What is Occupy Philly?
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Skip to contentWhat is Occupy Philly?
One Citizen's Journal & PhilosophyWatch this! Share this! This was very well written and spoken. There is a strong disclaimer to this. Video soon on my YouTube of the disclaimer specifically.
This is one person’s perspective and not intended to be more than that. As a collective we will decide how to proceed, but this is a wonderful summation of many people’s thoughts, in my opinion.
Click below for a video
after recording this video I was followed. Large man, plain clothes, arm badge, looked federal. I looked over my shoulder at him quite a few times. He saw me see him. Followed me all the way to my workplace.
I have been thinking about this topic, for the last 36 hours or so, pretty heavily. This is another thread that my friend Dan started with me on Tuesday. Since we opened this discussion with our physical voices, I decided to bring this idea to light here. Sharing.
It’s not ever-present in corporate America yet, but this quiet social movement is growing. This is born out of independence, inclusivity, and morality. All wonderful catalysts. Oddly enough it’s still somewhat taboo, rarely do people discuss it. I witness this on a regular basis, but I have not yet tried to articulate my analysis of the two behaviors that create a need for the observance of Post-Materialism. How it exists in corpo is that people are learning that there is no real happiness that comes from selling each other out. This has been how people have been getting ahead, climbing the corporate ladder, getting more money. It is possible to obtain a reward for being an asshole. The most common variation of this is theft of credit-where-credit-is-do. A lot of people want to shape the perceptions of their superiors by appearing to be in charge, in control, vital to the process, initiator of the idea, and ripe for a promotion. That’s ok if you are those things, in my opinion, but many are not. It is not just wrong socially, but it affects our economy too. Through those behaviors we are losing ourselves as an industrious country. The talent becomes secondary through the perceptions that are established. The work becomes less-good. Our products are suffering. In the end WE are becoming less effective. I think this contributes to why we our economy is so jacked up. The movement to stop this pattern is as grass roots as it gets. Individuals are pushing against it. Our numbers are growing. Unfortunately, often times we feel powerless. We gather over cigarettes and coffee and vent our frustrations. We were doing this right up the street from city hall while I was typing this. I hope we, the post-materialists in corporate america, can flourish eventually. This is one reason why I don’t think we need to tear everything down just yet. I have hope. Read about Post-Materialism here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-materialism
Here is exactly how it happened. think about this today. Both sides are important to everyone. Either by addressing the point any party is saying or for just pure understanding. Join the chat rooms at occupyphilly.org and discuss things like this with us, also tons of info there in general.
Within this discussion I am Twelve, “me” is another human contributor.
sally l
10:18 AM
whats the big issue w so many homeless people? are they moving from the shelters to occupy philly?
Me
10:19 AM
Probably
at occupy they’re guaranteed a place to sleep and plenty of food
also safety in numbers
Twelve
10:20 AM
Hello
sally l
10:20 AM
do you see that as a bit negative in a way? if they are already provided food and shelter in other places?
media suddenly focused on how its just a bunch of smelly homeless people using this as an opportunity to change their scene…hang out w a bunch of people they think want to help them and not the country as a whole.
Me
10:21 AM
the problem with homeless shelters is they are not big enough to hodl everyone
that’s the media skewing the truth
trying to make occupy look bad
sally l
10:21 AM
whats weird is speaking w several of them and theyre admitting to leaving their safe areas w food etc…to come here and use what food and shelter is there
Twelve
10:22 AM
Last Night at City Hall & An IMPORTANT message about HIJACKING and inner-circles – Please read and share >>> http://wp.me/1UCYI
sally l
10:23 AM
i just feel like from day one to now….its mostly all street people. and thats fine…but its changed a lot about the vibe of the entire movement in phlly
sally l
10:25 AM
philly is just a weird city. in every way.
i wish more middle class came out
make more of an impact on the message
Me
10:25 AM
Philly is a poor city
sally l
10:25 AM
the poorest i think
Oki Red
10:25 AM
to sally: so you think a protest is a good way out?
