With a heavy heart, I have left my local Occupy group...

[Earth_First]

I was TOLD by an organizing member that the UNITY pledge included supporting the opinions of the "End-the-Fed'ers" "Ron Paul Supporters" "Tea Party members" "Anti-NWO" and "American Taxpayer Party".

Bullsh*t.

There has been a great deal of infighting in our local group on how to address these 'alternate' opinions.
Tonight, during a working group discussion I just couldn't take it any longer.

I pointed out several instances of racist, corporate positions that these groups hold, only to be told: "unity, unity, unity."

Am I wrong?

[leftstreet]

1. There are Tea People at the protests?

:shrug:

[rpannier]

39. Some probably do

There are those that joined because of opposition to TARP and other financial bailouts.
They're usually that small group of Democrats you hear about

[Frank Coffin]

2. I was at #OccupyWallStreet today

and yes, I saw one friggin' Paulite there.

They can really ruin the concept of unity.

Also, saw a sign that Zionists own the Wall Street, backed up with two signs that said "Who the &*(@&*( paid this guy?" on each side.

Great move ladies! Hope to see y'all next week when I head back to #OWS after a short trip to visit October 6 folks and the #OccupyDC group on Thursday.

[Logical]

3. Hell no you are not wrong! n-t

[Glimmer of Hope]

4. Hell no! I would never share the same stage with those groups.

Maybe you can start your own group without the affiliation.

[MrSlayer]

5. No.

Should we ally with neo-Nazi groups and the KKK if they come down? Hell no. Ron Paul supporters and Teabaggers are diametrically opposed to everything we are standing for. They should not be included.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

6. i really fear the OWS could be totally

taken over by those groups - who actually want to give corporations more power.

Maybe you just need a break for a few days? OWS needs your voice.

I admire you.

[Earth_First]

13. Perhaps...

Thank you.

[butterfly77]

41. You need to be there to..

Watch and inform others who don't know much about politics,they need to be know the games they play.

[Scuba]

37. Won't happen, we've got the numbers. n/t

[gateley]

7. You don't need to support their opinions, just support their RIGHT

to their opinions.

Regardless of their ideologies, they have a right to not be screwed by our government, too.

[MichiganVote]

8. Dignity over unity anyday.

[Luminous Animal]

9. I don't think you are wrong, at all.

I've never heard of a UNITY pledge at other OWS groups. I know that consensus is the model at many so the opinions that get supported are only supported with consent of the entire group.

Anyhoo, what town is this?

[Earth_First]

12. The 'unity pledge' was adopted after much infighting during the groups infancy...

There were/are several fringe groups posting to the FB page, and suggesting that the groups share organizing efforts.

In an effort to quell the 'divisiveness' the group developed a unity pledge to accept everyone, regardless of ideologies...

I just couldn't take the Alex Jones crowd overtalking the group dynamic and being told to accept it.

[Amonester]

10. It's possible that some #occupy groups don't have a clue.

"unity" pledge? and to ______ (all that cRap)?

You did the only sane thing to do, IMHO.

If you can, join a 'real' #occupy group.

[moondust]

16. Maybe in red areas?

Upstate NY?

[Earth_First]

18. This group is in fact Upstate, yes... n/t

[moondust]

20. Whaddaya think?

Are they "leaning right" because that's the general political climate of the area?

[undeterred]

11. I wouldn't want any kind of unity with Tea Party members

who are electing Right Wing idiots that are destroying the country.

[Fire Walk With Me]

14. Unity with overt racists? Perhaps if you are both in a bucket brigade getting water to a fire...

Tricky question. I say there are things so ugly that they are being spotlit right now for everyone to reject, so we can all move forward to greater equality and unity. Therein lies the true 99%. Correct me where I'm wrong...

[Fire Walk With Me]

34. The hope would be that if you accept and work together with people like that,

they'd come to learn the error of their ways. :shrug: Love is a better path, but very very difficult when confronted with that which destroys and harms.

[Courtesy Flush]

15. Well, 99% is 99% nt

[Synicus Maximus]

28. The 99% does not include the 30% that are Repubs

[ejbr]

35. +1 n/t

[NYC Liberal]

48. No. Some of the 99% vote against their own interests and support corrupt corporations and banks.

Those people are really no better than the 1%.

Actually, they're even more pathetic. At least the billionaires are doing what's in their best interest (even if that does mean screwing over everyone else).

[Zanzoobar]

17. The enemy of one's enemy can be a friend.

Best be careful.

[HughBeaumont]

19. Not wrong at all.

Supply Side Economics is bullshit failure-rama no matter WHAT faction it's being championed by. Ditto racism and government abolishment.

[Amaya]

21. somehow i just don't believe this

:patriot:

[marions ghost]

22. you are not wrong

IMO

[Ohio Joe]

23. No. Fuck both the paulites and the teabaggers - nt

[tnlefty]

Unity with tea party members, who I refer to as average southern

republicans...no way.

If/when that comes up in the Chattanooga group I'll be out of their so fast it might make my head spin.

That's just me as I really don't do rightwing anything. :hug: for your heavy heart.

