Why We’re the 99%

Our stories explaining why we’re the 99%

‘I am one of the 99% because my government allow Nationwide to take my child benefit in bank charges. Knowing that they’re protected and my children aren’t!
Because I’m dreading the winter knowing I cannot afford to put the heating on, whilst my power supplier EON are recording profits of 2.27 billion euro’s for the first 3 months of 2011.
Because I am that student who owes huge debts.
Because I am that single mother that the media seeks to blame along with other stereotypes, to conquer and divide communities.
Because I believe the NHS should remain free for all at the point of delivery.
Because i used to be that small business owner enjoying the boom, with fancy cars, a nice house and foreign holidays….then I woke up!
Because from the moment my parents signed my birth certificate every part of my life has been bureauracised. Who’s regulating the nanny state?
Because whatever way you look at it, the top 1% are getting richer, whilst squeezing every last drop out of the 99% and then having the gall to blame us for our own demise!
Because the media fill our screens with adverts for flash cars, footballers wives and look what you could have, if only you worked harder and were more deserving like us!
Because alone I am nothing, but united I am everything!’ -Della Wright

‘Because its time to make a change; the professional politicians and those at the top of the financial food chain clearly can’t keep the ship running for the benefit of all, nor are they able to hand over the reins voluntarily.’ -Ben Ridley

‘According to the IFS 99% of people in the UK have an annual income of less than £60,000. The current annual salary for an MP is £65,738 which, perhaps is one of the reasons why political parties do not represent my views or those of many people.
Politicians are subjected to ‘whips’ to ensure part discipline, regardless of the opinions of the people they are meant to be representing. We pay the politicians, but have no right to recall. There is no transparency to how they will vote, as the Manifestos of parties are repeatedly broken. There is no transparency as to who funds their researchers, who lobbies for their votes. There is no transparency as to how the parties fund-raising or funders effect their policies.
So when the collapse of the banks started in 2007 I did not see MP’s calling for those who run Hedge Funds, and rating agencies and banks being investigated, brought to account, or charged, despite over a trillion pounds being taken out of the world economy. I did see though that these same people fund many of the politicians who are supposed to represent my interests, and the interests of my family. I did see the politicians socializing the losses of the banks, bailing out the banks by privatising public services, blaming the poor, for being poor, telling me we are all in this together, as they made me redundant.
Well there is one cut I do want to make. I want to cut out those politicians who have stopped working for people, that do not promote equality. That attack our Human Rights. We pay them, and I think it is time we stopped doing so as, together, we can organise ourselves without them.’ -Nicholas Ripley

‘For years the 99% have been silenced, through one way or another, during which time, the 1% have filled their boots with as much as possible. The Bankers irresponsible gambling within the stock market have created a global economic crisis, but at the same time given themselves ridiculous bonuses. Corporations have continued and increased their mission to exploit people, and their land, worldwide to profit more than ever, yet pushing the 99% further into poverty. This corruption at the highest levels feeds through to us all, affecting us in more ways than one. Job cuts, tax increases, highest unemployment levels in decades, basic needs such as fuel and food are now a luxury to many; all stem back to the same origin.
Nearly 3,000 people die each year in England and Wales alone due to fuel poverty, while the six major fuel providers have made £30 billion in profits over the past five years. We pay taxes don’t we? Where are they going you may ask? Lining the pockets of the 1%, that’s where.
The 99% are embarking upon a global movement. A movement that will not stop till it sees change within the economical, along with the political, systems. And of course, accountability; individuals must be held responsible for the mess the world is in. We are the 99%, we are too big to fail!!’ -Katie Woodroffe

‘I am 99% because I have the power of critical thought, to question is to learn, and I have learnt that there are those 1% who care not for the hand that feeds them and their riches, but only seeks further gain through various avenues, it’s time to wake the sleeping majority and to balance the scales, the game has been rigged….game over.’ -Sam Smith

‘I support the movement, because I believe more of us should feel liberated to speak against injustices in our lives & the lives of millions. Without this, nothing can ever change. I also support the movement because the government squander millions on overseas operations & aimless wars, while we should look after our own.’ – Lewis Rose

‘I am part of the movement as it is time that the government learned to listen the population it claims to speak for. The power to run the country should not be in the hands of a small and select defined group whom society deems ‘worthy’ to take advise from. The population is discontented and must be listened too, at least if the people have a larger part in this countries government it is the people’s responsibility to make changes, whether they be for better or for worse. Consensus of all must prevail, not just the consensus of a select clique. More trust should be granted to the individual, I know of no one who wants to live in a nanny-state, and it is the silence of the masses against the outcry of a few radicalists who force the continuing restriction of our activities.’ -Harry Lamborn

‘Because I`m sick of the treatment to my family from the police and the effect of the cuts’ -Graeme Morgan