Me
10:25 AM
but Occupy is making me fall in love with it
Twelve
10:25 AM
the occupiers are just part of the movement and an essential one. someone has to occupy. we need to create messaging that is sympathetic to their positions but also attracts those that are judgmental of them (the occupiers). we need help from everyone
people with other talents and other obligations are realizing that their time may be better spent off site
thanks ok
sally l
10:26 AM
what do you mean good way out
Joshua
10:26 AM
street people are people too
Twelve
10:26 AM
FUCK YA
Me
10:26 AM
we need bodies
Joshua
10:26 AM
capitalism let them fall through the cracks
so… yeah.
sally l
10:27 AM
i just think…the streets are a lifestyle of their own. its full of a lot of dangers etc. a lot of bad smells. a lot of weirdos who honestly lose their minds. i spoke to plenty there the otehr day who say its tough to keep your head straight. i just dont want it to turn into this community of crazy homeless people and turn the supporters away.
never said they werent
Joshua
10:27 AM
naw, you mustn’t worry about such things. love will win crazy over
Twelve
10:28 AM
i stand with them
sally l
10:28 AM
it has. definitely. theyre there to support but its just tough to see where it s headed
Me
10:28 AM
to be honest when I’m there I can’t tell the difference between teh homeless and hte occupiers most of the time
Twelve
10:28 AM
they are all occupiers
stop segregating
Me
10:29 AM
that was not my intention
sally l
10:29 AM
not many know why we or they are even there
theyre not there for the movement
Me
10:29 AM
I was just trying to point out that I can’t tell the difference, and it doesn’t matter
Nik Zalesky
10:29 AM
We can’t tell anyone they can’t come, and we can’t control who does, so why worry?
sally l
10:29 AM
stop segregating. occupy philly has a big issue w racism….idk if homeless would be included in that.
Oki Red
10:29 AM
“Occupy” will not resolve anything
Joshua
10:30 AM
oki, red. whatever you say.
go about your life as usual.
buy plenty of shit and die!
sally l
10:30 AM
im all for this. im there constantly. i work a day job and have donated hundreds already out of my own pocket, that i barely have
not trying to be negative. sorry if its coming across that way
Nik Zalesky
10:31 AM
What is the big issue Occupy has with racism?
Oki Red
10:31 AM
oh yeah, “plenty of shit and die”. So polite of you. I guess you tokk some private lessons near City Hall how to talk to girls
sally l
10:31 AM
just asking what people feel about the larger presence of some crazy homeless people who dont even know what is going on
people constantly talking about it. “we need more color”
Joshua
10:32 AM
Oki, for real though. you’re entitled to your opinion. I just wish you could see the bigger picture
Nik Zalesky
10:32 AM
I like that they’re there. There the 99%ers with the least voice, and we’re giving them solidarity and showing that if they’re taken care of, and it helps.
Oki Red
10:32 AM
trust me.
i know
Nik Zalesky
10:32 AM
People talking about we need more color is not racism.
Oki Red
10:32 AM
how it feels
Guest Marie
(This is you – Sign In)
10:32 AM
PLUS THEY GET TO PARTICIPATE
Oki Red
10:32 AM
i was born not in america. lets just say slavic country
Joshua
10:32 AM
that’s cool. you know oppression.
i hear ya. most americans don’t know they’re being oppressed though
Guest Jessie
10:33 AM
it can be annoying having screaming mentally ill homeless people, but it completely underscores our message that our system isn’t working for people
Guest Marie is now Twelve
Guest Jessie is now truth truth
there needs to be some kind of public mental health facility but
funding for that sort of stuff has been cut and cut
Joshua
10:33 AM
exactly why having them with us helps address such things and living together
truth truth
10:33 AM
not to mention better public housing, homeless shelters, etc.
