NO to Co-option!

Photo:  A demonstrator with the Occupy movement holds a sign November 2, 2011 in Oakland, California (Eric Thayer / Getty Images / AFP)

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NO to Co-Option and Misdirection By Democratic Party Operatives

Phase Two of Occupy Will Not Be Electoral

A Statement by the General Assembly of OccupyWashingtonDC.org and proposed to the Occupy Movement.

A growing list of media outlets and partisan organizations are urging us to "evolve," "mature," and "move on" to become part of the problem we have been protesting for months. Most specifically Move On and Rebuild the Dream are promoting and attempting to co-opt and divert the Occupy Movement into a policy of electing Democrats and legislative reform--thereby keeping a system based on control by the 1% firmly in place with yet more promises (never fulfilled) of "change we can believe in." 

Both Move On and Rebuild the Dream have attempted in insidious ways to hitch their faltering Democratic wagons to the struggle and success of the Occupy Movement. Both have attempted to appear as supporters and organizational spokespersons for the Occupy Movement while in reality they are and always have been front organizations for the Democratic Party. 

We believe elections are essential to a peaceful, just, and sustainable future, and we will continue to push for changes in our electoral system that will guarantee every human the right to vote for candidates who are not financially corrupted or filtered through gerrymandering, unreasonable ballot restrictions or corporate media gate-keeping, and to have our votes verifiably and publicly counted.

We believe, however, that elections alone cannot accomplish what is needed.  We cannot "vote" against the disastrous influence of Wall Street or war profiteers by backing either of the two major political parties. Next year's presidential election and most congressional races will offer two major-party candidates, neither of whom agrees with the majority of the people on fundamental issues.

We will not divert our energies into electoral work.

We will not identify with or begin to make compromises and apologies for any party, political candidate, or elected official.

We demand that the corporate plutocracy be replaced by majority rule. 

We will educate and organize. We will agitate and mobilize.

We will escalate our campaign of cultural and societal change. 

We will bring increased pressure to bear on our government in Washington, D.C. We will bring this pressure as the people to the government as a whole, not as cheerleaders for one part of the government against another.

We will not go away, we will not be silenced, we will not relinquish the right to speak freely, to peaceably assemble, and to petition our government for a redress of grievances.

We will not relent. We will not be defeated. We will not be co-opted by either the Democratic or Republican Party, both of which have sold us out in Congress, the Supreme Court, and in the White House.

Tarak Kauff

Veterans For Peace