A really great article on the politics behind the Occupy Movement
Why Occupy Wall Street Has Left Washington Behind
Gordon Lafer October 26, 2011
Public discussion of the Wall Street protests has focused on the movement’s indictment of the economic elite, but Occupy Wall Street marks an equally profound critique of the country’s political system. As the weeks tick by, the protests at Zuccotti Park and across the nation are driving home this profound realization: this is a fight that can’t be won by voting. The crisis that most fundamentally shapes our lives cannot be solved through the legislative process. This is not because the agenda is unpopular—54 percent of Americans support OWS, with only 23 percent opposed—but because the system is corrupted beyond repair. This slowly dawning realization is both invigorating—an invitation to engage in the kind of bold, blue-sky strategic thinking that leftists have not entertained for decades—and disturbing, a harbinger of just how nasty the future may get.
What makes OWS different from the mass marches against the Iraq War or at the 2004 GOP convention is not just that it’s an ongoing occupation rather than a one-day affair. It’s that this protest is not, at its core, voicing an appeal to lawmakers. Click through to read more.
A Reminder to Have Hope
Some of you may be at the precipice - a realization that life does NOT have to be that of our parents or in line with the ideals our parents had. We can exist under an entirely new paradigm. It sounds like an enormous challenge, but why not? We certainly wouldn’t be the first generation to change our social paradigm. Look at history, look how culture grew and changed over time. Each society has had it’s focuses - philosophy and thought, conquer and explore, invent and innovate, entertain and sensualize. We change all the time! In small ways from decade to decade, in large ways from Dark Ages to Renaissance to Technology Age. Why can’t we be a new design?
We have something incredibly special. We have the internet and a way to discuss and communicate and empathize worldwide that no other culture has ever had before. We are developing new ideals, new needs as a result. We are more socialized and harmonized, which goes totally against the ultra individualistic, self serving ideals of to each their own, now fight freely for a piece of the pie, the strongest will win, good luck losers mantra of today. Especially when those “losers” include liberal arts thinkers, brilliant sensualists, creative beyond belief innovators. Geniuses of their own right. Huge social contributors. And many of us create to share, not to profit.
The Internet has proven this. We make things to make people laugh or learn or be amazed. Because the beauty of the internet is that we can, as special and unique as we each are, find a community amongst those who are more similar to ourselves - something we’ve never had the luxury of before in the history of our species. And because we have this ability to find like-minded people, we have an audience and camaraderie. We have similar interests and so our creations are met with applause. We write for the readers. We code for the people. We develop and build and film so many extraordinary things. And for what? For FREE. Why?? Because there are people who appreciate it and for some reason, that sufficiently feeds our human need for acceptance, honor, pride, acclaim, etc. without the need for the past needed riches.
But we’re still stuck in this old system, where money means everything. Where the ideal way to be is a rich white douche who has embroidered shirts and 50 different cuff links (that certainly isn’t MY fucking dream). We live in a society where being able to BUY and CONSUME means more than CREATING and SUSTAINING.
So we have menial jobs to make it by and we come alive when we are finally free to pursue our interests and we build and create. So I suppose I don’t know why I keep hearing that capitalism is so great because it brings us innovation. You don’t have innovations without creations and creativity. Such things are actually stifled in this paradigm, where half the art is cutting as many corners as possible while still sucking as much out of the people as possible. Artistic abilities are scoffed at or capitalized upon and co-opted by entertainment INDUSTRY, repackaged and sold to the mass public as brain rot.
The current system does not support the growing minds of these new generations. I used to think, but how could the world change so much during MY lifetime, what are the chances? But what are the chances internet would be invented connecting the whole world instantly. We have mobile phones with cameras and instant twitter feeds, things cannot stay hidden. This is a different world and one that must be more harmonious and socialized. We are the most stimulated humans of all time. The amount of information we have been charged with, the free and easy ability to learn and self-educate (and for free on the internet, often created and compiled for free). We have the ability for so much enlightenment and awareness and growth as a species.
We don’t have to feel so overwhelmed or like it is an impossible feat. We’ve been gifted with unbelievable experience and knowledge. We are a world of free explorers - in five clicks you can see pictures, videos, -pedias, and talk to people from almost anywhere in the world.
Change can be okay. Change does not have to be terrifying. Look over the human history, most change has been for the better and that was hasn’t be, lessons can be learnt, because again, we have unfathomable access to the histories of the world and others’ mistakes.
