It’s as if it were torn from the pages of a best-selling conspiracy novel…
An unknown group of disenchanted youth and computer hackers who are simply known as “Anonymous”, decide to take on the most powerful government and institutions in the world in order to bring the ruling oligarchs to justice over the raping and pillaging of the global economy…
Planting their flag on Wall Street, the symbolic doorstep of their enemy, they are everyone, and yet they are no one.
There is no leader. There is no organization. There is no one for the government to target or hold accountable.
Their anonymity is their greatest strength, and also their greatest weakness.
So… Exactly what is the REAL OccupyWallStreet?
Are they simply a bunch of rebellious pot-smoking hippies? Socialists? Communists? Crazy conspiracy theorists, or something more?
After all, how can you accurately label a group who has yet to label themselves or their purpose?
So I decided to fly to New York to listen, to learn, and to find out the truth for myself…
As I wound through the blocks of police barricades surrounding the banks and buildings of Wall Street, I entered Zuccotti Park for the first time on a grey and rainy Friday afternoon…
Expecting energy, education, and rebellion, I found myself a bit underwhelmed and disappointed…
There were probably around 200 to 300 people in total and most of them had gathered around a group who were leading a daily affirmation session designed to solidify the commitment of the participants.
Walking the grounds for the next hour, I did my best to identify the real mission and purpose of the protestors…
Were they here to end the Fed? Bring the banks to justice? Impeach politicians? Demand the end of Capitalism and a move to Communism?
The answer is… All of the above.
I am at a loss for words to describe the variety of goals, opaqueness of mission, and diversity of people…
There were the educated technophiles who are most likely the crew feeding the OWS social media sites…
Who were a few yards away from a woman looking to restore power to the people…
Next to her was a young man handing out newspapers by the Communist Progressive Labor Party seeking the destruction of capitalism…
Standing next to him were those looking to end debt slavery…
Who were stationed a few yards away from a group of incense burning, drum beating hippies touting the benefits of socialism…
It's not wonder the world doesn't quite know what to think of all this just yet.
Over all, I left that Friday afternoon disappointed…
It was as if the Occupy movement had been hijacked by anyone and everyone with something to say, which is the inevitable side effect of starting a movement in a public venue as diverse as New York, without leadership or a clear agenda.
And it was also apparent why the vocal patriots of this era such as Max Keiser, Stacy Herbert, Adam Kokesh, Ron Paul, etc, have not shown anything more than an arm’s-length interest in OWS…
After all, siding with an undefined group could become a liability down the road should their agenda eventually morph into something that goes against your core values.
So my first impressions seemed to confirm the worst… That the mission of a few savvy, educated youth had been hi-jacked by a bunch of crazies who wanted to blame capitalism for the wrongs of the world, while wearing Nike shoes and tweeting on IPhones.
But then overnight, things changed…
A few days before, Mayor Bloomberg had declared the park a sanitation hazard, giving the protestors notice that they must temporarily vacate by Saturday morning so that it could be cleaned.
With the deadline now upon them, it was as if he had thrust a stick into a hornet’s nest.
By dawn on Saturday morning, the number of protestors in the park had swelled to more than 3,000, and they had no intention of going anywhere.
The Mayor backed down, and OccupyWallStreet had won their first major victory.
As I arrived back at the park that afternoon, the atmosphere was decidedly different.
There were well over 1,000 people in attendance, the air was buzzing with energy and filled with music.
Two former-hippies-turned-billionaires were even handing out cups of good will…
Yes, Ben and Jerry were there in the flesh, handing out free ice-cream, supporting freedom of speech, and taking advantage of a great PR opportunity.
It was then that I realized the real power of the Occupy movement…
They are the misfit under-dogs, and they're willing to sacrifice whatever's necessary in order to make their stand, which is evident by the fact that over 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested in NYC alone in the first 30 days.
Whether we agree with them or not, I’m sure most of us support their right to speak their mind, and to challenge a system that each and every one of us knows is corrupt.
And what I noticed on Saturday is that any attempt by the government or police to silence them will bring instant aid to their cause.
While the average disgruntled citizen is too busy going about their normal lives to participate in the daily demonstration, they view the protestors as their bullied little brother.
