Another World is Possible

Why Occupy Congress?

Posted by on Dec 15, 2011 | 19 comments

Why Occupy Congress?


A frequent response I get from Libertarian and Tea Party-inclined folks when I ask them “What do you think of the Occupy Movement?” is “They’re directing their anger at the wrong place”.  These people view corporations as productive forces in society, and think most of the ills of society are created by government.   The truth may lie somewhere in between, but certainly many of our current government programs and institutions are serving only the 1%.  If we had a functioning democracy, we could have an honest debate about what’s wrong with our economy and our country and how we can make government and business work for the 99% too.  But with Congress bought and paid for by special interests, honest debate is the last thing that occurs in the halls of government.

Abusive corporations make us angry, sure, but, most of the 99% don’t want to abolish capitalism.  We recognize the value corporations can bring to our society, but we clearly need some rules.  Who is supposed to protect us when corporations get out of control?  The government!  What we have here is a colossal failure of our government to protect the people it was created to serve.  What we have instead is an unholy union of government and private enterprise that serves only itself.

All branches of the federal government are in need of radical reform, but Congress is especially broken.  According to RealClearPolitics, a whopping 82.5% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing.  Maybe our legislators are not bad people.  Maybe they’re just stuck in a system that is no longer capable of working for the people.  Let’s give them a chance to prove they have the courage to change that system.  We need to get money out of politics, right now, and completely.  Musician Steve Van Zandt has written a compelling argument that we need to eliminate all private finance from the electoral process.  Why isn’t Congress debating this?

What do you think needs to change in Washington to fix our economy and our country?  Hey, Tea Partiers and Libertarians, now that we’re turning from Wall Street to K Street, are you going to join us?  We the people, of all political persuasions, need to unite if we want to fix our government so we can have principled debates on what the best solutions are for our common good.

The exact nature of Occupy Congress J17, including what kind of sustained presence can be maintained, is still being worked out.  See the Forums on this site if you want to participate in shaping things.  The main event, however, is a one-day rally on January 17th, 2012.  We’d like to get as many people as possible to take the day off and come to Washington and demand Congress start working for the people again.  Tens of thousands of people chanting outside the Capitol would be hard to ignore, and it doesn’t matter what we chant, because We are our demands!  If Congress started working for the 99%, reckless corporations would be restrained, not bailed out.   Come to Washington on January 17th, 2012 and lend your voice.  The people, united, will never be defeated!

 

 

  • renee

    I feel we should start a whole new program if one does not do the job that they are voted for and no aprove ments make them sign a contract if no job done then they are fired like everyone else who has a job and no benifits are we too keep them on the payrolls we have had too work for ever and some still do and they young people of america starting out its not right. also maybe a new constituion by the people for the people

  • Anonymous

    Yes!!!! Finally. I am sick of the government/corporate/cia controlled media dividing the occupy and tea party/libertarian movement. Bottom line is ALL Americans are under attack right now. Just look at NDAA, we are a hop, skip and jump away from martial law. We need to UNITE before it is too late! Enough superficial arguing, its time to fix the ROOT of our troubles and hold our representatives accountable.

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  • Soudan42

    Expect Us! Chip Cravaak—MN-6

  • Tea Party Person

    If your focus is now on Congress, expect more support from the 53%. Make sure you don’t forget the White House either.

    • Mark

      You’ve got to drop that 53% thing, though. All workers pay tax on their income in two forms, payroll tax and income tax. The 53% only includes the latter, but most people pay more of the former.

      Since capital gains isn’t income tax, either, many of the 1% aren’t part of your 53% either, btw.

      • OccupiedLikeWhoa

        Besides…all social programs are only subsidized by federal income taxes…the rest are taken from local and state income&sales tax plus tax on cigarettes and gas and any other tax your State/county collects. Dont pretend because 47% of the country doesn’t pay federal income tax that they are sucking this country dry. Drug dealers, illegals, unemployed…they all pay… and none of them are sitting on huge amounts of wealth without spending it…they spend everything they have. The people that do not pay but use our roads, hire our pubic-educated people and call 911 when they need to are the ones using services and not paying.

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  • ds

    why are you talking to libertarians and tea-partier to begin with? Racism, patriarchy, and xenophobia have no role in my movement. And if they’re a part of yours, we need to talk.

