The heavy-handed police tactics used to break up Occupy protests raises questions about their role in a democratic society. ++ The apparent absence of empathy shown by officers has shocked Americans. ++ The defense of the use of pepper spray uses language “eerily reminiscent” of Bush-era torture justifications. ++ Even if such actions are to-the-letter legal, hard questions need to be
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Recent protests around the world have varied causes, but all share a basic theme: rejection of traditional elites and a perceived breaching of the social contract. ++ In the US, it is anger against banks and their cozy relationship to the political elite; in Europe, it is a response to changing economic and social trends and immigration unrest that has yet to be solved. ++ Governments must find a
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