Joshua
10:33 AM
is an important facet of that
Nik Zalesky
10:34 AM
Most Slavic countries now are capitalism run amok. When I was in Russia, I needed to hire a mob bodyguard so we wouldn’t get mugged on the streets.
truth truth
10:34 AM
don’t get mad at the homeless, get mad at the system that leaves mentally ill people completely on their own
Twelve
10:35 AM
everyone does not have a computer or connections to use or money to contribute or a persona that will help attract the masses. the occupation itself is not the only thing that is going on. an army is working. but the occupation is showing solidarity with the rest of the country. this is what initiates getting heard and is still required in many other cities. philly has it good in that department, we may not need to occupy any more. but that is also where the army congregates in person.
it is the glue. the physical space
I ended up missing the general assembly. So much is going on. I was at city hall while it was in session though. Tonight, due to the rain, GA was held at 15th and Cherry street. The Friends Center… I think. Delirious, so I might be slightly off on the name. It’s extremely generous for that facility to open its doors to everyone. Friendly even.
Messaging met again, in the subway concourse. This is a passionate group! There are so many questions and concerns surrounding the objectives of this committee. It’s a little frightening, but also crucial to what we are all trying to do.
We haven’t really begun to shape the message yet. We want to gather information first, as we should. Surveys are available at the info table and at the library. The survey consists of several open-ended questions for everyone to answer. We want to make sure peoples concerns are heard and answered, so I think this is a fantastic solution. Exciting stuff.
I know, I keep saying everything is exciting… but it is.
I’m about to fall a sleep right where I sit, so I also want to get another quick thing out before that happens.
There was a lot of talk today about hijacking, and inner-circles. This was both here in Philly and also in Washington DC. Maybe elsewhere too, heres a link. I almost bought into some of it (again!). I have seen the factions forming too. I think this is just the natural order of things. There are factions in every collective, that’s just a fact of life I think.
If someone feels like they are on the outside of any given faction, they may take offense to that. It may be perceived as advantageous to be a part of certain factions. Within the Occupy movement, they may have better tents or generators or be at the center of certain conversations. Is this inequality or is it just the way things shake out?
To say there isn’t some kind of hierarchy in play, is foolish if people want to measure a hierarchy in perceived advantages. Unfortunately, that mentality is taking hold with some people and I hope I can avoid that chasm.
Maybe we can work toward breaking down the perception by being even more inclusive…? Or have we jumped the inclusive shark? We need to get shit done, right? Every job cannot be done by everyone simultaneously. I’m still undecided. I think we should try to trust each other for now and see what happens. I will do my part.
Although there is dreary weather outside, I decided to go back today and help where I can. The live stream was up for the majority of the meeting and will continue to be broadcasting meetings at this location: http://www.livestream.com/occupyphilly – Roger is working hard to get more equipment so that we can broadcast 24/7. We also need a paid account from livestream so that we can have more than 50 viewers at a time.
The rain didn’t stop us.
There was great news from the city. They sent an official letter which further endorsed what we are all doing. They want to work with us and support our efforts. Regular meetings with the city and our mayor will be scheduled. Amazing. HISTORIC!
This photo was from the reading of the letter. Check the facebook page for occupyphilly for more.
i need to focus on work now. boogie.
