I love a protest. So long as it involves a point worthy of consideration, and preferably a brazier, I’m there.

I’ve spent quite a while wandering around the OccupyLSX site reading the bumf and trying to look inconspicuous. No mean feat when you’re 6’2” and wearing full TV studio make-up, but still.

I think most people can empathize with the calls for genuinely independent regulators, solidarity with the oppressed and authentic global equality.

But the issues always come back to capitalists vs. anti-capitalists and I simply don’t buy the analysis.

Protesters are lumped together as anti-capitalists, which over-simplifies their complaints. The most extreme free-market capitalist is likely to agree that bank bailouts are nonsensical.

And capitalists are cast as the baddies, which is simply lazy.

Capitalism itself doesn't make people vile. Having money doesn't make people obnoxious. People on average incomes and poor people are quite capable of being obnoxious too.

Capitalism does, however, reward some people with lots of cash and gives them a platform from which to broadcast their unpleasantness for all to see.

In an ideal world people with huge piles of moolah would intersperse extravagant acts of consumption with extravagant acts of charitable selflessness.

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