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World's Eyes are on Occupy Movement
"You say you want a revolution?"
— The Beatles
By one measure at least, the movement that began with Occupy Wall Street is already bigger than the Tea Party ever was.
According to a report in the Washington Post, Occupy rallies were held in more than 900 cities around the country and across the globe last weekend. The Tea Party is big, but it is not known to have had an impact in Barcelona, London, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Brussels, Munich, Rome, Sydney, Manila, Lisbon, Paris and Zurich.
Granted, that observation is deceptive in one sense: it quantifies breadth, but not depth. That is to say, while the Occupy movement has spread broadly, there is as yet little evidence of its ability to seize political power and use it to execute the movement's agenda. Say what you will about the Tea Party — a straight line if ever there was one — but give it credit for moving quickly to translate its angst into political capital with which it impacted the 2010 midterms and presidential politics to this very day.
The Occupy movement, by contrast, remains what several people have called it: a primal scream.
Primal screams have their purpose. They command attention. But they do not, of themselves, bring change.
Yes, that criticism is premature. The Occupy movement is only a little over a month old. It is a new colt, still wobbly on its legs, yet some of us want it to already be Seabiscuit.
It is, however, difficult to escape a certain impatience when you consider that the corporate greed and exploitation the movement exists to oppose have gone unquestioned and unchallenged for an unconscionably long time. There is something grotesque about the idea that one percent of the nation controls more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. There is something pitiful about the idea that the bottom 90 has endured economic exploitation in silence for years.
The nation — the world itself, to judge from last weekend — needs this uprising, this line in the sand, this visceral reminder of the power of the people. We need this to be something.
For that to happen, the Occupy movement will have to avoid the incoherence and violence of the World Trade Organization protests. Nor can it afford to believe the sort of smug babblespeak author and "media theorist" Douglas Rushkoff offered in a recent opinion piece for CNN.com.
Too many of us, he opined, are attempting to understand a 21st-century movement with 20th-century minds. This is not "a traditional protest," he wrote, "which identifies the enemy and fights for a particular solution." Rather, it is "a new collectivism," that is "less about victory than sustainability."
Actually, that's precisely what it cannot afford to be.
One hopes the movement's organizers understand that Occupy Wall Street has created a moment, a fragment of time and potentiality in which it may be possible to make real, fundamental, systemic change. But that moment will be lost if the movement contents itself with navel gazing and primal screaming, with saying, "Look at me, aren't I wonderful and new."
That would be a waste of a rare opportunity. The Occupy movement commands the attention of the entire world. When you have all eyes upon you, your next move should be obvious.
Say something.
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73 Comments so far
Show AllYet another pundit speaks from his podium. Yawn.
"Granted, that observation is deceptive in one sense: it quantifies breadth, but not depth. That is to say, while the Occupy movement has spread broadly, there is as yet little evidence of its ability to seize political power and use it to execute the movement's agenda."
The movement's agenda is not to seize political power, but instead, to transcend it by developing a new MYTHOS, a new way of life that makes sense in the 21st Century. Common Dreams presents this Democratic Party operative nonsense on all too regular a basis. Also, stop mentioning OCW and Tea Party together. OCW is not the anti-tea party. It is much more than that.
The movement to take our money out of the big banks is underway. Have you done so? If you don't have any money you can change your account to a Credit Union anyway. Even though this idea was not begun by the Occupy movement, the movement has adopted it via widespread acceptance. GET THIS DONE FIRST, before moving on to another topic. Check with everyone you know and make sure they are actually doing it. The monies may not be big by bank standards, but by local credit union standards it is. So get on it. Don't wait to the last minute because the banks and credit unions will be swamped. Do it now. By achieving this one effort it will change the tune of the nuts like Pitts. Get er' done!
Just wondering, who empowered you to speak for the entire movement? You say you know what its agenda is? That's amazing because from what we've all heard, no one can say just what this movement is -- have you been given special status? Cause I don't think everyone involved totally agrees with your position. I personally know people running some of the Occupy media centers and they don't hold that position -- that we don't want to take power.
Also. you can take issue with Pitt, but to call him a nut shows you to be someone controlled by angry emotions and personal agenda instead of thoughtfulness and reason. Make Occupy a movement that is welcoming and intelligent, not rude and aggressive.
"Yet another pundit..." Agreed and in fact worse than that. Another business as usual trying to steer the movement to make a "list of demands". Not a yawn at all but a propagandist who should be called out and derided at every turn.