    • Mac

      ds is a stooge for the status quo – the establishment tries to divide and conquer; until we find common ground we will continue to sacrifice the possible on the alter of the perfect

      • ds

        people of color, women and folks from other marginalized groups are just as much as part of “we, the people” as any other group. In, fact, we comprise the majority. Until folks can get that through their thick heads and realize that THOSE systems are the ones that are dividing us, we’re fucked. You are a prime example of that.

    • http://www.facebook.com/asalem86 Adam Salem

      I’m a whole-hearted Libertarian and I’m Actively involved in the Occupy Delaware node. not only are YOUR comments divisive and prejudiced but that are not grounded in Truth. Doesn’t 99% mean ANYTHING to you???

  • http://twitter.com/thelexinomicon AlexiaVanquim
  • OccupiedLikeWhoa

    I understand that there is a faction in Occupy that doesn’t believe in voting or representative democracy but I am a patient advocate and a history buff which let me know that Direct Democracy only supports those that participate in their government and that the reason we have seen no progressive legislation is because the people who go out and vote are religious and old….which usually equals conservatism.In this country we have many many people that are unable to participate (incarcerated/mentally ill or deficient/children/illegals/those whose religion dictates a severe separation of Church and State) and we elect our Congress and local officials by popular vote not electoral. Why would any one ever say that voting doesn’t matter when popular vote is how we pick every elected official besides the figurehead without much power. All the power rests in the Congress and , as we see today, the most in the House of Representatives. In American history it was supposed to be regular people that populated the House which serves as the Foundation of American Law. We were supposed to be the basis and foundation as well as the ultimate checks&balance mechanism (In ways of ratifying a Constitutional Amendment… it trumps EVERYONE, even SCOTUS..) we gave up the House and dont participate in politics via voting or keeping track of these asshats. The system is not broken… it is rigged. There is a difference. We can completely use the system against them.. but our egos get in the way.

    If you owned a business, gas station, and never told the clerk to sanitize the bathroom, change the coffee/hotdogs, check the safety of the pumps there would be a serious health disaster on your hands. On the surface it could look just fine but the reality is a bio-hazard. We haven’t told these assholes what to do for so long they have rigged the deck… but it is not to late. Occupy is doing something they never expected…. we are giving a fuck. The only problem is getting a bunch of educated, independent minds to work together like a hive. Idiots/old people/religious peoples have leaders and will vote the way they are told… we have made it a culture to criticize and not participate in a system we were led to believe was broken..but Occupy scares the hell out of them because we waking up and forcing people to pay attention. But.. they are just hoping we continue this lack of participation. It is just raging compliance. The police….representatives… public&all non occupiers see this movement as one strong force with OccupyWallStreet being the face of the movement. That is not reality but ironically all the legal consequences will be seen for the movement as a whole… not individual factions. They are conference calling each other on what to do with us , yet, we wont band together.

    Do you think Bachmann ever thought she could be President? No.. but now she doesn’t have to spend $10M to be re-elected in the House because most jerkies that vote just need a name they recognize. I will be there January 17.. and I am bringing three virgin-protesters.It is time to let Congress know they are no longer unsupervised… and it is time for Occupy to get over their egos and what certain camps think America should look like and band together to fight the only concern we should have right now… the damn money buying our representatives.

  • WAYNEBATMAN

    DEAR FRIENDS!! WE AS THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY! CAN’T CHANGE ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY ONLY BECAUSE THE BIG CORPORATION COMPANY’S WHO ARE SUPPORTED THE REPUBLICANS WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THERE REELECT A REPUBLICAN BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE WE ALL NEED TO STAND UP ON BIG CORPORATIONS BRING DOWN THE COMPANY’S THAT SUPPORTED THE REPUBLICANS PROTEST AND SAY POWER TO THE PEOPLE AND STOP THEM THERE USING MONEY VOTES AND NOT PEOPLE VOTES WE STOP KOCH BROTHERS AND BANK’S BIG TIME OIL COMPANY’S OF SUPPORTED THE GOP IN OFFICE GIVE THEM MONEY WE NEED STAND UP AND FIGHT THEM NOW”" OR IT WILL NOT BE WE OUR THE PEOPLE IT WILL BE WE OUR THE COMPANY’S OF THIS COUNTRY PLEASE IN 2012 VOTE AND ELECT, PRESIDENT OBAMA SO HE CAN FIGHT”" THEM AND TAKE BACK THIS COUNTRY WE OUR THE PEOPLE AND !!!POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/irnbatman Wayne Bruce

