To suggest political overthrow is almost irrelevant in its matter entirely, just look what happened to Guy Fawkes; I'm sure nobody wants to be commemorated by being burnt on a fire every fifth of November, yet in actuality what is apparent is that citizens are fed up. Over the past decade or so it's evident that the bridge between rich and poor is vastly enlarging, but why? Democracy is difficult. A statement brilliant in its own effortless alliteration, yet pondering political overthrow doesn't come easy, for many of us fit into the system we and thus do not question what truly may be occurring, or rather not happening. Across the pond (albeit a very large pond) a country's very own foundations are causing it to collapse on top of its own idealised morals and ideals.
The matter as a whole is complex, and yet so very simple. To make it easier for this I've chosen to write in particular about the '#OccupyWallStreet' movement rather than the movement globally (as it has now apparently become quite a pandemic). It started roughly two months ago, with protesters massing in Zuccotti Park, New York which they then have appeared to rename 'Liberty Square' for probable obvious reasons. This becoming a humanoid generator for the movement itself amassing thousands in a camp all connected by their ideals as if conjoined to become one all adjoined by metaphoric cables allowing the ideas of all to be transported mouth to mouth and thus voiced as one in a riot of human will. To be certain, however, from what I have read there is no 'real' riot occurring here, no youths ransacking shops and stealing trainers; alas this is so far from the masses we were treated to in the UK during the summer riots, these are people all fixed on a purpose, that:
"The political system should serve all, not just the wealthy".
It's ironic that America face this episode, after all a country built on all being able to live in their 'dream' and bask in the glory of a 'free' state should have no trouble at all, surely? And yet what 'dream' has American served to it's own citizens now? One of struggle, when a family can barely afford to put food on their own table then nobody can be sharing any sort of 'dream', George Washington must be shaking in his grave (if there's much left of him). For in its basic terms America was meant to be everything England was not at the time, a place for radicals to venture and live off the land; to be free and make money from a 'ranch' and build their way up to the top of the ladder. Tell that to the thirty-thousand protesters staring up at the bankers on the top floors of the buildings of Wall Street then.
From their own website the movement itself states:
"Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.
The #OccupyWallStreet movement empowers real people to create real change from the bottom up. We want to see a general assembly in every backyard, on every street corner because we don't need Wall Street and we don't need politicians to build a better society."
That is the difference, with no scapegoat leader; the people are as one, unified in one belief to achieve a goal set out for all to believe in. With no visible funding behind the movement itself, there is no group to be intimidated and addressed by the government, nobody to hound and remove to end this group; in fact as a whole it may only continue to get stronger and larger. With it recently being present in over 30 other cities across America, and present outside our own Saint Pauls Cathedral, the occupy disease is infecting all who understand and are affected by their ideals.
More recently, however the residents of Liberty Square were evicted by the Mayor of New York in what can only be described as an act of desperation, why evict those who are being peaceful? There is apparent panic amongst those in charge as clearly the realisation has dawned that many understand that what '#OccupyWallStreet' stands for is not untrue, and affects them too. With multiple arrests and police harming innocent members of the occupation (surprise, surprise) there is only going to be a fiery backlash to this event. No riot will take place as the members still keep to remain peaceful, for they have no reason to react to an attack of political cowardice against citizens of their own country; something that one can only describe as ridiculous. They now have chosen a new slogan after these events: 'You can't evict an idea whose time has come', fitting in the way it broadcasts the ideals of the movement itself, an idea that has simply blossomed under the addition of more members.
"We are the 99% and we are here to reclaim our democracy."
The members claim that the stock exchange has been targeted not just because of the 'bankers' crisis, something very present in the UK too, but because they see Wall Street as owning Washington. That those with money control those with power, as an example Rupert Murdoch controls nearly everything, why? Because he has power, but more importantly he has the resources through his money to control what we see and therefore believe. To shield those from what is occurring means they can never understand the true matters going on. The '#OccupyWallStreet' website described their eviction as being constructed by;
"billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s predawn raid of Occupy Wall Street at Liberty Square"
and therefore reinforces the matter they wish to uphold, that rich and poor continue to have a schism between them, and this is growing.
It's difficult on a personal level to cite an opinion on a matter so far away, especially when it mildly concerns political overthrow and rebuilding. Yet I empathise with the plight the movement is going through. Thirty-two thousand, five hundred people cannot all be false in their ideals, can they? It's true that after the recession many have been left jobless and to fend for themselves, but in the midst of this organism that is the movement, there are workers with jobs, supporting the views for this is not some sort of flower weilding hippy-march, this is a serious matter being dealt with by those who care and are affected. Too peaceful for the military to oppose, yes, but with strong reason to deliver what they believe needs to occur to progress their country. In all regards if they are wrong or right in what they are undertaking, they have certainly grasped the attention of the world and therefore have achieved the status they wished. The only real problem is that their actual motivation and point makes their intentions easy to question.
99% say the States are no longer United.
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