I want to start off by saying I agree with the sentiment of the current Occupy movements taking place across the nation. I agree that it is unjust for 1% of the population to be so powerful and wealthy compared to the other 99%. I would even chime along the movement’s mantra, “I am the 99%.” There are very clear sociological impacts of this disproportionate distribution that manifest in problems like unemployment which leads to debt, poverty, and lack of healthcare. If one is employed under these circumstances, the living standard is still likely to be stunted by the fact that many who do work are overworked, underemployed, and underpaid for what they studied in college and what they need to provide for their family. This is just in the context of the current job market without accounting for how globalization, capitalism, and corporate america factor in to the issue. If this is all true, I think it is fair to assess that there needs to be some sort of systematic, societal level change to how our economy functions that we as citizens, members of the 99%, must drive.

I also think it is fair to be critical of somewhat directionless protest.

I don’t believe the Occupiers are idiots by any stretch of the imagination, but I do find it frustrating that the action of protesting seems less powerful without specific demands. Especially in the eyes of those they are protesting against. I am confident that some of the protesters have targeted ideas for policy changes we can urge our government to make, but these people need to step forward and lead the movement toward a tangible goal. I’m mad as hell, too, but I can’t see anything beyond a mass of people holding (often very clever) signs. There is a general sense of what might make things better, but without a leader or at least an organized way to present a common goal the messages get muddled and lost as noise. The desire for a leader is also troubling, though, as part of the appeal of the movement is the fact that it appears to be morally opposed to granting special power to the few.

I was feeling guilty for not stopping by Occupy Austin, but when I stopped to think about protesting from here it seemed a little silly. The main reason I haven’t is I just haven’t had the time to outside of work. I have been busy either being tired from working, busy doing other side projects I have been wanting to do for ages, or just trying to spend the time I am free with friends when our schedules can coordinate. When I think about actually participating, though, I feel that me hanging out won’t really count for much. What would I really contribute? Another body? Possibly another sign? They already call themselves the 99%, so I almost feel like I’m already accounted for symbolically. The silly part to me, though is that the protesters in Austin are outside of City Hall? City Hall seems to be the last place that makes sense for protesting something Federal (or rather, Wall Street and Corporate America). Learning that they are protesting there really threw me off.

On top of that, the message of the protesters is really getting lost in the noise here. On Sunday there was an AIDS walk in town that the Occupy protest randomly aligned itself to. I’m sorry, but those two issues are completely different, as one was about raising awareness and money to fund medical research (or something along those lines) and the other is based in financial grievances. I know that caring about one issue and the other isn’t mutually exclusive, and I am all for recognizing the interconnectedness of the human condition, but in this context the association makes little sense to me. I won’t be surprised if the Occupiers here also try to attach to the March to End the Death Penalty this coming weekend. Certainly not mutually exclusive issues, but involve completely separate levels of government and completely different types of problems. While I sympathize with Occupy, the fact that the Austin protests seem very disconnected from the original idea of protesting corporations and Wall Street make me less compelled to participate. I do intend to attend the Death Penalty march because the agenda for that is clear and our message is easy to communicate. I may end up at Occupy Austin at some point, but not without first thinking critically about what it means.