Occupy Wall Street
On a typical day, about 1,000 people fill Zuccotti Park in the heart of New York’s financial district. The first responders appeared to be punks, anarchists, socialists, hackers, liberals and artists. Then others joined – the unemployed and the underemployed, scenesters and community organizers, middle-aged activists and non-voters. The movement has been doubling in size, on average, every three days since mid-September. The people who come claim to represent the vast majority of the country who have been languishing economically while the wealthy flourish. A recent poll indicates that 54% of Americans have a favorable view of the protests. The anger that the protesters express is not against the government, but the wealthy. There is talk of launching a consumer boycott against the big banks. Inequality is suddenly a topic of conversation in political circles. The president’s top strategist states: “The protests you’re seeing are the same conversations people are having in living rooms and kitchens all across America.” If it spreads and grows, the Obama team will be nearby to collect the dividends.
The Silent Majority
On a road trip through middle America, Joe Klein met with people who expressed their views openly. In one meeting in Missouri, participants opposed most Tea Party policies but were impressed that average Americans were able to get the attention of politicians in Washington. Most blamed the gridlock on President Obama and congressional leaders. Last year, Joe Klein had talked to people whose home values had declined, whose neighbors had lost their jobs. Today, there is deep concern about the country’s future. A recent survey showed that 81% of Americans feel America is on the wrong track, 71% feel the country is in decline, 60% believe the media and politicians don’t reflect their view of what’s really important, and 89% believe that politicians should compromise on major issues like the deficit rather than take a hard line. Nearly three-quarters think there should be higher taxes for millionaires. The Tea Partisans claim the government is to blame for the decline; for instance, the federal disability payments which take the place of welfare to the tune of $48 billion a year going to 8 million recipients. There seemed a general agreement across all groups Klein talked with that Americans had gotten soft and lost their competitive edge. In Joplin, Missouri through which a tornado had swept on May 22nd, man of its citizens became activists in helping those who had suffered greatly from the storm, regaining a sense of community. Joplin’s disaster was uppermost in their minds rather than the 2008 financial collapse and the deep recession that stunned the nation.
Source: Time Magazine’s Issue of October 24, 2011