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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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Occupy is a Joke. They are aligned with the left, and they aren't even smart enough to realize it. They protest the very same organizations that provide the tools and support that they need to function. What a bunch of idiots.
Occupy Movement? I thought they had all gotten their "participation trophies" and had opted to re-occupy their parents' basements. Oh wait, I forgot, the weather's warming up now so they can move back out until the fall.
Occupy is a populist initiative. The rich own America, and genuine populists are now regarded as dangerous radicals for their agenda: that horrid commie idea of "Liberty and Justice for All". And yet...unions are strongly participating in the "The 99% Spring" training. And it's Spring Training, alright- for the reelection of Obama, who hasn't had anyone of note arrested on Wall Street- and who had former members of Goldman-Sachs deeply involved in his administration. Why is it that the unions, vilified as leftists for supporting a Democratic Party which is clearly a sock puppet for wealth- just like the Republican party- want to take over and redirect the original "occupy" movement? Oh, I wonder....
You say Occupy is gearing up to re-elect BHO and other OWS troops refuse to help re-elect BHO. So much for cohesion.
Of course they are back...they are Obama's marching soldiers....Bill Ayers...Van Jones....Union leaders...Obama knows he can't run on his record...all he can do is divide...get ready for riots before the election...Obama the community aggitator...
Romney 2012
Dixie girl, that says it all!
I am with you dixie girl !!
I'm not with you on the Romney support thing, but I do believe OWS is essentially Obama's little finger puppets.
Since when hasn't the OWC been a project of the Democratic party? However, I can sure understand why they want to distance themselves from "Obamas foot solderers". Even MSNBC has to hold its nose when they write about them.
They better be helping Obama in the election. That's what they are paid for!
This Administration and it's party started manipulation of the Occupy Movement from the start when Obama and Pelsoi expressed sympathy and support for the OWS. The protesters took this as a green light to do as they please with civil disobedience in cities nationally. The Prez remained silent completely ignoring a national problem showing political cowardice not wanting to offend his minions.
The attempt to shut down Oakland's port revealed Obama's intentional failure to address the issue because of politics. Yet he had time to comment on the Martin/Zimmerman case with g his pick and choose strategy on matters that could politically benefit him. Not letting a good crisis go to waste applies as usual.
The Occupy Movement is being used for vote pandering and manipulation by left wing groups pouring money into it. Should they help him get reelected, they will find themselves being shut down financially and abandoned no longer having use for them once his goal is attained.
It's only then will the Occupy Movement realize the financial support they were getting from the left are a part of the 1 percenters whom they are protesting against and being used by. Go figure.
The 99% are the reason there is a 1% , stop pushing the 1%'s "American Dream" BS.
The 99% feed the 1% in every way shape and form.
TZM
Envious?
There is no such thing as the "99%", there's those who work hard, study, take risks and succeed and there's those that march down the street demanding a better life from someone else.
Heck, I am working on being one of the 1%. Leave me out of the 99% crap.
Right! There is no 99% and 1%. There is only the 47% who pay nothing and live off the largess of the tax paying 53%.
This imaginary 99% & 1% us pure manufactured retoric by Obama. Those earning over 50K pay 93% of all taxes to the government. The lower end pay next to nothing.
Class warfare will end nasty.
The rich don't own America---just most of what's in it. But they do "control" America via their control over and relationships with long-term career politicians of both parties. And who is responsible for the export of America's national wealth abroad---is it the businessmen who send the jobs abroad so the CEO can make more money/bonuses, or the politicians who, for cash "contributions", let them by doing legislation, laws, treaties, and non-enforcement that facilitates and allows it all to happen????? OWS is so ineffectual and impotent and really stupid---unable to realize that instead of breaking things and squatting whereever, they only need to press one point---"Buy only what is Made-in-the-USA"----and the economy would turn around and jobs would be created overnight. "Screw the politicians---do it your self" should be the mantra for change.
Where am I going to buy a car that has all American made parts? Where do I buy American grown out of season produce? There are a host of products that are needed in day to day life that are no longer made anywhere in the U.S., so how to I survive buying only Made-in-the-USA products? Especially how do I find American made products the compete on quality regardless of price? For the most part, America no longer produces, it serves.
I don't see Occupy as a force to promote and elect officials of a certain party or set of ideals. I see them as a force that is opening the eyes of voters who may feel their ideals are not represented by current office holders. They are forcing issues into the spotlight. They are trying to change the thinking of the voting population. If voters agree with Occupy's ideals, then they (Occupy) can effectively change the way people vote. To help people vote based on issues instead of party, to take people out of office that are not representing their interests, to help put people in office that will represent their interests, regardless of party.
I wonder if they are still getting paid to march?
I think that their parents should be responsible for paying their student loans!! After all, I'm doing my part in the form of higher taxes and insurance premiums so that they can have medical insurance until their 26. Why should I have to pay for their loan forgiveness, as well?
I completely agree. Too many people in this country are on the government's nipple.
