From the time of the revolution that gave birth to our nation we have been chronicling our political shifts in song. Remember Yankee Doodle Dandy? Did you know it was originally sung by the British Army mocking the disheveled appearance of the Revolutionary Army, essentially calling them DFHs. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

So much is going on here that it is hard to become affiliated with it all. I was in the streets marching to K Street when I heard about the pepper spraying of protestors at the National Air and Space Museum. I was marching on my way to the White House when Ralph Nader spoke to the crowd in the plaza.

Alan Grayson sat quietly, patiently, while Bill Maher’s guests, P.J. O’Rourke and Nicole Wallace dissed the Occupy Wall Street participants and ridiculed the “bongo drum” atmosphere. At one point, Ms. Wallace revealed her inner fears by wondering aloud how and where the Occupies relieved themselves. I wondered if she needed a break. Then it was Grayson’s turn to set them straight. Watch the audience reaction.

How has American nation-building changed the world? What can we learn from this history? How has this history been used and misused by American policy makers? And what makes nation-building work – what has undermined it?

These are just a few of the questions that Jermi Suri asks and answers in Liberty’s Surest Guardian.

One of the best byproducts of the Occupy Wall Street protests is that they’ve made Republicans show their true colors. America is watching as they cast off the faux right-wing populism of the Teabaggers — which was always a pose — and unabashedly embrace the monied oligarchy.

An introduction to the theory of oligarchy in practice today.

Kevin Gosztola is stopping by #OccupyPhilly this afternoon on his way to New York. Occupy Philadelphia launched last Thursday at Dilworth Plaza, and today issued a press release indicating that there are about 80 tents currently set up on the west side of City Hall. Kevin will be livestreaming his visit and interviewing the protesters.

Today’s events include a concert from 1-4pm organized by Parliament Funkadelic’s Bruce Mays featuring JiLil Timmons, Jason Balmer, GQ, Tre Austin and Amada Gilson. There will be a 3:30 solidarity march with the State Hands Union of Philadelphia (IATSE 8), and a 7 pm general assembly meeting at 15th and JFK.

You can follow #OccupyPhilly on Twitter.

If you’ve been listening to the newscasters and pundits, they’re working that false meme of #OccupyWallStreet lacking focus and clear goals. You may be incredibly frustrated by this, and that’s probably what inspired you to read this post and many other contributions about #OccupyWallStreet by bloggers and citizen journalists.

It’s no wonder why #OccupyWallStreet is getting such bad press. A media that fawns at the feet of advertising Mammon will quickly sell out the truth.

Bill McKibben made a direct connection between the greed and corruption of the corporate/financial system represented by Wall Street and the greed and folly on global climate change represented by the Keystone XL Pipeline and tar sands oil development in Alberta, Canada. He invited the Occupy participants to join him in circling the White House on November 6 to liberate Barack Obama from his stunt double.

I am greatly heartened and moved by all that’s happening in the Occupy Wall Street movement, and I salute everyone participating or even watching hopefully as events unfold. I think its future – its methods, its messages, its achievements – will grow organically.

But something George Will wrote recently about Elizabeth Warren, combined with the right-wing propagandists’ ludicrous efforts to label it as something it’s not, make me want to contribute just a bit and clarify very simply the beliefs behind my support for the movement.