I don't really think it's over, Jack. As Mark Twain commented about the reports of his death, I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. I think it's alive and well for awhile yet. But I also think it will change form.
I read just this morning that a large group of the New York Occupy Wall Street protesters are marching down the highway to take their protest to Washington D.C. The cities, such as Oakland, that are trying to put the occupy movement down are not having much luck, and there are many, many municipalities in the United States (some 900, last I heard) that are NOT attempting to interfere with protests, beyond issues of public safety.
In Seattle, where I live, the mayor, Mike McGinn, has commented that he understands what the protesters are protesting about, and that he AGREES with them! He is not allowing them to pitch tents in Westlake Park because of long-standing city ordinances, but he has offered the protesters the alternative of using the big lawn area next to City Hall, and he has given orders that the building be left open so that they may use its sanitary facilities.
A few days ago, a couple of overzealous policemen pepper-sprayed several people, including two women, one young and pregnant, and the other 84 years old. Mayor McGinn has issued an apology, both official and unofficial, and the policemen have been ordered to appear before a police review board.
In the main, all over the country, the protests have been peaceful and fairly orderly. This has been duly noted. The protesters have been pretty well policing themselves regarding such things as vandalism, spray-painting, and such, and where this sort of thing has happened, it was almost invariably done by infiltrators and other goons. This ALSO has been duly noted.
But the main thing is that the Occupy Wall Street movement is only the tip of the iceberg. There are other manifestations that are not so obvious, and they've been seething underground for some time now. For example, several years back I learned of the existence of the Backbone Campaign, headquartered on Vashon Island near Seattle. Their major thrust has been supporting and encouraging politicians and political candidates who have shown personal integrity in the face of all of the financial temptations that lobbyists and such keep waving in front of them. In short, those who demonstrate that they have a backbone. And they are involved in a lot of other things as well.
It was not long after the appearance of the Tea Party and its aggressive, gun waving hijinks that the Coffee Party formed. And this is all over the country. It makes nowhere near as much noise as the Tea Party does and it doesn't show up to heckle and threaten candidates. There are Coffee Party groups all over the country meeting in living rooms, small meeting rooms, restaurants, etc. Reacting to the wall-eyed, screaming ignorance of the Tea Party, and taking a leaf from Thomas Jefferson's comment about the survival of democracy necessitating an informed electorate, one of their major aims is to educate themselves on the issues and the candidates. And bone up on what the Constitution really says—and does NOT say.
There are other groups and this and other manifestation of the feelings and thoughts that spawned the Occupy Wall Street movement, and I could go on for pages, but I think you get the idea.
Also, my wife and I have guests coming in about fifteen minutes, so I gotta get crackin'.