A 6 p.m. Google News search on "Occupy Movement" (not in quotes, sorted by date) returned 69 items dated September 16 and 17.
The same search adding the word "capitalism" returned only two items. This is odd, because, as one of the two items returned noted, "capitalism" — as in ending it — is the core platform of the few who remain involved with the two year-old movement.
Yesterday, Cortney O'Brien at Townhall wrote the only item I could find which identified the Occupy movement's primary goal:
Occupiers Release Anti-Law Enforcement Film on Eve of Movement's Two-Year Anniversary
It’s been two years since angry occupiers started shouting, “We are the 99 percent!” Tuesday marks the second anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement and activists are celebrating by renewing calls for an end to capitalism and demonizing law enforcement.
In a 10-minute video released by OWS activists today, the narrator follows an Occupy protest on the movement’s first year anniversary through the streets of New York City as it heads to Wall Street. Throughout the video, the narrator’s commentary suggests the police are the bad guys. Among other charges, he claims the police are “targeting specific protesters in their arrests” and cuffing people to “dent the momentum of the protests.” Of a police captain he says, “He is an expert in crowd suppression.”
Characterizing ending capitalism as the group's number one goal is not out of line, as this picture from the top of Occupy Wall Street's home page today demontrates:
A related blog post is entitled: "Our One Demand Is To End Capitalism."
Stories at the Associated Press, NPR, the UK Guardian, and Mother Jones, among others, failed to mention "capitalism."
Perhaps demonstrating some weakness in Google's search mechanisms, a PBS News Hour story which was not among the two stories found above notes that "A post on the website broadly explains the target of Tuesday's protests as capitalism."
Meghan Barr's AP report is arguably the worst of the bunch, simply because with great power should come great responsibility. In failing to note the group's primary goal, that obviously didn't happen.
Barr also recycled an easily discredited line about how fabulously helpful Occupiers were during Hurricane Sandy:
Occupy was perhaps at its most effective in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, when organizers played a leading role in grassroots disaster relief across the city. They organized donation hubs, delivered food and medications to elderly storm victims and helped people repair their homes, among other volunteer efforts.
Meghan, to play a "leading role" in disaster relief, you have to have lots of people. Occupy never had that, or you would have told us how many Occupiers were involved in your original fawning report in November of last year. You didn't, because it would have been embarrassing compared to the thousands of people from other organizations who were involved in Sandy relief efforts.
To be crystal clear, as I wrote back then, "any legitimate aid and comfort to victims of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy those affiliated with the Occupy Movement are providing is noble." But the attempt at disproportionate credit-hogging was tasteless. Meghan Barr's rehash, given the AP's influence, is doubly disgraceful.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
