So Democratic mayors been trying to smash OWS...

[nadinbrzezinski]

The first obvious point is...not just democrats. Bloomberg, the big boy, belongs to whatever is fashionable at the momemt, and right now he's an indie. On a far less well known my Mayor is a republican. But there is something else happening. And here is where history helps.

What you are seeing is not a party reacting to this. What you are seeing s those in the power structure reacting, predictably mind you, to a threat to the order if things. This is what you are seeing. It is independent of party.

This is important to understand as we deal with the dynamics emerging from OWS. They are as predictable as the water is wet.

[DJ13]

1. It is independent of party.

Just as our votes should be in response.

[MNBrewer]

3. Both parties are threatened by anything that threatens Wall Street's Political Donation Flow

And both parties line up at the trough.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. Yep, destroy the emergent threat to (any) status quo. It's why we don't see Dems supporting #Occupy.

They're too much a part of the old way.

[rhett o rick]

4. We are not fighting republicons. That is a distraction. We are fighting the oligarchs. nm

[firehorse]

5. the powers that be - are realizing they can't control the movement - not about party

He would have been more forceful, but the police brutality videos scared him. Then he probably thought it would die out, or the cold would end it all.

I live in NYC, and its never been clear to me what party he is. He used to be a democrat, then he ran as a republican, then something happened and he turned into an independent. So I don't think its about party, the issue, its about those in power not wanting to look like they can't even control what they thought were "dirty hippies" and under-employed kids. It grew, and its out of their control.

[EV_Ares]

6. Yes, everyone is right here, basically we have the entire dam powers that

be in DC & our state leaderships fighting to keep the status quo, they want all the marbles & we are seeing the one thing where they are able to work across party lines. We need a third party.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. At this point if that third party was in some sort of power

They'd be in it too. This is purely about how power reacts to a direct challenge.

[karnac]

8. Most mayors ARE Democrats

Just like most medium/large cities are populated by democrats.

Democratic mayors are in a particular nasty quandry. How to keep the moneyed interests(and HUGE tax base) which are mostly in large cities from leaving out of fear and lack of protection. Detroit comes to mind. How to keep their democratic voters from splitting their base and letting a republican win by default.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. And you missed the point by a mile or more

This independent of party. It is a very familiar dynamic of power and those who challenge it.

[Lint Head]

9. Roger Waters is correct. Th financial sustem in the US is fucked up!

You cannot make it to a place of really 'big time' power and politics without being owned by a corporation or group of mega wealthy people. There are exceptions to every rule and the ones that are not owned are in the minority.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Yup