Tuesday evening there was a smoke bomb thrown over the fence at the White House. This is a direct threat to the leader of the United States of America. If the Occupy movement wants people to like, appreciate, and join in their plight… this is not the way to do it. Where is a figurehead speaking out against this behavior?
Walking among the occupiers are individuals carrying American flags upside-down, and protesters standing in masks; both clear signs of anarchy. Anarchists seek to overthrow the current form a government in favor of a society free from rules and jurisdiction. In other words, no government at all.
The government doesn’t need to be overthrown, it needs to be fixed.
If you are angry at income inequality, and tired of paying taxes at a rate higher than that of the richest CEO’s on Wall Street, you need to make sure you are directing your anger at the source of the problem and not just at those enabled by a broken system.
How do we do this? Occupy the lobbyists as they sit at dinner with your Congress-people that were elected to represent your best interests and not that of the companies that can line our representatives’ pockets with buckets of cash to get their way. Occupy Congress, but not by shouting incoherently, throwing smoke-bombs, and showing utter disrespect for the nation you are claiming you want to fix. Occupy Congress by first occupying the voting booths and making sure our elected officials are there for us, and secondly, peaceably assemble in an organized fashion while gaining support of law enforcement and other local officials. Don’t push against the system, work it to your advantage, because after all… it is yours.
As I understand it, Occupy is beginning to have delegates nationwide, which is fantastic. Now with delegates you also need a leader to mind over all activity. This leader may also be your figurehead that can speak to the press and make sure you are offering the correct perspective of the movement to the press and the public. This will work to your advantage, don’t fight against it.
All too often, I am told I’m against the Occupy movement. In actuality, it is quite the opposite. I went to Wall Street in the beginning. I stood in protest, I went to General Assemblies, and I marched among them. However, now I see the movement losing popularity because it is losing ground in focus, coherence, and allowance of behavior unbecoming of positive change. Before the movement is lost to popular opinion, there is a chance to regain the favor of many who have supported the Occupy efforts from the start. You can be angry at what I have to say, or you can take it as constructive criticism from a person who wants to see a positive change in this country, where everyone pays their fair share, and jobs are in abundance. Where human capital is treated as importantly as monetary capital, and where change is actually possible through peaceful means.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Where was your outrage when Jan “Mammy Yokum” Brewer the governor of Arizona, was waving her bony finger in our President’s face? Secret Service should have shot it off. The Occupy Movement is now world-wide and is branching out into other mediums besides buildings and parks. Don’t get too comfortable we are not going away.
Also: Hi! Occupy, right here, condemning the smoke bomb.
That’s the problem of an amorphous movement with a myriad of differing political opinions but one clear-cut goal: an end to crony capitalism – there are no leaders, only followers. Leaders are weak – leaders can be killed, and movements destroyed (see: MLK, JFK).
The leader is the idea itself. And ideas…are bulletproof. :P
To quote a protester from the 1968 Chicago protesters. “It’s not smart to throw shit in baggies at cops. It’s not even smart to be standing next to people who are throwing shit at cops.” The Occupy movement is now standing next to the shit-throwers. Regardless of what the shit-throwers are or what movement they actually represent, they are going to be identified as being part of the Occupy movement unless y’all take steps to distance yourselves from them.
Many of us already feel that the whole Occupy movement was a waste of time and resources. Rhetoric is great for rousing the crowd, but but without something to offer as a plan, you’ve got nothing. If you allow the fringes to co-opt your name as well, you’ve got less than nothing.
Actually, the upside down flag is a sign of distress, rather than a sign of anarchy.
Bravo. It takes courage to write something critical about the Occupiers, no matter how valid it is. I know because I’ve done it (the protests at the ports). Some people become downright snarky. This is an excellent piece with constructive criticism and I was thinking the same thing when I heard about it on the news. Good job.