It's Occupy 2.0 We Need to Think About
It's a shame really. The whole #Occupy or #OWS (if you're a Twitter type too) could really have been something. The cold hard, factual and economic reality is that the 1% are getting wealthier and the middle class is eroding. The marginalized are getting more marginalized. The world is incredibly interconnected, as are all its monetary systems. Wealth begets wealth. When the whole Occupy Wall Street started, well, pretty much all of the disenfranchised stood up and thought it was pretty cool, even Obama and Canada's top finance guy, Carney, agreed, among others. But Occupy has failed. Miserably.No revolution, no significant change, ever, in any way, shape, form or how has ever succeeded where there has not been a clear rallying message. Ever.
This is the single and one salient, undeniable fact of why Occupy Wall Street failed. When it started, it had a message "we 99% are feeling screwed over by the 1% who keep getting richer" - and you know what, they had a point. Even Warren Buffet agreed...even though he just bought 5% of IBM for a few hundred million and despite the fact he lives in the same house he did before he became even a millionaire. I digress.
Ask any public relations professional, marketer or communications practitioner. I've been a marketer for over 20 years and if you don't have a "hook" that one, simple, easy to grasp and communicate message - you've failed before you've begun.
This is human communications 101 folks. Nothing more complicated than that.
Occupy Got Hijacked.
Then the unions showed up because it fit their generally socialist agenda. Then the homeless discovered a meal ticket....and perhaps a side of weed and the odd shot of rum and the tent cities grew. Not true? Well, that, folks, is what became "public perception". But before we knew it, all most people saw was either union rallies or tent cities and soon the stories of drunken parties and stoners permeated the media.
The Media Didn't Help Either
Then the media just loved all the drunken, pot-filled, drug-induced frenetics of the protesters. All we saw was ragged, bearded and hippie-eque types chanting peace slogans from the 60's that they could barely understand. They got camera time and they loved it. And mainstream media snickered and rolled the cameras. Mass media is as much to blame as the Occupy movement. The original story, the message that got us all wound up...it vaporized in a haze of doobies and booze.
Then the media just loved all the drunken, pot-filled, drug-induced frenetics of the protesters. All we saw was ragged, bearded and hippie-eque types chanting peace slogans from the 60's that they could barely understand. They got camera time and they loved it. And mainstream media snickered and rolled the cameras. Mass media is as much to blame as the Occupy movement. The original story, the message that got us all wound up...it vaporized in a haze of doobies and booze.
The Middle Class Aren't Pissed Enough. Yet.
And then the middle class stayed home, still in their homes, snuggled up on their comfy couch from The Pottery Barn and gazing at their 53" LCD HD screen while tapping away on their iPad on Facebook. That's about 94% of the 99% - so the middle class aren't pissed enough yet. When we hit 12% unemployment and many are losing their homes and they can't afford to watch HD cable anymore...then that will change.
It's Occupy 2.0 We Should Think About
But the fact is, there is craploads of cash and liquidity out there. Companies are making wicked profits, dividends are still juicy and the bankers are laughing as they collect their bonuses. There is NO austerity in the corporate world. Profit is not bad. Because of capitalism we have more and better jobs than ever in the history of mankind and overall, humanity IS progressing. This is a FACT.
But the fact is, there is craploads of cash and liquidity out there. Companies are making wicked profits, dividends are still juicy and the bankers are laughing as they collect their bonuses. There is NO austerity in the corporate world. Profit is not bad. Because of capitalism we have more and better jobs than ever in the history of mankind and overall, humanity IS progressing. This is a FACT.
But It Could Go Very Wrong
But there is also a significant danger point here. It could all go south. Much will depend on how the 1% deal with things to come. If they keep hoarding cash, if they don't innovate, advance R&D, put money back into the economy...we are truly screwed. When the 1% fails to re-invest and simply hoards to see how high they can rack up their deposit accounts...well, one word: Depression.
But there is also a significant danger point here. It could all go south. Much will depend on how the 1% deal with things to come. If they keep hoarding cash, if they don't innovate, advance R&D, put money back into the economy...we are truly screwed. When the 1% fails to re-invest and simply hoards to see how high they can rack up their deposit accounts...well, one word: Depression.
If the 1%, corporations and ultra high-net worth folks don't start moving liquidity back into the markets...then we will have Occupy 2,0 and then it will be really bad....all they need do is look to the Great Depression and the French Revolution and well, history can and often does, repeat itself. I doubt this is something the 99% can influence. It's just one of those things we have to hope that the 1% realize. if they don't, then they'll have the pleasure (or not) of seeing their empired torn to shreds and insane economic and social changes occurring...and a very dark age for humanity. I hope we pass this point. I'm not sure we will, but the jury is out. I have hope. These are smart people these 1% and so at some point, they will realize the best way to increase their wealth even more is to let some go now, invest it in opportunity. Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com sees this and they consistently perform. In a recession they hired MORE people and built up infrastructure - now THAT is innovative capitalism that works for everyone. Build a desire to improve society through capitalist actions; perhaps that is the mix we need to move mankind forward? I hope so. Then we all win....unions too, cause they keep the membership that pays the nice fat wages of their management. Hopefully, along the way, a union leader or two will take an economics course to help them out.
To The Occupy 2.0 Folks
Find a bloody message. Saying "99%" was cute. Now it's old and it failed. You all failed. Instead we're right back to where we always were....so if you're going to start another Occupy Something Or Other...enlist a student studying communications. Perhaps then you'll get somewhere and cause some real change...otherwise, us 98.75%, well, we're going to just change the channel on our nice big LCD HD screens, especially cause by then we'll have 3D (without the silly glasses.)
Find a bloody message. Saying "99%" was cute. Now it's old and it failed. You all failed. Instead we're right back to where we always were....so if you're going to start another Occupy Something Or Other...enlist a student studying communications. Perhaps then you'll get somewhere and cause some real change...otherwise, us 98.75%, well, we're going to just change the channel on our nice big LCD HD screens, especially cause by then we'll have 3D (without the silly glasses.)
