George Rebane
[This is the transcript of my regular KVMR commentary broadcast on 21 October 2011. Here I have provided some links to expand the recorded material, and added a recent Ramirez who always summarizes succinctly.]
The Occupy Wall Street crowd has taken its template from the street critics of Europe’s socialist countries, and its marching orders from a Team Obama that needs to soften up the country for next year’s re-election. Some media mavens on the left are deliriously happy to report that now they also have their ‘tea party’ movement, but the attempts to compare the two don’t stand up to scrutiny – at least so far.
The ‘occupy’ name has been well chosen, for to occupy means to take possession and control of a space, place, or organization. Occupiers are foreign to the normal or indigenous population of a place, and seek to replace the pre-occupation order of their target space, place or organization. The people on the streets today most certainly admit that, although what they want to replace it with is still not nailed down.
Enough of these demonstrations have gone on to allow some early polling to take place. Bill Schoen, former Bill Clinton pollster, reports “research (showing) clearly that the movement doesn’t represent unemployed America and is not ideologically diverse. Rather, it comprises an unrepresentative segment of the electorate that believes in radical redistribution of wealth, civil disobedience and, in some instances, violence.” Moreover, he finds that “the protesters have a distinct ideology and are bound by a deep commitment to radical left-wing policies”, and that “the vast majority of them are employed.” (more here)
Most of this is certainly evident from the posted videos of the Occupy demonstrations in New York, Los Angeles, Berkeley, and other large urban areas. From such locations there have been gathered photos showing rather pathetic looking young people holding up hand-printed summaries of the dire straits in which they find themselves. A common theme in those complaints is a deep disappointment that the education for which they borrowed so much is worthless as far as landing a job. These kids are of the generation that our educational system has taught to ‘follow your heart’ in picking an area of study, and then expect that when you graduate, someone will see value in what you know. After all, isn’t having a fulfilling job with a just living wage one of our inalienable rights?
These kinds of directionless people with little knowledge and fewer skills make up the dissatisfied masses that are ripe for the picking of leftwing ideologues. For that they have attracted support and cheerleading from unions like the SEIU and the UAW, from radical left politicals like the American Socialist Party and the American Communist Party, and even the American Nazi Party wants to elbow in there and see who they can attract from the clueless. Their banners and signs say it all.
Some deep thinkers have even tried to compare the Occupy folks with the tea party movement. There they could not be farther off course for the two social phenomena are literally 180 apart along every dimension you care to examine. But basically, one wants a revolution leading to a new order, and the other wants to preserve the aspects of governance and economic thought that have made this nation great. (Tea Party Patriots Mark Meckler’s rebuttal here)
To see how our local Occupiers stack up with Bill Schoen’s findings, I went to last Wednesday’s Nevada City occupation. The demonstration was attended by about 150 folks who, from their spoken sentiments and hand-painted signs, were definitely persuaded by leftwing ideas. They were a peaceful and friendly lot without much direction, busy drawing up last minute signs about corporations being bad, and all of them led by a lone horn player. No one was angry on that balmy fall afternoon, it was an affair that would get everyone home in time for dinner.
But I see these Obama demonstrations having legs that could easily take them into 2012 and become a major factor in next year’s election. The demonstrators will definitely be swayed by the riots in Europe, and as they become more organized, the occupiers will have no one to support but President Obama and the Democrats. And our polarization will then become stronger for it.
My name is Rebane, and I also expand on these and other themes in my Union columns, and on georgerebane.com where this transcript appears with appropriate links to reference materials. These opinions are not necessarily shared by KVMR. Thank you for listening.
rebanesruminations.com 
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