The Battle for the Public Conscience on OWS
As you can see, the Occupy Together Movement dominates the news these days and a war is going on for acceptance by the public.
Whose Side Are You On: The Moral Clarity of Occupy Wall Street
Robert L. Borosage, President, Institute for America’s Future, Huffington Post, 10/7/11
Once Occupy Wall Street demonstrations started to sweep across America, the mainstream media began to pay attention — and sounded a chorus of criticism. The movement was disorganized; it had no agenda. It wasn’t organized like the Tea Party. Fox News trotted out ace reporter Geraldo Rivera — really — to charge that European anarchists, paid illegal aliens, and out and out leftists were behind the innocent kids. Herman Cain led disapproving Republicans, calling the movement “un-American,” when he should have been celebrating what it was doing for pizza sales.
Virtually everything said about this movement is wrong. Stand back; take a clear look. Every politician should understand one thing: this is coming at you and you must decide. Whose side are you on?
1. Moral clarity
Occupy Wall Street has no policy agenda, but it has utter moral clarity. The demonstrators have built an island of democracy in the belly of Wall Street. The bankers looking down on them would be on the street had not taxpayers bailed them out. And now they are confronted with students sinking under student debt with no jobs, homeowners who are underwater and can’t find mortgage relief, workers desperate for work.
No one is confused about the message. Wall Street got bailed out; Main Street was abandoned. The top 1% rigs the rules and pockets the rewards. And 99% get sent the bill for the party they weren’t even invited to.
2. Non violent discipline
That moral clarity was dramatized when the demonstrators stayed disciplined in the face of police provocation, including pepper spray in the face. The movement did not begin to sweep the country until people saw the police protecting Wall Street’s banksters by assaulting peaceful protestors. Suddenly this wasn’t a disorganized, rag tag gathering. These were citizens under attack for exercising their rights. That struck a powerful moral chord.
3. A Rising Protest
Across the country, people have responded to this clarity. Unemployed kids rallied to their side. White-collar workers stopped by for lunch. Suburbanites came in to share. On Wall Street, Liberty Square became a tourist center.
Unions and national progressive organizations marched in support, without pretending to speak for the demonstrators. For progressives, this surge of protest began building months ago, when thousands of people rallied to take over the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to crush worker rights. It built over the summer as thousands turned up at town meetings and sobered legislators with their demand for jobs, not cuts. The Washington Post suggested that unions and national organizers were resentful of Occupy Wall Street, but in fact most were buoyed by the energy unleashed, the moral challenge posed.
4. Political Steamroller
Pundits dismiss Occupy Wall Street for not having a clear agenda. They are told to turn their protests into political demands. Some offer suggestions of what they should advocate — “infrastructure investment” says Paul Krugman, a speculation tax on banks, home mortgage relief. The press wonders if Occupy will become the left-wing Tea Party and run candidates in elections, as if left-wing Koch brothers were orchestrating the protests.
But this is silly. Occupy Wall Street is already a political steamroller. Without an agenda, without an electoral operation, without a slate of candidates, if it continues to grow, it will force every national politician to decide whose side he or she is on. Are you with the banks or with the 99%? And prove it. Reporters will insure the question gets posed; voters will be interested in the answer.
This is a question that discomfits the White House, as Vice President Joe Biden admitted, since the administration bailed out the banks without reforming them. It is a question that exposes Republicans — particularly Tea Party Republicans — the ersatz populists who brayed against the bank bailout in the election, and then have worked tirelessly to rollback any reforms, gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and reopen the financial casino. It is a question, as the demonstrators show, not simply about the banks. The demonstrators demand action on jobs. And they want Wall Street to pay us back — not cuts in Medicare or student loans or schools.
And these challenges are likely to grow more stark. Mass unemployment is continuing. More and more Americans are losing their homes. More kids are graduating from school into the worst jobs scene in decades. Big banks are in increasing legal and financial peril for their pervasive fraud and abuses in the housing bubble. Independent Attorneys General like New York State’s Eric Schneiderman have launched investigations. Investors are collecting on lawsuits.
