New York's budding anti-capitalism protest movement began last month with a vague sense of grievance over the widening gap between the rich and poor in America.
So it should be anti-crony-capitalism.
But in three weeks, it has provided fuel for a broader national anti-corporate message, drawing inspiration from the Arab Spring but struggling to define its goals beyond a general feeling that power needs to be restored to ordinary people.
Power to the people! Why didn't we think of that slogan before? Oh, wait...somebody did.
On Monday morning, the scene at the heart of the self-styled Occupy Wall Street movement -- Zuccotti Park, two blocks north of Wall Street -- had the feeling of a street fair, with women in brightly colored wigs playing with hula hoops. The site www. occupytogether.org serves as a clearinghouse for information on the movement and includes a list of events around the country. Check it out, Dudes! Front-page face time!
A collection of protesters wearing white face paint with streaks resembling blood at their lips conducted a "zombie parade" down Broadway to underscore what they see as the ghoulish nature of capitalism.
We want to model our movement after the Greeks - they aren't capitalists!
Despite having no single leader and no organized agenda, the protesters insist they are on the verge of translating their broad expression of grievance into a durable national cause.
Yeah! Just like the Tea Party! All they needed was a little media attention. And Sarah Palin. But we don't need Sarah - we got Arthur!
"The criticism has focused on the lack of cohesion in our message and demands," said Arthur Kohl-Riggs, 23, a political activist from
Sort of like those Tea party dudes, but more fair.
"Never mind those strings on my own back!"
The protests have drawn an assortment of anarchists, anti-globalization activists and disaffected 20-somethings from North Carolina, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- the type of polyglot crowd that has been known to disrupt International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings.
What, there aren't any international meetings coming up? How will we fill our days?
But the efforts have also drawn support from union members, including New York transportation workers who allowed some of the protesters to take shelter inside the subway system.
Yeah! Our union brothers!
The primary theme is that corporate capitalists, backed by corrupt politicians, have tipped the balance of the economic system too far in favor of the powerful, thus condemning the regular guy to a sea of debt and little opportunity.
Where do the union big-shots fit in there - capitalists or politicians?
What he's really protesting is the current crony socialism...
The movement has struck a chord in some liberal New York circles, attracting
My irony meter melted and bubbled when I read that!