Jonathan Tasini: Four Simple Lessons From Today's Defense of OWS--And Why I'm Optimistic

[marmar]

from the Working Life blog:



.....(snip).....

Lesson Number One: some things are really worth getting up at 5 a.m. for. This was one of them. And I'd do it again--any time. By the end of last night, I knew something big was going to happen--after 10 emails from different organizations and people calling for everyone to come and defend the Square, I was confident that we would prevail.

Lesson Number Two: A relatively small number of people can win and defeat the system. So, when someone says, "we need you"...they do and it's worth it. Sometimes, I personally make a decision not to go to a rally, when it's clear there will be 100,000 people and one extra body won't matter. But--here, now, every body is needed.

Think about it: in percentage terms, we were just a speck in this big city. But, people turned out from every corner of the city--at 6 a.m. That speck turned away an entire police force and a billionaire mayor from sweeping away OWS.

.....(snip).....

Lesson Number Three: Power is an illusion--an illusion that works ONLY when we are unwilling to challenge it. The mayor does not run New York--if we are willing to act. I do not underestimate the power of the police to clamp down. But, as I marched after we preserved the square, you could also see that, with a relatively small number of people--see Lesson Two--we had them unsure of what to do; they hate not being in control, even for a minute, and that's why we are seeing some acts of truly unprovoked violence from the police. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=15316

[TheWraith]

1. Tasini is New York State's Ralph Nader.

An egomaniacal asshole who thinks he's God's Gift, and exists primarily to bash Democrats.

And yes, I speak from personal experience.

[Omaha Steve]

2. K

To late to R.

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Kick as well, truth from wherever you can find it!