Demands to be submitted to whom?
The movement is saying something loud and clear, this guy is just deaf and should not be posted here on common dreams.
This guy doesn't have a clue as to what the movement is about.
This seems to be the common refrain. People don't have a clue, you don't get it, etc. Well, better start articulating it more clearly then because a lot of people don't get it, and on Common Dreams at least there are more than a few really arrogant, apparently very young people, acting like they've already saved the world for the rest of us, when actually nothing has been accomplished and the Occupy movement -- because of those very types of people -- is getting a reputation as smug and elitist. You can shoot the messenger, but it's happening.
Hey, don't leave me out. I'm old and arrogant.I've been hanging out with the OWS people some of the time-being old, I do not do concrete at night-and I've yet to find any young person who thinks he or she has saved the world. But they're hopeful, and that's something.
How often will we see the lie repeated hat the OWS movement is not saying anything? What the author means here is that he has not yet heard what he wants to hear - that the protesters will meekly crawl back into "working within the system."
The disgusting attempts at ridiculing and trivializing the movement - "primal scream" and "look at me, aren't I wonderful and new" - destroy any credibility the author has as an observer and commenter on OWS.
"How often will we see the lie repeated hat the OWS movement is not saying anything?"
Every day, I'm afraid. That's why I think we have to turn it around on the people who repeat that lie. I recommend that we reply by saying something like,
"Anyone politician who was truly interested in doing what's right could have found a dozen good ideas to act upon expeditiously within the first 5 minutes he spent reading the OWS protesters' signs. Now, a month into the protests, the politicians are still pretending not to know what OWS wants. What does that tell us?"
Bravo. well said.
However, the protest may not have impact unless it impacts the 1% where they live, in their profits. It would be great to organize to show the 1% that as consumers, we are not going to support what they are doing.
The problem is that the 1% don't depend on us buying commodities. They won't feel any pain if we stop buying this and that. Their assets involve securities based on securities. It's all little more than fairy gold, but when they get tired of watching the value of their paper increase, they convert it into boats and homes, so it is no longer subject to the vagaries of the market.
.
One has to wonder why Mr. Pitts did not point out to his readers that since Obama is a cheerleader for the 1% elite he therefore has no reason, to use one of Obams's words, to hope that the Occupy movement succeeds throughout the country and the rest of the world.
They must be overthrown. There is no other way. There is no way to reach them - "speak truth to power1!" - no way to persuade them - "pressure them to do the right thing!!" - no way to co-opt them - "let's elect progressives!!" - no way impoverish them - "stop buying stuff!!" - no way to disengage from them - "just stop participating in their game!!" - no way to escape them - "let's form our own local communities!!"
They must be overthrown.
I think you're right, but who wants to approach THAT battleline just yet? But, being the syncretistic, paganistic, theistic, person that I am, I believe we will have help in this endeavor. We're at the changing of the ages, with a different zeitgeist coming to town. I happen to believe the zeitgeist is an actual, living,non-corporial, conscious entity (one of those many Gods & Goddesses spoken of, in ancient times. Thy're still here, doing their jobs). They move through the collective mind of humanity like a weatherfront moves through the atmosphere, bringing changes along, with its' passing. They can assume any shape that is needed to convey MEANING & significance. They've been unusually active these past 30 years, giving out instructions to their helpers here on earth, (devas, sprites, perhaps some humans too), for carrying out these changes. Their medium of communication (amongst other ways, cloud formations are also used. I witnessed a pentagram once, for several seconds, before it diffused), are the crop circles, with elaborate geometrical shapes that convey symbolic MEANING to all concerned, on how to proceed. I'm sorry for speaking like this on your entry. I know you have no patience for such talk. This came to me, after my initial entry about how you are right & who wants to tackle this issue.
Good Point Two Americas. You notice that Corporate media isn't concerned about the Repubs and Demos that don't say anything of significance (and even lie and make up stuff) during their political campaigns and debates. Now Corp media is focused on a meaningless personal spat between Romney and Perry, and isn't even focused on the issues. Yes, Corp media is looking for any excuse to demonize a movement (OWS) that it doesn't even want to cover.
Terrific. Another liberal pundit who mistakenly believes he has something relevant to say.
Isn't it interesting that the mainstreet TV media is giving no coverage whatsoever to this mainstreet phenomenon??? It's proof positive of who owns the Media!!!
