The Chris Moeller Archives

The homeless, jobless, and impassioned change agents that have been occupying Zuccotti Park in New York City were cleared out by Mayor Bloomberg's storm troopers last week. Few should miss the irony of Bloomberg ordering the assault. He's a billionaire resident of the upper 1% of the nation's top 1%, going so far as to buy his way into the office he holds, an action that would make our Founders shudder, but causes nary a raised eyebrow these days. There are reports almost daily now of police violence erupting in one or more of the many tent cities of protesters that have sprung up across the country over two months, and there has been a clearly-orchestrated change in policing strategies. In many cases now, such as in lower Manhattan, protesters are taking to the streets instead.

Washington recognizes the threat, and Chris Hayes has some proof. Staffers of his television program at MSNBC gained possession of a memo from a Washington lobbying firm closely associated with House Speaker John Boehner directed to members of the American Banking Association. It advocates an $850,000 smear campaign on the Occupy movement and the politicians that support it.

The monied interests will do whatever is required to hold on to their plunder. They'll use whatever violent force necessary against protesters so long as they feel America's still-lethargic majority will tolerate it. But make no mistake, they're feeling the heat inside the halls of power, and rightly so as the temperature of the oven keeps getting turned up. Oligarchy beware, Zuccotti Park is everywhere.