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What I've Learned Occupying Wall Street and DC
In squares, parks, and plazas all over the country, we're taking the time for true democracy to work.
I was standing on a street one evening near my home in Washington, DC — it seems like ages ago now — with a chatty friend who travels often to New York. He mentioned that a few New Yorkers were planning an "occupation" of Wall Street.
Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I said, "I'm there." A few days later, I boarded a bus, backpack and sleeping bag in tow. I was there when Occupy Wall Street began.
photo: Susan Melkisethian
After some chilly nights in Liberty Plaza, I returned to Washington to help plan an occupation in my city. Others in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, and so many more cities have begun their own occupations. Occupy DC started October 1, and is still going strong.
Many people are asking why? While the occupation of city squares all over the nation is inspiring many people, others are (understandably) a bit perplexed.
But I think people understand more than they know. Something is very wrong with our country and our world. The rich got richer from our economic crisis and the poor barely got the crumbs from their banquet table.
Now big corporations are asking for a new tax break, a tax holiday that they say will create jobs – while the last time Congress granted that tax break the main result was layoffs and downsizing. Corporations are sitting on over $2 trillion in cash but aren't hiring. Our environment is under assault. Natural disasters are laying waste to towns like Joplin, Missouri, and some lawmakers even held up relief efforts by threatening to trim education, health care, and other vital services to free up money for emergency aid.
We keep paying for wars and people keep dying in them. About 50 million Americans have no health insurance, and too many of them go bankrupt paying for health care. Agribusiness is destroying family farms. Poverty is rampant. Congress can't stop squabbling. Corporations have too much control. About 25 million of us are unemployed and underemployed and can't find jobs. Too many college graduates can't find jobs. Our children's future is uncertain.
So, many of us are fed up. We've brought our anger and hopes to our city squares. We're not leaving until we see real movement toward change. More people are arriving every day and joining us. In liberated squares, parks, and plazas all over the country, we're discussing challenges and talking about solutions. Every voice is equal, and all of us are expected to raise our voices, our ideas, our concerns. We're reaching consensus. We're figuring it out as we go.
All I can say is that true democracy takes time. At Occupy DC, we meet daily to discuss why we're there. The unemployed, the foreclosed, and the sick-of-it-all are coming together to discuss the world that we want to see and how to get there. We have big problems. We need big solutions. And those big solutions take time.
While on Wall Street and on McPherson Square on K Street in Washington, I've learned how to change my clothes in my sleeping bag. I've learned how to run a generator, which keeps us in electronic touch with the outside world. I've learned the best methods for hauling plastic bags of donated bread, pastries, and bagels nine city blocks. I've learned to appreciate tarps.
I've also learned that when we all raise our voices together and work in the spirit of true democracy, we can work toward real solutions and real changes to our world. We the people tend to agree on a lot more than we realize. It just takes coming together, talking things through, and not leaving until things change.
And that's what the occupations are doing: We're staying put, and taking the time for true democracy to work.
Lacy MacAuley is a member of the media team at Occupy DC (www.occupydc.org)
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39 Comments so far
Show AllThanks for sharing your experiences, Lacy.
"Our children's futures are uncertain" ?
As long as corporate control of government continues, all of our futures (including the children) ARE certain...the corporations and the politicians they own will bleed us all dry until they own everything and we own nothing. Can you say THIRD WORLD NATION ?
That is why all of us, not just those who have already been bled dry, need to participate in any way we can in OWS !
Did I miss something here...only one phrase acknowledging the thousands of innocent people we are killing all around the world?????????????????
Domestic economic justice is important, but more important than the global slaughter of innocents by the USA??????????
While I am excited to see a movement take hold for political, social and economic justice, I agree with the sentiment that too little attention is being given to the imperialist wars. Less than a decade ago, we were in the streets screaming bloody murder over the invasion of Iraq, and while those demonstrations never took on the character of a sustained occupation, we were in the streets day after day chanting antiwar slogans till our voices were hoarse, being contained, harassed and jailed by the police, all the while one of the greatest crimes since Hitler's invasion of Poland was being carried out.
The bank bailouts and the general screwing over of the American middle class is certainly a cause for outrage, but what happened to the outrage over the wars? Has everyone just "gotten over it"? Remember Fallujah? Remember Abu Ghraib? Remember the fact that impeachment was taken "off the table," Obama announced that he would be "looking forward," and then proceeded to expand the war in Afghanistan, and exponentially increase the use of drone warfare killing untold numbers of civilians?
When the Occupy movement was launched, I hoped that connections would be drawn between economic injustice and the wars. While some people have drawn those connections, in general the Occupy movement has gone out of its way to make it clear that it is not an antiwar movement. The McPherson Square Occupy DC group, in particular, has taken pains to explain to the media that it is not part of the Stop the Machine occupation in Freedom Plaza, which was launched on Oct. 6 "primarily as an antiwar movement," Occupy DC has explained.
