Occupy Theory
“Marx said that revolutions are the locomotive of world history. But perhaps things are very different. It may be that revolutions are the act by which the human race traveling in the train applies the emergency brake.” Walter Benjamin’s words perfectly fit what occurred around the globe in 2011 and in many places before this, and much further south, from Chiapas and Oaxaca Mexico to Argentina. Our movements are the shouting of “No!” The “Ya Basta!” The “Que Se Vayan Todos!” They are our collective refusal to remain passive in an untenable situation. And so we pull the emergency brake, freeze time and begin to open up and create something new. We are not even sure what that something is. We know we want to create open space. What that looks like we are discovering together, as we create, which is also how we create: together, horizontally and with affect. What we are doing and how we are doing it are inextricably linked, and both are part of this prefigurative movement.
Marina Sitrin, OccupyTheory.org
48 comments on the article “Occupy Theory”
Displaying 31 - 40 of 48
Page 4 of 5
Anonymous
Boycott is a word that is larger than the moon.
Anonymous
Occupy is peaceful protests. They should be shot by heavily armoured people with guns.
Anonymous
Adbusters works for .gov now
We lost.
Anonymous
you lost
Anonymous
I only win. Sorry.
Anonymous
I humbly accept your apology.
SavingFarms1913
Agreed 100%. #Occupy has now become a rationale for the gluttonous Military Industrial Complex to develop and deploy new technology in Crowd Control, Surveillance, Riot Gear, etc.
A leaderless, powerless, scattered resistance poses no serious threat to the Establishment; and does so BY DESIGN.
Anonymous
Yeah, that's why the police/Military deploy three times more troops than protestors every time there's an Occupy.
Anonymous
Don't feel bad about losing-with so few followers and such a ridiculous agenda, what else could have happened?
Anonymous
The opposite of love is not hate - it's apathy.
I've been 'fighting apathy' all my life. Why? Why not? Why me? Why bother? What motivates people to think? These are questions I have asked myself and my friends - all my life. I don't have all the answers yet, but I keep trying to understand. I think there are many answers, because there are many types of people.
In revolutions, many people are swept up by the energy of the mass to do something (usually destructive) before they've gone through the thinking stage. It's what gives revolutions a bad name. A violent edge. What makes the occupy movement a different kind of revolution is that it has a thoughtful, compassionate 'edge' to it - in fact, it has a lack of edge that drives media pundits up the wall - there is no edge, no wall - it's fuzzy and INCLUSIVE. It welcomes thought. The slogans are clever and created to inspire people to think and question. The occupy movement is a revolution that has evolved. It does not need followers to fill its ranks - it is full of leaders joining hands :)
Pages
Add a new comment