Forum Post: Explaining the Movement to Others
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 20, 2011, 12:07 a.m. EST by marcxstar
(167)
from Los Angeles, CA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I want to explain the movement in the best way that I can to those who only get their information from the mainstream media. I'd love to hear any opinions on whether I'm hitting the mark, close to the mark, etc ...
When confronted with the claim that the movement needs a leader, I respond with, "Who was the leader of the first American Revolution?"
When confronted with the claim that the movement has no demands, it seems to me that movement has three that most everyone seems to agree on:
1) Repeal the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act of 1999 and reinstate the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933: The Glass-Steagall act was the safeguard put in place after the Great Depression to prevent the banks from engaging in exactly the kind of risky behavior that led us to our latest economic meltdown.
2) Campaign Finance Reform: Remove all private contributions from political campaigns.
3) Repeal the Supreme Court decision granting corporations the same rights as individuals - also known as corporate personhood.
The movement also seems to have a long term agenda ... convening General Assemblies in NYC and around the country to discuss the redress of grievances by the People.
In the months to come, delegates will be elected from each of the General Assemblies from around the country. Those delegates will meet at a National General Assembly on July 4, 2012 to finalize the People's list of demands.
If the demands are not met, the delegates from the General Assemblies will run for Congressional seats around the country in a bid to retake our government ... back into the hands of the People.
I welcome your comments on this summation.
So why are you protesting on Wall Street? Seems to me the White House and the Capital building would be more productive. Why not move on to DC?
I wondered that until I saw this video. I says exactly how wall street banks crashed the stock market and stole the money. If your watch this it will answer all your questions
http://vimeo.com/25142692
Pass it on, it really is discusting!
http://therevolutionarytruth.tumblr.com/post/11716755629/occupy-wall-street-a-nations-cry-for-change
If someone asked me what this movement is about I would say its a pro democracy anti corporate movement.
marcxstar - please see my reply at our sister site:
http://www.themultitude.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=197
Excellent reply. Thank you Mike.
You are welcome. When will you post your new version?
Posted:
http://occupywallst.org/forum/explaining-the-movement-to-others-v2/
These are great points and should probably be the focus of OWS however, be very careful about saying anything like "revolution" to regular ol' Americans that you talk to.
People are mad at the banks but when they hear words like that they think armed revolutions where lots of people die. Bill Smith living in the 'burbs is not ready to die over banks and campaign finances.
To add to the idea of when people ask about the movement being leaderless. I would look at them and say well logically speaking for a movement by the people it is the peoples voice who really matters, also it would be naive considering the day we live in the moment. If the movement would list a leader by the end of the day that person name and reputation would be slandered through the media to tarnish their credibility. Think this way the news can portray that individual how they wished and since you don't know anything about them you would be receptive to believing it because all the stations are saying it, however if its the people and it leaderless there is noway for them the slander and try to derail the movement because you can't call over 100,000 out protesting around the globe all crazy.
I started thinking about it this way and realized the seer brilliance of it and hope the member stick to this plan until a general assembly would be elected by the group.
That's my movement or at least the things I demand.