Forum Post: first 3 of 6 things OWS has already accomplished

Regardless of which form the movement takes from here, there are already several victories that have already been won for the “99%”. A successful revolution doesn’t seek to create more laws and government action, but is aimed at creating a shift in the public consciousness that will hopefully render the status quo obsolete. Occupy Wall Street has opened the door to that shift; a door that could very soon become a floodgate if those of us who have been focusing on these issues for years are able to step up our game and rise to the challenge.

1. NOW YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE – Although the movement against big banks and government corruption has been steadily growing for a number of years, many people who have found themselves in this struggle still felt incredibly isolated from the rest of society. Now, with hundreds and thousands of like-minded people getting together in various cities across the world, activists are beginning to realize that they are not alone. There are now events in thousands of different cities, where you can go to meet other people who are concerned about the future and want to change the status quo. The Internet has exploded with activist information and those of us who were once looked upon as a “fringe community” are now becoming a strong force in the political landscape.

2. THE ACTIVIST COMMUNITY IS RE-ENERGIZED – Since there are so many different issues that are being championed by this movement, a lot of activists are still on the fence when it comes to Occupy Wall Street. However, even those who may not entirely agree with some of the ideas coming out of the Occupy camps are still stepping up their own efforts and getting more serious with their activism. This is similar to the situation that one witnesses when they show up to a nightclub too early. They will typically find an empty dance floor, with a bunch of nervous wallflowers waiting for someone to make the first move. Once someone is brave enough to make that first move, the dance floor erupts within minutes because everyone then becomes less self-conscious. This is exactly the kind of energy that activists worldwide are starting to experience -- now that the first move has been made its time for the wallflowers to dance!

3. IT'S COOL TO PROTEST AGAIN – For some reason there has been a huge social stigma attached to civil disobedience for a number of decades. Since the late '60s and early '70s the visible activist presence had diminished considerably . . . until now. Polls nationwide are showing that more and more people are showing support for Occupy Wall Street and are sympathetic to the anger that the protesters are experiencing. This is actually a huge victory, considering the fact that most of the protests that have taken place in the past few decades were vilified by the media and public alike. Now we are starting to see a fracture between the media and the American public, which is illuminating just how out of touch the mainstream media is.

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