Occupy Wall Street's Battle Against American-Style Authoritarianism. The Occupy Wall Street movement is raising new questions about an emerging form of authoritarianism in the United States, one that threatens the collective survival of vast numbers of people, not through overt physical injury or worse, but through an aggressive assault on social provisions that millions of Americans depend on. For those pondering the meaning of the pedagogical and political challenges being addressed by the protesters, it might be wise to revisit a classic essay by German sociologist and philosopher Theodor Adorno titled "Education After Auschwitz," in which he tries to grapple with the relationship between education and morality in light of the horrors perpetrated in the name of authoritarianism and its industrialization of death.[1] To see other articles by Henry A.
Giroux visit The Public Intellectual Project. Democracy is always an unfinished project. Yet, in its current state in America, it appears to be terminal decay. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The Fight for 'Real Democracy' at the Heart of Occupy Wall Street. Demonstrations under the banner of Occupy Wall Street resonate with so many people not only because they give voice to a widespread sense of economic injustice but also, and perhaps more important, because they express political grievances and aspirations.
As protests have spread from Lower Manhattan to cities and towns across the country, they have made clear that indignation against corporate greed and economic inequality is real and deep. But at least equally important is the protest against the lack -- or failure -- of political representation. It is not so much a question of whether this or that politician, or this or that party, is ineffective or corrupt (although that, too, is true) but whether the representational political system more generally is inadequate. This protest movement could, and perhaps must, transform into a genuine, democratic constituent process. To continue reading, please log in. Don't have an account?
Register Register now to get three articles each month. Occupy May Seem To Be Receding, But Look Closer. Hide captionOccupy Wall Street protesters shout during a "Shut Down the Corporations" demonstration in New York on Wednesday. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Occupy Wall Street protesters shout during a "Shut Down the Corporations" demonstration in New York on Wednesday. For people who watch TV news or read newspapers, the Occupy movement might seem to be in hibernation. Most of the encampments are gone, and diminished numbers take part in protests. But there's a lot of ferment behind the scenes — at least at Occupy Wall Street. Check the Occupy Wall Street website and you'll see at least 15 events every day: meetings by working groups on arts and culture, alternative banking, media, security. 'Pop-Up' Protests And there are actions.
"We're kind of going to occupy a Bank of America and turn it into a 'Food Bank of America,'" Occupy protester Luke Richardson says, describing an event on Wednesday. Richardson stood behind a table with donated cans of food. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images. Less Visible Occupy Movement Looks for Staying Power. Why Occupy failed. The Occupiers’ disdain for everyday democracy brings them dangerously close to their neoliberal foes. The Occupiers' disdain for everyday democracy brings them dangerously close to their neoliberal foes. Above: Occupy Wall Street takes over Washington Square Park, summer 2011 © GetDarwin It was a just a year ago—on July 13, 2011—that the Canadian magazine Adbusters sent the tweet that triggered the Occupy movement.
“Flood into lower Manhattan,” said its editors, “and Occupy Wall Street.” It may seem odd to say this. But was Occupy really what “democracy looks like”? It was this conception of democratic politics that the Occupiers rejected. Indeed, Occupiers had a habit of alienating potential allies. Occupy’s relationship with the labour movement was also difficult. This hostility to messy deal-making was also evident inside Occupy itself. Supporters called the Occupy model “pure democracy.” The neoliberal response was institutional reform to impose discipline on democratic states.
Occupy Wall Street—Where Are They Now? Josh Harkinson It was one year ago today that the pioneers of Occupy Wall Street first unrolled their sleeping bags in Zuccotti Park. Though the movement is long gone from the headlines, it can be credited for calling BS on our money-driven political system and launching a national conversation about class and economic inequality—one that still looms large in the presidential campaign. I showed up at the Zuccotti Park encampment in its second week for what I thought would be just a day, but I ended up reporting on the movement from New York City all through the fall and beyond.
What most fascinated me were the occupiers themselves, people alternately principled and unrealistic, brave and foolhardy, idealistic and naive. Occupy Wall Street may or may not have changed the world, but it certainly changed those who took part in it. For the anniversary, I decided to track down five of the folks I met in Zuccotti—from a key movement organizer to a heroin addict—to see where they're at now. "Occupy Wall Street turned movements into international networks" More than one year ago, the Occupy Movement emerged in the United States. What was it and where it is going now? Joel Dietz interviewed Nathan Schneider, who has been following Occupy Wall Street as a writer for the Nation.
Hello Nathan and thank you for your time. If you could summarize Occupy Wall Street in one sentence, what would it be? If it only were that easy. There are so many slogans the movement one could use: “This isn’t a protest, it’s a process,” or “All Day All Week Occupy Wall Street.” It’s difficult to capture both the idea of the movement and its experience in a single statement; The closest phrase I can think of that captures both elements is slogan from the Spanish Indignados, who were an inspiration to the Occupy movement “real democracy now.” Besides dissatisfaction, is there any other common sentiment that is shared by Occupy Wall Street participants? Actually, I tended to find that there was a lot more optimism during the occupations themselves than frustration. So what the fuck has occupy done so far? America’s last hope: A strong labor movement. The fate of the labor movement is the fate of American democracy.
