Angry Without Solutions

I'm trying to follow the happenings of the Occupy Wall Street movement, but while part of me is intrigued, a part of me is also confused and bored. While I have no doubt that a large number of people are participating because they sincerely want to leverage an act of civil disobedience to highlight a need for economic and social change, others are largely there for less than heroic reasons, raging from nothing better to do, cheap drugs, free food and easy sex. It's clear that the reaction to the movement is polarizing. Even my friends (or at least acquaintances) on Facebook are highly divided between those who are actually participating, and those who have taken photos of the protesters camping out with the commentary "stupid protesters.. get a fu--in job."

While I don't begrudge members (however amorphous that definition might be) of the movement from their right to protest and have their voice heard, my main criticism is that after many days of protests, a number of interactions with news media and countless articles and commentaries from talking heads from all sides of the political spectrum, I still don't know exactly what they want. In other words, if the American government and business leaders would proverbially give them a blank sheet of paper, what exactly would they ask for?

Even Congressman John Lewis, who has been outspoken in his support of the movement had this to say when drawing comparisons with the Civil Rights marches that he himself participated in:

"When we marched on Washington 48 years ago we marched for jobs and freedom. But we spelled it out. We said we wanted a civil rights bill. We said we wanted that bill to contain a ban on discrimination and public accommodation and employment, and we got it a year later. But these individuals all across America are saying, in effect, that the banks and other businesses are holding millions and billions of dollars and they need to invest in the American people. They need to put people back to work."

Lewis draws the big problem with the movement in that there isn't any thing equivalent to the civil rights bill that they're asking for. If you go to the "official" Occupy Wall Street Site (by the way, this is a movement that insists on being a leaderless movement in principle), there's a massive webpage which looks more like a wiki, with hordes of people insisting on demands which contradict a host of others. It's a mess.

I get the fact that people have been adversely affected by the economic downturn. I also get that people are upset that the financial services industry has recovered in part due to a taxpayer-funded bailout, and that many people have not. But standing around wearing a sandwichboard with a clever phrase engaging in group bitch-sessions about how Wall Street sucks, how the Republicans are Satan's minions and how President Obama has failed his base aren't all that productive. Please let me know when the occupying masses have developed a cohesive objective and a feasible blueprint on how to get there. And if at that point people aren't listening or giving the ideas due consideration, get your tent and canteen ready.