good article Boyarsky. Nice description , but what happens if the economy perks
up a bit ?

Does the Occupy movement lose steam or does it look to root in and link up with
other, older groups of the dissatisfied veterans of the political/ economic order/

When push comes to shove, the complainers here will sheepishly go into the booth and vote for Obama in 2012 - you have painted yourselves into a corner with nowhere else to go, having ignored Ralph Nader as a third party alternative. The Occupy ‘movement’ is already peetering out, having no leader, no demands and no organization/strategy. It’s going to get tough for the average American.

chip, November 30 at 10:40 pm

The Democrats will, of course, attempt to usurp a movement that has formed in large part because said democrats have failed us all. I trust they will be rebuffed in this duplicitous effort.

As to support for Ron Paul; no real progressive could , would or should.

Our occupy movement here in KC
has been hyjacked. The latest move was to only hold GA’s three nights a week. They had it all planned so well. They put out a call on the internet or facebook or wherever they hold the “working group” meetings.
I got wind of the plan and managed to rally enough
of the homeless and the un-connected folks to defeat the proposal.
Interesting fact- We are camped out across the street from the KC fed. On Monday a courageous, informed, individual (with Fed connections) informed us that on Tuesday there would be a gathering of the Pres and VP’s of the top banks in the US at the KC Fed for a Charity Fund raiser.
Instead of planning a welcome they wouldn’t soon forget our self appointed leaders spent the whole GA trying to pass the “limit GA to three” plan again. It was Not Passed, again.

I guess the Charity the Fed and banksters were planning on raising funds for was Europe.

Ardee- I think the DNC has joined our movement here in KC. Without the sheeple even knowing or caring. Do other citys smell donkey crap too?   

David Cyr- Can we compromise and try Ron Paul

Doublestandards/glasshouses.

I thought it was vote for the Democrats in 2006 so they can end the wars. Man, this stuff is such dribble.
Man oh man, why does this kind of thing keep getting so much ink at TruthDig?

Jeff N:  It seems the present situation correlates more closely with the financial crisis of the late 1890s, otherwise known zs the “Gilded Age.”

yes, politics is part of life. people say: that’s
politics and let’s not talk about politics [or
religion] and if one avoids talking/thinking about
politics and religion, one is not playing with the
full deck. and politicians and clergy love it when
you do not study what they do.
how about banking and banksters? why, they are
laughing all the way to the bank just because
almost no one understands banking and what
bankers do.

and they give oodles of money to ‘educators’ or,
rather, politicos, to ensure they never teach
banking nor what bankers do.

i am also quite befuddled about banking. all i
know that bankers steal.  but how? i wish i’d
know how to do it, but nobody wants to teach
me.
and my wife is dumber than me when it comes
banking, and ‘theology’ [every time i use that
word i burst out laughing—it so damn funny we
study god instead he [is it really a he?] study us.
now how about economists?
anybody wants to tackle or tickle funni
economists??
not me. i am outa here!! tnx

Re: “Occupy is not a political movement”

There isn’t anything about the Occupy Movement that is not political. Protest is political. Civil disobedience is seriously political.

The question is whether those readily willing to get bloody in the streets are also willing to use the vote for revolutionary purpose… voting, but not for any of the corporate party’s Republican and Democrat candidates.

Jill Stein for President:

http://www.jillstein.org

Voter Consent Wastes Dissent:

http://chenangogreens.org/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=498&Itemid=1

Occupy is not a political movement and anyone attempting to make it one should be shamed.  Occupiers on the other had have every right, as individuals,  to exercise their voting rights as they choose. Paraphrasing a young Kansas woman, Boyarsky you suck.

‘The election’ could mean something besides the Democratic Party.  In fact, I think it would have to, because most of the people at the Occupations seem to have been quite hostile to the Democratic Party.  The non-radical signage and slogans of OWS read like the Green Party platform.

