Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Van Jones and Democratic Party Operatives: You Do Not Represent the Occupy Movement

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Van Jones and Democratic Party Operatives: You Do Not Represent the Occupy Movement

Click here to access article by Kevin Zeese from OpEd News.

The author writes about how the Democratic Party operatives are preparing to co-opt the OWS movement to support their candidates in next year's elections. But, can they be co-opted?

At Occupy Washington, DC, we recognize that putting our time, energy and resources into elections will not produce the change we want to see. What we need to do right now is build a dynamic movement supported by independent media that stands in stark contrast to both corporate-bought-and-paid-for parties.