In order to find out what the occupation movement is seeking we need to objectively pay attention to its background, its characteristics, its form of protest, its content, and finally the way it runs its occupied squares. This is a brief outline of the above, which comes to a logical conclusion as to what the 99% want.
Characteristics of the Occupy Movement
The very first characteristic of this movement is its negation. It says no to the capitalist system, as illustrated by its various slogans, such as “End Capitalism”, “Death to Capitalism”, “This society doesn’t work, let’s build a different society”, “Abolish capitalism”, “Another world is possible”, “A better world is possible”, and so on.
The Form and Content of the Movement
The second characteristic is the occupation form of protest. By mere occupation, the Occupy Movement made a political statement. The occupation has both a shape and an anti-establishment, anti-capitalism content to it. Once workers, for example, occupy the workplace, they claim power. Power is nothing but the ability to control. The workers claim power to control production. Occupy Wall Street was inspired by the occupation of Al-Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Cairo, by which people claimed the political power in Egypt. The occupation of Rothschild in Tel Aviv and the occupation of Puerta del Sol in Madrid were also inspired by the occupation of Liberation Square in Cairo.
Occupation is directly tied to freedom. It is tied to the restoration of power to the people, it is tied to direct control of society by the people. The Occupy Movement revealed its content via its occupational form; the abolishment of capitalist dictatorship and the installation of a free and equal society that is run by direct participation and decision-making by the people.
General Assembly vs Democracy
Anyone who walks by an Occupy community can participate in its decision-making body. The decision-making process of the general assembly (GA) might be slow and protracted, but we have to look at the bigger picture: the current GA decision-making body is simply the most free form of governance imaginable. The GA is a parallel, direct decision-making system, as opposed to the parliamentary democratic system, based as it is on the ballot box.
We need to remember that the occupiers are the people sitting in tents with absolute minimum resources. Everything is done on a volunteer basis. Even the way that the kitchen is organized is iconic to controlling the means of production. The decision-making process being utilized can be considered a snapshot of the world we want to create. The occupied territories are under constant pressure from the police, mayors, etc., but the occupiers are doing the very best they can to make their decision-making process as direct and participatory as possible.
Background to the Occupy Protests
The cause of current protests is the economic and capitalist crisis. In October 2008, the first $700bn bank bailout was passed by Congress while at that very moment there were 9.5 unemployed people in the US. The figures increased to $1.5 trillion for the bailout and 15 million unemployed by September 2009.
During this period, we had the workers of Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago occupying a plant in protest to layoffs (the first workers’ occupation in the US since the Great Depression); we had a riot igniting in Oakland as a result of the murder of Oscar Grant; we had food bank line-ups swelling up (there were 40 million on food stamps as of May 2010); we had Heather Newnam, 28, who committed suicide because she was faced with eviction.
In February of this year, we had the Wisconsin protests against the crackdown on labor bargaining rights. We have an estimated 50 million who have no medical insurance; we have the unbearable student loans which pose a barrier to continued education and an unbearable financial burden after finishing one’s degree. These are just a few examples of the kinds of events and situations that are indicative of the current state of affairs for the 99% .
Characteristics of the Occupy Movement
The very first characteristic of this movement is its negation. It says no to the capitalist system, as illustrated by its various slogans, such as “End Capitalism”, “Death to Capitalism”, “This society doesn’t work, let’s build a different society”, “Abolish capitalism”, “Another world is possible”, “A better world is possible”, and so on.
The Form and Content of the Movement
The second characteristic is the occupation form of protest. By mere occupation, the Occupy Movement made a political statement. The occupation has both a shape and an anti-establishment, anti-capitalism content to it. Once workers, for example, occupy the workplace, they claim power. Power is nothing but the ability to control. The workers claim power to control production. Occupy Wall Street was inspired by the occupation of Al-Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Cairo, by which people claimed the political power in Egypt. The occupation of Rothschild in Tel Aviv and the occupation of Puerta del Sol in Madrid were also inspired by the occupation of Liberation Square in Cairo.
Occupation is directly tied to freedom. It is tied to the restoration of power to the people, it is tied to direct control of society by the people. The Occupy Movement revealed its content via its occupational form; the abolishment of capitalist dictatorship and the installation of a free and equal society that is run by direct participation and decision-making by the people.
General Assembly vs Democracy
Anyone who walks by an Occupy community can participate in its decision-making body. The decision-making process of the general assembly (GA) might be slow and protracted, but we have to look at the bigger picture: the current GA decision-making body is simply the most free form of governance imaginable. The GA is a parallel, direct decision-making system, as opposed to the parliamentary democratic system, based as it is on the ballot box.
We need to remember that the occupiers are the people sitting in tents with absolute minimum resources. Everything is done on a volunteer basis. Even the way that the kitchen is organized is iconic to controlling the means of production. The decision-making process being utilized can be considered a snapshot of the world we want to create. The occupied territories are under constant pressure from the police, mayors, etc., but the occupiers are doing the very best they can to make their decision-making process as direct and participatory as possible.
Background to the Occupy Protests
The cause of current protests is the economic and capitalist crisis. In October 2008, the first $700bn bank bailout was passed by Congress while at that very moment there were 9.5 unemployed people in the US. The figures increased to $1.5 trillion for the bailout and 15 million unemployed by September 2009.
During this period, we had the workers of Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago occupying a plant in protest to layoffs (the first workers’ occupation in the US since the Great Depression); we had a riot igniting in Oakland as a result of the murder of Oscar Grant; we had food bank line-ups swelling up (there were 40 million on food stamps as of May 2010); we had Heather Newnam, 28, who committed suicide because she was faced with eviction.
In February of this year, we had the Wisconsin protests against the crackdown on labor bargaining rights. We have an estimated 50 million who have no medical insurance; we have the unbearable student loans which pose a barrier to continued education and an unbearable financial burden after finishing one’s degree. These are just a few examples of the kinds of events and situations that are indicative of the current state of affairs for the 99% .
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