Forum Post: Where Does the 99% Movement Go From Here?

In order to have any tangible effects upon the current political, economic, and social systems within the United States, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement must organize into a coherent political force to effect change.

99% of the US population will never rise to the economic level of the 1% of the population who control 90+% of the wealth in this nation either by birthright, marriage, luck, talent, genius, industry, or criminality.

Demonstrating and whining about political, economic, and social inequalities within the current political, economic, and social system is an excellent method of publicizing a cause and scaring the hell out of the 1% who have the most to lose from a peasant revolution, but will never actually change the status quo which can only be done either at the ballot box, or through revolutionary means as did the Founding Fathers of the American and French revolutions in the 18th century, Russian revolutionaries in the 20th century, and Tunisian, Egyptian, Libyan, Syrian, and Yemeni revolutionaries in the 21st Century.

The obvious place to start the 99% movement for political, economic, and social change is through grass roots organizing to register every single unemployed, poverty stricken, downtrodden, and/or disenfranchised American to vote in their home districts. They are mad as hell and they aren’t going to take it anymore, but they can vote.

Simultaneously with this voter registration drive, the 99% movement must formulate a fundamental set of principles to organize a cohesive national political movement around. Internet communication between 99% chapters in different cities can create a public forum for debate over what those principles should be.

It is no secret that the current makeup of the House of Sanctimonious Hypocrites and Senate of Anachronistic Obstructionists is deadlocked beyond any hope of actually doing anything to relieve the suffering of the American people, so electing new members to Federal, State, and local offices must become the initial focus of the 99% movement. Jimmy Breslin’s “Vote the Rascals In” campaign slogan can become the 99% movement’s rallying cry.

The next issue is where to find candidates to run for office regardless of party affiliation who will support 99% principles? Once the 99% movement matures to the point where it can demonstrate the ability to vote in a cohesive block, political candidates will magically appear on their own seeking votes, campaign help, and financial support.

During the past 5,000 years mankind has evolved from savagery to barbarism to monarchism to feudalism to mercantilism to colonialism to capitalism to communism to corporatism. Economies change, technologies change, and knowledge changes over time. Political systems must evolve and change as well, so now is the time to call for a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the fundamental law of the land to address the realities of the 21st century world that we now live in, instead of the 18th century world of the Founding Fathers who addressed the realities of their day in the current constitution.

A Constitutional Convention can ask and resolve issues such as:

• Is a parliamentary system more efficient and cost effective then the current three branches of government system? • Is the Electoral College really necessary to elect a President? • Is a single legislative body with 2-Year terms more efficient and democratic then a bi-cameral legislature? • Should the Senate with its obstructionist arcane rules be abolished because it is an inefficient impediment to the democratic process? • Shall State boundaries be redrawn to reduce the number of State governments and bring efficiencies of scale to State operations? • Shall electoral districts be redrawn to insure equal representation for all districts in the nation? • What type of tax system shall the Federal government use to raise revenues? • What type of limits shall be placed upon Congressional spending? • Shall the President have a line item veto for spending bills?

The list of possible changes to the US political system through a Constitutional Convention is endless.