On Wednesday at the OWS movement, it was decided that some ninety-nine percenters are "more equal" than others. Those cooking for the group are staging a protest, because they are angry that "professional homeless people" and "ex-cons masquerading as protesters" have been eating the same free food the chefs provide to the rest of the group.
Why should they mind? Isn't this whole movement dedicated to everyone getting their "fair share?" Few Americans are more down on their luck than the homeless and ex-cons. One would think champions of "social justice" would open their collective arms to the most unfortunate among them.
Alas, it is not to be. For the next three days, volunteer chefs will be serving spartan meals instead of the usual gourmet fare. The ultimate aim? Ostensibly to separate the less-deserving free-riders from the more-deserving free-riders. One is left to imagine how they will make the distinction between the two groups, and who within the pseudo-government known as the General Assembly will be imbued with the power to make such important decisions.
More importantly, what criteria will be employed in making those decisions? Will they be arbitrary and capricious, or will those denied meals have any avenues available for a redress of their grievances? Will mitigating factors such race and/or gender be considered? Some homeless people and ex-cons are veterans. Does service to one's country merit free meals?
This is a movement which ostensibly disdains free-market capitalism due to the inequality of outcome. In other words, they are contemptuous of the idea that the harder one works, the greater the rewards. Yet even as they maintain that contempt, they've decided to ostracize a subset of people who apparently aren't "worthy" of being fed, ostensibly because they don't do anything to "earn" a meal. Thus, at least with respect to food, the occupiers of Zuccotti Park have been separated into "winners" and "losers" by a "ruling class" which will determine the difference based on whatever criteria they decide are apropos.
So, what is it they're protesting again?
