Occupy Silverton Address
Greg Franck-Weiby - 11/5/2011

The definitive frustration expressed by the Occupy movement is a sense of comprehensive dis-empowerment and dis-enfranchisement. Consequently, it has been initially focused on Wall Street because a large majority of Americans across the whole political spectrum were outraged by the bank bail-out.

In spite of overloading Congressional switchboards and mailbags, in spite of a change of party in power, the bail-outs went forward as if the people's rage did not matter, with a condescending attitude of 'you don't know what is good for you', treating the people as children. People have not forgotten and refuse to shrug it off and let it pass. This is where abiding anger draws the line.

Across a broad spectrum of issues, there is a sense that America no longer has real democracy in the sense of effective majority rule. For example, during the health care 'debate,' polls showed a majority of Americans want a 'single payer' system. In deference to major campaign donor medical insurance corporations, both parties ruled the possibility 'off the table.'

Polls now show that a majority of Americans want our troops out of Afghanistan now - not in three or four years, as planned by the 'liberal' President, nor practically 'never' advocated by the 'conservative' opposition. There is no longer any consequence when the will of the majority is not an option offered by the political system.

The most recent poll shows that 75% of Americans believe millionaires should pay more in taxes than they do now, but the party nominally in power is unable to enact the will of a larger majority than has ever won a presidential election.

In the case of Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission, the Supreme Court's decision to grant the rights of 'personhood' to corporations - particularly the 'right' to exercise 'free speech' through unlimited corporate campaign donations - removed the last limitation on the power of the wealthiest 1% to determine who is a 'viable' candidate in practically any and all national and state elections.

This decision was opposed by 87% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and nearly 70% of Republicans. This is as good a candidate as any for a 'last straw.'

Many Occupy participants cite the Supreme Court's decision as the lethal threat to American democracy by concentrated wealth embodied in corporations that must be resisted. Prolonged steadfast protest appears to be the only means available.

This movement is being mis-represented as 'anti-wealth'. More accurately, it opposes a colossal imbalance of power. Once a person has more than few $10's of millions, it is challenging to find enough things to buy that can really make a human being happy. Beyond that, the only thing that much more money can buy is power. At that scale, power becomes an end in itself, and that is why "Power corrupts."

This is not about "envy of wealth". It is about justice. It is about re-balancing power, re-gaining democracy, enabling national unity to address the threats to our global biological life-support system, to fulfill unmet human needs destabilizing the world, to evolve from a suicidally unsustainable economy to one that works for everybody. It is about freeing us to dream a new American dream.

-- Provided by the Late Greg Franck-Weiby