Forum Post: Thoughts on motivating the mainstream 99%

I went to the general assembly at Washington Square and have spent some time at the protests in Zuccotti Park and the energy is amazing. I and most of peers agree with the major themes - improve economic equality, tax the rich, prosecute wall street criminals (if we can pinpoint particular, actual crimes beyond immorality), stop fracking, etc.

But most of my friends, who also agree with all of the above, are not getting involved. Why? The protests looks to them like a bunch of hippies without a goal. By using anti-capitalism and communist rhetoric like what I heard and saw at the Washington Square rally, and mushy words, like "peace and love," occupy wall street is limiting its reach and discrediting itself, no matter how much you claim that the goal is to make the movement all inclusive. Even if agree that capitalism doesn't work (at least in its current state), short of a communist revolution (not a good idea, also doesn't work), such rhetoric will get the movement no where and exclude a huge number of people that would otherwise be on our side.