Forum Post: Confused, but Curious
Posted 10 years ago on May 7, 2013, 5:30 a.m. EST by Stoic
(-1)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I'm confused about something, and I haven't gotten a good answer out of it, perhaps someone could provide me with an answer.
I have heard that Occupy Wall Street represents the 99%.
But....
I have also heard that Occupy Wall Street represents Individualism because we are all uniquely different.
Which then I ask...
If we are all (supposedly) individuals with unique individual identities, but are united together under the same banner despite our contradictions, then how can we actually say anything if all interests and beliefs contradict each other?
Put another way, if I have two hundred and ninety seven million voices speak a single sentence at once, wouldn't that be a cacophony?
You bring up a very good point -
which I witnessed first hand in hundreds of NYC OWS meetings.
A less impressive but more accurate term might be "we are not the 1%"
OWS lost momentum for many reasons- consensus does not work
too many very smart leaders who were unwilling to follow
lack of compromise
THE ADOPTION OF OWS AS A GOAL - almost a religion -
rather than a means to an end
AW come on. The “we are the 99%” saying is just a marketing phrase. The intent was to show support for the common man. No really believes we really are the 99%. Frankly the 99% term has run its course. As you suggest, maybe say “we aren’t the 1%” would work better now.
Honestly, if we could bridge the distance, we could conquer the world with one other person (it takes three people to start a revolution).... it is SO hard to find Left-Wingers who can demonstrate that level of insight, especially in these times.
Put another way, Anarchism is the chosen enemy of Neoliberalism. (Why else does the "1%" spend millions of dollars funding "Post-Modern" studies...)
If I say I am Black, do I then speak for all People of Color, or I am a Jew, do I then speak for all Jewish People?
"I have heard that Occupy Wall Street represents the 99%"
You heard wrongly. "Occupy Wall Street IS the 99%", is what is said. This is an acknowledgement of a class affiliation, not a claim at representation of the class.
Politicians "win" "elections" in which less than a majority of people care to vote, and then go on to claim to represent everyone. That is the badly broken system of "representative" government, and the reason it can never work.
Acknowledging that we are living in a class based system of oppression is not the same as claiming representation of this class.
Hope this helps with you confusion.
Okay, I'm with you so far... that makes sense....
But it's just that I've heard so many different contradictions of Occupy Wall Street... Are you a leader of the movement? Or is the movement leaderless, and therefore what you say has no meaning?
Did someone say cacophony?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHweriBkOiA
I'm sorry, I don't understand. Perhaps you could elaborate by providing an actual comment?
Our interests and beliefs often seemingly contradict each other but that is often due to our unique circumstances and experience. My belief is that as American citizens, we all share much in common (or at least the values that count on my register) and in fact someday, perhaps we shall realize that it is also true for all citizens of our planet.
The U.S. functioned well without the centralized voice of a king for centuries so cacophony was perfectly fine. The closest that I can come up with is: Barack Obama at Cooper Union. I have absolutely NO problem taking the results that candidate Obama spoke of in the video but this is now more than FIVE years later after that speech so it is very reasonable to ask American citizens whether our federal government has delivered as promised. If not, we all need to fix it in our own unique way.
Stoic.... I think you answered your own question .... All of us are "Confused, but Curious" .... so you ARE also part of the 99% .. ;)
ok... seriously... "We are the 99%" ... represents All of the people who are being exploited, used and robbed in this country....
and ... regardless of how powerful the 1% is .. they.cannot defeat a united 99% of the population...
our contradictions arise in trying to identify the solutions to the problems... which should...
however we here are ALL 100% united & in solidarity with the primary & only official goal to "Get the money out of politics" .... as well as the mass majority of the population....
And also, if Occupy Wall Street represents the 99%, does that mean it represents me without my consent? Or does Occupy Wall street require the consent of the 99% before it is capable of doing anything?
Well you have to look at the facts.
If Occupy Wall Street represents the 99% then you would have the 99% out there protesting in lock step with Occupy Wall Street and their radical thinking.
If Occupy Wall Street represents individualism, then you will only have few people protesting in lock step with Occupy Wall Street radical thinking.
Base upon what I see, Occupy Wall Street represents individualism because I don't see 99% of the people in this country out there protesting with them - all I am seeing is few - if any - protesting since it's inception.
[Removed]
[Removed]