There was a lot of back and forth between the NYPD and the OWS protestors yesterday but, in the end, what happened? That’s the question a lot of people are asking about this movement which celebrated its two-month existence with a lot of talk and civil disobedience.
Don’t get me wrong. I think it is good that someone is talking about jobs (although President Obama has been doing plenty of that as well) but lately it seems as though the movement is more about tangling with the police than anything else. Sure, it looks bad for the cops and Mayor Bloomberg when a protester is photographed bleeding from his head..even though the fine print is a story that claims the protester flipped the hat off a uniformed police officer. If that’s true, the protester is just plain dumb as well as disrespectful. Like them or not, police deserve respect, just as much as the protesters.
Fighting with police makes good video but to what end? What does this movement stand for? Past movements in this country fought for civil rights, women’s rights, an end to the Vietnam War — all clearly defined goals. But fighting for pay equity?
I’m against crazy bonuses for CEO’s who destroy their companies and profit anyway, but I can’t say I’m for pay equity. I know even know that means in the capitalist society we live in.
And then there’s the disquieting sense of entitlement in some of the signs held by protesters that strike me as tone deaf. Okay so you’re $100,000 in debt and don’t have a job but exactly who was it that told you to go to that elite college and not a state school? Your choice = your responsibility.
Yes, the banks got a sweet deal thanks to TARP so why doesn’t OWS ask for something similar for the millions in foreclosure? What about advocating for a mortgage forgiveness program? Seems that would get a whole lot of people on their side. This movement is desperate for clear and simple goals.
And, as much as this movement wants to be democratic, it sorely needs a leader. Where’s this generation’s Abby Hoffman, someone smart, funny and charismatic? OWS is playing by its own rules, all right, but the jury is out on whether these rules make any sense.
“the movement is desperate for clear & simple goals”
You summed it all up right there. I agree with all you said.
OSW is so OVER
Hey Paul – just was a little confused about the “pay equity” idea here. I just haven’t seen anything remotely suggesting anyone is interested in pay equity. Pointing out the marked disparity between the rich and the poor, putting us in what to me is an embarrassing position compared to other industrialized countries now is really different than pay equity. I don’t know all the answers, that is for sure, but from what I have read economies as a whole become less and less healthy the greater the disparity is. So as it turns out , trying to ensure that more people are comfortable and succeeding actually aligns with capitalism. When people start thinking they don’t have been have a shot in the game, we’re in trouble. As for the state college thing,in New York they cost 20,000 a year now. That can still amount to grand debt multiplied by four, let alone grad degrees. I think we have to consider that people know they don’t stand a chance without a college degree without a real trade and yet, they went to college, they did what they thought was the right thing and now we want to damn them for that and tell them, sorry – you are responsible or figuring out how to pay your debt with no job prospects. I guess I just always hope that we all become less judgmental. The system has worked for me, thank God, but I try to realize that it’s not working for a heck of a lot of people now and if nothing else, this movement has pointed out that there are a scary amount of people with more free time on their hands than is a good thing. I would love to see an Abby Hoffman too, but maybe another way of thinking about all of this is maybe it’s time some changes are made, maybe it’s the country’s move and not their next move that should really be happening. No offense, I used to have “frequent” discussions with Andrew on things. I should probably use more restraint in making my views known!
I think the “trouble” with the message is that it is complex and not easily conveyed in sound bites. All of the things you list are goals of the movement and they HAVE been stated over and over again in the alternative press. It’s just that there are too many inter-dependent financial issues to focus on one and call that a solution. Politicians are less trusted than ever. They create legislation with fancy names, but can’t be trusted to do what is claimed. The purpose of OWS was to scare banks and politicians and let them know people see what they are doing. If they can find a way to keep that up and increase the pressure, they’ll accomplish something.
i wish they’d think of an ingenious way to embarrass bankers but my problem with them is that they tangle with cops every other day and, frankly, it’s getting boring. use a little imagination!
ellen, you’ve got nothing to apologize for letting your feelings be known. i invite it. i’m not against their goals but they need a little more imagination. if they think antagonizing the police is the way to gain supporters, i’m afraid they’re mistaken. those cops are the 99 % too….the other ‘problem’ or fact is that ours is a capitalist society. in a socialist society like france, doctors are perfectly happy earning a relatively modest six-figure salary. here, no way. it’s more money all the time. i don’t like it but i recognize it for what it is…capitalism.
I agree with the police part.
I guess I always wonder whether there is a way to prevent “unfettered” capitalism and huge class divides. Having come from nothing myself, I appreciate an economic and political system that took me from a housing project to a great career in a Fortune100 company and then a chance to switch careers on my own initiative simply because I wanted to try something else and send our kids to fine colleges and law school. But I appreciate it so much that I am scared those opportunities have been disappearing right before our eyes for the next generation.
So I guess as I sit in my warm, comfortable house and read Paul Krugman columns and curse the darkness, I feel that somehow or other some of those people (the saner ones I hope) are taking it on the chin. For that, I give them credit for doing more than I am and hope that the more articulate, insightful and talented ones will emerge and actually make a difference. And if nothing else, I think it was a wake-up call to many that there are voices out there who aren’t willing to sit by anymore and watch continued insanity in Washington.
well said, gene. i agree with everything you say and i applaud OWS for starting the conversation but now they’d better move on to something more substantive. the tea party has elected a lot of people….why can’t OWS do the same. it’s not enough to curse the system (or the darkness, to use your example). i like the agenda OWS set but i just want them to move the ball forward…even a little bit.
Paul – I’m not a fan of this writer, but I think this article captures how the Zucotti park protestors tried to operate via consensus, intentionally without leaders.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_the_elites_are_in_trouble_20111009/
I was there for only 10 minutes, but the only grumps I saw were the policeman and security people. On an earlier visit, my friend saw some young women get into it with the cops. My friend was awed that these teens had no clue that you cannot scream and point fingers at police as if they are anybody else. They don’t understand the realities of police power and how easily the police will use it. They are naive. Not everyone is as schooled in protesting as Ketchup (the woman written about in the story).