"We Are The 99%" Rhetorical Analysis

Madelynn Fretto

Dr. Stephanie Brown

English 306

15 September 2016

Rhetorical Analysis of “We Are The 99%”

Elie Wiesel once said, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” (Quotes About Protest). Protesting is a basic constitutional right for all United States citizens. Without protests throughout American history, corruption and unjustness of figures and organizations would have never been brought to the attention of the general public. One such protest is the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, and this movement united under the slogan, “We are the 99%.” The 99% percent refers to the percentage of the population that feels the government and Wall Street are unfairly accumulating wealth at the expense of their livelihood. The inequality between the two groups has created massive economic and social issues, and this movement has worked to create a country that not only cares for its wealthiest citizens, but also its poorest. This slogan is what unites the millions of people advocating for this protest.

The intended audience for this slogan is the general public of the United States, particularly those who fall within the “99% category.” It unites those who feel the economy is unjust and favors the 1%, who has power over the means of production, politics, and capital. The wording brings to mind an “us versus them” mentality, as the slogan is meant to be divisive. This political slogan of the OWS protestors brings to light the consolidation of wealth in the top 1% of people who earn an income in the United States. The movement resonated with numerous people because of the Great Recession that began in December 2007, when the United States faced financial devastation it had not seen since World War II. Starting in 2007, mortgage-related financial assets were facing extreme declines, which ultimately affected the global market. Financial firms that used to be powerhouses had the Federal Reserve become involved by giving them loans (Weinberg 2013). During the recession, the unemployment rate rose to ten percent and home prices dropped thirty percent (Rich 2013). This recession stems back to the 1970s when there was a violation against the working class by their employers. This was because of decreased corporate profit margins, since the United States had competitors in Japan and Europe, as well as the extraordinary cost of the Vietnam War. These workers were taking loans out to pay for their homes and credit cards, creating a greater gap in income inequality. Even though the Great Recession technically ended in June 2009, the effects can still be seen today in the working class, who are still debt-ridden and struggling in the work force. Starting in 2011, public employees began to revolt and Occupy Wall Street was established (Yates 2013). The movement initially began in Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan on September 17, 2011. The general injustices being protested have been income inequality, mortgages, and student loan forgiveness.

The purpose of this slogan is to shed light on the income inequality between the richest people and the rest of society. This can be termed trickle-down economics, meaning the economy favors the privileged over the lower socioeconomic classes. This movement attempts to disband the notion that everyone is taken care of when the wealthiest in society are taken care of financially. There are numerous facts that shed light on the platform for this movement and the injustices they are protesting. The richest Americans earned as much as the lowest paid Americans combined and the wealthiest one percent took home a large percentage of all United States income (We Are The 99 Percent). This movement was “consciousness-raising” of the injustices that had already been occurring for decades. Consciousness-raising means there is an increase in knowledge and awareness of political and social issues (Consciousness-raising). The identities articulated are the Americans who feel their income is not sufficient to live a decent life. The slogan encapsulates the statistics that point to this inequality and gave a majority of the population a common phrase to unite under and protest, since financial devastation was the reality of many American families and individuals.

The creators’ purpose was to expose the policies that have the sole purpose of benefiting those who are the wealthiest citizens and defend those who are being taken advantage of by politicians. The creators accomplished this protest using statements and facts containing Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Ethos appeals to listeners by ensuring the speaker is seen as credible and respectable by being knowledgeable on the particular subject. The writer/speaker should pay special attention to word choice, as this ultimately convinces the listeners to find them trustworthy (Ethos). In this movement, the activists used adverse facts regarding the 1% to invalidate their image, thus showing that the OWS supporters are knowledgeable and trustworthy. The tactic is to show that the wealthiest citizens and their supporters only look out for themselves, therefore showing that this movement is one to support. They are not taking money from the less fortunate to help themselves financially, as the government and Wall Street had been doing, according to the movement.

Logos appeals to logical thinking by using statements and arguments that can be connected to each other in order to create a reasonable way of thinking about and approaching an issue. The logic behind this movement is that because the wealthiest Americans have more affluence than the rest of the population, there is corruption and inequality that does not allow the wealth to be distributed in an honest way. Because of this disparity, those on the poorer end are more susceptible to dire consequences, including a lower life expectancy, increases in homicides, addiction to drugs, and debt, among other factors (We Are The 99 Percent). College tuition has increased exponentially in the past few decades, making it more difficult for the middle class and poor to afford an education (We Are The 99 Percent). These groups tend to be less educated than those who can afford an education. This lack of education affects the quality of life and career outlook of these people, setting them up for a more difficult life path. The logic that lower income people have a more difficult time succeeding in life is how OWS utilizes Logos in order to legitimize their movement, and allows people to identify as a member because of this general thought process.  

Pathos appeals to emotion and is effective because humans tend to base decisions on emotions and feelings in the moment. This slogan is meant to stir up feelings of anger and resentment towards the 1%. Logos and Pathos can be seen as interrelated because these angry feelings are channeled through logic. This logic is the affluent are monopolizing the wealth in the country and creating a large discrepancy between the two groups. Watching the outspoken people behind this movement and reading the signs at protests stirs up these feelings, because this puts an actual face to the inequality we hear about. Seeing a student who cannot afford paying their loans or a single mother living paycheck to paycheck because her wages are so low humanizes this issue and creates the visceral reactions that are often broadcasted for the country to observe.

The object, which is the “We are the 99%” slogan, was and still is highly effective in achieving its purpose, which is to create a movement that no longer stands for the inequality that plagues this country. Wall Street workers and politicians have amassed an unimaginable amount of wealth at the expense of those who are not as affluent. The rhetoric and word choice of this slogan allowed this succinct phrase to have much more meaning to it, and resonated with millions of people. “We” creates the perception that those who feel they are affected by this inequality can unite under a common cause and protest those who are not in the 99% category. This movement was largely successful and became a national phenomenon that shed light on Wall Street like never before. The slogan was the catalyst that allowed people to discuss how wealth is accrued in this country and how society can work towards supporting the entire populace, rather than one small facet of it.

            Occupy Wall Street was a movement that began in New York City and from there, spread across the United States and world. This protest successfully expanded beyond its initial starting point because it expressed and counteracted the injustices the middle and poor classes had been experiencing for years. “We are the 99%” was the resounding phrase that summarized the purpose of the protest and who the group identified with. This slogan uses Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to evoke the strong feelings and necessary support that sustains this movement. Even though Occupy Wall Street has dissipated somewhat, its presence and impact is still present in the consciousness of American citizens.    

Works Cited

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"Quotes About Protest." Goodreads. Goodreads Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

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We Are The 99 Percent. The True Patriot Network, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.

Weinberg, John. "Support for Specific Institutions." Federal Reserve History. N.p., 3 Dec. 2013.

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Yates, Michael D. “Occupy Wall Street and the Significance of Political

Slogans.” CounterPunch. N.p., 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.