Would You Occupy?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The movement needs defined leaders to unify it.

I disagree. Occupy is not the movement that will effect change, it's the movement that will galvanize other movements.

[Doktor Howl]

The movement needs defined leaders to unify it.

That didn't work out so well in the late 60s/70s.

Abbey Hoffman and his crowd took the movement and made it an ego trip.

Leaders will come to the front, as they always do, but for the moment, it's just a pack of pissed off people venting their spleen.

[Laughin Jude]

Probably.

More to network for what comes next than for the event itself, to be honest.

This seems to be the major theme of the movement. I'm viewing the Occupy movement as more of a social networking platform for other groups who want to get stuff done than a movement with goals in and of itself.

And I've been attending the Portland group since day one, though I'm not staying. I'm on the library committee and I've even spoken at the GA a couple times.

[PopeTom]

The movement needs defined leaders to unify it.

...it's just a pack of pissed off people venting their spleen.

Spleen

Let us talk about your spleen.

Let us first go over some of its basic functions.

It metabolizes hemoglobin removed from senescent erythrocytes.

Also it recycles iron.

Sometimes you'll notice that our political and financial leaders are realty just a bunch of greedy power hungry assholes that only pretend to care about you so as to position themselves into places of political and/or finical authority; what happens then?

Pressure.

Begins.

Building.

You're spleen may explode!

By venting your rage at the system.

By making your voice heard.

By sleeping in a public park for like a week.

You can reduce the excessive pressure on your spleen and keep it from exploding and thereby live a long life full of love, joy, and Crème brûlée.

Ninety-nine.

[Salty]

***
Didn't want to spag up the boards, figure this is the best spot for this.
***

Some (few) events will well and truly bring out the inner truth of a persons motivations and intent from across the world. And these protests have brought out something deep and seemingly unyielding in me. I am a cynic.

There was time when I pursued this in all seriousness without being aware this existed:

Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and fame, and by living a simple life free from all possessions. As reasoning creatures, people could gain happiness by rigorous training and by living in a way which was natural for humans. They believed that the world belonged equally to everyone, and that suffering was caused by false judgments of what was valuable and by the worthless customs and conventions which surrounded society.

Silly, yeah. But kinda funny seeing as how my current worldviews are always considered cynical. Me, I'm always laughing or raging, either one as fun as the other. For me it's all about having a good time. At least, that's what I tell myself.

So when I first see a bunch of hippies whining with signs I giggle. Then when I see this thing gaining momentum, building up speed, swallowing up even the most ardent cynics around me in boisterous enthusiasm, something begins to rattle around inside me.

You'll see one asshole that said he's would not attend. That's me. I would not. Why? What these people are trying to accomplish is in no way in line with what I want. Something seems wrong about that, there probably is something wrong about that. I can understand the need to make the world admit that bankers have fucked us (again). Hell, I'm all about that. And I'm all for the little people getting the things they need in life to make life worth living.

AND I'm sure I'm engaging in some kind of fallacy when I say FUCK THESE ASSHOLES.

What exactly do they/we/you want? To get back to...what? To a comfortable place where we can continue fucking the world at leisure to maintain this hideous lifestyle? Maybe I'm too far removed from the US to understand this thing but the economy I see crashing DISGUSTS me. I don't WANT the economy to be fixed. I want it to crash and burn so hard our whole way of life changes because our whole way of life is sickening to me and for it get right again we need to burn this shit to the ground and try again. Or not. My point is if all this is to regain some status quo that has fucked the world for some time...I can't really get all that excited about it. Actually I just get angry.

Is it wrong what these bankers have done? Well, of course.
Is it wrong for police to mace and taze these people? Duh.
It it good that someone, somewhere is doing something, fighting for things they believe in? Heck yes.

Do I want us to reach some civilized discourse with these bankers and the government? Nope. I want these CEO's dragged out into the street, along with their Senator and Congressmanandwomen friends, and beaten with tire irons. I don't want Wall St occupied, I want it burnt to the ground and a daycare put in its place. FIGHT!

I may be a cynic, but I am not apathetic. But this fight is not mine.

I may be wrong about this, I might be missing some vital point, and there is a strong possibility that I have some deep, misguided bias in regard to this issue. I am open to new ideas.

[Salty]

Also, it's cold outside. The only reason I would stand around in that kind of weather is obnoxious mockery of everyone involved which is something I can get right behind.

