Occupy Wall Street: A Social Barometer
Occupy Wall Street started in New York’s financial district and with startling swiftness spread across the entire country and then the world. The protesters involved in the event seemed to have a variety of causes and some referred to the movement as a giant soapbox for anybody to come out and voice their opinions. But one idea was unified among all of them. A sad piece of common knowledge that everyone seemed to know and accepted as permanent and unchangeable. This was the idea that the rich are getting richer and manipulating the masses and the government to do their bidding at the cost of the common good. You would be hard pressed to find someone that didn’t accept this reality whether it is in the heart of the Occupy movement or in some small diner in the Bible belt.
Many are surprised at how long it took for Americans to rise up against big business especially in the current global climate of change and advocacy. Protests are common in our European neighbors but somehow in America we have lacked in or organization. Perhaps it is our vast geographic distances from one another or the wide range of sub-cultures and communities that we were unable to find common ground. But alas we have come together, not to fight an enemy but to fight an attitude. This attitude we stand against is the belief that the super rich are infallible. The attitude that they have the right to influence our government that is suppose to serve us all. The attitude that money is a form of free speech and can be used to influence public institutions. The attitude that money is the ultimate form of power and should be pursued above all else.
The reason the Occupy members choose Wall Street as their base of operations is clear. It is the financial hub of America, capitalism and the world. It is ground zero for the greedy. It is where stockbrokers and bankers knowingly sold out their fellow Americans futures for their own monetary gain. This where fortunes were built on the backs of the weak. This is location where capitalism began to devour itself. So it only seemed only natural that they go directly into the belly of the beast, proclaiming openly, “We know what you did and we see through your guise. We won’t let you destroy the futures of many for the gluttony of a few”. And so began the American peoples revolution, as I’m sure it will come to be recognized in the coming years.
Is this was a war than the occupy movement would be but one battle. The enemy is not person or a group but a system. The system has been years in the making and declares itself supreme above all others. The system that accepts it’s faults and shrugs improvement. The system uses peoples optimism and patriotism against them telling people that if they follow the American dream, work hard and follow the rules they will be rewarded when their only reward is the bait and switch. The bait of the American Dream is switched for the reality that most people die in the same financial tier in which they were born. The bait of hard work is switched for the reality that most of the wealthy inherited their money. And the bait of following the rules is switched with the reality that many wealthy and successful people generated their money through unsavory, irresponsible, harmful if not downright unlawful means.
The occupy movement was not a solution nor did it claim to be. The Occupy movement was a call to arms. It was mirror held up to the wealthy in this country to show them what they’ve become. It was a snapshot of American people to other Americans to show them what we’ve become. It was the inquisition of ourselves to ask, “Is this the best we can do?” It was a challenge to all of the great and the good in this country and the world for the next grand idea. But most importantly, the Occupy Movement was the message to the public from ourselves- “Unity is more powerful than currency”.

Yes very definitely.
We have to educate common people about the harm done by our politico-economic system dominated by moneylenders.
They deprive us of most of our income and control all aspects of our lives.
This has to end at any cost.
Else civilization will come to an end.

Occupying is more useful than writing about it. :p

Yes, and to be honest I find it offensive how people on the same side of political activism are still debating it. All over the world are movements in protest to very concrete problems which are all interwoven, is your article on the legitimacy of such an action helping or hindering the cause?

This article looks like it was written by the same people paid off by corporations to question the reality of global warming. It's a bout time Americans took to the streets, so when they do, don't complain if its not as organized as you like, you can get up and organize something yourself within this movement and people will stand beside you.

One of the most disturbing aspects of American politics is how afraid even radical activists are not to have anyone giving them orders. It seems the biggest critique of this movement is the lack of authority presence. It may not look effective in its short lifetime, but it is the most important part in a wave of peaceful anarchy. If you're concerned about the direction Occupy is taking or not taking, no one will stop you from going your own way.

Occupy is more useful than nothing, so until there is a new revolution for followers to join stop questioning one of the only effective protests this country is seen in a decade of war.

What is the point of this article?

That original proposal was based on the Egyptian uprising and the Arab Spring in general. The organization proposed that OWS should demand “a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington.”

The above, from the article, is an example of an actual, achievable goal. "End Capitalism" and the like are just so much childish rantings. If most of the so-called "Occupiers" would step back for a minute and think about the author is saying, they'd realize he's right: this movement will only succeed if it has real, achievable goals that can be concisely articulated to people that are unfamiliar with the group.

I do *not* support "Occupy." However, I think the Presidential Commission is a very, very good idea.

Starting to see how that works?

occupy# should not be taken as something with a beginning and an end, well, there is a beginning and an end of public manifestation of the movement, but the beliefs and values that people in the movement share have been around long before and will last on. it should be taken as a global "hello" to fellow beings who think that there is an alternative to how things have been done this far. how the movement evolves is different and depends on local environments (i mean social and physical) and to expect occupy# to grow into some super-organism-uniting-all-people with one clear focus, then how it will be different from the previous super-powers? if there is a need to measure the future of the movement then it could be done by calculating the individual responsibility we have in our lives or through the decisions we, and people in our neighborhoods make every day, whether to shop at super markets or look for local producers. calculate it through the creative ways we make things happen despite of the first though "but i don't have enough money". occupy# does not have a future, but i believe "occupiers" have a better future because of it, thanks to all who contribute in their own ways! cheers!

The question of the future of Occupy Wall Street and the movement called the 99%; really is one that must not be debated but must keep moving. I’ve said this from the beginning, in order to make our voice heard we need someone who can speak collectively for the group. There are so many good people to choose from!!!

When the opposition has Corporate Money to make Congress quickly makes laws against protesting, against the ideal promoted by the 99%ers, or say that we are just have envy of the rich should be fuel enough to keep this going. When these people control both the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress, on the Bench, in the Whitehouse, at the Federal, State and Local level…the only way we can overcome this is through awareness and persistence…and the power of the Vote!

Yesterday we celebrated Martin Luther King and all he fought for…like he like the 99% didn’t/doesn’t have major corporations backing the movement, he only had local and limited pockets of support, and he was hated…but he and his group were fighters. America slowly began to hear his message and over time he gained support and changed the world. We may never have someone as great as MLK to lead a movement like ours which I argue is as equally as important…be must try, we must organize.

I for one hope the 99% movement will not become a footnote within a soon to be censored Wikipedia Page; I’d like the movement to become more, to become what is should be—reality. We are the 99%, we do matter, we have a voice, we have a point, we can’t make our own change.

Remember how important the power of the Vote really is!

KJAR
www.twitter.com/ReckerforPres

We are demanding to the wrong people. It's gone past that stage. We have to do it ourselves.

Want a simple demand? How about looking to the name itself, "Occupy"? How about it be time to demand people rise up and occupy areas they are concerned about and affect change? And also look to what the word "occupy" means, and what it means to Occupy and also what is involved with an occupation? I am not sure what is needed is one uniformed message to be voted up or down, like it is a consumer product people buy, but a community people can see themselves in and join the occupation. Idea isn't to protest and whine for things to be different, but to be the change and make it happen. If Occupy reduces it to being a single interest group like PETA or even the Tea Party, will you get real change?

one demand : end capital, commodities, wage slavery and the military (which is in of itself akin to slavery)