Forum Post: MESSAGE TO FELLOW OWS SUPPORTERS & OCCUPANTS: Here's one way we can transform this movement into a REVOLUTION and win this ---------------------------
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 13, 2011, 7:47 a.m. EST by therising
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I'm all about forceful nonviolent action and addressing the wrongs of the 1%. But there is something we need to remember that will increase the impact of our efforts exponentially. Beyond the power of TACTICS that build coalitions and bring real change for real people, there is something else. There is a mindset. And both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi STRONGLY emphasized that achieving the MINDSET was essential prior to engaging in tactics. The mindset they described was about motivation. Both of these great leaders believed that love should be the prime motive, the engine that drives each action and the movement as a whole. They're talking about a universal love called agape and they both proved that its power to multiply the impact of forceful direct action is limitless.
We're not talking about weakness or meakness here. Gandhi and his supporters beat the British put of India where 1% were ruling 99%. King and his supporters won civil rights and a better life for millions. Both engaged in forceful non-violent direct action and intentionally created such a high level of tension that the status quo could no longer be maintained.
King and his supporters said they LOVED the opposition enough to set them right. The saddest part about the concentration of wealth in this country is that it's most often just stored or used for junk. Granted, the junk of the 1% is bigger, fancier and more long lasting than ours, but the key is that the buzz they get from it quickly fades. So it becomes an addiction just like any other addiction. They're going after the dopamine buzz and it gets harder and harder to get it.
If they're lucky, they come to their wits end and discover family, art, life, love, whatever. But most don't, the poor saps. Their extravagant resources enslave them. It seems strange to say but we need compassion for the 1% too. We really do. For our own good and theirs. The reason they're plundering the world is that they're lost.
There's a move in the martial art Aikido where, when your opponent aggresses towards you, you take a slight step to the side. Then, instead of aggressing towards him, you move with him and "help him to the ground where he'll be safer." It's remarkable because you use his energy. You harness it. And you do it with the true motivation of helping him. I agree with others who say that all power flows from that mindset and approach.
We're not talking about being "soft" on the 1%. We still need to engage in forceful direct action to correct the incredible wrongs, bring those guilty of breaking the law to justice and fix the system so the 1% aren't the only ones who benefit. We also need to protect the environment. To do all this, we need to creat serious TENSION. King describes that good kind of tension here in his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”:
"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. . . The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”.
If you can afford it, donate multiple copies of books By Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and Gene Sharp to your nearest Occupy site today. That would make a real difference. The mindset is as important as the tactics. This is the stuff revolutions are made of.
Love this paragraph: If they're lucky, they come to their wits end and discover family, art, life, love, whatever. But most don't, the poor saps. Their extravagant resources enslave them. It seems strange to say but we need compassion for the 1% too. We really do. For our own good and theirs. The reason they're plundering the world is that they're lost.
I know some 1% ers and it's clear to me that this is an accurate diagnosis and solution. I'm not saying we should avoid pushing them. They need to be pushed and tension needs to be intentionally raised. But the motivation at root needs to be HELPING the 1%. I really believe it's no different today than it was for Gandhi and King years ago. This root motivation is what will give our direct actions force.
I really hope we can spread this message borrowed from (Gandhi and King) far and wide. It would make a real difference if this understanding was widespread.
I am so glad I read this because maybe I can use a different approach than what I have been using to talk/communicate to as you put it those "enslaved by extravagant resources" because it is like talking to a brick wall.
It does help if you think of them as trapped -- even though they play it off and play it cool. They're trapped. Compassion wells up and with it the power to change hearts and minds. It all starts with compassion as far as Incan tell.
How do I display compassion and win them over?
Music helps
Are you asking this in a genuine way?
Yes, this 64 year old woman is. (-: It is like talking to a brick wall when trying to enlighten them.
Show them kindness, nonviolence and courtesy -- while doing one of two things: 1) connect with them on areas of common ground 2) engage in direct action, sit in, blockade, civil disobedience etc. to shine a light on their injustices. Be sure press and lots of cameras are present.
Okay. Hmmm common ground? I will have to think about that. Most of the people I talk to are on the Internet. I suppose I could get off my butt and go down to the homeless shelter and take pictures which other people have done. I have thought in the past about interviewing them, but I do not know how they would react. Ha, this is not common ground though with the 1%. I do not know about #2. I think that may cause defensive behavior which I have seen in comments from the people to news articles.
