Occupy Underground

For example, all of those influential blogs on the left that are always bemoaning the lack of a strong movement never use their soapbox to try to organize such a movement. I used to bring up the discussion in comments a bit, but most people just weren't that interested in what we should do. Now I'm gathering signatures for a resolution to ban direct corporate contributions in my city, and most people rush past without even looking at what it's about.

I've had a change of heart recently about the problem of money in politics. I now see apathy and inaction as the main problem. People may complain about Citizens United, but it wouldn't mean nearly as much if individuals, you know, did stuff.

Still, there's a lot of things Occupy could be doing better. For instance, the communication can be very lacking. When I went down the first time and signed up, they never contacted me. I had to chase down different groups to get in contact and be involved. Even still, I have no point person or persons, and am just floating through with them when I get a chance. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of potential members simply give up.

The general assemblies also seem to be...not the best way to get people involved. Occupy groups that have fewer meetings, and tend to meet outside of the main Occupy area, seem to work much better (at least for me). For a lot of people, even meeting once a week for a few hours can be difficult (especially if they're new to politics). They won't go for daily assemblies, especially if the topics are far removed from what they're interested in (though I think the daily GA's have mostly ended?).

I have seen people at Occupy get better with things. Now I'm actually in occasional contact with some groups. I see more of an interest in concrete steps and connecting to the community. The focus on camping has diminished. I hope Occupy will continue to get better and to thrive, because at the moment, there aren't a whole lot of other groups doing much. They (we?) are at least trying.