OWS One Year Later: It's Here and It Ain't Going Away!

Reports of the death of Occupy Wall Street are grossly exaggerated. Photo from Occupy Wall Street.

TODAY marks the one-year anniversary of the leaderless movement now known all over the world as Occupy Wall Street.

Contrary to what one might read or see in the corporate media controlled by the heavily vested 1%, OWS is not dead. OWS has been getting things done and has been setting the groundwork to get things done. Slow, but sure. Anyone wanting to know what's going on can simply visit the Web site, http://www.occupywallst.org. Another good source is "Occupy Wall Street Radio," a program that is broadcast at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on WBAI-FM (99.5 FM, http://www.wbai.org).

OWS is a movement; it's a revolution. It aims to empower the people – the masses – to push back against the forces that enable obscene corporate power, greed and corruption. As such, it is often misunderstood and intentionally misconstrued – sometimes by the very constituency it seeks to help. OWS can be unwieldy and contentious from within. Yet it is functional. It will take time to see many of the changes that are taking place because OWS exists. But its impact cannot be denied, not even by its most dedicated detractors.

Already, "Occupy" as well as the 1% and 99% are household words; part of the lexicon for evermore. They've been uttered on the presidential campaign trail. They are invoked in TV commercials and on TV programs aired on corporate, mainstream networks. Is there any doubt that "Revolution," the new NBC series premiering tonight is yet another example of how OWS and its Occulingo have influenced the popular culture? These are huge accomplishments for a fledgling, bottom-up movement.

Indeed OWS is alive and well. OWSers in New York City – the birthplace of the movement – and comrades around the world are taking to the streets today. They will engage in rallies, marches, talks, entertainments, as well as in acts of civil disobedience, to celebrate an extraordinary year past and an even more extraordinary one in the making. Happy Birthday, OWS!

Visit http://www.occupywallst.org to learn more about Occupy Wall Street one-year anniversary events or events in general. Google "Occupy Wall Street around the world" to learn about goings-on at Occupy movements outside of New York City.