Protesters and police

Essayist Terrence Heath notes how hard the conservative talking heads are working overtime to discredit the Occupy Wall Street movement. He also notes how OWS ideas and goals are being accepted by the rest of the nation in spite of conservative efforts. The options now available to conservatives: discredit OWS (not working), actually pay attention to OWS (keep dreaming), or police OWS. This last appears to be what is happening in Oakland, as well as New York, Chicago, and Boston.

Banker arrests: 0. Protester arrests: approaching 3000. CEO of a failed mortgage company who committed $3B in fraud: 40 months in prison. Homeless man who stole $100: 15 years in prison.

OWS protesters (and the rest of us) understand that the wealth of the 1% is not because they are fantastic at business, but because they now control legislatures that abolish limiting laws and retroactively immunize themselves from crimes. That wealth isn't being used to raise all boats (remember "trickle down economics"?) but to sink the boats of ordinary Americans.

But even though the number of arrested protesters is high and Oakland hauled out the tear gas, the police are recognizing they are part of the 99%. Their pay and pensions are being cut too. They sympathize with the protesters and many are now defying orders to clean out the hippies (gosh, Mr. Mayor, we don't have the resources for that). So policing OWS isn't working so well either.

That leaves me wondering what tactics to the rich have left? Discrediting OWS isn't working. Policing OWS isn't working. They certainly won't listen to OWS. Whatever their next step is, it won't be pretty.