# Seems like the Occupy protests have lost steam this week (10/19/11). Did they jump the shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155 "2011-10-19T16:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/41 "2011-10-20T01:15:00Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > The simple fact is, this is old news. There is no conspiracy by the media. This has been going on for a month now. It has been covered. Nothing new is happening. Do you really think the news is going to give coverage to something that, at this point, is simply, “Yep. They’re still there.”? > > If something exciting happens, it will get coverage. If not, it will get a passing mention now and again. That is the nature of news. Half of me agrees completely with this explanation, and the other half says, being “old news” hasn’t stopped the media from ridiculously over-covering to death countless less relevant stories for months despite their lack of any real developments. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/42 "2011-10-20T01:16:51Z")
I can’t imagine why. [Their demands and proposed solutions seem so reasonable.](http://occupywallst.org/forum/are-you-rebels-or-revolutionaries-choose-revolutio/) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/43 "2011-10-20T01:19:40Z")
Bear in mind that, unlike the early Tea Party demos which gathered and dispersed, the active and continuing occupation of Wall Street, etc., is in practice limited to people who can take weeks off to sit in the park, which limits its numbers. Doesn’t matter, the point is to keep it going so that everybody who can’t do that but sympathizes can cheer them on and keep the wheels squeaking. What difficult thing gets done in politics without that? ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/44 "2011-10-20T01:33:48Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > I can’t imagine why. [Their demands and proposed solutions seem so reasonable.](http://occupywallst.org/forum/are-you-rebels-or-revolutionaries-choose-revolutio/) That page says “User Submitted.” It does not represent an official list of demands. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/45 "2011-10-20T01:39:32Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Well that has come to fruition: [http://online.wsj.com/article/APac98bf1a84fa4e7083f5d1ddbb4636ae.html](http://online.wsj.com/article/APac98bf1a84fa4e7083f5d1ddbb4636ae.html) > > What a joke! Why does that make it a joke? People are interested in the protest, and whether they agree or disagree, they’re paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/46 "2011-10-20T01:43:41Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What I find absurd is the platform: the “students” want their education loans “forgiven”-which means that we (the taxpayers) will be on the hook for it. > Another “protester” wanted all debts cancelled..does this mean I don’t have to pay taxes too? This has been said a lot already, but the fact that a few people are holding matching signs does not mean that they represent the entire movement. The basic premise of the movement is about loosening corporate control on American politics. “Forgiving” education loans is far too specific. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/47 "2011-10-20T01:47:33Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > This has been said a lot already, but the fact that a few people are holding matching signs does not mean that they represent the entire movement. The basic premise of the movement is about loosening corporate control on American politics. “Forgiving” education loans is far too specific. And yet one person among hundreds of thousands is holding a sign of Obama as a witch doctor, and all of a sudden the Tea Party must be racist. Or the sign of the guy talking about guns - therefore they must be violent. If it weren’t for double standards, the left would have no standards at all. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/48 "2011-10-20T02:09:19Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > And yet one person among hundreds of thousands is holding a sign of Obama as a witch doctor, and all of a sudden the Tea Party must be racist. Or the sign of the guy talking about guns - therefore they must be violent. > > If it weren’t for double standards, the left would have no standards at all. Well, you can therefore offer a cite that shows that most of the tea party attendees surrounded the fellow with the insulting sign to to tell others “he is not with us” and also made quick signs telling all what an asshole the troll was, No? > **[There are No Anti-Semites at Occupy Wall Street. Except for This Guy. | New...](https://newvoices.org/2011/10/12/there-are-no-anti-semites-at-occupy-wall-street-except-for-this-guy/)** > > Commotion surrounds a man holding a large sign that proclaims, “Google: Zionists control Wall St.” To his right, another man holds a sign that displays the word “ASSHOLE,” accompanied by an arrow pointing at the first man. Several more people are... I guess it is not that hard to see efforts like that coming from the left and from a Jewish site no less. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/49 "2011-10-20T02:09:52Z")
> [@](#): > > …If it weren’t for double standards, the left would have no standards at all. Hell, you guys don’t have any morals to be hypocritical about! How does one display hypocrisy in relation to greed, give a panhandler five bucks? ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/50 "2011-10-20T02:10:56Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Smashy] hundreds of thousands [/QUOTE] :eek::dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/51 "2011-10-20T02:13:45Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The civil rights movement had discernible goals. All this is doing is killing tourism and business in places like NYC. That’s bound to get someone’s attention, right? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/52 "2011-10-20T02:23:36Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What I find absurd is the platform: the “students” want their education loans “forgiven”-which means that we (the taxpayers) will be on the hook for it. > Another “protester” wanted all debts cancelled..does this mean I don’t have to pay taxes too? It’s called “socializing the risk” and “privatizing the gain”. Now, where did they learn that? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/53 "2011-10-20T02:26:42Z")
Can’t blame that one on the dirty fucking hippies! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/54 "2011-10-20T04:28:06Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > Why does that make it a joke? People are interested in the protest, and whether they agree or disagree, they’re paying attention. People are interested in the novelty of it…like a pet rock, a concert ticket, etc. The OWS will be an answer on a pub trivia question in about 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/55 "2011-10-20T04:38:25Z")
> **[Occupy Detroit protests outside downtown Bank of America branch, calls for...](https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2011/10/occupy_detroit_protests_outsid.html)** > > About 50 protesters from Occupy Detroit rallied outside Detroit’s Guardian Building, where Bank of America’s downtown branch is located, this afternoon. If you do not understand the protests, it says a lot about how poorly you have kept up with the financial crisis and the bankers who caused it. Bof A got 45 billion from TARP. They continue to tap Freddie and Fannie for 2.1 trillion in bailouts. Many of their loans were fraudulent through their affiliate Countrywide. Hell. the government gave them 7 billion to modify home loans to keep people in their homes. They of course did not bother to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/56 "2011-10-20T05:00:24Z")
On April 15, 2009, a lot of folks gathered at protests and rallies. By April 16th, 2009, most of them had gone home. Would an observer on that date have been justified in concluding that the Tea Party movement had run out of steam, or jumped the shark? And yet, when a group of people rally and protest for a month straight, and then the numbers start dwindling (but there are still a significant number of people left protesting and rallying still), that’s evidence of the Occupy movement running out of steam. How does this work again? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/57 "2011-10-20T10:18:48Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I think CNN and MSNBS gave them their fair shake. Yes, I’m sure you do. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/58 "2011-10-20T11:36:34Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > In contrast, a Western Democracy can allow such a protest to continue indefinitely with no discernible effect on the viability of the system. Sit there till the cows come home. [Some people do](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Haw). Haw was an extreme case but you can’t say he didn’t try. > [@Magiver](#): > > All this is doing is killing tourism and business in places like NYC. [Potentially true](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15380205), although I note that the protests are both “killing tourism” and becoming tourist sites themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/59 "2011-10-20T12:16:27Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > [Some people do](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Haw). Haw was an extreme case but you can’t say he didn’t try. Makes my point. A Western Democracy can tolerate that kind of protest indefinitely without the government collapsing or forcibly terminating the protest. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155/60 "2011-10-20T12:34:20Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Makes my point. A Western Democracy can tolerate that kind of protest indefinitely without the government collapsing or forcibly terminating the protest. And yet the government tried for years to terminate it. Clearly it must have been having some effect, even if only as an irritant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-like-the-occupy-protests-have-lost-steam-this-week-10-19-11-did-they-jump-the-shark/600155.md?page=4)