The Occupy Movement began as a way for the common person to stand up and protest the wealth and privilege of the one percent. Starting with Occupy Wall Street in New York City 's Zuccotti Park, beginning on 17 September 2011, the Occupy Movement spread to over 950 international cities by the end of that year. While the movement showed how the 99% wanted change to occur in the world with regards to wealth and privilege, a lack of leadership, a limited clear set goals, and a countercultural strategy plighted the movement in its early stages before major changes could occur. In Justin Campbell’s interview with Micah White, an ex-Occupy activist, Micah talks about the shortfalls of the Occupy Movement, and how he is working to revitalize revolutionary
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He argues that a large factor contributing to the failure of the movement was the type of activism used. The countercultural approach enacted by the activists for the movement was unable to create change in part because politicians do not have to listen to protestors. There is no requirement for public officials to create change in response to protestors or focus groups. George W. Bush said on June 8, 2001 that, “We can accomplish things on behalf of the American people. Instead of kind of worrying about your own standing or focusing on a focus group, taking a poll to figure out what to believe in.” While the purpose of the message was to tell officials that they should not form their beliefs around what focus groups in their district say, it also demonstrates the fact that public officials do not have to act based on what the people say, but rather what they believe should be done. Because of this, countercultural approaches often do not work because those who hold public office are generally in the dominant culture of the one percent. The Occupy Movement wanted to be viewed as leaderless and without demands to appear to be truly representative of all the 99% as well as non-radical; however, the leaderless aspect of the movement and its lack of demands turned to hurt the movement as a whole. In her paper, Molly Forgey validates the negative effects of the leaderless movement by
He argues that a large factor contributing to the failure of the movement was the type of activism used. The countercultural approach enacted by the activists for the movement was unable to create change in part because politicians do not have to listen to protestors. There is no requirement for public officials to create change in response to protestors or focus groups. George W. Bush said on June 8, 2001 that, “We can accomplish things on behalf of the American people. Instead of kind of worrying about your own standing or focusing on a focus group, taking a poll to figure out what to believe in.” While the purpose of the message was to tell officials that they should not form their beliefs around what focus groups in their district say, it also demonstrates the fact that public officials do not have to act based on what the people say, but rather what they believe should be done. Because of this, countercultural approaches often do not work because those who hold public office are generally in the dominant culture of the one percent. The Occupy Movement wanted to be viewed as leaderless and without demands to appear to be truly representative of all the 99% as well as non-radical; however, the leaderless aspect of the movement and its lack of demands turned to hurt the movement as a whole. In her paper, Molly Forgey validates the negative effects of the leaderless movement by