The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement - Myth, reality and Kerala

Introduction

The ‘Occupy wall street movement began as a protest against corporate greed. The venue of the protest was ‘Wall street’ – the financial center of corporate America. The first protest was on September 17, 2011.The protests ‘occupied’ Wall Street and claimed to represent the 99 % of the population who were being exploited by the rich, greedy 1%. The movement caught the imagination of millions across the globe and there were similar protest movements against corporate greed in many other nations including European and Asian countries.

We have seen American popular culture dominating lifestyles and fads all across the world. Right from the hippism of the 60’s to the low waist jeans of today, America has defined attitude and style. The same can be said about many ‘movements’ of today.

Americans generally have been worshippers of wealth. Concentration of wealth is seen as a necessary evil which fuels American growth and industry. Even then, the show of opulence and the greed of the corporate CEOs who give themselves larger salaries and perks even while the nation totters at the brink of recession has caused great heartburn among the ordinary people of America. Ordinary Americans are losing their jobs and healthcare benefits even while the Government is handing over large sums of money to bail out banks and financial institutions which have performed poorly.

The money angle and the politics behind OWS

As a movement of protest, the OWS street movement got more media attention than any other supposedly non political demonstration.

The protest against corporate greed is nothing new. Not even in America. What sets this particular movement apart if the speed at which it has caught on and the money that has gone in to finance this protest. This is no ordinary NGO affair.

Even while the protests were being organized observers had pointed out at massive amount of money which was being used by the movement. Fingers were pointed at John Soros, the Greek multi Billionaire as one of the sources of the protest movement. It was the Soros financed ‘Tides Center’ which paid the Adbusters to help  spark the Occupy Wall Street movement with a wonderful poster showing a ballerina atop the Wall Street bull.

Money started to flow into different chapters of the OWS movement as if  by magic. About two weeks ago Occupy Wall Street’s finance working group asked a ‘progressive group’ called the Alliance For Global Justice to be its fiscal sponsor and receive donations for the group. The AFGJ expected to receive some between one and five thousand dollars. Instead, it was flooded with donations for up to $140,000.

Then there is the target of the protesters. The protests are directed at those who are opposed to the Ruling democratic party of Barak Obama. In return, leaders of the ruling Democratic party have been vocal in their support to the protest movement.

The demonstrators who say they are against corporate greed of wall street support the democrats even when that party has been the recipient of 80 % of the political donations from the wall street !

The OWS has nothing bad to say about Bill Clinton, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelick, Jim Johnson, Rahm Emanuel, Chris Dodd and Barney Frank. Democrats all of them members of the democratic party closely associated with Wall street.

The protestors were seen to walk right past George Soros' apartment building in order to protest at the homes of Rupert Murdoch and David Koch, both of whome oppose the Democratic party.

In the 1990s, the Democratic President Bill Clinton repeatedly bailed out his friends at Goldman Sachs and Citibank under the tutelage of his Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin -- former chairman of Goldman Sachs. U.S. taxpayers were fleeced to prop up nations that were about to default on risky bonds purchased by Goldman and Citibank. But for today’s OWS protestors Clinton is an ‘ally’.

The people who have come up with support to the OWS movement include Democratic multimillionaires like John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Alec Baldwin, and Micheal Moore, "God bless them for their spontaneity. It's independent, it's young, it's focused. And it's going to be effective," parroted the wealthiest former Speaker in the history of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi, who continues to ask lobbyists to write the bills she passes to find out what's in them.

"I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel...” added President Obama.

Mob rule

In India, this movement has been endorsed by the CPM as a people’s movement against Capitalism. Well and Good. In the absence of Communism Capitalism is the bane to be opposed tooth and nail. But the spirit behind the OWS movement doesn’t seem to be about opposing capitalism. It seems more and more like a movement for crony Capitalism at the behest of John Soros and his allies in the democratic establishment.

The CPM which has been pointed in its opposition to the anti corruption movement of Anna Hazare in India has identified itself with a semi political movement in the US.

Perhaps it was the nature of the protests has appealed to the CPM. Instead of Anna Hazare and his compatriots peacefully offering Satyagraha to force the government to curb black money and crony capitalism, the OWS activists have attacked the Police, blocked roads and defecated on the streets. This mob mentality synonymous with communist’s movements around the country and especially in Kerala seems to have done the trick for the CPM.

Topless protest : Artistic Director of Dance Theater Group Kandake, Olga El, went topless as an artistic expression to relay frustration over Christopher Columbus Day during the Occupy Wall Street protests on Monday October 10th.

Zuni Tikka, on the metaphore of protesting bare-breasted: "I can't afford a shirt. Wall Street has stolen the shirts from our backs". She has been protesting next to a poster "I didn't say look, I said listen."

Another historical blunder

If the CPM believes that it can reverse its historical irrelevance by identifying itself with the OWS movement, it is clutching at straws. It reminds me of an incident during the Gorbachev revolution is the USSR when pro communist troops attempted a military takeover from civilian rule. It was in 19–21 of August 1991.A bunch of Army officers had commandeered some tanks and moved towards Yelsins’ office. Our CPM leaders suddenly saw this as a turning point in the otherwise slide towards destruction of their fatherland and were ecstatic. An overly excited Harkishen Surjeeth announced on primetime TV – “ The great fight back by the people’s army had begun. The counter revolutionary rebellion of the criminals led by Gorbachev will now be crushed”. By nightfall, the soldiers went over to Gorbachev and Yelsin. I have to say that Surjeeth was never the same person after that setback.

History keeps repeating itself. Yet, the orphans of history refuse to learn its lessons.

OWS today

Anarchy is something that people tire off quickly and the response to the OWS movement has not been any different. Governments across states in America , even those which has expressed support to the OWS protesters are firmly moving against the mob action  and clearing the street of these protesting vandals.

Police guarded newly-cleared plazas early Wednesday in Atlanta and Oakland after clearing Occupy Wall Street protests. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested in swift crackdowns by riot squads after local authorities lost patience with the rallies. In Times Square, 5th Ave and 42nd St were cleared. The protests in Denver too fizzled out with police arresting 24 people who refused to clear out. .

Meanwhile Protesters associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement took an impromptu march up Broadway, clashing with police officers, and getting arrested in the process. At least 80 protestors involved with the movement were detained near Union Square in Manhattan.

In New York the Occupy Wall Street protest in Zuccotti Park is continuing.

Democracy and change

America, where democracy has granted a more orderly mechanism to resolve social and economic issues has to a large extent rejected anarchy as an instrument of change. Americans have never been fans of the kind of revolution that the French had and rule of the frenzied mob that accompanied it. The American Revolution that led to greater freedom since 1688 - was not the act of a mob. For the same reason, Americans have been always opposed to mob rule and the kind of anarchy which the OWS movement represents.

It should not be forgotten that in America, George Washington disapproved of the destruction of the tea during the ‘Boston tea Party’ movement against British rule. Benjamin Franklin demanded that the India Tea Co. be reimbursed for it. Considered an embarrassment by many of America’s founding fathers, the Boston Tea Party was not celebrated for another 50 years. It would be three long years after the Boston Tea Party when its founding fathers engaged in their truly revolutionary act: The signing of the Declaration of Independence.

As the largest democracy founded on the Hindu cultural principles of tolerance and peaceful evolution, India is no different.