What I can suggest that has worked for me Karen is to read a bit on the human condition - fear of our own mortality, what comes after life, etc. This is a common ground that is at the root of just about everything we humans do. We just go about explaining and dealing with the human condition in different ways. If you can start a conversation with someone on that root level I find it is generally VERY easy to begin a conversation with them.
Oh, and don't push folks. Remember that sometimes people just aren't ready for certain concepts and ideas. That's okay. This doesn't mean we can't still move forward to something better. Focus on yourself. Focus on helping others who resonate with you and eventually it will be impossible to stop the wave from crashing! =)
I love the idea of interviewing folks. If this comes from a place of compassion and is genuine it can be a great way to make them more receptive to a conversation. Great thinking!
Anyway, good luck and thank you for having courage! Remember, you are not alone in this!
Great points
Thanks! In Austin, TX here and a thunder storm is coming (Yea!) so I am powering off the computer until this afternoon.
Let's rise and shine with a 100% mindset rather than a 99% mindset. Once we do, this movement will transform into a revolution.
I agree. The 1% might have been acting immoral. But its not their fault. We allowed them to do that. Love the person fight their harmful actions.
"Love the person, fight their harmful actions.". Great way to put it.
This positive 1% in support will help us become the 100% http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/we-stand-with-the-99
We need to love the 1%. Especially them.
This is about a new way of life, a shift in the paradigm.
If we can dial in our motivation, the impact of our direct actions will increase exponentially.
Good point on the mindset, but also on the books.
Time for humanity to rise and shine
Yes, TACTICS, MINDSET, right now OWS is a Revolution in WORD only. And Words matter. One word is JUSTICE. Another is YAH-TA-HEY, Navajo greeting "like the devil". Third is let's see: The ART OF WAR. Recall all warfare is based on deception: I. Laying Plans #1 Constant Factor to the Victorious is Moral Authority. Here's a way OWS could quantify its Moral Authority: http://occupywallst.org/forum/public-vote-option-on-competing-democratic-vs-repu/
Now that the Mayors are starting to restrict first amendment rights, we'll have to recommit to nonviolence in order to win.
The mayors of cities around the country have been reaching out over and over trying to find a compromise that allows all the freedom of speech you could want - as long as it does not involve taking over public spaces by camping out.
Asking people not to restrict the rights of others is not really unreasonable. OWS seemingly does not want freedom of speech, it seems to be more about getting arrested and forcing the police and cities to resort to force to move the campers out.
It is costing cities money that we do not have, all so that you can say you are standing up for the 99% - those very same people that will have to pay for all of this camping in very real taxes or services cut.
It is not about free speech anymore, and you should probably just be honest about it rather then hiding behind it.
Did you ever study the civil rights movement? Do you know what that was about? Are you aware they blocked roads, bridges, shut down bus systems etc? Are you aware that people said that was inconvenient then too?
When you function outside the law, you can expect the law to act against you. Don't then try to hide behind something else to avoid your punishment.
Who do the police work for? Who do they protect in practice? Notice that hardly anyone of the Wall St crooks were arrested and yet these innocent citizens peacefully protesting in parks yields tons of police attention. What does that tell you? Seriously. Answer that question.
The ones that get arrested are not peaceful demonstrators. At sone point they become a threat either to the public or the police themselves. Cast not the first stone.....
These are peaceful protestors. Period.
No they aren't. They might start off the way, have intentions to be that way, but if they get arrested it's because they have broken some law, peaceful or not. I watched riot police moving in a line forward step around a protester sitting on the ground. But when faced with the unruly MOB in front of them after that, they began to take action, and rightly so. Being "peaceful" does not give you the right to break the law. I thank the police for doing their duty no matter what their beliefs.
Stay tuned. We 'll welcome you with open arms once police have joined with movement. Already some police and military have.
Lol. Try to figure out the percent of that value. 0.0000what%??
The percentage of zero is a clean slate. no?
Huh?
Wow. Really? I'll try to talk slooooower. When you tout (sorry, when you SAY) that "some have already joined" you, I wonder what percent of them have. I was saying that it is a very very very small percent. Yes, if nationwide two police officers were supporters then that would technically be "some", but get real. The police will continue to stand between you and the real 99% to protect us. It has nothing to do with the 1%. That's just conspiracy theory nonsense posted here and not the truth.
