#OccupyProfessorPitney'sBlog

I know that everybody is busy reading and making study guides but I wanted to hear what other people thought about the Occupy Wall Street protests. My personal opinion is this:

Occupy Wall Street was created by a Canadian magazine primarily protesting Corporate influence in the Government. I think that the protests have attracted a vast range of participants in terms of political beliefs and backgrounds who often detract from the legitimacy of the protests. While I generally disagree with those who want immense changes in America’s political and economic systems, I do agree that the materialism that exists in America today warrants reflection, as it has become the center of our lives. This was the intention of Adbusters (the Canadian rabble-rousers) when they created Occupy Black Friday. Although I struggled with the idea at first I think it carries on the spirit of OWS in calling attention to the matter. I also think that Occupy Black Friday illustrates the differences of those who are protesting for more jobs and those protesting corporations (it’s safe to say that boycotting consumer spending would have a negative impact on the job market.) To this date, Occupy Wall Street has proven to be a jumbled mess unable to truly define its own identity and its own message. Varying points of view have made it nearly impossible to legitimize any type of “movement” and in some cases have delegitimized the intent of the protests. I also feel that the protests have been a success in some ways. The discontent felt by many Americans, even those who have taken part in the protests, is palpable at this point. Public distrust in corporations runs throughout the country and recent events such as Citizens United v FEC point towards a growth in corporate influence. #OWS has at least brought a massive amount of attention to this issue and moving forward I hope they find a way to organize and take the next step in their movement. Finally, I think that although many people agree with the end but not their means, at some point aren’t these means better than none at all?

This may be the longest post of the year but I feel it has the potential to be a hugely important event in today’s culture (OWS not my post). It also involves a lot of what we have learned about over the past semester and is especially pertinent while we read Alinsky. Although many of you may not have opinions on the matter, I would love if those who do write a response to continue this discussion (after all isn’t that the point of this blog?). Good luck getting through these next couple of weeks everybody.