Something both glorious and sad about the OW$ protest.

The spirit of democracy in action; exercising right to assembly and free speech; the expression of anger and resistance in the face of foul play and injustice. Quite a lot to admire and quite a lot of reasons to lend support. And then there is a sense of sadness too which comes with the realization that venting anger and frustration in the direction of those who are pathologically deaf, dumb and blind to any such demonstrations is doomed from the outset and will only end in more frustration and a sense of helplessness. The bad guys are bad because they don’t care about anyone else, so why should they care about a bunch of strangers parked in their back yard screaming at them?

“Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
--Alexander Hamilton


It takes one to know one, and old Alex was a sly dog himself and was a master of playing both sides against the middle. He also knew a few things about ambitious men and the seductions of wealth and power…and if he were around watching today I think he’d be over at Goldman Sachs advising those guys to ignore the rabble on the street and raise sail and follow the compass point east to China.

But perhaps that’s not really the point, perhaps the point is simply speaking out. And being heard is secondary. But I wish they could formulate a more specific agenda and generate something tangible that could translate into legislative action. I haven’t followed that closely, but I sense that the movement is somewhat leaderless and is more spontaneous communal political theatre than it is a prelude to progressive change.
Enuf.


A few more OW$ Haiku

No opium pipe
No heroin fix or jones
Steals souls like mammon

From Tea in Boston
To Whiskey in Tennessee
Rebel yells echo.

Unfair? “Wealth is seized…”
Said Hamilton the banker
“…opportunity.”

To have and have not
The Fates reserve no pity
And that’s the pity

You can’t reform them
Can’t shame them. No such thing as
A sorry Pirate.