Keep crossing your fingers. This is about to get a lot bigger. Stay tuned.
I saw many YT videos of protesters getting arrested... because they were NOT complying with the PEACE OFFICERS commands. Once that happens, hell usually breaks loose. What kind of people yell and spit and throws bottles and rocks at PEACE OFFICERS?? I wonder if anyone throwing bottles or rocks into the occupy area???
When you say "Peace Officers", what kind of peace are you talking about? And peace for who? Why have peaceful protestors been arrested but Wall Street criminals go free? Why aren't the police up in those towers where the real crime happened and is still happening? Here: http://occupywallst.org/forum/this-would-be-a-great-day-to-stop-down-at-your-loc/#comment-364423
"What kind of people yell and spit and throws bottles and rocks at PEACE OFFICERS??"
The same type of people that shoot protesters in the face with tear gas canisters and "bean bags" and then fire flash grenades directly at those who come to those people's aid?
Again, you're talking about a minority of the protesters. FROM MY EXPERIENCE - ie; witnessed first hand - the majority of protests have been non-violent. As any movement becomes larger and larger there will always be splinter factions. Like the 1% they do not represent the general populace nor do they represent the movement at large.
Stay tuned. We 'll welcome you with open arms once police have joined with movement. Already some police and military have.
I was just looking back over this. Boy the mayors sure did reach out didn't they :)
Support those who are occupying sites around the country however you can.
No.
Take your time. Get the last of you complicity and enslaved mindset out of your system. We'll welcome you with open arms once you awaken to your true situation. Stay tuned. This is about to grow again. And again. And again. And again. Stay on this forum please so you get good perspective rather that fox etc
Thanks for being a part of history.
The people are rising!
Every morning I rise out of bed........ AND GO TO WORK!
LOL You're one of those people who would have sided with the British during the revolutionary war. :).
The people are watching football.
I'm very sorry the park was cleared, but it will bring out more supporters. Expanding the protests across the city is exactly the right tactic now.
Let's keep the faith. Keep protesting. Keep it nonviolent. Keep it legal to give the mayor and police no excuse to silence us. Let's be a great big thorn in the side of the smug 1% and their pets in government until we turn the nation back toward the path of economic justice.
http://fairsharetaxes.org
You have really captured the sentiment of most supporters here I think.
Cheers to that!!!! I'd like this comment a hundred times if I could.
Thanks guys!
Cheers!
There is much to learn from Ghandi, MLK and Mandela in evolving the conscience of revolutionary action. Thank You for your thoughtful considerations.
Glad you share the enthusiasm for these leaders and their methods.
The mindset is as important as the tactics.
The sun is rising on a new day and a new way of living.
We're almost at the tipping point. The more the 1% crack down, the more obvious their weakness becomes and the more people support the movement.
From movement to revolution to evolution.
The motive and the means inform the end result.
This is about HOW as much as it is about what.
Therising, your efforts are appreciated more than you know
Thanks for the encouragement. We're nearing the tipping point.
The motivation informs the end result as much as the tactics do.
Some good thoughts on the genuine importance of love for the 1%. A movement that exhibits hatred is not going to win public opinion. Nor is one that breaks laws in order to be heard. Free speech does not require breaking laws, such as blocking public roadways. One can stand beside the road and speak all they want. Their speech is not hampered if they are forced not to do it in the street. Neither is their right to assembly.
So, as I was just writing on my blog, the UNoccupation of parks now presents the Occupy Wall Street movement with the need to adapt. It was never the "Occupy Park" movement anyway.
http://thegreatrecession.info/blog/2011/11/occupy-wall-street-now-unoccupied-but-stronger/
--David
The people are rising with courage, humor, intelligence and strength. What a momentous year!
Humanity is rising nonviolently and that nonviolence is the source of power.
Important to remember on this day of protest.
Beautifully said Rising. I will make a pledge to practice this Mindset. I agree with your outlook on tension as well. I have been practicing building intentional community for over 4 years now and one of the biggest part of our meetings is bringing up tensions. These can include anything from "I feel this location would/would not be a good place for community" to "I feel isolated from the community" today. The point is that it gets that tension out in the open so that a dialogue can be had and a resolution hopefully reached. If these meetings have taught me anything it is that tensions is not a bad word.
