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<div style="MARGIN: 0px"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>From: </b></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium">Peter Marcuse <<a href="mailto:pm35@COLUMBIA.EDU" target="_blank">pm35@COLUMBIA.EDU</a>><br>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0px"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium">12 October 2011 02:48:23 GMT+01:00<br></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0px"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>To: </b></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><<a href="mailto:INURA@YORKU.CA" target="_blank">INURA@YORKU.CA</a>><br>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0px"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>Re: Occupy Wall Street</b><br></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0px"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'; FONT-SIZE: medium">Peter Marcuse <<a href="mailto:pm35@COLUMBIA.EDU" target="_blank">pm35@COLUMBIA.EDU</a>><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Friends,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Following up my earlier blog piece on the Occupy Wall Street movement, here’s a further piece dealing with its place in the political spectrum and the speculation about its future. It makes the following argument:<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Will the Occupy Wall Street movement continue to grow? I think that’s the wrong question. It cannot “grow” in the sense of enlarging the area it occupies, staying longer and longer and refusing to leave. There is simply no space available where it is now in New York, the weather in winter will make it simply a test of endurance, it is more than can be asked. But there are alternative forms by which it can show its strength: marches, timed occupations, rallies, continued effective solidarity and networking. And refinement of claims, clarification of interpretations, pin-pointing of objectives and targets of non-violent action and exposure.<span> </span>The argument goes as follows:<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Four alternative futures confront the movement:<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><span>·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Dissolve<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><span>·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Be co-opted<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><span>·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Focus on specific immediate reforms<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><span>·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Go for non-reformist reforms<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><span>·<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Push for revolution.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The strengths and weaknesses of each are analyzed, and they are not mutually exclusive. But the “non-reformist reforms” seems the most productive.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In any event, its future will hinge on the extent to which it maintains its three defining characteristics: <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in" class="MsoNormal">The common thread in the analysis of the underlying nature of the problems with which it is concerned, symbolized by the 1%/99% formulation;<u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in" class="MsoNormal">The bringing together of multiple diverse interests and viewpoints in a mutually supportive and trusting human social context; and<u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1in" class="MsoNormal">The commitment to action, to exploring , physically as well as intellectually, the available avenues for implementing their desires, overcoming the obstacles they face, moving towards a better world.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Immediately, tactically, imagination may suggest a variety of new approaches to immediate action. Since continued limited occupation of a restricted site poses major problems as the sole center of the movement, imagination and spontaneity can be looked to provide alternatives to reflect the growth and wide popular support of the movement. Possibilities are mentioned.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole text is 3 pages, plus the above summary, and it’s on my blog<span> </span>at <a href="http://pmarcuse.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">http://pmarcuse.wordpress.com</span></a><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span>Peter<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p><u></u> <u></u> </p></div></blockquote></div></div></div>