It’s no surprise that Republicans, right-wing think tanks, corporate moguls and, of course, Wall Street execs and CEO’s are worried sick about Occupy Wall Street.
First, the occupy movement shines a light on the real culprits behind the economic disaster that has engulfed our country. Second, and probably more worrisome for the “1 percent,” is the fact that the majority of Americans agree with and support the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has spread across the nation, capturing the hearts and imaginations of millions.
There are two lines of attack against the protesters that we see almost daily in the corporate media.
One is that they are essentially a bunch of misguided youth who lack any focus whatsoever.
The other is that they are, essentially, left-wing extremists opposed to capitalism, in favor of stealing money from the rich, and in favor of regulating private business out of existence.
The truth the opponents of Occupy Wall Street are trying to hide is that Occupy Wall Street is a movement that speaks for all of America.
A Wall Street Journal editorial this week, in an attempt to prove the “left wing” orientation of the occupy movement, said two thirds of protesters it polled believe government should guarantee health care for all people. The recent Rasmussen poll on this matter showed 64 percent of American voters say the same thing.
The same editorial gave as further “proof” of the movement’s left wing orientation, its finding that 77 percent of the demonstrators want to raise taxes on the wealthy. According to the latest Marist poll on this matter, 68 percent of all voters, including 68 percent of independents, agree with the protesters on this issue too.
A third “proof “of the left wing nature of the movement, according to the WSJ editorial, is its finding that 65 percent of the protesters believe the government should guarantee a secure retirement. The Marist poll shows that, on this issue, the American public is even more “radical” than the occupy protesters who were polled. 70 percent of all voters, including 73 percent of independents, said the government should guarantee a secure requirement.
In deep contrast, the public emphatically disagrees with the right-wing tea party.
The latest CNN poll shows that 53 percent of Americans disapprove of the tea party movement and only 28 percent approve.
Behind all these figures is the worrisome, for Wall Street CEOs, truth that the big broad “center” in American politics is not really in support of any part of the corporate agenda. Earlier this year broad majorities turned out for defending the right to organize unions and the right to collective bargaining. Occupy Wall Street shows, once again, that the real “center” holds progressive, forward-thinking positions.
Occupy Wall Street, the movement spreading across this nation like a prairie fire, speaks for the people of the United States.
Photo: Ben Sears/PW
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