Forums:
Two parts:
1. Determine NEAR TERM practical demands to be addressed to the U.S. Congress:
These should be goals that are meaningful and can be realistically achieved as enacted legislation before the Nov2012 election. Goals should be both widely acceptable in terms of public/electoral appeal and should also advance the cause of our movement. We are challenging our representatives to represent us by introducing and passing legislation before the next election. THEY SHOULD BE WORKABLE, NOT UTOPIAN.
Here are my suggestions, mainly as examples:
(a) Democracy is priceless: A constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United ruling, specifying that the right to campaign and support campaigns is a right of human individuals and does not extend to for-profit corporations, and limiting the total spending by any person.
(b) Restore the Fairness Doctrine in FCC licensed broadcast media, as a requirement for licensure for stewardship of the public airwaves.
(c) Reinstate Glass-Steagall banking regulations (so basic, yet the financial industry has successfully fought this.) Require that any failed financial institutions be nationalized and executive bonuses and compensation clawed-back.
(d) Require that states and local governments receiving federal funds respect the right to protest including by means of encampments, or be subject to withholding of funds. (This should be so basic as to be unnecesary, only we've seen that it isn't in a number of places....)
(e) New-Deal style infrastructure-building employment programs. (Our infrastructure is decrepit, and this worked during the last depression.)
The goals selected should be reduced to proposed legislation, which is kept as SIMPLE AND CONCISE as possible, and should be crafted by people with legal/legislative experience. We challenge the U.S. Congress to vote on this legislation, with the "encouragement" outlined in (2) below. These are NOT LONG-TERM OVERARCHING GOALS, but will enable us to focus our energies on working towards our ultimate goals in the longer time-frame.
2. Run Occupy Movement supported candidates in the primaries of BOTH parties for U.S. Congress.
Candidates should be people who have been registered with these parties before OWS came about. These will NOT become our leaders but WILL represent the movement's message in the election and challenge leading candidates (e.g. in debates) to take specific positions on issues of concern to the movement and ideally make or decline to make specific commitments to introduce and support the legislation arrived at in (1) above. The objective is not to necessarily win congressional seats (it would be a mistake to become another Tea-Party), but to challenge candidates to address our concerns, shift the debate and also to either shift the positions of the candidates or to force them to show their constituents very explicitly where their loyalties lie at the time it most matters.
In California, time remains but is limited to file for candidacy. Occupies in every state should be checking on their filing deadlines and requirements (e.g. their Secretary of State website.)
A few comments:
It is not being suggested that this is the only thing that Occupy focuses on, but rather one avenue that is available to us. The Reform versus Revolution debate is a false dichotomy.
Read the Declaration of Independence...that listed a litany of efforts that were made to obtain redress of basic injustices over the preceding years, and that none of the available channels proved adequate; that was the groundwork. Right now, it's 1765 or 1773, not 1776, if anything like a revolution is the only solution. The case for revolution becomes stronger when reform has been shown to be futile, and the case for established power to admit reforms becomes more compelling when faced with that alternative.
At other points in history, (esp. e.g. the Civil Rights movement) it was the interplay of both reform and radical movements the led to what was achieved: it became clear that the alternatives were not reform or no-reform, but reform or serious civil conflict. Without either one, it's unlikely that the established structures of power would have responded at all. Of course, the limits and insufficiency of what was achieved in Civil Rights reforms suggests that while reform is likely necessary, it's also likely insufficient, so even though it's something we likely have to do, we also need to maintain and build a movement that aims and goes beyond simple reforms.
Pursued correctly, we can build a better, stronger movement this way, that will be seen as directly and effectively pursuing clearly articulated goals, and therefore can gain the support and involvement of those waiting on the sidelines to see if we're more than spectacle.

Stragedy or stratagem; workable objectives voted on as a mandate
Submitted by Jo Terry on
We are always working with congress to pass our New Guard funding bill. It promises to remove the corrupt from government and never passes. The only reason for this is we need a 60% for it to pass and the corrupt have grown beyond 60%. Maybe now they will finally pass it. To bring you up to speed. We the 99ers are to provide New Guards for our future security. This New Guard has been developed, tested, refined and proven by 99ers in Scandinavian countries. We no longer have the luxury of time to experiment with unproven mandates. This system has been adopted by 25 OECD nations along with two U.S. states. It stops police abuse and corruption in government. There are no detractors.
