Despite all the dismissive criticism, Occupy Wall Street has spread across the globe since its inception three month ago. How could a leaderless and seemingly amorphous movement achieve such global success? How can OWS follow through on the great promise the movement holds?

In this VideoNation interview, Demos fellow and former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert explains how Occupy Wall Street’s success lies in its ability to represent the distress of the majority of Americans. In Herbert’s view, OWS is a “cry of the heart” that has already inspired efforts to tackle unemployment, economic inequality, the unjust tax structure and many other serious problems facing the country.

—Jin Zhao