Over the last week a steady stream of people has been occupying a park near Wall St. in New York. There have been several marches with thousands of people involved. The numbers are growing. One of the critiques of this mass movement has been the absence of leaders and a clear message, or list of demands.
That criticism is a useful dodge for those who are not interested in covering it, but it misses the larger point. Everybody down there -- protesters and police alike -- are pissed off at what the white collar criminals have done to our economy. They are frustrated the criminals have bought our elected representatives and appear likely to avoid any consequences for their actions. This is all very cerebral and doesn't engage people.
However, there is a video that should go viral because it spells out quite well the reason people are protesting. If you can watch it without being affected, you are as heartless as Dick Cheney.
The core of his anger is something I have heard time and again. "They played by the rules and what happened?" When everything melted down in 2008, I was speaking with a retired teacher in his 80s. He was pissed off and wanted to know what had happened. I explained people had played fast and loose making crazy bets without proper safeguards and lost everything because they had been careless. He replied, "I didn't do that. I played by the rules. Why am I paying for this?" I didn't know how to answer him. He deserves an answer. So does Robert Stephens.
I don't know what happened to Robert Stephens. No one seems to be able to answer that question. I hope he is alright.