[Laughin Jude]

What exactly do they/we/you want? To get back to...what? To a comfortable place where we can continue fucking the world at leisure to maintain this hideous lifestyle? Maybe I'm too far removed from the US to understand this thing but the economy I see crashing DISGUSTS me. I don't WANT the economy to be fixed. I want it to crash and burn so hard our whole way of life changes because our whole way of life is sickening to me and for it get right again we need to burn this shit to the ground and try again. Or not. My point is if all this is to regain some status quo that has fucked the world for some time...I can't really get all that excited about it. Actually I just get angry.

I actually agree with this bolded part. The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow." I want the old system to come to an end. I want something entirely different to take its place.

I've met people at the Occupy movement who agree with me. There are others who want other things. Occupy Portland, at least, seems more about having the conversation than rushing out and trying to fix things before we've all agreed on what exactly is wrong... but there is a strong desire to fix things, whatever that means, that seems to permeate the community.

More than anything, it reminds me of this:

If you want in on the Discordian Society
then declare yourself what you wish
do what you like
and tell us about it
or if you prefer
don't.

There are no rules anywhere.
The Goddess Prevails.

[Freeky]

The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow."

Just as an aside, slash and burn actually destroys a piece of land after a few years, so this turn of phrase is really off putting to me.

[The Rev]

The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow."

Just as an aside, slash and burn actually destroys a piece of land after a few years, so this turn of phrase is really off putting to me.

They burn the prairie grass around here every year to renew the soil and the grass.

[Cain]

In Australia too, limited bushfires are necessary for ecological stability.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow."

Just as an aside, slash and burn actually destroys a piece of land after a few years, so this turn of phrase is really off putting to me.

They burn the prairie grass around here every year to renew the soil and the grass.

Field fires and underbrush burns are different. Slash and burn refers to the practice of cutting down everything in a wooded area, letting it dry over the summer, and then setting it on fire in order to clear the land. It's monumentally destructive and areas cleared using this method often lack the soil thickness and quality to remain arable, and are highly susceptible to topsoil wash and depletion.

The term itself is nearly blasphemous in areas like the Northwest, where thousands of acres have been destroyed and devastating mudslides caused by slash and burn clearing. It doesn't really have a positive connotation at all.

[The Rev]

The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow."

Just as an aside, slash and burn actually destroys a piece of land after a few years, so this turn of phrase is really off putting to me.

They burn the prairie grass around here every year to renew the soil and the grass.

Field fires and underbrush burns are different. Slash and burn refers to the practice of cutting down everything in a wooded area, letting it dry over the summer, and then setting it on fire in order to clear the land. It's monumentally destructive and areas cleared using this method often lack the soil thickness and quality to remain arable, and are highly susceptible to topsoil wash and depletion.

The term itself is nearly blasphemous in areas like the Northwest, where thousands of acres have been destroyed and devastating mudslides caused by slash and burn clearing. It doesn't really have a positive connotation at all.

Okay, that makes sense.

[Laughin Jude]

The way I've been putting it for years now is, "Gotta burn the fields to make the soil rich enough for new grass to grow."

Just as an aside, slash and burn actually destroys a piece of land after a few years, so this turn of phrase is really off putting to me.

They burn the prairie grass around here every year to renew the soil and the grass.

This is what I'm thinking of. I grew up in northern Idaho where burning the prairies every once in a while so the soil would be renewed was common.

[rong]

Now that I think about it, I would say 99% of my lawn is grass and 1% is nutrient sucking weeds.

[The Wizard Joseph]

Been a while since I posted anything here really. been trying to lurk moar, but the manifesto template made me wanna take a crack.


Look at the world around you.

Look at the things you have made for yourselves,
and look at the parts of it that are your bondage.

Debts and lies, lies, lies: these are your chains.

You must break them!

Do not believe the words of the craven,
brutal plutocrats that seek to enslave you,
yet laugh at you because you believe that you are free.

You

Remain

Slaves

Seek the walls of your prison and make it yours!

With a mind unclouded,

With the tools at your disposal

With fists against the walls if need be!

Your freedom is yours,
and you have only to take it for yourself
with no shame, or fear,
and certainty that a better world can be made
if you only are willing to sacrifice your comfort to build it!

Reforge!!



I tried to borrow a cup of spirit from the BIP and Dr. Reich.

I will almost definitely be at Occupy Milwaukee.  If all goes well I'll come back with thoughts on the movement to share here.