Forum Post: OWS will never accomplish anything unless...
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 22, 2011, 1:40 a.m. EST by cga91
(12)
from Aurora, IL
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
OWS will never accomplish anything unless they fight the problem at its source. Politicians are making millions from corporations and the lobbying power in Washington, I really doubt they're afraid of this movement in its current form. They couldn't care less about losing their job while they're making bank. Ever if we vote them out and replace them ask yourselves, what's stopping our new politicians from becoming turning out just like them?
This in turn is the absurdity of the problem.
Corporate influence in our politics is a chronic disease. Right now we're wanting to treat the symptoms but this isn't a fix. You can keep putting band-aid after band-aid on the problem but it won't change. We will never be cured by treating the symptoms, you have to fight the problem at its source. What I advocate (in addition to treathing the symptoms) is to attack corporations. They speak one language: money. Right now while the country is suffering they're making record-breaking profits. In order for anything to really change, you have to make them lose money. We have to force their hand. They try to bankrupt us, now its our turn to try to bankrupt them.
I'm not advocating taking down corporations, but that they should be afraid of us. Boycotts, class action lawsuits, blackmail and anything else in order to make them lose money. With a large organization like OWS I'm sure we could gather pissed off disgruntled former employees to reveal trade secrets, abuses, disception and treason on all levels of corporations. In turn we use this to not just change public perception of these corporations, but also change the confidence of their investors.
They are not afraid of us. If we want to make them feel threatened, we should be compiling a list of the biggest corporate contributors and lobbying power put them on the verge of bankruptcy until they meet our demands.
I completely agree, there is single issue here, a single problem and you nailed it. It's what this whole movement should be devoted to. It is the root cause. Everything else is merely a system.
So long as we continue to focus on other things we run the danger of alienating people. Other issues only serve to distract and divide. This is the single issue and we need to keep it at the forefront.
This movement also needs to get organized so that it have a singular focus, a clear and concise message, a single vision goal, and a real strategy for achieving those goals. Protesting is great, but protests alone will not get it done. This needs to be a full on attack, using all the resources at our disposal.
But first we need to stress this single issue. Everything else muddies the waters and serves only to divide us.
Thanks. It should be targeted at corporations but we shouldn't forget to go after the government as well. I don't think people need to plan everything out right away. Occupy wants a general assembly in July 2012 and that's a long ways away but in the mean time they could attack corporations and maybe start one government-related goal like overturning Citizens United (corporate personhood) which I think all protesters can agree on.
I agree we should protests where ever this problem manifests. But the focus should be in Washington. July hugh, that is a long way off.
Absolutely. We need a coherent message, a resonate voice. We are lacking a consensus. Aren't we the 99%? Re-develop grass roots Democracy as a way of cementing these issues and overwhelming the corporatocracy which now stands.
Please, please, please consider establishing a series of Purple Finger Votes!
Create survey-like ballots within the General Assembly. Distribute them online and on the ground. Ink the fingers of all those who mobilize to participate in purple to keep any one from voting more than once. Get some percentages on commonalities and potential solutions and directions.
Envision the mass image of a multitude of purple fingers raised in solidarity. Re-work the current, angry, black-fisted logo to raise up a purple finger, and add wrist bands to celebrate local movements and portray global unity. One with Stars & Stripes; one with the Union Jack; one for NYC; for Canada; for Rome...
Maximize the head count of supporters over the winter as many who Occupy neccessarily seek some shelter and warmth. Call them forth every few weeks from hibernation into the streets to exercize a new, truer Democracy and vote. Keep the movement alive. Decide together the direction we should flow.
Couldn't agree more. Frustratingly, voting out some useless politician is futile - they are all owned by Corporate America, so you are simply replacing one glove puppet with a different one. The owner of the puppet could care less what the puppet's name is, as long as they remember who is paying them.
