In the Streets

(from dealbreaker.com)

I'm watching the "Occupy..." Movement grow from NYC to many cities around the US. As a witness to both the Civil Rights struggles and the efforts to stop Vietnam, there are somewhat predictable arcs. The Right has begun it's public counterattack via Limbaugh. Surely in one city or another there will be efforts to smear the movement with acts which are actually carried out by persons aiming to defend the status quo at any cost. (See, e.g., the first ten minutes of Battle of Algiers.) One thing that concerns me, just watching the media coverage of Wall Street, is the fact that signage expresses outrage at just about everything under the sun. There is a muddled, 'whadaya got' quality to that impression which will disturb the already fearful. Massaged by the Limbaughs they get all their "facts" from, the fearful will provide a base for all sorts of draconian counter actions, should there be any sort of provocation. It won't take much either.

Given those obvious concerns, then, here's a good link to beginning to understand what's happening:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2011/10/recommended-reading-on-occupywallstreet.html

Be sure to read the post as well--the author is thoughtful, and he's been to the protests and talked to a number protesters. I have heard over the past two years quite a few people wondering why there isn't more street action viz our terrible economy, and in particular about the loss of jobs in the United States. Well... this is the street action, and the center of the issue. As long as the Right Wing Pundits aren't allowed to reframe this (and they'll try mightily), there are very large majorities in the US who are surely on board. Who knows--we might actually witness something positive coming out of this. For starters, it's a fact (supported by many polls) that a majority of Americans of all political affiliations support higher taxes on the very rich. That's very heartening, because it only makes sense. Governance which makes no sense--what we're witnessing in Congress, and particularly the House--cannot stand forever. The question is, what comes after the country realizes where the radical House is trying to take us.