The Occupy Wherever protests are very slowly, but surely gathering steam around the world. Inspired by the jaw-dropping display of sheer people power in Tahrir Square, Egypt, whirrings began in the minds of disaffected youth.

The first to emerge were the indignados of Spain and were followed by the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York. Then, we saw people occupying Brussels during the euro-saving (sic) summit, and then the Occupy St Paul’s protesters in London forced the closure of the Cathedral. The latest group to emerge is the Occupy Oklahoma group. Make no mistake, this is going on all over the world.

At first, many thought that these were simply youths who were bored and wanted something to do. But as the months have rolled slowly by, with sun giving way to rain and frosty mornings, the message is emerging. Some of these young people are medical and legal graduates. Yet they cannot find jobs and some live in regions where youth unemployment is as high as 60%. They have to take loans to study, and once those studies are completed, they cannot even find a way to break into their chosen profession.

What these people are demanding, is what people have demanded out of capitalism since its inception – at varying times in our recent history. The demand is simple – more equitable distribution of wealth. No one could believe their eyes and ears as news of more bank bonuses came out, in the wake of the trail of personal and social destruction which they have left in their path.

Just like in the times of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom and the railroad boom in the United States, capitalism is, once again, creating an underclass – the slave worker. The only difference is that today, those same ‘slave workers’ are educated and more empowered than in the past. In his epic Das Kapital, Karl Marx argues that a worker should be paid according to the value of the product which he produces. It is no surprise that a study a couple of years ago, carried by think tank the New Economics Foundation, says hospital cleaners create £10 of value for every £1 they are paid.

It claims bankers are a drain on the country because of the damage they caused to the global economy and they reportedly destroy £7 of value for every £1 they earn. But, we have to analyse this critically, it is still all self motivated and driven by ‘selfishness’. Do we forget that while we might not be able to live the lives of relative luxury of a few years ago, there are still 57 million people around the world who live on less than $1 per day? And here we are, complaining that we cannot afford flat screens all round. Life is always a matter of perspective, and yes, the protesters are right in what they say. But perhaps we should all take a look around before casting ourselves as the victims. The reality is that we are all simply, victims of our own greed. In the New Testament, Timothy sums it up well: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”. While the seven Deadly Sins were conceived by the 4th century monk Evagrius Ponticus, who actually listed eight evil thoughts, it was actually Dante Alighieri who brought the issue to the fore, in his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. The point being made here is that greed has always been looked upon as the worst excess which blights mankind. Let us hope Dante’s visions were not a premonition of what is to come.