I am encouraged by the resilience and the widespread (semi-global) resonance of the Occupy Wall St movement. Like the Arab Spring, which was quickly written off by the “hard-headed realists”, it seems to have struck a deep chord with ordinary people. With the Arab Spring, it was Democracy and although the immediate Occupy slogan is “We are the 99%” (referring to the obscene power gap between the ultra- rich and poor), on a deeper level it is also about Democracy, which is about having a real say in how society is directed and governed. In the developed countries, people can vote, but exercise very little power through it, since our governments have over the last few decades given so much power to Wall St. and the corporations. Government and Big Business are now intertwined. Witness the corporate arrogance of Cheney/ Haliburton in the USA and Rupert Murdoch in the UK.
People give diverse reasons for supporting the movement:
• Feeling powerless and alarmed by the wealth and power by the 1% and the lack of caring in society
• Sensing capitalism is collapsing and wanting to re-evaluate value systems and goals
• Recognizing lots of inter-related issues like the environment, health, education and the increasing militarisation.
I view this diversity of motive as a positive not a negative, since it is a sign that people are beginning to look deeper and recognize that all issues within society are intertwined and that we have to set priorities and stick with them…as I have suggested in several of my blogs.
What now?
• Persevere. Demonstrate and keep up the civil disobedience, targeting the worst corporate offenders. It worked in the Arab Spring in the Developed Countries in the 60s and 70s.
• Pressure the political parties Left of centre as the Tea Party has pressured the Right.
• Create and demand a deeper public discourse on priorities, values and direction, not more dumbing down, shouting matches and gotcha sound bites. I’ve been calling for this discussion (to also include the notion of Spiriyuality, not just Religion) for years. My guess is that a lot of people would back/ sacrifice for sustainability and greater equality and caring, if they had the confidence that it could be achieved. The present unregulated Free Market does not work as well as its advocates suggest and indeed, there is ample evidence that it has an extremely corrosive and divisive effect on society. Let’s think and act outside the (corporate) Box.