Forum Post: Once we've unified as the 99% and the general assembly approves, let's gather in DC, tens of thousands of us, and FOLLOW THIS SPECIFIC PLAN that has captured the attention of over 1900 commenters on this forum
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 28, 2011, 12:43 p.m. EST by therising
(6643)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
First we need to find out all we have in common so we can make decisions from a position of unified power instead of demands from a position of divided weakness. Then, once we the 99% realize we're a forceful voting block, I believe we should do the following if the General Assembly approves:
http://occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-please-help-editadd-so-th/
Obviously this could come before, during or after national general assembly in July depending upon the wishes of the General Assembly.
"The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation." This statement is taken from the popular Forum site with a list of "ideas" This statement perfectly addresses why we need to Occupy the White House now! Some of these ideas are good, some miss the point, yet they are a coherent start.. But the Occupation does not need specifics handed down from the so-called "General Council" in order to do what is so specifically clear in the above statement>.. I quote it again: "The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation." The time is today!! Occupy the White House. Tell the President, this is the peoples house. Tell Congress< they all work for us. OWH begins today at 2:00..See you at the Gates!!!
I like your energy and mindset. I share this feeling of urgency. I applaud you sincerely. I am with you wholeheartedly. Just want to be sure that when we go for it, we are set to win it. I think this means we can participate in lots of very important and impactful actions but that the big kahuna stuff should run through general assembly and OWS should have a million / ten million enthusiastic active supporters that come to events. / participate in actions and identify themselves openly as the 99%.
I am no expert and I'm kind of guessing here from vague impressions but I think the leaders of this movement want to build unity among the 99% and then have a convention in July in Philadelphia, a national general assembly. 2 representatives from each Congressional district (one man and one woman) would be elected. A slate of demands / solutions would be voted on at that convention / national GA or in subsequent meeting(s). A deadline for demands/solutions being met would be set.
If those demands are not met, I think a series of direct actions somewhat like this http://occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-please-help-editadd-so-th/ would likely take place. Maybe not that particular set of demands but something in that category.
More importantly, OWS / national general assembly would also run its own candidates (99% candidates) of demands aren't met.
I believe our system is fundamentally good but that it's been hijacked. I don't think it's wise or necessary to throw the baby out with the bath water. I don't believe, at root, that organizers / leaders of OWS want to throw baby out with bath water. I realize we hear rumblings of this and rumblings of computer voting direct democracy on topics (which seems cold and impractical to me) but I honestly don't think that is the general consensus of the leaders / organizers or the GA. I really don't. I think organizers are good people fighting corruption in the system and they want to see movement grow before officially announcing anything because they want it to STICK when we go official.
My impression is that the folks at Adbusters / Anonymous / NY General Assembly are good and intelligent human beings who recognize we need a good transparent process that will lead to a good and lasting result.
I took the encampment at Zuccotti Park a bunch of blankets and a couple of generators (Bloomberg stole the generators last week and posted a picture of his prize catch for all to see). I have given whatever I can and wholly support and trust these folks who have laid it on the line for the rest of the nation. Call me naive but I believe their devotion to the cause is a good litmus test. Maybe I'll be proven wrong but I'm a pretty good judge of character and I feel these are good eggs. What are your thoughts? I am certainly no expert and I'm just giving my impressions. I have placed trust in this movement, its means and its ends. Am I being naive? And...what choice do we have really?
PS - I wholeheartedly support every focused action on Glass-Stegall etc. and think that doesn't have to wait at all. I'll support however I can. This can happen NOW but still think the progression on other things will be as described above. THOSE BIGGER ACTIONS LATER WILL BENEFIT FROM THE glass-Steagall action now. As a professor of mine once advised: it's probably both/and rather than either/ or.
Why is it NOT OWS adminstration demands ?? If these demands are not adopted then the admin of OWS had better come up with some that are even better or the entire movement will fizzle out over a cold NYC winter and American interest in the OWS movement will die. These are all very well thought out and will resonate with the American public.
Won't fizzle over winter: See video half way down (video is about the new bikes, not vets). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2011/11/02/veterans-join-occupy-wall-street_n_1071751.html
These are good demands I think but it would be best if the movement grew larger and more cohesive before following the strategy outlined on that list in my view. Going to DC right now in huge numbers is great. I just wouldn't want to see any official proposals for change issued until these proposals have been duly voted on by General Assembly. I'm ready for forceful non-resistance. I just want to be sure our revolution has democratic transparency the whole way through and such procedure with voting ensures we remain true to our principles. To me this ensures excellent and just result. We can look to history to see what can happen after revolutions if transparency and integrity of system not maintained.
Needs to go through General Assembly. That's essential. Must have transparent democratic process.
Goal it seems is to get movement to point that we're making decisions from a position of unified power rather than demands from a position of divided weakness. This is going to take some time. In meantime, I think it is best if we focus on what we agree on and have in common. Then we can discover that we are a voting block. Powerful. Then demands can mean something. Who knows if these are the right demands. We'll see.
Once we the 99% realize that we have more things in common than we have in conflict, we will be in a position to make decisions from a position of unified power rather than demands from a position of divided weakness. Unite and then rise. Unite and then rise. Nonviolent direct action.
There's nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come.
What national general assembly are you referring to?? I was not aware that OWS was planning such a thing. Please advise.
What we continue to have is a "no message" message. This movement is saying everything, which is the equivalent of saying nothing - to the general mainstream public beyond the park.
Sen. Udall has introduced legislation that seeks to overturn the damaging effects of Citizens United. Which would then pave the way for Campaign Finance Reform. Without the overturn of Citizens United, the 99% have nothing. I'm sure you already know this! Just putting it out there.
