An alternative to the demands proposed by the demands working group at OWS is the Liberty Square Blueprint. This is not an alternative. On the contrary, it manifests a set of deep capitalist convictions, the merger of capitalism and new media characteristic of communicative capitalism.
Their vision of the world is one of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs--or, actually and specifically, of New York as a city of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs (what happens to everyone else? where are the 99%? mining coltan and jumping out the windows of Chinese factories?).
Who wrote this? Folks from Google? It's cut from the same cloth as all those efforts to reduce this last year of revolution to the internet. Since that is clearly false, and when the actions are happening in our own cities we know how false it is, they are now trying to remake the occupation as a demand for more media. Please. It's not 1984.
In this proposal, NY becomes the head, the pinacle, of a global movement of the networked elite. Admiring eyes gaze upon NY as a mecca--not much horizontally here.
Really? You think that 99% of the people can be employed in media, communications, and design?You think that urban farming can feed NYC's millions?
This is neither reform nor revolution--it's an imagination of oneself as the 1%. Notice: homelessness still exists; there is no demand or intention of housing for everyone. Notice: charity is important; there is no effort to eliminate inequality.
Make NYC a functioning focal point for other people’s assemblies to dissolve and overcome the shadow government of big banks and corporations that is embedded hereDevelop an open source DIY Occupation kit for other occupations to reference and build upon.
Build the independent communications technology to coordinate occupations throughout the US and globe
Make NYC the Open Source Silicon Alley
Host an open source developers hackathon in a secret location to find the most intelligent and driven technologists most capable of dissolving the shadow govt and building the new community development structures.
Make NYC a pioneer of urban farming, renewable energy, grass roots urban/rural exchange, ethical and evidenced-based economics and indigenous leadership
Develop strong resource flows between upstate farms and the occupation
Use Occupy Wall Street as a platform to launch community-based green economy solutions that lift people out of poverty and restore our Earth
Pilot community currencies, barter, sharing, and local trade systems
Make Liberty Square carbon neutral
Make NYC a thriving ecosystem of community news, entertainment, and information-sharing supported by the people
Broadcast the first Occupy Wall Street TV channel with news, live stream, shows, Q&A and entertainment
Make NYC a leader of the People’s Internets
Make NYC a top supporter of public space for community action
Support the independent occupations of every borough in NYC.
Expand the occupation beyond outdoor spaces to indoor ones.
Make NYC the mecca for innovative community based organizational entities like L3C, not-for profit, NGO, charities etc
Make NYC the most progressive city for the chronically homeless
Make NYC a stronghold of pacifism
Support neighborhood peace and safe community initiatives
Make NYC a place that celebrates and respects diversity and lives up to its Melting Pot reputation
Make NYC a hub for harmonious religious, spiritual and non-religious practice
Yeah. The stark lack of anything concerning economic democracy ("we'll democratize trade!") is the dead give-away. Maybe that could or should emerge as a organizing principle, that is economic democracy. Of course, it's vague but that's some of the advantage. Mostly it keeps the discussion on political economy and the resource economy, to what ends it exists and for whom.
Posted by: Joepdx | October 22, 2011 at 02:10 PM
I asked my cuny students (mainly working-class people of color) today how many of them had been down to ows. None of them had. The protests are a 15 minute subway ride away from our classroom. I don't think that the calling for more L3Cs (or any of the rest of this technocratic gibberish) is going to get my students excited about the protest. The scary thing is that a sizable section of the core occupiers think this will help the movement grow.
Posted by: spectralcat | October 22, 2011 at 08:31 PM