Occupy San Diego STOP TPP Week of Actions - Occupy Cafe2024-03-28T20:12:24Zhttp://www.occupycafe.org/forum/topics/occupy-san-diego-stop-tpp-week-of-actions?commentId=6451976%3AComment%3A27532&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe International Conference…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-07-01:6451976:Comment:275322012-07-01T18:04:52.078ZMark E. Smithhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/MarkESmith
<p>The International Conference and guest list is awesome, Carlos.</p>
<p>I rather doubt that it will do much to raise awareness, though, as those who attend will be the same activists as always. Raising critical mass is worthless if the mass is raised for the purpose of working within and perpetuating the system that is oppressing us. I don't know of any protesters who are afraid of the oppressive forces--they seem to be united around allowing the oppressive forces to beat and arrest them…</p>
<p>The International Conference and guest list is awesome, Carlos.</p>
<p>I rather doubt that it will do much to raise awareness, though, as those who attend will be the same activists as always. Raising critical mass is worthless if the mass is raised for the purpose of working within and perpetuating the system that is oppressing us. I don't know of any protesters who are afraid of the oppressive forces--they seem to be united around allowing the oppressive forces to beat and arrest them without anyone ever trying to escape, defend themselves, or fight back, that is, dedicated to bending over and taking it unafraid.</p>
<p>The Union del Barrior and the AFL-CIO are intensely patriotic organizations. They are not opposed to US hegemony the way that Veterans for Peace are. Negotiations with the Mexican government sometimes gain the Zapatistas a "truce" where the Mexican government stops shooting them and has their paramilitaries do the killing for a while, but does not remove the surrounding government military troops and will use them whenever necessary to back up the paramilitaries, and to gain the occasional release of a few long-term prisoners, although by that time many more have been imprisoned.</p>
<p>The students in Canada rose to ask for more benefits from their government (fewer increases in tuition fees) and were joined by people who demanded their right to peacefully protest the government. The people (I apologize if that word is offensive to feminists for its inclusivity) in Mexico are once more protesting their rigged elections, but coming out and staying out in their millions in favor of one political party or candidate over other political parties and candidates hasn't been successful in the past and isn't likely to succeed now.</p>
<p>Judging from the guest list, the solutions and alternatives to be proposed at the conference will mostly be reformist rather than revolutionary.</p>
<p></p> I have read the leaked docume…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-07-01:6451976:Comment:276152012-07-01T16:40:52.467ZCarlos Hhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/CarlosH
<p>I have read the leaked documents on the TPP, and agree that is is a monster which is exactly why the Occupy movement needs to get behind this. If you read the original post you will see that not only are we protesting on July 7th, we are also promoting an International Conference with guests from New Zealand, Japan, South America, and Chile (among others) to talk about the TPP and it's ramification on different themed panels. We have been screaming and shouting at what we are against, this…</p>
<p>I have read the leaked documents on the TPP, and agree that is is a monster which is exactly why the Occupy movement needs to get behind this. If you read the original post you will see that not only are we protesting on July 7th, we are also promoting an International Conference with guests from New Zealand, Japan, South America, and Chile (among others) to talk about the TPP and it's ramification on different themed panels. We have been screaming and shouting at what we are against, this time we are getting together to talk about solutions and alternatives. <br/><br/>Protests and the Conference are part of direct democracy, voting is not the only tool we have. Are we going to stop the TPP? If we unite and get critical mass, maybe so. If not we will raise the awareness level on what is going on, and can hope for people to care. It's time for people to stop bending down and taking it by the 1% and stop being afraid of the oppressive forces. The TPP is what occupy has been protesting all these months into one:1%, banks, bailouts, corporations, outsourcing, Monsanto poisoned food supply, internet control and regulations, censorship, access to medicine, and that is only the stuff that has been leaked.</p>
<p>The students in Canada are rising, the people in Mexico are about to rise.</p>
<p><br/>Here is a list of guests and schedule <a href="http://stoptpp.org/2012/06/29/peoples-conference-list-of-guests-4/" target="_blank">http://stoptpp.org/2012/06/29/peoples-conference-list-of-guests-4/</a></p> Have you read the TPP? Not on…tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-06-30:6451976:Comment:272692012-06-30T00:19:56.168ZMark E. Smithhttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/MarkESmith
<p>Have you read the TPP? Not only has it already been written, it has already been negotiated and agreed upon, although a few details may remain to be hashed out. The secret bribes and secret kickbacks have already been paid and/or promised.</p>
<p>This is not something the public has a say in. Protests cannot stop it. The 1% knows it is not in the interests of the people, but it is in the interests of the 1% so they don't care.</p>
<p>The reason for the protests and other events is because…</p>
<p>Have you read the TPP? Not only has it already been written, it has already been negotiated and agreed upon, although a few details may remain to be hashed out. The secret bribes and secret kickbacks have already been paid and/or promised.</p>
<p>This is not something the public has a say in. Protests cannot stop it. The 1% knows it is not in the interests of the people, but it is in the interests of the 1% so they don't care.</p>
<p>The reason for the protests and other events is because the people don't have a seat at the table. But if protests succeed in driving TPP signing ceremonies from one city, they'll just move to another city, or another country.</p>
<p>The key here is that "political leaders" are meeting to make decisions and these political leaders, as Obama and Bush before him clearly, publicly, and explicitly stated, do not allow public opinion to influence policy decisions. If they have to suppress public dissent, they will, but they will not allow it to influence their decisions, as their decisions are based solely upon what enriches the 1%. Death and destruction do not figure into their bottom line.</p>
<p>Who elected these political leaders to make decisions for the people? Who delegated power to them? As a fellow anarchist recently put it, "Liberalism: Changing nothing, one protest at a time." Liberals are people who delegate their power to government and then wonder why they can't take back their power or have a voice in government. Sorry, that's just how things work.</p>
<p>I am opposed to the TPP, but I am also opposed to wars of aggression, kill lists, and many other things that the 1% do without bothering to consult or listen to the people. I won't be taking part in these protests and I can't afford to help with bail money for those who do, but I will not vote to empower political leaders to make important decisions.</p>
<p>Many of those who will take part in these protests and events are people who <em>did</em> vote to empower the political leaders making these decisions. They thought that they were voting for the environment, civil rights, a local school board member, some other worthwhile person or issue, or if nobody and nothing worthwhile was on the ballot, at least what they hoped might be the lesser of the evils offered, and were too apathetic to care that by voting, they were delegating their power to political leaders to make decisions with which they might not agree.</p>
<p>If you really care about anything, please stop voting to delegate decision-making power to political leaders who don't care.</p>
<p>That's the only way you can begin to make a real difference. Everything else is just whining about the fact that you irresponsibly voted to delegate your power to political leaders who don't care about you.</p>
<p>Occupy was supposed to be about direct democracy, not about asking political leaders for mercy. If they had any mercy or compassion, they wouldn't be political leaders because the big corporations despoiling the planet wouldn't finance their election campaigns.</p>
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