Groups are divided, unproductive
Lately, the front pages have been ceaselessly clogged with the goings-on of the highly debated Occupy Wall Street movement. For weeks now, throngs of people with handmade signs, strong convictions and a hope for radical change in the near future have been parading back and forth down city streets griping about a variety of different social, political and economic issues.
But that's exactly where the problem lies. This new wave of dissidents originally began with the goal in mind of protesting corporate greed and corruption, but the movement has expanded to now house people with varying intents and purposes, from advocating for a direct democracy to fighting for universal health care or even anarchism.
And while police officers stand at street corners to keep protestors in line, officials in buildings overlooking the streets raise their glasses to the masses below and laugh.
What these protesters fail to realize at present is that the more dispersed their goals are, the less effective their efforts become. It is difficult for the officials of the government or of large corporations to take to heart the words of a large mob of people who hold representatives from a plethora of political views and social stances, some of which are even conflicting.
It is interesting, when comparing these American demonstrations to the ones in Europe, to note that the citizens of Europe, in general, have been much more successful in their achievements through public demonstration.
The main difference lies in their ability to directly affect the businesses against which they are protesting. In 2010, for example, French railway workers who wanted greater benefits held transportation strikes so that railway stations were shut down for a day. This disrupted many other events that were being held throughout the country and greatly inhibited the ability of many others to go to work or travel.
In comparison, the large majority of Wall Street protesters who so vehemently express their hatred for large banks still continue to use the banks they are fighting against. They claim to despise institutions upon which they are heavily reliant, and for this reason, neither the government nor large corporations will likely end up taking them seriously, as their hypocritical actions only serve to demonstrate a shallow dedication to their cause.
If the Wall Street crowds wish to achieve anything in the near future, it's time for them to realize that the only way of doing so is to unify themselves, narrow down their goals to a couple specific aims and find a definitive target to try to influence. If they are unable to do so, then it's time for these protesting crowds to abandon their attempts. Their only achievement thus far has been to raise awareness of dissatisfaction with the socioeconomic and political state of the country, something that hardly needed to be done to begin with.
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