The Occupy movement and the "new" Democrat party are one in the same. Union thugs, feminists, "progressives", Socialists and anti-capitalists define both groups. I find it amazing that the media never talks about how far left the Democrat party has moved. There is no such thing as a conservative Democrat anymore.
luke
So right you are. I was a registered Democrat for 45+ years. I became an Independent in 2010. I couldn't stand the Progressive take over of the Democratic Party.
Please stop using the term progressive.....It is a contradiction in direct contrast to what these people are about.
Both parties in fact have drove the Moderates away, Vote for the Person not the party I say.
Treat Politicians like Diapers, Change often.
The OWS crowd is nothing but a bunch of spoiled brats, used to getting what they want by whining loud enough, who are being easily manipulated by those with a variety of agendas, few of which have anything to do with solving the problems facing this country.
All I hear from them, in person, is "gimme or I will whine some more".
Uh, "Jeezus"? See, here's the problem with your ridiculous comment. Tea Partiers don't expect everyone else to support them and have JOBS. OWS "activists" don't.
See the difference?
Teaparty's are only about stopping the spending mess.
Tea Party members want government accountability and a balanced budget. Not much else. Your meds are outdated. And I'm not in the upper 1%. I'm probably not in the upper 10%. But I absolutely want my government to represent myself and my fellow citizens. This administration does not.
occupy would be a perfect pet for obama and his democrats. they are all dysfunctional.
It is that they don't want to be co-opted or just don't want to have to contribute? I mean working elections is hard work!
Wow ....the socialist/marxist agenda is spreading again. So many misguided souls who have clearly never picked up a history book.......
The Occupy types can't even balance a check book. They have no personal finance skills and they worry about the 1%? What astupid lot. I guess you don't need finance skills if you get your money from other people in hand outs, not working for the buck on your own.
Why don't ALL of you sitting here blabbing about things no-one really cares about or things that will ever change, get on a bicycle or some roller blades and enjoy the day. Or perhaps go out in the yard and plant something that will grow. Life is way too short for all of this nonsense that really means nothing. These discussion forums are just pablum to allow all of you to feel like you are even pertinent. I'm outta here.
I'm just killing time while I wait for a $550,000 real estate deal to come to a close. It's raining out too, so golf is out today. Ho hum....
Can someone...anyone...explain to us hapless rubes in flyover country just how taking over a park or a public square for months on end, setting up tents and forming drum circles, and smashing windows and vandalizing property is going to make anyone's life one iota better? I'm all ears and willing to be enlightened.
redstater, WARNING, do NOT hold your breath waiting
to redstater - some of these weirdos are just drugged out hippies who would protest the sunrise if they
could get into a group and get some more drugs. Some of them can' t even find a public toilet.
They are a gross lot - they need to be de-loused !!!
Class warfare is working against what this country is all about. I have yet to see a poor employer, maybe an indebted one to the hilt. But most well off people got the it old fashioned way,....WORK..people. Why is the drive to get the money from the rich and give it to the poor....Obama's goal that is why!! That direction is bad for this country and bad for all people except the lazy azz ones that do not want to ever work. The welfare food stamping bunch of lazy bums.
GET A JOB PEOPLE AND WORK HARD...there are jobs maybe not what you want but it is work and it pays!!!!!!!!
Because that is what appeals to the proletariat, the great unwashed masses, the welfare hordes. Something for nothing has been the snake oil that the democrats have been peddling ever since the days of Lyndon Bird. And it's worked.
You are so correct citizen. Times changed for he worse IMHO when LBJ gained power.
"You reap what you sow." Thank you very little Pres. Obama.
Anyone but Obama
Realty sets in. The people have been infiltrated by the man. The very things that they are protesting about will be used by the political machine to promote the unions and the man behind the scene. America feeds off of mob mentality. Get the mob going in the right direction come voting time and you have the end results of all of the occupy movement voting for the same people they started out protesting against. Once the movement looses its indentity to big money and unions, the hand writing is on the wall.
Just more culvert government activities to pull our Nation into a civil war and separate the people like Obama has done nothing but in his culvert ways of trying to make Military rule in our streets. He started all this when he told the world this was not a Christian built Nation and to many that should a been a call to WAR. I know in my life It was a call to war and my war of words has already been challenged by his MEN in black when the Secret service come to my door with their threats of conform or die,, Well as you will see, I would rather die than to conform to this dictatorship of 666 who has made a United states of America into a Divided states of America and we are now the laughing stoke of the world as we let this dictator do as he pleases and the puppets stand silent other than in HIS culvert ways of dividing this nation into Civil wars.
Way too late for the "occupiers" to be worried about becoming the pet of the Democratic Party.
They were bought and paid for a long time ago. MoveOn, ACORN, IRAN (YES they did), Obama (Hmmmm), and the dirty list continues. Many in OWS are now a bunch of hypocrites (aka sell-outs), not reformers. Those that are not, are just pawns and have no clue they're being played. Sad...
They are EXACTLY the same as what happened to the original Tea Party movement, who were taken over by the radicals from the Right.
Sad there is no chance for change or hope in this country now that the only person who could have done it, proved to be no different than every other politician. And yes that is IRT President Obama. What a huge disappointment, but it was a long shot from the start that he would really bring change or hope.