Forum Post: What if Wall Street saw this coming...

Consider for a moment that the power players of Wall Street saw this movement coming. It's not that far fetched of an idea if you think about it. These are the same people who greatly profited from the economic collapse, they created it after all. These people are highly educated and have a natural affinity for accurately predicting the behaviors of the market. This is what makes them so good at what they do- extracting profit from the work of others. Is it so hard to believe that they did not foresee a populist movement rising from the economy they destroyed? One of the key factors behind past movements is high unemployment and they know this. What concerns me is that they were counting on it.

They knew that a burst of the housing bubble would cause mass layoffs, drastically increasing unemployment rates. They knew that millions of people would be graduating college in debt and unable to find work as experienced workers who had been recently laid off flooded the job market. The possibility for populist protests would be highly probable under such conditions. Conditions they created.

What could they possibly have in mind for an anti-Wall Street movement? We know it would have to be profitable for them to even bother, so in what way would Wall Street benefit from such a movement? This is where speculation can turn into conspiracy and this is not my intent. I merely pose the idea as a logical conclusion to the events that have led us to where we are today. So what might they expect us to do, and more importantly, how can we undermine that assumption to their defeat?

If the Occupy movement continues to grow as it has, the possibility of a general strike becomes more and more apparent. As more unions and individuals opt out of the current system, the desire to grind that system to a halt will be overwhelming and may well be inevitable. What will a general strike look like? Well, if its revolution scale, it will be a complete shut down of the basic functions the 99% of society provides. This means food production, power generation, server maintenance, and transportation systems will be rendered inoperable. Society as we know it would cease to be.

Sounds kinda nice right? What if they are counting on it? How might the 1% profit from such chaos? The same way anyone in power benefits from a strike or a boycott- they count on people caving in once their standard of living has been lowered to the breaking point; they wait the strike out. I promise you, the 1% we protest is betting with all their money that the 99% will cave once society falls into chaos. If you think about it, its not a bad bet. If you can indefinitely provide for yourself from the fortune you have amassed, why bother with any of the movement's demands? Let the unwashed masses crash the system. The 1% can provide all the basic necessities for their chosen lifestyle for themselves, they don't need our utilities and will not miss them when they are gone. The best way to profit from such a collapse is quite simply to wait it out. Let the children have their tantrum. In their eyes, they hold all the power and we only have demands. Should the chaos of a general strike become a reality, people may long for the former comforts of their middle-class indebted servitude if their quality of life reaches the breaking point. They will gladly except whatever terms necessary to restore the unsustainable life they once enjoyed. We can not let this happen.

The answer is beautifully simple, but profound in its effect: We must create a sustainable occupation. A sustainable occupation does not rely on the current system whatsoever. If they cut power or if a strike shuts it off, we must be able to generate our own sustainable electricity. Even if it comes down to taking shifts riding a modified stationary bike to generate pedal power (and warmth come winter), we must be ready and creative with our solutions. A sustainable occupation has a network in place to provide an uninterrupted source of food. We can start gardens, and connect with local farmers or urban homesteaders to build a working relationship (send volunteers to work the farm- they send food). Again, be creative and plan on grocery stores and pizza shops no longer being available. A sustainable occupation can provide its own internet connectivity. Set up a network of mobile servers, expand non-electronic communications and create a reliable chain of information between each movement to provide assistance should they need it.

We must create a sustainable occupation, not only to outlast the 1% when basic services fail, but to create an example for the world that can serve as a model for the society to come. A society of individuals who have chosen sustainability over linear growth. A society of people who recognize that unsustainable practices must, by their very definition, come to an end.