A record sent to the world from a hospital room.
The “Occupy” movement in Times Square, New York.
A stark contrast between life-or-death protests in China and festival-like demands in America.
An on-the-ground account revealing generational responsibility and the limits of democracy.

2016-10-14.
The following was sent to the world from a hospital room on 2011-10-16.
Boldface and * in the text are mine.
In New York, on the 15th (the morning of the 16th Japan time), a rally is planned in the very center of Manhattan, at Times Square. It has been almost one month since the “occupation” of a park near Wall Street began. Even now, it is bustling with more than 1,000 people every day during the daytime, and several hundred camp out at night.
Staburula Harrisys (28) came from Chicago on the 12th. A backpack and a suitcase are her “entire possessions.” Before coming, she quit her job at an internet search engine company. She also gave up her apartment. The approximately 4,000 dollars (about 300,000 yen) she obtained by selling her car will cover her living expenses for the time being.
*It felt as if I were listening to a song by Bob Dylan, and my eyes grew hot with emotion.
Why go so far to participate. “For the first time, our generation has united and raised its voice to say ‘America is unfair.’ America might change. I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t participate.”
She wants to change America’s “money-worshipping society,” where status and even how one is treated are determined by assets. She plans to stay here until her savings run out.
The demonstrations and park life are run through thorough direct democracy. At the “general assembly” held every day from 7 p.m., participants discuss the next day’s schedule and how to use donated funds.
There are also cold looks. A Chinese woman (30) studying at a prestigious private university in the United States says, “Protests in China are a matter of life and death, but here it feels just like a festival. It’s all demands—do this, do that. In the United States, if you don’t get elected, there’s still work and freedom. They’re too spoiled.”
Among those supporting the young people living in the park, many are in their 60s and 70s who live in New York. Moshe Sayer (66) is in charge of procuring food. He secures ingredients for about 2,000 people per day—bread, vegetables, cheese—by soliciting donations.
Sayer worked for many years at a computer software company and was also involved in developing software used by financial institutions on Wall Street.
“I bear part of the responsibility for making America greedy.” Supporting the young people also has the meaning of atonement.
(New York = Yoshiaki Kasuga)