Will the Revolution Be Televised?

A rather quiet social movement is gaining steam across the U.S. Under the rubric "Occupy Wall Street," the loose configuration of groups and individuals started their protests on the infamous street in downtown New York back in July. The number of protesters has been steadily rising and the movement has spread to other cities including Chicago and Seattle: CNN Story. What are the protesters after? It depends who you ask, but among their reasons for taking to the streets:

- To offer a voice to the 99% of people currently being screwed by the 1%
- To challenge corporate greed and its deleterious effects on us all
- To stop mortgage foreclosures
- To confront growing unemployment, inequality & poverty
- To provide healthcare to those who can't afford it
- To acknowledge and address global warming

The 34 organizations and random individuals that are involved are an eclectic bunch that hearken to Seattle in 1999 and the anti-war protests in 2003. It is heartening to see people take to the streets and demand change (who aren't sponsored by corporate tycoons (who may or may not have the same name as an ex-New York mayor, for example)). In a surprising revelation, some protesters have claimed they take their inspiration from the democratic uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Hmm, so maybe that talk about us inspiring democratic revolt is actually backwards? 

P.S. Interesting Op Ed from Krugman: NYT