On OWS and the Democratic Party

[starroute]

20. "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master"

From what I can observe from outside, it appears that most OWSers would be dead set against being taken over by the Democratic Party -- but would be perfectly happy for the Democratic Party to be taken over (or at least heavily influenced) by OWS.

The basic point is that OWS is larger than politics. It's a political movement, it's a utopian social movement, it's a movement of spiritual renewal. It encompasses hackers and makers, radical foodies and guerrilla gardeners, anarchists and neo-hippies. Just as it has no single demand, it has no single expression. It's as fluid as water, taking the shape of whatever container it's poured into.

This is hard for anybody to grasp who imagines that Occupy is a limited fringe movement, a few thousand people in a handful of locations, that is already losing momentum. But the truth is that it's more like a tsunami. If a tsunami passes by you while you're out at sea, you might barely notice it. Your boat lifts up on a long swell, then settles down again, and it's past. But once the wave hits shore -- watch out.