbed down to give the uninformed a general idea. Every analogy will have it's flaws.

[Rob Speed]

Even then, Will would be paying MORE than 42% of the of the bandwidth bill. In fact, he'd be paying twice the price per bit than the majority of the other 99 housemates. How is that not paying his fair share? Income tax in the US is already highly progressive, and has been for decades. You're advocating a red herring.

I can't stress this enough – person B being wealthy does NOT cause person A to be poor any more than kid B having a lollipop causes kid A to not.

[TheRossEverett]

Again, this is a snapshot and the bandwith (a finite amount that cannot fluxuate) is to represent the current state of wealth. Will's "direct line in" is a metaphor to the circumstances that created the upper 1% (trust fund babies, to corporate CEOS, etc.) not to say that he is stealing from the other 99%'s potential Internet speed. While Will is definitely paying more than each of his 99 roommates, the amount of which he is paying is less per KB than the other 99%.

[Rob Speed]

I don't want to be rude, but that's not even remotely true. US Income Tax is highly progressive, with the top tax bracket (currently) paying 35%. Someone (like me) making between $8,500 and $34,500 pays just 15%.

And as for the fixed nature, stealing from the other 99%'s potential internet speed is PRECISELY what the analogy implies when you say you can't watch Breaking Bad! Some jackass having a trust fund doesn't make rent go up.

[TheRossEverett]

Allow me to correct myself. In order to go this deep into the issue, I do have to break out of the analogy (but again, this analogy was merely to orient the uninformed to the issue). The argument would be that 35% for the upper 1% has less of an impact than 15% has on the lower 99%. And while the 99% are not asking for their taxes to be lowered, they are asking the 1% to contribute more to the society that allowed them to get to where they are.

[TheRossEverett]

as for the Breaking Bad implications, it was intended to illustrate the conditions in which the lower 99% live. That it was because Will was not letting them use the internet is what you inferred, but rather it was to be an allusion to the limitations during this snapshot in time.

You are very knowledgeable about what's going on, and I urge you to see this for what it is: a much simplified analogy to introduce to those who don't know anything of the issue in a comedic way.

[TheRossEverett]

No, Ryan and I talk about it all the time. I'm always like "We have the same eyes" and he's like "Get out of my bathroom, I'm calling the cops"

[leannez11]

Am I the only one who thinks he has Ryan Reynolds eyes?

[Roger Acosta]

You got schooled.

[degree7]

lol, everyone pays taxes.... dummy.

[elvisreviews]

Michael Phelps, good vid dude :)

[BrotherAtticus]

Capitalism is not a zero-sum game.

[pittielove]

I know right, who knew Ross was smart as well as hilarious? haha

[Vansit84]

You forgot to incorporate the most important player of them all into this analogy...the government. Their actions are at the core of ALL the issues people are fighting against. Some know it, and some dont.

[ronaldolover0311]

damn look at the uploder comments. 0______o wow.

[Fullpattern]

Try the History channel, that make shows about Egypt. While you are there for the job interview see if there is any tissue in the bathroom so you can wipe your cry baby tears away. Good luck :).

[Fullpattern]

Even if you taxed every rich person at a 100% it still would not generate enough money to solve all these imagined income inequality's. I could make the same protest at lower income people who recieve thousands of dollars each year in tax refunds (even though they did not contribue that much into taxes) due to them having many children and what not.

[frogsoda]

It's even simpler than your analogy. The Occupiers want 1% of the population to support the 47% that don't even pay any Federal taxes. Right now that burden falls mostly on the middle class. Occupiers think that if a person doesn't want to work, some rich person should be assigned to support them.

simple really