NPR article covers the evolution of dissent to policy
NPR has posted an article detailing how Occupy Wall Street could affect policy in the U.S. through the lens of successful historical protests movements. Many on the right have been quick to bash the protestors for not having a clear consensus on policy goals, but Alan Greenblatt asserts that a lack of consensus is to be expected at this point in the movement’s evolution.
His quote of Nina Eliasoph counters the right’s complaint quite appropriately:
“Movements don’t write legislation. They force open a line of questions that makes it possible for people to imagine new policies. That’s always the first step.” – Nina Eliasoph, Sociologist at the University of Southern California.
So where does the 99% go from here? First and foremost, the movement needs to continue to gain support and maintain momentum for an extended period of time. Even in the face of adversity and the inevitable moment when the 24 hour news cycle gets bored and tries to move on. Secondly, the protests will eventually have to adopt a strategy of working from inside the American political system and appoint leaders and spokesmen (progress has already been made on the latter as more eloquent speakers have been conducting press statements recently).
While many of the protestors might negatively view working arm in arm with the political establishment, unless the 99% takes an active role in offering ideas then any legislation that results from the protests has a greater likelihood of being watered down ala Dodd-Franks.
As Dawkins loves to state, consciousness raising is one of the most important goals in communication. By protesting, the movement forces us all to think about the issue and to confront the income inequality of modern America. By continuing to protest day in and day out, the movement will move from a being minor issue in the political landscape to something that can’t be ignored. Even then the pressure must continue until legislation is not only passed, but the rules are finalized and the army of lobbyists who will attempt to minimize that affects of that legislation are thwarted.
If we are to improve from the lessons of the sixties, we should recognize that even after the big issue is addressed the battle is rarely (if ever) over. The Tea Party, for all its agenda-generated media coverage soon saw its budding political power waste away after it had served the GOP’s purpose in the 2010 election cycle, and there is a lesson in that tale as well.
(Source: NPR)
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Shripathi Kamath
October 16, 2011 at 06:03 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Huh? The Tea Party is alive and flourishing. Not surprising since it is just the fundagelical wing of the Republicans. Every GOP candidate is bending over backwards to please them.
Who do you think precipitated the debt ceiling crisis?
patrickkelley
October 16, 2011 at 14:39 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’m not so sure “alive” and “flourishing” would best describe the Tea Party. As a movement, they’ve been used by Rove and crew to achieve a Republican majority in the House. Based on their behavior and public perception, I would not say they were ascendant. Witness such stars as Bachmann and Palin and how they are doing among a general Republican base, the group most likely to sympathize or be Tea Party.
Boehner had only two choices in the last crisis: go Tea Party, or be seen as “compromising” with Democrats. And we all know that, according to legend, if a Republican reaches across the aisle that the man-sized safe Cheney once held will open and the Ghost of Reagan will emerge, unfettered by such bipartisanship, to wreak its terrible vengeance on gated communities everywhere.
crissakentavr
October 16, 2011 at 19:49 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
What demands of the Tea Party protestor actually made it to the halls of Congress? We call some of the right-wingers there Tea Party candidates, but they’ve produced no legislation.
Assassin Actual
October 18, 2011 at 04:18 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Your quite right, the current Tea Party is now reduced to being bussed around just to rail against bills that the GOP does not want passed, i.e. the clear air laws.
Assassin Actual
October 18, 2011 at 04:14 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
If they had real power, Rommney would not be the front runner.
Leo B
October 18, 2011 at 17:54 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It may be that the original Tea Party was not completely the fundamental wing of the Republican party. But it seems the fundamentalists quickly took over the movement, perhaps because they saw an opportunity to push their own agenda through the Tea Party. And now, as has already been pointed out, they are used as an excuse to not try to compromise on bills. Additionally, now that it has become quite obvious that they are just the fundamental wing rebranded, that rebranding has lost its original effectiveness.
Assassin Actual
October 19, 2011 at 09:34 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
/sage
nazani14
October 21, 2011 at 14:12 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Where we go from here is insuring that every US citizen 18 and over, who is not a felon, is able to vote without difficulty. Nobody asks to see photo ID when I pay tax on my car or home,or when I have tax deducted from my pay.
The rules on absentee and early voting need to be revised, also, to ensure that students (educated people) and the military get to vote. The GOP knows there just aren’t enough polling places, or enough hours that they are open, to allow everyone to vote. Only people in white-collar jobs are going to be able to take time off from work to vote.
Pay attention to what is happening in your local area. Waiting until next year to roll back voter suppression legislation and maneuvering at the county and town level may be too late.
Assassin Actual
October 22, 2011 at 04:24 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I am able to report that military voting was at its highest ever recorded levels in 2010. Which broke down into 2/6 Republicans, 1/6 Democrats, and 3/6 Independants.
Maggie9787
February 20, 2013 at 01:35 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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The 99%, Where Does It Go From Here? | Assassin Actual | Dave Thompson Photography
October 15, 2011 at 14:46 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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