Occupy Wall Street, Class Warfare, and Russell Simmons

I find the recent flaps about class warfare typically convenient. Warfare in this context is nothing more that Right-Wing word-smithing for effect.  The very people (in congress and Right-Wing paid pundits) who preach that mantra are using it for purpose of induction. Induction into beliefs that help the Right indoctrinate people via ‘catchy slogans”. ‘Socialism’, death-panels, Momma grizzley’ moral majority, welfare (to denote poor black people), mainstream media, Obamacare, …just to give a few examples.

Class Warfare.  ”It is only class warfare when the rich are challenged”.  Anyone who grew up in a humble middle to lower economic class households know, class divides. We knew where we were from and our place as that place relates to the ‘well-off’ (the HAVES).  We knew that those were neighborhoods (regardless of race) in which we were not welcome. We knew the kids who carried themselves as if they were from another planet.  We knew that those kids who were from Planet X that dared try to hang out with us would be seriously reprimanded by their parents or friends.

Class Warfare meant nothing and it means nothing, more than a ploy. Class Divides (or as I call class-ism) is at the root of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS)movement.  The Divide is so extreme that it is too late to stop the OWS. In fact, as we all see the movement grows and it grows on a daily basis.  That grwoth is contributing to another phenomena.

The New ‘rich’ who have gained celebrity via talent or special circumstance via their appeal to audiences are responding differently than their ‘old money,’ wealthy brethren.  A prime example is a New Yorker who benefited form recognizing the growth of a new musical genre, Russell Simmons, who has visited Zuccotti Park fifteen (15) times.  

Simmons is not visiting the park for purpose of advancing his mogul status or to sell any of his numerous corparate products or services. Simmons of the ‘new rich,’ was not raised such that class divides were part of his psyche.  His celebrity forces him out of mainstream interaction simply because of people who worship fame. Yet, he keeps coming to the park.

Simmons could have visited once and moved on.  Au contrar! Mr. Simmons has helped with OWS more than many realize.  Not only does the movement spread to more people via Simmon’s notoriety, he is actively involved in the movement via his spirit and his tangible  assets

Spirit?  Warren Buffet, Starbucks CEO-Howard Schultz, and Simmons were people who spoke out about unfair tax codes well before OWS.  Those individuals will lay no claim to the early growth of the movement but I posit that their speaking out may have given hope to the those who conceived OWS. Hope that not all of the nations ‘uber rich’ were distant figures riding tsunami like waves of class division.   Simmons spoke specifically about the fact the he queried his office staff; and found that the majority of those employees literally paid more taxes than did he.  He spoke out!

Tangible assets?  I have posted below a couple of tweets from Simmons.

On Thursday night Simmons posted from his page, “Dear @MikeBloomberg pls do not throw out protesters at Zuccotti Park. I will pay for clean-up to avoid confrontation #OWS.” He followed up with another tweet to New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, “Dear mike I have long supported u and u have been good mayor, don’t take me to jail tomorrow I’m not 22 I don’t wanna go  but I will.”

Another…..

Simmons Tweet

Simmons Tweet 

I heard Simmons on a cable news network say to an interviewer, I am a 100% (er).  He is a 1 per center who will not become part of an establishment that is dramatically growing away from the 99 per cent who live normal lives. Yes, he owns a Simmons credit card operation which means he is in someway involved in banking/lending of something in between. He has made himself part of the 99 percent by his refusal to become part of the stratospheric 1 per cent who hold the nations wealth.

Instead of putting signs in windows to mock the protesters or blaring contempt for the protesters, he joins them.

Of course there are other well known people who have joined the protests.  Micheal Moore, Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover (In Los Angeles), Kanye West, Matt Damon, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, Cornel West to name a few.  But no to date as visible and supportive (Intangibly ad tangibly) as Simmons.

I have never been and am still not fond of the hip-hop genre. Thus, my affinity for Simmons was at the level of nil.  A funny thing happened this afternoon.  A cap that I was wearing blew off my head, As I picked up the cap and looked at the protruding label (brand label), I saw the name Russell Simmons on the label…and I smiled.

Tags: class warfare, Occupy Wall Street, Protests, Russell Simmons, Warren Buffett