Occupy Movement Debates

1. Wierdman's Debate Tournament-The Occupy Wall Street Movement will/has had an affect on the world
2. Does the "occupy" protest movement have a clear and common message
3. Support the occupy movement

Occupy Movement Debates

History and Debate of Occupy Movement

The Occupy movement is an international movement with the goals of enhancing social and economic equality. One of the movement's main objectives is to reorganize the power relations in society in order to close the gap between the rich and the poor. There are many local divisions of the Occupy movement; each has some of its own goals and aspirations. However, one of the unifying concerns is the large degree of control that financial systems have in the world economy and the fact that only a small minority of people benefit from this economic arrangement. Those who support the Occupy movement believe that this arrangement undermines democracy and makes the government and world economy unstable. The Occupy movement relies on picketing, general strikes and demonstrations to make its goals known. Participants are known to camp out for weeks or even months in large cities and form tent communities in which they live and promote their cause. Their slogan is "We are the 99 percent." Occupy movements have sprung up in many nations, such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Germany, France, England, the United States and even Norway.

Occupy Movement Debate Supporters

Those who support the Occupy movement believe that economic inequality has grown over the years and that somebody needs to do something about it before it gets any worse. The top 1 percent receives 23 percent of all U.S. income. The movement calls attention to these disparities in a way that is hard for politicians and citizens to ignore. Its worldwide nature calls attention to the fact that economic disparities are not just a problem in the United States, they are, in fact, worsening worldwide.

Occupy Movement Debate Critics

There are many people who find fault with the Occupy movement. Most are not against the movement because they do not believe that economic disparities do not exist or that the financial system is not marred. However, the major disadvantage to the Occupy movement, they believe, is that it lacks focus and is inefficient at making its goals known. Many protesters, when questioned, do not know exactly what they are protesting. Those who are against the movement call attention to the fact that some nations have made strides towards greater economic equality, and that it is not necessarily a worldwide problem. China, for example, has increased its economic equality over the last several decades.