adminUnited States of America, they expose the double standards and selective use of the media by Western governments and major corporations to advance their permanent economic interests.
The fact that the Occupy Wall Street protests, now in their eighth week, are not a breaking news story on CNN, BBC, Sky News, France 24 and Al-Jazeera is a clear indication of how capitalism uses the media to entrench its agendas.
It is a story that they would want to keep under wraps, because it exposes capitalism and its failures to address issues faced by ordinary people.
It is also masked because the gap between the rich and poor has become too wide.
The West would also not want to be seen as a troubled spot as happened in August during the riots in Britain.
The tough talking against protesters by British Prime Minister David Cameron was a pointer that they are not interested in solving issues faced by the poor, but would rather stereotype them, and label them thugs.
Thus the Occupy protests have been advanced by the social media, fuelling their spread on all the five continents.
The protesters, who have vowed not to stop have told their respective authorities that they ignore them at their peril.
Still, the failure to turn the Occupy Wall Street protests into a global story is surprising considering that the US administration and its allies are quick to interfere in internal issues of other countries, especially developing countries.
They are quick to condemn, impose sanctions, go to United Nations and use force where they claim that there are human rights abuses and that the rule of law is not being upheld.
Zimbabwe has witnessed this selective application of justice from Western countries, and is currently under sanctions for repossessing land stolen by former colonialists.
Africa, which is the source of inspiration for the Occupy protests through the Arab Spring also witnessed this impunity when Nato forces assisted Libyan National Transitional Council rebels to kill ousted leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
For more than a week, it was the biggest story, meanwhile Occupy protesters in Oakland, California were tearing up fences, and St Paul’s Cathedral in the UK was forced to close down when the protesters refused to leave.
As the protests, gain momentum, Western politicians are either supporting the protesters with others applying cautious pragmatism.
President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party, which initially showed signs of support, is now cautious after the violent clashes between protesters and the police in Oakland.
The Occupy Wall Street protesters have labelled themselves the 99 percent that have been severely affected by the harsh economic downturn that started in August 2008.
This led to millions of people around the globe losing jobs, and homes, resulting in poverty levels rising in First World countries.
Youths in particular feel that the one percent – the rich – have created a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots.
They also accuse banks of causing the economic crisis, while they continue to enjoy benefits.
However, the Occupy protests are a wake-up call on governments and major corporations. In a networked world, it is easy for ordinary people to seek alternatives.
Online Reporter