It was only a matter of time before the Defenders of the Status Quo (to borrow a phrase from MLK) started spreading lame viral attacks on Occupy Wall Street. Here's one I came across recently.
First, my interpretation of Occupy Wall Street isn't a blanket hatred for corporations. OWS is against corporations that go about their business to the detriment of others. So this photo's premise is based on what I perceive to be a mis-representation of Occupy Wall Street.
Second, this image illustrates the opposite point that those critical of OWS are trying to make. The critics are trying to say, look at these knuckleheads hating corporations and yet supporting all the things corporations make. I have a different interpretation: what the image shows is that even those who are critical of corporations cannot escape them. Corporations have infiltrated our entire lives to such an extent that even with conscious effort, escaping them is difficult. Self-sufficiency can possibly be achieved, but only with extreme effort. The photo illustrates not only hypocrisy of critics, but the overwhelming influence of corporations and the diminishing of an individual's ability to be self-reliant.
Third and final point: the picture reminds me of people needling vegans for alleged hypocrisy because something a vegan ate may have killed a flea, totally ignoring any of the many points vegans present. Veganism is an ideal. It's improbable one can ever consume something that didn't result in the death of another being, but the path to the impossible ideal of Veganism is a worthy, noble (and I think) correct journey. Same with OWS. Maybe corporate influence can never be subjugated to the will of the individual, but simply pursuing that ideal leads to progress toward individual freedom.
It's not the destination, it's the journey. Keep at it, OWS! And thank you!
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Larry Nocella writes the blog ROFL: Random Outbursts From Lar! at LarryNocella.com. He's the author of the novel Where Did This Come From? The world's first CarbonFree(R) novel according to Carbonfund.org. The book is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook. It is also available for reading online. P.S. You don't need a Kindle to read Kindle eBooks. Download the FREE Kindle app for PC, Mac and smartphones. You can then purchase Kindle books or download free ones. Enjoy!