Forum Post: The OWS Pledge?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 14, 2011, 12:11 a.m. EST by WorkingClassAntiHero
(352)
from Manchester, NH
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
This is not a pledge for occupiers or protesters. More a curious simply pledge to call upon the candidates in the upcoming election to take and live by.
"I will no longer accept donations from corporations, trade groups, PACs, unions or any donation from a private citizen larger than one hundred dollars and when elected, I will fight to end privately funded elections altogether and pass laws to make all lobbying of elected officials a matter of public record for immediate review."
Thoughts?
If they actually complied with the pledge, they wouldn't be able to generate enough money to win.
I don't really care about politicians careers much, do you? If a statement was raised and attention was raised and the poor bastard who took it lost, it would get the message play. Thats my only concern.
What I'm saying is, no politician would take the pledge. No one would expect them to take it because we all know it would cost them the election. Therefore, it is a meaningless effort on our part and makes us look unrealistic.
I can think of a couple who would. Some may even go out of their way to campaign on it. I personally find a majority of Ron Paul's proposals for this country to be a complete joke, but I admire that he stands on them and after having done so for long enough is recognized for it.
If people willing to put the time and effort into seeking office are willing to carry this sort of message, I don't give a damn how bad they do. They'll speak it and people will hear it. Otherwise it'll come down to endorsing shitbag politicians like Obama, who may even talk about it, but will take the corporate money hand over fist and "compromise" away any agenda items which threaten their interests.
Nobody will sign it, because the way things currently stand, you couldn't get elected without taking the graft. The only way this gets fixed is if we force those already in office to bite the hand that feeds them. The only way to do that is too convince them that their careers are over if they don't.
The thinking being that the DNC want to ride the coattails and/or take over this movement entirely. Republicans might play to it, but I doubt it. Might make for an interesting debate insurgency, to get the question out in the open and allow the general nonactive public to think about.
If you are talking about an outreach tool, I'm all for it. As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing we can be doing is taking this single issue to every person in the 99% and making them really think about it. And when there is a voting majority ready to act on the knowledge that their representatives don't represent them anymore, then we can hold their nuts to the fire and get some reform. And with that one reform, we will open the door to solving all of our other equally important woes.
Agreed. If fringey politicians or even wannabe mainstreamers can cite a message like this in some attempt to paint solidarity with the movement, it'll allow continued autonomy from a single banner while also getting free press and attention, both to the movement and the cause.
Enjoying our little chat, but dismayed that our friends are so busy playing with trolls they don't have time for us!
Its irrelevant. This site and pretty much every other is in one way or another, a waste of time. The message regarding election reform needs to get into the committees. I know it has somewhat, but it needs more support shored up from the different areas.
They need to see it as a unifying call that everyone but trolls can get behind and it is.