The National Religion

And we hate the rich? Come on. Success is the national religion, and almost everyone is a believer. Americans love winners. But that's just the problem. These guys on Wall Street are not winning – they're cheating. And as much as we love the self-made success story, we hate the cheater that much more.

We cheer for people who hit their own home runs in this country – not shortcut-chasing juicers like Bonds and McGwire, Blankfein and Dimon.

That's why it's so obnoxious when people say the protesters are just sore losers who are jealous of these smart guys in suits who beat them at the game of life. This isn't disappointment at having lost. It's anger because those other guys didn't really win. And people now want the score overturned.
~ from OWS's Beef: Wall Street Isn't Winning – It's Cheating by Matt Taibbi ~

As usual, Taibbi hits the nail smack on the head! Most of the people who make up the 99 percent do not begrudge the rich for being rich; what they DO begrudge is that many people have become rich, not by their own industry, but by handouts and gaming the system.

As Taibbi correctly notes, financial success is the national religion of the United States. As sad as I might think it is, most Americans embrace capitalism to their bosoms. They cheer on people who have a rags-to-riches storyline. They ogle at rich celebrities and get goosebumps when they might happen to rub shoulders with the creme de la creme.

Not surprisingly, a good deal of the working and middle class believe that they will one day climb to the highest rungs of society. Their ship just hasn't come in yet. (Unfortunately, too many of them don't understand that the ship they are waiting for sunk in the harbor!!)

So, this idea that the various occupiers hate money/wealth is ludicrous. They love it. They simply want a reasonably fair opportunity to earn some for themselves.