My suggestion - I know this is a dirty word in the OWS world, but, we need FOCUS. Focus on Citizens United.
What this movement needs to do is EDUCATE and INFORM supporters and the general public about the importance of overturning Citizens United. The MSM is surely not going to educate and inform the public about it. It is against their best interests as multibillion dollar corporate media machines that directly benefit from Citizens United. Most American's, sadly, do NOT KNOW what Citizens United is! I know this is appalling and horrifying. But that is the situation we are dealing with. Because the MSM will NOT TALK about it. It is up to this movement to flood this message - Overturn Citizens United, Support Sen. Udall's Campaign Finance Legislation.
If this movement does not get that message out, who will? OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED. Otherwise, WE HAVE NOTHING! What is the point of any of this?
It will not matter how many bankers might get put in jail. Or any other progress we might make with the other "demands". The underlying problem will still be with us.
We need to work on an effective strategy to message Sen. Udall's legislation. This movement needs to flood the park with guest speakers to discuss the importance of overturning CU. Get Sen. Udall to the park!! Get others to guest speak about CU. Without that, we've got nothing.
http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=970
I know this movement doesn't want to be political. But, it needs to get its head out of the clouds and get REAL. Do we want REAL change, or are we going to let this opportunity pass? Are we going to let this bill collect dust in the House because nobody knows about it? Are we going to let the BIG money kill this bill, like it kills all of the others that would seek to benefit the 99%?
This legislation is a big step for DC. They are hearing us with this legislation. A few of them anyway. Is it posturing? How can we know if we don't PUSH this issue forward? Are they sincerely trying to help our country? I hope so. Are we going to ignore their step forward? I hope not. Lets get to work on pushing this legislation to overturn Citizens United NOW!
I am completely on board with amending the constitution, but I think that Sen Udall's proposed amendment is very weak as it just puts all authority on Congress without addressing the core issues of corporate personhood and money as free speech.
Compare Udall's proposed amendment with some the alternative wordings considered by the group movetoamend.org
http://www.scribd.com/doc/71154073/A-Constitutional-Amendment-to-Reform-Campaign-Finance
http://movetoamend.org/democracy-amendments
Thats good to know. I am far from being an expert on legal stuff! I just know that money should not be considered speech. I don't know how to get there though! I will look into this information. I need to learn more! Point remains- we need to push this issue. Push for a stronger amendment. Educate and inform people about it!
"The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation." This statement is taken from the popular Forum site with a list of "ideas" This statement perfectly addresses why we need to Occupy the White House now! Some of these ideas are good, some miss the point, yet they are a coherent start.. But the Occupation does not need specifics handed down from the so-called "General Council" in order to do what is so specifically clear in the above statement>.. I quote it again: "The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation." The time is today!! Occupy the White House. Tell the President, this is the peoples house. Tell Congress< they all work for us. OWH begins today at 2:00..See you at the Gates!!!
Nov 6th..OWH This is the day the we become more sophisticated. The day we are all un-masked.. The day we are peaceful in our approach.. The day we remind the President and Congress that this is our house...Today begins the Occupation of the White House.. Hundreds already converging the gates..Love one another..By 2:00 today, We begin the most important and successful Chapter in tne movement.."Occupy the White House".. Demand they listen!! We speak as free Americans to remind our"elected Officials"...This is our House, our Capitol; We choose no sides politically... We are the 99%...It is now time to remind them directly...TODAY!! OWH!!!
Where can we go for updates?
<enough> I don't believe OWS is thinking about Obama. They know this is right and has nothing to do with one man , one President. This is about the continuation of the movement. Occupy The White House and Congress nov 6th. The General Assembly is free to make this work and are not beholding to anything but us "the People". OWH Nov 5th... It's happening
Where can I find info on Nov 5 white house and congress occupations?
This is the time and the moment is now! Occupy The White House and Congress is the logical extension of OWS and Occupy Oakland. The General Assembly needs to address the issue with the so-called "Black Blocs Anarchists. IE no masks, No vandalism, No violence. We are peaceful. We now become. Occupy The White House and Congress on Nov. 6th..Over 10,000 now committed. OWH, The White House is our House. See you there!!
Is there info on this somewhere?
Before heading to DC, need to grow larger by discovering what we have in common.
Time to unify and make decisions from a position of power instead of demands from a position of weakness.
Right on!!!!!!!
Once we have discovered how much we, the 99% have in common, we can make decisions from a position of unified strength instead of demands from a position of divided weakness.
Yeah!!!!
What are your thoughts on how we get from A to B?
Looking forward to the rising of the people to power. This movement is transforming into a revolution. Has to be nonviolent and we need to stick to process with general assembly.
Totally!!!
Time to rise and shine.
1962 Comments! So many it's taxing the server. I made a comment there almost a month ago. What ever happened to GKM?
My smaller list of demands, which I hope gets the root of the problem and also the root of the root: 1. end corporate/lobbyist bribes to politicians. 2. end/audit/reform the fed.
GKM here in spirit.
Cheers :). Let's unite and then rise up.
The idea of the banks recovering the loss thru selling the property is, at this time, ludicrous
Idea: Banks should be required to ' Suspend' payments and interest accumulation if a person loses their job during an 'economic downturn' until that person finds a comparable paying job or until the national unemployment rate is less than 5%.
this only changes who owns the money
Rise and shine. It's time for Congress to feel the heat of non-violent direct action.
You're right, but it's too bad the organizers of #OWS adamantly refuse to march on Washington. The word is they do not want to embarrass President Obama. It makes you wonder what people are running this show and what their real intentions are.
This movement has already been co-opted by the DNC.