#OCCUPYWALLSTREET

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET

A shift in revolutionary tactics.

Adbusters

July 13, 2011

Alright you 90,000 redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,

A worldwide shift in revolutionary tactics is underway right now that bodes well for the future. The spirit of this fresh tactic, a fusion of Tahrir with the acampadas of Spain, is captured in this quote:

"The antiglobalization movement was the first step on the road. Back then our model was to attack the system like a pack of wolves. There was an alpha male, a wolf who led the pack, and those who followed behind. Now the model has evolved. Today we are one big swarm of people."
— Raimundo Viejo, Pompeu Fabra University
Barcelona, Spain

The beauty of this new formula, and what makes this novel tactic exciting, is its pragmatic simplicity: we talk to each other in various physical gatherings and virtual people's assemblies … we zero in on what our one demand will be, a demand that awakens the imagination and, if achieved, would propel us toward the radical democracy of the future … and then we go out and seize a square of singular symbolic significance and put our asses on the line to make it happen.

The time has come to deploy this emerging stratagem against the greatest corrupter of our democracy: Wall Street, the financial Gomorrah of America.

On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices.

Tahrir succeeded in large part because the people of Egypt made a straightforward ultimatum – that Mubarak must go – over and over again until they won. Following this model, what is our equally uncomplicated demand?

The most exciting candidate that we've heard so far is one that gets at the core of why the American political establishment is currently unworthy of being called a democracy: we demand that Barack Obama ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington. It's time for DEMOCRACY NOT CORPORATOCRACY, we're doomed without it.

This demand seems to capture the current national mood because cleaning up corruption in Washington is something all Americans, right and left, yearn for and can stand behind. If we hang in there, 20,000-strong, week after week against every police and National Guard effort to expel us from Wall Street, it would be impossible for Obama to ignore us. Our government would be forced to choose publicly between the will of the people and the lucre of the corporations.

This could be the beginning of a whole new social dynamic in America, a step beyond the Tea Party movement, where, instead of being caught helpless by the current power structure, we the people start getting what we want whether it be the dismantling of half the 1,000 military bases America has around the world to the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act or a three strikes and you're out law for corporate criminals. Beginning from one simple demand – a presidential commission to separate money from politics – we start setting the agenda for a new America.

Post a comment and help each other zero in on what our one demand will be. And then let's screw up our courage, pack our tents and head to Wall Street with a vengeance September 17.

for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ

Adbusters #97: The Politics of Post Anarchism – How To Live Without Dead Time (with a 12"x 18" #OCCUPYWALLSTREET poster inside), hits newsstands worldwide in ten days. Go to adbusters.org/subscribe and subscribe!

No one has commented on this idea yet. Curious to see what people think.

by @bdrugge

July 16 2011

The One Demand: a Nader Tax Now! The Nader Tax is a Poor People's Bailout. Invite Mr. Nader to write federal legislation that taxes wall street traders, akin to the Tobin Tax, but it could be a little more complex (but simple enough the lay person can understand it) multi-tranche taxing law. Demand that the banksters on Wall Street support it. All revenues will be distributed to municipalities around the nation as interest free loans--just like the banks got-- that they can invest in bond market supporting Green Jobs development (e.g. High Speed Rail in Calif.). Concrete and executable.

Have Bernie Sanders sponsor.

Get Van Jones' Rebuild America to join. He was also recently asking for Americans to suggest a few great clarion calls that Van and Rebuild could start implementing in the Fall of 2011.

I know it is great to have a singular focus, but I don't think we can/should forget about climaterealityproject.org. Big event in September.

Also, October2011.org--they're occupying D.C. Sure Adbusters doesn't want to switch dates to then?

11:03 pm

The Occupation Campaign has begun.

by radleft

July 22 2011

We are starting the Occupy Wall Street campaign tonight (Fri 07/22/11.) This is our new site http://occupywallst.org/ We are spreading the word tonight, and have a number of tasks to do. Your help is needed. Please go to www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/ or the new site (please register, we're in this for the long haul) and volunteer for our web-media push. This is very important. Please consider this a tactical request. The Occupation of Wall Street begins tonight!

Solidarity Forever, Organize Everyone.

07:59 pm

ACTION! TACTICAL REQUEST:

by radleft

July 23 2011

We have a 48hr online campaign phase happening now, before we tumble into the next evolution (early monday) This is a critical phase and we need assistance. Contact:
http://occupywallst.org/
www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/

Solidarity Forever, Organize Everyone.

04:10 am

ACTION! TACTICAL REQUEST:

by radleft

July 24 2011

We have a 24hr online campaign phase happening now, before we tumble into the next evolution (early monday) This is a critical phase and we need assistance. Contact:
http://occupywallst.org/
www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/

Solidarity Forever, Organize Everyone.

05:28 am

SOLIDARITY NOTICE: Strategic Alert.

by radleft

July 25 2011

Operation Occupy Wall Street has begun: 07/25/11 0900 EST.
http://occupywallst.org/
Solidarity Forever, Organize Everyone.

06:04 am

For updates

by Micah White

July 29 2011

For updates on this campaign, go here:
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/occupywallstreet

10:39 am