Capitalism Hating Hippies Everywhere!
by David Atkins (“thereisnospoon”)
The Occupy protests are now a global phenomenon in over 900 cities.
Linking up with the Occupy Wall Street protests that began in New York, tens of thousands of people around the world took to the streets Saturday to reiterate their anger at the global financial system, corporate greed and government cutbacks.
Rallies were held in more than 900 cities in Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as in the United States, with some of the largest taking place in Europe. The demonstration in Rome turned violent, but crowds elsewhere were largely peaceful.
“What’s exciting about what’s happening is a sense of international solidarity,” said Ben Walker, 33, a university teacher from Norwich, England, who was carrying a tent and planning on camping overnight near the London Stock Exchange.
Organizers of the global demonstration said on their Web site that they were demanding a “true democracy.”
“United in one voice, we will let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future,” they said.
Combine this reality with the massive popularity of the movement in the United States, and conservatives have to face the following choice. Either:
1) The majority of the world’s citizens and Americans are lazy, dirty hippie commie sympathizers who hate capitalism and freedom; or
2) There are some major, legitimate grievances against the financial industry and the new global plutocratic elite.
Right now, conservatives and Third Way “Democrats” in America are still opting for choice #1. Politically, though, they’re going to start losing credibility if they don’t attempt to acknowledge the frustration and at least pretend to do something about it.
Personally, I hope they choose the former. I would rather boot them out of office and put them on the sidelines of the national conversation, than make the futile attempt to have a honest conversation with them about the world’s problems.
.