class would change. But they did not change: the losing bets of the Wall Street risk takers were socialized. While the bankers who got us into this mess not only escaped indictment but were rewarded with tax payer supplemented bonuses, middle class benefits – student loans, the home mortgage interest deduction, social security and medicare – have been placed on the chopping block to pay for it. Where’s the fairness in that? With the Democrats having struck out in their opportunity to salvage the economy and the Republicans advocating a return to the policies that got us into this mess in the first place, what choice do people have but to toss aside standard operating procedures and to seek change through non-traditional means?
I’m certainly not anointing the Occupy Boston participants as modern day Sons of Liberty (and besides, after the Tea Party’s hijacking and distortion of the actions of our Revolutionary War generation, who wants to go down that path right now). Spending a few nights in a public park during a balmy stretch is easy; when the cold sets in as it soon shall, it’s not as easy to survive overnight outside. The protesters might physically depart but I believe they will be back in one form or another and their ranks will continue to grow because the established system offers no alternative to reasonable people. Will there be revolution? Unlikely. Throughout the history of the United States, as soon as a protest movement grows large enough, one or both of the major political parties co-opt the goals of that protest movement and the need for radical change is dissipated through the normal workings of the political process. That’s the way it has always worked and as bad as things are today, I’m confident that is what will happen now. However, the timetable is uncertain – several if not many years at a minimum. In the meantime, Boston city officials (acting through the police) and the protesters engage in an intricate public relations dance, each trying to gain the upper hand in the court of public opinion.
Why would anyone in New England watch soap operas when we have the Boston Red Sox? The Globe’s Bob Hohler gives us the first of what I expect to be many accounts of the collapse of the 2011 Red Sox in this front-page story. Among the highlights, or lowlights more accurately, Manager Terry Francona was distracted because (1) he split from his wife (2) he may have been abusing pain meds and (3) he was (justifiably) worried about the safety of his son and son-in-law, both Marine officers serving in Afghanistan. The owners were distracted by their outside interests, most notably the cable TV network NESN, their English soccer team, and their NASCAR race team.
The starting pitchers who were said to be drinking beer in the clubhouse during games rather than sitting on the bench supporting their teammates are identified as John Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey. They were also munching on take-out fried chicken and biscuits and playing video games. The three also neglected their conditioning as anyone who watched them pitch in September could attest. Wakefield? He was more concerned with his personal records than with the team’s well-being. Ellsbury? He always worked hard and had an MVP season, but lingering hard feelings from comments made by teammates during his injury-plagued 2010 season made him a clubhouse loner who rarely interacted with his teammates. And the list goes on and on.