The rightwing of US press coverage is working hard to diminish the issues raised by the Wall St "occupiers" by attacking the occupiers. The "mainstream" press has generally ignored the protestors or their perspective. The TEA party got instant attention and coverage, but they were pushing ideas comforatable and appealling for the corporatist powers themselves and the government officials and representatives tied to their contribution chains. The perspectives of the Wall Street "occupiers" threaten years of tremendous benefits which have shifted immense parts of our economy into the hands of very few, very rich, and very myopic people and organizations. The irony is that these same groups while funding the TEA party threaten the economic and politial welfare of both the TEA party rank and file and the Wall St. Occupiers.
Amy Goodwin or Chris Hedges on the Charlie Rose show a few nights ago mentioned a quote from Gandhi.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -- this saying by Mohandas K. Gandhi has inspired activists working for social change for generations.
This already seems to be the case with the established press and spokesman for corporatist government which effectively disenfranchises 99% of us. Others are attacking the "occupiers" with variations on the attacks on the hippies of the sixties. I happened to notice a couple reminders of those days now imported from China.
Anyway, I haven't met any of the protestors myself. I have seen broadcasts of the police attacks on the "occupiers". Now cities are complaining about the costs of police enforcement even though it doesn't seem to be proven that any police enforcement was actually needed. Politicans are complaining the demonstrators don't have a list of government programs or legislation ready to go to solve the problems of wealth concentration and disenfranchisment of most of us right or left.
That seems a bit disengenuous. Our polticians know exactly what needs to be done, they just don't have the courage to step out of the poltical funding chains of the merchantilists who have managed to get our government moved around to the idea that the future of the US is more tied to moving money around than actually producing anything useful that can be bought or sold.
You might want to watch the Charlie Rose video from last night (Oct 24,2011). Or spend a few minutes reading Amy Goodman’s column. She related bits of that last night on the Rose show.
And, to get an idea of which side you might want to represent if you care a tiny bit about the 99% of us instead of the 1% typically represented by mainstream media, take a look at Chris Hedges columns at Truth Dig. Take a look too at the column by Matt Taibi .
That gives a bit of any idea of the corporatist attempts to discredit the ideas driving the Occupy Wall St. groups by dangerous distortion and propaganizing so absurd it would be funny if the actual situation were not so serious.
We may find attacks on the Wall St. occupiers is yesterday’s view by the political elite. The support the positions are gaining as indicated by recent TIME magazine polls has influence politicians comments. This public opinion has forced both political parties to modify their initial foaming-at-the- mouth attacks on the demonstrators. Although, I heard Newt Gingrich at it this morning on NPR.
The corporatists are confident in their control of government and media, but may also be aware that there is enough truth in the charges of the Wall St Occupiers that they have the potential to rouse the 99% of us effectively disenfranchised by the money and and media influence of the very rich corporatists. We who are not on Wall Street or walking the halls of Congress and government in designer shoes and suits, better determine just who or what actually represents our best interest.
*** Stay tuned even if the expression "War is harmful to children and other living things" never made a dent on your preconceptions.--- Doug Wiken
They should occupy the office of the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. I am sure he could explain to these concerned citizens where that bailout money went.
Posted by: Thad Wasson | Oct 26, 2011 at 06:02 PM