Yes, isn't it interesting, Frank. Isn't it also interesting that this author should give so much credit to the Tea Party "for moving quickly to translate its angst into political capital with which it impacted the 2010 midterms and presidential politics to this very day." .........Of course, no mention that Kock Brothers money and media influence had anything to do with it.
This ^
The Tea Party died the moment it sold out. What remains is business-as-usual with a catchy name.
The Tea Party was created sold out, made from whole cloth with Dick Army money and Fox News air time. Who do ya think payed for all them fancy busses?
That said the Occupy movement could take a page from their book (video) on taking over a political party from within at the ground level. The Tea Party put out a video telling step by simple step how anybody can become a commitee chairman and be the person who gets to pick the candidates. Seems it's one of those jobs they have a hard time filling so it's pretty easy to get in the seat. That is exactly how the Tea Party has effectively taken control of Congress as well as many state governments. Thom Hartmann has information, check his website.
If you are disgusted with electoral politics take over the damned thing. If OWS is really the 99% it should work pretty well, don't you think?
The tea party does not and never will control Congress. Congress is controlled by the same 1% that controls everything else in the world. The tea party is nothing more than a side show, created to perpetuate the illusion that the United States is actually a democracy.
Coverage of the OWS demonstrations is now being spun in such a way as to enable local governments to evict them. The spin is "we aren't interfering with what they are saying but only enforcing the laws; the demonstrators are breaking the law because we have given them a lawful order to leave the area and they have not done so, so we have no choice but to forcibly evict them."
They're also saying: "We'd like to negotiate with them but we cannot find out who is in charge that we could speak with." To me the lack of a "leader" is one of the movement's big strengths, but the Powers That Be, local divisions, are using this as an excuse to act repressively while proclaiming themselves friends of free speech despite their repressive actions.
Leonard says “The Occupy movement, by contrast, remains what several people have called it: a primal scream.” He then goes on and closes with these punch lines: “When you have all eyes upon you, your next move should be obvious. Say something.”
Logical, but….
Let us compare the primal scream to someone suddenly discovering that not only are they dying, they had a hand in murder, as well. We have 7 overt wars and approximately 20 covert wars that have yielded 1,000,000 dead, 2,000,000 wounded, and 3,000,000 homeless. In the United States we have 50,000,000 in poverty and dying in slow motion with another 100,000,000 joining these ranks, in not so slow motion. Meanwhile U.S. billionaire wealth is skyrocketing.
We’re screaming because our world is drenched in blood. The good citizens are drenched in their own, The indifferent are covered in their own and the blood of foreigners, and the demon wealthy and their butchers are soaked with everyone’s, but without so much as a scratch on themselves.
It speaks for itself.
Meh.
Regardless of the merits of author and "media theorist" Douglas Rushkoff's opinion of OWS, Pitts ought not to be so quick to denounce the "smug babblespeak" of others when the best he can come up with is, "Don't just stand there, DO something!"
"DO something!" LOL. And from the sidelines, no less.... He's our hero.
"Say what you will about the Tea Party — a straight line if ever there was one — but give it credit for moving quickly to translate its angst into political capital with which it impacted the 2010 midterms and presidential politics to this very day."
Courtesy of Koch and for-profit insurance and Fox during HCR. I guess this author didn't bother to read a letter to OWS from an original tea party "member" about the co-opting of the tea party movement, which started during the Wall Street bailout and the 20,000 or so that protested in Wall Street, and got no coverage. Then suddenly the Tea Party (in cap letters) came out a totally new animal during HCR. The loony politicians that supposedly are Tea Party candidates are not but regurgitated ultra right-wing Repubs and they were already in Congress.
The current Tea Party is nothing but a creation of the Koch Brothers, Fox, et al., and would not have flourished or grown without the help of media like MSNBC.
You beat me to it. Well said.
Agree. The "Tea Party" was just a marketing scheme to incite a sector of Republican voters into actually going to the voting booth. It gave a segment of Republican voters an identity.
I'm disappointed that Pitts would write this:
"For that to happen, the Occupy movement will have to avoid the incoherence and violence of the World Trade Organization protests."
I was at the WTO protest in Seattle. It was not "incoherent:" the demands were clear: no WTO. The protestors did not instigate violence. The Seattle police attacked peaceful demonstrators; it was a brutal, unprovoked police riot. I saw Seattle police spraying pepper spray directly into the faces of protestors who were just sitting on the ground.
