Al Jazeera Plugs Occupy Orange County

Referring to Irvine as “one of the stranger towns in the United States,” the professor hits on complicated talking points, from the cynicism of the neoliberal world order to the ideologies of Magaret Thatcher (wasn't she in The Naked Gun?) Though fascinating political thought, it's  complex, so  we'll let you read it yourself to either agree with or criticize. 

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The article's simpler observations refer to Irvine as an unlikely locale for tenacious civic activism due in part to its suburban environs. But Levine mentions the significance of cavalcades of Mercedes, Beamers and Lexii driving past protesters holding signs and slowing to honk in support. 

According to Levine, the Irvine protests present a unique test case for the overall Occupy Wall Street movement. “If OWS can take root here, there's a good chance it will become a powerful force in American politics, and perhaps even compete with the far better financed and far more partisan Tea Party movement,” he wrote. 

This suggestion was validated last night by the Irvine City Council's resounding support for the movement, and their unanimous decision to allow protesters to camp on the city's civic center's lawn.

Though Levine notes OC's contingent of the Occupy movement is not yet on a par with the activists of Tahrir Square, he adds, “sitting on the sidewalk, sometimes past midnight on day four, eating hummus and pita, strumming a guitar and talking politics with fellow occupiers, there was at least a hint of the tremendous feeling of empowerment and solidarity felt in Tahrir during those heady last 10 days of the February intifada.”