Scanlyze

Response to “Occupy Wall Street: How Should it be Covered Now”

Response to “Occupy Wall Street: How Should it be Covered Now“.

To: Arthur S. Brisbane
Public Editor of the New York Times

I find it amazing that these pundits, looking at a crowd of people carrying signs, come away scratching their heads asking, “what specifically do OWS demonstrators want?”

The conspiratorial questions about “who is the leader, who is really behind it” also show how far out of touch, and indeed, clueless, these members of the chattering classes truly are.

Let me tackle the first part of Tim Kelly’s list:

Who are the protesters?

A few groups are here.

1. Old New Leftists, now part of the establishment, going once more unto the breach.
2. First-time protesters, most idealistic young people.
3. Ideological extremists (a small, but visible minority).
4. War veterans, now home and un- or under-employed.

Who are the leaders?

The internet is the leader. There is no person who can be described as leading the movement. Intellectually, the movement is led by Noam Chomsky, probably more than any one other living figure.

Who’s really behind all this?

Adbusters started it. I think it amazed them and has long since left their control.

Who’s going to pay for the cleanup?

Presumably this will fall primarily to municipalities.

What do they hope to accomplish?

Reducing wealth and income inequality.
Enhancing civil rights.
Holding the richest and most powerful to account.

What can citizens do to take part in the protests, or avoid them?

Really? A former newspaper editor has no idea how to Google about “occupy wall street” plus (name of town) and either go there or not go there?

What is happening inside the camps?

I have been to the Boston settlement twice and I have found it peaceful, clean and orderly, with many thought-provoking discussions, books, tracts, and signs.

This degree of confusion and inability to observe the plainly obvious makes me think that, as in the story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, that these wealthy pundits and apologists for the plutocratic class quoted above, see only that which they wish to see and nothing more.

Copyright © 2011 Henry Edward Hardy

See also: To: His Lordship, the Right Honorable Richard John Carew Chartres, Bishop of London Re: Occupy London

David Brooks of the New York Times and the Occupy Wall Street movement

Regarding the Wall Street protests

7 November, 2011 Posted by scanlyze | capitalism, civil rights, coverage, demonstration, economics, freedom, journalism, media, news, Occupy Wall Street, politics, press, protest, reporter, scanlyze | anarchism, Arthur S. Brisbane, civil rights, democracy, demonstration, insurrection, journalism, New York Times, occupation, Occupy Wall Street, Ocinequality, press, protest, scanlyze, Springtime of Nations | Leave a comment