We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, October 14, 2011

My Advice to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

Click here to access article by Matt Taibbi from RollingStone.

His advice relates to the demands of Wall Street Occupiers which he anticipates will be developed in due time. Unfortunately, his demands are only for reforms to a system which is essentially a criminal enterprise, a system that is designed to satisfy the addiction of a tiny group of people to profit and power. His suggested list of demands are like asking organized crime syndicates to act nicer and play fair. 

Taibbi is another example of mainstream media's toleration of liberal dissent--and, Rolling Stone is clearly and safely within mainstream media. Rolling Stone magazine is a limited liability corporation apparently 100% owned by Jann Wenner, the founder. Journalists for the magazine and website  carefully avoid any attack on the capitalist system itself or engage in any radical political polemics.

If you accept the need to change the governing system of capitalism, then a list of demands must relate to goals which only a thoroughly democratic and equitable system could provide. Some examples that I can think of: 100% employment for all able bodied people, guaranteed income for those unable to work, 4 hour work days/20 hour work weeks, free universal health care, free education as far as people can go based on competence, nationalization of the Federal Reserve, return homes to those who have been evicted due to foreclosure, dismantlement of all foreign military bases.