I’ve been busy with little jobs and other distractions as of late and haven’t followed the news as closely as I normally do. It’s been wonderful. So I have only recently noticed, with passing glances, the growth of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the last several weeks. At first, I thought it would be short-lived, a roman candle that burns bright but fades away quickly. But as the weeks marched on, the movement seemed to grow and it became more than the typical type of protests that accompany financial summits such as the G8 or G20. You know, a sort of protestapolooza with no real direction and no unified message that verged on pure anarchy. This movement has taken on different face than those types of protests.
It has a core of anger that is not purely based on a far left agenda. It is more centralized, the result of an anger over the failure of oour politicians to listen to the real concerns of all the people, instead adopting policies and positions that seem to favor the very wealthiest. Anger borne out of seeing that the vote no longer can change much in the face of the lobbies with deep pockets. The anger of the disenfranchised, people who don’t see a light at the end of any tunnels.
It’s a dilemma for many people to consider. I mean, I have no problem with wealth and the corporate world. I believe that every one should have the right and the opportunity to make as much money as he desires and is able to produce. But when it comes at the exclusion and expense of the majority of the populace it becomes a problem that must be addressed. So, while I may understand and have empathy for this movement, maybe it should be directed more at those in government who enable amd have become part and parcel of the corruption that these people are protesting.
Everything points to a political system that doesn’t function on almost any level right now. Something must change and the people deserve to have their voices heard. I’m still unclear on the direction of this movement and where this will go or if it will eventually fade away. But for now, it continues to grow and the anger builds, only pushed on by the actions and words of those in power. For instance, the same politicos such as Eric Cantor, who praised the protests of the Tea Party as patriotic rallies call these protesters “mobs”. Amy Goodman has a great article that addresses how the powers that be seem to be protected by a police presence that has been bought. It is an article that is both enlightnening and disturbing.
The allegiance by politicians and government agencies, if Goodman’s words suggest in this particular instance, to these corporate supporters is troubling. If her observations are true, this could get very ugly before this whole thing is over.
We shall see.
Redtree Times 