How Long Will They Occupy?

Before September of last year, the words "99 percent" and "the one percent" were simple and innocent words that meant nothing more than what they sounded like. Ever since then though, the words have come to be synonymous with one of the most electrifying, controversial, and unique movements of our country's time: Occupy Wall Street. The movement was founded by those "99-percenters" who have grown to resent the top one percent of our country, claiming that as Wall Street and those wealthiest prosper, the rest of the country suffers. Inspired by years of frustration with the economic policies that benefited banks and corporate institutions, as well as the Egyptian revolutions in Tahir Square, the Occupy movement set out September 17, 2011 to fight back. The chants of "We are the 99 percent" have since been heard around the world, the movement quickly spreading from Wall Street (Zuccotti Park in New York City) to 100 cities throughout the country, and many more throughout the world, in a matter of months. 

Me learning about the (at the time, brand new) Occupy Wall Street Movement, Washington, DC
September 2011
Photo Credit: My own picture

In class, we discussed Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek's beliefs on Marxism, the left in today's society, Occupy Wall Street, and their connections with one another. On the Occupy Wall Street movement, Zizek stated that the problem with the movement is that they didn't know what they concretely wanted. He says of the protests and movement's goal, "This is why, what critics and sympathizers notice, there is a lack of concrete proposals, what to do. Apart from abstract things..." The quote struck me, because I had always assumed the movement to be radical and effective, yet once I thought about it, there were actually no concrete goals or effects. This interview was in December of 2011, and quite frankly, I believe little has changed since then. The movement prides itself on being leaderless, which probably sounds better in theory than in an actual application, for the purpose is therefore quite ambiguous. 

This has been much of the controversy surrounding the movement. What is the actual purpose of the movement? What concrete changes have they made? And, a question I find most interesting: How long will it last? 

In my opinion, I believe Occupy Wall Street has been a success in some aspects, and somewhat of a failure in another regard. Positively, it brought to national attention the frustration and anger a majority, or in the protestors' eyes, 99 percent, of the country had been feeling. The movement served as a wake-up call that yes, the economy needed to be fixed because, to simply put it, people were suffering. It re-focused on the negative effects of capitalism, including Marx's views of how capitalism can lead to exploitation of the individual. Zizek recognizes the positives of the Occupy movement: " I think that precisely these events, like Occupy Wall Street, are crucial because, on the one hand, they demonstrate that the problem is capitalism as such."

A scene from one of the many Occupy Wall Street protests
Found here.

However, since the movement has lasted for so long, it has lost steam and as a result lost part of its legitimacy. Besides its abstract effects on the country, such as the reminder of the evils of capitalism, as Zizek says, the movement has no concrete goals and thus no concrete effects, as Zizek too mentions. 

I believe the Occupy movement succeeded in bringing national attention to some of the most pressing issues of our time, however since it has lasted so long, the movement should either end or brainstorm actual concrete goals to accomplish. The movement is losing much of its spotlight it once enjoyed, something that could have been used to actually enact change. The question, now that the movement has lasted for so long, as New York Times op-ed contributer Andrew Ross Sorkin says, is: "Now What?" I don't know the answer to that, but I fully believe that it's a crucial question the occupiers must answer sometime soon.