Why on earth would they try to separate these issues? Economic inequality and corporate corruption and intrinsically linked with the war machine in so many ways, and besides that, I just wonder how we look to Iraqis and Afghans who have been suffering US empire for so long. Personally, I know how I viewed the "Israeli social justice movement" that sprang up a couple months ago -- as hypocrisy in action.
Imperialistic wars?
How bout climate catastrophe? The end of civilization...the extincton of humanity and possibly 95% of life on Earth... Shouldn't that be our priority? When we stop the depradations of corporations and remove the power of money from government, we will end the wars and other corporate destruction and will have a chance to stop global warming, the most urgent and crucial crisis humanity has ever faced.
Yeah, that too. Of course, our military machine is one of the world's biggest polluters, so it's pretty well-connected to climate catastrophe.
I might also throw in "rule of law", both as it pertains to Wall Street financial corruption and Washington political corruption, as well as the impunity that torturers enjoy in this country.
There are really no shortage of dire, pressing issues that need to be urgently addressed, and I think it is a mistake for Occupy Wall Street to limit its demands or focus in ANY way.
The corporate media loves to say things like, "Well, protesters were embracing a hodge podge of causes today, ranging from climate change to corporate greed to the war in Afghanistan..." with the implication that this is some sort of weakness.
In fact, it is a strength of any movement to draw the connections between related issues, because really it is all the same issue.
Yes, DC,
I call it the 3Cs: Climate/, peak oil/peak everything and the larger ecological crisis; the Constitutional/ crisis and the fail of the rule of law; the power Corporations/ have over our lives and government. We can’t solve one without making substantial progress on all; they’re all caused by our individual and collective psychological problems.
Climate vs war is not an either/or question; it’s a 2 for 1 special. War is the most carbon-intensive thing we do, and climate change threatens us with many wars, including a central Asian war over water (and thus food) between 3 nuclear-armed states. Yes, there are many pressing issues; but of them all only climate catastrophe threatens the destruction of civilization and the biosphere if it’s not solved within a decade or 2 (if we’re lucky).
The issues are related in many ways; one way, that is probably our main way in, is the people in government who are responsible—or at least answer to and enable the ones who are.
It isn't either or, the anarchists who are some of the strongest voices of OWS are against empire, banks, corporations, statist police state, unsustainable exponential growth, etc, exploitation of workers, etc, it is all of a piece and something you are welcome to bring up at an Occupy general assemble. The single issue politics that has divided the left for decades now is dead IMO!
I hope you're right!
"All I can say is that true democracy takes time."
"we can work toward real solutions and real changes to our world. We the people tend to agree on a lot more than we realize."
Well I keep asking from time to time how this is going to be put into political action to effect change. Here's my answer sort of, I'm too impatient. It takes time. The Tea Party wasn't up and running in a month was it? And they had far more experience and expertise to call on
If, "real democracy takes time" gets chanted enough it will be called what it is - opium for the masses so they don't do anything violent - like withdraw their money from banks.
Withdrawing money from banks. Good. Bank Of America springs to mind.
Violence, real violence of any kind is the end of any chance that has started in OWS. I invite you to look back at 1968 and Detroit and then check who got slaughtered in the next election.
Not sure you meant real violence, but it doesn't hurt to keep pointing out what a loser it would be. :)
I invite you to look at the 1930s and earlier, and then ask yourself which duopolist party or presidential candidate you're so worried about electing in 2012.
B.S. smear several OWS activists were arrested for trying to withdraw their money from a corporate bank:
http://www.angryblacklady.com/2011/10/17/occupy-santa-cruz-bank-of-america-threatens-to-arrest-customers-trying-to-close-their-accounts/
Hey DC-CPH, in a decentralized movement many different issues will surface, be discussed, and acted upon. Sometimes the actions will be local and sometimes national or international. Paitence! The movement has just begun. Massive numbers of people need to take part in these decentralized places and take ownership of the movements before big issues like anti-war efforts can be properly addressed. Take your thoughts to your local OCW meetings. That's where they belong. When the time is right war will surface as an issue. With the BOZO false flag effort to manufacture support for an Iran war, that issue may come sooner than we think. The neo-cons still wat a broader Mideast war. Perhaps as a first step we need to raise the consciousness of the Soldiers by sharing with them that they are serving the 1%, not the 99%. That would be a good first step.
