Protesters with the Occupy Wall Street movement have been marching, sitting, walking, sleeping, chanting, dancing, drumming and proclaiming in and around Liberty Plaza for eight straight days. Planning for the protest began in July with a call for peaceful revolution by the magazine Adbusters, with the hope that complacent Americans might adopt some of the outrage and effectiveness of the Arab Spring.
The Adbusters writers had a clear aim:
On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices.Tahrir succeeded in large part because the people of Egypt made a straightforward ultimatum – that Mubarak must go – over and over again until they won. Following this model, what is our equally uncomplicated demand? The most exciting candidate that we’ve heard so far is one that gets at the core of why the American political establishment is currently unworthy of being called a democracy: we demand that Barack Obama ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington. It’s time for DEMOCRACY NOT CORPORATOCRACY, we’re doomed without it.
But the leaderless movement, which at any one time must be counted by hundreds rather than thousands, is held together by enterprising volunteers who are coordinating the protest via various working groups. The message about a presidential commission has been completely lost. Media attempting to report on the protest grabbed quotes like, “I want to create spectacles,” and “Oh, we’re just here, like, you know, protesting what’s going on.”
After spending a Saturday at the protest, it did seem the various grievances nursed by protesters had a common theme: a vague but certain notion that the richest percentile of the country remains fat and happy as the going-on-five-year-old recession continues to batter the middle and working class.
What do the protesters want to do about it? Less clear! But we found some suggestions in the hand-made signs they carried over the weekend.
“Those” Wall Street protesters. Who knows what they could possibly want? Hey, Observer, that kind of embarrassed WASP sniffling is about 30 years out of date.
Yeah. This is a snotty, snotty and condescending response.
way to go Observer… clueless about whats going on
do tell – what IS going on? because it might be an occupation of Zuccotti Park, but it has very little to do with corporate america, wall street, contemporary finance or the economic malaise that grips the country. you seem to be so informed – drop the science, hipster!
What it’s about is thousands of people inspired by one issue (corporatism strangling us all) and coming together spontaneously to struggle through a participatory, pluralistic approach to democratizing their community. Of course it looks messy – it is! Of course it’s hard to find “a cause” to support – there isn’t *one*! Don’t expect this to look like protests against the Vietnam war, or a march on Washington. This is a federation of largely disparate groups (the minority) and spontaneous community uprising (the majority) coming together to envision and enact a new world. That may be tough to wrap your head around, because it’s so incredibly different from how we’re used to thinking about – and talking about – politics. This is all means without an end, because the end is something that’s about practice — and any real democracy is all process and little ideology. The fact that the MSM, corporate America and those content with the status quo don’t understand and can’t understand this movement is alone reason to declare a (small but important) victory.
Get’en down with the struggle … right on man! So let’s destroy what’s left of this capitalist system to usher in a totalitarian Communist regime. Right On! And we’ll bring back the guillotine and hold public executions of those privileged few who stole our birth right. RIGHT ON – RIGHT ON! And we’ll “EDUCATE” others to “MAKE” them understand that capitalism is evil and freedom is an illusion. Right on — RIGHT ON! (Visualize my raised fist with an exposed middle finger!) Power to the idiots!
“Corporatism strangling us all.”
LOL – Last time I went to McDonalds or Sears, nobody bothered to strangle me. Get a real job, idiot.
“After spending a Saturday at the protest, it did seem the various grievances nursed by protesters had a common theme:…”
Grammar police report–dangling prepositional phrase! ”It” spent the Saturday at the protest?
The problem with non-hierarchical demonstration/activism is “non-hierarchical” often translates to “disorganized.” I wish there were a specific and explicit cause I could support here, me being an unemployed, disaffected progressive…
what do they want? the women want to get a secure environment in which to raise children, the men and the homosexuals/transexuals want to get laid.
“Your comment must be approved by a moderator before appearing here”.
Censorship: a crutch employed by those who know their position is weak.
John, you think you have the right to post here? Sorry buddy – you don’t.
Clearly the protestors are a pack of Communists and fellow travelers – However, they can’t come right out and say it.
Man, what the hell is wrong with you all. So some people want to try and change the world for the better. Who on earth are you to say that that is a bad idea? So what if you disagree with their actions? Do you not agree that the overall aim is one of peace and prosperity for all not just the few? or are you so comfortable that you can stand to see those suffer without feeling remorse? You may have your comfort. but not everyone does. And those without, those who have been pushed to the brink, have a right to have their voices heard. you, on the other hand, have no right whatsoever to impose your self-justified opinion upon them.
Give them a chance to make this world a better place; what do you have to lose?
I’m for all who wish to get active in the political debate and I love it when people are fired up for change, yet if an organization wanting to create change begins to tell me who to vote for or your not welcomed in this movement unless you vote this way, then I’m out! I will not be part of a movement or protest where the higher-archy of that movement says I have to vote for a particular Candidate or Agenda. I will not support or take part in that movement or protest and will use my influence to sway others not to as well. Particularly when Obama is the key to that problem. Yours truly, Putt of the Middle Class.
