New Occupy

We had a successful run with the Old Occupy Movement.  It refocused the press onto the issues that are pressing for Americans (albeit with resistance from them) and it set a precedent in this country for democratic, grassroots action.

That said though, it still faced massive amounts of organizational dysfunction, ineffective leadership, vital to the success of any organization, and an incoherent presence that earned it the mockery of the press and the established political institutions of Washington and the world, rather than deliver it’s very serious message that the social, economic and environmental injustices of the Capitalist dominated world and, indeed, of the world that the current elites occupy is unacceptable and needs to stop immediately.

What this paper aims to do is outline a proposal for advancing the case of the Occupy Movement to the next level of organizational presence, effectiveness and efficiency, in order to further its long term interests and ensure a better future for ourselves and our fellow human beings, living on this singular planet in the context of the larger universe.

The first step, is to clearly articulate the policy priorities and stances of the New Occupy Movement for its members, and for the rest of the world.  This will be done by a relatively small group of individuals of between 50 to 100 people who will meet via video conference and face to face contact.  I’m afraid that anymore will cause dysfunction from within the group as a whole, and prevent a clear and coherent statement from being made.  That said though, representation is important, and the membership would ideally be drawn from the leadership the Old Occupy Movement, as well as their friends and close associates who are interested, familiar with the issues and generally talented in the arts of articulation and sensing the world around them.  Is it perfect?  No.  But it will make the organization act in a more effective and focused manner, such that a clearer picture can be presented to the world that is around it for acceptance, rejection or revision as time goes on.

From inside and outside this core group of individuals, a network will be established around the world consisting of Local Leadership Councils.  These Leadership Councils will consist of a relatively small group of individuals (size unspecified) who will then organize and assemble their local community for strategic action, such as demonstrations, voter registration and electoral participation, to name a few of the possibilities.  Actions will be coordinated by a loosely linked International Leadership Council (which will articulate the official policy stances of the global international community) with leadership delegated to the respective national levels for articulating domestic policy concerns.  Each nation-state will determine its own way of organizing itself within its territorial boundaries, in order to better match with social realities on the ground.  The Local Leadership Council model being the proposed way of the United States of America specifically.

The Local Leadership Council will have the power to set its own agenda with regards to local community issues, with the possibility of these local policy stances and actions being endorsed and adopted by the National Leadership Council of the United States.  The Local Leadership Councils will also have the power to determine their own state and local actions with the possibility of them being endorsed by the National and International Leadership Council.  The options are open, in order to accommodate as many views and issues that are present, with the exception that non-violent action being the only endorsed course of action within the auspices of the New Occupy Movement, nationally and internationally.

From this stand-point, the decentralized power of the Local Leadership Councils will have centralized cohesion within the auspices of the National and International Leadership Councils.

I realize that hierarchy is a problem for a lot of the people who are currently involved in the Occupy Movement.  Unfortunately, it’s not something that’s going to disappear within the species, especially when there’s a goal in mind.  All beings are equal in spirit.  However, they’re not all equal in temperament, skill, disposition and all the qualities that lead to effective action.  There is variety within the species, as there is in all species and, that is what partially makes the world as wonderful as it is.  The question then, I think, becomes how do those in leadership positions relate to everyone and everything else that’s around them?  Do they disregard everyone and everything else that’s around them?  Do they overlord?  Do they segregate?  Do they exploit?  Do they make bad choices for themselves and for others?  These are the things that you’ve got to look out for.

But positive leadership; people who inspire, motivate, encourage and make good decisions, can have a powerful effect on the world that’s around it by providing the guidance and insight necessary to advancing and sustaining the species on this long voyage that we’re on through space and time.

In short, there will likely always end up being an elite element in our world.  The question then is what do the elites do when they receive that kind of power, influence and control.  Do they exploit it, and generally produce the same ill effects that we’re experiencing in the world today, thus eliminating their own power in the process?  Or do they seek to sustain and grow the world that is around them, such that we can all live better together as a species, and thus better ensure not only their own positions as leaders, but as living beings trying to make their living in the world that is around them?

The effects are all there in the world that is around us.  

And anyone can test for them with a functioning array of biological and neurological sense equipment.

So.

Will you be apart of this new movement?  If so, please forward this on to your friends, your family and anyone else who would possibly be interested.

If not, I hope that we can still collaborate and cooperate on what are mutually effecting problems in our world.

Thus ends the proposal for New Occupy.

Judge it as you’d like.

And I look forward to hearing the criticism.

Thank you.