General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why HAVE Democratic mayors been so hardline towards Occupy? [View all]4th law of robotics
(6,801 posts)Consider these groups:
The NRA.
AARP.
NAACP.
Citizens United.
UAW.
OWS.
Which one doesn't belong? OWS right? Why?
Well you'll probably say because they're sticking it to the man or whatever. But in reality it's because they are the only one of that group that is politically irrelevant. They don't command votes like the AARP/NAACP/NRA. They don't command money like citizens united and UAW (actually there's a lot of overlap on both these things for various groups).
So they don't matter.
If the AARP decided to get together and effect some change they could. Why? Money and voters.
Same with the rest.
The OWS has sought to organize neither for any one cause.
So they are irrelevant.
You can argue that money shouldn't matter. It does, but fine. Let's say it shouldn't. They claim to represent the 99%. Ok, so get about half of those organized and standing behind candidates that support your goals and you win every election. Bam! Immediate and lasting change.
They haven't done that. They are "staying out of politics".
Ergo they are just playing games. Not because their goals aren't noble. But rather because they have no reasonable means to achieve those goals.
So in other words: they're having fun.
The protests were supposed to be a starting point. To get on the news, to pique interest. That could then be used to build a funding/voter base to form some sort of real party or organization.
About a year in and it's still just at the protest phase. I don't think it's progressing beyond that.