Now that Marines are organizing to join the OWS protestors, maybe the police will be less likely to attack:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/22/semper-fi-occupy-marines-bringing-reinforcements-to-occupy-the-nation/
Maybe.
Overall I thought this was a pretty rational piece. Already in certain cities the OWS is dying out, losing steam. Being evicted without even a fight.
Somehow, somewhere, somebody better start getting it together or this is going to slowly die out. I think its already started.
" The Tea Party is big, but it is not known to have had an impact in Barcelona, London, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Brussels, Munich, Rome, Sydney, Manila, Lisbon, Paris and Zurich." Well, good for you. How cool. But, I don't care if OWS was on the moon, what matters is what happens here. No ground has been taken. No money has shifted. No influential minds have been changed. Nothing has been changed.
Overall this is turning out to be a political fashion statement than anything else.
The man is right. Get busy kids, or become irrelevant.
"Never mistake motion for action." -- Ernest Hemingway
I believe there will be waxing and waning on this. OWS could well burst forth and create the cleansing flood of populism and basic human decency we all know we need, but the corporate Leviathan does not die, it may only be driven away, and guarded against--
But I'm curious, moonpie, what cities are you referring to? I perhaps have a skewed vision because our local city council has agreed to modify the no camping ban to accommodate the movement--though there will be lively debate tonight regarding just where--and I'll bet you a fin the CC pushes for some out-of-the-way park to obscure everything--
But I so hope you're wrong...which is why I wonder about the fashion statement comment, which cuts deep sir/madam--if you've called it correctly.
Can you spare some more insight on that?
I watched face the nation and meet the press this morning, they said nothing about the 99 percent of the countries population, they were too busy talking about the one percent, politics, owned by the one percent. This may be the last time I watch these shows, they sure did discuss the tea party last year but the tea party is owned by the same one percent.
I think Mr. Pitts identifies more with (what's left of) the comfortable middle class than the unwashed, homeless masses. He also perhaps feels old and irrelevant, and doesn't understand the movement. Thus he resorts to subtle contempt amid the praise for the occupy movement, feels he has to "lecture" to it from his pulpit.
God I hope you stop posting things like this. You do more damage to the Occupy movement than you can imagine. Old and irrelevant? You sound like a spoiled child. Learn some respect or you will lose the interest of everyone other than spoiled children. The Occupy movement hasn't done anything yet. Wait until you accomplish literally one actual thing in the real world that changes the political and economic reality for billions and you might earn that pedestal you've put yourself on.
Egad.
The comment says perhaps Pitts feels old and irrelevant.
It did not label him as such.
As for damaging the movement, a reasonable argument can be made that your comment is divisive and even antagonistic (something which I often aim for, and I know it when I see it) --which does little to promote the movement.
If you've been to one of these consensus meetings, you're aware that a premium is placed upon listening carefully.
Listen--and read, more carefully.
Peace.
Yes, we are old and irrelevant. Why don't you accept that with some humility and stop lecturing and scolding people? You claim to be a veteran of the movements in the 60's. Yet here you are, on the other side now. I would give that some thought and do some listening rather than lecturing. You are digging yourself in deeper and deeper and making all of us older folks look bad.
"Yes, that criticism is premature. The Occupy movement is only a little over a month old. It is a new colt, still wobbly on its legs, yet some of us want it to already be Seabiscuit."
Mr Pitts should have stopped there.
Actually, I'd prefer the OWS colt to grow into a sturdy Shire horse, or a Clydesdale, big, strong, not a racehorse with fragile legs, prone to breaking.
Occupy the U.S. capitol building. Have you been there lately? It has an amazingly unfriendly, unapproachable, totalitarian vibe. A sea of humanity in the plaza and parks around it for a few months couldn't help but have beneficial psychological and political effects.
I also like the idea, floated in another piece here a day or two ago, of occupying Obama's Dem Convention, by nominating slates of uncommitted delegates from as many states as possible. This would have the added benefit of clarifying for those who are still confused that the occupy movement has no affection for Obama. It might help to draw people out of their partisan foxholes to focus on common class enemies.
Shades of 1968, when the RFK and McCarthy delegates filled that role, with riots outside in the streets. That one ended badly. Let's do better this time ...
