Should “The Rich” Go Into Hiding?

Regulate the banking industry more strictly

Ban high-frequency trading 

Arrest the "financial fraudsters" responsible for the 2008 crash

Form a Presidential commission to investigate corruption in politics 

Those were the demands Kalle Lasn and Micah White of Adbusters proposed as goals for Occupy Wall Street. The Occupiers demurred. The movement became known for generalized opposition to big business and, more broadly, to the "rich" 1%. "We are the 99%!"

OWS's real target was the top 0.1%. For a helpful analysis of wealth levels, see this column by an investment manager whose clients typically have $5 million or more.

(Actually, the author notes, the Occupiers didn't stray that far from Adbusters' original Wall Street target. "Folks in the top 0.1% come from many backgrounds but it's infrequent to meet one whose wealth wasn't acquired through direct or indirect participation in the financial and banking industries.")

With all the media attention OWS eventually gained, nobody should be surprised by a new poll's finding: Almost two-thirds of American now see "very strong" or "strong" conflicts between rich and poor.

Will this new attitude fade quickly or last until Election Day?

What about an Occupier who protested her college-loan debt last year but now finds unexpectedly lucrative employment and soon has enough money to invest. Will she feel right opening an account with a (yuck!) "wealth manager"?