You've made several excellent pints here and I agree entirely!

Well, almost. I would just like to add that I've seen several places where the OWS movement has fully acknowledged itself as a continuation of the democratic protests in other countries, including the Iceland and Arab Spring protests. It's the secondary sources, specifically American news media giants, that are making it seem like it is a purely American original springing to life fully formed like Athena emerging from Zeus's head with no antecedent. And I suppose that in itself is a continuation of that very peculiar American delusion that is the American psyche and self-image.