Occupy Wall Street is obviously better motivated than organized.
Obscene, regulation-challenged corporate greed in the name of Adam Smith is worth protesting, especially when the ripples wreak societal havoc. Most of us get that.
But it doesn’t help to say, in effect, “As long as we have your attention, please note that we’re also against racism, sexism, global warming, the death penalty and financial aid to Israel.” Whatever the merits, it dilutes the message and devolves into generic liberal cant. The casino economics of Wall Street predators deserves its own bulls eye.
Nor does it help to court celebrity opportunists to gin up publicity. We’re talking Michael Moore and Cornel West for starters.
You want to make a media splash? Invite Michael Douglas to channel Gordon Gecko and recant the goodness of greed. That’s worth a lot more than a cameo by Susan Sarandon, a drop-in by Noam Chomsky and performance art by “corporate zombies.”