Puttz – get a clue. Your party is against your best interests and against the good of the country, and yet you consciously blind yourself with your willful ignorance, while they take you from behind. It was conservative policies that sunk the economy – a widely-held fact in the history books now, and your desperate, flailing attempts to point a finger at the president looks just like the desperate flailing attempts of your Teabagger-infested party to deceive you into believing they’ve prioritized you rather than their corporate sugar daddies and their campaign coffers, as well as their desperate need to WIN at all costs. SHAME ON YOU and all of your fellow blind mice. I’m ashamed to call you fellow Americans.
Good intentions are bullshit to cover up these amateurs(idiots) juvenile delinquency!
Nonsense. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
That is if you assume these communists and fascists have good intentions in the first place!
Sell your “peace and prosperity” to some uneducated idiot.
Give them a chance to make this world a better place; what do you have to lose?Freedom, democracy, money, productivity.
Well guess what reverend???? THEY have no right to impose their self-justified opinion upon ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hahaha
“Government is an entity with the monopolistic right to initiate force”
No doubt the creator of this sign was whining about how much the pepper spray hurt…..
This is what happens when the lazy, cosseted spawn of suburbia sign up for non-challenging “easy A’s”
This is what happens when our nation is headed towards a fascist totalitarian dictatorship.
OK Enough coverage of the idiots in the streets.
How bought them Saints. Go Saints!
Spoken like a truth brain-dead slob.
Youre so far desensitized that its pathetic.
Did you know that Police protection for the mob in the streets is costing New York over a million dollars a day. Way to go geeks. Hold up signs and take food out of babies mouths. Taking money from homeless shelters. Taking money from abused mothers. Not hurting Wall Street one cent.
Did you know JB Morgan Chase donated 4.7 million to the NYPD to protect business interest?
Its like they misquoted Rothbard and twisted it around to a pro-state argument…. the correct quote from Rothbard is:
The State may
therefore be defined as that organization which possesses either
or both (in actual fact, almost always both) of the following characteristics:
1) it acquires
its revenue by physical coercion (taxation); and 2) it achieves
a compulsory monopoly of force and of ultimate decision-making
power over a given territorial area.
“A government is an entity which holds the monopolistic right to initiate force.” This may be the most misinformed, misdirected sign I have ever seen in my life. This basically gives the government free license to do what it pleases. Please please please review the meaning of liberalism during the enlightenment before writing phrases like this. No form of liberalism, classical or left-liberalism, supports this principle.
What makes you think the protesters are “liberals” or even left-liberals.
They are a combination of regressive totalitarian communists-socialists and reactionary totalitarian west-hating fascists. They make good bedfellows.
Um, that sign is a *criticism* of government. It’s saying the government takes away your own personal right to initiate force, and when the police mace you and beat you, you are not allowed to do anything about it. It is certainly not advocating totalitarian government.
Who put these mind-controlled manchurine candidates up to protest? When you hear them interviewed they make absolutely no sense when you hear them talk. Do they know what they stand for? I don’t think they do. They say one thing, or shout or chant one thing, then say completely the opposite in the next breath. They say they stand for one idea, but what comes out of their mouths is completely the opposite of the idea they say they stand for. We have a world of confused children. Mostly thanks to our education system and the lack of teaching morality and values to our children. Not to mention taking God out of their lives. They have no idea of the fear of the Lord. Scary. If they stand for the future of our country, we are in BIG trouble.
I cannot believe some of the ignorance displayed from some of the hecklers here, really, if you don’t think it affects you, then do not bother. Some people like to express democratic dissent, not sit on the couch all day watching mindless sports and celebrity interactions. As for any left or right influence to this movement, you’re totally missing the point. Its grassroots, there are no leaders, that’s the point. I cannot stress this enough. If you want corporations owning everything, and a fascist government. Be my guest, Ill move to the Isle of Man.
Your elitist attitude towards the working middle class is abhorrent. Yeah we are all couch potatoes while you the elite left with a higher consciousness is destined to rule over us plebians.
Thr idiocy of this post is probably record breaking. The Occupiers are all communists, socialists, anarchists, and fascists. None have proper producing jobs. Most on gov. dole.
unemployed losers
If nobody would protest what is wrong we would still have slavery. I’m doing what is a right thing to do – protesting injustice!
“First they IGNORE you,
Then they LAUGH at you,
Then they FIGHT you,
Then you WIN.”
(Ghandi)
Here is what happens when they don’t know the History of what made America the greatest country of the world,They have NOTHING to base thier belief’s on, except what the College Professors tell them,they have been dumbed down to except anything. They aren’t smart enough to know they are being used to destroy this country and when that is done,they too will be cast into the pit of darkness…
The protesters are contradicting themselves. They say they want everything to be more even, to be more “fair” but isn’t democracy fair enough? Sure we are all in a recession and nobody’s happy about it, but how do you change what going on? When your protesting you need a solution or a pre-solution. One that makes sense. Anyways if you mean more fair ,like, everyone getting the same amount of money, rich people like Bill Gates don’t just wake up and become million ares. They work hard, pursue their ideas, go through the hard way. There’s no easy way out of anything, and protesting for something you don’t know doesn’t help you.