- twelve
My good friend brought this up last night. I think its important for us to become more informed about topics like this. Here is a primer from wikipedia:
The Banking Act of 1933, Pub. L. No. 73-66, 48 Stat. 162, enacted June 16, 1933, was a law that established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the United States and introduced banking reforms, some of which were designed to control speculation.[1] It is most commonly known as the Glass–Steagall Act, after its legislative sponsors, Senator Carter Glass (D—Va.) and Congressman Henry B. Steagall (D—Ala.-3). Some provisions of the Act, such as Regulation Q, which allowed the Federal Reserve to regulate interest rates in savings accounts, were repealed by the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980. Provisions that prohibit a bank holding company from owning other financial companies were repealed on November 12, 1999, by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, named after its co-sponsors Phil Gramm (R, Texas), Rep. Jim Leach (R, Iowa), and Rep. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. (R, Virginia).[2][3]
The repeal of provisions of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933 by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act effectively removed the separation that previously existed between investment banking which issued securities and commercial banks which accepted deposits. The deregulation also removed conflict of interest prohibitions between investment bankers serving as officers of commercial banks. This repeal directly contributed to the severity of the Financial crisis of 2007–2011 by allowing Wall Street investment banking firms to gamble with their depositors’ money that was held in commercial banks owned or created by the investment firms.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Events following repeal
The repeal enabled commercial lenders such as Citigroup, which was in 1999 the largest U.S. bank by assets, to underwrite and trade instruments such as mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations and establish so-called structured investment vehicles, or SIVs, that bought those securities.[20]Elizabeth Warren,[21] author and one of the five outside experts who constitute the Congressional Oversight Panel of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, has said the repeal of this act contributed to the Global financial crisis of 2008–2009.[22][23] Others have debated what role the repeal may have played in the financial crisis.[8][24][25][26][27]
The year before the repeal, sub-prime loans were just five percent of all mortgage lending.[citation needed] By the time the credit crisis peaked in 2008, they were approaching 30 percent.[citation needed] This correlation is not necessarily an indication of causation however, as there are several other significant events that have impacted the sub-prime market during that time. These include the adoption of mark-to-market accounting, implementation of the Basel Accords and the rise of adjustable rate mortgages.[28]
read full wikipedia article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_Act
I’m exhausted. I saw a lot tonight. I spoke with a number of new and old friends. Fellow citizens. It was great. A few times I found myself looking up in the sky and telling myself to take deep breaths. It can be frustrating. Everyone I have met so far has wonderful intentions. Many are extremely intelligent. When I think about the potential of the people involved, I’m blown away. So I take the deep breaths and try to recenter when I am frustrated by the process getting in the way. A couple of times I was doing just that, and I caught a glimpse of William Penn. We are at the foot of city hall. This whole thing is as real as it gets.
Holy shit. We are revolutionaries. This is how our country was founded and we are all here, doing it again. Amazing.
I brought some new faces with me tonight. My wife and an old friend. He drove quite a distance to see what this whole thing is all about, so I should probably rephrase and say he brought himself. Maybe I played a role. I saw a tweet of his asking what donations were needed, and because I was so glued to this computer I happened to be the first to respond. Then I texted him, and informed him of this blog. That was Sunday. Dan is a perfect fit for this group IMO. Basically because he is logical, educated, motivated, and positive. Grounded. We talked for hours about what is going on at Broad and Market. I hope we can continue to work together on cracking the code. We both have a strong desire to understand, and help.The General Assembly brought decent news about our permit, port-a-potties, and a new committee (messaging). I have been concerned with the public perception of this for the last 5 days or so, as stated in earlier posts. The messaging I heard before this blog began was not favorable. The first post says it all. Anyway, I joined immediately. We met after the GA and the turnout was substantial. Here’s a photo:
Huge respect goes out to Kurtis, who took the initiative to raise this need to the GA. We have a long way to go, but some progress was made. With many opinions time seems to move slow for me. That’s a personal thing, because I like to keep moving. I like when individuals are empowered to make their own decisions. Trust is key. That’s how I function in my day job and everyone seems to be challenged while still feeling positive. Learning how to function in this direct democracy is hard for me, but a huge learning opportunity. Self improvement is an available benefit for everyone involved. I love that. wow, I’m getting goofy. As I said, I’m exhausted, but happy too.
This is video (kinda) of the permit announcement:
Here is Kurtis talking about the messaging committee. Audio isn’t awesome though. The sounds of the peoples’ mic in the background:
night all. thanks for all of the kind words, and support. I’ll take the criticism with a smile too.
- Twelve
I had no intention of speaking when I arrived. I was helping with broadcasting the meeting, that was my purpose there. Yesterday, someone said that I should speak. I happened to have some of the same thoughts as this other young man did. I wrestled with the idea. That was part of the reason I was up so late and why I slept so restlessly. Anyway, I started writing down my thoughts last night, and thinking about how I would present my thoughts. Although, I wasn’t sure if I should do it or not… I wanted to be prepared just in case. Glad I did.
