Douglas Rushkoff describes a positive turn in the life of the Occupy movement, for CNN via his blog:
Much like President Obama, the Occupy movement is alive and well and entering its second term, thank you very much. It’s no longer about squatting in public parks, getting on the news, or — in some cases — getting arrested. No, instead this decentralized, bottom-up, anti-Wall Street effort is taking aim at your medical, student and other loans: It aims to relieve your debt.
Just as Obama appears to have left the lofty rhetoric of “being the change” behind him as he confronts the more practical realities of working a financial plan through an intransigent Congress, the occupiers have given up on winning media mindshare or public support and have turned instead to direct action that helps real people. In its Act 2, Occupy is just occupying the space where it’s needed.
Remember, Occupy does not have leaders, an administration or some central office. It’s not a single body with a mission control that makes particular decisions. It began as a one-day demonstration in New York, “Occupy Wall Street,” spawned by an announcement from the anti-corporate Adbusters magazine, and then mushroomed into similar encampments around the United States and in other parts of the world.
Although police eventually shut down these demonstrations, the social and Internet infrastructure of the movement remained intact. People met one another over the course of the demonstrations, forged relationships online and continued working in their own ways. Different members in different places have chosen to concern themselves with particular problems. Those that resonate with others in the loose collective end up getting support from the various websites and Facebook pages already associated with the Occupy movement. While there is no “official” Occupy movement, when an effort gains support from enough of the trusted Occupy networks, it can be considered a de facto Occupy action.
Most recently, the movement came to the rescue of hurricane victims with Occupy Sandy – a bottom-up, people-driven recovery effort that rivaled FEMA for its ability to bring aid to the people who needed it…
[continues at Rushkoff's blog]