We are an extraordinarily young country. America used to stand for something and was an example of progress. Something to really be patriotic about. But we’re no longer the example. Why is that? Because the plot was lost. We have the ability to make America an example to follow again. And not in a condescending, belittling, and domineering way, but through the peaceful osmosis of enlightenment and education.
It IS POSSIBLE. TOGETHER WE DO HAVE THE POWER. LET’S OCCUPY OUR COUNTRY!
Must watch videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkPvSCq5ZXk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bqMY82xzWo
Both are at fault. We all are at fault. The People for their complacency and ignorance (though lack of transparency is largely at fault for that). The Government for aiding and abetting fraudsters and failing to protect its People or serve in their best interests. And Wall Street for criminally defrauding the People, buying congress by lobbying and paying for legislation that serves Wall Street, and taking money off the free market for their own use. They run the corporations which finance the companies in which middle class and lower class Americans work. The tighter they clench on these companies, the less these companies pay their workers in wages and the more economical it is to move overseas. The more money that goes to padding the pockets of executives who, let’s face it, have admin and student interns (I’ve been one of those) doing most of their work while they schmooze, drink bourbon, play golf and gamble away our futures on Wall Street, the less money “trickles down” to hard working Americans.
Compare it to an exam. The government is the proctor. The people are the students. The grading curve is our money curve. If a few people cheat, the curve is skewed and the students suffer. Ideally, the proctor will step in. If the proctor does not step in, there will be no accountability or action taken, and the cheating will continue and the students will continue to suffer. The students can either stand idly by and allow these transgressions to continue, or they can stand up and point out the cheater and then demand corrective action.
Most people, alone, are afraid to step forward and demand fairness and justice in the face of complacency. One brave student stands up, points to the cheater and says, “Stop Cheating!” He looks around for support, ie solidarity, and sees other students start to stand beside him, all pointing to the cheater, “Stop Cheating!”
Once the students feel they have support and the cheating has be sufficiently exposed and their cries legitimized, they will turn to the proctor and demand action. And upon failure to act, demand a new proctor.
The Occupiers are those students standing up and pointing to the cheater and calling a spade a spade.
Yes, we are angry at the government! For allowing itself to be bought and sold and used as a tool against the very people it is designed to serve. I don’t think anyone genuinely supporting the Occupy movement does not also hold the government accountable as complicit in these schemes. But before we can make demands that will actually be HEARD, more people need to be educated and enlightened. More people need to be aware of what is going on. And what is going on is Wall Street is buying our government. The government no longer serves its constituents on matters that effect the economy. And cheating banksters are the ones fucking up the money curve for the rest of us, and all the complacent students sitting around ignorant to what is going on need to know WHY people are angry, so that, as one voice, We The People can turn to our government and DEMAND accountability, enforce changes and regulations that serve the People and put an end to government sanctioned criminal fraud. Without mass support of the People, the media and government can spin, ignore, and brush aside the demands of a few outraged protesters as hippies, commies, bandwagon hipsters, and lazy hand-out seeking trash and NOT DO A DAMN THING and the complacent people will ALLOW THEM TO DO NOTHING.
The movement will move to DC and it won’t just be an outraged and enlightened few. Instead, it will be something our government cannot ignore.
Source: occupyonline
dr-dillamond reblogged your photo: dr-dillamond: Shit like this is why i don’t…
‘can/be made to exploit human flaws like stupidity, greed, envy, etc. If we were perfect beings, pure capitalism might be a perfect system.’
You can say this about any economic or governmental system.
‘Due to my personal value system, I feel disparity should be minimized.’
Via what means? Taxation on the rich which leads to unemployment and which is, in itself, thievery?
‘The prob is not capitalism, it’s that it is currently being abused. It needs an oil change and tire rotation.’
Couldn’t agree more! Corporatists are mixing capitalism and the state, and that is a serious abuse of capitalist ideas, and not at all ‘free market’.
Precisely, and you can also say that many pure economic systems would be “best” depending on your end goal or idea of advancement if people were perfect. Which is why I’m not entertaining ideas of what would be best or perfect IF it were pure, when it can never function in a pure state with imperfect humans.
My personal (which I should stress) opinion is that because the system cannot (that I can currently contemplate) function purely, a balanced system is needed to meet both economic and social needs. Also because humans are imperfect, perhaps every so often, it is time for a reset to clan off some built up scum. The problem is that people are so black and white and the moment a system fails due to abuse, rather than attempting to safeguard against future abuses, we fly into an anti-rage of hate against everything that failed system stands for. This thought process is obviously ridiculous and counter-productive, right? Socialism isn’t evil. Capitalism isn’t evil. They are, however, exploitable. And right now, this very moment, people need to be demanding that the corruption and exploitation be transparent and “fixes” set in place moving forward.
