The Protest Wave: Why the Political Class Can’t Understand Our Demands

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/03-6

The protests that began in Wisconsin this year, and which now also fill the streets of Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, and this week, Washington D.C., have gotten the attention of the American political class. And how could they not? 2011 is becoming a remake of the 1999 Battle of Seattle, except this time the protests are ongoing, national and global, and the target is not just the World Trade Organization, but the entire edifice of corporate capitalism.

So the political class, rather than ignore this wave of protests, pulls a card from the past. They know we are angry, they say. They just don’t understand what we want. We speak in too many voices. According to the American Pravda, The New York Times (which tells the professional classes their truth), we are a “hodgepodge” and “confused” movement with “unclear goals” and “nowhere to go.” Why can’t we settle on a couple key demands?

What some can’t accept, they pretend not to understand. And the political class can’t accept that the common demand of the current protest wave is for democratic revolution. We want them gone. We want power.

We haven’t been secretive about our goals. The Wisconsin Wave was launched in February as a “democracy movement.” Occupy Wall Street calls for an “American Revolution.” The October2011.org occupation of Freedom Plaza in D.C. intends to “Create a New World.” Perhaps, as Thomas Paine once penned, “The birthday of a new world is at hand.”

More at the link --

[Autumn]

1. The Political Class is so full of Bullshit

They know what we need and want, they fucking don't want to go there. It doesn't benefit them. The message is pretty fucking clear.

[PETRUS]

2. Exactly. nt

[seabeyond]

3. jobs. livable wage. wallstreet with rules to not screw the people

banks with rules to not screw the people

corps with rules to not screw with the people

taxes paid

that is a good start.

[Aerows]

4. And putting people who break the rules and the law

in jail. End the no accountability for people in positions of leadership in corporations when their actions directly cause harm to others.

If there had been accountability, things wouldn't have gotten this bad because the law breakers wouldn't have had the opportunity for the wholesale destruction of our economy, and potential law breakers would have thought twice about doing it.

[seabeyond]

5. yes aerows, thank you. that is a BIG one. break the law, go to prison. nt

[phantom power]

6. I think it really bakes down to "jobs and livable wage."

People who have something to do and enough money to keep a roof over their heads and take the occasional vacation and go out to the movies, etc, do not organize massive protests.

[seabeyond]

9. if you dont have regulations on wall street, banks and corps, that will not, can not

happen

[phantom power]

12. Probably not, I guess what I'm thinking is...

that basically Americans are being told an economic/political story which could be summed up as "endless free money for banksters and war, austerity for the rest of us"

And I think the subtext of OWS is: the people have realized that this story is bullshit, and no matter how you shuck and jive, it's indisputably bullshit because those people are all there because they're out of work. If they could get a good job and keep a roof over their head, they'd be working and living.

So, if OWS has "one" message, I propose that message is: "you are failing us, no matter what story you're trying to sell, and we aren't playing along any more"

[seabeyond]

15. back in the late 80's early 90's i was in college economics and professor was saying manufacturing

jobs going to be phased out with computer and streamlining and we would become a service country.

way back then, when i was real young i am raising my hand saying, but but but, that wont work.

we were assured the pay would be there on those jobs. then nafta and assured we would be fine. i think that is what is finally sinking in. that free trade is much more free for other countries and not so much us.

[LiberalEsto]

7. Actually, we are merely "disgruntled"

according to the sub-headline in today's Washington Post.

Headline: NYC demonstrations spur protests in other cities
Sub-head: March planned in DC as the disgruntled hope message will crystallize

I'm not disgruntled.
I'm fuckin' UNEMPLOYED and FURIOUS

[EFerrari]

8. These folks are so buffered, they have no idea how furious people really are. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. This is the critical point

The present form of government fails to provide for the pursuit of their happiness. They see that the time has come to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new one. The political class cannot accept this, and so fails to understand it. People in the streets, from Wisconsin to Wall Street to Washington D.C. are proving that we understand it perfectly well.

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Last time any threat to the system was so obvoious was not the 1960s... sorry kids... it was the 1930s... Mr President start channeling your inner FDR, who saved capítalism from...itself.

[Autumn]

11. Yes.

Unfortunately Obama has no inner FDR.

[phantom power]

14. +oo

:applause:

[AmBlue]

13. "...they pretend not to understand.... We want them gone. We want power."

In a nutshell.

[hifiguy]

16. Just like the Egyptians, we want an end to perpetual,

unchecked, unaccountable and unregulated dynastic power, be it political or economic. See, it's simple.