Two weeks into Occupy Wall Street protests, movement is at a crossroads

People underestimate the power of non-violent protest, IMO.

Or maybe they don't, which is why there's such an attempt to discredit the protesters as simply "dirty hippies."

But we could be facing change as significant as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's or the fall of the USSR in the late '80's/early '90's.

...OWS is not about supplying readymade answers and political solutions, but about asking the right questions

Niven's Law 16: There is no cause so right that one cannot find a fool following it.

To prove a point, one may seek out a foolish Socialist, thirteenth century Liberal, Scientologist, High Frontier advocate, Mensa member, science fiction fan, Jim Bakker acolyte, Christian, witch, or fanatical devotee of Special Interest Lib. It doesn't really reflect on the cause itself. Ad hominem argument saves time, but it's still a fallacy.

Also in Fallen Angels (Baen Books, 1992) as: "Niven's Law: No cause is so noble that it won't attract fuggheads."

Similarly, we can't say all Republicans are repulsive just because you belong....

And yet you respond to so many of my posts.

You just don't seem to get it.

Robert Schiffman at Huffington Post wrote:

...OWS is not about supplying readymade answers and political solutions, but about asking the right questions

Questions like "Shouldn't we express solidarity with the White House and the guy who shot the White House?"

You obviously haven't been reading the posts of it's stalwart A2K supporters like ReasoningLogic, Fido, and ART.

If Occupy actually comes up with solutions for the problems they have identified, they will be playing into the hand of The Man!

As soon as Occupy's apologists in the liberal media took up this refrain to excuse an aimless expression of a mix of legitimate grievances, irresponsible whining, Marxist rhetoric, and just plain looniness (and A2K members parroted it), it was clear that this so-called movement was destined to not only fail but hurt those who endorsed it.

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

And yet you respond to so many of my posts.

I'm a dad. I'm able to deal with all manner of repulsive situations. Clogged toilets, litter boxes, vomit....

The biggest problems facing us is our governments inability to act on issues facing our country - like unemployment. The democrats don't want cuts in social benefits, and the republicans don't want tax increases. That's just plain stupid from both ends of our politics and politicians. If we want change in Washington, it's up to the voters to make that change. Wn will not change at current levels of division; never.

You obviously haven't been reading the posts of it's stalwart A2K supporters like ReasoningLogic, Fido, and ART.

If Occupy actually comes up with solutions for the problems they have identified, they will be playing into the hand of The Man!

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

You obviously haven't been reading the posts of it's stalwart A2K supporters like ReasoningLogic, Fido, and ART.

If Occupy actually comes up with solutions for the problems they have identified, they will be playing into the hand of The Man!

I've not said this.

I've stated that it's not #Occupy's job to tailor out the solution. In other words, no bills need to be walked to the door of Congress from Zucotti Park or McPherson Square (etc).

I've stated that objectives and goals are in a separate class than demands or solutions. In this way, #occupy has been achieving things, and noteworthy amongst them is a change in language. In terms of demands, the Onion put it best with "Nation Waiting For Protesters To Clearly Articulate Demands Before Ignoring Them." As far as solutions, plenty have been suggested, but solutions require a lab (so to speak) and someone to take action. In this way, it's not really possible since they lack the ability to enforce a new economic paradigm. On a micro level however, you do see #occupy camps dealing with challenges, and in this way the camps themselves are demonstrations of how conflict in a community can be addressed. Each camp has it's own culture, so in many ways there's lots of labs.

What I have not stated is that creating demands is playing into "the man's" hands. I've simply stated that it doesn't need to be the primary concern nor will the energy to do so yield a greater result. Protest is about "objection," and to draw a comparison consider that the rise of the Tea Party was largely built on opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Did the Tea Party propose a solution to the healthcare issues? Did they deliver an alternative? No. They said "kill the bill" and spit on a Congress member as they entered to vote (no pepper spray used in defense of a democratically elected official?).

Your number comparisons on the Tea Party is amusing. Lots of #Occupy people arrested? It's interesting what conclusions you draw from this. I'd add that the degree of violence used on people who offer no physical threat compared to those who arrive with guns talking about "2nd amendment solutions," illustrates further the double standard.

The established powers that be favor the Tea Party puppetry, and so of course there are precious few arrests--They're defending the status quo. #Occupy scares the **** out of those who've bought and paid for their power, and so it's batons out and raining pepper spray from coast to coast.

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I've not said this.

failures art wrote:

I've not said this.

No, not in so many words.