Hysteria*: Class of neuroses presenting a great diversity of clinical pictures… . anxiety hysteria, where the anxiety is attached in more or less stable fashion to a specific external object (phobias).

I attended one of the #OWS events, a gathering at Union Square. I would characterize the scene as one of hysteria on the part of the mayor’s response to the demonstrators and the behavior of the NYPD. I sense this from the regular occurrence of vans carrying five or six officers, racing for a few blocks with sirens blaring, and with no apparent emergency in sight; the presence of the hundreds of riot gear clad police confronting an unarmed collection of citizens, moving to and fro, moving barricades, blocking the coming and going of pedestrians, for no apparent reason; the tiny cop, casually wielding his baton in a menacing fashion, attempting to intimidate his distracted audience, represents any number of pseudo tough guys decked in blue, with the names on their badges conspicuously covered – their cowardice exceeded only by the arrogance of their interactions with bystanders. It is undeniable that the disruption of traffic is caused by the ridiculously massive police presence, which may be a tactical move on the part of the NYPD and mayor to make it appear as if the occupiers are fucking up life in the city. The failed third mayoral term that Bloomberg purchased from the City Council – which eagerly plucked lint from his deep pockets – has been marked by an extreme level of political and administrative incompetence. This feral mayor’s reign of error can’t come to an end soon enough.

* J. Laplanche and J.-B. Pontalis, The Language of Psycho-analysis, 194.