Smoking out villains of Wall Street

As I begin this column, on Oct. 10, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement has spread to dozens of American cities. By the time this sees print, on Oct. 20, the wave of discontent may have dissipated. Or it could grow into something much larger.

It’s good to see citizens take part in a peaceful uproar. It means that apathy and despair have not yet won the day. It’s also rewarding to see slogans and placards lofted by the protesters rather than smoke from gunfire and explosions. Violence can bring change, but usually the chief victims are the poor and powerless.

Right now the OWS people have few, if any, leaders. I haven’t seen evidence of precise goals. This augurs poorly for the assemblage. Whether it’s cleaning out the garage or forging a different government, knowing exactly what you’re aiming for is important. Otherwise things tend to fall apart, with little achieved.

And that’s what happens to most street protests: with time, they fade away. The Establishment – whether it’s Wall Street, Congress, the Pentagon or the White House – knows this. Patience tends to prevail over passion.

I hope this won’t happen with OWS. The peaceful protesters who have gathered in the downtowns of American cities are merely harbingers – indicators that (along with other problems) something is radically wrong with how our country’s financial institutions operate. If all the protesters were asked, “Exactly what are you angry about?” I’d bet that 60 percent would reply, “I’m mad because the crooks on Wall Street are still at large. They should be identified, tried and punished.”