Forum Post: OWS may be the most significant and formative movement since Civil Rights!
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 17, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST by IndyPendent
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement
From the perspective of a retired corporate officer and current small business owner, and former elected official, the primary issue that OWS has articulated, both directly and indirectly, is the tremendous impact "Big Money" has on our democracy. We are governed by "the 1%" who make decisions influenced by "the 1%", to primarily benefit "the 1%". I am one of the OWS supporters who believe that something permanent must come out of the efforts of the movement. First and foremost, the Big Money flowing into our politics must be stopped, and the only way to nonviolently accomplish that is to turn OWS support into votes. We know that all three branches of our government are tainted by Big Money, but the legislative branch is the most corrupted; that's where the remedies must begin. Both major Parties are guilty, but the Republican Party enjoys being the most blatant; overtly justifying their support for their "1%" benefactors. Starting with Republican legislators, and obviously corrupted Democrats, the "99%" must be encouraged to start weeding out the corruption at the polls. Once progress takes hold, then focus can be placed on fixing our democracy. Two necessary steps must be taken; (1) to create a political Party that embodies the principals of the OWS movement which can be a viable alternative that represents the interests of "the 99%", and (2) secondly a Constitutional Amendment that clearly establishes that Corporations, and other legal entities, are not people! Our Democracy is founded on being "of the people, for the people, and by the people" and our Founding Fathers never intended to include Corporations. Something positive and permanent needs to come from the OWS movement, and it will get all the support it needs once a clear agenda of positive goals and objectives are visible to the American People!
First, I agree with your title 100%.
There is a need to translate the raw energy of OWS into organized voting effort. the disaffection that incited this movement is also acting to alienate many OWS supporters from the body politic and electoral process. Getting these Americans to participate in what they perceive is a totally corrupted election process will not be easy. Maybe not possible. Which is a shame since that disaffection is actually success for the 1%. Getting the disaffected to stay out of the polling booth makes controlling the process much easier.
A specific Constitutional Amendment dis-empowering corporate money as political speech is a great and powerful notion. Getting the Democrats and Republicans, who equally benefit from the current state of corruption, to go along with the Amendment is asking them to dis-empower themselves. but if we can get enough honest Americans into Congress and the state houses we could move an Amendment forward.
Having participated in American democracy for forty-five years I have come to the conclusion that George Washington was right in warning Americans against "the baneful effect of the spirit of party, generally". SEE: http://home.ptd.net/~aahpat/aandc/gw.htm
To me, political parties are canker ridden pustule oozing social diseases infecting the body politic of America. They are organized mobs seeking only to overwhelm one-person-one-vote rule with organized mob action.
SOLUTION:
I do have a solution in all of this. A secret weapon within the current electoral process that has never been harnessed to empower the people. The Write-In option. It's free and easy. And if used right can completely neutralize all of the billions of Wall Street's duopoly dollars flowing into the two dominance parties.
Individual and small Write-In efforts never work because the two parties stomp on them. But what happens if a Write-In candidate gets a third of the votes in a three way race? The Democrats and Republicans would be forced to count that vote tally. Or face angry OWS crowds in the streets across the nation.
With the Internet it does not cost a fortune to mount an Independent and/or Write-In campaign. Just a lot of people all promoting the same ideas and people. the disaffection in America today is such that I think this idea has a unique opportunity to bring together disparate people with common goals of reforming the system and process.
One last thing. I am encouraging people to go to my web page of current members of Congress who, in 1999, voted to repeal Glass-Steagall. these people are, I believe, most responsible for licensing Wall Street to crash the U.S. economy and financial system in 2008. If anyone needs to be gotten out of American political leadership it is these people.
See: The Congress that Crashed America http://home.ptd.net/~aahpat/aandc/congcrash.html
Hi IndyPendent, Excellent. Best Regards
I think the green party embodies a lot of our values. I'm voting for them in 2012 even if they don't win.
The little sympathy I had for Obama is now gone now that he has decided to bully the rest of the world.
I agree with what you are saying here. And I believe ows is turning the corner... in the wrong direction, away from this. Away from winning the "hearts and minds" of the people ows claims to represent, and toward being a disruptive fringe group that most voting individuals are not going to be comfortable being associated with. And that is truly sad because I thought this movement at the beginning was wonderfully inclusive and had the right message. Now it's fast becoming an "us vs them" cult.
I don't think it has changed. Unfortunately, the police in NY are becoming very hard-handed. This may make the protestors look disruptive to some. As for being "us vs them", it always has been. Many of the 1% are just criminals and thieves. Bankers pay themselves bonuses like 150 million for one trader!!, even though the trader has not risk his own money or been in any physical danger. The pay rates are insane.
It feels to me like it has changed, that there is a faction now holding sway which advocates destruction rather than construction. The result is that ows is defining far more than "the 1%" into "them."
I agree wholeheartedly with this post. At the heart of the problems lies the government and big business. But it is a tangled web, as big business funds the government and asking them to change that sounds like a near impossibility. I believe it can be done, but I also think we need to make the businesses feel the pressure. We did it with the tobacco companies, we can do it with the rest of them too. Businesses rely on their customers, like McDonald's offering healthy choices when we demanded it and Walmarts everywhere getting into organics when it became profitable, we need to show businesses that we aren't standing for their greed anymore. At the same time, we need to show the government that regulations are needed and allowing a few giant corporations to control everything is unacceptable. We need to move from both ends, demanding policy changes and holding companies accountable.
Political Party-ism is the problem. Corporate lobbyist own this country. We cannot fix the existing political process, those currently in charge would never allow it. It must be thrown out... along with all career politicians.
The police are shutting down access so more protesters can not get in... This will not work!
The People will spread the message out to every section of the city. When the police show up, they will go somewhere else before police have a chance to find an excuse to arrest.
Spread the word... and stay peaceful.
The People do not need to 'walk' on any bridge. There are thousands of streets leading to these bridges... This is a movement of the people, for the people and cannot be stopped. Disperse and spread the word everywhere...
These Patriots are flooding cities all over this country and come from all political and ethnic backgrounds. Our Patriots believe in what made this country great, and in it's time of need have and will continue to react, even if you choose not:
When others oppose this movement, show them this...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." . "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
THE PEOPLE have this undeniable right, and we are using it...
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
When and if this government cannot or will not act, the people will.
This is not political... this a Patriots Duty, for The People, by The People.
As a proud American, I too believe in the basis of our Democracy and subscribe to the will of the people; but I, like so many other Americans believe that ideals are necessary for a foundation of action, but results are the ultimate objective. To accomplish meaningful and lasting results nonviolently, you ultimately must use the tools provided by our Democracy. Proposing the overthrow of the American Government works against the principals of OWS and will not maintain the support of the true 99%. Use the vote and make it happen! Past movements have been successful by combining protests, civil disobedience and political pressure to achieve success. Don't give up on our Democracy yet; use it effectively!
Using words... No one suggested overthrowing the government. Throw out the politicians, lobbyist, special interest groups. Stand by the constitution but 'change' the government.
If you mean Fix What's Broke, then you and I are in total agreement. There is so much that can be done by the commitment of OWS supporters to make our government better for the future. The pressure that can be brought to bear on our politics is insurmountable if applied by the 99%.
Good post
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Are you on crack? What gives you people the right to speak for the so called "99%" when really you represent about 3% of the population. You promote anarchy and disoray and if we all behaved in that manner the world wold fall to pieces!
delusional