[Generic Other]

24. Our group is dealing with them by holding fast to our leftist stance

It is not about unregulated capitalism. That's what Republicans want. We say it often and we say it loud. We are not giving in to Ron Paul supporters. We are insisting on keeping party politics out of it for now. I feel for you though as trying to keep a coalition together will not be possible if the right co-opts the movement.

[eleny]

25. Upstate is a rough place for liberals

[Agony]

33. I hafta' agree, the "burned-over district" is a rough place for liberals!

[mwrguy]

26. Fuck Ron Paul, fuck libertarian teabaggers

You did the right thing.

[aikoaiko]

27. IMHO: Go back. Its your movement too. They can't make you leave.

Good luck and best wishes.

[Earth_First]

29. I do not plan to exit entirely...

I am looking into neighboring groups to participate with.

[Tx4obama]

30. Don't let them run you off. Go back and get the group back on track! n/t

[cyglet]

31. They may be plants

...to alienate people. I hope it doesn't work.

[Remember Me]

52. + 1000 EarthFirst -- THIS IS IMPORTANT, please take it into account

UNLESS they see the error of their ways and demonstrate it by starting to let go of some of their wrong-headed ideas, you have to suspect that their interest is in co-opting your movement. Period. Why are they there if they don't agree with YOUR (plural) basic ideas? Probable Answer: they're up to no good.

[Cal Carpenter]

32. I don't think you are wrong

But I think you should stay and be a thorn in their side.

The reason the Occupy movement cannot create a real ideology or platform at this time is because the vast majority of people (hey, the 99% LOL) have very little understanding of economic theory, the meanings of capitalism and libertarianism and how these things fit in history.

Our education in this country is horrible in this regard. Capitalism=freedom=democracy. That's what we learn. It's a bunch of shit.

But what Occupy is doing is starting these conversations. People like you need to stay out there and listen and talk with people. Start study groups.

We have a looooong way to go. OWS has some potential to get things started. But if people like you who at least point these things out give up on it, OWS will be even more likely get co-opted and become totally useless.

The 'unity, unity, unity' stuff is wishy washy blah blah blah. It really is.

But look at what is happening - there are hippies and labor activists and the rest of the working class and the military and the clergy all realizing they are on the same side. Maybe they still don't even grasp what that side is in any concrete terms, but it is an opportunity.

Hippies and Workers and Soldiers OH MY!

This may never happen again.

[xiamiam]

36. i think a good model is the ows forum and general assembly. livestream

they held a general assembly for months, i think before they occupied wall street and have some of the kinks worked out..i heard one of the original persons there being interviewed by Amy Goodman today..this is not going to be easy but they are definitely on the right track. They're in NYC, holding it together..for an entire nation..they've gotta be doing something right.

[Odin2005]

38. The PTB want us to fight amonst each other. Don't do it.

[TBF]

40. My view is that we workers stick together on economic issues -

we can iron out the rest after we win. If we don't do it that way we will never get anywhere.

[McCamy Taylor]

42. We had a disrupter in Fort Worth yesterday. Guy showed up, would not give his name

grabbed the megaphone and said we needed to organize from the top down before we could do our scheduled march. He also insisted that all political groups should be considered valid. That guy wasted about 90 minutes with this bs, before I finally went up to the organizer and demanded that we be allowed to march.

[rucky]

43. It won't be the last unpleasant thing we have to do

if we want to win.

Hold your ground. There's an opportunity for dialogue, here, and at least some common ground to build upon.

Use your DU-Fu.

[hang a left]

44. that is the strategy

to turn those with the same investments against one another.

As long as we fight each other over fringe issues, that they could give a rat's behind about, they can get away with what they have been getting away with for decades.

I have visited other sites and they are trying to label the movement in a negative way against their belief system.

Remember the Sock Puppets

Remember the Infiltrators

Remember the Traitors

[socialist_n_TN]

45. I noticed some anti-Fed signs at the Nashville

Occupy thing yesterday. It's part of the bourgeois co-opting that goes on every time that the left starts a populist movement. It was expected by all historical leftists, but probably not by the "relative" leftists.

That's why I've kept my distance from the OWS movement, at least until they figure out what they're going to be.

BTW, I'd stay in as long as I could stand it, but NEVER agree to a "don't criticize" coalition. That's the first sign of co-opting.

[Honeycombe8]

46. You are not wrong. Sounds like the Tea Party is trying to take over the OWS...

among other groups.

[Pab Sungenis]

47. "unity, unity, unity."

Or, as I like to put it, "Welcome to DU."

[Zorra]

49. Good move. Unity pledge? WTF? Sounds like your "fearles leader" does not get OWS.

Authoritarian conservatives often put themselves in leadership by using aggression, and some people blindly follow because our society has taught them to see aggression, ego, and selfishness as a sign of strength.

I would leave to.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

50. Note that the Catholics and Mormons work together on the abortion issue

even though they disagree on everything else.

[joshcryer]

51. Was this unity pledge agreed upon by all of the occupiers at the time of its advancement?

It sounds like a rather passive 'leader' is trying to run things in one of those overtly "tolerant" ways. Block the vote, make your case.