Without a strong countervailing force like organized labor, corporations and wealthy elites advancing their own interests are able to exert undue influence over the political system, as we’ve seen in every major policy debate of recent years. Yet the American labor movement is in crisis and is the weakest it’s been in 100 years. That truism has been a progressive mantra since the Clinton administration. However, union density has continued to decline from roughly 16 percent in 1995 to 11.8 percent of all workers and just 6.9 percent of workers in the private sector.
Unionized workers in the public sector now make up the majority of the labor movement for the first time in history, which is precisely why — a la Wisconsin and 14 other states — they have been targeted by the right for all out destruction. The urgency is striking. But the move to pass EFCA failed, revealing just how weak organized labor has become.
Occupy Un-Occupies Its Own Strike Campaign - National. The next major action planned by Occupy Wall Street is a nationwide general strike set for May 1, and to promote it they've started producing a lot of great-looking works of propaganda that largely downplays the involvement of Occupy itself. The videos, posters, and paintings promoting the strike that actually mention Occupy tend to place it in the background rather than as the central component. Organizers say they're aiming a much larger audience than the folks who camped or protested in city squares last fall. "A general strike really needs to be general," organizer Joe Sharkey said. "May Day is a traditional day for workers movements and revolution, so I think that’s the main emphasis.
It’s to broaden the appeal and not just attach it to Occupy. People have preconceived notions of what occupy is or isn’t. " Rock poster artist R. There's a definite sci-fi bent to a lot of the posters out there, speaking to the nerd crowd. King says UAW prepping for nationwide protests. 6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE. Yesterday, 60,000 marched on Madison to mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's drastic dismantling of collective bargaining rights for public employees. Last year, Walker's attacks on labor rights sparked massive protests that saw hundreds of thousands occupy the Wisconsin capital building.
Their actions prefigured Occupy Wall Street and inspired countless others to take a stand against economic inequality, political injustice, and the tyranny of the 1% enforced through politicians and banksters alike. This is just one example that people across the globe are actively resisting attacks on the 99%. This winter, we refocused our energies on fostering ties with local communities, saving homes from corrupt banks and jobs from greedy corporations, and building and expanding our horizontal infrastructure. This #GlobalSpring, we will take the streets again. On May 1st, Occupy Wall Street has called for a General Strike.
We are getting ready. Civic Action. Ahead of May Day, David Harvey Details Urban Uprisings from Occupy Wall Street to the Paris Commune. This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: Tuesday is May Day, May 1st, also known as International Workers’ Day, a holiday that celebrates workers’ rights and achievements of organized labor, such as the eight-hour workday. This year, the Occupy Wall Street campaign is hoping to mobilize tens of thousands of people across the country under the general slogan, "General Strike. No Work. Activists gathered last Thursday in New York City’s Union Square to announce plans for the massive May Day protest that will include immigrant groups, workers’ unions, members of Occupy Wall Street. CHRIS SILVERA: We want the immigrant community. AMY GOODMAN: Well, to talk more about May Day and the Occupy campaign, we’re joined by leading social theorist, David Harvey, distinguished professor of anthropology at the Graduate Center of City University of New York.
Explain, David Harvey. DAVID HARVEY: I’m trying to look at the history of urban uprisings. DAVID HARVEY: Yes. The Occupy Movement: Rising Anarchy. April 03, 2012 By: Ian Oxnevad The Occupy movement presents a challenge to police and policymakers both in the United States and abroad. Occupy, the now-worldwide movement spawned by Occupy Wall Street, serves as a 21st century anarchist movement the likes of which has not been seen since WWI. So far, Occupy protests in the United States exhibit a mostly peaceful nature.
Modern anarchism traces back to mid-19th century leftist groups in Europe. Immediately after it’s formation as an ideology, historical anarchists targeted a number of individuals and organizations both in the Americas and Europe. The most significant anarchist attack occurred in 1914 when the anarchist group, the Black Hand, murdered Archduke Ferdinand of the Austrian Empire. Today’s Occupy, with Occupy Wall Street as the informal flagship of the overall movement, has its intellectual origins in small groups of left-leaning academics and publications. Crushing Dissent - The Smearing of Wikileaks and Occupy. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the worst possible future abuse by a government over its own citizens. The first thing likely to come to mind for many would be assassination of citizens without due process.
Sadly, you will have to think a bit harder; in the US, which so often describes itself as the world's leading democracy and regularly criticizes the human rights records of other nations, the right to kill its own citizens before allowing them a chance to give their side of the story has already been reserved. Targets are placed on a 'kill list' by a secret panel working out of the White House, and their findings are brought to the President, who makes the final decision on whether a suspect will live or die.
