No I'm not kidding.
http://nycga.net
Seriously. Wut? This is the way you expand a movement? By "going political" and endorsing a guy who reminds 90% of Americans of their crazy Uncle Gilliam?
I'm going to wax philosophical about the Zen of OWS. Below the squiggle.
In a Zen garden, you can make patterns in sand then destroy it. OWS, the group, is about done. I'm ok letting it go. Like anything you hold onto past it's purpose, it becomes harmful.
For the record, I felt OWS' purpose was waning before this "endorsement". They seem to be flailing, trying to "pick up where they left off" when it may be time to consider new tactics.
They accomplished an amazing thing in just two months last fall. For that, I'm thankful. But sleeping in the park is no longer going to "work" the way it did. Mass arrests aren't going to have the same effect. And police brutality is abhorrent always but it won't have the same "growth effect" it did for the young movement in fall 2011.
The name of this game going forward is getting people committed to the cause - people who will not risk being pepper sprayed and placed in jail. And "going political" (for a movement that claimed to be apolitical) is the exact wrong way to do that.
It seems OWS is flailing. Trying to find its voice and relevance again in the early good weather of spring. There are anniversaries of this and that. There's a so-called general strike planned for May. But the directionlessness and spontaneity that made OWS in fall 2011 is hurting it in spring 2012.
I believe all things have a season. I'm feeling like forcing OWS past it's season (or anything, for that matter) brings harm. It's tough to let go. But I'm letting go. The Ron Paul endorsement was the assurance of my existing impression.
It's time for a new phase. A new chapter. A fresh outlook and a different sort of organizing. This really IS a do or die moment for the middle class.
Thank you OWS for opening the door.
PS I had been considering support for http://the99spring.com. I'm still undecided about it and wish it wasn't so heavily partisan, but I do believe this is what needs to be happening next, movement-wise, if we're to have any hope of effectively pushing back against the dominance of the 1% and see actual changes legislatively and politically.