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Should Occupy Wall Street get more specific?
Police arrest demonstrators affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement after they attempted to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on the motorway on Oct. 1, 2011 in New York City.
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Steve Chiotakis: President Obama says protestors demonstrating against Wall Street in New York and other cities are frustrated with the financial industry, and the fact many of those who work in that industry don't always follow the rules. But is it time for the Occupy Wall Street folks to draw up a list of demands?
Marketplace's Economy 4.0 correspondent David Brancaccio reports.
David Brancaccio: Demonstrators here make clear their view something's rotten on Wall Street and blame it for growing economic inequality. Some placards read "The Middle Class is too big to fail." But what to do about it? There's been no official list of demands. For some at the protests, the time has come to get more concrete.
Harriet Jackson was in publishing, but lost her job and her health plan mid-career.
Harriet Jackson: At this point, they want to be all-encompassing -- include everyone. So I understand that at the beginning, but I personally think that there should be an agenda so that we have something very specific to fight for.
But the missing demands may be by design. David Graeber, an anthropology professor who was one of the early organizers of the protest, told me spelling out demands can sharply limit the range of debate.
In New York, I'm David Brancaccio for Marketplace.
I think you all underestimate this movement. It will take off because it is fueled by anger and injustice. I just hope it isn't co-opted by either side, left or right because the issues that lie at the heart are neither and both. Money has has corrupted our political system? Check. Wall St and TBTF banks broke laws to create an unfair windfall and there were no perp walks when the illegality was discovered? Check. Middle class enemployment/underemployment is rising and wages stagnating? Check. "Hope and Change" were relatively nebulous but they resulted in a huge electoral turnout and the election of our first Black president. Ignore and dismiss at your peril.
