U.S. Wall St. Demonstrations: It’s Dangerous to Divide Society　

In New York, the anti-Wall Street demonstration is becoming a major situation. On Oct. 1, 700 people were arrested; now continuing into its third week, the demonstration is spilling out to other cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

There is no charismatic leader, the protesters’ demands are disparate and it is unclear what the main aim is. It is still unknown whether or not this polar opposite of the conservative tea party will be effective in influencing the government. Nonetheless, I will be watching closely, because the protests may affect next year’s U.S. presidential election and therefore the country’s foreign policy.

Through the use of social media like Facebook and Twitter, the demonstration expanded quickly, with young people forming its core. Like their name “Occupy Wall Street” suggests, the anger that is their driving force is directed at the executives of major financial institutions.

Even though three years have passed since the shock of Lehman Brothers, the unemployment rate has not dropped below 9 percent and there has been no improvement in the average person’s life. The bankers who had been the cause of this distress, on the other hand, have not paid any harsh penalties, but have continued to monopolize wealth. If you look at the government and the conservatives whose influence in Congress has increased, you’ll see that they tilt toward “favorable treatment of the wealthy/big business” and “cutting of social welfare.” Meanwhile, the Obama administration hasn’t done anything about it, and this has inflamed the peoples’ resentment.

The demonstrators are not necessarily the poor and unemployed; one can assume from their appearance that they are street performers or something out of a carnival. There seems to be no need for immediate concern in regard to this protest; the value of lawful protest is recognized in a free society. However, it would be necessary to take heed if the emergence of the tea party and the anti-Wall Street demonstrations is the beginning of a genuine divide in American society. If the confrontation deepens, it will become more difficult to resolve through dialogue; the possibility that it would lead to social disorder certainly could not be ruled out.

The main worry for non-Americans, Japan included, is that with each step America takes to turn inward, the stronger the tendency to turn to protectionism becomes.

The Senate has decided to initiate a debate on a bill to sanction China for currency manipulation; it is easy for their political parties to unite when criticizing. There will be cause for concern if the situation turns into the left and right making a common enemy of the country that is “stealing American jobs through currency manipulation.” Sanctions invite new sanctions without regard for the stress on Sino-American relations, and they are capable of starting a chain reaction of protectionism in the world.

There are no winners in dividing government and society. I want both the Obama administration and Congress to overcome this difficult economic situation through dialogue and explanations to their citizens.