We've been at the protests in the last few days in both Washington and New York, and while reliable crowd size estimates are scarce, they are clearly growing from the thousands to the tens of thousands, and quickly replicating across the country.
Amidst this remarkable uprising we continue to hear a constant refrain from the pundits: "The protesters don't know what they're for. They only seem to know what they're against." However, our conversations on the ground don't reflect these claims.
Surely, there are many grievances and hand-held signs. But listen beyond the melodies, and the harmony is that an elite few are calling the shots in the halls of power, and ordinary people are suffering as a result. It's 1% vs. the other 99% -- an American theme as timeless as Thomas Paine's broadside against the English Crown.
Protesters are asserting that we, the people, should own our government -- not those who have the money to buy access and favors. It's stated right there in the third sentence of The Declaration of the Occupation of New York City: "That a democratic government derives its just power from the people."
So what changes are the protesters actually advocating? What does "democracy reform" look like? We've been working on this question for the past year, and offer two answers:
1) Reduce the undue influence of Big Money in politics, and,
2) Get more people voting and participating in governing the country.
Simply put, we need to stop politicians from being bribed while we get more people involved in our democracy. If we do this, we will see a profound shift in policy outcomes in every issue we care about: from taxation to spending; from consumer protections to financial reform.
The great challenge of course is that we have to get politicians to pass laws that overhaul the very system that affords them power; it's like getting the fox to put a lock on the henhouse.
History shows that doing that will require massive political heat that forces reform: a citizen-led tidal wave of liberals and conservatives galvanized around the goal of fundamentally changing how our democracy works.
It will require that we force a bold reform agenda onto the 2012 political stage by unseating politicians who are unwilling to put ordinary Americans ahead of special interest lobbyists. It will require that we aggressively expose corruption, and create scandal, rather than wait for one to come along. It will require more protests, and more activism amongst millions of Americans who don't currently think of themselves as activists.
It is not just the work of blue-haired college kids or grey-haired good-government wonks. It's the work of environmentalists who want the government to finally address global warming, and fiscal conservatives who are worried about wasteful spending, and unions who want to revive the "Made In America" label and business people who believe in competition over cronyism.
It's the work of patriotic revolutionaries who believe in the fundamental project of America: that power is generated from the people, on behalf of the common good. And while we're creating political heat, we will also need to promote a vision of a functional, responsive system of government.
There are many bullet points that flow from a democracy overhaul agenda -- from ballot integrity to redistricting to campaign financing to constitutional amendments. Enumerating them isn't the point now, though. Creating an actual political force and holding politicians feet to the fire is.
As Henry David Thoreau said, "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." The protests are remarkable because they show in real time how those who have been hacking at the branches are finally moving to the root of the problem. A real reason, finally, for hope and change that we desperately want and need.
Joseph A. Palermo: The Big Banks Lose Control of the Optics
William Lazonick: Occupy Wall Street's Outrage at Greed Can Expand to Corporate Stock Manipulation
Christopher Emdin: 5 Reasons Why Public School Teachers are Occupying Wall Street
Valarie Kaur: This Is What a Groundswell Looks Like
"Protesters are asserting that we, the people, should own our government -- not those who have the money to buy access and favors"
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Sorry guys- but the sad reality is that our govenment is OWNED by whatever force gets them elected.
We are mostly in the state we are in- because a huge number of people who came out to the polls in 2008 to elect Obama, went home and went to sleep after Jan 20, 2009.
When the DEMs lost the House in 2010, this caused the momentum to shift to the Repubs who weren't afraid to play chicken with the economy, and who who have payed no political price for deliberately trying to wreck the economy -
because they believed, with some justification, that doing so will help them in the 2012 election.
SO HOW's THAT STRATEGY PLAYING OUT?
Splendily !
The Wall Street Protests prove that the Republicans are winning.
These protests only prove how misquided these people are.
