I have in mind a Social Theorem, or at least the seed: all of the inconsistent application of police activity across the nation, all of the heated political rhetoric, the sympathizing, posturing, and demonizing, the quotidian observations, the TV and radio talking head smearing commentary and dripping sarcasm, the corporate avoidance, the celebrity engagement, the EVERYTHING...is all an orchestrated dance.
First, let's consider our country's large, metropolitan police forces: these departments do not exist in a vacuum. They are the closest thing we have to an "in house" military, besides the National Guard. They are well coordinated, and talk to each other. Given the impressive array of technological tools and (mostly) generous budgets our large-city forces enjoy, the chances that they are NOT talking to each other are slim.
So how best to deal with the most popular domestic uprising since the 1960's? Simple, revisit the '60's counter-counter culture strategy, only this time with a flotilla of technology in tow. Develop a well-tuned strategy of response at a national level, with a core goal: unbalance and discredit Occupy Wall Street.
UNBALANCE: employ a good cop/bad cop (really!) city-by-city "let them peacefully camp overnight" and "tear gas and rubber bullet" policy grab bag. Now that OWS is solidly present in every major American city, the movement presents a clear threat to the status quo - this will not be tolerated, and the police forces have instituted a strategy that will be rolled out with increased intensity. Make no mistake, this is a chess match, and the establishment is thinking several moves ahead. Keeping the organizers unbalanced and guessing if what happened in Oakland can happen in their city too, or possibly the passivity displayed by the Albany Police will visit them instead. I am cynical on this point, not believing for a minute the latter force is "on the side" of the OWS movement. There is an army of stalking horses surrounding the movement, and they are doing more than whispering to each other.
DISCREDIT: The reaction for the first several weeks of OWS was non-reaction - ignore or downplay the crowds and they will evaporate. That didn't work, as OWS self-replicated and gained traction at a torrid pace. So then they were termed "mobs" by the conservative talking point machine in Washington, DC and their reliable media bobble-head toys...that lasted a couple of 24-hour cycles. When it became clear that this was not Tea Party Redux, and what was growing had - in principle and scope - the makings of a genuine movement, complete with a list of demands, soon followed by the impressive 99PercentDeclaration (a thunderous answer to "they don't know what they want," "they are bored/unemployed/don't want to work/dirty fucking hippies," etc.), a whisper and smear campaign was launched. What OWS really represents is an anti-semitic, pro-muslim, marxist cabal fixated on overthrowing the virtuous, money-cultivating capitalists upon which this great nation was built, and so must be destroyed.
Stay tuned.
