by Eric Blair
October 3, 2011
from
ActivistPost Website
It started off as a small band of committed campers determined to occupy
Wall Street.
The protest began by opposing the blatant
looting of Main Street and to show solidarity for economically oppressed
people around the globe. In just two short weeks, the occupation has
exploded in size and is now spreading to other parts of the country.
Notably, the only time the establishment media covered the swelling
"occupation" was to discuss its lack of a cohesive message, as if to
immediately discredit it, plant the seed of divide-and-conquer and move on.
After ignoring the protest completely for the first few days, they were
forced to cover the infamous pepper spray attack of harmless and contained
women in what amounted to a mini-Kent State incident.
Sympathy for peaceful protesters immediately surged from this shameless act
of police brutality. Well-known liberal activists like Michael Moore,
Russell Simmons, Susan Sarandon and others waded into the Manhattan
encampment.
Almost instantly, Bill O'Reilly
labeled the demonstrators as 'anti-capitalist.'
So it seems everyone in the establishment is
falling into their left-right roles quite neatly when defining the
revolution.
Additionally, major workers unions started voting to throw their support
behind the "movement." This further acts to define the message and it will
surely isolate anti-union Tea Party activists who otherwise share the same
rage against the machine as the occupiers. Today,
George Soros showed
sympathy for the protesters which is bound to ignite the Soros haters to
condemn the entire demonstration.
The establishment knows exactly what it's doing by isolating angry people
back on to their respective plantations. They will stop solidarity at all
costs.
Because of the lack of clear demands and the encroachment of ideological
figure heads, some have warned that the movement can be easily co-opted.
Examples to prove their concerns range from how the grassroots Tea Party was
swallowed up by establishment Republicans, to how the Egypt revolution
(which isn't nearly over by the way) simply replaced a globalist-backed
dictator with a globalist-backed opposition leader.
However, I contest that it will be next to impossible to co-opt this
explosive movement in America precisely because there is no central command,
or demands. Some are there to protest the bankster takeover of the people's
government at the taxpayer's expense.
Closely tied to that is a general discontent of
crony capitalism as well as the resolute group of "End the Fed'ers."
Some are there to promote peace and an end to
the foreign wars. Some are there to defend their civil liberties against the
aggressive surveillance and police state. And some are there simply because
they lost their job or benefits and find themselves with no other way to
fight the system. Indeed, there are countless more issues that are
justifiably present.
Many have been quick to call the protests "controlled opposition," or shout
about the ideas they disagree with.
Clearly, there will be many sources of power who
attempt to hijack and redirect the growing rage. While it is important to
point that out when obvious, and to educate the misdirected, we should be
careful not to alienate those who are genuinely upset and are now primed to
be fully awoken.
Despite differing passions, protesters have shown unshakable solidarity in
an overwhelming disgust of the system itself - otherwise known as "the
establishment."
Another aspect that appears to unite all
involved is the commitment to demonstrate peacefully. Most importantly, it
is a decentralized movement, like any true grassroots revolution. Try as the
establishment and other fringe groups will, these characteristics are the
foundation of why this movement cannot easily be co-opted or defeated.
Building off of that, here are six more specific reasons why the "Occupy"
revolution is here to stay until profound fundamental, systemic change takes
place.
-
Numbers Don't Lie:
CNN reported last week that a record 90%
of the population believe the economy "stinks."
What's worse, the
government and banks have approval ratings in single digits. Who
will those 90% empathize with more: those who protest; or the
elitist bankers, their cronies, and their storm-trooper guards?
The tinderbox has been lit and there is
no stopping it now. Millions of people have been waiting for a
rallying call to direct their displeasure.
-
Left-Right Paradigm Shattered:
Although all of the protesters likely
have personal political leanings, most realize that voting for a
specific brand has gotten them nowhere. The merger of corporate and
state power is now exposed for all to see.
As far as solutions are
concerned, everyone now realizes that band aids will no longer treat
specific wounds. The bleeding is caused by an aneurysm in the
system, not by a political party.
-
Corporate Media Discredited:
Since protesters are acutely aware that
the entire system has worked against them,
the corporate media has
been exposed to be an integral part of the problem.
There have been
unending lies by the establishment about wars, bailouts, politics
and a host of other main street concerns. The show's over. Informed
citizens don't trust what they are hearing any more.
-
Peaceful Protest:
“When it gets down to having to use
violence, then you are playing the system's game. The establishment
will irritate you - pull your beard, flick your face, to make you
fight. Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to
handle you. The only thing they don't know how to handle is
non-violence and humor."
John Lennon.
The city's first mistake was
letting protesters set up a peaceful camp; now they're stuck with
us.
At this point, bringing in storm-troopers to remove the peaceniks
will make Kent State look tame. Beware, however, of planted
provocateurs used to demonize the disgruntled as dangerous and
violent.
-
Token Solutions will not disburse
occupants:
The establishment will surely try to
pacify the masses with token actions like firing
Bernanke or
Geithner, raising taxes on the top 1%, or arresting some
banksters.
But it will not work because there are so many differing grievances.
A charade of "solutions" will not satisfy the most aware protesters.
This is the strength of a decentralized movement.
-
Cops and Military are being screwed too:
Again, the numbers don't lie. It's been
noted that over 20% of NYPD mortgages are under water, and if
nine-out-of-ten Americans feel screwed by the establishment, it's
easy to assume this majority also represents soldiers and police.
It
has been reported that several cops have refused to come to work,
while some active duty and former military are plotting to protect
the demonstrators from the police.
Make no mistake, this revolution will become a
battle of ideas.
True, solutions come in all colors and forms
that don't fit everyone's concerns. But this moment requires ALL of us to
encourage others to participate.
To accomplish anything substantial we must first
commit to throwing ourselves upon the gears and levers of the apparatus, and
to indicate to the owners of the machine, that unless we're free we'll
prevent the machine from working at all, as said famously by
Mario Savio
(see below video).
It's a blessing that each individual is focused
on different gears and levers that must be exposed and stopped, otherwise a
peaceful and lasting revolution does run the risk of being derailed.