Direct, Immediate, Coordinated Actions

[PortlandSean]

I think that we should engage in coordinated actions that will directly and immediately have an impact in helping to resolve our adopted grievances. Some of the grievances are abstract and are not as simple as repelling one specific law or court decision, so taking steps to put more straw on the camel's back will create a more conducive climate for us to help actualize a world where we will be proud to live in. Here are some ideas, please give critiques and amendments and further thoughts on how to mobilize the energy and the passion we are seeing right now into coherent next-steps:

 

1. Boycott Corporations

This could be a very powerful tool. If we were to target one specific corporation, engaging the entire Occupy Together movement in solidarity with this, the effects would be dramatic. People who support the #occupy uprisings but for whatever reasons are not participating at the sites could engage in this widespread action as well.

The 1% only cares about money. By boycotting a corporation, we not only contribute to a reduction in profit, but also will affect the company's stock. Stocks are governed by mass psychology as well as actual finances. If stockholders fear that thousands upon thousands of people are boycotting the parent corporation and its subsidiaries, giving the company a negative public image and harming it financially, they will be much more likely to sell their stock before it continues to decline, further damaging the corporation. If we focus on one specific target such as GE to show the potential of the movement to materially affect the markets in the immediate term, they would have no choice but to stand up and pay attention.

Above all, consumer education is paramount. This is needed so that we can make conscious, informed decisions about where our money is going and what we are really buying. Logistically, this could be accomplished by putting together an informational PDF file, accessible for download on the #occupy websites, with the parent company directed for boycott, its subsidiaries that will also be boycotted, their products, but most importantly, positive alternatives to their products. Research would needed to be done, but this could be accomplished swiftly with dedication. Furthermore, this would continue to enter the ideas of critically examining consumerism, capitalism, and corporate power into the consciousness of the society collectively.

 

2. Taking Money Out of Banks

I heard someone mention this at a GA and I thought it was a great idea. Removing the capital from banks would directly hurt them. The individual who purposed this said to put money in local credit unions. I don't know anything about credit unions but I whole heartedly support taking money out of banks.

 

3. Widespread Strikes and Walk-outs

We are already seeing this in New York. We should really try to organize student walk-outs across universities and high schools in solidarity with the #occupy movement. This would be a powerful statement by the millions of students who are in tens of thousands of dollars of debt to graduate into a system of indentured servitude. Union strikes would be phenomenal. 

 

4. Interpersonal Acts and Simple Things

Even simple things that will shift the way society operates on an interpersonal level, as well as systemically.

 

Refusing to Consume Mainstream Media

Abstaining from Watching TV

Buying Local

Smiling at People on the Street

Supporting Farmers' Markets

Picking up Litter

Learning to Meditate

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

etc.

 

Thoughts?

[Stephanie Geistel]

Sean, can we propose the formation of a Direct Action committee? Because I'm sure there are tons of ideas out there just like your own. I have a few myself. Direct Action and positive action is necessary in a movement like this if we hope to create sustainable change. I'm always available for further conversation, and know that there are many others thinking the way you are thinking. I'm urging that this become a committee.

[PortlandSean]

I'd be totally in favor of that. How do we go about doing that?

[jon krnsk]

I think the impulse behind this proposal is a good one but I think the point at the beginning about some of the grievances being abstract is right on. If it's hard to see how direct action could get us to winning them, starting with the numbers we have on the ground now, the solution shouldn't be direct action that's only connected with its goals in the abstract; rather, it should be concrete grievances we can actually pursue and win. Individual actions, boycotts, and changing our lifestyles may helps us feel like we're not part of the problem, but to be effective these tactics need to be taken up by a thousand times more people that we have, and we won't get to a mass movement of bank boycotters by just telling everyone else to boycott banks: people know it will take forever to build a movement that way which contributes to the difficulty. If we can connect with people in fighting off the attacks facing them here and now in Chicago--say, the attack on postal workers' jobs, the attack on the teachers' union, or people whose health is affected by coal plant in Pilsen--and learn from them about how they're already fighting back and how Occupy Chicago can contribute, then we stand a chance of growing in a big way.

[Billy]

     These are really good ideas. I'd love to help out with them by taking action on them in my own life immediately but unfortunately I already do or have done most of the things you listed.

 

     As far as general strikes go I think those are in our future one way or another. I do not think we are at the point where people would be receptive to them yet but I think we are one more crisis away from that. When that time does come I think it will be fairly self evident that the time is right and many people will be talking about it.

 

     Also while many of these ideas seem good to practice in ones own life some of them I can picture a good way to make them something that could be voted on in a GA. Like pulling money out of banks how do we vote on that? Are we making a list of good ideas and posting it somewhere?

[PortlandSean]

As far as corporate boycotts, my friend Francesco did some research and found this website. It looks like a great resource. Please flip through

 

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org.....sList.aspx

[PortlandSean]

Billy said:

     These are really good ideas. I'd love to help out with them by taking action on them in my own life immediately but unfortunately I already do or have done most of the things you listed.

     As far as general strikes go I think those are in our future one way or another. I do not think we are at the point where people would be receptive to them yet but I think we are one more crisis away from that. When that time does come I think it will be fairly self evident that the time is right and many people will be talking about it.

     Also while many of these ideas seem good to practice in ones own life some of them I can picture a good way to make them something that could be voted on in a GA. Like pulling money out of banks how do we vote on that? Are we making a list of good ideas and posting it somewhere?

Awesome. Thanks for your thoughts man, and your participation in these already. You're right, these might be hard to vote on. I think the voting process at the GA would look like something more of an official endorsement in support for the boycotts and other direct actions. The direct actions themselves could be voted on individually, or on here, we could narrow them down, and then present them collectively. A campaign of education and advocacy for the actions would then have to be undertaken.

[Billy]

I submitted a proposal to start a committee for just this kind of stuff. To my knowledge I don't think that a committee exists for us to get together and go over stuff like this to come up with wording that would do well in the GA. I think we are in desperate need of that.

 

http://occupychi.org/forum/pot.....committee/

[debbie]

I posted independently about pulling our money out of banks and think it should be proposed at the GA, voted on and then if agreed there could be a planning committee for how to execute it (I was thinking collecting a group of people 100, 200?) and getting them to head over to BoA.  and calling the media.  maybe if we are thinking of it other cities are too, and there might be a way to spread the word on twitter #nationalbankdivestmentday.  anyway would really love to help get this off the ground.

[ninetyninepercent]

If you'd like to join the team organizing a student walk-out, please speak with the College Outreach task-group.  They were discussing coordinating one for this Thursday, following the Occupy Chicago presentation at Roosevelt University Wednesday evening.