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Friday, November 04, 2011

The Monitor publishes signs of the Occupy movement. Two examples.


Screenshots from here.


_______________UPDATE_____________
Monitor reporting/oped, here, this paragraph from mid-item:

Though both movements express disdain for a perceived elite plutocracy in Washington and New York, most tea partyers are not inclined to forge a bond over that. Rather, they see an opportunity for political haymaking, to try to tie Democrats to radical visions espoused by some Occupy protesters (such as the 62 Zucotti Park protesters, out of the 200 surveyed by Democratic pollster Douglas Schoen, who said they support using violence to achieve their ends).

I expect the percentage of police supporting using violence to achieve their ends, in Oakland if not nationwide, might be as great or even greater than 62 out of every 200. I recall during the '60s, someone pointing out in print the strangeness of anti-government protesters emphasizing Chairman Mao's adage, "Political power comes from the muzzle of a gun," when it was the government that had all the guns. And Kent State and Jackson State proved government willingness to shoot people. It was a low point, and all should hope there is no repeat of such a wanton abuse of government power during current events. That WAS Nixon-Kissinger times. While not an excuse, it IS an explanation.

My guess is a fair percentage of the police, which is not a monolithic group, are aware they are the 99%. Roughly, there are those who must labor to survive, and those with accumulated family wealth capable of living well off of earnings of capital. They may "labor" such as their activity on Wall Street or K Street are, but they need not. Most 1% laboring households involve a single spouse laboring. The need for two incomes to survive is not widespread among the 1%. Cops do not live off of bond or portfolio earnings - and are not 1%'ers. It's how it is, and it is a provocative thought to consider how the 1% have induced a system where they control and depend upon a part of the 99% to quell the strongest ambitions among the 99%. Possibilities of police defection, of refusals to attack and brutalize movement people if called to do so by their "elders" are possibilities that inspire interest in seeing how over the next few months to half year things evolve. The 1% might hold that scenario in mind in restraining themselves from any repeat of Kent State - Jackson State.

We wait. We see. But never lose sight of the crass and I would say criminal Nixonian emphasis on "Law and Order" as codewords for putting down public expression of popular unrest by whatever means prove immediately most effective.

"Calling the shots" in a manner of speaking.