Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing demonstration protesting against socio-economic inequality and corporate greed in America. The movement was started by the organization Adbusters and has now spread to over 80 cities across the country. This week on "What's Trending Live," I chatted with Micah White, senior editor at Adbusters, about mobilizing the community in Manhattan for the first protest back on Sept. 17, and what the main long-term goals are for the participants.
Micah explained that Adbusters has been advocating for a citizen movement against corporations for 20 years and that in July of this year they began considering doing a protest on Wall Street. He continued that Adbusters call to action was, "responded to so enthusiastically that... they organized themselves."
He insisted that despite the growth of the movement and criticism around lack of focus, the message remains the same as when the movement began. "The idea of Occupy Wall Street is to revive people's democracy," he said. "We are sick of the corporate political parties deciding the agenda of America."
What does he think of some calling this America's Arab spring? While he was quick to note the protest are peaceful, he did say what compares the two is the mobilization efforts. "The basic ideas was to combine the tactic of the Egyptian uprising which was that they went to a place of symbolic importance, and combine that with the Spanish intifada. In Spain, in May, people formed together in general assemblies... open meetings that they vote on everything together using consensus based decision making.
So what does he say to those criticizing the lack of focus or leadership to the movement?
"Anyone who tries to co-opt it will be laughed at and heckled. There's no one person who can speak of the occupation movement, it's a movement of people's democracy in the square."
As for the practical outcome of the demonstrations, Micah hopes that there will be, "economic justice." Specifically, he would like to see a "transaction tax" on international financial speculation, the reinstatement of the Glass-Stegall Act and the revocation of corporate personhood.
The demonstration and protests show no signs of slowing down, and if Micah White's passion is any indication, the Occupy Wall Street movement is far from over.
For more go to: OccupyTogether.org or OccupyWallSt.org.
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First, by putting "economic justice" in quotes he makes it clear that it has no clear definition. Asking for something that you cannot articulate is just a way of complaning. Like my 6 year who says life isn't "fair", which just means she didn't get her way. Same with "international financial speculation". Someone help me with a definition that makes sense.
The other two are good ideas but Occupy Wall Street doesn't seem to have the focus needed to address these two specifics. They would be easy to write and possibly even easy to pass if you just limit it to those two issues.
Wish I could take credit for it!!!
Most of the time you hear the term “useful idiots” it is used in a totally pejorative sense. I think this is wrong. A “useful idiot” is actually not really an idiot, rather it is someone who is ignorant and therefore can be manipulated by those that are not ignorant to do as they desire. I mean who reading this was not a “useful idiot” at some point? I know I was. For most of my career on Wall Street that is exactly what I was. I worked in finance but had no idea how the system actually worked. As a result of my ignorance I was very susceptible to much of the propaganda that was blasted in my ear overtly and subliminally for much of my life. While I have always been cynical and never fell for the garbage either political party spewed, I was ignorant about how the world works and as such I could have been a danger to myself and others. Fortunately, I finally did dig further into the matrix, took the red pill and started writing about what I learned. Eventually I decided to leave Wall Street and pursue a different path.
Let me be clear about one thing. There are plenty of disconcerting things that have emerged in the Occupy Wall Street Protests. The main threat is the clear attempt of disingenuous elites to co-opt the movement and steer the “useful idiots” right into the concentration camps. You think George Soros is an idiot? You don’t think he knows exactly what he is doing when he voices his support? He is trying to co-opt it and own it. He didn’t start anything. He is a carpetbagger of the highest order.
One of the more disturbing things I have seen is this video of Michael Moore at the protests. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l97SuV6DThQ&feature=player_embedded After watching it I was so disturbed I sent the following out to my smaller email list:
It’s great to watch all these guys that never understood the real issues and clearly still don’t attempt to co-opt the message of the Occupy Wall Street Protests for their own agendas.
My conclusion on this spectacle is the following. Either 1) He STILL hasn’t bothered to understand how things work and is just looking to be some sort of revolution rock star to stroke his own ego and childish solutions or 2) He is a crony capitalist himself and after having made millions via “capitalism” has decided like Warren Buffett, Soros and all the others he is content to shut down the opportunity to make money for others. End capitalism? Hmmmm, yep and go the planned neo-feudalism in which he is well positioned.
Whether it is 1 or 2 doesn’t matter. It is one of them and that makes him someone not to be trusted and with zero credibility in the movement and one that cannot offer real solutions. WATCH this video. This man is dangerous and must be exposed and discredited.
So…next time you see someone marching with an “end capitalism sign” stop that person and educate them. Explain to them why there is no capitalism, only crony capitalism and explain the financial system to them. That way we can drop the idiot part of the term and they can just become useful.