We were given a duty by our founding Patrons to provide New Guards for our future security after proof that the old guards had been corrupted. The corrupt have been playing a game on us and we are occupying as we grow. The vote the general Assembly must call for comes from the question Do we want to go into their game with or without the chess queen piece known as the New Guard. A yes vote will put these public commissioned plenipotentiaries between police abuse and the occupyers. These Investigators out rank the police and all officials as to end abuse and corruption. We were given a duty now lets call for a vote as to fulfill on this duty and protect the occupyers as well as the 99ers. I can answer all your questions on this detractorless unanomous vote. Even the 1% will vote for this as they understand a need for a Patron to protect the progeny from depredators. Reversing corporate personhood got a 76% vote. This will get a 100% vote. Workable and congress is already well aware of this plenipotentiary who investigates abuse and corruption.
Run Occupy Movement Supported Candidates in the Primaries
Submitted by alhs06 on
"Run Occupy Movement Supported Candidates in the Primaries"
Delusion's of grandeur, but grandeur provided through What? Let's try to accomplish something first okay, before we start nominating somebody for President. It's The 99%, not the 20% of the 15% of the 99%.
You know, I've got a fantastic pose in mind for the top of Mount Everest, now all I got to do is climb it.
Jump off the "Soap Box" & crawl into a "Fox Hole"
I joined this movement to put a stop to politicians cause
Submitted by ItsAboutTime on
nothing good comes out of the white house, sorry to say but I joined this site cause I lost faith in the system and ALL Politicians!
I dont feel like time is limited to put anyone in the race, I dont want to participate in voting for anyone to power. Its a proven failed way to run the world.
I'm not utopian in my views, I believe you can cut out the middle man, and thats what I hope this movement is for. To cut out the middle man that keeps us from what we need, food, water, shelter, electricity,... how about we go straight to the point, people need the basics that they're not getting.
Overcome the shadow of control
overcome the shadow
Submitted by Jo Terry on
Jack abermof on 60 minutes said it well. the system is corrupt. How do we cut out the middle men?
ahls--you missed the point...
Submitted by ultrarad on
[for whatever reason I missed these replies when they were fresh...apologies.]
I said NOTHING about the presidency. That WOULD be useless. The point is to have candidates in the Congressional primaries of both parties who are there for the principal purpose of debating leading candidates and specifically challenging them to commit to vote for whatever is arrived at in #1 without modification or defend their reason for declining to do so--i.e. putting them on the spot when and where it can make the most difference, i.e from a position where they have to answer. The point is NOT to win the election but to extract specific commitments that are damaging to re-neg upon.
Unfortunately, I see few other avenues for making our government vote-driven rather than money-driven.
If you've got a better strategy, please elucidate.
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Radical also means staying critical and not drinking anyone's kool-aid.
A more aggressive strategy
Submitted by Justin on
I think the Occupy Movement, rather than just be focused on establishing itself as a party with candidates to offer, should be more focused on altering the system. Meaning, the occupy movement should focus on recalling, ousting, supporting alternatives to both Democrats and Republicans that vote assertively on bills that oppose the public interest. Further, the movement should mobilize to recall any mayors or governors that decide to use the power of the police institutions against the movement.
Essentially this, if you vote with the right wing, with the Koch Brothers, with the lobbyists, with the bankers, you will lose your position in office, regardless where you are Democrat or Republican. It is through such organization that the movement may hold power. So in some respects, as Californians, we should be aware that Senator Feinstein has ignored a signifcant number of progressive issues, especially and including the issue of Net Neutrality. Let's get rid of the phonies if the phonies refuse to support us after being given a single chance.
Further, as part of its strategy the movement must bring together the soldiers, the hospital workers, the factory workers, the teachers, all the working people of American and the world to participate. We cannot depend on simply have a specified location as being sufficient for mass participation.
Good luck and comment!
Responding to candidate
Submitted by Justin on
Responding to candidate debates, and including someone in the debates sounds great. However we must remember that Kucinich was exluded by the mainstream media from the debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
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