With Obama sending troops to Uganda, it may come sooner than that. Eisenhower started down the path in Viet Nam when he sent 100 "advisors"
Good post Stone agree 100%.
rosemarie voices the pain WE experience from the US World-wide Killing Machine kept smoothly running by our Overlords. WE have granted the Overlords legitimacy to do this killing, as well as to dictate the structure of our economy, our relationship to our environment, our education, our healthcare, our jobs. Until millions of us join in a General Strike, boycott, stay in the streets keeping up the pressure, stand with Code Pink against the Killing Machine, our Overlords will cruise on, pulling us all over the cliff. Now we must invent a new America--a land of co-ops, credit unions, organic farms, co-op schools, co-op healthcare, decriminalization of poverty--an unaccustomed and difficult transformation. Where will this invention come from, if not from Occupiers?
Not only did the Tea Party not get fully up and running in a month, but they turned out to be a DISASTER for the 99%. The ultra right wing politicians they got elected are the most obstructionist of all. "We will not negotiate / We will not compromise." They're willing to shut down the government, to damage America's credit rating, to restrict emergency funds as a manipulation tool to hurt middle class and poor benefits. We MUST remember the terrible lessons of the Tea party, and NOT elect politicans who will make things even worse.
You are so correct it is frightening.
The teaparty was bought and paid for by the Koch brothers, faux news, roves, wall street, they sold out, period, but are welcome if they want to fight against what they sold out to before, after all they are part of the 99 percent.
It is not OK to say that gaining Peace takes time. Every delay means that innocent children and other civilians are being killed. Every death is a forever death. It is not something that can be undone. This is URGENT. Every drone attack is a war crime and a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY and anyone who trivializes that is complicit. We, in the USA, brought this on by the way we cast our votes. Now it is up to us to stop it by any means necessary.
rosemarie,
How can it not be OK if it’s true? Real democracy does take time, whether we like it or not. And compassion, meaning “to suffer with”, means we must let ourselves feel the pain we cause (by allowing the right to go as far as they have) and yet go on with what we need to do anyway, allowing things to ripen in their time.
The next steps must be taken very carefully and with great thought and discussion. There is a chance here to get the focus of not only the world but the corporate media. Giving demands and allowing that media to list them, and thus stereotype and rail against and dismiss the movement could end it before it gets going, while taking the time to gather more people, come to firm, considered decisions, and act in concert can in less time than most people imagine, stop the wars, stop the burning of fossil fuels and take back our country.
Action must be peaceful, to avoid being characterized as “terrorists”. Sitting outside buildings where destruction and the planning of it goes on has been a good start, but soon we must do more. We must take action that either stops the destruction in reality or provokes a violent response or joining from the police so that more and more people see the mask ripped off the 1% and join. We can hope for the former 2 but we all know the chances that corporations and the corporate duopoly of government will allow it.
Exactly as much as all of us wouild like a magic switch to turn off the war, that isn't going to happen and is magical thinking. What might happen though is a revolution that brings direct democracy to our communities that would end empire for good, THAT is worth fighting for Rosemarie!
Occupy Wallstreet is a wonderful chance for people to get out in the street to show we are in mass discontent and point out who our oppressors are. Plus it crosses political lines. It's one of the steps where we can say, we'll we tried to change this place peacefully, then we had to get the guillotines out. Don't kid yourself, banksters, corporations and the ultra rich are not going to change, we will half to get the guillotines out. Cheers to the times of peaceful protests, while they last (which is until we can stand no more.) True Democracy may work and we're obviously giving it a chance, but I doubt it will work - with sold out politicians. If Democracy was going to work, I think the last hope was Obama - who of course sold us out. Actually, imo, the idea that Democracy (voting in change) is going to work, died with that.
Thank you Lacy!
I think the impatience is understandable. But if this is going to be a real vehicle for change it will take time to build consensus. I actually think it is impressive that the folks on the ground are painstaking in the approach to agendizing issues. It is tempting to issue a list of demands but the demands need to have the full force of critical mass behind them. The movement needs to prove that their demands are backed by a real threat. Let's see the thing procreate and grow. Let's see what folks on the ground are talking about in the rain and the snow in January. Let's see what kind of relationship they have with the mayors and police at that point. It will be that level of commitment that separates OWS from the Teaparty.
Frank Zappa, Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky
"moving toward a fascist theocracy..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwRPBZOssDg&feature=related
"Corporations are sitting on over $2 trillion in cash but aren't hiring."
I sometimes wonder if we secretly wish the class hierarchy would continue to exist but just bend over sideways so it looks more flat. I'd prefer to believe that we're finally ready to topple the goddamned thing, clear the rubble, and build an equitable society in its place.
I am going next week to check OWS out. CD has so many very negative rants, that want the conservatives to have the WH again. I think they thought Bush 2 was good for the country. Soon, CD will fail, because these whiners only spew hatred for Obama, but they do not cough up the bucks to maintain the site. A Nader political mode, complaining but no idea of how to run a political campaign.