Here in Minneapolis, our solidarity camp at People's Plaza hasn't been allowed tents. The county police said no. As a group, we put them up anyway (8 days ago). They came around after midnight and took them, with no arrests. A 68-year old woman I shared a tent with that Saturday night, told me about the year-long protest camp she and others had here in the 80's. They stayed in yurts all winter long and lasted with no significant health problems.
Most will not try to sleep outdoors here in Mpls through the winter with no tent, but some will and it can be done. (hundreds of homeless sleep outdoors here all year long) As long as we have a few to hold down the plaza, we will continue to express solidarity here in Mpls. First they ignore us. Then they ridicule us. Then they fight us. Then we win. Numbers will ebb and flow. The most important thing is for the movement to endure.
What do we want? Ha! (all us dirty, hippy freeloaders?) We want our country. We want the people to have the power, not corporations and their programmed robots.
How do we get it? At the moment it looks like we've planted seeds all over the world in the form of occupations. Our best hope is to nurture them and watch what grows.
Often, strangers are more to be trusted than those calling themselves our friends.
I think this meme is worth repeating, and so I'll be doing that.
They can kick us out of a place, but not out of a color!
BASIC IDEA:
Dedicate days to specific costumes, and/or color combinations that people all around the world can don to show solidarity and support, no matter how close or far we are from an Occupy rally.
The 1% can't dismiss or disperse us if we take our occupations with us where ever we go. They can't arrest us for wearing a color combination!
This would be a great way for active 99%ers to identify one another for purposes of spontaneous organizing, and to spread moral support among our ranks, where ever they are!
THE OCCUPATION MUST NOT DEPEND ON LOCATION!!!
A friend is promoting the idea of people sleeping in tents in their front yards on Oct. 29. I sort of like that idea and I sort of like the idea of wearing colors to show solidarity. I believe our best hope is to show solidarity with #OWS. (as it shows solidarity with what happened in the Middle East earlier this year) Let's all do whatever we can to continue this movement.
We're still occupying hundreds of plazas and parks, so let's not abandon them in fear of what may or may not happen. Endure and persevere. Let the police do their own work. It's their job, not ours.
That's a very good idea, and something we could all do, whatever our ages and locations. Could you, perhaps, suggest it to one of the General Assemblies to pass around ?
I'm spreading the idea to those I can.
I personally like Green and Black as a color combo. Ecology and bottom-up, non-hierarchical organizing.
Check this out:
http://tinyurl.com/3m9pzv3
Stare at the white cross for a minute, then close your eyes, or look at a blank wall.
Hmmm - I think it comes back as red/white/blue?
Green and black are good. I've been reading a few comments at AlterNet, someone there suggested a similar idea, and light purple as the OWS movement signature color - a blend of the colors of the US flag - but others commented that as the movement is worldwide, using those colours wouldn't be inclusive.
I agree. Green and black are inclusive.
We're hoping to visit the Oklahoma City occupation in Kerr Park during this week sometime. I'll mention your idea (credited to this thread and you) to anyone involved there.
I'd recommend armbands of different colors (perhaps kerchiefs of different colors, tied around the arm?, or neck?).
Yes, bring back armbands! (sans any fascist symbolism). Armbands get peoples' attention.
I still like Black and Green (with Yellow?). Earth (black), Biology (green), Sun (yellow)?
Armbands - good idea! Easy and easily noticed. Had a feeling that Black Green Yellow are the national colors of somewhere. Googled it. Jamaica, for one. Swaziland Progressive Party another. Does it matter?
I'd suggest a light violet. It's a combination of red white and blue (I read this on another website). Also, violet is the color of the 7th ray, the highest vibration in the "octave" of the visible light spectrum (before the sequence repeats itself in the next higher octave somewhere beyond ultraviolet). Violet light is also known to have healing, cleansing, antiseptic properties (also a good symbol for the movement). Maybe have a "royal" purple" number 99 on the armband, since, in a democratic Republic, "We the people", the 99-ers, are sovereigns, and the government we design is to SERVE us, for the common good/general welfare.
That color appeals to me, personally, for the reasons you've mentioned.
The fact that it's a combination of red/white/blue (national US flag) ought not to matter, it represents much else.
If anyone reading is on Facebook (I'm not) maybe a thread on the topic could be started there, if there isn't one already, to reach more people ?
"The Occupy movement commands the attention of the entire world. When you have all eyes upon you, your next move should be obvious.
Say something."
I suggest initiatives and referendums. Let the 99% make the laws.
Direct democracy