So, we need to go after the owners of the puppets. Lawsuits are futile - they have armies of lawyers and will happily spend the next 10 years bleeding the plaintiffs dry. The majority of Americans will never get off their backsides and take any sort of protest action. HOWEVER, encouraging people to support local businesses in every way we can 1) offers a POSITIVE message, 2) supports your friends and neighbors (how can anyone say that is bad), 3) is easy to do, and 4) starves the corporate vampires of their lifeblood - our money. We need to break the stranglehold of the corporates, but Joe American has been fooled into thinking that corporations=capitalism=American as mom's apple pie. If we are going to break them, we need to position this as helping your community, rather than bashing capitalism...
good point
Hi cga91, thank you! Might I suggest that if you REALLY want to get the attention of the corporations that you move a small part of your spending to your local businesses? If everyone would move JUST FIVE PERCENT of their savings and spending to local businesses, that would show the corporations that there IS a price to their behavior.
I think encouraging people to support local businesses is a good thing. I'm self-employed and operate my own business. However its also important to recognize exploitative behavior. Businesses are out to make money of course and the same is true of local businesses, they just can't get away with as much. Many but not all corporations treat their employees and small businesses aren't immune to this either, they're just less likely to.
I have no problem with businesses making money - why else would anyone invest in them? But a business that wants to survive in the long term understands that there are more important things than short term profit - like reinvesting in the community that they operate in.
But it cannot be healthy for companies or society when CEOs can make enough money in one year to do them for many lifetimes - what is the incentive for them to invest in the future of their companies? And what is the downside? If they REALLY screw up, they pay themselves millions to walk away - that is punishment? I just wish that I could screw up big enough that my company would pay me millions to walk away. I can't imagine that you would ever see such suicidal behavior in a small business.
I think that the first thing we need to do is get the money out of politics. I am interested in organizing individuals to work towards that goal. If you are interested, please check out my post: occupywallst.org/forum/get-the-money-out-of-politics or check out www.themultitude.org.
they wont accomplish anything until they try something. sorry but Burning Man isn't going to get it done.
Again, just trying to keep this thing up near the top. Unfortunately I have to go soon.
I agree with this. Massive boycotts, closing accounts, getting collusion secrets onto Wikileaks...Oh shit man, that would so kick ass.
Thanks. I hope more people read my post.
The most profitable industries in the world (energy, healthcare, finance) have been given billions in government handouts and tax breaks. Meanwhile, they keep raising charges causing hardship for millions. With all those massive handouts, tax breaks, and obscene charges, profits rise to record high levels. Millions in bonuses are paid to the executives. With record high profits, record high dividends are paid. 1/2 of all dividends in the United States are paid to the richest one percent. The bottom 95 percent of Americans share about 3 percent (that's three percent) of all dividends. The rest are paid to the top 5 percent and foreign investors. All of this causes a gradual concentration of wealth and income. This results in a net loss for the lower majority who find it more and more difficult to cover the record high cost of living, which again, is directly proportional to record high profits for the rich. As more and more people struggle to make ends meet, more and more financial aid becomes necessary. Most of which goes right back to the health care industry through Medicare, Medicaid, and a very expensive prescription drug plan. This increases government spending. This has been happening for 30 years now. During the same time, tax rates have been lowered drastically for the richest one percent. Especially those who profit from investments. These people pay only 15 percent on capital gains income. As even more wealth concentrates, the lower majority find it more difficult to sustain there share of the consumer driven economy. Demand drops as more and more people go broke. Layoffs results. Unemployment rises. This results in less revenue and more government debt.
Massive subsidies and tax breaks for Wall Street, massive tax breaks for the super rich, heavy concentration of wealth, record high charges along with record high profits and record high cost of living, more hardship for the lower majority, more government spending in the form of financial aid to compensate, more concentration of wealth, less demand, layoffs and unemployment. All of this results in slower economy and less tax revenue. At the same time more and more financial aid becomes necessary. It's a horrible downward cycle which gradually pushes the national debt higher and higher. The other big factors are the wars in the Middle East.
This post is not intended to excuse those who sit on the couch collecting welfare, make no attempt to find work, or squease out kids they can't provide for.
another bump for the night
Also while class action lawsuits might not be a viable having several thousands of people file small claims might be a good option. Just a thought.
giving this another bump