They might try to organize the movement using that way as a "blueprint". That does not mean anybody wants to run the country that way. Just because I say "I don't like this form of 'I get the winnings we share the losses' capitalism" does not automatically mean I'm a communist either.

Last week they were from Canada.

David Graeber is crazy smart and an interesting thinker. He's the first anthropologist to do ethnographic work on the anti-globalization movement. He was also essentially kicked out of Yale for his political views. Also, he's not just "visiting" Wall Street, he has been one of the main organizers for OWS.

Jeffrey Sachs can kiss my ass, he has some nerve showing up at something like this, considering he was one of the main "exporters" of neoliberalism to developing and post-Soviet countries.

Joseph Stiglitz is trained in neoclassical economics but has brought an important critique to globalization- e.g. "Globalization and its Discontents". Also, he wrote the forward to Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation, so clearly he's open to something other than just the market economy.

Slavoj Zizek is brilliant and utterly bonkers, though he retains rock-star status. My favorite clip of him: Link (new window). Crazy old Slovenian coot.

Aarontology:

Came for this, leaving happy.

So, OWS is a bunch of hipsters for whom anarchism is too banal?

Wow.

DjangoStonereaver: So, OWS is a bunch of hipsters for whom anarchism is too banal?

Wow.

Where did you get that from? David Graeber, the main thinker they talk about, is an anarchist.

Submitter, you magnificent bastard.

coco ebert: David Graeber is crazy smart and an interesting thinker. He's the first anthropologist to do ethnographic work on the anti-globalization movement. He was also essentially kicked out of Yale for his political views. Also, he's not just "visiting" Wall Street, he has been one of the main organizers for OWS.

Hm, I guess they can't complain about anarchists "hijacking" it.

tallguywithglasseson: coco ebert: David Graeber is crazy smart and an interesting thinker. He's the first anthropologist to do ethnographic work on the anti-globalization movement. He was also essentially kicked out of Yale for his political views. Also, he's not just "visiting" Wall Street, he has been one of the main organizers for OWS.

Hm, I guess they can't complain about anarchists "hijacking" it.

The use of "hijack" implies some sort of violence, which I don't think is fair. Whether you agree with it or not, anarchism is a political philosophy, not some sort of random chaos of mindless violence.

DjangoStonereaver: So, OWS is a bunch of hipsters for whom anarchism is too banal?


I had Anarchism's first mixtape in high school. I mostly listen to Monkeycock now, you've probably never heard of them.

ultraholland: should read "OCCUPY EVERYTHING"

coco ebert: The use of "hijack" implies some sort of violence, which I don't think is fair. Whether you agree with it or not, anarchism is a political philosophy, not some sort of random chaos of mindless violence

I'm implying no such thing.
People (from both sides) accused party or corporate interests of "hijacking" the Tea Party. Simply meaning they took a loosely organized but energized group and pushed them in a direction for their own purpose.
I don't think anyone was confused, thinking there was some sort of violence involved. Maybe you're overly sensitive about anarchists being labeled as violent.
But that's got nothing to do with my point.

My point was, if a lot of anarchists show up to the protests and start becoming one of the dominant voices, you can't say they "hijacked" OWS in this sense, because they've been there from the start, one of the main organizers was in fact an anarchist.

tallguywithglasseson, please see DeathByGeekSquad 's response to you for why I might be a tad sensitive about violence being unfairly attributed to anarchism.

coco ebert: tallguywithglasseson, please see DeathByGeekSquad 's response to you for why I might be a tad sensitive about violence being unfairly attributed to anarchism.

Hey, no I get it. I was just saying that wasn't *my* point is all. About hijacking the movement, that is.

But I get why you're touchy about it. I think you're got an uphill climb though. It probably doesn't help that the most visible self-described anarchists in the US are the gutter punks who show up to random protests wearing black jeans, hoodies, combat boots, and handkerchiefs over their faces, basically just stirring up shiat with the cops (and hanging out at the Hard Times Cafe in Minneapolis).

tallguywithglasseson: coco ebert: tallguywithglasseson, please see DeathByGeekSquad 's response to you for why I might be a tad sensitive about violence being unfairly attributed to anarchism.

Hey, no I get it. I was just saying that wasn't *my* point is all. About hijacking the movement, that is.

But I get why you're touchy about it. I think you're got an uphill climb though. It probably doesn't help that the most visible self-described anarchists in the US are the gutter punks who show up to random protests wearing black jeans, hoodies, combat boots, and handkerchiefs over their faces, basically just stirring up shiat with the cops (and hanging out at the Hard Times Cafe in Minneapolis).

Point taken. And I apologize if I took what you said out of context.