"And, my friends, in this story you have a history of this entire movement. First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you. And that, is what is going to happen to the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America."
-General Executive Board Report and Proceedings [of The] Biennial Convention, Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, 1914.
While this quote has been shared widely around the internet in a slightly modified form and wrongly attributed to Ghandi, it designates a particular series of stages which sometimes accompany the emergence of new movements. It seems that Fox News, ever the protector of the corporate plutocracy, has utilized their penchant for clever editing to spin the Occupy Wall Street protests as the product of some misinformed kooks. As the video below shows, Fox went straight from ignoring the protests (stage one) to ridiculing them (stage two). If the next stage holds true, we shall soon see the manufactured rage of Fox News (and possibly other media outlets) unleashed on the protestors, as soon as they can find an catchphrase or event which will allow them to enact a divide-and-conquer strategy.
The Occupy Wall Street movement (inspired by the protest techniques of the Arab Spring and spreading around the globe) is attempting to bring together majorities who have been wronged by the political and economic elite. The purpose is to raise awareness about institutional injustices and lack of accountability in our politics. This decentered, leaderless movement encompasses people of various political affiliations, who naturally have different and at times competing interests. We should remain true to the anarchist roots of this organization while pushing for ever more specific and realistic demands. At the same time we should remain aware that our multiplicity will be exploited to turn us against one another.
C. Wesley
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