Occupy DC Demonstrates Widespread Discontent

The Occupy DC protest is an indicator of growing discontent with corporate and political practices in the United States.  So far the protests in downtown D.C. have been peaceful and legally permitted per the Washington Post. A worry lawmakers, and police have probably already considered is how masses of people protesting provides catalyst for escalation. According to Defense Actions LLC, flash mobs can occur in environments quite similar to those of public protests. 

The Occupy DC website clearly defines their cause. They are protesting poverty, economic disparity and corruptive corporate influences on political decision making. Occupy DC, Occupy Wall Street and the growing Occupations nation wide  can be characterized as  a left-wing political movement and echo some of the sentiments made in Wisconsin several months ago. Specifically, after the Wisconsin State Government sought to legislate against Union collective bargaining rights and higher insurance premiums, unionized labor protested according to the New York Times. and other agencies back in February 2011. 

According to Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc., the Occupy Together movement is reenergizing that sentiment expressed in Wisconsin. Posters on the Chanel 3000 website explain themselves. For example, according to 'Middle Class Moving Downward', "The hypocrisy is that many of the tea people have plenty yet feel entitled to their social security benefits when they could afford not to collect the benefits." The themes of both the Wisconsin protests and the Occupy Together movement share a doubt that legislative decision making is not effectively taking the middle class into account via pro-corporate votes and political gridlock.

There is an underlying theme to much of what is going on now. For the first time in many decades the U.S. economy is showing signs of wear and tear in the sense that its resilience to adversity might be weakening. This is apparent in economic indicators such as the uncharacteristically long period of high unemployment, high national debt and deficit spending, government cut backs and sluggish economic growth.  Perhaps we are not used to not having widespread wealth and are facing economic realities have living within means that have been normal for economies the world over. In such case, functional adaptation is key, a challenge we owe it to ourselves to rise above.