That's the most relevant picture:
You can see it unfolding in this thread and all over the internet/news/"infotainment" spheres.
The folks at these protests represent a very diverse cross section of the population, both in terms of common demographics, but also in terms of their specific understanding of the legal and business machinations that have evolved over the last 30+ years to put us where we are. But they are collectively smart enough to recognize there is something very wrong, even if most do not know how to fix it. That's okay. It will take people like this to get the political ball rolling and to overcome the carefully targeted, dogmatic and self interested delegitimization tactics aimed at taking the movement down.
Eventually though, the group will need a focused voice - and it does need to be drafted by folks who work in the industries and in government who understand what's wrong. I posted a starter kit list of actual U.S. legislation and USSC decisions that need to be revisited to make the functional changes to our economy to repair it without destroying it. One of the toughest lessons for either side to grasp is that true competition - not the dogmatic corporate welfare/oligarchy/cronyism/multinational mess we have now - is actually a perfectly sound vehicle for efficiency. It's not a moral compass, or a moral decision maker, but when you have lots of smaller competitors battling for the consumer, the Consumer (aka the 99%) has the power, which is what makes the system work. When the market share leaders begin using monopolistic, anti-competitive tactics to force competitors out and put up massive barriers to entry, and when they buy out the government and enact favorable legislation to preserve their oligarchy, the power in the system reverts over to the elite of the capitalists (aka the 1%), and the system stops working for the people and instead works for this corporate aristocracy.
I've sometimes used sports analogies to try to explain the concept of a modified capitalist system to folks, since sports are so popular. Which American sports league is the best and why? Most would say the NFL, and although the game itself is popular, the NFL is in its golden age because they figured out the formula for the greatest level of competition. The playing field is extremely level from a rules and constraints basis (in particular, I am discussing salary caps, etc) ensuring an equal footing from which the best prevail, before it ultimately gets reset (via draft/free agency), the next year. It's not a perfect analogy, but it contains enough similar concepts that perhaps you can envision how we can have a regulated economy that is ultimately competitive and therefore beneficial to the consumer, which is who it needs to serve, not the 1%.
And yes, that is the defining argument here. The so called "anti-capitalist" (but not anti-competition) argument. An economy that serves the 1%, very rarely serves the 99%, and that cannot, as a practical matter, continue. It is a completely self defeating, unstable proposition, and its becoming apparent that the ivory tower folks are starting to realize they collectively, through greed and hubris, pushed things a little too far, and it might come back at them.
Which is not to say that I support communism, or any other-ism. The knee jerk 180 isn't what's needed here, but it has happened before in history, and to disastrous effect - world wars, genocide, etc. All the truly nasty stuff that humanity has committed against itself.
In America, there are a few legislative changes we could make that would have an enormous, though gradual and not immediate (this is a good thing) effect to fix the system and give it back to the populace. I have mentioned them before. They were ignored. I guess this time, I'm due for laughing/derision. That's okay. And, BTW, this is just a start:
1) Money is not "free speech" - it's buying government/doing an end run around democracy, or even a republic. It's banana republic at best. Revisit the Buckley v Valeo and Citizens United USSC decisions. End the doctrine. No more massive campaign donations by corps or special interests. 1 vote should equal 1 vote, and the mandate should remain, and not shift immediately upon installment into office, with the politician scurrying to pay back all those people who bought his/her office.
2) Revisit/throw out most of Gramm-Leach-Bliley act, thereby re-instating most of the Glass Steagall act. This will be the start of putting the handcuffs on most of the ridiculous investment banking practices that destroyed the economy.
3) repeal most of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act - this is the act that deregulated international futures markets. Why does this matter to you? It's the act that allowed a few fast rich guys in Wall Street (aka "speculators) to artificially drive up oil contracts prices and in the process of leeching billions of dollars from that revenue stream, add absolutely no value to the process or humanity anywhere. At the level of analysis and control that these guys have, it is literally a no lose situation for them. It is possible for the futures to devalue, but these folks make money then too. they completely manipulate the markets thanks to the lack of regulation. And as a result, not only are you paying $4/gallon for gas, you're also paying an extra $1 or so for a gallon of milk, and extra for everything else you buy. All of those extra pennies for every purchase are being siphoned off the revenue stream by these folks in this process - they are essentially taxing all of us. Why is it a tax? Because their activities return exactly 0 value to the system. Zero. This is not small time business man trying to provide a service at an honest profit - these are fat guys in suits hacking the economy - they're not but a tie and a fancy haircut and an MBA removed from a PC hacker.
4) Severely limit the access of lobbyists to DC. There is no law on the books for this, so nothing to repeal. The fact that most of the legislation approved by congress today is being written, word for word, by lobbyists and then handed to a rep to introduce on th house or senate floor, should alarm every American, regardless of your religious, political/social or economic beliefs. That is NOT democracy. In 2007, there were a record 15,137 lobbyists in Washington. That was more than 28 for every congressman in Washington. most of them represent corporations or industries. That is not democracy.
I could go on. These things are not secrets. And they aren't communism. They're the missteps we have taken from democracy, competition and a political and economic system that serves the people, not the ruling 1% aristocracy.
So go ahead, laugh. Deride. Take the next step.