Between then and now a lot happened. There was the Atlanta and Boston live feeds. The huge amount of tweeting and info relaying on www.occupyphilly.org chat. My regular life fit was squeezed into my time as well, however with less regularity than usual. I’m sure many of you understand what I mean by this. I was shaken by the news when I woke up (read earlier posts) and didn’t remember to bring the notebook I was scribbling in when I left my house. Again, by 9am my focus was shifted.
The general assembly was kicking off. Technical issues were worked out. We were rolling. Good feeling.
I was kind of lingering by the tech tent and looking on. This is where speakers were waiting to go up, and I was asked repeatedly if I was waiting to speak. “No, but thank you”. I said that several times. The other speakers were passionate and basically just all around amazing, but I heard some things that were directly connected to the subjects I felt we needed to discuss and no one was talking about. The same things I was scribbling in my notebook.
It popped into my head that maybe I should carry on with speaking. I looked out into the crowd and caught eyes with someone I had never met. Unexpected. Just as I was thinking, “should i do it?” – She nodded at me twice. Total coincidence I’m sure, but it was all I needed. That happened in a split second. Within another 60 seconds I had typed out what is below into my ipad. Within the second minute I was being handed the mic and was stepping on stage. The abrupt turn of events put me in a mode where I didn’t have time to be nervous. Here is what I tried to say, not sure exactly what I said now, but this should give you an idea.
A great experience over all. Glad I could share it with you all. If anyone knows of a video of me speaking, please send it to me. It’s probably worth a giggle.
Anywho… I had to get back to the office so I can continue to keep all plates spinning. So I got my stuff together and boogied on out.
- Twelve
I was able to help with the broadcast today. After some struggling with livestream and my laptop, we were able to get the stream going just in time. Thanks Randy and SteadyDan, and All.
Www.livestream.com/occupyphilly
I fell asleep at around 3am. I didn’t mean to. Before I even came to grips with that, I was crying. I am not really a crier, but there I was.
The images of the Occupy Boston situation, that unfolded during my slumber, are striking. This is happening NOW. Everywhere. In every major city and small town. People are standing up for what they believe in and it’s not necessarily what the main-stream-media (msm) is saying. It was thousands, not hundreds in Boston. There WAS brutality. Constitutional rights were infringed upon. This is not the first attack against the 99%. This is not the first attack against the occupy movement.
The crowd may appear to you as young, uninformed, idealistic or “typical” protesters. These are some of the descriptors that I have read and thought myself, read below. Regardless of that, they are the 99 JUST LIKE YOU. That is not a cliche. That is the TRUTH! We are together. The crowd of those who are most passionate are there 24/7. It fits into their world, they have the time. Do not look at them for their demographic status. This crowd… These Crowds… they are standing up for everyone. We are being taken advantage. And this crowd of young people (and less young people) are sacrificing their comfort and freedom to demonstrate against the hierarchies that have put us all in this mess. The game is rigged, and the jig is up.
BE HEARD. HELP US! STAND TOGETHER!
More photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronspagnolo/sets/72157627868081776
Here is a link to the reuters report. Reports are varying on numbers arrested and injured. Second camp was dismantled.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/us-wallstreet-protests-boston-idUSTRE79A0P320111011
I couldn’t make it down for the general assembly tonight. So it was nice to see the livestream working - here’s a link .
Honestly, the speakers I could hear were lacking. Bus fare, slavery, abandoned properties? Really? We are setting our sights mighty low. Then there was something like a concert? ok. I wish I could hear now. Where’s the business? Did I miss it?
I have been thinking about the plan. The strategy of this. Create a proposal that is agreed upon by the majority through a fully democratic process, collectively. Then we will raise it to the government. I guess I’ve concluded that I don’t buy the idea. No impact in my opinion. It puts too much faith in government. There is no reason for them to listen to our proposal. If they do listen AND agree to it, they can just change the laws back to the way they like them once we quite down and go home. All of this camping and tent-city government organization and all of the trying… And in the end they are only planning on such an anti-climactic culmination…?