If this economy continues to stagnate or slow, which seems increasingly likely, banks like Bank of America are going to looking for another bailout. And once more, every national politician, from the president on down, will have to decide whose side they are on.
5. It’s Only Just Begun
No one can predict what happens to Occupy Wall Street, but the public protests have just begun. When the Civil Rights Movement took off, it too faced many of the same criticisms. It had too many demands. Its priorities were unclear. Did it want only to overturn legal segregation? Why was King going to Chicago? Why was he talking about poverty, and not just about equal rights? How dare he talk about the war?
But King wasn’t the only voice. There were competing and complementary centers of power. There were lawyers and lobbyists. Students in SNCC chafed at King’s caution. Black power challenged integration. Riots shook the country.
Movements aren’t tidy. They aren’t organized. They unleash energy. They inspire ordinary people to leave their daily routines and do extraordinary things. They inspire; they insult; they mortify. They disrupt business as usual. And if they touch a chord, they grow, and they force politicians and citizens to decide.
Historically, when America has reached the levels of extreme inequality and corruption that it now witnesses, popular movements arise to demand change. The populist movements of the late 19th century took on the Robber Barons. Unions, left parties, Huey Long and his “every man a King” movement pushed Roosevelt from the left in the 1930s. And now, even as pundits were wondering where the left was, the eruption is beginning again.
Will this movement be a factor in the 2012 elections? It already is. Will it make clear demands? It already has. Whose side are you on? Wall Street or kids in the street? The top 1% or the 99%? It doesn’t get clearer than that.
There continues to be an itch in the back of my mind that I just can't seem to scratch for some time now. This OWS scenario brings that itch up for me again. If I were to say I am not sympathetic to the concerns of the people occupying WS in protest right now I would most likely be considered uncaring, but that would not be true.
The itch I keep coming up against is the way the collective "WE" have been conducting protest and revolution for so long now, and it clearly has not worked to our advantage. that portion of the collective "WE" on wall street are basically asking for their "fair" share of the benefits of a planned matrix construct that needs to be done away with altogether and replaced by a new metaparadigm. If I were to say this to those occupying WS, most would look at me like I'm from another planet and would consider me to be out of touch, but it is they who are somewhat or completely unaware of what they are actually asking for. This really falls into the ranks of "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it".
I watched The Awakening by Max Igan some time ago and Max really does such an exellent job of describing the task at hand for the collective "Us" and each of us. He really isn't saying anything new to those of us down the rabbit hole for so long now. He just does such a damn good job of creating and simplifying clarification which really helps the mind to have moments of clarity.
Anyway, just wanted to share my concern that with this kind of activity that seems like a good thing, like a step in the right direction, my mind still has this itchin' concern that it really only serves the programmers and social engineers that use such apparent social unrest and protest to their advantage.
The core itch is that I am not quite sure how they are using this kind of thing, this energy of protest and social unrest to their own self-serving advantage, but I am completely convinced they do and have done so for a very long time... Max Igan does a great job of addressing this in the context of a revolution of very proactive (not passive) non compliance...
Not giving them our Sovereigns of the Commonwealth energy...
I know this has been posted several times, by me a while ago and then by Noa again the other day, but it is that good and in my opinion cannot be posted too many times, LOL
The Awakening by Max Igan (Full) - YouTube
Thanks for the post Chris, I agree. I don't know how/why I missed The Awakening when you posted it before. I think the ows has great appeal for those who have never protested before - thinking it will really change something. Having been to many a protests throughout my life I've come to the conclusion that they are only worth attending as a networking and education tool.
Lightwin's post makes some excellent points and I especially resonate with numbers 1 & 2. I am definitely on the side of the 99%. At the same time, I agree with everything that Chris stated so well. The "itch," could be that the protests are just the thing the controllers need to justify martial law.
