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Forum Post: 6 reasons why not to give up on occupy

Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 17, 2012, 9:50 p.m. EST by occupyparty (10) from Monroe, NJ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

1) hope of the future

2) we have been around 4 months and gained global influence

3)we have been blacked out by the media, they dont black out just anything espeically with us being as big as we are

4) thanks to our movement and a few others we had exposed ndaa,sopa,pipa and much more

5) 4 months old and this big

6)we have exposed the systems faults and loopholes being abused and why its corrupt and beyond repair

23 Comments

23 Comments


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[-] 5 points by ARod1993 (2420) 12 years ago

I support the Occupy movement not because I agree with the more poorly targeted rhetoric on here that seeks to demonize anyone making over $250,000 per year, but because so far they're the only group I've found with enough anger and enough raw manpower to begin to push for change. I don't worry about the content of the more extreme rhetoric I see on here because given the sheer volume of people like you out there I can't see it gaining enough traction to ever be implemented.

I feel like given the current economic climate and the current strength of the ties between the government and private industry (especially Wall Street) the Occupy movement has enormous potential as a catalyst for change (if not the movement itself then one or more of its spinoffs) and it would grieve me greatly to see that potential go to waste. Your complaints are valid, and more often than not when it comes to this specific matter I agree with your position; I just find it easier to offer those criticisms as a concerned supporter (which I am) than a detractor or dissenter.

I say that because if everyone who disagrees with particular pieces of the movement's conduct or rhetoric decides not to support it, then the only ones left inside the movement will be a ragtag group of idiots and radicals and its capacity to push for change will be pretty much neutralized. If however, enough people choose to say "I support Occupy Wall Street" and then suggest rational, practical policy initiatives that are in the spirit of the movement but sans deliberately inflammatory rhetoric, then in time that is what Occupy Wall Street will become. The more reasonable and moderate the movement can become without compromising its principles, the more support it will gain, and instead of fizzling out on the fringe the movement will become a strong positive force in American politics.

I want Occupy Wall Street to become a positive force for the entire 99.9%, and I personally prefer getting on board early and attempting to influence them in that direction over waiting for them to become that before getting involved.

However, there has come a point where I'm starting to give up on this thing as far as policy initiatives are concerned; in terms of actual implementation of change I'm looking more toward the 99% Declaration (and on a personal level toward involvement in the political process through any avenue that presents itself to me). Anger is a bit of a necessary evil; only when we realize that something is wrong do we move to fix it, and often when we find out that something as central to our collective identity as our government and our economy is flawed there is a great deal of anger.

We've already identified a number of basic issues that cross damn near all social, economic, and philosophical lines, in particular the degree of corruption associated with our current system of campaign finance and lobbying. Now that we've identified these issues, it's time to start looking at how exactly we want to go about fixing them, and I really want OWS to get past the "Holy balls, it's broken!" stage and reach the "Alright, how can we rebuild it?" stage. Perhaps I'm holding out more hope than I should, but it would be such a waste if the movement fails to make that jump that I want to try to push for that jump from the inside to the end.

We've had our big moment in the sun to demonstrate to the world that we exist and now it's time to do something with that moment. The Tea Party was able to do what it did because of an incredibly disciplined multifaceted approach that involved a fair amount of popular hell-raising in the beginning to let people know that they existed and that they were mad as hell, but they hardly restrained themselves to just that.

These days if you look at where the Tea Party is, it's now in the House of Representatives to a very significant extent, in the Senate to a lesser extent, and in the halls of K Street to a rather disquieting extent. While I don't agree with a fair amount of the policies they're fond of, I have to admire their tactics and I would like to see OWS adopt those tactics.

[-] 3 points by occupyparty (10) from Monroe, NJ 12 years ago

tea part funded by koch brothers, representatives are corrupt they are the ones behind the NDAA it was made in the reps b4 senate

[-] 1 points by ARod1993 (2420) 12 years ago

I'm not talking about the morals or the funding or the end goals of the Tea Party, because as far as I'm concerned those things are irrelevant. They could be AstroTurf to the core and funded out the rear end by Goldman Sachs, and there are still certain things that the organizers would have to get right and certain nerves that the movement would still have to touch on to pull the popular support that it currently still holds. I'm not looking at them as an example of a perfect moral movement; I'm treating this as a case study in tactics and I'd suggest the rest of us do the same.

[-] 2 points by freakyfriday (179) 12 years ago

You are so right. They say politics make strange bedfelllows and it's high time the fleabaggers and teabaggers get a room!!!!

NDAA/Sopa? My rather right leaning gun forum has been railing vs them for months. In fact I got a rather nice form letter from my congressional rep explaining to me why he was voting for it, long before it was a blip on the ows radar screen. While I don't consider myself a teabagger, I do see many issues being raised on both forums.

Fleas and Teas must unite on common issues. Campaign finance reform is also a hot button for the right whether you folks wanna believe it or not.

