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Forum Post: Wanted: An Occupy Manifesto

Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 30, 2011, 8:33 p.m. EST by pimbee5 (0)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Occupy NEEDS to come up with and release a written MANIFESTO-not depmands, just statement of how things should really be for all Americans in The USA. A manifesto would become an item of real discusssion among all Americans. Just 5-10 will do. No significant political change came about without a document that united Americans and got them ALL talking and MOVING.

20 Comments

20 Comments


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[-] 1 points by RedJazz43 (2757) 13 years ago

There is one. It's called the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City and it's on this website and elsewhere on the web.

[-] 1 points by leavethecities (318) 13 years ago

Like Ted Kazenski, Hitler, and Marx; occupy wallstreet is doing just right, all is going as planned.

[-] 1 points by guitarmywin (158) 13 years ago

Society exists because people exist. The functions of society should be such that they serve the people who live in that society. Human beings; creative, communicative, living, breathing, have needs in order to live. By virtue of the need, it therefore becomes a right. This is in contradistinction to entities, who are not entitled to the same rights as human beings. The right to free clean air, the right to free, uncontaminated water, the ability to procure and or grow their own food, unrestrictedly, without interference from entities, are undeniable and are primary rights. A primary right indicates the human being is sovereign in these areas regarding themselves.

[-] 1 points by jiradog (92) 13 years ago

I think we should get to the root of problems rather that just addressing symptoms. For instance: ending the fed would stop the bankers strangle hold on us and defund the military industrial complex. Bankers who have made bad investments would then be forced out of business rather than bailed out by inflating the currency causing prices to rise on the poor and middle class.

Requiring strict adherance to the Constitution would restore civil liberties and downsize the federal government. This would allow state governments (which are more responsive to the people) to pick up (or not) the functions returned to them. By making these cuts social security and medicare can be shored up to protect people who depend on them.

[-] 1 points by mserfas (652) from Ashland, PA 13 years ago

You're on the right track, but there are some things I'd suggest:

  • Don't start with a list of demands. People want all kinds of crazy things, and they don't all agree. People are a lot better at agreeing on what the problems are, and that's what you should try to compose first.

  • Don't call it a "manifesto". The word is foreign, it's pretentious, it reminds people of Karl Marx and the Unabomber and that nutcase in Norway. Consider "Declaration", "Proclamation", even the humble "Statement" and "Petition".

  • Focus on tangible, verifiable goals. Make people ask what kind of Gini coefficient ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient ) they are willing to accept in the United States. If they don't mind having more inequality than every country in Europe, would it concern them to pull out ahead of China and Mexico? Will they still believe in tax breaks for the rich and ending exemptions for the poor if we have a coefficient in the .50s and we're rivalling South America? Do we have to wait until it's in the .60s and our only competition is a few countries in Africa? Make a statement that makes people think about the cold hard facts.

[-] 1 points by JenLynn (692) 13 years ago

It would be nice to have some set of goals a manifesto might provide. No one seems to want to set down anything specific for the movement to actually do politically.

[-] 1 points by gawdoftruth (3698) from Santa Barbara, CA 13 years ago

certainly would happen naturally if they could bother to get their heads out of their asses and get back to the wiki.

I don't know what else to say. Thousands of people to protest, but I'm mostly alone to try to do any homework.

http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page

[-] 1 points by gnomunny (6819) from St Louis, MO 13 years ago

Mostly alone? Well, I guess 'mostly' is subjective. Glad to see you're over 50 active users. It's growing. I'll be over there in the next couple weeks, I've been delayed in getting my other system up and running. This machine is severely limited on storage space, etc. I've been checking out the MediaWiki help pages lately. Am I correct in assuming I need MediaWiki installed on my machine to do edits? I hope that's not a stupid question, I'm quite the novice when it comes to wikis.

[-] 1 points by gawdoftruth (3698) from Santa Barbara, CA 12 years ago

no, all the program runs remotely you just login.

its very easy to access, which is one of its best strong points.

[-] 1 points by gnomunny (6819) from St Louis, MO 12 years ago

Excellent. Thanks for the response. I'll be getting my ass over there soon to add my two cents. Might be using a different moniker though.

[-] 1 points by joe100 (306) 13 years ago

I am suggesting we contact all Occupys around the world, get consensus on the "direct actions" and "money actions", things that will actually change the money situation and put it all on http://www.Occupy1.org

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[-] 0 points by Lmac (1) 13 years ago

How's this for short manifesto:I once complained about having no shoes, until I met a man who sold shoes. So I wondered, "How could I get those shoes for my feet?" It was unfair that he had shoes and I didn't. So I asked around. "How did that guy get shoes to sell?" Someone said he worked a job selling newspapers when he was a kid. Then he saved up and bought leather and some tools and now years later he sells a hundred pairs a month. I thought to myself "How unfair". So I decided to camp in Central Park to let everyone know just how unfair our country is. I used to complain about having no shoes. Now I complain about other people selling shoes.

[-] 0 points by kingscrosssection (314) 13 years ago

I like you. Where have you been?

[-] 0 points by fishb8 (62) 13 years ago

Everybody has an idea ... Everybody has one vote . . . . .everybody votes once on everybody's idea . . .everybody helps count all the votes . . .most votes pick the most popular idea . . .motion passes or fails . . .Ideas on how to proceed proposed by everybody . . .everybody has one vote . .etc . .until all our problems are solved . . .so simple . . .

[-] 0 points by applepie (17) 13 years ago

First ows is not only for all Americans- ows is for all the world 's people who live under oppression. 2nd ows is decentralized , each chapter makes there own manifesto- based on there unique situation.
different USA city's=different problems- different world cities different problems- ows strongly supports those outside of the usa, espically those who are supporting us within the corrupt usa. training web page http://tinyurl.com/7rvpv43

[-] 0 points by MVSN (768) from Stockton, CA 13 years ago

Yep, I knew anarchist drivel was fueling this whole thing.

[-] 1 points by jsmith (22) 13 years ago

are you afraid? of us?

[-] 0 points by MVSN (768) from Stockton, CA 13 years ago

Not at all. We wouldn't be as gentle as the police. And I think the real marxists around here probably wouldn't be gentle with you either.