Wednesday, November 16, 2011

OWS needs a new home.

I've been thinking about OWS a lot lately.  I'm excited that people are finally standing up and saying "the system is broken!" and demanding something change.  The changes seem to be coming pretty fast and hard right now.  All over the country the 1% and those who work for them or aspire to be them have said, "ENOUGH!" and shut down the protests.  It seems that the message must be working somewhat.  But, it also points out a weakness with OWS.  Philosophy and righteous indignation can only get you so far.  What has happened is OWS has become an annoyance.  It has caused Big Money to flex its muscle a bit, but it hasn't caused change. Annoyance may change the public stance of some people or institutions, but not the base behaviors.  The truth is, THEY have no reason to change.  We can shout all we want about how unfair the system is, but at the end of the day we support it when we turn on the light, or the TV or the generator we bought to power our protest camp. When we eat food from the grocery store we support the Big Money system.  They get their money and their power from the fact that we have ceded our responsibility for meeting our basic needs to the system.  The system doesn't have to change because without it, as things are right now, most of us would die of hunger, or cold, or sickness.  If OWS wants to change the system, they need a new home.  That home has to be in the weak points of the system, and it has to be directed at creating a new way for people to meet their basic needs outside the Big Money system.  What needs to happen is we, the 99% need to band together and start getting our food, and out power, and our clothes, and everything from sources outside the current structure.  Then the system will change, or it will die of starvation.

So, all you OWS activists and want-n-be activists, keep drumming, keep protesting, but start acting by meeting your needs from outside the system, or doing without.  Tell us what you are doing and how we can support that.  Like I've said in other posts, Occupy the Food System, or some other part of machine that supports Big Money.  Then we will win.

2 comments:

Hickchick said...

Occupy your Kitchen!

Alan said...

Occupied mine tonight making bagels. Everything but the yeast and salt was grown in my neighborhood. A few $ went to the tax man, but the rest stayed here rather than supporting Big Money. Cooking from scratch (even with non-local ingrediants) cuts the amount of money supporting the big processors and their corporate funders. OYK is a great idea that anyone can do!!!

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