What the Occupy movement demands... of each of us

Markin comment:

I place some material in this space which may be of interest to the radical public that I do not necessarily agree with or support. Off hand, as I have mentioned before, I think it would be easier, infinitely easier, to fight for the socialist revolution straight up than some of the “remedies” provided by the commentators in these entries. But part of that struggle for the socialist revolution is to sort out the “real” stuff from the fluff as we struggle for that more just world that animates our efforts.

Markin comment:

Jesus- This laundry list below is a tall order for a movement that can barely take notes of its meetings and is barely able to decide on what color shades to put in the living room without a six-session expanded GA (and then leave it up to each autonomous individual to decide on his or her color). I think keeping the old-time ten commandments would be easier, much easier to do.
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What the Occupy movement demands... of each of us

By J. Ramsey contact: jgramsey(£ gmail.com Read more at www.kasamaproject.org

That we work to defeat and to overthrow the rule of the 1% (and the 0.1%) over our lives, our society, and our world;

That we devote our lives to ending the oppression and exploitation of people both near and far; That we defend what remains of public space and the public sector against attempts to destroy it;

That we stand up for freedom of speech and assembly, of dissent and public protest as rights which no law-maker can revoke;

That we work for social equality: the radical redistribution of wealth, the transformation and/or abolition of oppressive institutions, the dismantling of unaccountable hierarchies, and the thorough democratization of society;

That we live out the practice of egalitarianism in our own movement and in our own lives, seeking to build others up as our equals, not to subordinate them as tools or inferiors;

That we seek to unite the many against the few, behind an inspiring vision of emancipation;

That we work to expose, to challenge, and to shut down wars abroad and militarism at home, and the imperial and fascistic apparatus that sustains them;

That we devote ourselves to exposing and to resisting the ravages of a toxic capitalism before it poisons the climate to the point that wide swaths of our planet become unlivable;

That we work to expose, oppose, and defeat racism, homophobia, sexism and other backward ideologies and practices wherever they rear their ugly heads;

That we seek to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless across our world;

That we work to defeat and to overthrow the rule of the 1% (and the 0.1%) over our lives, our society, and our world;

That we devote our lives to ending the oppression and exploitation of people both near and far; That we defend what remains of public space and the public sector against attempts to destroy it;

That we stand up for freedom of speech and assembly, of dissent and public protest as rights which no law-maker can revoke;

That we work for social equality: the radical redistribution of wealth, the transformation and/or abolition of oppressive institutions, the dismantling of unaccountable hierarchies, and the thorough democratization of society;

That we live out the practice of egalitarianism in our own movement and in our own lives, seeking to build others up as our equals, not to subordinate them as tools or inferiors;

That we seek to unite the many against the few, behind an inspiring vision of emancipation;

That we work to expose, to challenge, and to shut down wars abroad and militarism at home, and the imperial and fascistic apparatus that sustains them;

That we devote ourselves to exposing and to resisting the ravages of a toxic capitalism before it poisons the climate to the point that wide swaths of our planet become unlivable;

That we work to expose, oppose, and defeat racism, homophobia, sexism and other backward ideologies and practices wherever they rear their ugly heads;

That we seek to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless across our world;

That we help to inspire courage, trust, and solidarity amongst those who have been beaten down by the current system, to turn our collective weakness into strength;

That we work to expose the farcical nature of our 1%-dominated, so-called "democracy," even as we may use what is left of this state apparatus to tactically leverage the needs of our movement;

That we keep our commitments and promises to one another;

That we are honest and accountable in our interactions whenever we are representing the movement;

That we approach with suspicion and skepticism those representatives of existing 1% power structures who seek to co-opt our movement, even as we are constantly on the lookout for friends and allies in unexpected places;

That we put the greater good of the people and the movement ahead of our personal interests, even as we recognize that only through such a movement can our individual talents be fully realized, and vice versa;

That we work each day to help raise our own awareness as well as the consciousness of those around us concerning the world situation—this is a global struggle;

That we inform ourselves about the current dangers and crises facing our society and our planet, and that we seek to understand not only the news and the facts, but the underlying forces driving the situation forward, and the future trajectories these forces imply;

That we seek to cultivate a tactical flexibility and creativity that can adapt to the shifting situation;

That we develop a long-term strategic plan for actually building the movement that we want to create, for actually achieving the changes we want to see;

That we cultivate an honest and humble self-critical attitude in evaluating the successes and failures, the strengths and weaknesses of our movement, its theories and its practices; that we are willing to alter our theories and practices in light of evidence and reflections we gather from the world;

That we seek to become citizens of the world, not just of any single city or nation;

That we sink roots in our local communities, in our workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, families, and other institutions, becoming attentive students of others' lives, as well as supportive allies, and where appropriate, leaders of just struggles that emerge;

That we are kind and patient with one another in the movement, working to understand deeply even those with whom we disagree, knowing that those who may be wrong on nine issues may teach us something valuable on the tenth;

That we demonstrate courage as well as wisdom in the face of threats we face;

That we seek to cultivate the fullest, deepest humanity in ourselves and in others alike;

That we work creatively and tirelessly to bring into being a society that is worthy of human beings;

That we commit to the long haul, as the fight ahead is sure to be as extended as its outcome is uncertain.

That we sustain one another in this great collective endeavor, cherishing each thinking, fighting spirit in
these dark tunes. ****

J. Ramsey jgramsey(g),gmail.com