“Too little, too late.” I am not alone to suspect that the Occupy movement — the 99 percenters — started its protest against corporate greed and government cronyism several years too late.
Where were the Occupiers when the Tea Party protests started?
Dancing in the streets over the Obama presidency? Many Occupiers may have lagged because they thought that “their man” could and would clean up corruption and make Washington work for the everyone — or at least the “middle class.”
The “too late” charge can be directed against the Tea Party, though — and has been, repeatedly. The Tea Partyers waited to organize until a liberal Democrat was in the White House, one who saw Bush’s big government and, well, raised it.
Many would admit, later, how not “theirs” Bush was. Still, few protested Bush’s big government push.
To the Tea Party’s credit, it was first — kicked off by Rick Santelli’s CNBC “tea party rant” in early 2009, against the upsurge of bailouts for banks, car companies, home-buyers, you name it, as well as the very idea of government stimulus. (Though I ranted earlier.)
The time to protest cronyism and corruption in American government? The moment one opens one’s eyes to political reality.
Maybe the great age of protest has finally come.
I hope it’s not too late.
It always seems like citizens should have stood up to abuse of power sooner, but being late to the action is no excuse not to stand up now.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.