‘I am 99% because I fear the bills coming through the door, because food costs more now than ever before, because I’m frightened about how I’m gonna stay warm this winter, because I can’t afford to put petrol in my car, because I’m really, really worried about my children’s future.’ -Faye Healy

‘I do it despite no support from my own family whatsoever because I want a better just future where the bankers are our reliable servants who are only minor in the world stage and a world full of good and democracy with no debt and no job losses and I want it for everyone in the world who deserve it such as my baby cousin Imogen a better future for my apprentice brother who will have enough money to not have to do a second job or anyone like him and so I have a job to go to after college and for you people of earth as no matter what defines us such as jew christian ass hole nice guy.” -Jedd Wallace

‘?I am the 99% because under our current system, it is a myth that hard work will be rewarded. In this system, only greed and corruption are rewarded. I see this in banks being bailed out because they’ve become “too big to fail”, leading to record bonuses for the people who led them to fail. Now we and future generations are expected to give up our standards of living just to pay for their failures. I’m the 99% because I now know it doesn’t have to be like this, that we have the collective power to evolve our systems for the benefit of us and future generations.’ -Mark Caudrey

‘
I am the 99% because our elected leaders do not have our interests and needs at heart. They are supposed to be for the people, but of course we know it’s all an act. They create policies to benefit corporations and business interests. They bail out banks and we pay the price, whilst bankers receive enormous bonuses and tax breaks. We are given the illusion of participation in government by being allowed to vote between this party or that party. But they’re all the same. No politician keeps election promises or introduces change to benefit the wide society. We pay vast sums of our income in various taxes that are used to mingle in any illegal war the UK can. Our mainstream media is controlled and censored to take away our voice and spread lies to gain the populations appeal for unjust wars. The people of this world want peace. The leaders of the world want to separate us into groups and drive us to war. We are all brothers and sisters. Enough is enough, if we don’t stand up for ourselves now who knows what will happen.’ -Scott Bridgwater

‘BECAUSE I’M AWAKE.’  -Tony ‘Bod’ Bodinnar

‘Because human beings can only be happy when they are free and have a full say in all the decisions that affect them. Abolish wage slavery! Real democracy now!’ -Stuart Watkins

I am part of the 99% because I believe that the politicians are no longer serving in the general publics favour. They continue to bail out banks and lend money to countries who cannot afford to pay it back, whilst we the taxpayer struggle to live our normal daily lives. Policies are created to favour the very few minority whilst the vast majority suffer. Illegal wars have been started, due to corrupt governments and corporate greed. There were never any weapons of mass destruction. No matter which politician you vote for the same outcome will always occur, with all of them breaking promises they said they would put into power. The media is used as a brainwashing machine to keep the majority unknowing and silent. But now there is no stopping the real truth getting out, hence why this revolution has begun. This is only the beginning, change WILL happen. What better place than here, what better time than now? -Amit

Because of the way they treat our Earth,Humans, Animals, pollute our water with flouride, our air with chemtrails ( aliminum and barium) War mongering mental attitude and agenda,Nucler Energy, Oil slicks,Boming on 9/11, sexualising everything,Greed, Satan Worship, Hide the truth.They stopped the EMA grant to help my daughter live away from home for a scholarship course, and my old mum who wants to volunteer in a book shop for two hours a week, BUT CANT because she will loose her pension ???? this world is sick and upside down our values are down the drain, IT needs to CHANGE x – Lesley Cain

I am the 99% because I worked for Corporations, used their services ands believed on them the last 12 years.
I am the 99% because the last Corporation where I worked (in theory work) reduced me to a sick and useless person on health care now because of it’s unethical and immoral behaviour.
I am the 99% because I suffered mindless outsourcing based on what Wall Street dictated every quarter.
I am the 99% because I have been tied by a mortgage for the last 15 years, and I will still pay for it well beyond my retirement
I am the 99% because my family suffers the pressure of nonsensical economy, false propaganda and mass media oriented consumption.
I am the 99% because I was fooled enough to believe that we had Democracy.
I am the 99% because I was looney enough to believe that we have Human Rights.
I am the 99% because in the last 2 months I read, listened, checked, contrasted, studied enough for a master in economics in most of the greatest Universities in this planet, and I am still here, raising my voice in the desert.
I am the 99% because I still believe in the 99% of the Humanity, their shared suffering, their common pain, their mutual need in each other.
I am the 99% because I want to believe I am still Human, and I need to cry it loud with my brothers and sisters around the World…
and I am the 99% because I still believe that you, on the other side of the screen, is a good person. And I trust you my life. -Aristonico Belargio

I am the 99% because the 1% made me that way,
I am the 99% because I couldn’t look back on this period in history and tell my grandchildren I didn’t try,
I am the 99% because I believe in something more than money can buy,
I am the 99% because I am tired of lies,
I am the 99% because my government no longer seek to represent the most moral majority but instead choose to enable torturers, genocidal dictators and sociopaths in suits,
I am the 99% because, one day, we will win. -Mark Luscombe