First off, it's 2011. Using the word "hippie" makes you sound like you don't know what you're talking about; more to the point, it makes you sound like Cartman.

A lot of what you're saying sounds like it's being parroted from TV news pundits. It's incredibly easy to dismiss an entire subset of the country by calling them rapists and morons. Have you been to any of these protests? They're pretty orderly, up until police start shooting rubber bullets at peaceful protesters. And even if everyone protesting, all of the thousands of people from all walks of life, was a heroin addict that kicked puppies, that wouldn't change what they were protesting.


You say that there isn't a defined message? That's a complaint from a few months ago. This... isn't actually particularly difficult. The Occupy protests are protesting the level of power corporations have, specifically the level of power they have over the government.

It may seem "ill-defined" because it's such a pervasive problem.

Massive bailouts.

Incredibly dishonest banking and investment policies, with little to no punishment from the law (If Citibank makes a billion or two in profit from shady deals, millions in fines won't discourage that).

Lobbyists, and corporations donating massive amounts of money to fund "their" candidates re-election.

The courts saying that a corporation is considered a "person."


Is this something you disagree with? Do you think that banks and corporations have no interest in politics, and have not been trying to exert their influence? Or do you know that they do, and don't mind? (These aren't rhetorical questions- I'm honestly interested in your response to these specific questions).



They're not protesting the fact that they have to pay their credit cards. They're not protesting student loan debt. (Student loan debt is an issue that could use some examining/regulation, but it's nowhere near the focus of these protests).

Finally, when thousands of people, all over the world (yes, the world) are protesting something, over an extended period of time, maybe your gut reaction shouldn't be "Oh, they're all just drugged-out losers, morons, and rapists." Historically, when there have been massive, ongoing protests, who ends up being in the right? Is it the people who sit at home, smirking, going "Everything's just fine, those guys are idiots?"



PS. Also, a little advice: Maybe you shouldn't tell peaceful protesters that they're not living up to the ideals of America.