"Using the tool of the oppressor to call the oppressor to account is just one more act of intelligent subversion."
No one protests the ability to produce, purchase or use quality products - the protest seems to follow the unguarded and unregulated ability of a few profit mongers who live above the law of conscience and won't allow regulations to guard them from exploiting the U.S. economy.
These people are criminals but no one wants to call them to account because though corruption hurts a lot of people over a long period of time - being a whistleblower causes the whistleblower to end up shouldering the cost by being scapegoated immediately. When no one ends up whistleblowing from inside, people incite from the outside and protest at their own cost.
In the case of Wall Street - many of the protesters have nothing or very little to lose. When it gets to the point where there is nothing or little to lose by good people who just want some work and a bit of justice, someone on top is usually to blame. Without proper regulation good people on the rich end of the profit can also end up acting criminally - something they never thought they would do when they started out.
The problem is systemic as much as anything else and requires rigorous systemic regulation. People can't be trusted no matter how good they are when they are responsible to manage as much power and wealth as Wall Street has been entrusted with. Too many good people have lost too much because too many good people became criminals on Wall Street due to a lack or regulations. Good people on both ends of this problem need help and criticizing the protests may only prolong the arrival of that help. As my 75 year old mentor would always quip, "something is always better than nothing."
These people are criminals but no one wants to call them to account because though corruption hurts a lot of people over a long period of time - being a whistleblower causes the whistleblower to end up shouldering the cost by being scapegoated immediately. When no one ends up whistleblowing from inside, people incite from the outside and protest at their own cost.
In the case of Wall Street - many of the protesters have nothing or very little to lose. When it gets to the point where there is nothing or little to lose by good people who just want some work and a bit of justice, someone on top is usually to blame. Without proper regulation good people on the rich end of the profit can also end up acting criminally - something they never thought they would do when they started out.
The problem is systemic as much as anything else and requires rigorous systemic regulation. People can't be trusted no matter how good they are when they are responsible to manage as much power and wealth as Wall Street has been entrusted with. Too many good people have lost too much because too many good people became criminals on Wall Street due to a lack or regulations. Good people on both ends of this problem need help and criticizing the protests may only prolong the arrival of that help. As my 75 year old mentor would always quip, "something is always better than nothing."
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