My initial reaction to the occupation of Wall Street was generally positive. But soon that feeling gave way to doubt and unease. I still find much hope in so many people taking to the streets but I wonder what is going on? From Naomi Klein, to Micheal Moore, to Chris Hedges to David Graeber to Slavoj Zizek and even Kayne West (???) every lefty public intellectual (and/or celebrity) and has come out in support of Occupy Wall Street and its progenitors. There seems to be an unquestioning lefty cheerleading section developing around this and it made me wonder why I still have my doubts.  Am I some sort of political dinosaur who doesn't get it? Can I not see revolution when it is thrust into my face(book)? So I thought I would  jot down some ideas of why Occupy Wall Street raised such feelings of doubt within me.

Democracy. Here is the conundrum right off-the-bat: democracy has failed us, we need more of it! This seems to be the one of the key ideas driving the occupy everywhere idea (hence forth I will use OE). The idea is democracy, as is practiced today, is corrupt, cynical, and alienating. We need TRUE democracy. On some level I agree, however, by positioning democracy, no matter how radical you perceive it, as the way forward you are foreclosing radical alternatives. Possibilities remain confined within the democratic horizon. The language of democracy offers a mechanism for lots of people to understand and be drawn into struggle, yet it also provides limits and dangers. It is quite possible that the fetishizing of democracy could lead the OE down the path of democratic renewal (i.e. we need to fix our broken system). While I have been inspired by some elements of the New York General Assembly, I wonder when we engage in the General Assembly model without doing the hard work of building REAL solidarity first, who is it really speaking for? And who has the opportunity and privilege to have their voices heard?

Consensus. During most of my organizing life I have been part of groups that have used consensus. It has worked lots and failed lots too. I prefer to work with consensus models, they build trusts and dialogue, however they have limits. Firstly consensus really only works if group members share certain core values. Secondly, it really only works in small groups. I am sorry to say when you have hundreds or thousands of people consensus will always be broken. Always! The third major...