General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: For any who believe Occupy to be dead, you need only look into a mirror. [View all]Summer Hathaway
(2,770 posts)and I greatly admire and respect your commitment, along with your obvious passion.
I have also watched the Occupy movement with great interest since its inception. But part of the problem I've encountered in dealing with OWSies is being told - as I was just again in this thread - that if I am not an active Occupy supporter/participant, I am championing the behavior of the banksters and Wall Streeters.
Surely you understand that this kind of "with us or against us" mentality just smacks of the very thing many of us abhorred about the Bush administration - the notion that if you don't stand with OWS, you are on the side of the enemy.
Do all OWSies think in those terms? I suspect not. But that's another part of the problem: the fact that anyone can claim to speak on behalf of the movement, because there is no leadership (even if it's just a PR role) to state in clear terms what OWS is all about, and who is in a position to speak on its behalf.
I have always taken action when it comes to positive change. The fact that I, along with millions of others, choose to go about doing so without any connection or allegiance to OWS is not to be dismissed as being 'on the wrong side', or lacking true commitment.
When anyone from any group tells me that if I'm not 'with' them, I am obviously enabling the enemies of true social justice, you can count me out of that group - permanently.
This is what Occupy is up against. Many of it's own self-proclaimed adherents are obnoxiously detrimental to what was meant to be 'the cause'. What OWS intends to do about that remains to be seen.
As for you, keep fighting the good fight - under whatever name, flag or banner you find appropriate. You have the passion to do so, and I've no doubt your efforts will be worthwhile.
Edited to add: In response to your assertion that "no one is doing that", please read response #23: "The Anti-Social Justice Movement strikes again. Congratulations, your Wall St. bankster heroes got away with ripping us off and destroying the country at the same time. You must be so proud!"
As I said above, any group that proclaims people who are not "with them" must be proud of that their Wall St. bankster heroes' have gotten away with destroying the country can count me out. That kind of rhetoric is RW bullshit - but I think you know that. And again I will say that what OWS intends to do about that kind of BS remains to be seen.