Wishful thinking?

David Rosen addressed Mike Bloomberg‘s commitment to the spirit and practice of democracy, and found it wanting. Bloomberg, having bought a third term in office, must now manage the #OccupyWallStreet movement. What will he do if the occupation fails to dissolve as the fall weather turns bitter?

One can only hope that Bloomberg will not instigate a police riot to end the OWS assembly. However dubious his mayoral record is to date, a mass police assault on a peaceful popular gathering, like those that took place in Egypt’s Tahrir Square or Tunis’ Mohammad Bouazizi Square, will leave many arrested, injured and enraged. For all his billions, Mike Bloomberg wouldn’t be able to buy his way out of such a shameful legacy.

Put differently, will Bloomberg be the next Nelson Rockefeller? Rockefeller’s legacy is stained by the horrors of Attica. Whether remembered as a vice president, governor, philanthropist or philanderer dying in the arms of a mistress, the blood of Attica defines his legacy. He gave the order for all those killed (both police officers and inmates) and injured during the deadliest prison uprising in American history. Will Occupy Wall Street be Bloomburg’s Attica?

Rocky's peace making work

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