Five Principles Of Occupy Cincinnati
Five Principles - Occupy Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Black Blog supports the ideas behind the Occupy movement. We have a right, and a responsibility, to criticize stupidity within the movement when we see it.
Some goofball, calling himself Jim Press, purporting to speak for Occupy Cincinnati (and the Occupy Revolution as he called it), published the linked article in Daily Kos. The Statement of Principles -- most of which have absolutely nothing to do with economic inequality or corporate influence over our world and governmental institutions -- serves as a good example of why people don't get involved in movements when they seem to be dominated by white liberals. Too many white liberals aren't serious about making concrete changes, they are interested in engaging in happy talk about a world full of butterflies and singing birds. They don't want to change the system to limit corporate influence in goverment, elections, and society, and make the rich (and corporations) pay their fair share; they want revolution. They want to destroy the system!
To ignore the many powerful corporate influences in Cincinnati, which Occupy Cincinnati could impact if they were serious, and focus on things mentioned in the 5 principles, is amazingly ignorant -- unless there is a different mission.
Ask yourself, is Occupy Cincinnati bringing attention to Big Business' influence over local elections? Are they advocating a change in the political system, one that limits the influence of the rich?
Are they challenging the policies of Cincinnati's biggest bank? Did they promote moving money from 5/3 to a credit union? Have they exposed the bank's expensive check fee policy and pressured the bank to change it? How about the ATM and debit card fees charged by 5/3. Why is it that the Occupy movement all over the country is focused on certain things and moving, to some degree, in a coordinated manner, so as to have a greater impact, but the Occupy Cincinnati folks aren't cooperating?
Cincinnati has the ugly distinction of being the only major city in Ohio that doesn't levy a local income tax on corporate stock options. Why isn't Occupy Cincinnati working with their natural allies in the labor movement and in the Black community to end this practice and make the rich pay their fair share?
Question -If Nero fiddled while Rome burned, what is Occupy Cincinnati doing while The People suffer?
Answer - Read the linked article.
10 comments:
Follow up item at The Cincinnati Beacon
Nathaniel, this is Jim Prues. I invite you to join us for a General Assembly or other activity.
Without principles we soon become like those we oppose. Do not think we do little because it's not in corporate controlled media. Visit occupycincy.org to learn more. Check out the front page article, "Past Actions" for an update.
peace and love
jim
Your answer to those questions you posed are a resounding YES- and while this movement in Cincinnati is dubious and timid at best, the idea of fighting for social and economic justice is at the center, regardless of your racist innuendo. I doubt you will allow this comment through- just know that getting your news from FOX will inevitable lead you to incorrect assumptions.
Nathaniel, you're wrong. We do want to change the system to limit corporate influence in goverment, elections, and society, and make the rich (and corporations) pay their fair share - all Occupiers want that. Some of us also want revolution, and to tear down the system. Right now, because cooler heads have decided to distance themselves from the movement, the more radical constituency is ascendant, but even they recognize that their personal views are not the movement (most of them).
Did you call Jim Prues a goofball for any particular reason? Do you know him personally, or was your personal attack merely off-the-cuff and immaterial to any argument you may have? If the latter, I submit that it hardly helps your cause to hurl epithets - you should know better.
Jim, I'm sure you do plenty. I only wonder how much effectively advances the cause.
raininja,
We accept criticism and welcome dissenting views. An effective critique is based in knowledge of the subject. Everybody knows The Cincinnati Black Blog team is the most well read and highly trained in the business. Thus, your attempt at getting off a canned insult... FAILS!!!
cincyBones!
Jim Prues was labelled a goofball because he authored and published a goofy set of principles that weren't localized to Cincinnati's struggle for economic justice and sounded like something better suited for a We Are The World International Egalitarian Social Club.
Natahniel, it seems to me that if you were truly interested in anything but further enhancing the racial schism inherent in American culture you would get off the "black vs white" schtick and pursue a more useful line of reasoning. . .and as far as being well read and knowledgeable, Jim did not author those principles, we developed them thru consensus. And as far as your assertion that it is a while liberal movement , there are several afroam members who have been involved from Day 1 of this movement.
One more point- I used the example of FOX not as a canned insult, but due to the cliches you dropped in the blog entry concerning "white liberals." The occupy movement is not a liberal movement in any way shape or form , or are the goals of social and economic justice only for the left wingers?
raininja,
1. The name is spelled Nathaniel.
2. It seems to me that you live in a fantasy world where white people coexist with others as equals. Sadly, this is often not the case. Even on The Cincinnati Black Blog, you seem to think you can tell me what to do, what to believe, what to write, and what I should be focused on! Who the fuck do you think you are!!!
3. Dozens of stories have been written about the lack of Black participation in OWS. To suggest that everyone is lying, or even worse attempting to enhance a schism between Blacks and whites, or that our valid observations are not valid (because you say so), they are merely some worn-out "schtick" (the word is spelled shtick or shtik), only demonstrates how arrogant, tone-deaf, and patronizing you are.
4. If all is good, why is there a need for the Occupy The Hood movement?
5. We have decided to use a line of reason based in reality. The Five Principles of Occupy are a worthless collection of dreams. The fact that Occupy wasted time on developing and publishing them, instead of take.g concrete steps to bring about change says a lot about the local movement. If that hurts your little feelings, too bad. Get over it. And get busy doing some real work.
Mr Livingston is right. The issues addressed in the Occupy movement are issues that Blacks, Brown and other ppl of color have been working to have changed for a while, rainninja. So now that POC (we) see the occupy movement is made up of majority whites who are just NOW feeling the sting of what we've been subjected to in america a lot of ppl of color, we're (ppl of color as a whole) not going to get involved because we're not going to jump on board just because the white majority are finally getting treated like we've always been and still are treated. So, rainninja it is very much a black and white thing regardless of how we wish it isn't. This is the sole purpose for Occupy The Hood. To demand responsibility from our corrupt govt, rebuild our communities, and make them self sufficient. Of course occupy the hood is in agreement with Occupy. But an occupy the hood is essential. Because if occupy proves to be succesful the movement will eventually have to face the racial inequality of those who ARENT white. And most POC will agree that occupy is not equipped to handle such a deep issue. Not at this present time. But we need not wait for occupy to address this problem. We must take it upon ourselves to connect with existing activists that have been doing this much longer than occupy or occupy the hood in order to successfully tackle all issues.
All of that to just say that I agree with Mr Livingston and would like tell rainninja that while I am for occupy, race and injustices because of it is still very much an issue that occupy has not addressed.
Post a Comment