By now most have witnessed the large protests, which started on Wall Street have spread around the world. Hippies, hipsters, union workers, socialists, and other angry people are present to voice their displeasure over the current system.
I have to admit, when first glancing at the videos and pictures I start to think “how fun it must be to disregard hygiene for weeks and participate in drum circles”. I also am amused by the irony of those who protest the establishment while Skyping from an iPhone 4 in J. Crew khakis.
Having said that, many in the crowd are ordinary, college educated, working Americans. I would wager a few, maybe many have worked hard their whole lives only to have their savings evaporate and their jobs lost. The system failed them.
Just a guess however, but I would think the ratio of wacko people to sensible people is similar to that of a Tea Party rally. But regardless of who is protesting, isn’t the message more important? Here is a video from Yahoo’s Aaron Trask:
At the end of the video he makes the following points about “those who mock the protesters, what are they defending”:
- Crony capitalism
- Bank bailouts
- Rising income inequality
- The slow death of the American dream
Taking a stand against any of those issues doesn’t seem even remotely close to unreasonable, just as those at Tea Party rallies, who are mocked by the left, have valid points on bureaucratic corruption and/or incompetence.
My non-partisan point is that when it comes to massive protests or rallies the crazies will get all the attention, but they do bring up sensible positions that MUST be addressed if we will continue to prosper as a nation.
