Forum Post: OWS Highschool Project (Update)
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 21, 2011, 12:25 a.m. EST by Gr8Gatzby
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Okay! I’m almost done with this project. However my entire presentation is riding on the back of this question. Does Occupy Wall Street endorse capitalism, the free market, “an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.” I really hope the answer is yes. If the answer is “no” what alternative systems do you propose?
See the menu bar at the top? click on the one that says NYCGA
This movement needs to be more primal than that. We must awaken people without scaring them. Our one demand, as I believe that is all we can afford without division has to be: Amend the Constitution for government ONLY financing of elections, no contributions, from anyone; rendering Citizens United a moot point. It’s the only piece of this that resonates with the anti-establishment left, the anti-establishment right and everyone in between. Including many who make 350k+ believe me its great to make that kind of money but that doesn't mean you want to spend it on some one's (or even your own) campaign where the mega-corps and uber-unions are going to drown you out anyway. The shear fear of this movement uniting and growing, immune to their false discourse would so scare the shit out of them they'd probably start proactively trying to appease us. Wouldn't that be nice? Oh, and its spin-proof. The logical contortions involved in trying to spin this would only push people to us.
I was really afraid when presenting this that I would scare people away from the movment, because media coverage only showed the most radical of us. So collecting data that said otherwise was hard.
actually if you put murdoch owned media reports side by side with other media the contrast is shocking.
Take some mudoch coverage. He owns the New York Post and Fox, and put it side by side with NY Observer stories, NY Times stories. Greenwald at Salon, Washington Post. The contrast is amazing.
Hey Gr8Gatzby, Was wondering what happen to you. I think a majority of us support capitalism. I think also that many that are on the fence on supporting capitalism think what we got is capitalism. It is not capitalism. It is Crony Capitalism.
Overall i am almost definitely sure a majority of Americans would not support any other economic system. I think many could support a mixed economy especially those that lean left. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_economy
Basically a mixed economy is one in which some sectors ( such as education) is controlled by the state and some are controlled by the private sector. I would say a mixed economy is probably going to be the only other likely outcome.
I do not see a socialistic or resource based economy unfolding here. It would not have enough support. So the chances are slim.
Hey! Yah I have been doing a lot of independent reading projects. For my presentation, I’m trying to show it in an objective light so my teacher doesn’t think I’m trying to persuade students to support OWS, which is what I would like. Plus after the presentation he’s going to try and pick it apart.
I think some of the protesters would like state run colleges. Resource based economy is? Like precious metals?
It is based on some type of finite resource ( like the gold standard for example). I have a general understanding of it but that is it. If you want to know more on it from sources that are more familiar with it, check out the The Zeitgeist Movement . They have some followers here if you want to try to call them out in a post. And The Venus Project which i think is a part of the TZM philosophy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venus_Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist_movement
As far as popularity i would say capitalism>mixed economy>resource based.
Some keep pushing democracy instead of capitalism. But democracy is a govt type and capitalism is a economic system. I think what they really mean is capitalism instead of the current crony capitalism.
Yah I notice people were confusing the 2. Thanks for the links! As helpful as always!
I believe OWS protesters have not made any formal endorsements. They are keeping it very simple and fluid right now. The protest is drawing people whose suffering has become unbearable, who have come with grievances and everyone is sharing lots and lots of ideas.
There is a wide diversity of views, remarkably so.
There was an anonymous poll to get an idea of who the participants are conducted by OWS New York and published under the news menu. If you have a hard time finding it, google: Occupywallstreet.org poll.
I like your user name: "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously, "Why of course you can." Jay Gatsby
Personally, speaking for myself, I put no stock in the imperialism of idealism and tend not to talk about systems so much as people, policies, steps, the messy piecemeal work of democracies. But I am speaking purely for myself, though of course there are others with that viewpoint too.
You can read the minutes of the NY General Assembly on this website and the minutes in other cities on their websites to get an idea of what gets talked about every day at the occupations.
Somehow I think you may not be a student doing a project because of so much masquerading in this forum, but I will go along
Thanks. Gatsby just seemed appropriate. This is just the kind of answer I wanted to hear, one that appeals to independents. You sound like an embodiment of objectivity. Where do I find the minutes of the NY General Assembly.
NYCGA up top.
V-V just now noticing this. #shame
Gr8Gatzby,
It's a mistake to think that protesters actually stand for something. Really what it comes down to is they want to look powerful, they want to see themself "fight the power" even if their foes are completely and totally imaginary.
Their issue is: never leave Zuccotti Park, or they think they'll lose. Really, that's their issue.
I'm so glad that you're here to speak for us. You know cause we're not.