Capitalian's Spoiled Children

The National Post
November 19,2011

By Rex Murphy

The Occupy movement does not represent 3the 99%,4 as its defenders
like to claim. They are not a cadre speaking up for the vast
proportion of the population against the tyranny or greed of an
imagined 31%.4 Judging from the speakers I have seen and heard, either
on news broadcasts or the multiple sites offering live-broadcast or
YouTube coverage, the people in the various Occupy camps represent a
petty sub-sample of the hard left; i.e., a range of angry students,
homeless and their advocates, and 6 not insignificantly 6 some just
outright strange people. Like the guy who asked for a moment of
silence in 3solidarity4 with the man who earlier in the week fired
shots at the White House and is now charged with trying to assassinate
President Obama. The real 99% are surely not looking for solidarity
with a potential assassin.


Nor are the real 99% looking for representation from self-selected
tribunes who, almost by design, appear surly, wilful, unexposed to the
complexities of life or politics, and who are almost as unbearably
righteous as some of their predecessors in the anti-globalization
movement. Charm is not a big property with the Occupy bunch. They
bristle with contempt for those outside their precious circles, and
enjoy a morbid, almost innate hatred for capitalism in so far as they
may be said to understand it. Which is a lot less than the degree to
which they are, in all their pseudo-rebellion, both its beneficiaries
and offspring. What other system can you think of that offers 3camping
out4 as a form of quasi-permissible political protest?

On 11/21/11 10:33 AM, Jimbo wrote:
The National Post
November 19,2011

By Rex Murphy

The Occupy movement does not represent “the 99%,” as its defenders
like to claim. They are not a cadre speaking up for the vast
proportion of the population against the tyranny or greed of an
imagined “1%.” Judging from the speakers I have seen and heard, either
on news broadcasts or the multiple sites offering live-broadcast or
YouTube coverage, the people in the various Occupy camps represent a
petty sub-sample of the hard left; i.e., a range of angry students,
homeless and their advocates, and – not insignificantly – some just
outright strange people. Like the guy who asked for a moment of
silence in “solidarity” with the man who earlier in the week fired
shots at the White House and is now charged with trying to assassinate
President Obama. The real 99% are surely not looking for solidarity
with a potential assassin.


Nor are the real 99% looking for representation from self-selected
tribunes who, almost by design, appear surly, wilful, unexposed to the
complexities of life or politics, and who are almost as unbearably
righteous as some of their predecessors in the anti-globalization
movement. Charm is not a big property with the Occupy bunch. They
bristle with contempt for those outside their precious circles, and
enjoy a morbid, almost innate hatred for capitalism in so far as they
may be said to understand it. Which is a lot less than the degree to
which they are, in all their pseudo-rebellion, both its beneficiaries
and offspring. What other system can you think of that offers “camping
out” as a form of quasi-permissible political protest?


Beautiful analysis!