I am posting this article not because I think it offers constructive ideas about real change. To the contrary, it offers a recipe for no change. But, the problem it poses is that it will influence others into following this dead-end strategy. While advocating every social benefit they can think of and demanding "democratic control", they carefully exclude any mention of dismantling corporate institutions which serve private interests by expropriating socially produced wealth in a system that justifies private ownership and control of an economy. Look at item 2 in which they state...
To achieve these objectives, we believe that the economy should be run democratically at all levels, from local to global. People must get democratic control over financial institutions, transnational corporations and their lobbies.Then read the specific proposals they propose to carry this out. There are no demands about taking apart corporations and putting them under the control of the people. It's all rehashed liberal proposals mostly from the New Deal era. This view offers pie-in-the-sky social benefits without touching the core institution of concentrated wealth that makes any kind of real democracy meaningless. I think this illustrates the profound influence of capitalist ideology and its latest theme, "there is no alternative" on many in the current generation of US activists.
The set of demands proposed by this group illustrates why the broader Occupy movement has thus far refused to issue demands. So much needs to be done to raise the consciousness about the dire issues confronting people today before any demands can be articulated.
