"But it is true that it is not easy to build a movement without a representative,"

Shouldn't be too hard for the American public. They've have plenty of practice. Their entire so-called "republic" has been operating without any real popular representation in its governance for years.

At least the Occupy Wall Street movement shows some signs of direct democracy. Not ideal structurally, perhaps, but far better than the alternative.

This is the most promising event in our lifetime. The global community has learned to understand other people's frustration of being held down by the oppressive grip of governments.

It is time to think family, the human family, members of the family of Life.

Yes, it's very hopeful--but I have my worries. It's wonderful to see this level of protest, but depressing to see that 90% of it is about the protesters' economic future, not about the vicious, endless wars that are a major cause of debt AND such terrorism as actually exists--and not about the climate crisis bearing down on us. I spent three days at Freedom Plaza in DC, and had so many splendid conversations...but I mostly didn't even try to participate in the general assemblies. I am skeptical they can work with such large numbers. To achieve anything, this movement needs direction and especially strategy, and I don't believe that strategy can be effectively developed by huge groups. But we'll see.
As an example--getting the current Congress to pass better laws would be an absurd target. At best they'd pass a few slight improvements, and not enforce the good parts. I didn't see a lot of naievete in DC--I think most protesters realize this. But what's the alternative? Perhaps setting up an alternative People's Congress, and arranging when support grows large enough, to transfer legitimacy--and tax money-- into that one from the current corporate Congress on PA Ave. Or issuing a clear set of demands (ONE demand is absurd--too much is wrong by now to cover in a single demand) and then forcing change via a general strike.

It does not matter that the goals of the Occupy movement are various and diverse. There are so many ills to be addressed, and these demonstrations are a statement to that diversity. As a member of Veterans for Peace, I want to see the corporation sponsored wars ended. As a father and grandfather I want much, much more. I want my grandkids to have the opportunities I had, both financially and environmentally. I want them to have clean air, water and food, wilderness, some semblance of freedom. These are diverse goals. They are real ones. We are dealing with a Gordian knot, and we must begin to cut somewhere.

"We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers who do not represent us."

We will be if we continue to keep OUR money in their accounts.

if the whole world joins the protest, who will pay for the free pizzas?

"But it is true that it is not easy to build a movement without a representative,"

Their representative is "Consensus".

I found this statement "As governments cut deep into welfare spending to try to trim huge sovereign debts..." ironic considering the other statements/quotes listed herein. Particularly, the "economic crisis they blame on politicians and bankers"..."who do not represent us"...the 99% gathered at "the center of global capitalism in Wall Street." Moreover, my reading of research materials now so vastly available on the internet for those of us who now have the TIME to read it all have found that some economists consider "the social structure of accumulation (SSA) theory of capitalist crisis" to determine contributing factors and that our political economy has historically manipulated the systemic factors (conflict between labor and capital accumulation) involved in the business cycle with policies that weaken the labor sector. My point is that the presumed need for "governments cut deep into welfare spending to try to trim huge sovereign debts" may appear as balancing a budget (which of course, they induced), but can also historically be seen as a means of weakening labor further by forcing people into the extremely lowered slave wage market in order to keep their families alive so the capital accumulation game can continue. In a nation that cannot get their representative politicians to pass a jobs bill, tax those who have more than they will ever need in their lifetime, or end the expensive of MIC, while passing more Unfair trade agreements that will offshore more jobs that increase our trade deficits and furthe degrade the global environment, we must end the insanity by whatever means available to us now or ... Quotes from article above or David M Krotz, Marxist Crisis Theory and the Severity of the Current Economic Crisis (Dec 2009) umass.edu (page 3) Who I do not completely agree with but provides imporatant info.

How could oligarchs be so greed blindedly stupid as to think they could keep oppressing the public, ignoring that it would eventually backfire? That they could grow out of problems forever in a finite world? That they could continue to rape, torture, rob and murder people without paying the price? That they could continue to trash our home planet at will? That they could continue to fool the 99% forever?

All very slient points of view that inspire more ideas upon careful reading....Can a richer brew be found elsewhere?

Oh dear, how sweetly naïve all you journalists are!

You know as well as I what will happen to the ‘Occupiers.’

They will be allowed to camp-out, to cook-out, to make speeches, to sing and dance and have street-theatre — for a while. ‘Left’ liberals like yourself will be able to call this a ‘great upsurge of public opinion’ while right-wing commentators will have a field day raving about ‘lunatics, thugs and paid agitators.’

Then the capitalists will decide that it’s time to get back to ‘business as usual.’ They will tell the Occupiers that they have made their point and that they should now go home. “Public Order must be restored,” the capitalists will cry.

The capitalists will be supported by a lapdog media, some of who will admit that the Occupiers are right to be angry but that “this is not the time or the way,” while others will decide that the Soccer Moms and Nascar Dads of Middle America (and their counterparts in other countries) have had enough Spectacle and that it’s “time to move along.”

If the Occupiers don’t ‘move along,’ they will be dispersed with the full force of the bourgeois state — courts, cops and army — and their movement will be drowned in blood. If they do ‘move along,’ they will have gained nothing, except to have “upheld their democratic right to express their opinion.” Either way, it *will* be ‘business as usual’ for capitalism — even if the Occupiers manage to squeeze some ‘concessions’ from the bourgeoisie, such concessions will quickly be undermined not only by the ‘lobbyists’ who influence capitalist legislatures but by the legislators themselves who have their own salaries and stock portfolios to guard — and in five or ten years, the Occupiers will be back where they started.

For, girls and boys, these problems are *systemic* (endemic to capitalism). Boom-and-bust cycles — ‘bubbles’ — have occurred for as long as the capitalist mode of production has existed, and will go on occurring as long as more goods are being produced than can be consumed and as long as they are being produced for private profit rather than for genuine public need (not the ‘need’ created by advertising).

The only way out of this cycle is to change the *system* — but for that, one must be prepared to fight, for the likes of the Koch Brothers and their equivalents in other polities will not give up their power without a struggle.