I just saw this diary by thereisnospoon. The reaction of certain right wing twits got me thinking about the nature of the protest. The right seems to overlook the fact that #OccupyWallStreet is, in many ways, a capitalist protest.
The complaints of many of the posters on WeAreThe99Percent boil down to two things, student debt and health care. In student loans we have created a type of super debt that is acting to drain capital from the middle class. Student Loans, unlike almost all other debt, cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. The statute of limitations never runs on their collection. Conversely, student loans are the only access to capital that many people have. If small business loans were as available as student loans our society would have many more small business owners. Objection to requiring a class of people to subscribe to a form of super debt in order to obtain education is a capitalist objection.
The other major concern of the posters is healthcare. A recent study found that health premiums now run $15,000/year, the same as a new Ford Fiesta (yes this is the total for an employer sponsored plan, if your employer is paying for health insurance instead of giving you a raise, you are still paying the price). Given the high deductibles of many plans that $15,000 isn't purchasing much. Americans, at least those with health insurance, are being required to pay the equivalent of a new car every year in order to access healthcare. In return they get no asset but only a contingent service of questionable value.
Everyone is going to get sick sometime. Medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy among people with health insurance. Medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy among people without health insurance. For those without health insurance, lack of access to care imposes further financial burdens. How on earth can anyone accumulate capital to start a business or pay down debts under such a system? Objecting to this is a capitalist objection.
I would also urge those on the right to take a look at who is posting on WeAreThe99Percent. These are artist, tech workers and holders of advanced degrees. These are the people who become entrepreneurs and start new businesses. They are now protesting on Wall Street claiming a lack of capital. If we are, as the right wing so likes to remind us, a capitalist country then shouldn't pro-small business conservatives be concerned about the occupiers demands?