A Movement Without Demands? | Possible Futures

The question of demands infused the initial weeks and months of Occupy Wall Street with the endless opening of desire. Nearly unbearable, the absence of demands concentrated interest, fear, expectation, and hope in the movement. What did they want? What could they want? Commentators have been nearly hysterical in their demand for demands: somebody has got to say what Occupy Wall Street wants! In part because of the excitement accumulating around the gap the movement opened up in the deadlocked US political scene—having done the impossible in creating a new political force it seemed as if the movement might even demand the impossible—many of those in and around Occupy Wall Street have also treated the absence of demands as a benefit, a strength. Commentators and protesters alike thus give the impression that the movement’s inability to agree upon demands and a shared political line is a conscious choice.

Anyone who is familiar with the internal dynamics of the movement knows that this is not the case. Even if some occupations have released lists of demands, the entire question is bitterly contested in New York, where only independent organizations such as labor unions have released their own demands. In this essay, we claim that far from being a strength, the lack of demands reflects the weak ideological core of the movement. We also claim that demands should not be approached tactically but strategically, that is, they should be grounded in a long-term view of the political goals of the movement, a view that is currently lacking. Accordingly, in the second part of this text, we argue that this strategic view should be grounded in a politics of the commons. Before addressing the politics of the commons, however, we dispel three common objections that are raised against demands during general assemblies, meetings, and conversations people have about the Occupy movement.

via www.possible-futures.org

Comments

[Abduljabbar Caliph]

Uhuru comrades
The struggle to build a movement is no easy task! It is a task that we must review in deatil. I have tryed following the occupy movement and even working with it but Red Emma refuses to establish any clear cut goals and objectives. They refuse to establish anytype of leadership in the struggle for the liberation of the working class. In order to carry this out we must must be willing to assume leadership of this bankrupt movement and give it the direction that is need! These movement, the Occupy movement is a movement of white middle class children who attin collage for the most part and have no realtionship with the masses.That is the problem! How can you lead someone somewhere when you have norealtionship to the masses!