Real life: the 'occupy' protests

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What are the 'occupy' protests leading to?

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Start: 11.10.2011, 07:37

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- Nothing, people are just mad and need to vent.

- A future uprising (potentially violent)

- A future uprising (peaceful change)

- A new political party

- A renewal of the hippy era

- Other

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Topic:

Topic created : 11.10.2011, 07:37

Borello1

I have been watching these protests on wall street and around the US with a very high level of interest. Police brutality, protesters becoming violent, protesters taking over parts of cities and disrupting business, protesters protesting against capitalism... Where is this all leading?

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19.10.2011, 19:42. Subject: Decentralized Movement

IQof20

I think part of the movement that is curious is the very decentralized nature of it. It is something that most Americans are unfamiliar with and they keep trying to put labels on it all so that they can file it within their minds. Watching the numerous traditional power structure groups attempt to join in is interesting but any attempt to co-opt the message seems difficult at best. The movement under the hood seems based in frustration with those in power, regardless of their philosophy. It is another angle of the Tea Party movement that was of course quickly co-opted, branded, funded, adopted, and steered by conservative groups that traditionally had not held full power in the Republican party but used this group as a method to gain power.

I think that is what makes this group at the moment a little different in that it has not received a central organizational structure to date and remains very fluid w/ regard to speakers, leaders, and agendas. Certainly this can mean that nothing will happen, but it also makes this "mob" (not intending this as derogatory) so unpredictable to traditional power groups. They would all be far more comfortable if someone leashed this group into a formal organization w/ people they are familiar and comfortable with.

Ignoring it didn't work, now labeling and co-opting are being attempted by opposite sides, we'll see how it all shakes out in the end.

My son (a reasonably conservative Democrat) has the joy of working downtown in Indianapolis and spoke to a number of the protesters and described them as "poorly informed" and "unrealistically idealistic". I think this fits with the concept of a "mob" but one that is clearly focusing on non-violence.

Non-violence is the other side of this that is particularly interesting and I am curious to see some of the next moves from the group as they gain funding/power from people through more traditional means. I would not be completely surprised to see the New York group attempt to *HIRE* off-duty police officers to protect them at some point. New York has some very curious rules re: the use of NYPD off-hours and corporations have been using that to their benefit. As these folks gain some funding it could lead to a very curious conflict between two groups hiring law enforcement to protect their rights.

In the end, it doesn't surprise me at the least. For ten years I've been discussing this with others that the disparate wealth levels are a key to conflict in American society and that the promotion of a "lottery mentality" within the populace has downgraded their ability to produce but also lowered respect for those who "win" in society. The wealthy are no longer viewed with quite the same respect as before (for good or for bad) and this attitude is part of what is allowing this movement to take hold.

List of forums -> Main forum of the online business game "Virtonomics"-> Real life: the 'occupy' protests

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List of forums -> Main forum of the online business game "Virtonomics" -> Real life: the 'occupy' protests

List of forums -> Main forum of the online business game "Virtonomics"-> Real life: the 'occupy' protests