Primal Scream of Democracy

"Primal Scream of Democracy" is the phrase that Al Gore reportedly used to describe the Occupy Wall Street Crowd in Zuccotti Park. I can't find an authoritative confirmation of Gore's remark but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and congratulate him on capturing the essence of the protest--at least as I see it from half way around the world.

Another thing that makes me want to scream is the whinny, self righteous, condescending, arrogant and scornful reaction to the OWL participants by many businesses and their hired spokespersons.  Take for example this blog post from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultant.  He pleads for more understanding but his subliminal message is that the protesters, not the business leaders, don't understand.  They ought to recognize the blessings of capitalism and abandon their vigil.

I would ask "What is it about the OWL protesters that captains of industry, their chief sustainability officers and Washington politicos don't understand?"  Sure, the protesters don't have talking points; they haven't been media trained and they don't stay 'on message'. They are inchoate, but they understand that Goldman Sachs, AIG, Citi, Moody's, Fannie etc and Washington regulators who were sleeping with Ayn Rand have enriched themselves while robbing millions of Americans of their homes, jobs and dreams. These millions understand that none of the pirates and their accomplices are likely to spend time in prisons. Who would argue with the victims of the biggest heist of all time that capitalism isn't broken?

Those that still have cushy jobs should stop scolding the protesters and get busy fixing what remains of capitalism. Suggestion: start by breaking up the financial institutions which are even larger today than they were in 2008 when they were too big to fail.