Two historically successful general tactics for getting what you want out of the federal government.
1. Overthrowing them by force
2. Playing the game against them
This proposal they plan to establish and present sounds like hey are doing neither. They want to play the game with them. Their logic is flawed in thinking the end result will make a difference.
Firstly, anyone can make a proposal to the gov. They think they are standing on the platform of 99% so the gov will have to listen, but as explained in previous posts, it’s not truly that and no where near it. They are .001% of the 99%. They are all in similar life situations and match each other is several demographic attributes.
Secondly, this crowd is so liberal, and idealistic that they think the government has to entertain their proposal. Maybe they think that because they are inclusive, that everyone will have to be. This is a serious flaw in their current philosophy in my opinion.
Here are two ways to play the game against the elites. Hitting them in the pocketbook is at the core of both of these ideas. Neither of them involve creating a commune/tent city.
- tax revolt. Put efforts into a campaign that convinces people to stop paying their taxes in 2012.
- boycotting products and services that have direct ties to elites/gov. We have discussed a “don’t buy anything” day around here… Which is a version of a total/mass boycott. But this would be extremely complex to pull off. Instead you can start small and build backing over time, and move toward a total boycott. Look at what the civil rights movement did in the 60s. Boycotting city busses or single products is much easier to do. the most effective strategy would be to start with products/services that require Physical store fronts and in-person customer bases. Like gasoline, banking, public transportation. I know we have tried this in the recent past with little success. Difference is that now we are all here and listening to each other… right?
Here’s a third quick idea:
Start showing up in mass to city council meetings in large numbers. Annoy the shit out of them with everyone’s scattered concerns and demands. Let the elected people, who supposedly are experts in sorting out the madness of public voice, figure out how to organize and address the complaints… At the very least it would make them realize that they must address the concerns or they will never have another worthwhile city council meeting. Why do these tent city collectives think it’s a good idea to inflict this duty on themselves? No experience. They have no organizational or leadership experience, most of them have barely any life experience. They don’t realize that this tactic will require strong communication both internally and external marketing. In one interview I will be posting soon a guy says that they are learning as they go. Which is great for a mock government, as in a school project etc. But they think this is going to work for dealing with two actual social/gov structures; the actual gov, and the tent-city gov they are foolhardily creating in tandem.
I see a strong possibility of this thing degenerating into complete chaos once people start getting tired, hungry, frustrated and entrenched in debate that would naturally occur in a civilized assembly. Harsh words, I suppose. Bottom line is, I think the plan needs to be streamlined. I think people can get behind these tactics. It will keep us busy and make the government negotiate with us. We would have the power. Correction, we do have the power. A good plan is essential though.
How can I help?
That’s what I was preoccupied with today. I mean really help. What connections can I use? What favors can I call in? I had tried to suppress the idea that I should discuss this with my employer, but this thought suddenly took hold. Before I knew it in motion. BTW: this is a large corporation. I will leave names out for obvious reasons, but a donation from them could really be big.
Anyway, I had the first conversation. I almost thought it could happen right on the spot. But then I was asked to provide information on the group. They want representatives to make a proposal. It has to look legit. I spoke with the donations and resources group at occupyphilly as soon as I could. We discussed it. I made sure I was clear/complete and tried to give advice on how to position it and what to ask for. I think they are going to prepare and send me a more formal request. Which is cool. I will certainly uphold my end and make sure it gets to the right people within the corp. I was sweating and hungry so I boogied on out.
On my ride home, I couldn’t help but wonder if this made sense. Will it be right to take their money? I’m POSITIVE people among the occupy movement look at this organization as evil. To me, they are not. People within the corp may believe this is affiliation with the democratic party. Obama has been endorsing occupyX. So let them think that if they want.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Should occupyphilly not take money from the elites? Does this change things? What if they expect something in return? What if they get us hooked and then threaten to cut it off if we don’t change our message. Clearly, this is something the General Assembly should discuss.
