Solidarity statement from Anonymous to Occupy

"An entire generation across the globe has grown up realizing, rationally and emotionally, that we have no future in the current order of things. Living under structural adjustment policies and the supposed expertise of international organizations like the World Bank and IMF, we watched as our resources, industries and public services were sold off and dismantled as the “free market” pushed an addiction to foreign goods, to foreign food even. The profits and benefits of those freed markets went elsewhere, while Egypt and other countries in the South found their immiseration reinforced by a massive increase in police repression and torture."

From Occupy Oakland events last night

"Television footage showed thick clouds of gas billowing into the air and bright flashes as projectiles exploded on the street. One man appeared to be struck in the head by a projectile and was bleeding as he was taken away by people around him, according to the footage."

Pictures from Occupy Oakland

It's just going to get uglier..isn't it?

There are good folks that work 40 hour weeks to manufacture rubber bullets, and there are people that need to use them, and there are people that need to receive them to the noggin.................................

lol! This is true. I don't fully understand enough what Occupy is all about to agree or disagree. I've looked in several places for information but I can't ever be sure if what I'm finding is true or not.

I just simply don't understand. What I am understanding, however, as I was contemplating "the American Dream" and all that is that it is very ethnocentric to believe that this (or what seems to be) upheaval is not just here. You know? Ashamedly, it's hard for me to think outside that box because I've been really isolated my entire life. Not only geographically. But that is a big part of this.

Anyway, I was thinking last night about how we seem to have lost the, "United we stand" "We the People" "One Nation" thoughts  that I feel our country was built on. The community of life seems to have gone. It's like we have adopted "United I stand" "I am the person" and "I am a Nation" mentality instead.

Then, the veil drops and I see..it isn't just us. We may very well have been one of the fore runners to spread the mentality tho as we moved into a global economy. But, however it has started, this communal disintegration has infested the world. Now, there is a polarity between I and we.

I don't know. Maybe it's just scorpio weather and I'm looking at this too closely.

It hurts me. Really

communal disintegration

Neptune in Aquarius

I don't know what to think about it, either. I had been feeling quite upset about where the movement was taking place in my city, especially in relation to other events occurring simultaneously (which I was wishing received more attention from the general public).

Our civic elections are coming up and the main mayoral-hopeful appears to be campaigning on getting rid of the protest site.

I do know that a lot of people around me are very happy to see citizens band together like this. I hold the belief it is possible without this movement and sometimes I feel very alone, thinking like this.

*Sigh* If all the "Occupy...." were as orderly & presentable as Tea Party gatherings , then the use of force wouldn't be an issue.

I'd say 80-90% of the participants are simply there to stir shit. Hmmm.... seems like they are living in it , too.

I don't know Glenn. I don't really understand Tea Party either. I thought about the way occupy was presenting themselves and theorhetically, it would be a betrayal, I believe to present themselves in a corporate-accepting manner when it seems that is at least part of what they are rallying against.

The thing is, I've been trying to pinpoint..am I in the 99%, am I in the 1%, am I 43% or 57% or what? Do I need to decide?

Well, my conclusion has largely come to, "No. I don't need to decide."

What I think is, I am part of the 100%.

100% unsure about the stability (socially, economically, politically) of my country and the world.

100% sure that something needs to change and most likely will and already is.

100% unclear on what to do about it or how to go about it.

100% sinking like the rest of the 100% if this ship goes down.

I agree with you, Josi, about the %100

There has been no force or issues where I live, with this movement. It has been peaceful thus far.

So far things have been calm, quiet, peaceful, and even educational in my hometown. A friend of a friend got her CPR certification at the local occupy camp, as there are professionals teaching useful classes in the camp site for anyone that would like to learn more, or needs basic survival knowledge. I think a closer friend of mine is teaching a class on community gardening.

From what I understand of the people I know that attended the initial protest want to dissolve corporate personhood. (I would have joined them for the people watching and curiosity but I was working during the main protest) They feel that if a corporation is a person, which in the literal sense it's not, that they should pay the same taxes than someone with that level of earning power paid, and that if a crime is committed, they are brought to trial, and punished as a person would be for their crimes.

I hope things stay peaceful in my "hippie town." And so far they are. I would also agree that the vast difference in prosecuting blue collar and white collar crimes has become extreme, and my Libra stellium doesn't believe it is fair imo.

P.S. a friend just posted a story online that says a woman in a wheelchair was maced by police. Sadly, I'm far from surprised.

I continue to be interested in the astrology of what's happening...  began witnessing this three years ago when I attended a town hall meeting packed with Tea Party activists.

