[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

I posted this in one of the other political threads, but I think it belongs here. For those comparing the Tea Party movement to the Occupy movement, I would suggest there is a significant difference between the two. To be clear, I sympathize with elements of both movements - the Tea Party's theme of limited government and restoration of federalism, and the Occupy Movement's theme of corporate America's innate dysfunction and disconnect. I also disgree with both on many other issues. At the same time, from a practical analysis, I think the Tea Party has been (and will continue to be) a far more effective grass roots movement.

Unlike the the Tea Party, the Occupy movement is not actually organizing change it's just pouting about the problem. The Tea Party group - regardless of what you think of their message - organized, worked within the system, and elected numerous people who they believed would effect change. They were effective in that many politicians reflecting the "status quo" were defeated despite being backed by "the machine" (as it were). The Occupy folks have a clear and simple way to effect corporate change - buy in. Buy stocks and organize voting blocks within the corporations. It's hard, it's a lot of work, it would involve many setbacks, but there is a way for them to effectively change the structure. There is also, of course, the Tea Party route - identify an agenda, find individuals who support that agenda to run against machine politicians, and work like hell to elect those individuals -- or you can just sit in your own stench and whine. I am sure that will be effective too.

Just like the Tea Party, the Occupy movement oversimplifies both the problem & the solution and is just blatantly wrong on many things. They are every bit as stupid as those in the Tea Party whom the left likes to pillory. Of course, the dumb Tea Partiers probably don't have degrees from "I Am Smarter Than You & My Sh** Don't Stink" University so they are easier to pick on.

Very well said and i completely agree.

Though the Tea Party did a lot to advance their cause part of it was because they got hijacked. It was originally many young libertarian minded people who fell in love with the ideas of Ron Paul over the internet and were fueled by a rebellion to a intrusive, socially conservative and fiscally irresponsible federal government under Bush fresh. Constant mocking by from the left kept many of the socially liberal people who originally shared interest with the Tea Partiers away. It grew to influential size as many social conservatives joined because of dissatisfaction from a neo-conservative big government movement in the Republican party. While the addition of social conservatives gave the Tea Party movement organization and influence it also fundamentally changed it.

I think something similar could happen with OWS, although besides the Unions I don’t really know any faction of the Democratic party that has the capability to organize non-race specific groups. Unfortunately the media on the right has spent a lot of time mocking these people just like the left did with tea partiers. While the originally tea parties shared a lot of common ground with social liberals many in the media ended up spoiling that relationship, and unfortunately it looks it may be same in the reverse situation…..