Anyway, who knows. Nothing is guaranteed. They may not donate… But should we ask? I, for one, am very torn.
Been putting this together. Need to update with latest locations. Please email me if you want editing privileges.
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I made it out to today’s general assembly during my lunch break. Here are some clips of what I saw. Just raw footage, but give an idea of how these meetings are coming together and the process of communication and facilitation. Very interesting IMO.
I also was able to acquire some poster board, markers and other supplies for the art table. It felt good getting it together and dropping it off. This is just a first delivery, I will try to organize more. I really think one aspect that needs tuning is the messaging we are presenting to the public. It can not be done with placards alone. The information table is still lacking in my opinion. We need to post statements that are agreed upon by our general populace. I hope I can provide some assistance on-going. I have also connected with the tech team. I hope I can help with broadcasting the live stream, but I am concerned with the data limitations of my hotspot. We shall see how this pans out.
Here’s how I got the answers I was looking for… I asked! Genius, I know.
Tonight I am already feeling like I have changed my views entirely, several times over. Not just of occupyPhilly, but the whole (now national) movement. I have spent the day reviewing my footage, both video and still, remembering what people were saying and doing, considering what it all means, and publishing my thoughts here. I was able to connect with this group, even if I am concerned with their approach. That was ok with them. I love that. What was formerly my biggest concern, is a memory now. I was most concerned that this movement is manufactured by the same people that manufacture all of the bullshit that we are forced to endure. I don’t think there is a hijacking under way either. I don’t see a ruling party or steering committee or men behind a curtain. Believe me, I looked.
However, I am still concerned that the many groups that have come together lack direction and that this may take a very long time. And on the other side, I wonder if anything will be solved. The msm still has the story in a seriously jacked up state. We should keep an eye on that. Let’s correct them when they get it wrong. By that I mean wrong to you. That should keep all of us talking, which I think would be a fantastic result.
I am also concerned with the communist and socialist undertones. It may be my imagination, but I sensed these ideals. To cut right through the bullshit, let me say this: I don’t believe communism is the answer. Nor do I think socialism is the answer. If I had my way, we would move toward the right of center. Less government. More protection of our constitutional rights. Less bullshit from the old boys’ clubs, and more FREEDOM. I’d like to see a changing of the guard if we are stuck with this two party system in the next election, but I’m also not a republican. I want people to enjoy their lives and be happy, and I’d like to see this happen without more regulations imposed on me and my family.
That’s what I’ve got for now. If you enjoyed the beginning of this story, please follow here or on twitter. The blog is up to current now. I will continue as this situation unfolds. Photos and more video from Saturday will be posted shortly. If you plan to stand up, best of luck to you. I will see you out there. Be safe while speaking your mind. It’s great to see activism in such a healthy state, and in my city. In fact, it just made me smile.
As originally posted here:
[link removed]
What I said while I was there, posted from my phone:
I got some answers… Kinda. The answers are disorganized and chaotic. I see less puppet mastery today. I have video interviews with a couple people who are organizing/funding. Serious communist presence. Clearly! But there is also opposition clearly present. Still digesting the info… Anyway I will post more later. Need to get the video edited.
A fellow observer and activist responded:
Hegelian dialectics rule. Thanks 12g, really. I was in the city today to check out a couple demonstrations, I’ll make a thread to share tomorrow, going out now. I got a good vibe though
Research what “Hegelian” means. Very interesting IMO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel
I Responded:
There is a positive vibe in that the experience is inclusive of all who wish to participate. The people I spoke with were friendly, but also it was clear that things are still just starting and nothing has yet to be decided.
The only thing that seems to be concrete is that they will be creating and taking a proposal to local, state or federal government. In order to be a part of the facilitation group, which will be at the center of the proposal creation, you must also participate in a working group. Kitchen, medical, security, sanitation, etc. Unfortunately that really limits who of the 99% can participate. Sure, you’re included if you want to be, but you must choose a duty/table/committee. Furthermore, they expect this to take weeks at a minimum. Who has time for that? Not me. Not many. So this will end up being 1% of the actual 99% creating a proposal. Anyway, are we trying to improve our society, or are we trying to run a tent city? A lot of effort is currently being spent on the latter.
