1. Tale of the Two Squares.

     It fascinates Mr. Kristof ('America's Primal Scream', NYT, 10/15/11) that we “understood the outrage and frustration” of Egyptians and yet “we don’t comprehend similar resentments that drive fellow citizens to occupy Wall Street”. It fascinates me how I can understand why Mr. Kristof would compare Occupy Wall Street to the Arab Spring in Egypt, and yet I don’t comprehend the extent to which he stretches the facts in the process. How similar are resentments of 40% of the Egyptians who live on $2 a day or less, 99% of which lived under three “presidents”, and bitterness of college educated I-Phone wielding Americans (mostly) youth? How do the interviews with people who were shot at demanding freedom rhyme with people who shoot themselves with their camera phones and post pictures on Facebook demanding redistribution of wealth, end of corporate greed, school loan forgiveness, and occupying everything. 


       There is also a symbolic yet significant difference, that Mr. Kristof conveniently omits.  On January 25, 2011, Egyptians began occupation of Tahrir Square demanding just that – tahrir (English: liberation).  Egyptians took over public space confronting public leadership.  The 99ners based their occupation of Wall Street in Zuccotti Park – private space owned by Brookfield Office Properties (NYSE: BPO; Total Assets: $20.420 billion) and named after its chairman, Mr. John E. Zuccotti.  Hence, in an ironic historical twist, people protesting corporate greed protest under protection of a private property owned by a corporation, which prevents NYPD from intervening.

Original Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/opinion/sunday/kristof-americas-primal-scream.html?_r=1&smid=fb-nytimes&WT.mc_id=SR-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-APS-101611-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click 

Part 2 coming soon