Surviving Capitalism (Not) : The “Cancer” In Occupy? An Anarchist Reponds

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, March 7, 2012

The “Cancer” In Occupy? An Anarchist Reponds

Click here to access article by David Graeber from The Occupied Wall Street Journal.

This is a modified version of Graeber's piece originally run on an obscure website called N+1 on February 9th, which I posted here on February 11th. Because Chris Hedges' article trashing the Occupier movement got so much attention over the internet, and Graeber's response has gotten so little until now, I am posting this slightly modified article once again.

Graeber, unlike Hedges who loves to sermonize from a privileged middle class position, is thoroughly qualified to speak about Occupier tactics having been a participant observer for several years, a professional anthropologist, and anarchist.

He is the author of an excellent anthropological study entitled, Direct Action, which is about direct actions used in anti-globalization protests at various elite summit meetings . I cannot recommend this book enough to understand all issues related to Occupier activism occurring today.