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The "Patriots" in the Occupy protests do NOT love their (our) country as I/many of us do. They are indeed protesting for people (collectively), but this is counter to the individual liberties espoused by our founding fathers -- the essential root of my love for this country. This protest for collectivism (Marxism or Communism by another name) stems from an ideal that cannot and has never been reached in human society, the ideal of collectivism, administered by a wise and benevolent government, creating a perfect society where noone has a need unmet. Each experiment based on this ideal has failed throughout history because a truly wise and benevolent government -- composed of imperfect human beings with all our attendant vices -- has not and cannot be created which will cater to the needs of all its constituents.

IF they were protesting for individual liberties, which include such ideas as accountability and responsibility, I would be all for them. Instead, they want other people to be responsible for financial decisions they have made, like taking out loans to go to school and not diversifying investments as they should because they were greedy when the stock market was bullish. An adult mindset understands some of these economic/financial (even logical) truths. When you take out a loan you have to repay it (whether it is for school, housing or anything else). Failure to repay has consequences. Investments are risky, and not diversifying increases risk of losses.

Corporations, including banks and other financial institutions, are neither inately good or evil. Demonizing them as these protestors are attempting to do (with an inordinate amount of media fanfare) is simply a way to avoid personal responsibility and argue for collectivism. It can easily be argued that corporations have created more wealth for more individuals in this country over the last century than would have been created otherwise. The fact that American society by and large has forgotten how to manage their finances is NOT the fault of corporations, but rather due to both personal and sometimes corporate greed interfering with solid long-term business and personal finance strategies.

In short, these protestors are against everything except what will give them something for nothing. That is in direct conflict with individual liberty, which is the basis of the American dream. Their dream for America is the pathetically short sighted and selfish view of adolescents who believe they are "owed" something by everyone around them. Just because they chant that their condition is someone else's (the boogety-boogety corporations') fault does not make it true. It is time for them -- and us as a society -- to grow up and start earning our way.

Also, where were these people when the financial institutions they are protesting against were doing shady deals to the ultimate detriment of not only the market, but also these same companies? They sat silently by watching their paper profits and enjoying the ride, rather than questioning the business ethics and sense of much that caused those short-term paper profits. When it all vanished, though, here they are protesting in the streets. If you are going to trust other people with your money, the results are simply a risk you run.