Over the last year, news outlets and the media were swamped with talk of the “99 percent” and how income inequality has led to the gradual downfall of the US economy and the lives of the working middle-class. There is an enormous disparity between those who are jet setting around the world in private planes and those who are living hand to mouth and subsisting off payday loans. This became a juicy topic for debate, and many people sided with the underdogs, but just because it sounds popular doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a black- and- white issue. There are many things to consider before judging either side.

Take note that not only were protestors raging against the top one percent earners of the country, they were also protesting the free- market or capitalist system of the country. Over the decades, as the poor and middle class tried to move up, enterprising capitalists have found ways to always be at the top. Other groups denounced this practice, but the truth is that these millionaires and their colleagues are more well-versed in moving and developing large groups of manual labourers and factory workers. Without their guidance, a lot of hard work would only go to waste.

These top earners have guided the bottom half of the pyramid since the industrial revolution. This is the admirable part of this group. The deplorable part is that the top one percent have grown to be too complacent and have brought financial ruin to many financial markets at the expense of the middle class. This is what protestors should rally against to ensure that the message is clear to the media and the members of the one percent who are listening.