The Occupy Wall Street protests began about a month ago at Zuccotti Park, a financial district of Wall Street, and quickly spread across the country to other major cities.  Since the movement has made no formal demands, we are left reconstructing their beliefs on the basis of demographics and surveys of those who have participated.

What do we know about the movement?   The Wall Street Journal conducted the first known systematic poll of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement giving us a glimpse of who they are.

For starters, we know they are younger than the Tea Party folks.  Sixty-four percent of them are under the age of thirty-four.  We also know a large contingent consists of union conglomerations, socialist groups, and self-described communists.

The survey showed that many OWS protesters were committed to left-wing policies and had overwhelming voted for President Obama in the 2008 presidential election.  Only 2% of OWS protesters identify themselves as Republican.

On Government and Taxes

The WSJ survey showed that 65% believe that the government has a moral obligation to provide health care, college education, and a secure retirement to all "no matter the cost."  Such views do not reflect 99% of the public according to recent polling.  And certainly 99% of us don't agree with the phrase "no matter the cost."  People interested in balancing their books typically don't use that sort of language when it comes to spending their money.

Naturally then, OWS activists are not terribly opposed to raising taxes.  Seventy-seven percent of OWS protesters want to tax the rich more, but 58% oppose raising taxes on the middle and lower classes.  Such ways of looking at economics doesn't pay off our debt.  As Congressman Paul Ryan put it, raising taxes on millionaires by 100% would only run our government about four months.

Interestingly, 85% of OWS protesters were employed.  This is a contrast from professional protesters that have been tailgating Governor Walker and Congressman Ryan.  They tell the media they're unemployed and Republican politicians aren't doing anything to find them a job.  Yet no one has thought to ask how they have the financial means to track down politicians from district to district.

On Violence, Drug Distribution, and Sexual Assault

And on a more disturbing note, 31% openly support the use of violence to advance an agenda.  Here are a few example abbreviated for simplicity.

At Time Square in New York, OWS protesters engaged in anti-Semitic rants and clashed with police throwing bottles and garbage at officers.  More than 800 protesters were arrested for blocking the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.  .

At Occupy Baltimore, organizers had to manage problems with sexual harassment.

At Occupy Seattle, a male protester indecently exposed himself to five children.

At Occupy Cleveland, a 19 year old female protester complained that she was raped by another protester inside a tent; she was later accused by organizers for being a plant to discredit their movement.

At Occupy Boston, two were arrested for dealing heroin in a tent; police found a child living with drug dealers.

At Occupy Dallas, there are reports of sexual assault concerning a 14 year old runaway; she passed herself off as a 19 year old to organizers.  The reports say she had sex with several men at the camp.  Separately, twenty-three protesters at Occupy Dallas were arrested for blockading the front doors of a Chase Bank branch by interlocking their arms.

And at Occupy Oakland, more than eighty protesters were arrested for illegal assembly.  Police had to clear out the large encampment due to sanitary and public safety issues.  Protesters threw bottles, rocks, and beer cans at police.  Other protesters even doused police with hazardous materials.  Subsequently, police responded with the use of tear gas and non-lethal projectiles.

Conclusion

When Tea Parties first took the stage nearly three years ago, there was much talk about bigotry and racism.  Protesters caught on tape bad-talking "illegals," and the media was all but eager to provide a stereotype.  You can disagree with their politics, but Tea Parties across the nation have been clean, nonviolent, and law abiding.

By the same standard, the leftist version of the Tea Party isn't quite matching up.  Why is there such a disparity in the behavior of these two groups?  Why is the OWS crowd having so many run-ins with the law?  Soon, we hope to take a closer look at this question.

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin is abuzz with rumors that Congressman Paul Ryan has been mulling over Presidential bid among the nation's politicos.  In the past 5 years, the 41 year old "young gun" has forged a reputation of being the intellectual brain-trust of the Republican Party.  With an expertise in economics and a zest for intellectualism, Ryan finds no difficulties presenting a fiscal argument; and he is only politician to date with a comprehensive plan to overhaul the country's entitlement programs.  Below are five reasons why Paul Ryan should run for President.

First, Ryan has a plan.  Democrats have criticized the Republican Party for being "the party of no," a slap at the GOP for opposing President Obama's progressive agenda.  Yet when the criticism was levied, Democrats had genuine control of the Legislative and Executive branches of government.

Ryan's "Roadmap" is forcing Democrats to address the insolvency of our federal entitlement programs and exposing - to some extent - the problems we have with government spending.  Case and point, the county hasn't had federal budget for three consecutive years and the nation's credit rating was downgraded for the first time in American history.

Ryan's proposal to overhaul of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security is politically risky.  However, his ideas are economically sensible earning a strong endorsement by the CBO, scoring Ryan's overhaul of Medicare and Social Security as achieving solvency for future generations.

Second, Ryan is young, intelligent, and articulate.  To go head to head with President Obama, you need a candidate who is quick on his feet, performs well on TV, can explain the nuances of a plan with eloquent ease, and can uncoil the mistakes made by the current administration with simplicity and credibility.

Third, Ryan is a quick study.  Ryan has a good grasp of the issues and excels in debates.  As a policy wonk, there is little concern he cannot swiftly master issues not in his repertoire.

Fourth, Ryan is fact-driven - a quality embraced by a public growing weary of increased partisanship.  No politician is without prejudice, but we learn to trust those whose objectives aren't one and the same in catapulting their careers.  Ryan is genuinely driven to eliminate a debt crisis that threatens to saddle future generations with economic burdens.

For this reason, Ryan is comfortable explaining our nation's economic trajectory using tools like charts and graphs to elucidate his analyses.  Ryan is a Republican and owes loyalty to his party, but he has no problems calling them out for their fiscal blunders.  We need a candidate who doesn't casually dismiss logic or data when they don't support party prejudice.  With the economic state our nation is in, we can't afford any less.

And fifth, Ryan should run for President because the options are lackluster.  Besides Governor Rick Perry, there is no Presidential candidate inspiring confidence that fiscal reform is imminent.  Perry touts the robustness of Texas' economy, which may or may not be the results of his conservative policies; and Ryan can point to reform-minded ideas that have gained the support of economic scholars and the chief actuary of Medicare.

Conclusion

There are many important factors that Congressman Ryan will have to weigh before making his decision final.  A chief concern is how Ryan's Roadmap could play out in the primaries.  Republican opponents could distort his overhaul of entitlement programs as radical and potentially hindering his ability to appeal to moderates.

Another concern is that it's too early in Ryan's career to run for President.  Yet, Obama's Presidential candidacy shows that young, charismatic politicians can gain the public's trust under the right circumstances.  Obama won the Presidency using abstract solutions and a sharp barbs against the Bush Administration.  Ryan, however, is armed with concrete fiscal ideas scored by budget offices and health care actuaries.  His focus on reformist policies could reassure the public that he - unlike the current President - is concerned more about the nation's fiscal health than what the polls say.  If any young gun can pull it off, it's Paul Ryan.

 

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