NPR article covers the evolution of dissent to policy
NPR has posted an article detailing how Occupy Wall Street could affect policy in the U.S. through the lens of successful historical protests movements. Many on the right have been quick to bash the protestors for not having a clear consensus on policy goals, but Alan Greenblatt asserts that a lack of consensus is to be expected at this point in the movement’s evolution.
His quote of Nina Eliasoph counters the right’s complaint quite appropriately:
“Movements don’t write legislation. They force open a line of questions that makes it possible for people to imagine new policies. That’s always the first step.” – Nina Eliasoph, Sociologist at the University of Southern California.
via The 99%, Where Does It Go From Here? | Assassin Actual.
The people trying to belittle the movement have to understand one thing. This many people, spread across the US, will be very hard to shut up once they get rolling.
The voice is getting louder.
The movement is made up of people who are educated, intelligent and understand what happens when a movement is co-oped and are resisting that. The movement is history in the making, regardless of the opinions of the blow-hard pricks on Faux News.
