We are 99% : Occupy...street.
‘Top 1% of Americans take quarter of all
household income, Jeffery Sachs , Director of Columbia University’s
Earth Institute .
‘We are 99%’ slogan of the protestors
a Zuccotti park, Manhattan, hinting at the other 1% perceived to be “Rich,
powerful, Corrupt especially Banks of Wall street.
People movements are demonstrating
their power. Anna Hazare demonstrated the popularity of his fight against
unbridled corruption at the Ramlila Grounds, in New Delhi, compelling the
Government to take his demands for a stronger Lokpal bill with more serious
intent than it had been doing in the decade earlier. Move over to Egypt, and
the protest at Tahrir Square brought down a 30 year reign of Hosni Mubarak,
purely on the back of people power.
Move further west and popular
protest by those who claim to be the 99% majority unheeded by Government whose
policies, they say, favour the top 1%, is being demonstrated in Zuccotti Park,
in New York. They call themselves 'Occupy Wall Street' movement.
Well, the Tahrir Square popular protest succeeded in bringing down the Mubarak regime, although the jury is still out whether, as of now, conditions in Egypt have improved. The Anna Hazare movement has moved on to the next stage, with him making a public appeal not to vote for the Congress party in the next elections, as they have not yet taken up the Lokpal Bill with the seriousness he feels it deserves. One does not know how the endgame will be played out for the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest. How successful the protests would turn out to be would depend on how committed the protestors are to affect change, but the pressure such protests put on venal political leaders, globally, to clean up their acts, is welcome. In a way, the Anna Hazare movement, or the Tahrir Square movement or the Zuccotti Park 'Occupy Wall Street' one are all pointing to the protest by the majority against Governments which create policies favoring an elite few. This can, and does, affect the economy.
Well, the Tahrir Square popular protest succeeded in bringing down the Mubarak regime, although the jury is still out whether, as of now, conditions in Egypt have improved. The Anna Hazare movement has moved on to the next stage, with him making a public appeal not to vote for the Congress party in the next elections, as they have not yet taken up the Lokpal Bill with the seriousness he feels it deserves. One does not know how the endgame will be played out for the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest. How successful the protests would turn out to be would depend on how committed the protestors are to affect change, but the pressure such protests put on venal political leaders, globally, to clean up their acts, is welcome. In a way, the Anna Hazare movement, or the Tahrir Square movement or the Zuccotti Park 'Occupy Wall Street' one are all pointing to the protest by the majority against Governments which create policies favoring an elite few. This can, and does, affect the economy.
‘Occupy Wall Street’: the October Revolution
is the Arab Spring inspired, social media driven peaceful grassroots democracy
movement. It is against corporate corruption, Wall Street greed and government bailouts.
What began from Wall Street, New York, can now be witnessed as Occupy Chicago,
Occupy LA, Occupy Rome, Occupy Auckland, Occupy Sydney.......
Moral corruption and financial corruption
are two sides of the same coin.
Is it the pathological drive to maximize profits at any cost, the inherent
character of the capitalist system and not the individual greed of some or
weakness of regulatory mechanisms that is the root cause for the present crisis?
Greed is but a euphemism for profit maximization, the raison d’être of the
capitalist system. The myth that greed is something alien to capitalism and,
hence, can be kept under check is exploded. Capitalism has greed as its
inseparable companion. Is it the system and not the avaricious attributes of
individual capitalists that is the culprit?
Is it the beginning of the end of the Divisive
Capitalism as it exists today?
P.S.: This blog can be read in reference to
the September Blogs:
1. ‘Era of Wilderness.....
2. Depression 2.0
i dont know if it is appropriate to compare political anti corruption, and anti incumbency movements with a protest against the capitalist class in the west.
ReplyDeletewhile the former is a protest for political rights the latter is one for economic equity
this probably highlights the flaws of strict capitalism which other countries try very hard to emulate
Both movements are different, but they do have similarities,
ReplyDeleteSimilarity in origin: Economic suffering of the masses and demand for action against the elite few perceived as corrupt, be it within the government in India or outside the government, in the Corporate / Political world in the US. The protestors are united in the feeling that the rules are stacked against them with the system favouring the elite few. There is a common thread, that of anger against the system.
Similarity in propagation: Use of Social media
Difference according to me is in the absence of common manifesto or the list of goals in the West. They still trust their government to find a solution for them. They want to vet there problems, anger and frustration and leave the solution / resolution with the Senate.
While the Anna campaign, has its own version of the solution, the Jan Lokpal Bill. They have no trust in the government or the Parliament or in the Constitutional process.