The Idea Department

Jan-Werner Mueller has described Occupy Wall St. and it’s various other Western counterparts (Occupy Dame St. in Dublin, for example) as being ‘curiously mute’, regarding their aims, suggesting that they:

 ‘Articulate… wider demands or a sense of what a different society, or “real democracy”… should be all about.’

Interestingly, Mueller suggests that the descriptions given to protesters, could affect their direction. Lacking one definite message, the ideas of those involved can be misconstrued and possibly identified as rage, as opposed to what Mueller importantly identifies as a distinction from rage -indignation.

‘If they are being driven by rage, then a lack of clear goals might merely produce more anger and frustration, which in turn could eventually lead to physical violence and some kind of political nihilism.’

Mueller adds, ‘Language matters here: indignation suggests that some social actors – a government or elites in general – have violated shared norms or moral understandings’.

Ultimately Mueller calls on the ‘elite’ as well as those of us non-participators, to tread lightly with our words when discussing the protesters, ‘comprehending that it is ultimately about an affirmation of liberal democracy’ and to ‘respond conscientiously and creatively to moral indignation’.

Read more at Project Syndicate.