Several people on my FB page are involved in this - they are mainly Americans now 50/55 who grew up on an island in the Mediterranean, then went back to college in the US and made their lives there. They are good people - thinking, educated, caring, responsible, good parents, and so forth. They all hate the corporate world with a vengance - so do I, without being a 'socialist'.

A few others involved are people from a big literary/historical weblist I belong to, and again they are admirable folk: intelligent, well read and good citizens (mist people on that list however tend towards the conservative viewpoint, esp all the military types)

I hope Occupy doesn't turn into a full-scale debacle like the riots in London recently. A breakdown of the people in court for that 'anti-capitalist' bunfight showed that a high percentage weren't even British, and most had criminal records already!

I expect there'll be more violence, and more attempts to paint protesters as disorderly yuppie young'un homeless hippies, and that we'll really see Homeland Security in action. If there are still Occupy movements next year, we'll see  massive crackdowns at both parties' national conventions.

wow

300 Colorado Home Owners Close Their Accounts at Wells Fargo

Pluto symbolizes death and rebirth. Capricorn symbolizes the structure and the system. Pluto is in Capricorn, and will be for a while, symbolizing death and rebirth within the system. And what we are seeing at the moment is only the beginning.

All of humanity are affected by the current universal vibrations, and we need unity to get through - amongst ourselves, and as a collective race on this earth (never mind patriotism, for that is just another division - this vibration is global).

Even though the "99 percenters" may (or may not) have a point (whatever one's perspective is), we need the exact opposite of strife and division to get through this crucial time period as a race. (Just my opinion).

Wizron, I feel much the same way.

And as I was thinking about the premise of unity, I was also thinking about the premise of division. Do you think that separateness has to occur before unity is achieved?

Does that make sense? As a simple example, using the US, we had to divide from one entity to be unified in another.

If that's so, how would we do that? I mean, what would bring us on the same level..united..globally? What would we divide from?

And yes, I realize, this is only the beginning. And, I also realize, that 99%--on the whole--is just a very small part of it. However, that wasn't brought into perspective for me until today.

This will sound simplistic. But I can only understand what's going on with an eye to my small, isolated community.

Yellowknife centre, as wee as it is, has now many empty spaces for lease. At insane prices. Businesses have either shut down or moved to the one suburb.

I am heavily involved in community theatre. (Read non-profit and entirely volunteer.) In the past, if a space was empty, the people who owned or managed it allowed us to use it. I mean - it's empty, it isn't going to be leased in the foreseeblable future, the presence adds vibrancy and active creativity etc etc. Four places I approached for The Odd Couple, three of which are managed by companies based in southern Canada or wherever and one of which is base here, said: Sorry. We've leased the spaces.

Um. 6 weeks later I am not seeing any activity in any of these places.

I am about to stage my own freaking occupation -- because my next project is a fundraiser for the local safe house for women and children, a shelter for women, and a concommitant program aimed at outlier communties. (And that's all on my own time because I give a shit about people.)

SO seriously - they hoard empty space? They being mega-management comapanies, probably owned by even bigger fish? And they lie to me?

Hell yeah. I am pissed. But I work, so I won't be camping on the street any day soon. But I have words. And I intend to use them.

eta: excuse typos etc. i'm seeing red. 
 

If this could truly unite 99% of the country and spread throughout the world, that would be one hell of a collective.

Didn't sound simplistic to me Michele.

CArRiE, it would. But, I don't know what it is that I can't put my finger on..it just doesn't seem to be right. It's like, something is missing.

@Josie: "Diversity within the Oneness" does work, implies division and freedom of choice, and is a wonderful concept, and it means that none of us can put a straight-jacket on each other. But in this case, (some, many) people are jumping on the bandwagon just because they enjoy rebellion, are bored and are seeking a cause to rebel against, or are depressed and angry and need an outlet. This type of behaviour creates violence and is just plain destructive, and doesn't really help anyone.

@Josi- I think what might be 'missing' is the spiritual aspect.

@Wizron- I didn't see anybody gathered at our local show of support (only one day, no camping), that would be described as bored, or rebellious and looking for an outlet.  Some did seem depressed and angry, but not in a violent or distructive way.

CArRiE, I must have felt you thinking it, because that is exactly what I came up with on the way home and came back here to type just that

@Josi- hehe!  Crazy cool! - I did see some videos today of the protesters and saw a bunch of them meditating or praying together... that seemed like a good sign.