There is an unrealized or unspoken tension to become something more than we are that drives our evolution forward and I believe it is this same tension that has given birth to these worldwide movements for change - OWS, Arab Spring et al.
Love your comment. Thanks for taking thw tome to read my post. Birth is a great word to use here. Seems like one doesn't it?
The people, united, are rising!!!!
This one way you speak of will not work here. This is AMERICA. Your in the wrong country. My boss is a 1%'er and if not for him... 2k people would be out of work. I try an help him save money every chance I get.... because... it...is...my...JOB. I also am paying my bills ontime now so it is a WIN-WIN!!
Keep shuffling ... We 'll welcome you with open arms when the time comes. Stay tuned.
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Martin Luther King said that any class that feel disenfranchised needs to create their own businesses, their own jobs, their own communities.
You seem to want to go against everything else he taught just so you can experience the "tension high".
sad
Do honestly believe that or are you just typing angry?
I don't like it when politicians take snippets of what MLK said to make their point to raise taxes either. Either take the whole message or none of it.
MLK was a great man, and he used the tension tactic very well. Had the writer just said exactly what MLK said about tension, I would have had no problem with it.
But the writer went out of his way to mention MLKs name, that went too far. That's like saying "Jesus said give unto ceasar" when someone mentions unfair taxation issues.
If you just want to use the tension tactic, that's great. If you want to compare yourself to MLK, you are SERIOUSLY barking up the wrong tree.
Stay tuned. The nonviolent movement is growing. Join us when you're ready. We will welcome you with open arms. Especially after what's building in DC and NYC over the next 17 days.
Look people! We have this all wrong. This is not about them. We are the real power (99%). 1% is nothing. It doesn't matter what they think or what they want. To hell with them. We are the real problem and it's in our heads. For some reason as mighty as we are, we seem to think we have to fight from a position of weakness. This is absurd and exactly why we're in this mess. We don't need to protest 1% of the people for change. It's up to us to make the change. Remember - this is a democracy and the land of the free. Majority rules. That's how you take back your country. Let those ass-wholes sleep outside. The real revolution has to take place in your heads first.
FIGHT THE CAUSE - NOT THE SYMPTOM Read “Common Sense 3.1” at ( www.revolution2.osixs.org )
Excellent !!! I wish I could give this paragraph a hundred up votes!
Yes, majority rules. And OWS is far, far from a majority. You are not the real power - you are NOT the 99%. You are a fringe movement, an amorphous angry mob with no clear goals. You are against everything and for nothing. Raising more hell will not get you any more support. Just go home.
Let's rise and shine, nonviolently, forcefully, continuously, relentlessly and with love.
organize don't traumatize
Well, I hear you. Only problem is it's going to traumatize 1% when we present an alternate vision for future. That by itself is going to traumatize them since many of them base their identity on their economic status. So, I don't think we can rule out creating tension and trauma. I suppose what we can do is go after the actions, not the people.
The tension is essential. That tension is what brings change. We must create it. But we must do so nonviolently and we must remain nonviolent even when provocateurs are in our midst.
Without the mindset, the actions are empty.
We have the momentum. We have the tactics. Now we just need the mindset.
You should also have the bill passed directly to the OWS financial people. I would rather see the $700K or more be given to the cities so that the 99% are not forced to pay money we do not have so you can camp out.
OH NO!..The cops are using Aikido on US. What do we do?. They are "helping us to the ground"...then cuffing us.
HELP STOP AIKIDO!!!!
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Let's unite and steadily Rise
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Indeed. 99% vs 1% is class warfare and unfair towards the good people in this income bracket (which DO exist). I think that the media is trying to re-frame the OWS debate as class warfare, which is an advanced form of trolling.
I think we've already seen the authorities play against themselves - like pepper spray and their other violent tactics that got bad press. I see the media as the biggest enemy of OWS now - painting the occupiers as inhuman misfits. Once enough people start recognizing the MSM for what it is, their game will be over.
Rock n roll
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Cheers. Glad you share this perspective.
I agree with this because there is a lot of engagements of stereotypes on all sides and it gets to be absurd pretty quickly. There's the "dirty lazy hippie" stereotype and the "greedy fat cat" stereotype. It pained me to see people dressing as "corporate drones" because there are so many good people who work for big companies, yes even banks. Keeping the dialog real even and calling people on bullshit generalizations, and not engaging in them ourselves, matters.
