Occupy Update
Occupy Report 110211
A news, analysis and opinion report from the Fringe
One of the problems Occupy Wall Street will have is a tendency for people outside the movement to influence public perception and dilute the integrity of Occupy’s mission.
A great example comes from Jim Dean, of Democracy for America, who tells members in a recent email:
Pledge to oppose any candidate -- Republican or Democrat - who votes for a plan that cuts Medicare and Medicaid benefits for the 99 percent.
Should DfA be allowed to cash in on the currency of Occupy and the “99%”? Occupy, while being non-partisan, leans strongly to the Democratic party; if Occupy isn’t able to float its own party, most participants will probably support the Democratic nominee most likely to win. That’s how the two major parties maintain their stranglehold on American politics: people are afraid votes given to third party candidates will allow the greater of the evils of the two major parties to be elected. Ralph Nader is still blamed by some progressives for taking votes from Al Gore, which allowed George W. Bush to win in 2004 and thus plunged the nation into useless and bloody wars and ultimately lead to the economic downturn. The specter of George W. Bush frightens progressives away from activist candidates to more “acceptable” and electable moderates, worsening America’s slide to the right. The Democrats hope to benefit from Occupy as the Republicans somewhat benefited from the Tea Party, and progressives hope Occupy can power a return toward the left, making America again only somewhat authoritarian, instead of the slavering, howling homeland prison state we’ve become.
Even though DfA is a little late getting to the Occupy party, the organization has joined in a big way, and MoveOn.org has likewise given much of its effort over to monitoring and supporting Occupy.
Photo credits unknown; found HERE
Veterans have been joining Occupy in large numbers after Scott Olsen, an ex-Marine and Iraq war veteran received a head injury when he was hit by a projectile fired by cops. Head injuries are the trademark injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the irony that this combat veteran should come home to be wounded by cops while exercising his right to free speech isn’t lost on vets.
Occupy continues to grow, and more and more politicos are seeking ways to link to the movement. It remains to be seen how support from the different groups will change the movement.
All Power From the People. NYPC and FDNY Officials took generators away from protestors in Zuccotti park siting “safety concerns” but clearly intending to make life, and communication, difficult for the protestors. It didn’t take long before the protestors remembered they were against big oil anyway, and bicycle powered generators were brought in to replace internal combustion engines. The hard lesson, though, is that skinny human legs don’t produce much power compared to a gallon of fossil fuel.
