Occupy Chicago

by **Col. Tavington** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:17 am

I must say all this talk of "communes" and living spaces is bollocks.
I was at the open house, and while I did not explore every nook and cranny, I was in every office, and did not spot a jacuzzi. I think the most telling however, is this talk of "people living there" From what I understand from speaking to people at the open house, they have only had access to this space, since Thursday night.
How much living in an empty room with not so much as toilet paper to wipe your own bum, and enough working lightbulbs that they can be counted on your fingers, can really be done?
Also the fact that the suites are locked most of the time and not functionally open to the public since there are a limited number of keys to the space, currently being held by the lease holders, many of whom do not live near the space.

One other item I would like to refer to, and please do not take this as malice but,

Think if this happened with the housing rental. People would've reasonably questioned the budget and ensured we squeeze every nickel for the future of the movement. The cost of rent would've topped the list and you'd probably be in one or the other of the two units instead of both. You'd be accommodating each others schedules and maintaining a healthy connection with the general public by using public spaces. You'd be properly funding expenses like the costs of growing your on-line presence; creating a larger thumbprint on Chicago by backing grander visual statements; networking more frequently across the country with emissaries in a tactical way we're not doing now. And who knows what else?

Most of the issue I have is this part "People would've reasonably questioned the budget and ensured we squeeze every nickel for the future of the movement."

This is the part that frustrates the people working on the ground the most, not because we do not strive for efficiency in our decisions, but because there are several fact-of-the-matter issues that this ignores. Primarily this, most of the people doing the work, are not professionals in the fields they are working in. It is impossible for them to make a perfectly informed decision most of the time, but we cannot let that cripple our decision making process, which is what has been happening and I feel the primary reason occupy has "slowed down" (eventhough I feel that now that there is an indoor location, that will turn around quite quickly)

We should recognize that we do not have professionals doing a majority of the work, this does not mean that we stop working and wait for professionals. What it does mean, is that we must accept that we will make mistakes and sub-optimal decisions as we are ALL learning as we go. We should not see that as a negative to be avoided, but simply the nature of what we are trying to do and accept it. I feel a central point that we can all agree on for being at least a part of why we are all a part of occupy, is to no longer dwell on the past, but move forward to a better future, patching up our mistakes, old and new, as we go.

The other things it ignores is, while yes more people could post on el Internet with information to support making better decisions, there are several factors that limit it's usefulness, for one, it is hard to take advice from someone who isn't helping (for the people doing the work)
ESPECIALLY if you have no way to verify if they are actually professionals, or just talking out of their ass. Working with any group to make decisions, requires a decent amount of trust and respect, two things the Internet is quite good at stripping out of communication. Expecting people who are on site to take the word of someone who isn't and more importantly simply cannot take many aspects into account due to lack of information, due to them not participating is also unfair to both parties and often causes more problems then it solves. Not because its unfair for someone on-site to have to listen to someone not on site, but more so the explaining and re-explaining and basically requiring the people on site to further multiply their work load and patience explaining a situation over and over again to multiple people who wish to (or are only able to) only participate virtually. NOTE! this would not be an issue for someone who works remotely often and keeps up with the many groups that operate independently within occupy, it's just very hard and I believe the core of the "secrecy" claims, which in reality are simply "This is a lot of paperwork, and I don't want to do it" that is the reality for most committees.

by **Ella Mae** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:59 am

marymcmahon@clear.net wrote:You brought up following a post I made on another subject. I don't know what you were referencing or why. Seemed out of place but maybe you were talking to someone else? Sorry, put it's a preoccupation of some I guess, not me.

I must've gotten lost! :oops:

I think it was meant for another thread..... I keep getting logged out then having to log back in!