These days, the Hudson River Valley is once again a destination for restless urbanites in search of bucolic getaways. Its storied history is chronicled in the recent DVD release of "On the Hudson - America’s First River," an introspective documentary by veteran journalist Bill Moyers. Over the course of two episodes, Moyers enlivens the iconic river’s four-century transformation with tales of military heroes, literary characters, nature seekers, industrialists, corporate polluters and environmentalists. 

It was certainly far from being a revolution; it looked more like a collective revulsion at the wealthiest Americans, as the middle class watches its assets dwindle along with its fantasy of ever joining the ranks of the 1 percent. What did they want? Their fair share, more regulation on a system that's seemingly rigged to benefit the uber-rich, a crash diet for the fat cats who own Washington and leave the rest far, far behind. They want the promise of opportunities and upward mobility, which now seem to have faded to the far side of the moon.