18 November 2011

Mayor Bloomberg and the voice of the people

The Mayor of New York City went on the radio today to claim vindication for his decision to evict the Wall Street Occupiers from Zuccotti Park. Unruffled by yesterday's protests, Michael Bloomberg described them as "an opportunity for a bunch of unions to complain or protest or whatever they want to do." If the protests appeared relatively civil, the mayor seemed to suggest, that was because unions, not occupiers, led them. At the same time, he credited himself with considerable magnanimity, noting that he had allowed the occupiers two months to have their say. "You have to give people time to express themselves," he said, or else a judge might complain about your hasty action. It's clear to him now, however, that the right time had come to clear the park. How does he know this? Here's how:


One of the surest signs we did the right thing is that no one in city, as far as I know, is calling for the return of the tarps, tents and encampment of Zuccotti Park.... Now, there are protestors that are probably calling for it, but I don't know of any elected officials who have stood up.

Bloomberg's math is simple: no elected officials = no one in the city. Whether you believe that a majority of the people supports his action or not, that equation ought to be slightly chilling.

2 comments:

hobbyfan said...

Delusional, isn't he?

I think the Occupiers need to start thinking about winter accomodations. I just couldn't see them continuing their campaign in the dead of winter and risk frostbite, hypothermia, etc..

Anonymous said...

an opportunity for a bunch of unions to complain or protest or whatever they want to do.


Bloomberg may claim to be an independent, as opposed to a Repugnican, but this statement pretty much explains where he is politically speaking.

To try to marginalize the OWS'ers as "a bunch of unions" makes it imperative for right-wingers to simply ignore it. And further to typify it as "complaining or protesting or whatever they want to do" pretty much sums up the idea that he (the government) doesn't actually have to listen to the complaints. He's doing his job simply by allowing them to complain. This shows the true feeling that Bloomberg and his right-wing cronies have for the poor and working class of this country. He and his greed-motivated ilk have no compassion, no empathy for the plight of the OWS - and the rest of us. Historically speaking, he may as well have said "Let them eat cake."