I was able to network and get to some insiders… Although they claim there are no insiders… Having a camera guy helped. it’s clear that anonymous is part of the core group but were not pleased that I deciphered that and quickly took down some signage after I pointed it out.
Also, my anti fluoridation petition is now at the general information table. No signatures yet… Heh. But it’s cool that they were completely open to it.
The general assembly was somewhat interesting, but again… Somewhat disorganized and a lot of focus on keeping their tent city thriving.
Here are the issues I see.
- they need leadership. They are so stuck on the model that everyone is equal that everyone is afraid to take charge.
- the full 99% is not represented, and can’t be.
- they are really far from deciding anything.
- the party vibe is fun, but doesn’t help them look credible.
- many people there don’t know what is being discussed by the facilitation group. The proposals that are on the table are not being put on a board for mass review.
- they need direction, badly. At least a couple core ideas need to be established.
Here’s what I saw, I will elaborate:
I sat up all night. What I had witnessed and my concerns were overwhelming. I decided I would go back. I also decided to bring a friend who is film producer/editor/camera guy. I had questions (I still do). I wrote them out and planned to get to some people who were involved with the organization and ask what I felt needed to be asked. By this time the msm was all over the spectrum of predictable commentary, chasing their tails, and carrying our elected fools’ water.
Here are the questions I planned to ask on Saturday:
- who or what group do you perceive is organizing and running this demonstration?
- who is funding this?
- what do they stand for?
- is there a presence here from the democratic party?
- there seems to be an overbearing presence of socialism and/or communism amongst this organization. Can you elaborate on that?
- do you know who George Soros is? Would you take a contribution from someone like him? Have you yet?
- what is the intention of this demonstration?
Why Protest??
The game is rigged. We all understand that. I am speaking for the majority of the true 99% when I say that. This is not news to us. That the game is rigged. The reason I am pointing this out is because this is the only message that is reaching the masses. Many do not see a way to change that the game is rigged, nor do many of them fully understand the magnitude of manipulation that the powers that be are engaged in.
- The existing power structures and elitist hierarchies are eliminating the American dream.
- Money has become a prerequisite to freedom.
- The gap between rich and poor has never been bigger than it is now. This is being achieved through hoarding of wealth and the elimination of the middle class.
- Our constitutional rights are being eliminated.
- Our government is too large and regulations are too many. Nothing gets done. The people’s interests are not being preserved! It’s all process and no action.
- We are on a path to destroying all of the noble efforts of the founding fathers. This is being done on a daily basis as a part of a slow shift toward socialism and communism. The only way to stop this process is to redo what has been undone. We need to stand up and demand our freedom again.
- Corporate interests are controlling elections
- We are being lied to and manipulated by the media, corporations, government, and political groups who all have their own agendas. Many of these agendas are aimed at further control of the people.
- Corporate cronies and drones.
- We are being poisoned through our water supply, GMO foods, and pharmaceuticals.
- The elite are allowed to wage war, commit acts of terrorism, control the media, pay a slap on the wrist fine, if anything, and the profit from the whole thing! This situation is out of control. It’s a runaway fire. And maybe communicating these atrocities in detail will help wake and inspire the 99% to stand up with us!
- The majority of Americans, who are also victims of the points above, are not taking action. This is either due to ignorance or apathy, and we can inspire them.
Observations and reactions originally posted here:
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I spent a couple more hours at city hall tonight. I expected attendance to get much larger after business hours, so I left work early, got some stuff together and headed over. A little disappointing. There were less people there than at 1pm. All information tables were either empty or no help. There was nothing to participate in except for hackysack and screaming at traffic. People are also starting to seriously move in there. I guess that’s the “occupy” part of this whole mess. Lots more private tents. people setting up camp, etc.
Before there was a mix of many ty
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