Something else Max Igan says makes a lot of sense. He supports the peaceful noncompliance and community mindset demonstrated by the OWS protesters. However, he points out, if OWS is successful in bringing down Wall Street, the Fed, and/or the government, etc., what will we do then? We have no plan to replace our current System, so the resulting aftermath could bring the opposite of what we want.
Igan begins addressing the OWS movement about 2/3rds into the tape:
http://thecrowhouse.com/dl/MaxIgan_The_Journey_to_James_Price-Point_AVR_Oct07_2011.mp3
And suddenly a new system that was always there was in place of where the old one stood... as if a building was being rebuilt even though it appeared from the outside to be the same very system. Then, one day, the new structure-system was too big to fit in the old structure, suddenly, without warning, the walls came down. No one was hurt although there were many who had to answer for the falling walls--- how could they build a structure meant to fail!
The new structure-system was shining full of light. There was a beautiful courtyard full of gardens that produced food for all. There was a fountain from which all could drink. There were cafes where one simply ordered and food was delivered and all cared for each other as if they were family members--- some people were confused: "how could that family member by my family when they genetically look different." Everyone just hugged the confused knowing it would be okay. Knowing that as the new structure-system continued to radiate its light that the confused would awaken to the knowing that they were amoungst family.
Fairy
Where more than are gathered... Max Igan would prefer there be no gatherings this would actually create change and he is more concerned with insuring change does not occur through teaching that it would be better not to gather with others because that will only make the opposition stronger.
Everytime I listen to Max Iagan I am filled with the impression of Atlantis and the distortion of the Law of One that led to the orginal downfall of humankind and usurped our Ascension by 10 Epochs.
Join with others to create a vortex of compassion develop coherence and create consensus. Be the Change you wish to see.
Fairy
More than anyone else I can think of, Max Igan's words resonate as true to me. He is very much in favor of building community and he urgently encourages people to wake up and change the system together through peaceful non-compliance. Furthermore, he is actively participating in gatherings in Australia to end fracking, re-activate the songlines, and return the country back to its lawful owners -- the (Ab)Original people. (Are we listening to the same tapes and videos?!) http://thecrowhouse.com/video.html
Max Igan supports the protests. He's just adding a warning, that we're putting the cart before the horse. I think he's right. Most of our food is trucked 1500 miles from farm to store. If the delivery chain is interrupted (due to rising gas prices or a number of plausible scenarios), grocery store shelves will empty in 2-3 days. Then what do we do? Few of us are taking steps to become independent of the system by growing our own food, learning to barter, etc. We still see people as separate from ourselves. We're still afraid to care and to share with our neighbors. We haven't built community with each other yet, so we have nothing to fall back on when the System fails.
But I also think your vision is very possible, Fairy. People have a way of coming together and helping each other in times of disaster. After Hurricane Andrew, people cooked and shared food with their neighbors out in the streets. These were neighbors that hadn't met each other before the hurricane. (Of course, these same situations can also bring out the worst in people in the form of looting and rioting.)
It's really up to us. Holding space in our hearts for brotherly love will help to unite us. Visualizing a world of peace and harmony will help speed its manifestation on earth.
In Lak'ech,
Noa
But because of my understanding of chaos theory and dissipative structures I tend to hold with your view, Elizabeth. The seeds of the new, more inclusive forms are already sprouting with in the old structures which are disintegrating.
Max is one of the most illuminated souls I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. He is somewhat the epitome of what a balanced left and right brain looks, sounds and feels like in my intuitive estimation. I for one am very pleased he is out and about doing what he is doing at this amazing time...
Could be, John and Fairy. I hope you are right.
Hmm.. in some places the shelves are already empty-- no need to wait for the shift to create at that! the status quo has created this.
What would happen if there was no deliveries for a week? What would happen to humankind in the 1st world? Would we join together? Would we share our vast stores of food in our pantries and extra freezers with our neighbors, townspeople, and those who live in a radius around us? Would we create free cafes (in the old Earth they would have been called soup kitchens).