[-] 3 points by ARod1993 (2420) 12 years ago

I'm with you on that; what I'd like to see happen is the growth of a brand new movement out of the old, one that merges the calls for public-sector efficiency and accountability coming from the Tea Party, the calls for a serious look at income and tax inequality and better corporate accountability coming from Occupy Wall Street, and the demands for retraction of police power over the individual coming from both sides into a rational answer to our country's current predicament.

[-] 1 points by freakyfriday (179) 12 years ago

Amen

[-] 2 points by MichaelBlack17 (40) 12 years ago

And, we are in a "repeat" of the last Great Depression -- not to mention, "as caused by the very same forces, with the very same results".

http://billmoyers.com/content/lessons-on-democracy-from-woody-guthrie/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbulO_FB2ZI

[-] 2 points by cJessgo (729) from Port Jervis, PA 12 years ago

Like the man said OWS is time in the movement not the movement.

[-] 1 points by GypsyKing (8708) 12 years ago

I'll give you reason #7 . . . survival.

[-] 1 points by Nordic (390) 12 years ago

It's the only hope we have, but it must be just the very beginning. This must be the mere seed of the movement.

[-] 1 points by randonhuman (2) 12 years ago

More reasons:

  • You reject this shallow existence (ok, same as #1, just other words)

  • You are for the most part, young and exuberant, and feel lost in this empty, meaningless, toxic world... YOU DESERVE BETTER AND FEEL IT, even if you can't know it. WE FAILED YOU. (same as the last, an older perspective)

  • You are beautiful and inspirational to the older ones, like me. You are loved and make us ashamed for our failure in not taking part, NOT helping make this world better. You CALL for us to work to make it all better, a world worth living in for YOU, and we see and hear and are ashamed, not hiding though -- ashamed and rejecting the hiding, moved to take action and reject this world's shitty attitude. You are worth EVERYTHING. We are happier losing ourselves in caring for you than 'playing' at being your elders. Some of us at least, and more all the time.

  • The divisions, across races, gender, sexual orientation, and especially age are CREEPY and WRONG. We are one people. We should mingle with those who are good, regardless of marketing demographics, judging only by our hearts through personal experiences with others, not by retarded assessments of worth... money, status, beauty... which should be hardships to overcome for people, for obvious reasons.

  • Occupy can and MUST join with like minded organizations to champion causes: churches, civic groups, political organizations, ALL OTHERS. There is cost to saying you represent the 99% (I say 100, potato, potatoes, whatever) you must embrace and work with others. Many other have worked LONGER AND HARDER than you can imaging in your short lives. JOIN THEM, and work together. Be a new breath of life, love and hope, and help them. Be who you are!

  • ok, ok... this goes on too long. I love (abstractly) all of you. So for you ALL one tiny reason more to go on, someone loves you and all you aspire to do, me.

[-] 1 points by GypsyKing (8708) 12 years ago

Many of us are NEVER going to give up on this movement.

[-] 1 points by occupypuppies (71) 12 years ago

Ooh, this is good. I always have hope because I'm not going to buy into the million reasons to lose hope. It's obvious to me to hold on to a utopian vision and not back down until we get what we want. It's obvious to me that this is our world to create and we really cannot sit back and give others authority over us. That would be silly and cowardly in these times.

[-] 1 points by ShubeLMorgan2 (1088) from New York, NY 12 years ago

OWS is probably much more important than we are even able to realize right now. I really think the one percent is on the run worldwide.

[-] 0 points by Apercentage (81) 12 years ago

The 1% mostly just laughs.

[-] 1 points by Nordic (390) 12 years ago

Sad but true. It's our job now to wipe those smug smiles off their faces.

They've already got their hired thugs/cops out there beating us up and pepperspraying us.

Once they lose that, I think they'll start getting nervous.

[-] 1 points by rayl (1007) 12 years ago

the exposure of 'how things work' is something the 1% can't afford to let happen. you can bet ows is being taken very seriously

[-] 0 points by Kirby (104) 12 years ago

Oh I'm sure they are running as fast as they can.

[-] 1 points by occupyparty (10) from Monroe, NJ 12 years ago

these are basic reaons not even detailed, we are 4 months old and this big dont let them play ur mind into saying we fail

[-] 1 points by ShubeLMorgan2 (1088) from New York, NY 12 years ago

An "Occupy" type movement has won a significant victory on the ground in China of all places! and similar movements simmer in Romania, Nigeria. It's immense.

http://occupywallst.org/forum/occupy-wukan-wins/

[-] 0 points by trailerParkTim (-13) 12 years ago

Occupy Wall Street Almost Broke, many members going back to their x boxes http://www.newser.com/story/137695/occupy-wall-street-almost-broke.html

[-] 0 points by poltergist22 (159) 12 years ago

you should consider including this in your agenda ...www.nationalday911.org

[-] -1 points by FreeDiscussion1 (109) 12 years ago

Not even 10? Not even enough reasons for David Lettermans top 10 list?????? wow,, that is really, really sad. Only 6,,,,,,,,, really?