I keep hearing how the demonstrators in what is being variously called OccupyWallStreet, OccupyTogether, the 99% Movement as well as other names need to be more clear of their DEMANDS. The critics seem to be extremely uncomfortable with the “leaderless” aspect of the movement and they keep asking for spokespeople to step up. It looks as though that the majority of the people making this criticism tend to be older than the majority of the people actually demonstrating. This is not a slam on Baby Boomers or other generations, but there does seem to be a generational element to these criticisms.
This movement is not a hostage situation or a momentary inconvenience for the cities experiencing these demonstrations. There are no DEMANDS. This is a NON-VIOLENT REVOLUTION. This is an ever growing group of people across the nation who are awakening to the situation we face; that situation is one of OLIGARCHY. The goal of the movement is to unseat the OLIGARCHY, NON-VIOLENTLY. The OLIGARCHY is no longer tenable. Our political, financial, business, media and civic institutions have been captured. Our DEMOCRACY has been subverted and and our CONSTITUTIONALLY LIMITED REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC has been completely CORRUPTED. More and more people are waking up to the fact that the RIGHT/LEFT dichotomy is false. There is only the usurpation of all power and wealth by a very tiny minority to the detriment of 99% of the population. Both mainstream political parties have been corrupted. 2008 tought us that the system no longer responds to the will of the people. Our elections are managed and controlled for the benefit of those in charge and policy doesn't really change regardless of which party is in power. This is not a surprise to almost anyone.
The mostly older people who are asking for specifics and “demands” are either directly or inadvertently limiting and therefore harming the movement. In the ’60s small groups of protesters would announce their intention to occupy various buildings and areas and they would immediately issue “demands”. Many of these protests were inherently ego-centric. This was not the case with all of the demonstrations during that period, most notably the Civil Rights Movement, but many followed that pattern. There is no one personality or group of personalities at the heart of this movement. This is EVOLUTION in action, and it is GLOBAL.
What the 99% Movement is seeking is a fundamental CHANGE in the system. The end of OLIGARCHY and the resurgence and imposition of DEMOCRACY. This is an inherently REVOLUTIONARY/EVOLUTIONARY step. It is centering on Wall Street and the financial system because our economic system is no longer viable. Infinite growth in a finite system is not and never has been possible. In the past this was not as apparent because we had not reached the limits of the natural world. Now we are increasingly bumping up against the ECOLOGY and we are now seriously damaging its viability and therefore our own. The very economic structure of our society has to CHANGE or we are in jeopardy of EXTINCTION.
These GOALS are too big for the traditional institutions to process. They see these GOALS as unfocused and unclear because they are simply too big for them to contemplate and the attainment of these GOALS would mean the END of these institutions. Therefore they are blind.
This burgeoning movement is the best hope for our country. These demonstrators seem unfocused only when you view them through the traditional lens of corporatism and the oligarchy.
THIS IS WHAT EVOLUTION LOOKS LIKE
This is a NON-VIOLENT MOVEMENT. Here is an excellent resource for NON-VIOLENT strategy and techniques.
The Albert Einstein Institute