Chait thinks so:
The larger role of the protests, should they continue, ought to be to reestablish the terms of the political debate. Historically, liberalism best succeeds when compared against a radical alternative. In the thirties and sixties, fear of extremism and mob violence made business elites eager to accept liberal compromise designed to preserve the system. Since 2009, the question of how to respond to the economy has been framed as a debate between meliorative liberalism and vicious reaction. In this climate, Wall Street has been howling about Obama’s mild verbal scolding of the industry, his plans to impose some measure of regulation upon it, and ever-so-slightly raise the tax levels of the very rich.
Greenwald is skeptical. I feel both Cartman-like aversion and a worrying exhilaration. I didn't realize I hated these bankers even more than these hippies. But it took the hippies to bring it out in me. I can't help hoping they upset a few of the bastards.
(Image of a sign at Occupy Wall Street via Flickr user David Shankbone.)
The Dish 