I am not sure the spiritual aspect is missing where I live (in the movement) due to the active participation by several spiritual/religious communities....that would indicate otherwise. I don't know what it is. I don't know why I am hesitant about it. I have been thinking quite hard...to try and understand what it is I feel about it, exactly.

I think I have unease because there seems to me to be an application of Collective values? And so I think....well I can't be anti-Collective can I? Anti-values? No--I'm not. So, what is it?

The only thing I can think is that I haven't embraced it, because I don't feel comfortable with it. I don't think it's wrong to be hesitant. I'm not going out there throwing rocks and cursing people out. I'm just....in information gathering mode. I do this:)

Thanks Wizron..... for reminding me about the Pluto-Capricorn energies at play. I can whole-heartedly agree that "a change" in old systems will be occurring soon. I only hope that it won't be a "symbolic collapse" of current political power structure in the United States..... where the Constitution is mearly held onto as "symbolic" , and the Government (local-county-state-federal) controls all property.

Maybe part of the hesitation to jump in with both feet, is the potential for this to go too far and reach a violent state.  From everything I've read, that is the last thing the demonstrators want to happen, but in reality- passions run deep on some of these issues, and there is a certain number of people that rightfully feel that they have nothing to lose.  There's that sense that all it would take is a spark and the whole thing could blow up into a terrible thing.

53%

The problem is that the middle class is dying. There have been so many attacks on it and erosions to the systems that sustained us economically that people do not have a way to mobilize to a higher class. This is really the basic foundation of our economic system. Without upward mobility people just have no reason to work, try, innovate, study or plan. They have no future and no goals. We have these people who are elevated in society -- movie stars, etc,who make billions for no reason while the rest of us man drive through windows. " Getting rich" is becoming more of a dream and less of a reality for all of us.

The bottom line is, if wealth is not something that everybody can have, through effort, hard work and careful management, then we've got an unworkable economy. Its going to make a whole lot of poor people and one or two rich people. But the poor people are the ones who use the highways, the subways, the parks and school systems. They're the ones who go to the movies and buy the smartphones. If this keeps up there will be no America, just a lot of people hanging around on streetcorners waiting to mob anyone who can afford to eat at a restaurant or drive a car.

"The problem is that the middle class is dying."

We can turn it around. This is possible and boy is it important to keep that in mind. 

Elsa, I hope so. I can't bear to live in a society with no hope.

I'm a bit more involved in this entire thing on the eastern side of the US, and I can tell you that right now, OWS and nearby protest groups do not want this to turn violent. There were peaceful marches in the east tonight to protest against what happened in Oakland last night and in support for the wounded Vet. I think Oakland last night did light a spark or is a turning point - note that what went down last night was very close to the New Moon in Scorpio. 

Fingers are also being pointed at Oakland's nasty past with police violence, so there are hopes that the police violence there was an isolated problem. Right now there's a whole wave of people demanding the resignation of the Oakland Mayor. But so far, no violent uprisings within the protests in response. 

From the Article that Elsa linked

"What the 99% is missing is the element of personal responsibility," said Trevino, who is also vice president at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. "The 53% want to bring that into the conversation."

interesting...

I don't believe the protestors are geared toward violence either. They aren't here. We have two groups about 30 miles apart. But, to be honest, I don't see that much is being accomplished locally. But, in this area, that doesn't surprise me. We are very isolated. As in, most people know less than I do about what is going on and I know very little. I went to one of the rally's and just picked random people (not the spokespersons) and asked them, "What do you think of this" because I wanted to write about it in my column. The answers I got were mainly vague not knowing why they were there "Was walking through the park and saw them, thought I'd stop and see what was going on" things like that. I can tell that the protestors here have been peaceful and cooperative with park, city and policy officials. Now, they are on main street. And it doesn't look like a an activist campaign. It looks more like a refugee camp--I'm sorry, but it does. That is what is being conveyed to their general drive by audience instead of the message I think they are trying to send.

I feel it is with good intent. But still feel like something is missing. I live in an area where we have 30 churches in an area populated by a little over 7,000. And there is no backing by any of the churches which, like it or not, does have an impact in this area. Even if that has nothing to do with what they are trying to accomplish.

Like I said, 100% sure something needs to happen and will or is, but also 100% unsure about what to do about it.

Kash, I feel much like you ..info gathering stage. Examining, watching, waiting to see how this plays out.

one person showed up at our local rally last night. She posted on the web page that she was the only one there. She said that two homeless "kids" showed up and she felt bad because she couldn't feed them.

...I'm thinking this is going to reveal that we have much bigger problems than protesting that needs to be addressed. Yes, I believe so.

