Daily Lessons from Life 17 September 2012 - Occupy anniversary protests fall flat

"Occupy anniversary protests fall flat -AFP 18 September 2012 0031 hrs

NEW YORK: Low turnout for Occupy Wall Street's big anniversary Monday in New York suggested the movement against greed has lost much of its punch, although dozens were arrested, including a bishop.

In New York's financial district, roughly 600 demonstrators carrying signs that read "Get money out of politics" and "We are the 99 per cent" took to the streets around Zuccotti Park, the birthplace of the movement one year ago.

Witnesses counted some 70 arrests, but overall numbers paled in comparison to the crowd of 30,000 that packed Manhattan's streets on November 17, 2011, to rally against economic inequality and wealth disparities.

Those taken into custody included retired Episcopal bishop George Packard donning a long purple robe.

"I am here today because of the greed of Wall Street," he told AFP. "All roads lead to Wall Street, they control our lives."

The movement has seen a steep drop in support since it was founded a year ago, when hundreds camped in the park to rally against bank bailouts and what they called the ruling "one per cent."

Last year, Occupy's camp in Zuccotti Park spawned similar protests in cities around the nation and the world as the movement tapped into widespread resentment over the economic slump, persistent unemployment and anger at Wall Street practices.

Monday "marks the beginning of year two of Occupy Wall Street and four years since Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, helping catapult our global economy into a new phase of disrepair," a statement said.

"No complaints from the rich one per cent -- they're still rich. They're insatiable unless we push back.""

It is a bit sad to see this movement losing steam.

Lessons for me are:

1. it is NOT easy. In fact, DIFFICULT to sustain a protest against the greedy and rich when the protesters are hard press for work and dignity to live a life for himself/herself and his/her loved ones!;

2. it looks like business-as-usual for the greedy lots with spates of 'bankers/traders' continuing to lose millions and billions of 'other people's money' on the disguised 'trading of future that supposedly help to provide price and supply stability in the future'!!;

3. the central bankers are STILL happily printing money to support the economy that is 'shxt-deep' in debts so that somehow someone can SPEND his/her way out of recession without worrying how to pay the eventual debts!! With such charade and reckless regards to 'who and how will we pay the debts from this printing monster machine is NOT my problem as I will be long gone by then' question, the dysfunctional way of such financial way will prevail. Until the ultimate happens.

Do I know what it will be like? I have no clue at all. Not even an iota! Time to find a new religion???