The 1% Rebels

Did you know that the term 1%ers used to describe the Hells Angels and their glamorous, violent, leather jacketed rebellion? Now, you could say that the term still denotes rebellion against the masses. But it is not gang members who claim the title any more - it is the high society elite whose identity is formed through the suits they wear and the status they achieve in life. To know that that the term 1%ers once described a motorcycle gang and to mull over the definition of the term, I can understand why it has come to claim these new "suited bandits" of North America. They might not seem like rebels to you at first, but let me explain.

These suited bandits want to achieve the "American" dream - that is, to make lots of money and own lots of cool junk they don't need. They also don't want to share any of it (a lesser recognized, but just as worshipped American ideal). Hells Angels would be proud I think. "Yea, stick it to the man...who's now ironically inferior to you"... Well maybe they wouldn't say it quite like that.

But to continue.... Many of the suited bandits see themselves as superior and don't like to stray too much out of their social circle. They want to spend their money in whatever way they please and have a good time in life. "But wait!" you might say, "The suited bandits crave the status quo. The Hell's Angels looked to shake it or stomp it entirely. They are different in that respect." To that point, I will concede. But in craving the status quo...the ideal...in wanting to be like others before them... in wanting all the cake and to eat it too... they have nonetheless gone against the status quo. They have been too successful in achieving their first world ideals and have therefore put themselves into a whole new class category, separate from the masses. Furthermore, they have seemed to break the staus quo forever. The 99% of "individualists" in Canada and the United States have united and come together for a common cause. Their values have shifted from prosperity to stability with the economic downturn and they see the suited bandits as "a bad kind of different". Too greedy, dangerous, and troublesome. Those damn hoodlums and their noisy sports cars. No one likes them, those rebels.

Our Generation's Great Catch 22

"If I had a dollar every time I saw a job post asking for a graduate or entry level employee, I would have a self-loathing, momentary happiness, resulting from the fact that I'd have enough for a small cup of tea... But, in other words, I wouldn't have many dollars."


For any young student or graduate, employment is harrowing and can seem damn near impossible to gain. I know myself how utterly depressing and terrifying the condition of "unemployment" can be. Trust me folks, it is not a condition you want to be in, but like chicken pox, it appears to be a rite of passage for all of us. When it hits and how long of a passage it turns out to be is different for everyone, but I think it could really cut down on its number of sharp turns and dead ends for all of us. Regardless of its soul-sucking nature, we keep to course, keep hunting, and hope that our parents don't kick us out of the house or stop giving us that extra "just in case you need it" cash.

What can be the worst part about unemployment is the fact that your potential employers are looking for skilled, experienced, employees. Many current job offers state that applicants must have 3-5 years of experience. How can we get this experience if not hired in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I can understand the perspective of the employer. It is a "tough economy" as they say and businesses are struggling. They want to save time and resources on training and supervising and they want to limit their liabilities. But Canada's unemployment rate just seems too high for businesses to be picky. If we only hired people with experience and never let new entries into organizations, we would have a slowly dwindling number of people employed and shrinking organizations. But wait a minute! This is already happening isn't it? My god, by the time I'm fifty organizations will each have one decrepit "keeper of the knowledge". Be prepared to protect these people. For they alone will hold the keys to the great experience.    
I think it's time businesses took "experience" off its pedestal and put some faith in Generation Y. They shouldn't fear the inexperienced, but accept them, teach them, and help them support their businesses into the future.