ALL OF THEIR ACTUAL GRIEVANCES ARE ACTUALLY DUE TO CONGRESS, not Wall Street.
The Repubs love these protests since they are distracting people from the real causes of our problems. They don't dissipate Republican support one bit, but many of the protesters are misguidely thinking the answer to their prayers is some independent or liberal 3rd party hero.
The Repubs, except for Ron Paul supporters will never leave the GOP
Republicans will fight this tooth and nail, since they ARE, and always will be much more organized than DEMS- and they will therefore overwhelmingly benefit from human -drawn congressional districts.
WHY WILL REPUBS ALWAYS BE MORE ORGANIZED THAN DEMS?
Most DEMs just want to get on with their lives and devote only a little attention to politics.
Republicans, on the other hand are driven by a motivation somewhat akin to hate.
They don't ever want to stop forcing their agenda on all the other citizens in the country.
Pro-Choice people aren't trying to force their agenda on anyone else, while Pro-Choicers believe that they should have the power to force everyone to accept THEIR agenda.
Religously motivated Republicans believe that the government should force a christian agenda on all public school children in the US.
They would go bezerk if we were giving equal time to Judaism, Islam, Buddism, Atheism, & etc.
And they are deadset against the idea that any religous instruction school children receive should be gotten exclusively at home
They don't ever want to stop forcing their agenda on all the other citizens in the country.
I would say dem's are way more guilty of this then republicans. You can say what you want about the parties but the dem's use targeted loans and tax cuts to try to force their agenda. The republicans are way less guilty of this. The whole consept of many republicans is to take the government out of our lives.
I like programs like SS medicare and such but they are forced retirement plans.....
these are not dirty hippies the are the future leaders . Educated bright and ready for the future.
The left is the people, the right is the rich. You want rule by the rich. You would be Tory.
Why do you hate the republic?
Sorry you got lost-
MY GUESS IS THAT YOU ARE MOTIVATED BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN A BANKRUPTCY OF THE LEFT.
I got out of the Army and started college as a Reagan(Governor) supporter and complete devotee of Ayn Rand & Alan Greenspan.
Unlike you, however, the more educated I became- the more I realized that the magic behind the invisible hand of unfettered captialism only produced nirvana inside a petri dish.
IN THE REAL WORLD, there is no "invisible" hand, and unfettered captialism will always lead to a Robber-Baron Society.
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/index.php
and who is "immune" from economic calamity? How many companies lost 100s of billion - and who owns those companies - a few "rich guys"...
Clueless bunk
Big business give many times what unions do. And as I said, unions are democracy, big money contributions are bribes.
http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/blio.php business many times unions total contributions.
LOL I'm sure this is their objective.
"So what changes are the protesters actually advocating? What does "democracy reform" look like? We've been working on this question for the past year, and offer two answers:
1) Reduce the undue influence of Big Money in politics, and,
2) Get more people voting and participating in governing the country. "
What does Big Money mean? You should read a post here on HuffPo at the time of Citizen's United case by a former Director of ACLU defending the decision!! There are more people involved. In 2010 you had the largest number of non-politicians getting elected by the TEA party!! You just dont like their ideology, so it does not count. They TEA party stood up to business as usual of raising the debt ceiling and getting us in more debt!! I didnt agree with them, but they were trying a "change". You called them nuts!!
Democracy is ugly at times. These protestors can march as long as they want. They should respect the rule of law and not interfere with commerce. But march and bang on your drums for a months!! And using money for putting your ideas forward is same as speech. We should not limit it. What we need is full disclosure laws!!
Fanned
"the largest number of non-politiÂcians getting elected by the TEA party!! "
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IF THESE GUYS WERE REALLY NON-POLITICIANS, how come none of them can think for themselves- and run only lock-step with the Republican Machine.
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I recall a recent quote from the House Speaker about how he brought two independent-minded freshmen into his office to change their minds. He said:
"I've got two weeks worth of cigarettes, and we can take 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, or whatever- but you're gonna support us before you leave"
The report is, that the 2 freshmen changed their positions in less than 1 hour.
