A post from Occupy Wall Street:
NYPD Occupying Liberty Square; Demands Unclear
Posted 2 hours ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 6:51 p.m. EST by OccupyWallStNew York, NY — The NYPD have been occupying Liberty Square since 1:00am Tuesday morning, with the brand new occupation now set to enter its second day in just a few short hours. But will anyone listen to them when their message is so incoherent?
“What are their demands?” asked social historian Patrick Bruner. “They have not articulated any platform. How do they expect to be taken seriously?”
Critics of the new occupation allege that meddling billionaire Michael Bloomberg is behind the movement. Others question the new occupiers’ militant posture, concerned about the potential effects on the neighborhood.
“I suppose they have a right to express themselves,” said local resident Han Shan. “But I’d prefer it if instead they occupied the space with the power of their arguments.”
If it isn’t blindingly obvious already – the non-prosecution of fraud, the crony capitalism which has decimated jobs, housing, and created the (now rapidly growing) wealth misdistribution – then it will become apparent as it hits everyone who isn’t independently wealthy in the coming years. Food prices, gas, home heating energy, insurance, and health care have all risen sharply while wages are stagnant and raises (if there still are any) can’t keep up with inflation. The paucity of full time jobs paying living wages has taken a toll on the GDP of America, the tax base is eroding with the loss of ever more jobs each week (due to demand destruction), and as a result, the economy isn’t doing very well any more.
When you live on part-time jobs with no bennies, you reach a limit (you have to sleep sometime) after which you are a member of the working poor.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/10/american-familys-money-where-does-it-go/
Here’s a good graphic to illustrate.
Many people presume that the police have the legal authority to kick protesters off the streets whenever they want. That’s simply not true. The constitutional rights of protesters have higher legal power than local health and safety codes.
Update: representatives of the NYPD are still occupying Zuccotti Park, and they still have not come up with their One Demand, leading people everywhere to ask, “what’s the point?”