Ghosts of banks past and present

When I grew up, banks were stoic institutions with high ceilings and marble floors, and the people who worked there dressed in suits and took dealing with money very seriously. I’d often go to the bank with my grandparents, and it reminded me of a library with the predominant sound being that of dress shoes clicking on the floor.

Things have changed.

Now, when I walk into a bank, I feel more like I’m being approached by a car salesman. Young guys in jewel-tone dress shirts and black slacks are the order of the day; guys who probably cut their sales teeth selling gym memberships are now overly-excited to offer me bank “products.” Their training shows: they wave away concerns about additional charges or fees and, smiling all the time, get me to sign on the dotted line.

And the banks taught us as a country to think less of our money.  For many banking transactions, we'd incur $2 and $3 charges; with every transaction, we were being taught that throwing money away is O.K. Same with the credit charges:  every month, ridiculous $30 and $45 fees for things like being over the limit for $1 or missing your due date by a day.  All we could say was Oh Well, and continue throwing money away. If the banks didn't treat it as sacrosanct, why should we?

 

And then the bottom fell out. We finally realized that the freewheeling Wall Street wave we were riding wasn't really taking us with it into prosperity; that we were given the loans and credit, encouraged to take a wild ride of unsustainable, paycheck-to-paycheck living and then, when it all blew up, we were dropped as the banks sold us off and ran with the money, leaving us with huge bills and shitty credit while the banks got a clean slate.

That's been more than a little depressing.

Sure, people are occupying their public spaces because they're angry. But it also feels invigorating, like maybe if we go all Early America on our government, we can get some of the ethics of that early government back into our country's lifeblood again. It feels hopeful because we can think maybe, just maybe, we can get the government, as a body of our representatives, to hear us. Because it’s not really about money at all.

The big "Why I'm Here" entry

The reason I haven’t written is because I’ve been mulling. In a movement like this one, where organization and action are the order of the day, there’s not much room for mulling. But I’m a muller. I knew I wanted to write here about what brought me to Occupy and I wanted to say it well, so I put it off. Turns out I’m thinking simpler is better, so here goes:

Ethics is missing in government. And it’s not un-American to say so; in fact, I’m sure Thomas Paine would be lifting a pint to the citizens in the streets. Excerpted from his “Common Sense”: 

“Here then is the origin and rise of government; namely, a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world…and however our eyes may be dazzled with snow, or our ears deceived by sound; however prejudice may warp our wills, or interest darken our understanding, the simple voice of nature and of reason will say, it is right.”

To do the most good, our government not only has to stand for us but it should also represent the best in our nature. And it doesn’t, and they don’t. 

Occupy has the most potential power of any political and social movement I can remember in my lifetime. Why? Because it’s inclusive of so many. Ninety-nine percent! You don’t have to be of any particular political affiliation or economic standing. Dissatisfied? Show up. 

That’s also what I find so moving about these growing groups of people, camping in parks or huddled over tables in meeting rooms or protesting in the streets: no one expects you to be anything but what you are. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Socialist or Anarchist, if you are dissatisfied with the government, let’s hear what you think is wrong. Can we agree that ethics in government is fatefully, horribly lacking? We don’t have to agree on anything else. In fact, our lively discussions will move us forward and inspire us. We just have to show that that majority of us think our elected officials are not serving us as we have elected them to do. That’s it, and it is simple. The government isn’t working properly, and it’s ours, and we want to fix it.

Want a Blog, Get a Blog

I dig this "team blog" idea. Should make it easier for us to keep up with each other in an informal way, and also give us a chance to write personal opinions about what Occupy means to us. It will also get more content on the public web page (once we link the blogs there) so that the Curious Public can log in and have plenty to read. Once it's well-populated, I also think we should promote the hell out of the Occupy-Detroit.us webpage. Something like this, but with more smiling and waving and maybe Santa hats:

The group email invitation I sent didn't go to anyone but the group admin (Hi, Dan), so if you'd like an easy-to-click invitation to start writing on the Media Team Blog please shoot me a quick email at or leave me a note here.