Many thoughtful people can see the corruption of the economic system

Former Philadelphia Police Captain Ray Lewis arrested at OWS

City governments and police that are arresting Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters are making a big mistake.

Authorities who refuse to work on the problem are breaching democratic rights to free speech and free assembly.

This is not some fly by night movement that will evaporate in a month or two.

Greedy Wall Street bankers destroyed the savings of tens of millions of people and pushed the world to the brink of financial collapse. Despite political posturing, the culprits did not go to jail and continue to profit from their greed.

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney (photo Wikipedia)

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney called the OWS occupations “entirely constructive. I understand the frustrations of many people particularly in the United States. You’ve had a big increase in the ratio of CEO earnings to workers on the shop floor.” (Maclean’s Magazine November 21, 2011)

Carney was just appointed by the G20 leaders to head the Financial Stability Board so he’s no Sunday quarterback on the economy.

Tens of millions of Americans lost or are in the process of losing their homes and jobs.

The system is broken.

The establishment still doesn’t get it.

For example, CTV’s Lisa LaFlemme anchors the nightly news and sneers at the protesters. She makes picayune arguments the protesters are filthy, drugged out and murderous.The dog walking needs of middle class residents is held in higher esteem by LaFlemme.

Of course, we can hardly forget LaFlemme earning the praise of her CTV bosses by breathlessly reporting on the streets about the “mayhem” at the Toronto G20 demonstrations.

She was wrong then. The police and the government incited the protesters into a predictable confrontation with the resulting finger pointing. The anti-free speech laws announced by the police didn’t exist and the arrests were illegal.

LaFlemme is just another one of the don’t-get-it media reporters who are the Mr. Jones of Bob Dylan’s Ballad of a Thin Man.

You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, “Who is that man?”
You try so hard
But you don’t understand
Just what you’ll say
When you get home (words and music copyright Bob Dylan)

OWS is not the Vancouver Hockey Riot.

OWS is an inevitable force. I don’t think it is Arab Spring. The United States government is not likely to fall but there is going to be major change.

How it will all work out is anyone’s guess but change will come.

Democracy relies on a pact of social order between the moneyed class and the workers. When the gap between them gets too great, when people can’t afford homes and food, that’s when change happens.