FACE TO FACE: Do the Occupy protesters have legitimate gripes in Canada?
One thing that is evident from the media coverage of the Occupy protests is that protesters can't seem to agree on what they're protesting about.
Some are quoted as saying it's a protest of income inequality.
Some call it a demonstration against capitalism, disregarding recent reports showing capitalism in China has, in fact, lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
Others are claiming this protest is akin to the Arab Spring, in which citizens faced off against murderous dictators. How ridiculous.
I'll resist the temptation to label all these demonstrators as lazy, unemployed anarchists who look for any protest to join (although I believe a number of these protesters are just that).
For the sake of argument, let's suppose this is not a rent-a-protest and that demonstrators truly feel that they're disadvantaged in our 21st century society. Certainly, with high unemployment rates and during an era of austerity, these are difficult times to be in the 18 to 35 demographic.
But a disruptive and unfocused protest is waste of time.
As a public service, I would like to offer protesters some other, more useful, tools for advancement.
First, the youth of Canada need to get involved in the political process: 63% of voters aged 18 to 24 years stayed home during the 2008 election. They could have made a difference. How many of them have joined political parties to help shape party policies?
For those who are averse to big banks and high corporate executive salaries, move your money to credit unions and shop at small mom-and-pop stores.
And and the risk of sounding heartless, I would also advise protesters to learn the age old lesson: We reap what we sow.
Did those bad bankers force people to buy houses they couldn't afford? Did the bankers make people run up their credit card bills? Did anyone force university grads to take student loans for university programs that wouldn't help them get a job?
Thankfully, Canada is not America. We have many programs in this country to help people get on, and back on, their feet. We've got government-funded safety nets in the form of Employment Insurance, welfare, job retraining programs, entrepreneurial programs, etc.
Canada is a fair country.
So, tell me, what are the Occupy people protesting about?
Andy Radia is a Coquitlam resident and political columnist who writes for Yahoo! Canada News and Vancouver View Magazine. He has been politically active in the Tri-Cities, having been involved with election campaigns at all three levels of government, including running for Coquitlam city council in 2005.
