The War for a Better Economy

The war between Wall Street and Main Street continues to escalate, and the media continues fanning the flames. This war is about profits. Wall Street is making too much, Main Street is not making any and the media wants to make some more. Like in any war, all parties want to win but in this war there can only be losers.

Wall Street makes billions of dollars and when they begin losing profits the government bails them out. This seems like a win-win situation. The problem is that these CEOs are losing public support and the government cannot bail them out of this one because it’s too busy trying to bail itself out. The public is whom Wall Street calls consumers. The very consumers they need to keep their businesses afloat.

The relationship between Wall Street and Main Street is important for the survival of our economy. These two streets will never love each other, but hate is too strong of a feeling to have when cooperation on all levels is needed to save our ailing economy. It’s time to start doing something other then fight, and maybe just maybe come up with a solution. 

But hate will be a strong feeling to let go of especially when everything you read, hear or see tells you to HATE Wall Street. An article in the latest issue of Time tells its readers that they should be furious at Wall Street. It continues by calling the newest dilemma between the two, “Round 2 of Main Street vs. Wall Street.” Michael Moore’s film Capitalism: A Love Story also hints at the public’s outrage. The media strives for conflict because conflict is interesting. Who would want to watch a movie about how everyone gets along and where compromising is as easy as 1, 2, 3. The movie wouldn’t even make it to promos.
  
This war is not just the media’s fault. Moore suggests that it is our love of capitalism, our desire to live outside our means in order to achieve the lavish lives we dream of that is partly responsible. We want the lavish lives those CEOs live every day, but we need a reality check. There is no way a regular American can afford such a lifestyle and there is no need for many of the excess they have.

This leads to two reasons why Americans living on Main Street dislike those living on Wall Street. CEOs spend money recklessly, and are paid too much to do so. The media asks the question - Do CEOs deserve million dollar bonuses?  Anyone who heads a company and helps it make billions should get a fair cut of the profits. This cut however should not affect the company financially and should ONLY be given if the CEO’s decisions were responsible and improved the company. Those who lead their company’s to bankruptcy do not deserve anything, but a boot out the door.

CEOs lose their consumers’ trust and possibly jobs, the media is also losing the public’s trust and the average Mr. Smith living on Main Street cannot find a job. This is the sad reality of what we are facing, and unfortunately unless we start thinking about each other we will not be able to help ourselves.