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Subscribe to RSSOccupy Wall Street protesters are planning coast-to-coast demonstrations Tuesday in honor of "May Day" or International Workers' Day. The protesters are calling for a general strike and are encouraging workers to stay home. The Morning Joe panel discusses.
As Occupy protesters hit the streets for a nationwide general strike on Tuesday, some in the movement fear the emergence of two new activist outfits made up of "old left" advocacy groups and unions is an attempt to turn them into a "pet" for the Democratic Party and President Obama’s reelection effort.
The new groups, 99% Power and 99% Spring, include backers such as MoveOn.org, Rebuild The Dream, AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers, CODEPINK: Women for Peace, and The Ruckus Society. The groups bring money with them – something in short supply for Occupy – but their efforts are being eyed warily by those who helped launch the Occupy movement.
Adbusters, the Canadian magazine that made the initial call for people to Occupy Wall Street on Sept. 17 of last year, has been running a blog series on their website, "Battle for the Soul of Occupy," in the last few weeks. In it, the publication has decried attempts to "neutralize our insurgency with an insidious campaign of donor money and co-optation."
"This counter-strategy worked to kill off the Tea Party’s outrage and turn it into a puppet of the Republican Party. Will the same happen with Occupy Wall Street? Will our insurgency turn into the Democrats’ Tea Party pet?" Adbusters wrote in an April 12 post. "Will you allow Occupy to become a project of the old left, the same cabal of old world thinkers who have blunted the possibility of revolution for decades? Will you allow MoveOn, The Nation and Ben & Jerry to put the brakes on our Spring Offensive and turn our struggle into a ‘99% Spring’ reelection campaign for President Obama?"
Skepticism of electoral politics runs deep in the Occupy movement and it could affect the ability of Democrats to mobilize activists during the 2012 campaign, despite attempts to appropriate the "99 percent" rhetoric. But Todd Gitlin, a former leader of the 1960s group, Students for a Democratic Society, who has just published a book on Occupy, believes the concerns of some in the movement are "outlandish."
Protesters hit the streets for May Day rallies
"It was inevitable that there would arise political actors that want those same reforms, although they don’t necessarily share the real-time spirit of the movement. These are the membership organizations, like the unions and MoveOn … who did turn out for the big marches in October and November, and who are numerically very large but were always from the beginning being met with suspicion on the part of the Occupy movement," said Gitlin, a professor of sociology and journalism at Columbia University.
"This represents actually a misunderstanding on the part of some of the Occupy people who feel weak, so they’re afraid of co-optation because they feel that the co-opters have the power to puncture their balloon," he added.
Still, the new groups don’t sit well with Charles M. Young, a writer at thiscantbehappening.net and a 1960s-era activist. He attended one of the mid-April training sessions held by The 99% Spring on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, which he said was led by representatives of the Democratic Party and Wall Street lawyers, and where Obama buttons were offered for sale.
Up host Chris Hayes leads the conversation on civil disobedience in light of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the groups that are emerging to teach protesters non-violent demonstration tactics.
Young, 61, feared that Occupy could be "pulled to the right" by partnering up with them and felt the effort was part of a bid to keep the "Kucinich Democrats" from leaving.
"It looks very much like what they call an AstroTurf movement, you know, something from the top down," he said, noting he left the meeting "disillusioned." "I don’t remember anybody saying that there was a need for the 99% Spring before it came out."
"It does seem to be mostly the Democratic Party trying to keep the left in line for Obama and keeping things obedient, and that’s just not enough given the issues involved," he added.
In an email statement, Justin Ruben, MoveOn's executive director, said his group has electoral goals, but that his organization has "zero interest in trying to alter [Occupy] in any way."
"Growing economic inequality and the increasing influence of 1 percent cash in our political system are huge problems, and problems that MoveOn members care deeply about. Our response includes working to engage more activists in the fight for fairness for the 99 percent and to introduce activists to powerful tactics like non-violent direct action. That's what the 99% Spring is about," he said.
"Regarding elections, yes, there's no question that MoveOn sees elections as profoundly important, and we will be engaged in elections this year -- just as we've engaged in elections since our inception in 1998. But of course we work with lots of allies that don't engage in elections, and we respect that choice," he added.
