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Get a
clearer political agenda: Bill Clinton
to Wall Street protesters
Tuesday November 08, 2011 11:19:38 AM,
Arun Kumar, IANS
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Washington: As the
wildly spreading leaderless Occupy Wall Street movement against
corporate greed entered its 52nd day, it received some "sympathy"
and a bit of advice from former president Bill Clinton - get a
clearer political agenda.
Likened at times to social media-driven Arab Spring demonstrations
in the Middle East, the protests that began Sep 17 as hundreds of
people descended on the streets of Manhattan's financial district
have since spread to dozens of other cities across America and
even beyond.
Originally aimed at raising awareness about the role financial
institutions played in the continued economic downturn affecting
the world markets, the protests have also attracted rallies
against the war in Afghanistan, the state of the environment, and
a wide array of other domestic and international issues.
Yet the Occupy protesters have not explicitly articulated what
they want, leading Clinton to suggest that the Occupiers need a
clearer political agenda and that they should communicate more
with political leaders.
"They have an amorphous set of resentments for which I
sympathise," Clinton said in an interview with USA Today. "I don't
think Americans can continue this level of income inequality."
But "they need to have some idea of what they want the country to
do. If I were in their position, I would invite politicians down
to talk to them", Clinton told the publication Monday.
Elisabeth Jacobs, fellow, Governance Studies at The Brookings
Institution, a Washington think tank, however, had a different
question about the protest movement's "demands".
"It remains to be seen whether the Occupy Wall Street protests
will result in meaningful political change or whether they will be
a curious historical blip," she wrote.
"But to demand demands from the Occupiers today is a misguided
effort, particularly for those who see some merit in their broader
message."
Meanwhile, the Occupy protesters in New York City are preparing
for the possibility of a punishing winter by erecting huge
military-grade tents designed to withstand frigid temperatures and
stave off hypothermia.
After incidents of sexual harassment in Zuccotti Park, from where
the movement started a women-only tent has been set up for about
15 women. A sign on the front reads: "Women's Safe Sleeping
Space".
Three toilets were also installed at a building two blocks from
the park.
(Arun Kumar can
be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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