Being perfectly honest, I’m still not sure how to make a perfect system, I think, like science, it is a matter of trial and error. Clearly the current system has its faults. I’m trying to educate myself on potential solutions. I think this is an important point that should be made of the occupation - education and discussion. As we can see by the formation of this nation, collaboration of great minds can bring forth brilliant ideas.
Personally, at this very moment, I would propose a balance - a system with regulatory checks balanced with free market drives. Basically the system we all would like to believe America functions under. Not taxation to the point of crippling the very system, but a more fair ditribution, yes. A stop to derivatives, yes. An ethical check against trading against people’s futures, yes. The moment it becomes most profitable for people to foreclose on homes or to buy debt, there is a sustainability problem. I think better transparency and ethical conditions on trading should be employed so that loop holes and problems do not persist.
A second important reason for a People’s “discussion for solutions” moving forward is that our system and advancements are so reliant on oil. Currently it appears the system is in more of a “head in the sand, milk as much as you can while you can rush” than a sustainable plan that accounts for dwindling supply. Pretty soon it is going to cost a barrel of oil to get a barrel of oil, which economically speaking makes it useless. The current world economy functions largely on that currency. That leaves me feeling a little unsettled.
Q:Ask has been implemented: To answer your first question, the Blue Policy is a symbol/movement that is indeed being proffered by one (more or less) compatriot (I do have the help of family and friends). The initial intent has been to create a sort of packaging and branding, an easily communicated short-hand of the ideals that are important to me and seemingly countless others. Will everyone agree? No, but I know many do. It's our responsibility to stand now.
Personally, I like what you stand for and the simplicity of your symbol and would be happy to help you put this out there. While I do not wish to promote collective zombie fever, as some ignorant souls are attempting to condescendingly portray the occupy movement as, I do feel that symbol, badges, flags can be huge in bringing people together in solidarity. I quite like the blue circle. Simple, pure, intentional or unintentional O for occupy, yeah, nice!
Only one voice like yourself, but, here SPREAD THE WORD:
Blue Policy: Political and Economic Theory: A Proclamation
I don’t know if “Blue Policy” is a democratically chosen symbol/movement name that is arising or one being proffered by one compatriot, but either way, I wholeheartedly concur with the sentiments written below. Whoever wrote the following, I’d love to chat with you - might you be willing to enable your ask feature?
Political and Economic Theory: A Proclamation
The United States, a democratic republic, allows for its citizens to elect other citizens to represent them. This is a fair system when utilized properly. What we have come to find ourselves apart of however in the 235 years since the founding of this republic are two major political parties who have become bloated and sick by their own rule. No longer do they represent the people. Instead they represent the interests of money. And while the interests of money many times overlap with the interests of people, often times they do not. When the interests of money always wins the people surely will lose. This is the state we are in today. We have removed the humanity from the marketplace.
The proper value of money and people.
What is the value of a person? The United States as a beacon of hope is the result of its economic character. The United States has historically been a Social-Capitalist economy. That is to say we have traditionally sought to take care of each other when needed. A capitalist economic engine serves us well. There is a reason Communist China has been moving economically towards capitalism. The ability to generate capital (work credit) quickly has allowed the United States to achieve a standard of living hardly imaginable by people of the past. It is not only capitalism that has helped make us the human dream however. In fact, capitalism unabated can and has turned us into a human nightmare. Capitalism unchecked, as it has been, leads to corporatism and then monopolism. The fascisms of the private sector.
Traditionally we’ve kept this monster at bay with our values and morals. The Social aspect of our character. When we the people have been faced with a problem or opportunity we have risen to the occasion. Be it civil rights, world war, infrastructure, or the internet. When the need for education arose we fulfilled it to the best of our abilities at the time. We gave each other a chance in this ever changing world. And by giving each other a chance we gave ourselves a chance. We made our country stronger.
What is required of us today?
Today we’re faced with the problems of an aging and misused system. Our system, like all systems, requires periodic maintenance. Today this is our responsibility. It is in the interest of the people that we re-align this nation with the values and morals of human dignity and human decency. We give the people back their rights. In doing so we will strengthen the United States once again. We must restore the human element in economic and political policy. This is the Blue Policy. We the People, of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…
Stand with us.