The problem with the protest is there is no concise focus or definitive points, just a broad request for change, however that is rapidly changing with the growth of this movement. Asking Congress to initiate Bills that will change the way business is done in Washington will not happen with the 112th Congress. Change can be brought about with the other tool Americans have at their disposal and do not use enough, their VOTE!
The awareness brought about by the protest must empathize the need to exercise the right to vote in 2012. To bring about change we need to send a message to Congress by voting out as many incumbents as we can, and replace them with candidates that will swear to change the way Washington does business. We need to educate and VOTE the biggest turnover in Congress ever recorded. Beware the recent laws initiated by the GOP to skewer the election, make sure you have the proper ID before going to vote.
Oh thats right - they don't count because they are not "progressive" americans.......LOL
The citizens safety net, green energy investments and infrastructure, did not bankrupt us.
The wars, the Bankster's fraud and the ungrateful rich's shortfall robbed the citizens and the world.
Thus the solution is: end the wars, cut the MIC 90%, arrest the banksters for fraud and seize their assets and records for audits, and tax the super rich for the system that enabled their wealth and their very survival, like Ike did when the USA became the greatest economy in human history.
"When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny." John Adams
"I hope we shall . . . crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations." Thomas Jefferson
James MadisonÂ
"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governmentÂÂs by controllinÂÂg money and it's issuance."
The Obama DLC are enablers of the GOP agenda because they sold their souls to get elected. They are Reagan democrats, moderate republicans if you will. AKA New democrats, pragmatic Progressive, Blue dogs, New American Foundation, Progressive Policy Council, Third Way.
Vote for the CPC progressives, The Progressive Democrats of America, the Kucinich folks in the primaries. the Dems in the general.
Obviously don't vote for the anti republic GOP/Tea Tories.
Obama (who ran partly on the promise that he would not welcome lobbyists to the White House) is just the most recent, although by no means only example. Just look at the reports regarding Solyndra. The Bush admin was no better with no-bid giveaways to companies like Xe and many others.
Washington is completely and utterly broken and nothing I see happening in politics today is going to change that.
But I agree DC is a mess. we need real fundamental Tax reform
YOU SAY:
"Both parties' constituenÂts have been calling for campaign finance reform since....wÂell, forever"
I don't know where you get your information from, but I can't remember any Republican, other than John McCain push for any meaningful campaign reform.
I'm sure you can google up some lip-service statements from lots of Republicans, but as far as real support, I can't think of any.
I said constituents, not representatives. The people, for the most part, want term limits and campaign finance reform, not the yahoos on capitol hill.
his "jobs guy" is the GE CEO for god sake......
We will occupy Wall St. until government is "reformed"
Let the Tea Beggers fight for anarchy - while we fight for democracy.
Norquist isn't part of the Tea Party.
If these protests had a clue they woulds be out in front of Freddie and Fannie and the Congress and not on wall street...
.LIKE THOSE LOOKING TO MINE ALL THOSE METALS.}GOLD,SILVER,COPPER,PLATIMUN,ETC}..TO MAKE THE WEALTHY....RICHER...AFTER ALL...ITS A GOOD EXCUSE AS TO WHY SO MANY AMERICANS AND INNOCENTS LIVING THERE... WILL DIE...IT JUSTIFYS THEIR DEATHS..."WEALTH FOR A CHOSEN FEW"..
Anyone, from any party had better be careful saying what you did, Josh and Nick: If you want to "put ordinary Americans ahead of special interest lobbyists" then you need to be in a place where you are clear of any such influence yourself. How many, from any party or media can say that? It sounds very nice but unless you live in a cave you are actually not very independent. I hope no one tries to say it does not apply to them when they just look the other way. We all want our way of life, our dreams, our cuture, our future preserved and even furthered.