Perhaps, someone else has noticed this, but given that I haven’t been following the news as closely as is my wont in recent days I missed that commentary.
We all know how anger and frustration are often the flip side of euphoria and enthusiasm. We are excited about a person or a project, but when we find that said individual or said endeavor doesn’t meet our expectations, what was once excitement transforms itself into rage.
So, I’ve been wondering if this is happening with some of the young folk “occupying” various public spaces in large cities across the country. Many are understandably frustrated in this difficult economy, unable to find gainful employment, anxious about their future. I dare say some of these individuals had similar fears three or four short years ago, but used the presidential campaign that year to translate their anxiety into action, working hard for the man they thought would transform this nation, a man who would create opportunities merely by taking the oath of office.
When his administration didn’t bring the change they had hoped for, they found their excitement turning to anger, but aren’t directing it at one-time object of their admiration. They turned it instead on one of his preferred targets.
Well, when you’re raised all your life to believe that idiocy is truth, and that sensible people are evil, you are going to blame the failure of your idiocy on those evil sensible people.
Dan, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this in any of the posts, but I think the idea of this protest started in Israel. Pup tents and makeshift living quarters were lined up all along Rothschild Blvd. in Tel Aviv. I got to see this first hand while I was there in August. They were protesting the economic conditions, but in particular, the very high cost of housing, not just in Tel Aviv, but in the suburbs as well. It was a peaceful protest, and I don’t recall there being any arrests and/or violence of any form. The protest ended when the bus was attacked and passengers killed by Palestinians on August 18.
As for the protestors here, if one talked to the people individually, I guess one would find anger and frustration directed at several sources: Wall St., Congress, corporations in general, and Obama. I think many are frustrated with the bailouts, and wondering where their bailout is. And perhaps some put two and two together and realized Obama supported these bailouts.
A recent article I read about the Stuxnet virus had me remembering my time in the military. I was in AFSC command in the Air Force. My unit worked on prototype projects before they got sent to the contractors for production. The AF not only made a man out of me but it also taught me the basics that gave me the ability to earn a living and raise a family after I got out. I can’t help but think how many of these kids today would be helped by a time in the military. I often think we should go back to the draft.
comment #1 – brilliant!
It is truly a testament to their stupidity. The evil and bitter joke in all this is that Obama *is* Wall Street. Bush proposed the bailouts; but with Obama’s backing. Obama sealed them and paid them. His either #1 or #2 donors in the 2008 campaign were the employees of Goldman-Sachs.
And by “bailout”, I mean not only the TARP cf, but Porkulus – totalling over $1 trillion. Plus the Fed’s additional bailouts in the form of QE1 and QE2 (another $2 trillion): Obama blessed those as well, re-appointing Fed Chairman Bernanke in 2009 with high praise. So directly or indirectly, Obama has been responsible for some $3 trillion in Wall Street bailouts.
So, reality intruded.
Here’s another very good (i.e. accurate) line, which I didn’t invent, and I apologize to whoever who did for forgetting them: Tea Party and OWS have something in common, which is that they both oppose crony capitalism. Tea Party wants capitalism without cronyism; OWS wants cronyism without capitalism.
Dan… i must correct you. This:
Given how weak and stupid the Wall Street Reform package was, and that he is still getting gobs of money from WS, should be this:
No, most of these are not people ‘unable to find employment’. They are spoiled brats who feel entitled to have the college experience go on forever and never have to wake up every morning to go to a mundane boring job.
Indeed… and the other day I realized that even for the long-term unemployed, there is no such thing as unemployment. Even the most desperate person can work to improve their own education or home life, or work as a volunteer to help family or a charity. Over time, as they get a reputation for being responsible and productive, paid jobs will start to come their way. There is always employment going on, somewhere.
Two problems there…
1. Most of them wouldn’t qualify for the military; physically or the background check.
2. Most of them you wouldn’t want serving WITH YOU in the modern military….especially armed.
Maybe a paramilitary re-invention of the old Civilian Conservation Corps instead? Sweat, fresh air and some genuine hard work would do wonders. Barracks, reveille at 5am, and construction boots….
Exactly: they don’t object to bailouts. They only object to themselves not being bailed out. They want to keep the cronyism, just get rid of the capitalism.
I doubt it’s many. OWS philosophy (such as it is) is Big Government, compatible with Obama’s. It’s easy to find OWS people who heart Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am9nhC38PYo
Sondra K has a neat rundown of some of the West Coast Occupy stupidity. Sample:
If this keeps up, this is going to be a PR win for Wall Street and sanity.
http://www.sondrakistan.com/?p=12897
But they **can’t** protest against Obama directly, because people who do **that** are Republicans and Tea Partiers, those evil subhumans who own guns and pickup trucks and go to church and call people they don’t like names like “nigger” and “faggot”. /sarc
My guess is that if you listen to NPR and don’t detect a left-wing bias, it’s probably because you’re already on the left and agree with them. One of the ways I noted the bias on NPR was the way that every issue in society was presented in the context of requiring another Government program or more Government spending as the solution; which is exactly the position you would expect people who receive a taxpayer-funded paycheck to take.
NPR is a place that would rather give a microphone to a convicted cop-killer (Mumia Jamal) than to a conservative.