Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
by Chris Hedges
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Truthdig
Oct. 17, 2011
There is no danger that the protesters who have occupied squares, parks and plazas across the nation in defiance of the corporate state will be co-opted by the Democratic Party or groups like MoveOn. The faux liberal reformers, whose abject failure to stand up for the rights of the poor and the working class, have signed on to this movement because they fear becoming irrelevant. Union leaders, who pull down salaries five times that of the rank and file as they bargain away rights and benefits, know the foundations are shaking. So do Democratic politicians from Barack Obama to Nancy Pelosi. So do the array of “liberal” groups and institutions, including the press, that have worked to funnel discontented voters back into the swamp of electoral politics and mocked those who called for profound structural reform.
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via Truthdig
Copyright © 2011 Truthdig
Chris Hedges spent two decades as a foreign reporter covering wars in Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. His latest books are Death of the Liberal Class, and The World as It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress.
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[DS added the video.]
munderlarkst on Oct 17, 2011
Chris Hedges: “What happens is in all of these movements … the foot soldiers of the elite — the blue uniformed police, the mechanisms of control — finally don’t want to impede the movement and at that point the power elite is left defenseless … the only thing I can say having been in the middle of similar movements is that this one is real, and this one could take them all down … I can guarantee you that huge segments of those blue uniformed police sympathize with everything that you’re doing.” Hedges bring his 20 years of experience as a war correspondent having covered movements and revolutions throughout the the world to his discussion.
Chris Hedges talks with Occupy TVNY about OWS — “This one could take them all down.” — 10/15/11
see
Two Lefts? by Konstantin Kaminskiy
Decline of the American Left by Steven Jonas, MD, MPH
Rumble from the people by Ralph Nader
Occupy Wall Street: Potentials and limitations of the 2011 American Protests by Fazal Rahman, Ph.D.
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Profit has been sanctified, not just at the corporate level but on a personal level, by individuals pursuing their own self-interest. Getting “a good deal” has become a national pastime. The whole idea lurking behind “buy low, sell high” is corrupt. Until we all look in the mirror and recognize the extent to which we have become “just like them” a moral solution will continue to elude us. To expect to profit from another man’s toil is simply wrong, and it is the foundation of our collective madness.
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all i can add to this discussion, as i told the local OWS organizer here last night: I will join in at any and all demos, with my signs for the 25% Solution and ending the occupations etc.
time will tell, dear friends, if my suspicions will be fermented. i HOPE NOT! let us see and discuss all this in 6 months time. thanks
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rocket, i am so glad that you see my point of view on this. the Democrats have this fine tuned propaganda machine ( i get COUNTLESS emails from Move On lately- I try to ‘ unsubscribe’ but they are so shrewd as to have DIFFERENT people e mail under their own e mails each time ) .
every progressive out there should go and get the DVD ‘ Lifting the Veil ‘ and watch it.
Here’s the link: https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/lifting-the-veil-barack-obama-and-the-failure-of-capitalist-democracy/
I worked hard FOR RALPH NADER FOR PRESIDENT IN 2000, 2004 , AND 2008. i saw all the democrats dirty tricks . they cant fool me .
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chris, i agree with your ideals and analysis of this new movement… except that of the co opt attempts and possible success by this corrupt Democratic party. case in point: maybe in NYC this may not happen. here in daytona beach, they held a rally saturday. guess who is one of the 2 co organizers and was master of ceremonies? that is correct: An active member of the local Democratic party who for it seems YEARS has refused to join us with our ‘ Out of Iraq & Afghanistan ‘ and ‘ Cut the Military spending ‘ protests. She was an active and fine voice for the plight of the Palestinians, yet worked so hard for Obama and his party who continue to sell the Palestinians down the river. She still states that she will support Obama’s re-election and that of ALL and ANY Democrats.
Here is my point chris: If this Occupy Wall street movement does NOT ( and ASAP) incorporate the Cut Military Spending, End all Occupations Now mindset and mantra along with the the anti corporate greed… it will become another tool for the ‘ Get out the vote ‘ by the Democrats. Interesting, isn’t it, just as this whole thing was taking off, Obama comes out with his ‘ Tax the Millionaires ‘ plan. these Democrats are so shrewd ( Read ‘ The Democrats, A Critical Histroy ‘ by Lance Selva , if I am correct on his name ) .
great column chris!
Phillip –so true . the dems will most likely coopt this thing . alot of people out there are still under the obama spell.
Rocket, I pray not as the movement in my mind is doing just fine without extra seasoning!! It will take time to bring all the pieces together, but in wholeness it will change this country for the better.
yeah cool . i mean even if the movement succeeds and is not coopted , if people dont change from within it will just be power changing hands and not an honest to God revolution . history at least has taught us that much .
I believe it is up to us to keep the movement from being co-opted by the Dems or anyone else. The people are in support of this movement and it’s growing not only nationally but internationally. Go to your local Occupy yourtown protest and talk with those there. Be a part of this movement.
I have my dear, signed up locally as soon as there was an Occupy New Orleans!! I am truly fed up with both major parties, have been, just didn’t realize it till I wasted all my votes!!
Very good, Mike. Welcome to the resistance!
Philip, I believe whole heartedly that all the pieces will come together, and that the Democrats just need to keep their also corrupt politicians away. I believe there are many people involved in OWS as well as other fine organizations that have all the skills to make this country more progressive and responsive to the needs of its citizens.