Dorian Warren, an assistant professor of political science at Columbia University, said schisms on the left today are similar to those during the civil rights movements. There were "intense fights between the old guard" groups like the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the youth-led Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he said. In hindsight, the youth-led group played an important role, serving as "the left flank of the movement," he said. "That’s sort of the role Occupy is playing."
But Occupy should be skeptical and challenge the progressive establishment, he said. "Until September, the strategies of these groups, whether it was ‘inside the Beltway’ game or just traditional interest group politics, that was not working, and so the more radical tactics that Occupy innovated is what shifted the political terrain and they should stay focused on doing that."
The 99% Spring and 99% Power have given a nod to Occupy for leading the way, though they also said they had been drafting plans to engage in more public protest and focus on corporate accountability before Occupy existed. They had targeted the fall for their campaign, but then Occupy took off, which in turn helped them convince others of the viability of their own strategy, said George Goehl, executive director of National People’s Action.
Occupy reinvented: '99 percent' protesters target General Electric
"It opened up some space for some of the things that we’ve been working on for a long time, and it was really just kind of liberating … in terms of what was possible and also in terms of kind of confirming what we thought," he said.
Goehl said members of Occupy have joined his group’s trainings – or led them – and some consider themselves as part of 99% Power. He said when he was in Des Moines last week at a protest, three of the 12 people arrested were from Occupy.
"I think what we’re seeing is … a growing number of threads that do speak to the need to be fearless truth tellers around what’s truly going on in this country to both engage in nonviolent direct action and to challenge the dominance of the corporate sector both, you know, in our economy and in our politics," he said. "And I think that, you know, Occupy is a thread of that, 99% Spring is a thread of that, 99% Power … it’s all part of the same thing."
He said that the notion that any electoral objectives were part of their strategy was "completely false."
"The organizations that actually started this idea don’t really run big electoral programs. It’s not been that kind of the focus in terms of strategies and tactics," he added.
In the end, Warren, the politics professor, said he thought there could be "too much focus on who’s co-opting Occupy versus Occupy just doing its work."
Success during big events like Tuesday’s May Day actions will actually depend on how many people that the unions, MoveOn and other groups turn out, Warren said. "In that sense, Occupy’s fate is linked to these other groups and these others groups’ fates are linked to Occupy."
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"Puppet of the Republican Party?" LMAO. Not.
Did anyone get a look at the group that ORIGINATED the occupy movement -- move on, afl-cio, uaw, etc? All taxpayer bailout/funded recipients? You pay for them, enjoy.
You allow these "groups" to tax you one more dime, and it's your own fault. They want one thing, whatever assets you have to be nationalized and to enrich themselves. The key difference between left and conservative is conservatives are smart enough to earn it, the left needs everything given through confiscatory taxation because they're idiots.
While many portray this as a battle "for the soul" of amerika, it's really confiscation of those who earned for those who have not. Don't kid yourselves, allow the jamokes to gain an inch and you'll be living in the old soviet union.
Unions are tax-payer funded. Not a chance in hell. The companys they work for yes , unions no. Clown
Clown, really? There's not such a thing as public sector unions payed with tax dollars? Really? Jeeze, thanks for the enliqhtenment.
What a maroon. Ostriches stick their head in the sand, don't be an ostrich.
Money they, the union worker earned doing a job and making a wage. Wages that they in turn pay taxes on. Your argument is circular and trite. A person has the right to with their earned wages what they will (as long as it's legal) Government workers earn the money they make.Excepting several Congressmen
you lay down with dogs you get fleas.
and if Obama is around you could get eaten.....
Turn in to the Democratic Party's Pet?
Please, this has been a Democratic party movement from day 1.
This has Obama written all over it. Pit Main St vs Wall St. Economic class warfare. Obamacare, student loans.
These are all his themes. Mindless zombies decided to create their own special interest group, though rather than spending millions to promote their cause, they camp out and make demands. But these are all Democratic Party demands- more entitlements that Obama is behind. He never met an entitlment program he did not like, or a high earner he did not want to take more from.
Become the Dem.s pet- sorry it all ready is.
So, if these people in the OWS "movement" are afraid of being pulled to the right, by the Democrats, MoveOn.org, unions, etc.
Just HOW FAR LEFT ARE THEY?? Would Lenin or Mao be too far right for them? Just askin!!
they're so far to the left that they'd have to take a hard right turn just to be considered left.
Google "Chinese cultural revolution."
