13 Years After Occupy, How Do We Address Economic Inequality Today? (rewind)

Laura Flanders and Friends: Next Economy, Labor, Intersectional, Climate, LGBTQ, Abortion

Reflecting on the Occupy movement's 13th anniversary: A deep dive into its impact on democracy, economic inequality, and the ongoing fight against the wealth gap. (episode originally released September 11, 2024)

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Description: Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets during the Occupy movement? For many the movement was a political awakening, as people rallied to end economic inequality and support democracy in response to the 2008 global financial crisis. On this 13th anniversary, how does the spirit of Occupy live on? And what progress — if any — has been made when it comes to the wealth gap? Joining us for that conversation is Marisa Holmes, author of the recently released book “Organizing Occupy Wall Street: This Is Just Practice” and director of “All Day All Week: An Occupy Wall Street Story” which looks at the takeover of Zuccotti Park in New York City in September 2011. Also joining us is Taifa Smith Butler, President of Demos, a public policy organization working to build a multiracial democracy and economy. Previously she was a leader at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Award-winning journalist Amir Khafagy returns to co-host this episode. Our guests explore the links between economic inequality and authoritarianism and ask how far we've come as a nation to create structural, policy and practice-based changes on the economic front. How can we create a people-led economy that will lead to collective power? All that, plus a commentary from Laura.

“During Occupy, we really rejected representative politics because it seemed not responsive to people's needs . . . So we just thought, ‘We're going to do this ourselves’. We have to build alternatives ourselves from the bottom up through mutual aid networks . . . That's what I think is going to transform the economy . . .” - Marisa Holmes

“Demos has always talked about the inextricable links of economic power and political power. As I think about where we are historically with the retraction of resources, with the threat of authoritarianism and fascism and this demographic shift that is happening in our nation and the inequality that continues to proliferate, if we do nothing, we'll be looking at apartheid in America.” - Taifa Smith Butler

Guests:

• Taifa Smith Butler: President, Dēmos

• Marisa Holmes: Author, Organizing Occupy Wall Street

• Amir Khafagy: Journalist, Report for America Member, Documented

Watch the episode cut airing on PBS stations across the country at our YouTube channel

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Music In the Middle: “Walk-in’” by The Pimps of Joytime featuring Roy Ayers from the Occupy This Album compilation. And additional music included- "Steppin" by Podington Bear.

Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

• “Trust-Busting 2024 with Stacy Mitchell & Matt Stoller: A Bipartisan Battle Against Monopoly Power” Watch / Listen or Download Podcast• Debt, Democracy & Disarray: Astra Taylor on “The Age of Insecurity”. Watch / Listen or Download Podcast

• Catastrophic Capitalism: Marjorie Kelly & Edgar Villanueva on “Wealth Supremacy” Watch / Listen or Download Podcast

Related Articles and Resources:

• Overview of Demos’ Economic Democracy Project & Case Studies, Read /Download Here

• All Day All Week- An Occupy Wall Street Story made with the Occupy Wall Street Media Working Group, Watch Here

• Rewind: As Obama's re-inauguration approaches, Americans celebrate other key anniversaries. But the promised land remains elusive, by Laura Flanders, The Guardian, Read Here

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O’Conner.

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