Occupy Everywhere - Sept 17th - Day of Rage Against Wall Street and what it stands for!

[Peter Lemkin]

The questions remain:

Who is OWS? Is it a mass movement? Has it been infiltrated,co-opted, turned, being used to accept and promote non-OWS directions?

Who speaks for OWS?

What committee of folks provide the content with which to address the media, address power, or address the militarized representarives of power?

My "model" for observing the OWS phenomenon is taken from Ray Raphael's "The First American Revolution": http://www.rayraphael.com/First_American_Revolution.htm

Ed, It seems like a needlessly paranoid set of questions and some don't make sense - as OWS has no directors nor spokespersons, per se or in fact. Each occupation has quite a different flavor, success rate, points they focus upon, actions, etc. Of course the powers that be are likely to have [make that sure to have] tried and keep trying to co-opt and end it. I see no evidence of such success [or even partial success] - and I'm watching very closely. Most attempts to use the police or local laws have actually galvanized the movement, rather than stop it. In some ways it is a naive movement - wherein some individuals know the score completely, while others only know of the economic injustice and the consequences of big money on politics....but I'd adjudge that the majority are learning all the other issues and history, apace. Once the mind is open to questioning the system and the 'spell' is broken on the propaganda lines - the rest sort of happens of its own. Again, I see no evidence of co-optation being successful and no need to speculate on it unless it happens. Most who have joined in so far were already pretty far along in their awareness of deep political things - not all, for sure. OWS is more like a colonial animal - a collection of individuals that functions from a distance as a whole - yet leaderless and without a central organizing group. That was built into it to prevent it being 'steered' or coopted. Each occupation is different and has its own ideas and rules. Only a few basic principles are the same throughout.

While the book you point to looks very interesting, is endorsed by Zinn and yes, I'm aware of how the American Revolution was taken over almost immediately by some rich men [the Constitution in parts gives that all away - while trying to hide it], I don't see the analogy to OWS - which doesn't see itself as a new revolution, but a new way of thinking - and if a revolution is to emerge from it - that will be another thing, separate from OWS. Personally, I see OWS as an icebreaker heading to the public mind; it is also a challenge to the system, as it is - basically stating that its [the system's] priorities and ethics are all wrong. So as not to alienate some, no talk of revolution or of complete change of system is usually mentioned at OWS - but of deep change. Other members are calling for nothing short of a revolution of values and revolution, in fact. I believe in time OWS will split into several groups and that may be good - as there are now many occupations and one size and plan does not fit all.