Occupy Movement: Marshaling Their Forces

I suggested in a previous post that the fledging Occupy Movement was unlikely to have long-term staying power, as I believed it to be a marginal activist demonstration. I may be mistaken. Left to its own devices, not to mention the coming of winter, it likely would have puttered out. But according to the Washington Post today, the activists are marshaling their forces and making alliances - with the large labor unions:

Labor groups are mobilizing to provide office space, meeting rooms, photocopying services, legal help, food and other necessities to the protesters. The support is lending some institutional heft to a movement that has prided itself on its freewheeling, non-institutional character.

And in return, Occupy activists are pitching in to help unions ratchet up action against several New York firms involved in labor disputes with workers.

And apparently, they feel that they have much to offer each other:

“Our members have been trying to have this discussion about Wall Street and the economy for a long time,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in an interview. “This movement is providing us the vehicle.”

...

“We’re hoping this will inspire them to take on more militant tactics,” said Jackie DiSalvo, an Occupy Wall Street organizer who has been coordinating with labor. “The fact that they’re willing to support more militant tactics might mean that they’re willing to start doing more.”

...

“Now is this rare opportunity for labor unions, and especially the union leadership, to take some pointers,” Ide said, adding that unions should consider the civil-disobedience approach taken by Occupy demonstrations. “The whole Zuccotti Park thing is quasi-legal,” he said. “Unions, we have to obey the law. But sometimes it’s time to think outside the box.”

Both groups operate under the notion that the taxpayers and the wealthy owe them something. Again, it is about the attitude of entitlement. Frankly, I am a little surprised at just how transparent and forthcoming some of the quotes in this article actually are: "militant", "civil disobedience", "outside the box" [meaning outside the law].

So where do things go from here? One possibility is that this alliance will backfire and further reduce the standing of each entity in the public eye as the protests become more disruptive to people's lives. I also believe that we may be in for at least 12-14 months of civil and economic disruption, to include rioting and violence all the way through and past next year's presidential election.

I wasn't alive during the 60's to witness the great generational period of unrest America experienced. But the chances are increasing that history is about to repeat itself.

My fear is this: How will the nation respond when (or if) the Occupy Movement and the unions eventually resort to lawbreaking and violence?

And you thought our country was divided before.