Those of us who have backyard orchards, hen houses, roof top gardens and front, back and room food producing gardens-- would we have it in our HEARTs to take this opportunity to share and demonstrate coherence with our neighbors, friends, townspeople and people in the areas around us?
Is this already happening?
Would you, yes you reading this, you that other guy over there, share your abundance and plenty with others? Would you, yes, you reading this, you, that other guy over there, offer your gifts and assistance with creating the physical plant (physical side of life-- the back of the house part of the restaurant) or would you sit there as an arm chair pundit hoarding your food stores and your gifts because why share and create unity when we can scare and create division.
Fairy
Max Igan supports the protests. He's just adding a warning, that we're putting the cart before the horse. I think he's right. Most of our food is trucked 1500 miles from farm to store. If the delivery chain is interrupted (due to rising gas prices or a number of plausible scenarios), grocery store shelves will empty in 2-3 days. Then what do we do? Few of us are taking steps to become independent of the system by growing our own food, learning to barter, etc. We still see people as separate from ourselves. We're still afraid to care and to share with our neighbors. We haven't built community with each other yet, so we have nothing to fall back on when the System fails.
Posts like that irresponsibly, carelessly and indulgently spew out unfounded presumptous judgment to the wind and any listening ears ("that other guy over there") that creates the very polarized division and duality the post apparently initially intended to address, the epitome of irony!
Is that really the change you wish to be and see???
Reminds me of the fire and brimstone preachers of old (and present)
good luck with that tact dear one....
I would really expect better than that from you by now...
holding and bathing you in the Love and Light of the One Infinite Creator,
Namaste
p.s. may we all behave like Japan when the empty shelves scenario hits the fan, and may it be a very liberating experience for all who see the beauty & blessed magic of a damn good diversion, LOL
Blessed be the one who really be the change they wish to see...
I get it, you're very frustrated with the present state of the collective manifestation. Still, it's just plain not good for you or me or anyone to judge it (just adds to our frustration and confusion, like a self-inflicted wound). Makes more sense to keep doing what we can, each in our own way, right where we are, absent any fingerpointing, and be prepared to become that thing we wish to see manifested when the opportunity begins to present itself via the big diversion of a just in time delivery system interruption.
Like I said, Japan did it very elegantly. So can we...
And besides, I already see a lot of this kind of localized community building rising up quite organically in fits and starts all over the place... Too bad the main stream media doesn't do a better job of covering any and all of it worldwide...
Keep your lamp filled with oil Fairy, sounds like your a quart low, LOL
There's no need for mudslinging, guys. We're all on the same team.
Just wanted to make it clear that the above quote, "Most of our food is trucked 1500 miles from farm to store. If the delivery chain is interrupted (due to rising gas prices or a number of plausible scenarios), grocery store shelves will empty in 2-3 days. Then what do we do? Few of us are taking steps to become independent of the system by growing our own food, learning to barter, etc. We still see people as separate from ourselves. We're still afraid to care and to share with our neighbors. We haven't built community with each other yet, so we have nothing to fall back on when the System fails" is something I said, NOT Max Igan. It's what professionals who study the economy have been telling us for years.
I made my observations about people's reluctance to become less dependant on the system based on my own experience. I have been trying to generate interest in sustainable ideas like vegetable gardening, bartering, and community-building within my circle of friends and neighbors for nearly two years now. I've found little support for such ideas from anybody (except those who are already doing it). By and large, people are content with the way things are and they expect the system to keep supplying them with food, water, electricity, heating etc. forever.
Disasters have a way of bringing out both the worst and the best in people. We saw that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Some people hoarded, looted and rioted. Others were compassionate, caring, and giving.
Sure, it's easy to say now, when my belly is full that of course, I would share my food with my neighbor. If a crisis only lasted a week or two, I'd undoubtedly give you the same answer. But how can any of us know how we would behave when we're in survival mode for months on end? How much compassion would be have after months of being hungry, thirsty, or cold?
