It isn't difficult to understand what the majority of the Occupy America protesters are upset about.  So why is the media perpetuating the meme that they either have no message or that it is utterly confused?  The reason is that it is the easiest way to minimize the protest, paint the movement as liberal fringe and dismiss the message.

 The message is very clear to anyone willing to actually listen.  The empowered crossed the line some time ago so that their largess at the expense of America is actually traitorous.  So who are the empowered?

Corporations (including media giants):  The lack of campaign financing restrictions have place politicians wholly in the pocket of corporate funding.  Congress will do the business of the people, but only in a manner that protects the corporate inflow of money both in direct contributions and PACs that do the real heavy lifting in shaping public opinion.  Pay attention to where the advertising dollars spent by PACs actually goes.  The media "watchdogs" who are supposed to have a fiduciary duty to question political motivation and conduct get the bulk of the dollars. 

And don't forget that corporations are now people for political contribution purposes.  But they are also controlled by the same 1% that reap an outlandish share of U.S. wealth.  It's easy to view corporations as somewhat faceless, but they isn't so, their faces on frequently pictured in Forbes lists of the nation's wealthiest people.

Special Interst Groups:  These are the second big political contributors and the most active in lobbying Congress.  Many laws and regulations are actually written by these groups and passed to Congressional aides for consideration.  It saves Congress billions in legal work to just have the interested parties draft their own laws and rules.  Who is behind these special interest groups, well, Corporations and the people who run them, of course.  Even the NRA with all it's easily mobilized members is mostly funded by corporate money.   

 So, the next time you see a Fox news anchor throwing up his hands and dismissing the Occupy America protest as mindless liberal drivel, don't think that this person just doesn't get it.  He is being paid to not understand and to convince you that no thoughtful person should understand either.

 So what do the Occupy America advocates want? 

One - some acknowledgment that we have a problem due to the influence of money in politics and the dwindling number of people who share in the wealth. 

Two - more people to understand that they have been voting against their own economic interest because they only respond to hot buttom issues that the politicians have no intention of ever resolving.  No thinking Republican wants abortions to be illegal, or more religious influence in governance, or a better public educational system, or less military spending, or complete freedom to own firearms, etc. It is in their interest that such issues be a major factor in elections forever.  They mobilize conservatives to vote Republican regardless of what those Republicans  ever do or don't do for them.

Three - more liberal thinking among Democrats.  Supposedly liberal politicians have moved solidly to the center so that their is now only conservative and conservative-lite.  Where is the liberal I can vote for who wants national healthcare, improved public education, alternative energy development, a protective safety net for people in need, a smaller military, a clean environment, strong product safety regulation, fair treatment for immigrants, etc? 

Four - politicians that are not beholden to re-election but to the actaul betterment of Americans.  You know, real patriotism.

This is not rocket science.  The balance has shifted too far in favor of  too few.  People have begun to take to the streets.   Report that.