Forum Post: It's Time for a Single, Clear Guiding Principle (Demand If You Wish)
Posted 12 years ago on Sept. 29, 2011, 11:37 p.m. EST by SteveWood
(19)
from Porum, OK
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
One simple demand is the way to go in my opinion. This is not original. I've seen it stated in many places in various ways.
"End control of the government by global banks, corporations and billionaires."
This demand implies related actions. A suggested start in terms of tactical action in support of the "one demand" is:
1) Overhaul campaign finance laws and lobbying rules.
2) Require FULL transparency in all dealings between corporations and any member of the government.
3) Support positive legislation proposed by the progressive caucus (Tobin tax, etc. etc.)
4) Re-enact a beefed up Glass-Stegal.
5) Prosecute Joseph Cassano, along with his AIG , Goldman, Fanny, Freddie, etc., etc., co-conspirators. This puts the fear into them.
These actions show a willingness to work within the existing democratic framework established before control was taken from the people by the corrupt and unscrupulous. They are more than enough to light a fire under the GENERAL POPULATION without which the movement has faint hope. Don't complicate the "one demand" with details that can be worked out AFTER government control is returned to the people and the U.S. is once again a democracy.
Great Start. Add to it the Second Bill of rights proposed by FDR.
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.
For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.
I would add also that strong unions provide the basis for politicizing the average citizens rights on an equal playing field with large corporations.
A country full of parasites won't last long if it kills its hosts.
alternative court system see http://globe-union-court.org/
also see www.one-heaven.org
alternative financial system see: http://globe-union-bank.org/
Look, there is a lot we want and need to change, but in order to move forward, we need to start coming together with a cohesive message. Right now this comes across as disorganized and frivolous- even to people who support the ideas behind it. Look, you can call it a "revolution" or a "movement" but unless something changes, it's just a bunch of people sitting around pretending to be making a difference. This can go on indefinitely. People will move around it and adapt their lives around it and it will all be for nothing. If we actually want to EFFECT CHANGE, we need to start getting it together and getting a message out. I also think that if we can come together to send a clear, strong message, it won't be long before the rest of the country joins in in huge numbers.
So here is what I think.
There is ONE single thing that needs to happen before we can ever hope to change anything: The relationship between Wall St./corporations/the rich and OUR elected politicians. The Supreme Court is wrong. Corporations are not people and they do not get a vote. We NEED to sever the relationships between politicians and corporations. NOTHING will EVER change unless this is FIRST to change. We cannot reform Wall St., regulate the financial sector, hold accountable those responsible for the economic collapse, or even have real debate amongst ourselves and our politicians without changing this first.
Everything else comes later.
Why is a single, clear guiding principle needed? This protest's strength is that it can't be pinned down on one issue. Times are more complex than this, the issues are too many to count (and doing so is a distraction), and the point of this thing is more to express generalized discontent at a corrupt and unaccountable establishment than it is to demand the passage of, e.g. SB 1169.
Boil demands down to sound bite sized grabs for the media to digest.
Phrase them so that they are about replacing the darkness with something better.
Always emphasize the world and individual actions you wish to create.
Inspire people to get behind something better with every single syllable.
I personally like the above idea of one demand about bringing back that classic idea of elected representatives actually representing the people instead of whichever nation sized corporation is leaning on them the most.
A post following todays LA Times article:
zeitgeist17761 at 12:38 AM September 30, 2011
IS ANYONE IN THE NUCLEUS OF THE OCCUPATION READING THIS ?!!! If so, let us know! The success of this protest, and the future, hinges on this single point!! I have been protesting for 32 of my 51 years, and have seen the FAILURE of the best intentioned protests, not to mention the wasted time and energy of thousands of people, DUE TO THE DILUTION OF THE MESSAGE! I have many personal causes - holistic health the main one, plus I have mentored inner city kids, volunteer at domestic violence shelters and animal shelters, fight for the civil rights of all races and the lgbt community... but! I participate with the Occupy Wall St protest solely TO SHIFT THE UNJUST UNBALANCED DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND RESOURCES PARADIGM! This is the umbrella over all other transgressions against humanity, the earth and its creatures. Please hear this oh great hub of the Wall St Occupation, for the clarity of this message is what will motivate the masses!
We have also got to begin speaking in ways that resonate with regular people. Great ideas die when they can't find an audience.
I agree, with this. The demand should also be submitted to all the major news organizations. I think this is a big reason why the movement is going unreported, what will they report on? All they can say is that the mov't. is loosely knit and their is no clear message? That is not a story. If they got a list of demands they have a story.
Thanks for the positive comments and constructive criticism. I so wish I could be there to participate in the process live and in person.
businesses operated on the mondragon corporation model
I was not aware of this. Based on a brief look it appears to be a concept worth looking into.
Just got to agree...
this is a recipe for failure if the peripheral details are not well worked out.
The details can be "worked out" without confusing the issue. What I've proposed is a public talking point that addresses the ROOT problem without distracting non-radicals with a plethora of details.
What I've included is a lot to digest and it still doesn't address many of my personal hot buttons. The idea is to suggest (no one can control what any individual will say) a guiding principle that advances the movement by appealing to a broad audience. If many members of the movement follow that suggestion, the movement benefits. Making every issue a potential talking point is in my opinion the real recipe for failure. That is confirmed to a large degree by comments in the general media, social media and even within the movement.
Steve,
This is a great beginning. I bet that at least 3 or 4 of these are decided upon. And you are correct, it can be worked out.
whats needed is laser like focus on a small number of issues and then impeccable strength but much less focus on ALL of the issues. Otherwise the net is not big enough and the problems you don't solve are the places you lose energy and get attacked.