OWS demands are those of a peasantry, not a working class
Very interesting take on the OWS protests, including some data analysis. The key extract, however:
The overwhelming majority of these statements are actionable demands in the form of (i) free us from the bondage of these debts and (ii) give us a bare minimum to survive on in order to lead decent lives (or, in pre-Industrial terms, give us some land). In Finley’s terms, these are the demands of a peasantry, not a working class.
Well worth reading. The construction of personal debt (via many means but to me the most obvious is higher education) is having a highly corrosive effect on American society.