They were teh liberals "pet" the moment they started. they just need to be litter box and paper trained now.
No matter what lies the bullys say, THEY WILL NOT STOP US NOR SHUT US UP!!!!
Occupyier
i'm ok with not stopping you, since you aren't going anywhere anyways. As for the shut up part.....well, that's why they invented earplugs. And the remote control changer. Hey, baseball is on...see you later, OWS!
skank..
lillipop....
Just do me a very big favor... I'm NOT one of what you call the 1%. I actually work.
However, I want this made emphatically clear. YOU DO NOT REPRESENT ME. Stop proclaiming you are fighting for ME. You are NOT. You are fighting for your self centered entitlement mentality.
lillipop,
You couldn't run a successful dry cleaning shop on your street corner, no matter how hard you illiterate, useless, illogical, meaningless, irrelevant losers tried.
lollipop is a sucker....
Btown,
Good one!!!! I get it!
They are not a "pet" of the Dems...they are a TOOL.....and they are TOOLS...
The biggest pet of all lives in the Whitehouse the only qestion is, who is his onwner? Nobody knows.
Ya, if he was my stray dog I sure as hell wouldn't claim him... would you?
Yes, Bob, we do know. Well, we know of at least one of his owners. His name is George Soros.
John 2006061 is absolutely correct. I am sick and tired of the "media" attempting to DIVIDE these United States. Write your Congressman and ask for a "warning label" to be put on ALL written statements from the media, i.e., .... "WARNING: what you are about to read may be hazardous to your health and may NOT be true and in fact may be a LIE, twisted and totally dishonest. What you are about to read may be an attempt to sway your beliefs and turn you FROM all you've learned and proven in your life". And, with the radio and television "news" reports the same on referring to audio and visual. This less than honourable government that we NOW have needs to be changed,.... 100% of them.
I had a movement this morning and it occupied my toilet....turds of a feather...
Awwww! Isn't that cute! The DNC has a pet rat just like Willard... don't it do that dead kiddie-diddler MJ proud! God, I'm so glad to not be some left-wing nutjob loser! (LMAO) Oh, and to the Occupy people... get a job ya bunch of worthless hippies!
A job is okay, it's the work part they have a problem with.
Touche!
was that not Ben?
after years of watching HARDBALL with CHRIS MATTEWS and thinking that he did not reveal his politics, i find that he is so biased and just a PROXY pundent for the demo's.when guys like this try to feed you slanted opinion, repeatedly every night, it is time to turn them off!
This is the biggest group of idiots ever "assembled". They have provided no true mission statement and can't agree amongst themselves on nearly anything. All they ever brought to the table was "we are the 99%" and "tax the rich". That pretty much sums it up. They don't want to think any harder than, "someone owes me for my crappy life which I've chosen for myself".
It's fine to want to be a part of a sprited movement that has direction, focus, purpose, meaning and long term results. But I personally don't think these angry, bitter, souls have a clue about grounding themselves in their own lives first. Not all the common man and the working girls are miserable freaks with forked tongues and the desire to throw poison darts at the so called bad wealthy beings on earth. I personally think these groups are alienating themselves from the real common man and working girl mroe than they realize. I love being a working girl. I am proud to make my way and take that paycheck and take of myself. The fact that I don't own a porche, yacht or have exclusive country club privileges don't cause me any ill will at all to those who do. As a matter of fact, some very, very wealthy people I have acquainted with have always been very generous and real.
The more to the left these groups go, the more crazy they are going to make themselves. You can't fight against the world without first taking the time to calm your heart and spirit and being proud of who you are as a common man and working girl. The vitriole and aggressive rabid attempt to cause some type of revolution will only hurt you in the end. And yes, I am very aware that there are some twisted individuals out there who really would like to see us fall into a political chaos. To have a frenzied revolution of sorts. Sad to see such empty souls running around with such little self esteem and self worth. No one dictates your self worth except you. Are there scum bag pigs that run corporate America. Yes indeed. Are there nut case politicians sitting in very high offices that are just as scummy and destructive to the fabric of our Nation. Yep, most definitely. Beauty, joy, wisdom, kindness, gentleness, are all virtues. If we could just simply embrace the virtues over the vices, it wouldn't really matter whether you are a common man or gentile statesman. For we would all share the goodness that virtue brings.
Attack all you want. The last three years have been nothing but bitter poison, a manifesto developed by a very immature and reckless President. You can have it. I am okay where I am. Though I do wish that Obama would try to form more covalent bonds within humanity, if he is hell bent on being the ionic bond President, so be it. And all of you who want to be within that valence, go for it. Ionic bonds break much easier anyway.
You have a group demanding "Socialist" change and a political party that feeds and thrives off of "Socialist" program dependant people and they really expect to NOT be considered the Democratic Tea Party? How nieve these young Americans are. Once you create an agenda and that agenda becomes "Front Page" it becomes something political for whichever party that agenda falls in line with. Congratulations OWS movement you have (and have been from the start) Obama's re-election platform. whether you wanted to be or not. Now quite whining about what hand-outs your not getting and go earn something to repay your mistakes of getting a degree that every one of the people out protesting with you decided to get. Flooding the system with unwanted/un-needed skill sets.
Pulled to the right? We are now to call democrats right wingers?
I remember the democratic politicians rallying around the OWS right until they went to Washington D.C. then they were put on ignore when it came to actually communicating with them. I believe they got the same treatment from the Republicans in Washington D.C.
The Occupy group have increasing Anarchist mixing in with their crowd. The 98% do want violence around their communities or families. I notice an increasing attack on our community police force. If the 98% of the community have to rally around our police and emergency response, We will.
Since their inception, OWS has (amongst a bewildering forest of demands) demanded free housing, education, decent paying jobs and a cut of the wealth (not income) at the top. This essentially makes them Socialists. They may not like the label, but they fit the definition. Otherwise, they create nothing, they are filthy and smelly, they break the law to "make" their point and generally make a nuisance of themselves equivalent to disobedient toddlers. They have no real solutions and create nothing of value.
Ignore them unless they get in your way, then flatten them and walk on. This is the only real attention they deserve.
OIL COMPANIES:
The single most influential entity that made The U.S. the most powerful, wealthiest and most charitable nation on earth and all of a sudden, they're the VILLAIN? Thanks, Obama..............DUMMY!!
OIL COMPANIES:
The highest tax paying entity in The U.S.that funds 50% of the welfare, 401k's and retirement funds in our nation and all of a sudden, they have become the enemy?? Thanks Obama......DUMMY!!
OIL COMPANIES:
One of the major reasons we defeated Nazism, communism and poverty. And, all of a sudden they have become the enemy?? Thanks, Obama!!...........IGNORANT DUMMY!!!
How did the oil companies help defeat Nazism, comminism and poverty?
"The highest tax paying entity in The U.S.that funds 50% of the welfare,.."
Exon paid only $156 million federal taxes.
golf,
Too hard for you to understand???
And, people like you are allowed to vote?
golf,
Hey dumb ass. Exxon alone paid 73 BILLION dollars in state, federal and local taxes last year.
Next...........?
Now that I think about it holding your hand out all day does take some work....
OWS will not allow itself to be co-opted by the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party must move to the Left, back to its roots and meet OWS there, not where the Democratic Party is now, a mere replica of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party must prosecute Wall Street for causing the financial disaster, revamp the student loan program,stop domestic spying on US Citizens, end foreclosures, quit negotiating with Republicans on Social Security - a program that funds itself, end the war in Afghanistan, close Guatanamo, and a bevy of progressive activities that move America forward.
OWS is not naive like the Tea Party who will vote for liberla Romney while OWS will write in the name of a progressive candidate like Bernie Sanders, before thy vote against their values. Wait and see.
As a progressive, I have seen firsthand how the Democratic Party used the Left to get Obama elected and then kicked them to the curb. Not this time. The Party has to prove itself this time, and not by mere talk.
Prosecute Wall Street? Most of the Wall Steet big donors to elections give to the Democrats. Do you think Obama in any way is going to kill his golden goose? Certainly not.
I never knew the government could prosecute a street..
Revamp student loans? By this do you mean forgive all the funds owed by people who took out loans for basket weaving degrees?
End foreclosures? Again, are you suggesting the government force PRIVATE companies from taking property used as collateral for loans people took out?
Social Security... ah.... that's the great program started by the government which if you checked it's history was in truth never meant to pay out anything. Actuarial tables at the time of it's inception had people dying within one year of being able to collect anything.
Afghanistan is ending. Iraq never should have happened.
And what "bevy of progressive activities" are you speaking of?
In your dreams! Various studies have SS going bankrupt at or before mid-century, that's why it is not part of my retirement plans. Afghanistan will end when some administration admits that you cannot create a country out of a bundle of tribes that hate each other. As for the rest of your drivel, none of it is prudent or practical, but it is damaging to the U.S. economy and reputation.
Obama sure made it appear he was angry with Wall Street....all you here is that they are in Mitt's pocket...they are in Obama's bed.....
Vote in a known socialist like Bernie Sanders???? So much for anyone giving a rats rear end about what you think. I think Fidel would welcome you with open arms. Don't let the door hit you in the rear when you leave.
If it funds itself why do theykeep taking money out of my pay check for it?
It already has been co-opted. Democrats must help foster class warfare preceding elections in order to garner sympathy for their agendas among the general public. They get more votes that way. OWS is being used as a political springboard by Obama, Pelosi, and others of like ilk. Let me guess, you haven't been paying attention to their rhetoric over the last year?!
Follow the money. OWS is funded largely by those with Democrat/liberal agendas.
Why would they do that? They are in Fannie's and Freddie's pockets and laws enacted during the Carter and Clinton Administrations laid the foundation of the financial disaster, with the active support of both Janet Reno and Obama's now-defunct ACORN movement.
Would be nice but they are not into changing what they work to enact. For example, they know that Social Security will go insolvent before 2036 and yet fight any kind of legislation designed to save it.
Many of these so-called citizens plot terrorist activity. People do not actively spy on US citizens unless the computer software picks up the right keywords in the right combinations in your phone and email conversations. When that happens, the conversations are flagged by computer for listening/reading by humans. Don't talk or write like a terrorist and you will have no problems with the privacy of your phone conversations and emails.
Good luck with that. That will never happen. Foreclosures have been happening since mankind got the silly idea that they can own land that will outlast them.
Funds itself?!? What a joke. Is that why it will be going insolvent before 2036? It funds itself? Right.... Keep dreaming. So long as the Democrats prevent any sort of change to the system it never will. If Social Security had been partially privatized it might have funded itself with profits from investments. Don't kid yourself. The Democrats want Social Security to die. They won't accomplish their agenda and dream of a two-class society with abject poor completely dependent upon aristocrats for their livelihood. With 1 out of 2 Americans now at or below the Federal Poverty Level they have already so far advanced their agenda.
We would have been out of there a long time ago had it not been for both liberal mainstream media and the few stupid soldiers who have ruined it for everybody else. You cannot expect things to improve over there when (a minority of) soldiers are deliberately killing civilians, raping young girls, and shooting and inappropriately burning copies of the Qur'an.
Good luck with that. Obama promised that but was unable to accomplish it when he learned that the other countries do not want back the people held there. Nobody wants the inmates. Where do you propose putting them? In the United States? Amnesty? How about that? Sorry but I don't want them here, either.
Tea Party folks want less government and less government spending and waste. They go home at night, and show up the next day all showered and refreshed to start their protest again. They demand economic recovery so people can regain their dignity.
The Occupy folks interfere with other folks trying to go to work. They urinate and defecate in the street, and on the American flag. They roll around in their own filth and generally do drugs and drink. They demand that the government give them everything they need and want. They threaten the business community to support their laziness.
Hmmmm.............The Republicans have the Tea Party and the Democrats have the Occupy People. Sounds fair to me.
THE BEST part of the whole occupy thing was when they got funding they all fought over it and wanted pieces of the pie and it was kept....IN A BANK! *snort*
There is going to be policial chaos until we solve our economic problems. I don't see anyone with the ideas or leadership to reconstruct our economy. Bankruptcy is the only solution.
Four more years of Obama will bring that to reality. The reason we must try a different route while we still can. Bankruptcy will usher in a depression, and all you need to do is talk to the old folks who lived through the first Great Depression to understand just how difficult life was then.
Bankrupty isnt a solution for a country.
What incompetent malcontents, perhaps if they had created a goal, had a plan and didnt let the democrats pander to them while they praise the democrats. then they wouldnt be considered 'pets' to the lying, pandering, corrupt, hypocritical left.
But laziness and entitlement really only sit on one side of the aisle.
To occupy the White House and Congress you need to put up a viable platform, and viable candidates and vote for them. You won't find your goals met in a dirty tent city.