And not just the suspect, anyone else unfortunate enough to be standing close by when the drone strikes. Imagine if citizens, sufficiently outraged, took to the streets and blogs to protest. The Occupy movement has suffered a similar fate. What is the answer? Wither Wall Street: Challenge of the Occupy Movement. Over the last three months New York City has been electrified by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Prachi Patankar and I have been participating in some of the actions. We have also been part of a number of discussions within the South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI) on how an organisation like ours can bring an internationalist perspective to this movement.
Prachi is also on the board of the War Resisters League (WRL). Through such discussions SASI and WRL organised Empire on Wall Street actions. Wither Wall Street: Challenge of the Occupy Movement by Prachi Patankar and Ahilan Kadirgamar In December 2008, protesting the layoffs without severance and vacation pay, over 200 workers of the Republic Windows and Doors occupied the factory plant and refused to leave. Wall Street’s Hegemony The economic crisis of 2008 exposed the ravages of finance capital and questioned the legitimacy of banks and Wall Street.
What can one say about the legacy of the Bush years? The Occupy Movement Like this: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the OWS Protests | Politics News. Occupy Wall Street's anarchist roots. New York, NY - Almost every time I'm interviewed by a mainstream journalist about Occupy Wall Street I get some variation of the same lecture: "How are you going to get anywhere if you refuse to create a leadership structure or make a practical list of demands? And what's with all this anarchist nonsense - the consensus, the sparkly fingers? Don't you realise all this radical language is going to alienate people? You're never going to be able to reach regular, mainstream Americans with this sort of thing! " If one were compiling a scrapbook of worst advice ever given, this sort of thing might well merit an honourable place. I should be clear here what I mean by "anarchist principles". Anarchism versus Marxism Traditional Marxism, of course, aspired to the same ultimate goal but there was a key difference.
It's not just that the ends do not justify the means (though they don't), you will never achieve the ends at all unless the means are themselves a model for the world you wish to create. The Vacancies of Capitalism. Throughout the first several weeks of Occupy Oakland’s existence the analysis and discussion at the General Assembly and elsewhere has been about the need to construct an entirely different social order. It is not so much that “the system is broken” but that it is, and always has been, set up to deliberately benefit, a small minority. The few social provisions that allowed many people in Oakland to survive off of low or no wages have been cut, largely to maintain a police budget that consumes 2/3rds of the city budget.
Budget cuts to education and services, police brutality, unemployment and housing foreclosures all serve to multiply the pain and precariousness of a growing number of Oaklanders, displacing many more, including 25% of Oakland’s black population in the last 10 years. The Power of Solidarity: Occupy Strikes Back The vacancies of capitalism in Oakland overlap each other and effect different communities in different ways. Factories and Housing: From Usefulness to Speculation.
The Corporate State Will Be Broken. VersoBooks.com. Fear of a Slacker Revolution. Generation Occupy: The Demands May Not Be Televised, But Can They Still Be Heard? « Protest Camps. Can Occupy survive its representation? | Protest Camps. On the Verge of Chaos. The revolution begins at home. Why Occupy Wall Street is Not the Tea Party of the Left. Intellectual Roots of Wall Street Protest Lie in Academe - Faculty.
HOT SPOTS - OCCUPY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND THE 2011 GLOBAL UPRISINGS | Cultural Anthropology. Robert Reich: Occupiers Occupied: The Hijacking of the First Amendment. Theory & Event - Occupy Wall Street: Return of a Repressed Res-Publica. Cultural Outcomes of the Occupy Movement. The World Tomorrow: Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali. Noam Chomsky Speaks On Occupy Wall Street Protests. Noam Chomsky's Thoughts on Occupy Wall Street. Naomi Klein @ Occupy Wall Street 10-06-2011. Occupy Everywhere: Michael Moore, Naomi Klein on Next Steps for the Movement Against Corporate Power.
"Occupy Everywhere": May Day Special Show on OWS, Immigration, Labor Protests. 1 of 3. Global Solidarity and the Occupy Movement. The Resurgence of the Civic. Chris Hedges in Times Square | Occupy Wall Street Video. Council of Elders express solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Wall St. vs Tea party with Henry James Ferry. Grounded News video report 5. OWS: Bill Maher w/ Bill Moyers on importance of popular support and Occupy movement -- 1/20/12.
Occupy America / #OccupyAmerica. A Vision of Post-Clicktivist Activism. #OCCUPYWALLSTREET. Declaration of the Occupation of New York City. Where Does Occupy Wall Street Go From Here? We Are the 99 Percent. Search - #IOccupyBecause. Working America. The Battle for the Soul of Occupy Wall Street | Politics News. From Occupy Wall Street to Occupy Everywhere. Occupied Wall Street Journal, PDF. GAZETTE-2.pdf (application/pdf Object) The Other 98% - Politics for the rest of us. Page 1 of 18. Tidal: occupy theory, occupy strategy. Tidal#3.pdf. OCCUPIED STUDIES. Occupy-Pamphlet-Final-1mv67zb.pdf (application/pdf Object) Occupy Wall Street. OCCUPY LOVE (2013) - Official Trailer. Lessons In Extreme Collaboration From Occupy Wall Street And "99%"