The point I am making is the same one that Max Igan expresses. The time to build community is before the crisis hits, before we're under duress.
Humanity could very well rise to the challenge and learn how to take care of each other on the fly. But why take chances with an entire civilization? Why not build a foundation before knocking down the existing pilings?
It has been said that people spend more time planning their vacations than they do planning their entire lives. This "global revolution" is a movement of epic importance. It is our responsiblity to do more than just hope for the best.
I have to admit - I haven't had a chance to listen to Max yet - but I just wanted to chime in that one of the most interesting experiences I can think of in relation to this thread is the Rainbow Gathering I posted about this past summer. It was an example of what is possible in this regard - cooperation, where everything is free and people just make it happen. It really is possible to create what Fairy is describing - but it would require an immense amount of coordination, cooperation and compassion. We may not be ready yet to provide those things in an emergency - but then as was stated - sometimes that is when the real essence of man shines.
Let's hope so!
Of course it's possible to build such community. That's my point... just do it NOW before the sh*t hits the fan. Fear and stress shut down the brain. We don't think rationally when we're in survival mode.
How many times have you tried to do something at the last minute and it comes out half-assed because you ran out of time to do it properly? If you believe in the concept, why wait to do it?
Some ideas for starters: form a community garden, start trading and bartering with your neighbors, form co-ops, carpool, share food, etc. You can form groups around these ideas, so they are in place when you need them most.
The system depends upon our dependence upon it. Building community builds independence from the system and reliance upon each other. How much better would it be to be in the position to give the system the boot instead of being booted by the system?
Many many Many people everywhere are and have built community. Just a search of the archives here, will show that astounding initiative Humankind has to create anew.
These skills and communities will spread and flourish as the ground is made fertile. We are currently in what would be called the crysalis stage or perhaps likened to the molting of a snake or birds--- rather messy looking but cathartic nevertheless.
In the crysalis stage of the catapiller to butterfly-- the catapiller liquifies and its cellular structure is made anew. No one really knows if this is considered messy or an inconvience to the catepiller-- what people do talk about is the transformation to the butterfly.
My focus is not on the messy liquifying stage of the crysalis rather the knowing that a beautiful new Earth will be emerging. And just as a butterfly must dry its wings and warm its wings in the sun-- it must practice moving its wings and take tenative flights that often result in hard landings... so too will Humankind. No New System is without its bumps. No child ever learns to walk without falling-- and no new way of being and doing comes without an adjustment period-- a learning period. I feel humankind is prepared for the transformation that is occuring right now. We are prepared. There are enough teachers and wayshowers here right now to assist others in gaining the skills and abilities needed to create a new way of life.
So much is spoken of losing services and amenities. I see this differently as well. Fore I know that new and better ways of powering our world that are in harmony with the Earth and Cosmos already exist. I know these new technologies will replace the old quickly as quickly or more quickly than the railroad was built nearly 2 centuries ago, more quickly than the telegraph, more quickly than the electric lines and phone lines, more quickly than say-- the internet which made its debut just as scant 20 years ago... and more quickly than say electric cars which have been in existence for over a century.
The old system keeps these new innovations from occuring. It is the old that must be removed for the new to flourish. The old is like a roof over a plant... the plant is not recieving enough sunlight so its growth is stunted. Remove the darkness... and the plant suddenly makes great strides in growth and recovers quickly.
I see humankind as much more capable than many give themselves credit for. It is time for humanity to hold themselves in higher esteem and see the courage of the human heart and the innate creativity that runs through our very beingness. Each one of us is more gifted and capable than many have imagined for themselves.
The seeds of community is there. It is seen in bottle drives and change jars for the helping a community member in need. It is seen in a volunteer fire department, in the PTO or PTA that single handedly funds the arts, music, and provides school supplies for the schools in the district. Those organizations are made of humans... individuals... members of humankind. Perhaps you know someone like that... perhaps you know a community member.
