I've been monitoring the "Occupy Wall Street" protest since it started last Saturday. I also stopped by the protest in San Francisco a couple of days ago. And just like at many other protests I've attended (and studied, and analyzed) throughout the years, I keep seeing the exact same (defeatist) pattern. And as always, I do find it perplexing.
Some may not like what I'm about to report, but I'm doing it out of dedication to the cause, and wanting to see this resistance movement succeed. It's only one opinion in the wilderness, but it is heartfelt, and I'm offering it with good intentions.
And regarding hippies, I love you guys, but I don't think this movement can succeed if it only relies on you. Hippies are a big part of the movement, but a lot more is needed.
Let me start with (what I believe is) the obvious: What's the objective of "Occupy Wall Street?" Wall Street looted the country with the help of much of the government. It caused a national economic collapse that plunged much of the population into poverty and economic insecurity, while at the same time it transferred huge amounts of wealth and power to the ruling elite (as it was designed to do). So now people have rising and taken to the streets to address that situation.
How do you address it? (1) Investigate, charge, and imprison criminal banksters at the highest levels; there should be hundred of them in perp walks (eventuallY). (2) Remove corporate control of the government. (3) Reset the entire real estate market, and revalue the trouble mortgages. (4) Break up the criminal mega-banks (they are all completed looted anyways). (5) Start a huge and massive nationwide jobs program with 3, 4 or 5 trillions dollars. (6) Repeal corporate personhood, and draft legislation to undo "Citizen's United."
That's it. These are the core issues that need to be address. Everything else; every other cause, or malaise, exploitation, corruption, ALEC neo-fascist influence, the Koch brothers, the environment, sustainability; whatever other cause that needs to be address, these 6 points are at the core of the problem.
So back to my dear hippies... Having been in the trenches during this week, observing, and spending quite some time at the Chat room of the protest Website, what I've noticed is that there seems to be an almost pathological resistance to organization; to the concept of leadership; to messaging.
People get upset at me and tell me "we don't need leaders," this is a "people's revolution." The livestream shows all kind of images that do not do the movement any favors. Scattered hand-written cardboard signs all over the ground at the park where they are; people sleeping under blankets and sleeping bags; 3 or 4 people playing guitar. An older man yelling about all kinds of different things until his voice is hoarse.
Some people chanting "I am Troy Davis." Somebody is interviewed and he talks about being there to gain experience in technology (wireless, streaming); another one goes into details about "opensource" technology.
In the meantime I've been monitoring multiple news reports from different Websites, and I notice a pattern when people (the general public) are asked about their understanding about the protests. They have no idea about why the protesters are there. They even suggest that maybe the protesters should work on that--on the message.
So my impression is that a big opportunity is being missed. They've (the protesters) done 90% of what needs to be done, which is to "show up." But somehow they stop there, and don't finish the other 10% which is extremely important as well.
There is a need for leadership, or at a minimum careful strategic thinking and organizing. For example, the media group should discuss issues of "propaganda," imagery, messaging, influence, psychological impact, etc. Don't show people screaming (not-on message) with their voices hoarse. Don't show people sleeping under blankets and/or sleeping bags, all wet from the rain.
That kind of optics does a lot of damage to the movement... People that may have been wanting to drop everything and go, would think, "shit, I'm going to have to sleep in the streets, cold..."
Do show large gatherings; people chanting strong revolutionary chants in unison. Project power; project organization; project leadership. Three hundred people standing together, with their fist up chanting a powerful revolutionary verse in unison, can project more power than 3,000 people meandering around.
Come up with powerful (timely, and relevant) chants. Here's one idea: "Wall Street Scum, BANKERS ALL, YOU WILL PAY, THE TIME HAS COME!" Or "Wall Street Bankers screwed the country, and now we are responding." Or something else... But make it relevant, in-your-face scary revolutionary rhetoric (remember the 1st Amendment).
Why is organization and discipline important? Because arrayed against the movement is a very powerful and organized system that includes much of the mainstream media.
So show the FIST of a united and organized front, acting together under a common banner, as true patriots that believe in the ideal of a United States of America striving to be a more perfect union.
Unite and man the barricades (metaphorically-speaking).
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