Forum Post: THE SUCCESS OF OCCUPY is likely to come faster than expected. Momentum & the virtuous cycle snowball like compound interest.
Posted 12 years ago on Feb. 19, 2012, 9:50 a.m. EST by therising
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I don't think the success of the Occupy movement will come as slowly as some might think. The forces of momentum and the virtuous cycle snowball like compound interest. And as more and more people awaken to the absurdity of less than 1% ruling over 99% in a democracy, it will get exponentially more difficult for the 1% to hold onto power.
The greed of the 1% is no match for the momentum of an idea whose time has come in a land where the rubber band has been quietly pulling back back back for a very long time.
In that pent up tension lies the secret to both our successes and demise. If we allow it to release and express itself unchecked like a teenage boy on a date with a supermodel, it will fail miserably. If, on the other hand, we channel this pent up energy in an intentional, deliberate and conscious way, keeping our wits about us and engaging in tactical nonviolent direct action, freedom from the tyranny of the 1% will, as Breyton Breytonbach put it, "rise like the sun through the morning clouds.
Here's to that sunrise!
Hullo, Rising (is that the rising sun?) -
If I'd read this post in October or November I'd have felt strongly in agreement - except I never thought the Movement needed much time to achieve major substantial results (in terms of policy, not just attention and public rhetoric). The broad and deep latent frustrations which the Movement tapped into last Fall, which allowed it to explode in terms of public attention and activity around the world after a couple weeks of media neglect, are still there, but once again mostly latent after a relatively brief period of activity.
One way of looking at it: the Movement had enormous momentum heading into December, and could have galvanized major active public support for a major campaign to drive money out of politics (or some other agenda). But that campaign wasn't actually organized, and so the Movement lost momentum, and is now receiving about 1/3 the global media attention it got 2 months ago (measured by the number of new stories each day indexed by Google News). A moment of huge potential has been lost.
It can be found again, because the root issues remain practically unchanged, and public frustration hasn't been relieved. But I think the Movement must decide on a program of action History is to regard it as more than a brief, colorful burst.
There will never be unanimity on goals or means, so the Movement must fragment. That's not necessarily a bad thing: there are various aspects of The Problem that can't be thought about and worked on as if they belonged to one simple, uni-faceted problem. If some anarchists want to withdraw from active political solutions, fine, let them work on what they consider to be important. Those who recognize the importance of getting money out of politics (including pragmatic anarchists) shouldn't hold back for being unable to bring more ideologically pure anarchists on board.
Increasing the responsivity of the System to The People is a goal all can agree on, I think (even if it may not be an ultimate goal to many). Toward that end, getting money out of politics is indispensable.
the Movement lost momentum, and is now receiving about 1/3 the global media attention it got 2 months ago (measured by the number of new stories each day indexed by Google News).
OWS still has a third?
that's great news
what with the Greeks taken the spotlight and all
Yes, the idea that 1% claim the vast majority of our worlds collective wealth, and have the political systems, along with the law making and enforcing, under their tight control is a difficult reality that many people had been choosing to pretend was not so. Denial is not just a river in Egypt, as the saying goes.
Now, as many people have begun to band together to actively oppose this corrupt system of wealth redistribution from the many to the few, it is becoming more and more difficult for most to keep their heads in the sand. People are talking about the greedy 1%, and the broken system they espouse, that may have once looked a little like a democratic society, and is now clearly nothing even close to being democratic or reasonable. No one is held to account for the crimes of the 1%ers that damage everyone, while the rest of us have more and more oppressive laws piled on. The banksters taking of our money, and the mounting debt that is laid on the backs of the 99% to pay for that blatant theft, is just not acceptable. People can only take so much, and the tipping point has come.
The real changes will be from a wide array of actions and activities that arise form this cultural awakening, the 'movement' is not responsible for coming up with all the solutions, or even leading anything at all, the movement is here to push for changes, democratic, egalitarian, peaceful changes. People calling for specific actions may arise from this movement but these are not the 'movement', they are specific actions grow from the cultural awareness of the problems that this movement it shedding a bright white light on.
Some seemingly good intentioned folks keep calling for more definition in this movement, leaders, official statements, proposals of laws, or other definitive actions. These actions will grow from the movement but can never BE the movement, the movement must remain open and free and always pushing for peaceful change. The specifics will come from individuals and groups pushing in the same direction as the movement, and the movement will support these.
This spring will be a major battle for control. The greedy will fight to hang onto the wealth and power they illegitimately claim as their own, what they have taken in anti-democratic, illegal, corrupt, and plainly evil ways from the majority of people who are just no longer willing to watch them greedily squandering what is our collective birthright, the planet we all share, and it's vast resources that belong to all of us, 100%.
It's going to be a fascinating spring / summer in the U.S.
I completely agree
Unfortunately it took this sorry state of affairs to get people to truely question how we got here and to wake people from their disinterest in their fellow man, once they were the ones in need.
Once people see what is stable in society, and that which is destablizing, we can return to a more equal way of living, doing business, with the ACTIVE act of self governance.
A little folding of the hand, an nodding of the head, and a man falls into poverty.
It's time to wake the heck up, and awaken our brothers and sisters
I'm with you on this therising. Ignore the nay Sayer's, they either have not had their moment of awakening yet, or their vision is too narrow yet, or they are not here to help.
Understanding and awareness do take time to develop, but we are past the initial stage now, and yes we are picking-up momentum and speed.
Communication and education are essential. The word is getting out.
Cheers to that. I think the word and the awakening are spreading.
OSTA : First we had one, then two sponsors for the "One Subject at a Time Act." NOW WE HAVE SIX!
We've just gained 4 new co-sponsors.
This means that you now have multiple new chances to become more powerful! Here's how to . . .
Do two simple things that will make it more likely that some of these new "One Subject" sponsors will . .
STEP ONE: Go to the Facebook pages for each new co-sponsor and thank them for supporting the "One Subject at a Time Act."
Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congressman-Mo-Brooks/155220881193244?sk=wall Representative Ann Marie Buerkle of New York: http://www.facebook.com/RepBuerkle?sk=wall Representative Robert T. Shilling of Illinois: http://www.facebook.com/congressmanbobbyschilling?sk=wall Representative Allen B. West of Florida: http://www.facebook.com/AllenWestFL?sk=wall
Use your "thank you" to suggest that they send a "Dear colleague" letter to their friends in Congress, asking them to become co-sponsors too.
Also ask them to consider introducing the "Read the Bills Act" and the "Write the Laws Act." Share the links for those bills with them . . .
https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/rtba/ https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/write-the-laws/
Many of you have done this already with Reps. Marino and Posey. It's had an effect. In fact, we know it's been a positive motivator for Rep. Marino to seek additional publicity for OSTA and to recruit his colleagues.
STEP TWO: Call and say thank you for sponsoring the "One Subject at a Time Act", and suggest that they send a "Dear Colleague" letter asking other members of Congress to also co-sponsor "One Subject."
Rep. Mo Brooks: Phone: (202) 225-4801 Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle: (202) 225-3701 Rep. Bobby Schilling: (202) 225-5905 Rep. Allen B. West: (202) 225-3026
And finally, if you think we're doing a worthy job, consider making a financial contribution here.
Jim Babka President DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
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