General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Zuccotti Park has been re-occupied [View all]Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)to succeed. They may fear OWS, but if corporate powers see no threat, they won't change.
I think direct actions against corporations can be effective, and falls right into the what the Internet and social media should be about (the "system" of the new media should make it more easy). There was little consciousness of what could be done on a nuts & bolts level among the OWS people I talked to, and little response here on DU. That is discouraging.
Democratic Party overhaul: After the McGovern defeat, the burgeoning activist movement in Austin continued, but increasingly centered on local politics as the "national" party was increasingly seen as hostile to lefty activism; I think it was a question of where we could put our energies and accomplish real goals. I can't speak of experiences others had in other locales. Frankly, a more ideological approach may be necessary: The public has to know what the Democratic Party stands for. And that should be easily explained and understood.
I disagree with your assessment of community action as "marketing strategies. (OWS being a promising start-up & going public)." My impression is OWS IS PUBLIC NOW. What community action is really about is putting a human face on our activism, and identifying with various local communities. Yeah, our image would be improved, but our STANDING would be greatly enhanced. What you want is someone to say: "Yeah, those guys helped out during the storm," or even better: "They weren't at all what the media said they were. I'll listen to what they have to say about the banks."
I wonder what OWS's decision-making process was during Sandy?