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Occupy Walls Street’s Movement

In: Business and Management

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BUS309: Assignment 1
Prf. Bonitto
Carlos A. Machado Z.
May 14, 2013

Discuss the moral and economic implications involved in the movement.
The Occupy Walls Street’s movement stands in the moral grounds of: “It’s wrong to wreck the world. It’s wrong to wreck the health and hopes of others. An economic system that forces most of the people to bear the impacts of the recklessness of a few powerful profiteers, to assume the burdens of others’ privilege, and to pay the real costs of destructive industries in the currency of their health and the hopes of their children”. They believe that the system disrupts a great planetary cycle that support lives on earth (Moore, 2013). In the economic grounds they believe that everything is connected and everyone depends on each other. They see that a few (The 1%) have control of everything (economy, justice, environment etc.), and have politicians in their pocket. They believe that the rich and powerful have the power to resolve many issues that are concerning right now like environmental and economic emergencies but instead of doing so; they satisfy their greed with a short-term gain (Moore, 2011).
The goal of this movement is to restore democracy by getting the money out of politics so that the people can take measures that will save the world from catastrophe and their principles are (Occupy Wall Street, 2011): 1. Engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy 2. Exercising personal and collective responsibility 3. Recognizing individuals’ inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions 4. Empowering one another against all forms of oppression 5. Redefining how labor is valued 6. The sanctity of individual privacy 7. The belief that education is human right 8. Making technologies, knowledge, and culture open to all to freely access, create, modify, and distribute. (Amendment passed by consensus 2/9/2012)
Analyze each of the implications identified above against the utilitarian, Kantian, and virtue ethics to determine which theory best applies to the movement. Support your position with examples and evidence.
“Utilitarian is the moral doctrine that should always act to produce the greatest possible balance for good over bad for everyone affected by our actions” (Shaw, 2010). Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill were the philosophers that develop this theory, and because of their constant criticism to everything, Utilitarianism a major factor in social improvement.
To understand this approach in an organizational context an action, decision or organizational policy is positive if its outcome produces greater happiness than others (Shaw, 2010). By doing this they create realistic and workable moral decision, and resolve the problem of egoism that seems incapable to resolve any problem in an organization. In contrast the Kantian Ethics is based more on reason, and some action is prohibited even if these actions are made for greater good, for example: murder, theft, lying, etc. For Kant any action doesn’t have moral worth if it didn’t come from a good will, for example people that does good for the community expecting nothing in return. In the organizational context, Kant’s moral theory states that our actions don’t depend of the result. No matter what the consequences are and no matter how much good can be produce some actions are always wrong. This means that the theory does not believe in greater good or that humans are not a means to an end rather that a sense of duty to do the right thing for its own sake (Shaw, 2012).
Occupy Wall’s Street wants what is best for the 99% by restoring democracy and giving back the power to the people. This vision can be seen more as a utilitarian view than a Kantian view, because it seeks a greater good and the outcome of happiness for the 99% is larger than the unhappiness for the 1%.
Determine who is responsible for income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. In your analysis, make sure to include if this is something that happened suddenly or if it built up over time. Explain your rationale. I believe that the government is responsible for income inequality and wealth distribution, and this is because of taxes they make to the different social classes. The rich have taken advantage of tax breaks, said Roberton Williams, a senior economist at the centrist Tax Policy Center. Bob McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice states that the top 10% pay just under half the tab. The top 10% paid an average of 30% of their income in local, state, and federal taxes in 2011, said McIntyre. That's not much different than the 25% percent paid by the middle class. That is why income inequality and wells distribution isn’t fair for all U.S. citizens, it makes the rich richer leaving cero opportunity to others climb up (Hargreaves 2013).
Suggest an equitable outcome from the movement that would be appropriate for our capitalistic society.
If this movement succeeds in their campaign, they are giving equal opportunity to everyone and not for only a few (1%). Also they will give security to all investor with their money managed by others. This safety can only be acquired by regulating the markets, limiting big investors or market movers (like banks) that can manipulate it how they want. But to achieve this they must eliminate corruption. In some of their statements, they believe that the 1% (the rich) have politicians in their pockets, making it difficult to create policies and regulations that gives advantage to the 99% balancing opportunity. Equal opportunity can create or enlarge a strong middle class, which is the most important class for a country economic growth. That’s why the outcome of this movement can bring happiness to the vast majority of the United States.
Predict whether the movement will continue, fad away, or turn into something else. Provide a rationale with your response. Occupy Wall’s Street began as a small protest in Zuccotti Park, formerly called Liberty Plaza Park, in lower Manhattan, New York. When they started to get notice, Unions, progressive leaders and politicians give them support resembling more than 900 meetings in 900 cities across the country. In month they were spreading like Facebook, in their early stages, and had rallies in countries like Australia, Great Britain and Spain (Cherkis, 2011). Is very interesting how this movement has developed in a short period of time. First a protest, then a movement till now an organization. Through time they have maintain their position in their principle, but for future having this aggressive growth, is difficult to see what changes they could have or into what they could evolve, they are already involve in politics maybe they could become an interest group.

Reference
Cherkins, J., 12-2011, Huffington Post, Occupy Wall Street: Latest Developments From The Global Occupy Movemen,t Retrieve From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/occupy-wall-street-latest-developments_n_1019822.html
Hargraves, S., 03-2013, CNN Money, The rich pay majority of U.S. income taxes, Retrieve From: http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/12/news/economy/rich-taxes/index.html
Moore, K., 11-2011, Nation of Change, Occupy Wall Street’s Moral Ground, Retrieve From: http://www.nationofchange.org/occupy-wall-street-s-moral-ground-1320331367
NYC General Assembly, 2011, # Occupy Wall Street, Principles of Solidarity, Retrieve Form: http://www.nycga.net/resources/documents/principles-of-solidarity/

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