FT社评：美国觉醒
英国《金融时报》 社评
2011年10月17日 15:15 PM
  
一个月前，当一群形形色色的抗议者在曼哈顿中心地带的祖科蒂公园(Zuccotti Park)安营扎寨，谴责资本主义的肆意妄为时，人们还仅仅把他们看作一群心怀理想主义的年轻人，做着年轻人通常做的事情。今天，只有傻瓜才会对一场反映出全世界各行各业普通民众愤怒和失望情绪的运动视而不见。

到目前为止，美国的抗议活动在很大程度上是和平的。它们或许是散漫而不成熟的。但他们要求更公平地分配财富的基本诉求不容忽视。“美国梦”——所有努力工作的人应该享有同等的成功机会——的未来正处在危急关头。金融上的肆意妄为和政治上的犬儒主义所导致的危机，给美国梦蒙上了阴影。其结果是不公平现象和贫穷日益加剧，最无力承受这一切的人沦为牺牲品。所有这些正致使经济增长停滞不前。
 
   抗议者对全球金融体系予以了谴责；民调显示，有54%的美国人支持抗议者的诉求。他们的失望情绪是合情合理的。奇怪的是，为什么民众过了这么久才站出来举行超越政治界限的大规模抗议。在过去3年中，一场严重危及美国未来的政治僵局令这个国家陷入瘫痪状态。共和党和民主党都难辞其咎——共和党的责任在于对民主党的所有倡议都予以无情的阻挠，而巴拉克?奥巴马(Barack Obama)总统的责任在于天真地忽视了施展强硬领导力的必要性。

两大阵营的政客都没能发现和引导民众的合理愤怒。这些民众目睹政府为纾困银行花费无数金钱，而在如何创造就业和教育下一代的问题上却争吵不休。一个又一个机会被浪费掉——最近的一个例子是，一项合理的就业法案未能获得通过。

2010年，美国经济一度呈现出复苏迹象，美国梦一度有望重振雄风。但自那之后，经济前景却重新黯淡起来。民众因此愈发认为：政界人士对金融既得利益者听之任之（或者更糟，将自己出卖给了后者），以致损害了自己对民众所负的责任。针对竞选经费实施的改革，或许能够成为改变民众这种看法的第一步。

抗议是否能够演变为一组更有条理的诉求、甚至变成一支更为持久的政治力量，还有待观察。但要求变革的呼声必须得到重视。

译者/方舟

2011年10月17日 15:15 PM
 Leader_America wakes to the din of inequity
Editorial
 
A month ago the disparate band of protesters who set up camp in downtown Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to decry the excesses of capitalism were seen as little more than idealistic youth doing what youth tend to do. Today only the foolhardy would dismiss a movement reflecting the anger and frustration of ordinary citizens from all walks of life across the world.

So far the protests in the US have been largely peaceful. They may be diffuse and inchoate. But the fundamental call for a fairer distribution of wealth cannot be ignored. What is at stake is the future of the American dream. The bargain has always been that all who work hard should have an opportunity for prosperity. That dream has been shattered by a crisis brought about by financial excess and political cynicism. The consequence has been growing in-equality rising poverty and sacrifice by those least able to bear it – all of which are failing to deliver economic growth.

The frustration of protesters railing against the global financial system and of the 54 per cent of Americans who polls suggest support their calls is legitimate. The wonder is why it has taken so long for citizens to come out in popular protest across political boundaries. For the last three years the country has been paralysed by a political gridlock that has put its future on the line. Both Republicans and Democrats are to blame – the Grand Old Party for its callous obstruction of all Democratic initiatives and President Barack Obama for his na?ve neglect of the need for muscular leadership.

Politicians in both camps have failed to spot and channel the righteous anger of those who have seen government spend billions on bailing out banks while bickering over how to create jobs or educate children. One opportunity after another has been squandered – most recently in the failure promptly to pass a proper jobs bill.

For a brief period in 2010 when the economy looked set for recovery there was hope that the American dream would prevail. But the return of gloomy economic prospects has reinforced the impression that the political class is irrelevant or worse in hock to vested financial interests to the detriment of its service to the public. Re-forms to election campaign financing could be a first step to repairing this perception.

Whether or not the protests evolve into a more coherent set of demands or even become a more lasting political force remains to be seen. But the cry for change is one that must be heeded.