If you mean the poll, then, yes, I agree that comparing the popularity of a relatively new group of demonstrators to that of one that is several years old and has already strongly influenced a national election is apples and oranges. I again indulged my habit of trolling trolls, and should not have.

Yes, I was most definitely referring to Perry proudly telling a Tea Party crowd "we" would "do" things to the Fed Chair if he came to TX; the fact that Perry left those undefined but clearly negative ACTIONS vague does not mean he was calling for a lynching or any other specific act, but it DOES mean he was (successfully) currying favor with Tea Partiers by saying he would do unpleasant things to a member of the federal government. I mean, really, think about it: Suppose Perry wins the election, is inaugurated President and then convenes a conference with his economic advisors to address the countrys dire economic situation. Should the incumbent Fed Chairman wear a bullet proof vest to that meeting, or give Perry the benefit of a doubt and only expect a punch in the face?



Meh. I am not really on the OWS bandwagon simply because they ARE so directionless and counterproductive. It may be true that if you are not angry you are not paying attention, but it is not necessarily true that if you ARE angry you ARE paying attention. I sympathize with many of the OWSers greivances but, to the very limited extent they have proposed purported "solutions," those rarely seem worthy of that name. As oft discussed, the factors I, along with the OWSers, criticize foster the widespread alienation manifesting in both OWS and the Tea Party, but in neither case does that make alienation valid, legitimate or constructive: It is a symptom of the deeper disease, and should never be mistaken for a cure.

Occupy Wall Street has not (to my knowledge) suggested tearing down the Constitution, but do seem to want to tear down corporate America every bit as much as the Tea Party wants to tear down the federal government (and while we can debate that and have, I have yet to hear anyone from the Tea Party say a single positive word about any aspect of the federal government; I wonder how THEY expect to preserve the Constitution while crippling its institutions.) That kind of vague extremist rage is not helpful, however understandable, and abolishing American business is no more in Americas interest than is abolishing American government. Regulation and accountability are one thing, moratoria quite another. What I have seen of both the Tea Party and OWS allows no middle road; there does not seem to be any degree of federal power the former would accept, let alone value, or any degree of business power the latter would. From my perspective that the middle class should use Big Business as a check on Big Government, and vice versa, both groups are an obstacle, because each of them would, if permitted, eliminate the principal balance to the others favorite target.

Oh, and I WILL respond to your last NB, I have just been a bit preoccupied lately with trying to pass my driving test, stay current (and make the homework deadlines) for the online Intro to AI class and prepare for the Norwegian course I start tomorrow evening.