The Future of the #Occupy Movement: Solidarity and Escalation

by Mark Engler

Sat, Oct 22, 2011 7:40AM

A month after it began with a few hundred people marching on Wall Street, the #Occupy movement has grown to include tens of thousands of participants throughout the country and has captured headlines around the world. If it has not yet succeeded beyond its wildest dreams, that’s only because its participants have dreamed big: imagining a sustained popular uprising that could force fundamental changes in our political and economic system—ones that could end corporate dominance and promote real democracy.

"while cooptation is something to be avoided, a much more pressing and ongoing need for the #Occupy movement is fostering solidarity.

Before #OccupyWallStreet ever existed, there were lots of people working to fight banks, reverse foreclosures, and challenge corporate power. The problem was that their efforts were isolated and almost universally ignored by the media. The #Occupy movement has created a great opportunity for many of these campaigns to see themselves as part of a unified fight and to receive an added jolt of energy. In return, the more groups that sign on and see themselves as part of the #Occupy effort, the more that movement is able to sustain its status as a growing and dynamic force. It gains greater numbers of participants, more diversity, and heightened credibility."

to read Mark Engler's article published in: Dissent Magazine, October 21, 2011, click on

http://dissentmagazine.org/atw.php?id=586

For more information: http://www.buzzflash.com

Add Your Comments

Support Independent Media

We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!