"OWS Needs To _________________ "

[TygrBright]

Everybody seems to have an agenda item for the Occupation movement.

Election reform.

End corporate personhood.

Ban the GOP.

Ban greed (good luck).

Whatever. From the inspired and sublime and wonderful to the puckish and peculiar, everybody has a suggestion or an idea on how to "harness the power" of the movement.

Well, me too.

Here's my suggestion: Just KEEP GOING.

Keep getting bigger.

Keep occupying more cities.

Keep communicating.

Keep creating cool signs and getting pictures of them on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep irritating the "mainstream media."

Keep making GOPpie pols and flacks froth at the mouth and sound like Agnew reincarnations.

Keep smiling.

Keep singing.

Stay in the streets.

Stay solid.

Get bigger. Be more of what you are.

Be the 99%.

In other words: Scare the shit out of our Beloved Oligarchs.

Because that is the best thing we can do.

When they get scared enough, they'll start to crumble. They'll start to take action. They'll lose their solidarity. Here's how it will play out:

They'll keep asking what we want. We'll keep telling them and they'll keep not getting it, because they're too scared to admit they know what we want but they don't want to give it to us.

They'll try to demonize us. They'll try to fight us. They'll try to convince their rapidly-diminishing cadre of helots that we're the enemy, not them.

They'll try to provoke violence. It will succeed, sporadically, in a few places. But it won't succeed well, and it will backfire on them. (SEE: National Air and Space Museum/American Spectator)

Then a couple of them will bolt. They will figure that they can reinvent themselves as part of us and protect their assets and/or minimize their losses. One or two "mainstream" media outlets will begin to pretend to be on our side.

They will be followed by a range of former helots of the Oligarchs who will jump on our bandwagon and start trying to control the movement for their own benefit. In the process, they will start to do things designed to convince us of their sincerity.

We will begin to see small victories. We will begin to see changes. The crack in the dam will widen.

The flood will begin.

We need do nothing, except stay in the streets. Stay cheerful. Stay peaceful. Stay determined. Stay articulate and solid and focused.

We don't need to "focus" on this or that demand or agenda suggested by any of us. We just need to keep being ALL OF US.

That's all it will take.

hopefully,
Bright

[pa28]

1. K&R. Occupy Wall Street has done just what they've set out to do . . . occupy Wall Street.

Just the simple act of turning out in opposition to a corrupt system has scared the crap out the plutocrats.

This movement has struck a chord with Americans from all walks of life. Eventually this movement will find refined arguments and leaders but that's not really important right now. Right now it's about pressing a strategy that works.

:thumbsup:

[backtomn]

9. Did they STOP Wall Street ??

Is anyone listening ?? (polls say maybe 50%) Are they changing policy ?? Is this changing 2012 Presidential policy?? Yes.....for Repubs criticizing the protests. Sorry, but this is what we get when we plan NOTHING.

We should stop this....claim victory....and channel this into an election strategy (or recall strategy in WI). The longer this goes, the more it is a problem.......can you say diminishing returns??

[h2ebits]

2. That's all it will take.

Please keep this message out in front of us. We are problem solvers. Eventually the elected officials will catch on that their election coffers cannot be filled with enough money to stay in office without actually effecting change.

[MedicalAdmin]

7. I agree with one caveat.

Your conclusion assumes that they don't change the rules and that we remain a functioning democracy. Both are shaky suppositions and may change. If they do then more will be needed.

If you are part of OWS I stand with you.

[h2ebits]

10. As the Occupiers grow in numbers

and gain strength, more and more people will join the family. I have been terribly concerned about the direction and ugly path the United States has been on for many years. I spent a period of time where I was furious at the hate, lies, distortion, corruption, greed--I could go on. Finally, one day I realized that my anger was more damaging to me than anything else so I changed. I became and am becoming the person that I was waiting for--a political activist. I seek to bring back into the public conscience the truly good, kind, joined family that really does exist in the United States but has been ravaged by the few. Yes, I stand with OWS. Yes, I stand with the American people.

[MedicalAdmin]

11. Agreed.

And welcome to DU.

:toast:

[kestrel91316]

3. ......keep doing exactly what they are doing, and go with the flow.

[Fearless]

4. Grow.

[JDPriestly]

5. Agreed 100%. OWS is hurting nothing as the City Council in LA has realized.

If anything, the Wall Street gamblers and cheats have hurt our cities, counties and states more than anyone.

[Demeter]

6. Keep Going, Keep Growing

OWS is recreating the community of the People: the People who created this unique experiment in democracy.

By emphasizing the stark differences between our 99% and the 1%, OWS will wean away the common base of the GOP, those too ignorant to stop voting against their own economic interests.

With the voters turning away, the GOP WILL whither. Some of the worst racists/sexist/religious bigots may never join with us, but they won't be voting for the 1% either. Reagan's unholy alliance will be broken at last.

Similarly, with the lines clearly defined on economic and political terms for the first time since FDR, Corporations WILL be regulated again, both the Banks and the Others. OWS will give candidates back the ability to run without huge corporate bribes, and take down the influence peddlers by regulating them out of existence.

I do not know if it will be possible to finally prosecute war criminals, ALL the war criminals, whether W or O, but that is the ultimate sign of a healthy electorate in charge of itself.

[malthaussen]

8. That Was My Thought As Well

The only thing the "occupy" movement needs to do is carry on. Especially as it gets increasingly ugly.

-- Mal

[The Wizard]

12. Start counting cadence

as in military drills. It scares the shit out of shysters and thieves who think they're about to be caught by an angry mob bent on revenge. Bugles would help also. Cadence calls also give the impression that the mob is organized and well trained.

[TygrBright]

13. "Rebellion Jodies" I love it...

Maybe we should put up a call for some!

"We ain't here to mess around!
We are here to hold our ground!
Ninety-nine percent are we!
We're the change we wanna see!
Sound off: One two
Sound off: Three four
Sound off: One, two, three four
Let's go! Class war!"

heheheh...

amusedly,
Bright

[The Wizard]

15. Like it

Wall Street greed is gettin' old
Congressmen are bought and sold.
Am I right or wrong?
You're right.
Am I right or wrong?
You're right.
Refund, one two
Refund, three four
Bring it on down
One Two Three Four

[Doctor_J]

14. I haven't detected any fear among the 1%

I will give the Occupiers their props for sustaining, but I don't really see what it's going to accomplish. I will be joining an occupation this weekend, but IMO these rush-hour clogs are mostly just keeping average folks from doing their daily grind. The banksters are just laughing. Stay focused on what? What sort of "victories" do you foresee?