I believe I am connected to other humans. However, I like to feel I have autonomy, too. I believe in the beauty of citizens working together to achieve their goals.

There are two things about this movement that I dislike: one is the slogans; they don't resonate for me. The language used is not language that I would use to identify myself. I have been unable to see myself as part of a group of people who says "We are the 99%" etc

The other thing I dislike is this movement doesn't appear *to me* to promote the feeling of independence I hold in my heart. Or my feeling of hope in society. I am Jupiter ruled; I have faith and hope in spades.

I also like to spend my free time doing other things to promote unity and goodwill in my community. If these people want to do this--that is their business. You know what I mean? I am not going to be slagging them off, calling them stupid, or their cause hopeless or whatever.

I'm directing my energy elsewhere at this time. I'm involving myself in my community in ways that feel right for me--meaning, they fit me, my chart and my personal definition of civic service.

at best #ows is a meme that puts a monkey-wrench in the mainstream media's MO to distort information into neat little soundbites.

I really don't believe a word that mainstream media says about OWS.

well, I really don't believe a word that mainstream media says anyhow

kash - i was really put off by the obvious marketing strategies behind this 'movement' as well. though i can put my bias aside if there really is a political impetus behind this. so far i've seen that they believe in consensus-building (something already suspicious to me) and they've explicitly said they're a "leaderless movement" which sets of my alarm bells. there is real technology harnessed here - so who's implementing the social networking? who's buying the server space?

???? many questions.

but i'm happy that there's a place for anyone - anyone - to go and protest, to do a non-violent demonstration. i do think real change comes from that (though it can't just stay there, obviously). and also it's not the only place real change comes from. i want real capitalism, real representative democracy (note, i don't want direct democracy, which is what #ows looks like to me). if we all decided to withdraw our money from the banks, just watch how quickly real change happens.

Thanks for sharing all of that, dorchid. Consensus building is an interesting topic for me, too. How does the group promote cohesiveness? Or does it? What does that mean for those who agree with some ideas and not others? What about people who are offended by the term Occupy itself? Everyone gets heard--how?

Something I've read, called Protest in a Liberal Democracy (it was published in 1994):

http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/94psa.html

"Another shortcoming of the theory of liberal society is its assumption of a degree of democracy that does not exist in practice. Without a more participatory democracy than provided by the electoral system, the usual liberal arguments about the political obligations of citizens hold little weight (Pateman, 1979).

The intellectual jousting about protest is fascinating, but just as important is the practical political response of governments as a method of limiting and controlling challenging groups. Protest is not a great threat to the power of the state so long as the protest challenges only policies and not the institutions of the state itself. The most effective way for governments to ensure that this happens is to appear to respond, usually by some form of symbolic action such as studying the issue, preparing legislation or setting up an inquiry (Edelman, 1971). Most protest movements do not have the organisational or economic foundation to 'sit out' an issue and wait for normal processes to take account of the problem.

A million people marched for peace in New York in 1982, but this did not lead to any substantive changes in government policy. Instead, responses to the peace movement were in the form of 'arms control initiatives,' the 'strategic defense initiative,' and other symbolic stands which served to convince many people that the government was doing something to promote peace, while the key parts of its military stance were left unaltered (Myrdal, 1976). Even when governments are elected to power on a particular platform, they are regularly able to disengage from commitments made earlier in the face of widespread social unrest (Miliband, 1969)."

"i was really put off by the obvious marketing strategies behind this 'movement' as well."

The Occupy Movement was conceived by Adbusters.  "CultureJammers."  If you read the magazine or their de facto "manifesto" Culture Jam, it's pretty self-explanatory why this movement seems a bit *waffles hands* off.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book.  It does teach one to think critically about advertising, popular culture, and the messages therein -- but if you apply what you learn to the book itself, it falls apart as rather shrill rhetoric.

Anyway, that's my 2¢.  :)  It's also why I've been keeping my distance from the whole discussion, even though I vaguely agree with why there are protests.  I'm wondering what the end-game is, what ulterior agenda is being pushed, because my gut says there is one and it's being well hidden...

kash - i was really put off by the obvious marketing strategies behind this 'movement' as well.

They're not marketing strategies. They're textbook strategies for political destabilization. It started with Adbusters but some extremely experienced people are getting involved and rebroadcasting incidents of police brutality is sort of Thing One that separates a studied, intentional political action from a bunch of kids running around with drums.  It's not a protest, it's not a march: it is a movement. Gathering, not losing steam.

 I don't think it's going to stop. There are no laws against robbing an entire economic class; that's why there's going to be a war.