I think the primary and possibly only thing this has accomplished is awareness. Just getting the charts and graphs and percentages in front of people’s eyes is something that otherwise would not have happened. When you do something this unusual, this sustained, this widespread, the media shows up and people at home ask, “Why?” That’s step 1. It was a media event, and media events are designed to change minds. The same thing happened with the Battle of Seattle. Loads of people said, “I don’t understand. What are those people so mad about? What’s the point of this?” Most just went back to what they were doing, but others started doing some reading and some learning. While the protests helped derail the aims of that conference, they also had a longer term effect of raising awareness about trade globalization and the abuses it can perpetuate or exacerbate or silently condone. How has that increased awareness affected society since then? I don’t know for sure. I do know there has been more scrutiny of free trade agreements since then - in the populace, in interest groups, and in Congress. The vocabulary on that issue is different and larger now. Would that have happened without the awareness sparked by the protests? I don’t know. But I have to think it helped put the issues on the map. Unlike the 1999 WTO meeting, there wasn’t an immediate event for Occupy Wall Street to disrupt, so the short term effect of this should be close to nil. But if the protests raised the profile/awareness of increasing economic inequality and corporate control of government, then we can consider it a seed planted. It may have put the issue on the map. Even though it will fizzle out and be replaced in the news cycle soon, will it influence the language of the coming elections? Will anybody sieze on it in the same way the right siezed upon the Tea Party surge? Will we see individual Congressmen stepping forward in years to come talking about some of these issues as relevant bills are brought up? Will we see them starting to use it as a frame for larger issues? Was somebody at the protests or at home on their couch inspired to start some action or movement or career path that will lead to change in the future? If so, then this was a success, and not just a bunch of join-any-protest liberals and frustrated young people and curious spectacle watchers. It’s not about what it accomplished on the ground, but rather what it inspired.

I’m guessing indoors. #WinterIsComing

Kind of an impulse, but I immediately starting crooning “Where Do We Go From Here?” from “OMWF.”

inspiring video

Interesting video, but once I realized the music was from the Drive soundtrack, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan Gosling.