    DEAR FRIENDS!! WE AS THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY! CAN’T CHANGE ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY ONLY BECAUSE THE BIG CORPORATION COMPANY’S WHO ARE SUPPORTED THE REPUBLICANS WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THERE REELECT A REPUBLICAN BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE WE ALL NEED TO STAND UP ON BIG CORPORATIONS BRING DOWN THE COMPANY’S THAT SUPPORTED THE REPUBLICANS PROTEST AND SAY POWER TO THE PEOPLE AND STOP THEM THERE USING MONEY VOTES AND NOT PEOPLE VOTES WE STOP KOCH BROTHERS AND BANK’S BIG TIME OIL COMPANY’S OF SUPPORTED THE GOP IN OFFICE GIVE THEM MONEY WE NEED STAND UP AND FIGHT THEM NOW”" OR IT WILL NOT BE WE OUR THE PEOPLE IT WILL BE WE OUR THE COMPANY’S OF THIS COUNTRY PLEASE IN 2012 VOTE AND ELECT, PRESIDENT OBAMA SO HE CAN FIGHT”" THEM AND TAKE BACK THIS COUNTRY WE OUR THE PEOPLE AND !!!POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/asalem86 Adam Salem

    This initiative actually perpetuates The Machine by drawing attention to the False notion that there is some kind of Center of Power from which all decision and operatives emanate. Furthermore, this article creates the impression that we should, for some reason or other, all pool into ONCE small city in the U.S. State and show our anger there. WHY???? to me this is COMPLETELY counter-intuitive to the Spirit and Modus Operandi of OCCUPY: i.e. OCCUPY YOUR OWN CITY/TOWN. This to me is the Biggest issues with the constant barrage of events and advertisements coming out-of Occupy D.C. and EVEN Occupy Wall St…..it is as though these are the Only occupations that exist. WHAT ABOUT Wilmington, Delaware???? Where do you think the OVERWHELMING Majority of Corporations are Incorporated AND Based!!!???? STOP Trying to draw attention to your OWN Local Occupy Node and HELP Other Occupy Nodes HELP their OWN Self!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/irnbatman Wayne Bruce

    WE NEED TO STOP THE GOP ON TRYING TO PASS A BILL CALLED S.O.P.A. ON WHAT CAN DO ON THE INTERNET THERE IS GOING BE A BLACKOUT ON THIS BILL THAT WHY IT GOING DOWN TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT

  • http://www.facebook.com/irnbatman Wayne Bruce

    THERE GOVT. HAS SHUT ME DOWN I AM NOT ALOUD TO SAY WHAT I WAIT AT THIS TIME I CAN’T EVEN POST SOMETHING ON HERE NOW THEY JUST TOOK MY RIGHT’S AWAY IF YOU ALL SEE THIS IT WAS THE GOP

  • http://www.facebook.com/irnbatman Wayne Bruce

    TO ALL MY FRIENDS I AM SO MAD OF THIS GOV YOU GUY’S KEEP PROTEST IN WASHINGTON GOING OFF THE INTERNET TO PROTEST S O P A STOP THE BILL MR PRESIDENT STOP THE BLOCK OUR RIGHT’S FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH LET’S FIGHT THE GOP NEED BE KICK OUT OF OFFICE NOW!! THERE IS GOING BE A BLOCK ON ALOT OF INTERNET COMPANY’S POWER OF THE PEOPLE GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE LOVE YOU ALL THE BATMAN!!!

  • Fixourdream

    We can and need to fix the Government we have. I think we are headed for some really bad times and I have come up with a solution that I believe will help.

    I have started a website http://www.FixOurDream.com and have a YouTube Video as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-11oHk7U3NY

    The concept is very simple – we all band together by voting together and vote out all the incumbents. We need to put party affiliation aside as it is dividing the country and causing problems. If we all vote together on this, we can change the entire compensation of our government and start to make changes. I have other ideas.

    Check out my website and anything you can do to promote it, I will appreciate. We all need to work together to fix our country and the American dream.