Do you feel the Arab Spring revolutions, the London Riots, and the current OWS movement are distinct events or just parts of a bigger puzzle?

I think they’re distinct events but inasmuch as people are able to find out about any of these things happening, their own actions and protests are centered in the ‘spirit of the times’ which is that more and more people are visibly pissed off about the fundamental and worldwide economic inequality.

Maybe the historians will call it the year that internet access finally reach a point that it made governments lose power for good. Let’s not forget, it’s the internet that is putting small dents in China’s secrecy, it was used a lot for the Egypt riots, and less so but still used for most of the other revolutions. I think it is also helping to organize the tea party people and the london riot people and the occupy wallstreet people too.

The economy is really not that bad. At least not from where I’m standing, I have not seen one single soup line yet. Everyone I know has a full belly and a place to live, they even have modern goods and luxuries.

This is probably less to do with hunger levels rising than it is with organization and awareness levels rising.

All parts of a bigger puzzle. The world economic puzzle.

They are part of a cycle. All of them seem to be reactions to the economy.

It’s mostly the economy. There would be protests of one kind or another no matter what. Pointing fingers at the rich is a function of the realization about how the rich continue to pull away in terms of income, and are doubling their wealth every few years while the ordinary guy is making less this year than he did ten years ago in inflation adjusted dollars.

Now if you’ve been thrown out of work for a year or more, who wouldn’t be pissed? What are these rich assholes doing with their money? Nothing. They are just sitting on it until things get better. They should be targeted, but it won’t last. Too many people believe that capitalism is working for them, and as long as they make their pittance, the not

@wundayatta, did you finish up your comment the way you intended? It seems to break off suddenly, without completing the thought.

@Jeruba I don’t think so. I probably got interrupted and posted it thinking I had finished. Now I don’t remember what I meant to say.

I think all of the demonstrations are connected & I think the connection is that the people are finally realizing that their government(s) have failed them & that their government(s) need to change.