What is Occupy Wallstreet?

[Lissa]

Again I call bull. It's more about who you know and what you have then it is about equal opportunity.

Perhaps, in some places, but not generally, and not everywhere. The law is more than merely the rules as enforced, but it also involves the ability to bring a case to trial if you feel you have been wronged. Much of that access is predicated on having money to hire a lawyer, or in getting the attention of the right people, like the ACLU, or some pro-bono lawyer looking to get some renown.

You miss the point. With enough money and/or influence, you can get away with murder (which some people have). Equal opportunity is not there, it's all about what influence you can exert through your money and/or connections. This means their is not equal opportunity for everyone.

The American Dream is dead, no longer is it a matter of how hard you work, but instead of who you know and who's feet you kiss.

I don't see how this relates specifically to equal opportunity. It seems to be a general statement applicable across the entire middle, and lower classes. I would agree (e.g. the beetle climbing the bowl metaphor) that it is increasingly difficult to "get ahead" due to a number of factors, including the growing number of McJobs, competition from globalization, outsourcing, the 300% increase (adjusted for inflation) in the price of college (over the past 30 years), and the growing limitations on entrepreneurial freedom (as I've mentioned previously as well). I would say the "American Dream" of improving your lot, and that of your children, is becoming more out of reach. But, not quite dead yet. Ok, I'm an optimist.

It has everything to do with equal opportunity. There are barriers to entry and no matter how hard you work, if you do not have someone their to recognize you and move you along, you'll be stuck. I've seen too many times where the person that doesn't do anything, but has the connections gets moved up the pipeline, but people that work hard that don't have the connections get ignored. The whole point of the American Dream™ was that if you worked hard you could move up, that isn't the case anymore. Effectively, the American Dream™ is dead and you do not have an equal opportunity to move up because you worked hard, instead you now move up based on who you know which is more along the lines of nepotism instead of a good work ethic.