Community is seen at town halls and town suppers.. it is seen in community gardens and community centers... it is seen in the meals on wheels and soup kitchens... Community is everywhere. Seeing it is the challenge.
Humankind over the last 80 years have increasingly been conditioned to see their community members as competition, as the enemy, and that other guy over there. This will change as the old system fails and the common humanity in seen in each other person's eyes.
I believe in humankind. I believe in myself. I believe in you.
Fairy
Many many Many people everywhere are and have built community. Just a search of the archives here, will show that astounding initiative Humankind has to create anew.
These skills and communities will spread and flourish as the ground is made fertile. We are currently in what would be called the crysalis stage or perhaps likened to the molting of a snake or birds--- rather messy looking but cathartic nevertheless.
In the crysalis stage of the catapiller to butterfly-- the catapiller liquifies and its cellular structure is made anew. No one really knows if this is considered messy or an inconvience to the catepiller-- what people do talk about is the transformation to the butterfly.
My focus is not on the messy liquifying stage of the crysalis rather the knowing that a beautiful new Earth will be emerging. And just as a butterfly must dry its wings and warm its wings in the sun-- it must practice moving its wings and take tenative flights that often result in hard landings... so too will Humankind. No New System is without its bumps. No child ever learns to walk without falling-- and no new way of being and doing comes without an adjustment period-- a learning period. I feel humankind is prepared for the transformation that is occuring right now. We are prepared. There are enough teachers and wayshowers here right now to assist others in gaining the skills and abilities needed to create a new way of life.
So much is spoken of losing services and amenities. I see this differently as well. Fore I know that new and better ways of powering our world that are in harmony with the Earth and Cosmos already exist. I know these new technologies will replace the old quickly as quickly or more quickly than the railroad was built nearly 2 centuries ago, more quickly than the telegraph, more quickly than the electric lines and phone lines, more quickly than say-- the internet which made its debut just as scant 20 years ago... and more quickly than say electric cars which have been in existence for over a century.
The old system keeps these new innovations from occuring. It is the old that must be removed for the new to flourish. The old is like a roof over a plant... the plant is not recieving enough sunlight so its growth is stunted. Remove the darkness... and the plant suddenly makes great strides in growth and recovers quickly.
I see humankind as much more capable than many give themselves credit for. It is time for humanity to hold themselves in higher esteem and see the courage of the human heart and the innate creativity that runs through our very beingness. Each one of us is more gifted and capable than many have imagined for themselves.
The seeds of community is there. It is seen in bottle drives and change jars for the helping a community member in need. It is seen in a volunteer fire department, in the PTO or PTA that single handedly funds the arts, music, and provides school supplies for the schools in the district. Those organizations are made of humans... individuals... members of humankind. Perhaps you know someone like that... perhaps you know a community member.
Community is seen at town halls and town suppers.. it is seen in community gardens and community centers... it is seen in the meals on wheels and soup kitchens... Community is everywhere. Seeing it is the challenge.
Humankind over the last 80 years have increasingly been conditioned to see their community members as competition, as the enemy, and that other guy over there. This will change as the old system fails and the common humanity in seen in each other person's eyes.
I believe in humankind. I believe in myself. I believe in you.
Fairy
Thank you, Fairy. Very well said, (and worth repeating. LOL).
Your words warm my heart and renew my hope.
LOVE,
Noa
For true up to date information use this link to the protests around the world. They are well organized and yet leaderless as the leader for each step of the movement will step forward to offer their soul gifts. Each step is a step toward the New Earth. It is called the self ordering principle in group dynamics. The group will self organize based on the gifts of each group member if the group is based on peace and support and unity. This self organizing pattern inherent within the Humanity leads to coherence and from coherence Unity is created and from Unity a consensus is created-- consensus=critical mass. Critical Mass =Change.
I bless you all with Love. --Fairy
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
You can watch several "Occupied" cities and countries via livestream here:
http://occupystream.com/