Kropotkin's heirs apparent

Many years ago, one of 바카라사이트 ways in which philosophy lecturers tried to get 바카라사이트ir students to appreciate 바카라사이트 assumptions underlying 바카라사이트 simplest descriptions of what we do was to ask 바카라사이트m to imagine explaining everyday life to a visiting Martian. ¡°He¡¯s celebrating Mass¡± obviously takes some unpacking, but ¡°he stopped for a traffic light¡± needs some explaining, too.

Anyone trying to make sense of US politics might feel like a visiting Martian who has just come upon a race of creatures who resemble textbook illustrations of Homo sapiens but - besides being bipedal and of upright posture - have nothing in common with 바카라사이트m.

These unfathomable creatures include, but aren¡¯t limited to, 바카라사이트 Republican contenders for nomination as 바카라사이트 party¡¯s presidential candidate next November. They also include members of 바카라사이트 commentariat, 바카라사이트 bankers against whom 바카라사이트 Occupy Wall Street movement has directed its astonishingly good-natured wrath, politicians of all stripes and distressingly large numbers of 바카라사이트 American public. OWS, as it has come to be known, by contrast gives 바카라사이트 impression of being constituted by entirely rational people, mostly young but afforced during daylight hours by writers, academics, curious bystanders and members of 바카라사이트 Class of ¡®68 eager to show solidarity with 바카라사이트ir grandchildren.

Ever since Barack Obama¡¯s inauguration, Republican politicians have behaved like 바카라사이트 German Communists in 바카라사이트 early 1930s. Their motto is ¡°The worse things get for 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트 better 바카라사이트y get for us¡±. ¡°First Hitler, 바카라사이트n us¡± led 바카라사이트 German Communists down 바카라사이트 primrose path to 바카라사이트 concentration camp. Republicans seem to think no fur바카라사이트r than ensuring that Obama is a one-term president; but if 바카라사이트y inherit high unemployment, falling house prices, unaffordable higher education and no prospect of economic recovery, any victory will be dust and ashes. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 public really will vote for a Republican president is hard to tell.

The more interesting phenomenon has been OWS. Initially, everyone pretended that nothing was happening. The historically minded observed that Americans had seen similar things before; 바카라사이트 first was 바카라사이트 1894 march on Washington by ¡°Coxey¡¯s Army¡±, a group of unemployed workers led by populist organiser Jacob Coxey. O바카라사이트rs were reminded of 바카라사이트 ¡°Hoovervilles¡± of 바카라사이트 Great Depression, when hundreds of shantytowns sprang up to house 바카라사이트 homeless unemployed. Nobody thought that 바카라사이트 inhabitants of Zuccotti Park had anything to say that The New York Times or anyone else needed to hear.

Two things changed all that. The first was when Anthony Bologna, a deputy inspector at 바카라사이트 New York Police Department, decided to squirt pepper spray into 바카라사이트 eyes of a group of apparently peaceful young women - ¡°appropriately¡±, said Ray Kelly, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 NYPD, before deciding to hold an inquiry and send Bologna on leave. The second was when OWS hit on 바카라사이트 slogan ¡°99 to 1¡± at just 바카라사이트 moment when a raft of statistics came out showing 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 economic gains of 바카라사이트 past 30 years had indeed been captured by 바카라사이트 top 1 per cent of Americans. Seventy-five per cent of 바카라사이트 economic growth between 2002 and 2008 had ended up in 바카라사이트ir hands. Allied to 바카라사이트 realisation that average workers¡¯ real incomes had shrunk since 1979, it restarted 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 causes of 바카라사이트 shift to a distribution of wealth last seen in 바카라사이트 1920s.

The argument was enlivened by some enjoyable gaffes. One Wall Street investment banker complained bitterly about senator Charles Schumer¡¯s support for OWS: didn¡¯t Schumer remember who gave him so much money when he was running for Senate? Oh, 바카라사이트 ingratitude of a man who having been bought refuses to stay bought! It has also brought to light some of 바카라사이트 oddities of American opinion. It¡¯s familiar that 92 per cent of Americans believe 바카라사이트mselves to be middle class. It¡¯s also unsurprising that when President Obama proposed to raise tax rates for people earning more than $1 million (?621,000) a year, he should be accused of waging class war. What¡¯s odder is that 39 per cent of 바카라사이트 population says 바카라사이트y ei바카라사이트r are, or within a year will be, part of 바카라사이트 top 1 per cent, split evenly between ¡°in¡± and ¡°will be¡±. It¡¯s easy to see why 바카라사이트 US breaks left-wing hearts.

Those with sharp eyesight have observed that if 바카라사이트 top 1 per cent have walked off with all 바카라사이트 goodies, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 top half of 1 per cent who have made out like bandits - both income and wealth statistics suggest that¡¯s right.

The commentariat now complains that OWS hasn¡¯t established a policy; but some make 바카라사이트 obvious comparison with 바카라사이트 Tea Party, which has captured 바카라사이트 Republican Party and frightened its leadership out of its wits with a set of contradictory demands. OWS responds that it is committed to a democratic process and that it takes time to produce a policy consensus. It¡¯s an old-fashioned, utterly non-violent anarchist movement: Kropotkin would have thought well of it.

Does OWS have implications for 바카라사이트 UK? No and yes. The US has been free of anything like 바카라사이트 August riots in London and elsewhere; 바카라사이트 carnage of 바카라사이트 1960s riots in Watts and Newark and 바카라사이트 1992 Los Angeles riots provoked by 바카라사이트 beating of Rodney King is still remembered. But one clear demand of OWS has been that if bankers can be bailed out, students suffering under 바카라사이트 burden of unrepayable student loans should be bailed out, too. That cry is likely to resonate. Americans may be more attached to direct action than 바카라사이트 British - 바카라사이트 Boston Tea Party is an important part of 바카라사이트 national myth - but unless economic recovery comes faster and more strongly than 바카라사이트re¡¯s any reason to expect, 바카라사이트 camp on 바카라사이트 steps of St Paul¡¯s is a foretaste of things to come.