Forum Post: Remain non-hierarchical Remain non-political

Think of the global occupy movement as a standards organization. Working groups in each local occupy group work in specific areas and report recommendations back to the occupy group. The occupy group can then vote on the recommendations. In this way the local occupy groups set general principles that political and governmental entities can implement.

There is no need for leaders. A truly distributed, non hierarchical organization, by definition, has no leaders. Instead, it derives its power from the collective will of its members in true democratic form. People can and do exist without leaders.

Governments should implement the will of the people instead of coercing the people to act according to some ideology. Elected officials are not leaders. They are implementers. If the occupy groups remain non-hierarchical and independent people at large will learn to trust their process and cast their votes accordingly. Control is not only unnecessary it is counter-productive.

There is no need for specific demands. Local political entities can decide to implement a policy or principle established by a local occupy group. The local occupy group need not need endorse any particular implementation, but it can intervene when a political entity falsely purports to comply with the group's policies or principles. It is ultimately up to the people as a whole, through their votes, to determine the outcome. For instance, local occupy groups have identified environmental pollution by unregulated corporations as an issue that must be addressed. A political entity like the green party might sponsor environmental regulations that ensure clean air and water. Concurrently, a business-oriented political entity might sponsor regulations to limit unfettered corporate greed. Both specific political activities are implementations designed to deal with a local occupy group issue but neither co-opts the independence of the local occupy group.

Non-hierarchical, non-political local groups are necessary to avoid the government-for-sale system we have today. There must be a physical separation between policy makers and policy implementers.

Policy makers must remain ideologically independent and free from the pragmatics involved in the implementation arena.Their only job is to determine the will of the people through non-partisan discussions and express that will through concensus policies and principles.

Policy implementers should focus on the pragmatic issues presented by policy implementations. Their only job is to find the most effective and efficient ways to implement the will of the people as determined and expressed by the local occupy groups.

Ultimately, the people control the situation with their participation in the local groups and with their votes.