I find my sympathies toward OWS diluted because of their lack of organization; the protesters pride themselves on their diversity and decentralization but they're useless if they can't unify behind one or a small bunch of platforms. The Tea Party was able to rip a hole in the Republican Party through primaries and sweeping across Tea Part strongholds in elections and that gives them power, but what does OWS have?
OWS seems to think occupying public and private areas is going to do anything; it's not. All they do is annoy everyone who uses that area or has to traverse through it. What these protesters need to do is rally and consolidate their grip in small areas first, like moderate and liberal areas of economic distress, particularly more densely-populated and important places like cities. Then, they need to weed out which policies are politically palatable and choose which ones can rely on populism. They need to run a campaign like Huey Long of Louisiana, not protest all over the place and hope for change; it is easier to change a system from within than from outside.
Now, that does not mean I agree with their actual proposals or their backers, but I will give them my respect. They will no longer be a public disturbance; they will be a smart faction, one that understands practicality. If these people are truly wise populists, they will garner something along the lines of Huey Long and remain a strong fire like the Tea Party. If not, they will be like the Gracchi brothers and left to peter out. This occupation cannot last forever with winter delivering its usual blows; they must shelter and plan. They have to filter out extremists and hoodlums and portray themselves as the "new but civilized and realistic" people. You can't just apologize and deny any connection to these people; you have to squash them and give a clear example to the bad boys. Sweeping reform, yes, but conservative presentation. How else will they convince the essential moderates and fence sitters?
"Maybe, if Occupy Wall Street was more like the Tea Party, I'd take them more seriously and they might get stuff done."
1. The Tea Party receives funding from big business since their interests overlap. Thus, they can
afford to campaign in a formal fashion and get candidates into office.
2.
Not sure if relevant, but still interesting.
Tea Party protests big government. OWS protests big business. "Same thing, right?" Nope. The main reason our government is so corrupt is because of the influence that big business has with lobbyists and campaign funds. In turn, politicians represent their interests allowing them to make more money which allows them to buy more lobbyists so they can keep making more money. That's the very act that OWS is protesting. It's not as simple as "OWS, become a political movement like the Tea Party."
"They should have an organized list of demands/be more organized in general."
Occupy Wall Street may not have a formal list of demands, but anyone who's been paying attention understands the core problems that occupiers are protesting—that corporations have far too much power in our political system, that Wall Street banks crashed our economy but were never held accountable, and that the richest 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans—156 million people—combined.4
"Occupying does nothing and nobody wants them there."
Tell that to their approval rating which is currently higher than that grand old tea party. I'm not sure about everyone else, but if this movement was just a day in, day out thing, I don't think many people would be aware/committed to/supporting of the movements. "Oh, just a bunch of radical liberals with signs who want handouts." I actually did not support the movement, because I thought they were a bunch of bullies who will do anything to get what they want. Now, I'm supportive of unconventional methods because they've revealed the ugliest part of our country with their police brutality that only serves to protect the interests of the 1% and violation of first amendment rights to peacefully assemble. If that's not enough to convince you that Occupy has done something, they managed to wave the $5 fees for use of debit cards, changed the national conversation, and
made Wall Street scared.
If people are so hellbent on sympathizing with yet criticizing Occupy's method of protesting big business and injustice, why don't you all go get together and use the methods that you're telling OWS to use? I mean, if there are that many people that are both pissed off at Wall Street and Occupy Wall Street, then it should be no problem making Tea Party: Big Business branch. At least these "criminal/hippies/unfocused protestors/other term used to defame them" are doing something to raise awareness of the problems in our country's economy and will continue to want a better world