Great point. Let's all just get real.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFcUb9gr1s
Occupy video....interesting watch.
Describe what you would actually win?
Your title screams Fox News.
Would you idiots please quit comparing the United States to India and Egypt? We are not living under a dictatorship. You people are delusional.
Are you really living the way you want to life? If you are, I'm happy for you. But most people are not. Most people are forced into a certain way of life, most often because of financial pressure.
Just because you can't point to a single dictator to give the blame, doesn't mean you are not enslaved.
Agree. So how donee identify anchors enslaving us and overcome it?
You're livin in a dreamworld man.
No sir, you are. It begins with the fact that you assume all of America is like the liberal bastion you live in.
We have not been living under a 30 year dictatorship. We are not a predominantly Muslim or Hindu country. We have a different system. We have a different culture. We have a different history.
It's time for you people to figure this out. Start using your heads. If you want something to succeed here, you better start following successful American movements.
You try to rise up without the majority here, the majority will side with the police. Good luck trying to get anywhere close to half of the population to follow an Arab modeled movement.
When the real revolution begins, you will know it.
I can hear the fear in your response. You'd like to think you're right towing the same tired line with the same old narrow mindset but now you're wonderiing if I might be right.
That's not an answer. I gave you a dose of reality and you accused me of being scared. I see that as projection.
I don't know what part of America you are from, but it's not going to work with the majority.
Keep crossing your fingers. But your wishin and hopin ain't gonna make it so. There's nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. It can't be stopped no matter how much force is used. You notice 10,000 people showed up at recent rally. That's nothing. Stay tuned.
Dude. Do you realize how small you are? Cities outside the liberal belt have very small crowds. Even Dallas has double and triple digits and is about to be evicted. Portland was shut down tonight.
Conservatives outnumber liberals in the US two to one. OWS has alienated the right and alienated the independents. This is a movement on the left that has a negative approval rating among the general public.
What are you expecting? You don't have some kind of magic liberal dust that generates new members when you add water. It's time to regroup and take the movement into coffee shops and living rooms. Just like the Tea Party did before you.
You have obviously been watching too much fox news. It's your lie. Tell it however you want. But remember one thing: this isn't a about liberal or conservative. You're stuck in the trap that the 1% want you to be stuck in. The 99% will welcome you with open arms as you awaken from your dream.
I didn't get this from Fox News. Pal, look, it's time to face the music. I am not lying. You are a small segment of the population. If you saw how small the encampments outside NYC and Oakland are, you would understand.
It did not attract the masses. It can go on as a movement, but the camping out and protesting is drawing to a close.
Wishin and hopin ain't gonna get the job done pal. 40 - 50% of Americans support the movement. That is a staggering statistic. Who could have imagined that the movement would progress so far in such a short time. I repeat, 10,000 came out to a rally last night. You can keep burying your head in the sand like an ostrich, but it won't change the situation. It's the end of an era man. The reign of the reactionary warmongering conservative is over. There will be exhibits and historic articles about the conservative blip but people will breathe a sigh of relief that that little fad came to an end. It's over man. The silly every man for himself Ayn Rand mindset has lost. Thank goodness. We're all breathing a sigh of relief. You're like one of those Japanese soldiers left over from WWII who doesn't know the war is over and they lost. Wake up man. We'll welcome you with open arms. Join us and be free.
LOL. Oh man. On November 5th, the reports out of USA Today were that Americans are torn, with a slight advantage for those who oppose
Today, the approval keeps sliding. http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=189411
A new national survey from Quinnipiac University suggests that popularity for the Occupy Wall Street movement is plummeting, with 39 percent of voters now saying they have an unfavorable view of the movement, compared to just 30 percent who have a favorable one.
http://www.salon.com/2011/11/03/is_ows_in_danger_of_losing_middle_america/singleton/
This is because of the chaos, confrontations with police, death, drugs, rape, illness, assault, anarchy and destruction of property. The longer you are out there, the lower the numbers will go.
The OWS protesters ARE using Aikido in Portland today. Unfortunately, The Police have countered with the ancient Chinese art of "Shing Tong". Which loosely translates into "just beat the shit out of your opponent...with a club".
Which means the police lost because two more protestors will take the place of every one lost to the hospital or jail.
Certainly not YOU ..coward. Get out their and take some lumps for the team