If the government attempts to attack them, they’re going to show up in masse to defend them.
It’s for this reason that Washington and the banks should be gravely worried…
Either way, they’re now screwed.
Allowing the Occupy movement to grow will ultimately bring about some form of change they would rather not see.
Yet any attempt to silence the Occupy movement will instantly activate the masses in their defense.
At this point, for every person they arrest, two more join the cause.
Yesterday on Saturday the 15th, Occupy demonstrations were simultaneously held in over 1,500 cities across the globe…
Thousands took over Time's Square in New York:
Thousands more in London…
And Hong Kong…
And the list continues…
Berlin, Athens, Aukland, Tokyo, Seoul, London, Johannesburg, Taipei, Ottawa, Sydney, Egypt, Tunisia, Rome, Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas, and hundreds more…
The only metaphor I can find that accurately describes what I’ve seen, is that OccupyWallStreet is, “the little engine that could.”
Underestimated, unorganized, dismissed, and laughed at, yet gaining ground on a daily basis and spreading across the world at unbelievable speed despite themselves…
They are growing in numbers and in strength, and as the movement matures, so will their mission.
So what’s next?
Global chaos, punctuated by a giant sucking sound…
That sound is the power vacuum that will be created by the collapse of the globe's economic systems which have been abused beyond the point of no return.
What fills that vacuum will determine mankind’s fate…
These pivotal moments in history in which a nation(s) find's itself devoid of leadership, are often filled by charismatic dictators and sociopaths who stand up to unite the people who are looking for a new face from outside the previous system.
A seemingly unknown man named Adolf Hitler filled the last great power vacuum for Germany. Mao for China. Stalin for Russia.
While the Occupy movement may be in its’ infancy… Lost, misguided, and currently made-up of the fringe of society, (at least in the US), it is also the only group who is making a visible stand against the machine.
All that is needed is a catalyst of some kind… Whether it’s the death of a protestor at the hands of the police, or an economic event… Once the masses of the Middle Class have reached their pain-threshold, this simple show of frustration will become a revolution.
This moment will offer incredible opportunity and risk.
I predict that we will see this take place, and when it does, it is your responsibility and mine, to make sure that vacuum is filled by leadership who will return America to the values that made it great such as Ron Paul…
A nation built upon freedom, personal sovereignty, and justice.
A nation where the government once again fears the people and serves the people.
A nation where individuals take responsibility for their actions, and who expect our leadership to take responsibility for theirs.
A nation and economic system that rewards creation and value, and disdain’s the victim mentality offered by a welfare state.
A nation where self-reliance and personal leadership is a badge of honor.
A nation where conscious capitalism is the foundation of prosperity.
If there was a message that was seen most often during my visit to OWS, it was that the 99% wanted to bring down the 1%.
The poor are looking to blame the rich. The poor are looking for their Robin Hood.
This is a very dangerous goal when used as a blanket theme because it does not account for the critical distinction of how that money was made, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding as to how individual prosperity is created in general.
The vast majority of wealthy individuals have become rich by providing over-whelming value to the world through the creation of products and services in a free market. This is capitalism, and this is the primary reason why the United States has enjoyed more prosperity than any other nation in history.
What the protestors need to realize is that they're not protesting the wealthy. They're protesting corruption and the accumulation of wealth by the government, banks, and select corporations through out-right fraud and theft.
It is not the 99% against the 1%. It is the people of the world against the corrupt.
Ultimately, bringing these people to justice will only serve as a temporary solution. You can remove the tumor, but if you continue to smoke, the cancer will return.
True, lasting change can only be accomplished when each of us takes responsibility for our decisions and our actions.
We must educate ourselves in the ways of money, or that money will be stolen.
We must educate ourselves in the ways of food and health, or we will find ourselves eating genetically modified fillers covered in poison once again.
And we must educate ourselves in the ways of value creation and a work ethic, or find ourselves and our children slaves to debt and dependent upon food stamps.
Teaching the people of the world how to fish for themselves once again is the mission of The Elevation Group, and if you have not yet joined us, I invite you to learn more by clicking here…
Sincerely,
Mike Dillard