However, fundamental change like getting rid of the Federal Reserve Bank requires some sort of answer to the question of how the successor financial system would be structured.  It can’t be hand-waved.  If you don’t have an answer, or if the answer seems fantastical to the average citizen, it’s better not to mention it.

In other words, the election could be the next step for the Occupy movement

In other words, Mr. Boyarsky attempts, and rather clumsily, to join the Occupy movement to the Democratic Party.

I wonder what the Occupy folks think.

JeffN:  You are asking the fundamental question on the minds of all the 99% rigt now?  “How can we ever have politicians and business owners with some conscience in this country??” 
  First things first:  1. politicians and business owners with conscience?  Business (under unregulated capitalism) does not consider conscience, and most business people fight against regulations. So at base, some way has to be found to negotiate, convince, legislate minimum standards of conscience in spite of business objections. 
  But first: Politicians greatly desire to get voted into office, and when they need money, business gives it to them—under conditions that they cooperate with business as usual and leave conscience alone.  The politicians sell their conscience to get elected.
  So first:  We have to change that. But how do you make people who have no conscience, have conscience?
Well, first, when they are kids their parents and teachers have to have consciences big enough to show them the differences between good and bad actions.
  But that means that first, their parents must have taught them.  And so on and on.  Looks impossible, doesn’t it?
  Ah, but wait long enough, till things get bad enough, and the children themselves will rise up and teach their parents—which is happening right now with the Occupy Movement—naive, disorderly, unforcussed, but they know what they want; they know what has to change. They just don’t know how yet.
  Wall Street destroying Main Street is bad for their future.  Main Street has to save itself. Main Street has to get out from under Wall Street’s domination.
  But first ....
  We are at the point where almost anything is better than nothing—so long as it helps somebody else, and is peaceful, thoughtful and reasonable. The more people work together, the better. Occupy the Wall Street/Washington connection and regulate a crazy system out of control so it provides jobs at fair wages, good public education, public health, and absolute guarantees of human rights and democratic processes. Strengthen the Constitution.
Get real.
  We know what to do. The problem is doing it, which means we have to get together and cooperate, learn and understand and be tolerant—a matter of our own personal consciences,not the corrupt consciences of the Washington/WallStreet mafia.

How does the conditions/causes of the great depression in the 30’s correlate with the financial crisis of 2008-present and the calls for reform of the OWS movement?  I’ve been reading grapes of wrath and it seems like there are a lot of parallels here about the greed and corruption of politics and financial institutions that really havent changed much since the great depression.  Is capitalism really doomed to these cyclical periods of enormous struggle for the middle class?  How can we ever have politicians and business owners with some conscience in this country??

however, and after protests against aggression against vietnam, u.s had waged as
many wars—if not more—in the period up to now than in any other similar time
period.
in addition, even the protesters protested only against ‘vietnam war’ and not
against illegal aggression against a people which posed no perils to u.s of any
kind; save to its ideology.

the aggression was not protested on any desirable panhuman principle—it was
merely proclaimed immoral.
and spying on people, joblessness, corruption had never been as great as now. tnx

Bill, did you even read the prominent sign the girl is holding up?  ‘HELL! WE JUST GOT HERE!”
  So why, then, did all the city “fathers” hasten to evict the Occupiers—forcibly if necessary?  Why did they deliberately NOT meet with them, invite them into City Halls and State Houses and listen to what they might have said—OR MIGHT HAVE SAID?  Even helped them work together without intruding, threatening, pointing out, citing history etc.  Why, why, why? 
  Because they were (are) all afraidto admit the old ways of doing politics are dead and gone already, and nobody has yet figured out how to get from the mess left behind over to here, a better present.  Not they. Not the Occupiers. 
  HELL, THEY JUST GOT HERE, BILL. Let’s help them, facilitate their fresh ideas, be patient and understanding,listen, learn,  work TOGETHER—or is that a word stricken from all political dictionaries? 
  It’s not as if there’s nothing to do while we are waiting!  Like feed the hungry, house the homeless, educate the ignorant, love thy neighbor etc. etc.