If I were able to be in a DC protest, or anywhere else for that matter, I'd carry a big, bright sign that said:
MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN NEED JOBS, FOOD, AND HOMES NOW! THEY'LL WORRY ABOUT THE $40,000 + DEBT LATER - IF THEY SURVIVE NOW!
With all due respect: That's so far a media hype everywhere except in Italy. There were 200,000 people in Rome, Italy, on Saturday...
There should be at least 250 million people hitting the streets in America right now. As long as you're not getting close to even a few millions, it will remain a media hype and the ones who should be scared will just weather that storm.
The real road block to this economy is the GOP. Every proposal by the Democrats is blasted and then the GOP chimes in with a plan that makes no sense or real merit.
All they seem to want is no healthcare for those without and small business to create jobs. I would recommend you all read the "Small Business Myth" that implies that big business creates job because they have the wealth.
Unfortunately we managed over a lot of years to sell our workers down the drain and send the jobs overseas.
How in the world is Mom and Pop stores or businesses going to create wealth?
The GOP is living in fantasy land and most of the out of work citizens know this. So all you politicians better wake up and return to earth. There is no pie in the sky.
Weather you are a FED, STATE or COUNTY, or PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEE the Government sure is not doing a great job and millions of able bodied workers want jobs.
This is still the United States and it belongs to us.
How about this for a sign?:
WE DON'T NEED NO F*CKING POLITICIANS!
The 99%
Fox news just called us the crazies on the corner, on Hannity, the blondes with short skirts are so smart with their whiney voices. Occupy Wall Street is not political? The right is not calling the 99 percent crazies on the corner? Wrong, fox news is bias far right bastards and are calling the 99 percent crazies. I have been trying to not be too liberal but fuck the Koch brothers, fox, roves, Cheney, the tea party had no arrests, something will give, and the right will make damn sure it happens, they will bring guns and kill Americans. The cops are trying their best to start violence.
I am very supportive of this movement. Although I haven't slept overnight at Occupy Portland, I've spent many hours there and donated materials.
However, I look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDHBbUhh9OM&feature=related
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2_y6Qr3acc&feature=related
...and I get discouraged. This was state-of-the-art messaging almost 40 years ago. Almost every word touches an emotional chords: give, home, sweet mother country, freedom, open arms, your land, our land, glory, proud, etc.
This is privatized propaganda, and it's untouchable in terms of its psychological sophistication. I know what U.S. imperialism was doing in the 1970's: the tail end of the vicious Southeast Asian wars, the deadly rampage of CIA terrorism and its covert wars and assassinations, etc. Yet my heart STILL swells when I watch these.
Wilhelm Reich criticized the German left of the 1930's in his book, "The Mass Psychology of Fascism." He said that the fascists understood the importance of the subjective emotional factors of propaganda, while the left was busy alienating people with their intellectual chatter. I sure hope that one of the things that comes out of this movement is an increasing ability to touch people's hearts in a positive way with our message.
Or maybe I'm just thinking too much.
OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT
WHEN the Occupy Wall Street Movement needs an anthem, it has to be Do You Hear the People Sing? From Les Miserables. The song is best heard with sub-titles from Les Miserable 25th Anniversary (2010) performance at the Royal Opera House, London
Do You Hear the People Sing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYizXBQ5EQA&NR=1
Recall Victor Hugo's immortal words:
“There is a determined though unseen bravery that defends itself foot by foot in the darkness against the fatal invasions of necessity and dishonesty. Noble and mysterious triumphs that no eye sees, and no fame rewards, and no flourish of triumph salutes. Life, misfortunes, isolation, abandonment, poverty, are battlefields that have their heroes; obscure heroes, sometimes greater than the illustrious heroes.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Here's are some great videos about protest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=QYOTe7V2DlA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNsnbLqgLK0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ9ad90Lulc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZowiT5ZyRs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_V0NXFpSSA&feature=fvwrel (French)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_V0NXFpSSA&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMZ19aanrCw&feature=related (French)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t2OUXiUPos&feature=related (Chinese)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOKfwtMeyFg (Spanish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD_QOrQDjyQ (Spanish sub-titles)
LYRICS
Lyrics to Do You Hear The People Sing:
Enjolras
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Lyrics www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/les_miserables/
Combeferre
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Courfeyrac
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!!
All
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Feuilly
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!
All
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes
Arise! People of our true American Democracy and take back our nation from the coils of the Corporate State of America! See: http://thedragonsteeth.wetpaint.com/page/THE+NEW+PARTY
Jim Miller
jimmiller5417@gmail.com