Forum Post: Occupy Movement needs new direction. Becoming a Political Party.
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 20, 2011, 5:41 p.m. EST by kronenb2
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The occupy movement will not last in its current form and needs to find a new way forward. Protesting is a great way to get attention for an issue but by itself it cannot influence policy.The movement should turn into a political party. This party will need to take on broader issues as well as inequality. These should include tax reform, enforcement of anti-trust laws, universal health care, drastic cuts to defense, immigration reform including amnesty, alternative energy and environmental protection, ending the war on drugs, campaign finance reform, and fixing and funding public education. Many people that are in favor of the Occupy movement also agree on these other issues. Also, these people are not represented by our current government but we could change that. It would not be easy but this party would have to build slowly by winning elections in favorable districts in urban areas. If the party could even get 5 people in the house of representatives that would be a major victory. Also the party could get people in local and state governments in liberal minded cities. The goals of the occupy movement will never be achieved through our current 2 party system. In order to create change we need to be able to vote for representatives that will bring about the change we desire. The only way to do this is to create our own party. The occupy movement has done an amazing job attracting attention to certain problems in this country, but there are many more problems that need to be addressed. The movement needs to adapt in order to achieve the change that it seeks.
You're right about the limited affect of protesting and the possibility of requiring a third party, but it takes time because there is an explicit process that needs to be adhered to in order to be effective. This isn't an exercise in cow-towing to the 1%. It's dotting your 'i's and crossing your 't's so that when you make the case before The People, it will win the day. Thankfully you sound rational enough in your post that you're not expecting too much in the 2012 general election, but you don't seem to be aware of the plan that will have a potentially powerful influence on the candidates in 2012. It's called the National General Assembly.
Borne out of OWS, The 99% Declaration proposes exercising the fifth right under the 1st Amendment, the one that comes right after the right to peaceably assemble, the right to 'petition the government for a redress of grievances'. It outlines a democratic process to chose delegates from congressional districts and territories to produce a 'List Of Grievances' at the National General Assembly July 4th 2012. The existence of The List, given weight by the support of The People, immediately puts pressure on all candidates to answer direct questions about their intentions to address the issues on The List.
" V. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that IF the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES approved by the 876 Delegates of the NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY in consultation with the NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE, is not acted upon within a reasonable time and to the satisfaction of the Delegates of the NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY, said Delegates shall reconvene to utilize the grassroots network established in the election of the NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY to organize a new INDEPENDENT POLITICAL PARTY to run candidates for every available Congressional seat in the mid-term election of 2014 and again in 2016 until all vestiges of the existing corrupt corporatocracy have been eradicated through the power of the ballot box."
http://www.the99declaration.org/
A good idea! A new party not yet (and hopefully never) owned by corporations, the rich and other big money (1%) interests as the other two are. But, as I posted separately, with a primary focus on addressing corruption by the wealthy, not wealth redisribution or a laundry list of political issues that will turn off anyone skeptical of Occupy before even having a chance to gain broader support, more democratic input or solidifying it's platform.
Have you read the 99% Declaration? please see my above comment.thx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EewGMBOB4Gg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w