Forum Post: not a political movement?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 12, 2011, 1:34 a.m. EST by roy10
(0)
from El Paso, TX
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
What is it about the movement that is NOT political? (politics as in interaction between people, etc.)
why is this NOT a "left" (LEFT not democrat, not etc.) movement when the core beliefs are mainly liberal ideas (tax those who can afford it more, social justice/jail those who robbed our nation, social programs be made stronger and make more of them)
how is this not a left movement? is this a strategy to pull in the 'undecided' voters out there in America? is it because the movement is in it's 'infancy' ??
The mantra "this is not a political movement" is part of an effort to keep Schrödinger's cat alive. The "unity" of this movement is a lot like in the thought experiment where the cat is neither alive nor dead until you look to see, and then it has to be one or the other. The unity of the movement is purely a fantasy, based on the fact that there are no specific issues and no specific positions on those issues. As long as you don't get specific, you can pretend that "the 99%" is united in solidarity. But just like checking on the cat forces it to be either alive or dead, once you decide what the movement stands for you're going to alienate a portion of the movement. The notion that it's not a political movement is an attempt to appeal to conservatives and centrists. That does make sense, because the movement won't amount to much unless it can appeal at least to centrists. But sooner or later you have to stand for something. And once you do, you'll be standing against some of your own people.