THE WALL STREET SIT-IN

    

 A section of the unemployed youths in America are agitating in Wall Street, New York, protesting against unemployment and what they say "the greed of the rich"  who they think are responsible for their plight. They obviously took inspiration from protests against Governments in  Egypt and Libya. Though unemployment is a universal issue a street sit in  is perhaps for the first time

 It seems the world is in a mood of staging non-violent agitations on various issues against Governments.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. is nearly 10 percent, one of the highest among st the nations  The recession of 2008 contributed  for such an high rate of unemployment not only in the U.S.but in most  countries. Now it has reached to the point of public protests around the world.

 Normally the public stay aloof of day-to-day issues of the administration in U.S and leave the Government to do its job.  But this time the unemployed youths in the U.S.brought the issue to the Wall Street, (the Wall Street as symbol of the rich and influential) sitting on the street and shouting slogans against the rich.. ( In fact the wall Street must have created as much or more poor people as it has created rich ones )  Any way the protesters have already achieved sympathy from all sections of the society including the Media. In surveys conducted by the Media, majority of Americans supported the agitation of youths and everyone agreed that the demand was genuine. Even President Obama agreed that there were some real issues behind the protests though not all big-wigs in politics have come out with their opinions. They might be keeping mum in order not to antagonize the majority.

America is a country rooted in Capitalism. It has also a long history of war against communist ideologies.  The people in a capitalist nation are supposed not to nurse any hatred against the rich. The slogans now heard at the sit-in venue against the rich people are unfamiliar in America. They sounded like Marxist slogans.  And it proves that the people of a capitalist country too might turn to socialism or communism when economic imbalance becomes acute.  Though America is a resourceful country, its economy is in bad shape with its stupendous deficit and unending  recession hang-overs.

Every one knows that economic equality would remain an Utopian dream as long as the individual tastes, abilities and the living circumstances are unique for each person. Similarly it is also not possible to prevent some persons getting richer in the society. The agitators' point is that  it is one percent population which is possessing the major share of wealth by looting the remaining 99 percent. They want this set up to change.

Of course  the demand of the 99 percent deserves attention and on the face of it,  their demand is genuine too. But as long as they have no concrete viable formula, the sit-ins  become fruitless. At any rate,  it is difficult to accommodate a wish like economic equality  without jeopardizing the present market system and law of the land. .

Any way this spell of non-violent agitations around  the world  are a new phenomenon and everybody is curious to know its outcome.