Forum Post: Occupation in my town.. needs HELP
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 23, 2011, 7:13 p.m. EST by Lane33
(5)
from Tehachapi, CA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I was about to start an Occupy in my town, when suddenly there was an event. Only the group did not call themselves Occupy. I have tried to get involved with them, but I am increasingly growing frustrated.They have now included 99% in their name, but they are still trying to differentiate themselves from the OWS movement. It is also a little frustrating because they want to get involved with local government a lot. They want to find a candidate to run as a 99% party. I feel like it is too soon to try and make those sort of changes. Right now I believe the focus should be research and education of the public, as well as aligning ourselves with a vision of what we want. We need to be spreading the movement instead of jumping the gun. We need to be out there making a statement. They are also firmly against civil disobedience, camping, having marches more than once a month, making waves, committing to anything really. There is no order that makes sense. They are trying to appoint a treasurer, president, VP, etc. At the same time refusing to have each other sign up for committees. It seems to me that all decisions are being based on fear. They wont even call General Assemblies by that name and insist they be called forums so that the are not identified with Occupy. I think it is great to do things a little differently so that it works for your town, but I feel like this is completely drowning out what occupy is all about.I have been to several meetings and have spoke up. They are so fearful. I don't think there is room to give into fear if we want to be successful. Any suggestions? Should I start my own Occupy?
yes, start an occupy, get away from the posers.
heres support networking..
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Paradigm_Shift
I've got a couple questions. Is there anyone in your town that wants to start an Occupy besides yourself? Anyone in that other group you could partner with to start your own? When OWS started in Zuccotti Park there were two groups; one wanted to go the traditional route, much like you describe the group in your town. It didn't take long for the present organizers to get the traditionalists to come over to their way of thinking but it did take a charismatic speaker to do so. It looks like you're, what, maybe 30 or 40 miles from Bakersfield. Is there a Bakersfield Occupy? Is it an option to start one there? How far are you from LA, an hour? Too far to get involved with them? Maybe just trip to LA once a month or so to help out there. If all else fails, definitely get and stay connected with the Occupy movement on line. Stay involved on these forums, especially any forums you find in Cal, and on FaceBook and Twitter if you have accounts.
It seems to be the case that the entire group is more wanting to go the traditional route. It is not a very open minded town, but I do believe there are people who would join if we were courageous enough to give them a chance. The current group claims that OWS is headed next to a more traditional route and they completely disagree with any kind of civil disobedience. I am trying to win them over but if not there are other Occupations nearby. And in a few months I plan to travel around CA to all of them anyways. Thank you for your positive suggestions to stay involved; they are much appreciated.
You know, I would try to make the point to them that if they use Occupy slogans like 99% etc all their efforts to distance themselves won't really matter in the minds of most people. If they want to do something different then they should just go and do something different, not this half-arsed indecision about whether they're aligned with Occupy or not. Seems like they want to have their cake and eat it too, and you can't really do that in the real world.
Nothing wrong with them approaching things from a different angle, but, they should be more honest about what they're about and more clearly differentiate themselves. Seems like they want to win over the people who are for OWS without drawing the attention of any who are against, and it just doesn't work like that. They won't get the best of both worlds, they'll get the worst.
Should you start your own Occupy, well, I think you should do what you think is right and what you think you are up to doing. So you'll have to answer that question yourself. But I wouldn't really factor this other group into the consideration if I were asking myself that. They say they aren't Occupy so there is no Occupy in your area, ipso facto.
Hmmmmm....this should be about alignment. Have you approached the group and asked if your efforts and their efforts could be streamlined (who cares what the name is, really - the end result is what counts!)?
Let them do things their way. In some places they can make small progress. But ultimately they will fail because they are working within a system that is breaking down and dysfunctional. They have to learn that for themselves. They will learn soon enough that this small kind of thinking wont work anymore. You sound smart. If I where you I would learn about osixs. I promise it will change your life. They have a real vision and a plan.
FIGHT THE CAUSE - NOT THE SYMPTOM Read “Common Sense 3.1” at ( www.revolution2.osixs.org )
Great news! Many of the members have begun expressing their frustration with the existing group, so we may be able to change over, or begin our own! Thank you for all your supportive comments!
When Graeber and his friends showed up on Aug. 2, however, they found out that the event wasn’t, in fact, a general assembly, but a traditional rally, to be followed by a short meeting and a march to Wall Street to deliver a set of predetermined demands (“A massive public-private jobs program” was one, “An end to oppression and war!” was another). In anarchist argot, the event was being run by “verticals”—top-down organizations—rather than “horizontals” such as Graeber and his friends. Sagri and Graeber felt they’d been had, and they were angry.
What happened next sounds like an anarchist parable. Along with Kohso, the two recruited several other people disgruntled with the proceedings, then walked to the south end of the park and began to hold their own GA, getting down to the business of planning the Sept. 17 occupation. The original dozen or so people gradually swelled, despite the efforts of the event’s planners to bring them back to the rally. The tug of war lasted until late in the evening, but eventually all of the 50 or so people remaining at Bowling Green had joined the insurgent general assembly.
Meet the anthropologist, activist, and anarchist who helped transform a hapless rally into a global protest movement
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/david-graeber-the-antileader-of-occupy-wall-street-10262011.html
Use this as something solid and tangible to convince others to move forward.
The Ninety-Nine Percent Declaration
https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
Other people are trying to do good deeds but just because they don't do them the way OWS wants doens't make them "the enemy".
OWS's methods aren't the only blueprint for success out there (in fact many of OWS's methods are historically proven to not work) but that doesn't mean you should leave OWS, and it doesn't mean people who disagree with OWS (as I do) shouldn't organize in thier own way.
That way out of all the crappy groups that form, a few will emerge as having resonance with the people. I'm sure OWS will be one of the biggest. But I'd rather have a enemy facing several armies (especially one's to whom which the same defensive tactics may not work) than to just lose those people all together.
It's better to have us organize in other groups than to ignore the problems and just walk away. If they're doing things a different way with different goals they shouldn't be called Occupy (in case they or occupy do something the people don't like, it's best they actually know WHO their dealing with)
If you feel that strongly that the methods are more important than the message, (one of the very reasons people are so "fearful") then by all means, look into starting a local Occupy group.
Also I believe since we are in such a small town that if they are afraid to associate themselves with Occupy because of fear (and what they fear is judgement by non supporters) they should not call their assemblies Occupy our town and they should not have 99% in their name, so that those of us who want to go about this differently can start an actual Occupation
It is not that I believe they are the enemy, it is just that I am seeing they are not making progress. I don't believe that the methods are more important than the message, just that it is necessary to have a process that gets the message out there. And many of OWS's methods are in fact proven to be successful as described in Strategizing for a Living Revolution.
[Removed]
HTTP://www.springfielder.com. A real Poll.
It's all about being a self-starter. Yes, start your own.