Randy Shaw: For all of its claims to represent the true democratic spirit of the 99%, it seems that once Occupy Oakland decides to close down a public facility or seize a public asset, that’s all the democracy it needs.
About Randy Shaw
Randy Shaw is the Director of San Francisco's Tenderloin Housing Clinic and the Editor-in-Chief of the online daily newspaper "Beyond Chron." He is the author of three books, "Beyond the Fields", "The Activist's Handbook", and "Reclaiming America".
Occupy Movement Recharges for 2012
January 18, 2012 By
Randy Shaw: The Occupy movement could greatly benefit from choosing a similar big target that could engage activists across the world.
As Feds Abandon Cities, Corporate Clout Grows
January 17, 2012 By
Randy Shaw: The federal government’s slashing of funding for urban America has made all cities more dependent on corporate investment than at any time since the 1930’s, raising new challenges for urban progressives.
The Top 10 Best and Worst of U.S. Politics in 2011
December 19, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: Occupy Wall Street’s emergence in September raised progressive spirits, as has the unexpected rise of Newt Gingrich as the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination. Here’s my list of the top ten best and worst political events that occurred across the nation in 2011.
Occupy Movement’s New Threat: Media Election Coverage
December 1, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: The voters 2012 have heard it all before. Only Occupy offers something new, which is why its agenda of inequality and democracy for the 99% could become the key election issues next year.
Student Activists Deserve Our Thanks
November 24, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: On this Thanksgiving week, the students risking physical harm and school discipline to demand greater social and economic fairness truly deserve the nation’s thanks.
Obama Continues Alienating Onetime Core Supporters
November 22, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: I expect many Occupy supporters to spend time from Labor Day to Election Day in 2012 on statewide initiatives seeking to raise taxes on the 1% in order to fund schools and other vital needs.
Occupy Movement at the Crossroads
November 15, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: Successful movements must be flexible enough to change tactics in the face of roadblocks, and activists’ camping in public spaces is not strategically necessary for the Occupy movement’s success.
Wal-Mart Heiress Opens Lavish Art Museum As Company Cuts Worker Health Care
November 8, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: Alice Walton and her family have earned riches by denying workers adequate benefits and living wages. What the museum really needs is a large painting of a Wal-Mart worker suffering from unmet health problems,
Occupy Movement, Labor on Collision Course with Obama
November 3, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: If President Obama and fellow Democrats agree to a deficit reduction deal that cuts Medicare, Social Security, and other programs serving the 99%, expect an electoral calamity for Democrats in 2012.
Occupy Movement Enlists New Activists for Social Change Struggles
October 31, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: Occupy has gone beyond the usual suspects and given a new generation of activists a desperately needed vehicle for advancing progressive change.
Obamacare Offers Path for Obama’s Re-Election
October 24, 2011 By
Occupy Movement Must Resist Pressure for Specific Demands
October 19, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: You know that Occupy Wall Street and its local, national and international progeny have reached a level of success when everyone is offering advice. Unfortunately, the most commonly offered view – that activists must get specific about their demands – is entirely wrong.
Why Nonviolent Resistance Beats Armed Struggles for Regime Change
October 13, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: But as much as the Left has romanticized Castro’s armed overthrow of the Bautista regime, and Ho Chi Minh’s military defeat of the United States to unite Vietnam, in most cases violence is less likely to achieve revolutionary change than nonviolent strategies.
Defying Skeptics, Occupy Wall Street is Winning Over Mainstream
October 12, 2011 By
Randy Shaw: A surprising shift has occurred in mainstream attitudes toward the openly anti-corporate Occupy movement: after first ignoring and then downplaying the effort, skepticism has given way to praise.
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