Just asking ... this summer was supposed to be a big summer for OWS. Is that totally gone now? n/t

[Summer Hathaway]

250. Yes, Occupy went national - and very quickly.

Despite a less than auspicious start in NYC, Occupy became the new fad in political discourse. The idea, to use the vernacular, went viral. Like the hula-hoop craze, everyone wanted one - and I don't mean that in a pejorative way. It captured the attention of many - most, if not all, for the right reasons. People realized they could get on board with this new idea from wherever they were.

All good things - like a product marketer's dream: with no marketing required, the product was literally selling itself.

That's why it was so sad to watch it all devolve into disarray so quickly, as everyone set up their own franchise of OWS without any regard to a sense of union or consistency. I read many of the various Occupy mission statements and mandates as they went on-line. They were often contradictory of each other. Some read like a list of complaints equal to War and Peace in length; others were full of vagaries. Many were downright incomprehensible.

My biggest problem with OWS is that although they have been very good at pin-pointing what they want changed, when it comes to how those changes are to be brought about, no answers are forthcoming. Believe me, I've tried - right here on DU. An example: "We want money taken out of politics." When asked, repeatedly, how Occupy intends to go about getting money out of politics, the only response one gets (if any at all) is a diatribe about people who obviously hate Occupy and just DON'T GET IT.

My other big problem is the persecution complex. The first time I heard "we can't have a leader because he would immediately be assassinated" was a matter of weeks into the movement. This was quickly followed by "the pigs are out to jail ALL of us, the 1% are TERRIFIED of us, Homeland Security is going to disappear us all," etc. At that point, OWS wasn't even a blip on most people's radar screen. And yet the cries of persecution, along with the delusions of grandeur, were already being touted as reality. Which it wasn't.

When reports of vandalism by OWSies are posted as OPs here, it takes a matter of seconds before the they're NOT with us and agents provocateur responses are posted. It has always been a 'Just Trust Us" meme - if something good happens, it's because of Occupy. If something bad happens, it's because of the actions of 'others'. No proof either way - just "trust us".

The lack of any central leadership is not, as the OWSies claim, reflective of true democracy where everyone has an equal say. It is reflective of an organization that is clearly disorganized, a movement consisting of hundreds of chiefs and no Indians - if I can use that phrase. Anyone and everyone can get on a message board like DU and claim to be speaking for Occupy - and their statements are all too often so disparate, none of them can be taken seriously.

Obvious mistakes were apparent from the get-go. And yet no one seemed to learn from those mistakes and alter direction accordingly. Promises continue to be made about the "next BIG thing" that OWS will be doing to dazzle the masses - and time after time, those BIG things never materialize. Interested questioners as to the movement's growth are invariably directed to OWS-run websites for information. Not that I'm comparing the two, but if I want to know what FOX-News's impact is on society, I am NOT going to go to FOX-New's website for an unbiased view of the situation.

When those who insist that OWS is now bigger and better than ever refuse to answer (despite being asked, over and over) how many people showed up at their much-touted First National Gathering in Philly this past July, it didn't take a rocket scientist to surmise that the numbers were appallingly low - which, as it turned out, they were. And when the only anecdotal evidence of there even having been a NatGat consists of a handful of people whining about not being given water by the local fire station - well, maybe it's time to admit that "bigger and better than ever!" was a complete bust.

But who knows? Perhaps the Phoenix of a viable political movement will rise from the ashes of what is now OWS - a real movement with organization, legitimate spokespeople, some form of leadership, and an ability to respond to queries that don't consist solely of "Just Trust Us", but actually includes some factual information.

I have enjoyed our discussion immensely. As for your wife's comment about "this right-wing bastion of dufuses", that is not only a keeper of a quote - it's downright steal-worthy!

All the best to both of you. Whether your future endeavors include OWS or not, I wish you every success in achieving the goals that are so obviously important to you.