OK Occupy Toronto, That's Enough

As we enter day 27 of the Occupy Toronto movement, it's becoming increasingly clear that the city is on the verge of kicking the protesters out of St. James Park.

Citing the need to Winterize the sprinklers in the park, the cost that could be incurred given possible damage to the grass, and, as always, his duty to businesses and taxpayers, Mayor Rob Ford has now publicly stated  "We've had a peaceful protest, but I think it's time we asked them to move on [. . .]  People have told me they've had enough. I think it's the right thing to do."

And while I think I've made my feelings for our bloated and potty-mouthed Mayor clear previously, I've got to say that when I read the news that the city might soon be giving Occupy Toronto the boot, my first thought was, "Good."



Hear me out.

I'm certainly not siding with the Mayor's reasoning (lawn care trumps social change!), and I am far from a supporter of the so-called one per cent that these movements purport to be opposed to, but I've got to say, ending the shenanigans down at St. James Park is probably in everyone's best interest.

In general, I support the causes for which the "99%" are fighting--social change, a more fair distribution of wealth, greater corporate responsibility--but I can really only say that I support their ideals generally, because I only have a general idea about what it is they are "fighting" for.

And I'm clearly I'm not the only one.

The protesters themselves, it seems, only have a general idea about whatever the hell it is they are fighting for.

I looked to the Occupy Toronto website for some clarification and found the handy "About" tab, only to learn, among other anti-corporate vagaries, that "We have not yet put out a unified message but be sure it will come."

Uh, yes...It's been a month...How long do you think that might take?

Don't get me wrong, I've really tried to make some sense of what exactly it is that the Canadian factions of the Occupy movement are fighting for and frankly, I'm just confused and more than a little disappointed.

They seem to have access to all manner of social media, and no shortage of things to say on it, but it's all just so damn...all over the place. Their website does include some messaging about how speculation and fractional reserve lending are to blame for the current economic situation (with handy links to wikipedia so you can learn what those things are), but generally the intended purpose according to their website--as with the movement itself--just seems to scream for change with no real indication as to how that might ever happen.

It's hard for me to write this, because, damn it man, I'm down with the people. Let's stick it to the man!

But the Occupy Toronto movement is just so bogged down by its own inherent need to change every God damned thing in the whole world. Take, for example, this sentence taken from Occupy Toronto's website, ironically from an item intended to provide further clarification on the movement's intentions:

It is the biggest social forum in history enabled by the modern communications technology and the dire need for independent human discussion to address and resolve the impending issues of survival and well being that are effecting people individually, the environment as a whole, and the life on earth as we know it, with profound ramifications stretching from long ago, to the crisis happening now, and far into the future, to negate the root cause and the negative impact from the attacks caused by the private sector profit-driven agendas of unchecked and unregulated by any responsible democratic process activities of multinational corporations, military industrial complex, banking and finance industry, the big pharma and agro, the Inns of Court and the corporate contract law tricksters, private prison industry and the justice system, medical and educational establishments, secret societies, the elites and alike representing the 1% of the world’s population.

For those of you keeping score at home, yes, that was all one fucking sentence.

One sentence, mind you, that essentially proposes that the Occupy Toronto movement is out to fix the environment, the issues effecting individuals, and life as we know it; take down corporations, the military industrial complex, and the finance industry; fix the legal system and the education system. Not only that but they're going to--ah fuck, I'm exhausted just reading this garbage.

Sorry Occupy Toronto, your ambition is admirable, but when your PR machine strings together rants that sound like the stoner conspiracy theorist from my high school, it's hard to give you any sort of credibility.

I just wish you could pick a cause and do something about it.

I know I sound like a dick, and I seem like one of those people that are dismissing you as "just a bunch of hippies" with no idea what it is you're protesting, but, frankly, it's kind of irritating that you are making it so damn easy for people to dismiss you as a bunch of hippies with no idea what it is you're protesting.

The Occupy movement began in New York as a very real reaction to a very troubling financial situation. As they note on their website, Occupy Wall Street started as a means of ""fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations."

Let's ignore, for a second, that, during the US financial crisis that sparked Occupy Wall Street, Canada actually experienced one of the "mildest and shortest downturn[s] in recent history."

Forget also that employment rates in Ontario have actually risen 1.4% over the past year.

And finally let's also ignore the fact that, thanks to conservative lending practices and increasingly strict regulations, Canada didn't have a housing bubble and our banks didn't actually fail at all.

We'll also say nothing of the fact that the guy who saw Canada through the financial crisis (Mark Carney) did such a good job, that he was recently named the Chair of the Financial Stability Board, the organization tasked with coordinating "national financial authorities and international standard setting bodies and to develop and promote the implementation of effective regulatory, supervisory and other financial sector policies."

Even if we allow, for the sake of argument, that Occupy Toronto isn't about the same things as Occupy Wall Street (because it can't be) and we just say that Occupy Toronto is interested in improving circumstances for the less fortunate--in a very general sense--I'm still confused as to how exactly they are doing that.

In fact, I'm having a hard time discerning what they hell they've been doing at all.

Are we supposed to believe that the movement is going to accomplish any sort of real change by...uh...sitting in a park for a month?

I know they're staging a protest. Their very presence is meant to start the conversation, show their solidarity and blah blah blah. But here's the thing:  Nobody is going to do this work for them. By sitting in a park, bitching on twitter and flashing cardboard signs, Occupy Toronto is essentially just asking the 1% to fix themselves.

And as you've made clear, the 1% has got it made. Why would they ever want to change the situation?

Occupy Toronto: "We're going to live outside until corporations stop being so greedy!"
Corporations [waving from inside warm and fancy offices]: "Have fun!" *shovels caviar in mouth*

If you want to accomplish something here, you're going to need to do more than "get the word out." Getting on TV and writing about your cause isn't going to cut it. Don't put the onus to do the work on those who are currently benefiting from the system, because they're not going to do it.

You're basically sitting outside in a park protesting against "greed." You might as well be passionately protesting gravity.

And that passion is is what's so truly irritating. All you Occupy Torontonians clearly feel strongly about doing...something, but by trying to tackle such a broad and vague list of evils, you're really accomplishing nothing.

Why not shift your focus away from the top 1% and focus instead on the bottom 1%?

There are very real social issues that can be tackled right here in Toronto, right now. We've got people living in poverty, an inadequate amount of drop-in centres, men and women living on the streets, youth that could benefit from access to after school programs and mentor-ships--all things about which you could actually get out there and make a difference right now.

This is why, as I hear your pleas for change, while I watch you tout the support you're receiving in food donations from local restaurants to keep the protesters fed, and while I see that you're using twitter to ask David's Teas to donate some green tea to the cause, I think, yes, Mayor Ford, it is most certainly time to ask Occupy Toronto to move on.

You've got Toronto's socially-conscious youth gathered together in one place, you're motivated, passionate, and somewhat organized. I know it isn't as glamorous or as exciting as building a movement and trading barbs publicly with the mayor, but it is time to get out of the park and go work toward making some real social changes right here in this city.