First of all, I'd like to say that I've
been supportive of this protest since Adbusters initially put forward
the idea back in July. I was regularly using
the hashtag when few others had, I created a
daily aggregator of tweets for the NewsworthyNews
Twitter feed, blogged
about it, and have supported it in various
forums from the get go. I also attended the local manifestation
of a solidarity protest in my own city. And while there is certainly
nothing at all wrong with being a "Johnny-come-lately" in
regard to this protest, I'd just like to point out that I have
supported the movement and watched it grow from the start. And,
certainly, much more credit for organizing goes to again to Adbusters
for initially inspiring the protest, to others who have helped
organize (both online and off), and to those who have been in the
streets of New York inspiring people around the world. All I'm
trying to say is that I've been supportive and I have one simple
request of those who are occupying Wall Street....
Please, do not let this protest
movement get co-opted. The strength of this movement has been in
it's protest of the general system, overall, in its totality. Those
who are intent on watering down this protest by trying to draw focus
to a single-issue or to a mild reformist agenda, those who would pull
people from the streets to instead pass petitions, or those who would
take charge and posture for political gain, are all potential drains
on the energy of this movement. The "stone soup" model of
protest has worked wonderfully so far. People are coming together
and adding to the mix because they are all getting screwed over -- in
not a particular, single way, but in every way! I do not need to
list again the
plethora of grievances that so many people across the country
have with the corporatism that masquerades as democracy in America.
Continuing with the metaphor of the stone soup... What I fear is
that someone will somehow poor a gallon of cold milk into the protest
stew just as it really starts heating up.
These may be well-meaning people, those
who would have us focus on a single issue like campaign finance
reform or healthcare, but they are missing the point that bigger
problems will still effect us all and catch up with broader
society if there are not fundamental changes to the structure of
power in this country. And this protest must continue and grow until
we get such a revolution. This is what's solidarity is about! It's
not about standing shoulder to shoulder until your particular
grievance is addressed! That's the trap of reformism and it is,
truly, a death trap.
To those who would demean other
protesters, or the protest in general, because they don't look like
corporate lackeys in the service industry, or because an occupation
can leave people disheveled ofter a few days, well... they can take
their bourgeoisie ideals back to the mail room as far as I'm
concerned. People look different, they have different aesthetics,
different cultures, and different styles. And this is an occupation,
a protest, and potentially a revolutionary movement. As the old
saying goes... a revolution is not a tea party. Nor is it a fashion
show, an entrance exam, or interview to be white collar worker in
some corporate hierarchy. The important thing is that people show
up, not what they are wearing when they do.
Worse than those would dictate
fashionable aesthetics however... are those who would attempt to keep
people in line, on the sidewalk, and in compliance with the
directives of the authorities. As Naomi
Wolf points out... "A real protest blocks traffic."
It's as simple as that. At the bare minimum, that is what's
required. And it's supposed to be a constitutional right! It's the
"right to peaceably assemble" not "the right to
peaceably assemble unless it inconveniences people." A
protest is supposed to inconvenience some people! And the idea that
safety vehicles can't route around a large known protest is hogwash.
They can whenever there are other large events or road construction
projects and they can during this protest as well. The real safety
issue is what the corporate-sponsored government is doing to the
health and freedom of everyone on the planet! So, since you've
already taken to the streets, please do not let pacifying interlopers
guide you back to the sidewalks. Tactical withdrawals at some points
in some instances may, unfortunately, be necessary... but the goal is
occupation, not capitulation, not compliance, not obedience to
corrupt authority.
Obviously, and I'm sure many of you
involved with the protest have already discussed this, the
opportunity for a true general strike may arise. Starting in NYC it
could easily spread across the country and around the world. We are
talking about an unprecedented international general strike! And the
motivation would be, and needs to be, for a fundamental change to
meet the needs of humanity for the sustainable future. So while the
general strike is not here yet... but the potential is. There are a
couple things to always be mindful of in that regard and I don't mind
pointing them out here...
The police state in the "land of
the free" is historically unprecedented. More people are
imprisoned
in the United States per-capita (and in total numbers) than in
any other nation on Earth. Surveillance systems have progressed as
the height of technological innovation. Wikileaks founder Julian
Assange points out that we write our own profiles on corporate
websites and the government is given ready access to those profiles.
It's a simple truism that 1984 was almost thirty years ago. And I'm
reminding you all of this so that you stay mindful and are prepared
for police violence or other forms of disruption from the state.
The second issue is really a
combination of issues. It's the idea that government, using the
corporate media, will attempt to get people to "rally behind the
flag" -- either by increasingly portraying the protesters as
unpatriotic traitors or by creating (or heightening) an international
incident (i.e. war). The issue of patriotism is a tricky one,
because who and what is a real patriot? I'm reminded of Abbie
Hoffman in the American flag shirt. So, while I personally find
such patriotic symbolism distasteful, it will probably pop up
somewhat naturally anyway and shouldn't confuse us in regard to who
our true comrades and allies are. The second issue, of the state
intensifying wars, is obviously of a more serious nature. But the
anti-war message is intrinsically woven into an anti-Wall Street
protest and, if a general strike manifests, ending the wars will
certainly be one of the motivations and possibilities for it. We
need to recognize that very few people actually want war and we can
work to persuade people from participating in the wars.
And those are my hopes, and that is my request. Please, do no let this revolutionary protest movement get sold short and co-opted. Again, I'm merely one the 99%, but I've been involved with related struggles for some time now and so, even if it seems extravagant, I hope you'll excuse this one simple demand.
Stay strong! Keep up the good fight!
Occupy Wall Street! Occupy everything!
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