Too much focus on intentional communities and isolation from the People who Occupy has promised change looks to me that Occupy is on the way to being co-opted. These encampments and General Assemblies are in part the work of an academic, David Graeber. Google his name. There is much pain and suffering beyond these encampments and our brothers and sisters require relief, change, and hope now!
I worry about academic anarchic activists making occupy communities some sort of experiment in anarchist anthropology. Occupy has to find some common goals people would die for...really. Simple, easily understood goals, Arrived at by consensus. I've participated in these creations and it takes time. People I think had a better understanding of political theory and practice back in the Sixties. Many occupy people are political virgins. One must give these people something to focus all that energy on before it freezes up: a specific, actionable "cause." When I hear concepts like "we are the change, we don't need demands or goals" on an OWS General Assembly forum I freak out, and this becomes more evidence in my mind that the occupy tent cities are ends in themselves. When I posted this concern on the OWS Forum I was told this is exactly what Occupy is all about. Platforms for a social and political experiment in being. Intentional communities have been around for a long time, too, but this one is not another commune -- this community promises to change the world. Hopeless people latched onto this. I think OWS has a moral obligation to the commonweal to target in a big way an actual action item:) If the goal is selfish self-actualization those who have placed faith in this movement should be informed they have been mislead. I don't know: the whole General Assembly is so chaotic. Clarification is needed.
The fear on all sides, I think, is that old, and extremely well-developed American talent for co-option. There are many powerful interests in play here and they will all try with their unlimited resources to move OWS in their direction or neutralize or destroy it. This is to be expected. The Obama campaign has operatives everywhere, and so does Ron Paul. Dr. Paul is a little more universal with his outreach: his people even show up on /b/. You can be certain the 1% is doing everything it can afford to derail this movement. Some of the police are bought by financial interests. Police have infiltrated all Occupy groups, and if martyrs are "created" half of them are the result of police provocateurs.
To compound things, Americans have been operating without community or meaning for at least twenty years now. The young have never known the passion that arises from embracing something outside their narrow personal pleasure and interests....until now. A Volatile situation that amoral, cynical interests can and will exploit unless strong countermeasures arise. The goal for everyone interested and involved should be to keep this energy on a productive and objective path to develop Occupy grievances into specific action items that are implemented quickly.
How about canceling debt? Eliminating once and for all this form of slavery? There is a stand most of the 99% can support. There are many other platforms like Roosevelt's "Second Bill of Rights." Free education. So much to do.
Election year is coming up. This gives occupy real power to achieve some goals that will help the 99% The camps are a beginning, not the revolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment