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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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isn't Dem party only slightly different from Repub party? they all take money from big corporations and are bought by lobbyists.
Yes.
In order for the 99% myth to be true, you would have to include me and Van Jones and George Soros in the count. George Soros is too rich to be in the 99. I'll not be counted with Van Jones for any reason
So if your to the "left" of the democratic party, doesn't that make you an anarchist?. The democrats are already communists & socialists.
I am just an old fashioned guy---nothing is free in life--you pay off your debts before you buy a luxury like a new tv,car,house,etc--you rent-ride the bus--and buy a cheap tv until you can afford the 4d version---no one has the right to run up a debt and then expect the government to pay it off for you ( unless you are GM)--if you take out a loan and you do not understand the payments then it is not the banks fault--it is your dumbass's fault---if you are a student with a big loan--welcome to the real world--pay it off by working and living in a cheap apartment-ride the bus--shop at wal-mart---do not get a credit card---we have no patience--we want it all now--first job must pay a 100,000 plus after college--we have lost the will to start from the bottom and work our way up---instead we think we should have it all now and someone else should pay off our debts---just not how it works
Coach there are Liberals on this Blog and you have talked over their intelligence level. You have to drag them over and rub their nose in it and smack them with a newspaper before they will understand
sammy, waste of a newspaper, Liberals refuse to understand otherwise they would become Conservatives.
sammy, Neal, why aren't you 2 at work now to pay off youe debts?
5 less Democrats voting for Obama in Cleveland. Arrested last night for a bomb plot on a bridge.
Obama endorsed OWS yesterday but MSDNC has not reported it.
The Occupohpers have Obama's blessing.
You own it Democrats
What a bunch of mindless idiots.
One of the benefits of living in Florida is that when you get your CHL (Concealed Handgun License) it also authorizes you to carry and use a 50,000 Volt Taser, Billy Clubs and Combat Knives.
Hey OWS people "Come on Down" we can handle it
to sammy - the OWS crowd better not turn my street while marching !
I'd love to see more mounted police using cattle prods on these sh-tty little bast-rds !!
So you want to kill people you don't agree with?
golfsleft, yes, just like the Left wants to kill me because I do not agree with them, just l like so-called Jihadists want to kill me because I do not agree, just like the Religious Right wants to do the same. Since so many groups want to kill me, I do not see any reason to give up wanting to kill them.
Neal, the left doesn't want to kill you, they just disagree with you.
The old divide-and-conquer strategy. The repubs hijacked the tea party - and the dems are working to hijack the OWS movement. This way, you make people feel like they have a choice - but they don't really. Throw them some bread crumbs to argue about - things that don't really matter - God/guns/gays/abortion/capital punishment - things that affect <.5% of the population - and things that don't have any meaningful legislation moving around anywhere in the country.
Then the hacks get on boards like this and argue over ideology. Again, nothing meaningful. It's just a philosophical argument. People who side with republican ideology tend to think there's this group of welfare-sucking crack hos stealing from them. People arguing the supposed other side tend to think the monster corporations are stealing from them.
Sad, really. But it works so well. The empires have been doing this for thousands of years. No grass roots movement or third party will ever rise because they will always get swallowed by one side or the other. And good people who tend to have the same morals/ethics/principles will perceive themselves on one side or the other - and argue worthless points - and never unite - and always get screwed without even knowing it....because they don't even realize who the real enemy is. They're too busy arguing with the phantom "other side".
As the wealth siphons to a limited few - and the middle class shrinks - and the poverty class grows; US society will reach a breaking point. I can only hope that my family and I can survive. That's my only wish. The rest of you hacks can keep arguing stupid $hit.
Bob--you hit the nail on the head! I will add--to everyone reading this, whatever you do, don't look at the man behind the curtain, keep looking at all the distractions!
What the hell I was commenting on another article and it shows up here. WTF???
i agree with some: OWS movement has no long term political goals or platform, and therefore it wouldn't make much difference in changing the political system of this country. they got their voice heard, but where do they go from there?
Cellisis
The OWS will never have any goals or platform. An organization can not formulate those things while throwing a temper tantrum in the streets. Our society has raised a bunch of Gen-X and Gen-Y cry babies. They have never been taught the realities and the consequences of failure. So all they have is GIMME GIMME GIMME I DESERVE IT!!!
Fear not...Dems don't want you....from what I have been seeing lately from OWS, the credible people are leaving the movement is droves while the remainder have distilled down to a bunch of freebie-wanting, freeloading, commies who are no better than the greedy corporations, banks and Wall Streeters they claim as their enemies. Bringing the "power back to the people" has mutated into "let's do away with global Capitalism." I'm no longer supporting the movement.
When you read the magazine that started ows, adbusters, you realize that there is no future to ows. Adbusters releases the very same magazine every issue, filled with outrage, perceived injustice, etc.etc, and never strays from that limited litany. There is never recognition of other arguments, no dialogue, never any thoughtful solutions suggested, never anything other than sophmoric ranting over and over and over.
Much like OWS, no definition, no serious discourse, no solutions, nothing of meaningful value. That is why the movement is doomed to fade away and fail and why people with intelligence realize there are better ways to accomplish their goals than OWS.
When a rudderless ship sets sail you never know where it will finally end up.
They will be the unwanted pet but needed, till november. Then its off to the pound with this pet!
excellent point, they have no clue that they are being used...rode hard and put away wet....
So now they are creating Occupy Lite. What is that 65% less defecating on the sidewalk and 50% less drug use in the parks? LMFAO.
Occupy is a Joke and always will be until it comes forward with leaders with demands that make some sense.
The "OccuTards" spent the winter trying to hold down internships at Starbucks, washing windows at the gas station or just hunkered down in their parents basements. Now its Spring and they have to get back to the serious work of whining, begging, destroying others property, laying around in their own excrement and interfering with the real evil in our society - people who work and bathe on a consistent basis.
Agreed, real fanatics would have stuck it out all winter.
Y'know - throwing 'tard on the end of everything is not witty - and it's worse than insensitive. Makes me sick. Frankly, you deserve every $hitty thing that ever happens to you.
Maybe you'll have a family member that's mentally handicapped one day and you won't be such a jerk.
Yeah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,cause that's whats important.
Damn those,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Occu-capped".
May Day! May Day! The communists are coming!
How can Occupy not be owned by Democrats? They are a group of lazy, brats whining for handouts... and Democrats are a group of corrupt, power hungry, crooks looking for any way possible to buy the votes of the dimmest, most selfish amongst us. They are made for each other.
P.S.
May Day Eve Quickly Turns Ugly In San Francisco
"Various witness accounts say a group of between 50 and 100 people moved down
Valencia St. smashing windows, throwing paint balls, and even attacking an unsuspecting police station."
http://news.yahoo.com/may-day-eve-quickly-turns-ugly-san-francisco-091023433.html
Democrats and Occupy - two messes that America will clean up in November.
The Official Whining Squad of the Entitlement Generation fits right in with Obama and his big government, out-of-control spending, anti-business, class warfare agenda.
Occupy whom??? I didn't know those clowns were still around!!! If you were my "pet" I would have you put down!
May Day ==> Communism
Occupy Movement ==> May day ==> Communism
Democratic Party ==> Occupy Movement ==>May day ==> Communism
Get a clue, folks!
"Forward" is historically the motto of Lenin and Mao ==> Communism.
A communist by any other name,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is still a communist.
A "progessive" is a communist or at the very least an aspiring communist.
An SEIU union leader speaking at a communist rally,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,supports communism.
A president who preaches "wealth redistribution", seizing private property for the greater good of the "people",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is a communist.
A congressman who preaches seizing private companies and "nationalizing them",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is a communist.
A college drop-out who refuses to pay their debts and blames others for their failure in life, demanding they pay his way through life,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is a communist and an idiot.
The current DNC,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,supports the communist led and organized "occupy movement", thus they are,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,communist.
Live with the fact you support communism. We already know it.
What's really odd to me is that no one seems to have an issue with an "insurgency" inside the US started and promoted by a Canadian magazine.
Which "insurgency" is that?
I am simply quoting the words used in the article above to describe the movement. They used insurgency not I.
What a bunch of friggin loons!! Ship em out of the country, along with Nobama, Princess Pelosi, Harry Reid, Debbie Bitcherman Shultz, Maxine Waters, Barbara Boxer....damn there's a lot of trash to remove!!!!
Start with yourself!
Awww, did I offend one of the loons!??? You jackass
I simply cannot believe all these closed minded people here today? That Mittpiss sure is potent! It has all you righties starring glassy eyed at your faithful masters! OWS has NOTHING to do with the Democratic party, and never will! But, your rediculously tiny brains will never allow you to see the truth! You are TOLD what to believe by the likes of Rushkie Limpballs, and worse, Rummey the Dummy! Horrendous lies are your truths! Conservatives are sooooo gullible! If Hannity tells you the sky is purple, it is purple to you! Closed minded, retarded brains tell you lies, you hear only truth! Conservatives are nothing but Mittpiss guzzling ZOMBIES!!!
OWS as a pet of the Dems??? Laughable at best!
OWS wanting nothing but handouts??? Fox news/Rushkie Slimeballs blatant lies!
Conservatives truely believe that the Elephant does not @!$%# on their heads. Crawl out from under that huge stinking pile of dung, and for once in your miserable life, think for yourself! Stop believing the lies!
Dream on. It does now with BHO approving of it.
No coverage of OWS on any outlet has shown any coherence on the part of OWS. No talking to the local OWS personally has elicited any coherence on their part. They just don't like the way things are and want someone else to "fix" it.
Occupiers, A to Z, Anarchists, Communists, Democrats Lackeys, Liberals, Marxists, Progressives, Socialists, Union thugs, Zoo Animals... Sorry you already have been Labeled deal with it.
You left your retarded self out! Righties drinking the Mittpiss again!
I agree with US citizen, but am not a Rightie.
I was a Dem for years, But got tired of being called a Blue dog, I am happy with Independant Conservitive as a Moniker.
I hate Republicans almost as much as I do Liberals and the rest of the lefts ilk that have taken over the party.
I really think Obama has failed, It is now time for new blood, But with this current two party choices, I still will not be happy.
In an attempt to appear "Mr. Cool" Obama is going on the evening talk show circuit and visiting college campuses. On TV talk shows is he cool or just the fool??? Certainly it's immature amateur hour. On college campuses, has he asked anyone if they want to work on his "roads and bridges" program?? And if so, they gotta join a Union and pay Union dues, but first dole out a generous contribution to their local Dem Party rep to get a little juice with the Union application process. Hey, it's the Chicago Way. If graduating college students can't see that Obama has squandered trillions of dollars without creating any meaningful college-education-required jobs, then they indeed are qualified only for those "shovel ready" jobs. Obama's great at shovelin BS. Fact is, Obama has slow-jammed the economy into a free-fall downward. The OWS people better get ready to pay big-time tax increases at the Federal, State and Local levels!!!!!!!
Where have you been hiding? The economy has steadily risen, in spite of the do nothing Repukes!
DfromSpencer, ... and despite anything Obama has actually done, which is not much.
The economy has been rising true,but it has been rising at a very pathetic 2% per year. If we were in a recovery,like all the others since WWll,we would be growing at a 4%-5% rate.
You also seem to forget the Democrat Senate. Why hasn't Harry Reid put those House Bills into Committee for discussion and debate? Why hasn't Harry Reid allowed the House Bills to be brought to the Senate Floor for a vote? All of those House Bills were passed with Democrat support. Is he and Obama afraid that those 20 odd House Bills might PASS??